Recovering from an anorexia, focusing on being healthy
myfatisazkaban
Posts: 5
Okay, so for the longest time I was actively anorexic. I have since recovered, and want to focus on being healthy. When I recovered I gained a lot back, mostly fat. Now I want to gain muscle while losing fat. I am currently 97 lbs and 5 feet tall (anorexia stunted my growth) and my BMI is 18.94, body fat % 19.4%. I want to gain a minimum of 10 lbs of muscle and lose around 5 lbs of fat. I still struggle with eating enough, so my intake is still really low. The transition of not being monitored has really thrown me, and I'm slowly bringing my intake back up. I really need the support, and would love to have healthy intakes to compare with. Good luck with health!
0
Replies
-
I am working on recovering from Bulimia, but I would be happy to support you if you want to add me. I have some knowledge about what to eat, how much, and all that jazz from years of being obsessed and taking some college courses on Nutrition; but as we both know, logic and EDs don't go well together.0
-
Hi. I sent you a friend request. I'm a recovered anorexic and I eat like a horse. Also, I train a lot
Just a word of caution... If your BMI is still that low, I'm a little worried that you aren't fully recovered, and just being on MFP and focusing on body composition could feed into eating disorder behavior, but you're a grown woman, so I'm not going to lecture you like a little kid (beyond what I just did).0 -
I know, it is still really low. My doctor would like to see me above 100 lbs, so I want to gain that in muscle. I have already gained some weight, and all my tests are normal. Thanks for the concern.0
-
Hi. I sent you a friend request. I'm a recovered anorexic and I eat like a horse. Also, I train a lot
Just a word of caution... If your BMI is still that low, I'm a little worried that you aren't fully recovered, and just being on MFP and focusing on body composition could feed into eating disorder behavior, but you're a grown woman, so I'm not going to lecture you like a little kid (beyond what I just did).
I usually don't jump in and correct people, but 1) What a person weighs does not gauge whether or not he/she is in recovery and 2) Being "recovered" is not possible; a person is either in recovery or not in recovery. One does not become completely recovered from these illnesses.0 -
Wow, that is so good!
Congratulations on your recovery x
I really hope you don`t mind but I took a little look at your friends and a lot of them are anorexic/bulimic....I am sure they are super good friends and maybe it would be good to add some people to your friend list that don`t have ed`s
That way you can get some different types of support and advice and you can maybe help some other people?
It can sometimes help to friend people in a completely different situation to yourself.
But either way great job and keep up the great work x0 -
First of all, congrats on recovery, it's a long hard road but very worth it :flowerforyou:
Have you spoken to a professional about counting calories? It can be obsessive and you might want to consider not counting on some days. This is if you are new to recovery or feel unstable. Since you are not in treatment any more, make sure to keep supportive people around you (such as friends, family, neighbours, teachers, etc), anyone you can trust, so that you don't feel alone.
Also, note that there may be some people on here that could trigger you (who have EDs, are new to recovery or not recovering), be cautious of them. Being recovering myself, I try to keep positive influences.
If you are already seeing gains then you are probably doing things right, keep it up! And it's great you are checking up with your doctor. Eat and lift. Good luck!
Edited after seeing your latest post.0 -
Recovered ana here..please feel free to add me..
hugs to all of u
0 -
Check out www.marksdailyapple.com.0
-
Your bodyfat is completly normal. If you see yourself as too much with this and that bmi then you are still disordered and sould not loose any weight!
Eating healthy is good but you will slip again...so please try not to loose any weight or mass and just try to eat right.
5lbs of fat diwn woukd make your bodyfat too low. You wont have petiods with it and your body will be in danger.0 -
I know, it is still really low. My doctor would like to see me above 100 lbs, so I want to gain that in muscle. I have already gained some weight, and all my tests are normal. Thanks for the concern.
Happy to hear that you're healthy. People on MFP will have great lifting advice for you. Add some buff lifting chicks.0 -
Hi. I sent you a friend request. I'm a recovered anorexic and I eat like a horse. Also, I train a lot
Just a word of caution... If your BMI is still that low, I'm a little worried that you aren't fully recovered, and just being on MFP and focusing on body composition could feed into eating disorder behavior, but you're a grown woman, so I'm not going to lecture you like a little kid (beyond what I just did).
I usually don't jump in and correct people, but 1) What a person weighs does not gauge whether or not he/she is in recovery and 2) Being "recovered" is not possible; a person is either in recovery or not in recovery. One does not become completely recovered from these illnesses.
Absolutely wrong and a potentially dangerous thing to say. Full recovery is completely possibly, you obviously just haven't been in a recovery programme that believes in full recovery and/or has the expertise to bring you there.0 -
I need to count calories because I always undereat when I don't (think under 600 calories). I'll think that I'm eating enough but I'm not. It is obsessive, but I really cannot afford to eat as little as I eat if I don't count calories. Like today, I thought that I had overeaten but in reality I'm still under 500 calories. I'm hoping to correct that and still reach my goal, but that's going to be difficult.First of all, congrats on recovery, it's a long hard road but very worth it :flowerforyou:
Have you spoken to a professional about counting calories? It can be obsessive and you might want to consider not counting on some days. This is if you are new to recovery or feel unstable. Since you are not in treatment any more, make sure to keep supportive people around you (such as friends, family, neighbours, teachers, etc), anyone you can trust, so that you don't feel alone.
Also, note that there may be some people on here that could trigger you (who have EDs, are new to recovery or not recovering), be cautious of them. Being recovering myself, I try to keep positive influences.
