I just don't know how much to eat anymore!!

funkyspunky872
funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am recovering from bulimia and I'm 5'8'' and weigh 175.2 pounds as of today. My highest weight was 295.4 pounds and I lost it all with a 900-1200 calorie diet. Obviously, things got out of control and my metabolism is 'wrecked'. I suffered from exercise bulimia, burning over 1,000 calories a day, and when my muscles gave out, I started restricting to 500 calories or water fasting. I was pretty damn sick: hair falling out, yellow skin, HR was 45 bpm and getting slower and slower. I made it to 150.2 pounds before my ED got at its worse. I was bingeing and purging so much, I gained 50 pounds back in 3 months.

Now I'm trying to lose the 50 pounds (25 left to go) that I gained bingeing. I went from 205 to 185 in 3 weeks by restricting calories. Not my best idea, but I was desperate at that point. Then I really started with recovery and calculated my TDEE, BMR, and a 20% cut. I even got a fitbit and always got in 10,000-15,000 steps. I used Scooby's calculator for moderate exercise and ate 1700-1900 calories every day -- sometimes more or less depending on how much activity I got in. My fitbit usually gave my a TDEE of 2300ish too by the end of the day. I even started lifting weights 2 or 3 times a week. It's not much, but I'm up to 10 pound dumbbells when I used to struggle with 4 pounds. I did this for 40 days and lost 2 pounds the first two weeks and then stalled at 181-183 lbs for the remainder of the time.

Got sick of not losing any weight even though I felt amazing, so I stopped exercising (except for one week of Ripped in 30) and dropped my calories to 1400-1500. I've lost 6 pounds in the past month, but I'm getting worried about what I'm doing to my body. I don't have the energy to exercise anymore.

How screwed is my metabolism? :sick: If I had the money, I'd be in a nutritionist's office right now! But at least I've got MFP. :) I do want to continue losing weight even if it's half a pound a week, but I need reassurance on how much to eat, how much to exercise, etc.

Here are my stats again:
Weight: 175.2
Height: 5'8''
Age: 18
BMR: 1600-1645 depending on the calculator

Replies

  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
    Bump. I need help.
  • jgsparks89
    jgsparks89 Posts: 85 Member
    It sounds like you are off to the right start, and congratulations for overcoming such a huge barrier in trying to meet your goals in a safe way this time around.

    I say don't stress too much over calories. I aim for a pound to a pound and a half per week of weight loss (research says that at that rate you have a better chance of maintaining your loss) and try to stay within that range on MFP diary. If that doesn't work for 3 to 4 weeks, then try adding or subtracting 150 to 200 calories. Eat a balanced diet. Remember, food is fuel for you body!! Maybe try adjusting your diet (higher protein, change up your carbs). Don't aim for less than 1200 calories a day. Get plenty of water. Maybe try some new exercises and add strength training if you haven't yet.

    Most of all, be patient! I know it's hard but it's not just a short term goal...it's your health! Stay motivated with your friends and learn to love yourself no matter what the scale says. Feel free to friend me if you want and we can motivate each other!
  • fruitful9
    fruitful9 Posts: 32
    If I was you (or if you were my daughter---I have 5 girls and 4 boys) I would say for one month you should just simply eat a clean diet of 1600-1700 cal., get in a walk EVERY DAY, and stay away from empty calories (or any of your "trigger" foods).

    See if that brings back your energy/stamina, and jump-starts your natural metabolism.

    Be sure to eat plenty of protein throughout your day.

    Lovingly,
  • bodyjammin85
    bodyjammin85 Posts: 34 Member
    Sounds like you've had a tough time. At least you are here looking for assistance now.

    What i think you need to do it gain a bit of muscle. Losing weight through severe calorie deficit generally means the muscle you had has been used as fuel. Muscle is what burns calories, so that is why your metabolism has crashed, you don't have enough muscle to burn off calories.

    I'd suggest lifting more weights and get a good programme from a trainer if possible. Have plenty of compound moves like squats, deadlifts etc. Don't restrict your calories too much and make sure your nutrition is clean and balanced. Eat small and regular and make sure you preserve as much muscle as possible by having some slow release protein before bed, like cottage cheese or a casein shake. As for calorie amount, it's something you have to experiment with. There's no one magic number for everyone so you have to try a few things and see if you need to adjust. If you aren't losing or gaining weight, increase cals slightly. If you are gaining weight and it's not from muscle mass, reduce your cals slightly.

    I'd recommend P90X for you as i've done that and it added a bit of muscle to my frame which helped me burn more fat. It also means you don't need the gym if its not your favourite place.

    I hope this helps.
  • amberlykay1014
    amberlykay1014 Posts: 608 Member
    I honestly don't know how much you should be eating, so I can't help you there. I just wanted to say that I think you are off to a good start in trying to stay healthy. Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
    I would say for one month you should just simply eat a clean diet of 1600-1700 cal., get in a walk EVERY DAY, and stay away from empty calories (or any of your "trigger" foods).

    See if that brings back your energy/stamina, and jump-starts your natural metabolism.

    Be sure to eat plenty of protein throughout your day.

    Agreed.

    MFP does a good job getting you in the "neighborhood" of what you need to accomplish your goals. Fine tuning is up to you. If you don't have one, I would recommend buying a scale to measure your portions. When you start to "eyeball portion sizes, portion creep will certainly follow.

    I bought the following on Amazon about a year ago and it has worked wonderfully well: EatSmart Precision Pro - Multifunction Digital Kitchen Scale w/ Extra Large LCD and 11 Lb. Capacity $25 plus shipping (on Amazon).
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,419 Member
    Just use this site as it is set up, the numbers from all other sites use similar calculators. The big difference here is you need to add-in and then eat (addtional) calories when you work out.

    Whatever damage you may have done by undereating should correct itself within a month of regular calorie intake. It's not a permanent problem.
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Your metabolism is probably messed up. BUT... anything that is broken, can usually be fixed. Just eat a balanced meal of at least 1500 calories a day... probably more. As someone said above... stay away from your trigger foods and empty calories. And, get in at least 1 walk a day... really, preferably, 10,000 steps a day. Then, slowly, start adding a little bit of strength training. Strength training will naturally boost your metabolism... just don't overdo it. You need to take things slowly, and let your body have time to heal. It will heal... but, it will take time for it to start trusting you to treat it right again.

    If you need to talk, I'm sure there are tons of people here who are willing to help... just make sure they are the ones that will motivate you to continue eating the right amounts and exercise the right amounts.

    I wish you all the luck in the world. Coming here is the first step in a healthy lifestyle. Good luck. :smile: You deserve to have a wonderful life.
  • comingofage
    comingofage Posts: 2 Member
    Hi, I just started with mfp and am really excited to have stumbled on it by accident. Was doing weight watchers online and had to pay for pretty much the same thing. OK,........I read your post and really wanted to reply. You will get over this bump today and it will make you stronger because of it! I know this only because of the experience I have because I am older then you. I have been focusing on my weight almost all my life and I'm old enough to be your mom. I think what I want to tell you is try not to let the dieting and exercising become the main focus of your life. Accept yourself as you are and find out what makes you happy.You are beautiful and you are not defined by your weight! Find out who you really are, who is that person inside you. From what I have read you are very disciplined. You also have an attention for detail. THe energy you put into exercising and counting calories can be channeled into something else. Do you have any hobbies? Are you involved in any groups, is there a church that you belong to? Try to find something else to put your energy into. Something that brings you joy. You are still very young. Your body is still developing,when you do the extreme dieting and exercising you could be harming your body and causing problems for yourself later in life. Try shifting your focus to something else and it will take the pressure off of being thin or trying to reach perfection. Because you are already perfect just the way you are!
  • originalcookiemonster
    originalcookiemonster Posts: 278
    Use this website to find out your numbers more accurately this helped me a lot. FOLLOW IT SPECIFICALLY MAKE NO CHANGES. You've been through a lot and it will take your body some time to recover.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    This is also what I would suggest. I would eat at a 10% deficit for about 2 months or so and exercise lightly. You have been very rough on your body and you need to be good to it. Not pushing too hard yet does not mean you're being lazy. If you still feel like you are not eating enough, then eat your TDEE (maintenance) After that, as you increase your energy, eat at a deficit of your TDEE but never ever more than 20%, it is not healthy. Your macros can be adjusted but I find I do well on C 40 P 30 F 30

    As you increase your energy, increase the intensity of your workouts. Weight training is where its at, so work up to lifting heavy! Working your muscles burns fat, even for longer than you are actually lifting. Cardio burns both fat AND muscle. I would suggest lifting 3x a week and doing maybe one or two days of some moderate cardio. Rest days are important. If you are eating at a small deficit or even maintenance and eating plenty of protein, you will maintain the muscles that you have and burn the fat surrounding them. Later on in your fitness journey, you can *gasp* eat at a surplus and continue to lift weights and build some sexy muscle!

    The thing to remember is that this will be a journey, not a quick fix as I'm sure you know. But keep reminding yourself. Feed your body good foods and be patient. Also, the scale is NOT your friend. A million different things affect that number so be patient. Eventually, inch loss will be your victory so keep a tape measure and take before and after pictures.

    *hug* Its going to be ok. Feel free to add me if you like.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member


    How screwed is my metabolism? :sick: If I had the money, I'd be in a nutritionist's office right now! But at least I've got MFP. :) I do want to continue losing weight even if it's half a pound a week, but I need reassurance on how much to eat, how much to exercise, etc.

    Here are my stats again:
    Weight: 175.2
    Height: 5'8''
    Age: 18
    BMR: 1600-1645 depending on the calculator

    If your BMR is 1600 ish then you need to be eating at least 100 over that just for health. My best advice would be to quite playing around with the numbers and the exercise. Take a month and eat at least 1700 a day of good food, nutritious things that will give your body the nutrients it needs and back off on exercise to just generally staying active, no more than 30 minutes a day of light exercise.

    Let your body heal and find a level that it feels it can be safe with. Yo yoing up and down and constantly changing your diet and exercise is very unhealthy and will eventually lead to permanent damage. Don't obsess about the numbers, stay off the scale and just learn to be in your skin.
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/



    use this, its very helpful
  • dreena222
    dreena222 Posts: 34 Member
    175 lbs @ 5'8" I bet you look amazing now!! Congrats on getting yourself better......now you should concentrate on healthy eating,
    no processed foods etc, lots of fruits and veggies and keep up the exercise without overdoing it. Just enough to have a healthy heart
    and some weights for muscle tone. Glad to see that you are here on My Fitness Pal! Good Luck!

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