If you are already seeing gains then you are probably doing things right, keep it up! And it's great you are checking up with your doctor. Eat and lift. Good luck!
Edited after seeing your latest post.0 -
Hi. I sent you a friend request. I'm a recovered anorexic and I eat like a horse. Also, I train a lot
Just a word of caution... If your BMI is still that low, I'm a little worried that you aren't fully recovered, and just being on MFP and focusing on body composition could feed into eating disorder behavior, but you're a grown woman, so I'm not going to lecture you like a little kid (beyond what I just did).
I usually don't jump in and correct people, but 1) What a person weighs does not gauge whether or not he/she is in recovery and 2) Being "recovered" is not possible; a person is either in recovery or not in recovery. One does not become completely recovered from these illnesses.
I know people who are completely recovered. It is true, many people become stuck in the recovery/relapse cycle, but knowing that someday I'll be free of this is what keeps me going. Have you talked to every single person who has had an eating disorder? If not how do you know that recovery is impossible? I don't know if you suffer from an ED, and if you do I'm sorry that you are not well yet, but your experience is not true for everyone. It may take me years, I may relapse many times, but I believe that every day the space in my head that is not disordered grows larger and stronger, and my ED grows weaker. So please don't try to discourage me or anyone else.0 -
If your pics are recent, you have done really well. If you want to build a bit of muscle, find a form of resistance training you enjoy and can stick to and work on adding more food as you go; resistance training can help improve your appetite anyway.
I won't send a request as my knowledge of EDs is very limited, but wish you all the best and can always help you out with exercise, macronutrient balance etc if you like 0 -
Thank you, I just uploaded them today. I'm not really happy with how I look in them, but what else is new?If your pics are recent, you have done really well. If you want to build a bit of muscle, find a form of resistance training you enjoy and can stick to and work on adding more food as you go; resistance training can help improve your appetite anyway.
I won't send a request as my knowledge of EDs is very limited, but wish you all the best and can always help you out with exercise, macronutrient balance etc if you like0 -
Hi, I'm reading a book & highly recommend it: "Life Without Ed" by Jenni Schaefer. "Ed" stands for eating disorder. It is very good !!
I hope it helps you.0 -
Hi. I sent you a friend request. I'm a recovered anorexic and I eat like a horse. Also, I train a lot
Just a word of caution... If your BMI is still that low, I'm a little worried that you aren't fully recovered, and just being on MFP and focusing on body composition could feed into eating disorder behavior, but you're a grown woman, so I'm not going to lecture you like a little kid (beyond what I just did).
I usually don't jump in and correct people, but 1) What a person weighs does not gauge whether or not he/she is in recovery and 2) Being "recovered" is not possible; a person is either in recovery or not in recovery. One does not become completely recovered from these illnesses.
I know people who are completely recovered. It is true, many people become stuck in the recovery/relapse cycle, but knowing that someday I'll be free of this is what keeps me going. Have you talked to every single person who has had an eating disorder? If not how do you know that recovery is impossible? I don't know if you suffer from an ED, and if you do I'm sorry that you are not well yet, but your experience is not true for everyone. It may take me years, I may relapse many times, but I believe that every day the space in my head that is not disordered grows larger and stronger, and my ED grows weaker. So please don't try to discourage me or anyone else.
I want to hop in here and give a little defense for the poster who said people cannot recover. There are two schools to treating addiction: Those who believe recovery is possible in full, and those who don't.
Many of us who don't believe full recovery is possible do so because many addictions do not have a "normal" phase that "recovered" implies. An alcoholic cannot have a beer like a normal person, no matter how "recovered" he is. A herion addict cannot do a line like a weekend warrior might smoke a bowl, no matter how "recovered" in sobriety they might.
Time clean, behaviors corrected, lives rebuilt - that does not change that we are addicts and can destroy ourselves again through the same patterns. This is what we mean when we say "not recovered" - NOT that the behaviors cannot ever be helped.
Many of us look at cessation of symptoms as merely that and NOT as a full ride off and forever free of the original addiction itself.
This is not meant to demean any of you or say that you cannot get better.0 -
Thank you, I just uploaded them today. I'm not really happy with how I look in them, but what else is new?If your pics are recent, you have done really well. If you want to build a bit of muscle, find a form of resistance training you enjoy and can stick to and work on adding more food as you go; resistance training can help improve your appetite anyway.
I won't send a request as my knowledge of EDs is very limited, but wish you all the best and can always help you out with exercise, macronutrient balance etc if you like
You DO look really great! Remember, you can't really see what you look like, so we can call tell you... you look great.0 -
Hi. I sent you a friend request. I'm a recovered anorexic and I eat like a horse. Also, I train a lot
Just a word of caution... If your BMI is still that low, I'm a little worried that you aren't fully recovered, and just being on MFP and focusing on body composition could feed into eating disorder behavior, but you're a grown woman, so I'm not going to lecture you like a little kid (beyond what I just did).
I usually don't jump in and correct people, but 1) What a person weighs does not gauge whether or not he/she is in recovery and 2) Being "recovered" is not possible; a person is either in recovery or not in recovery. One does not become completely recovered from these illnesses.
I know people who are completely recovered. It is true, many people become stuck in the recovery/relapse cycle, but knowing that someday I'll be free of this is what keeps me going. Have you talked to every single person who has had an eating disorder? If not how do you know that recovery is impossible? I don't know if you suffer from an ED, and if you do I'm sorry that you are not well yet, but your experience is not true for everyone. It may take me years, I may relapse many times, but I believe that every day the space in my head that is not disordered grows larger and stronger, and my ED grows weaker. So please don't try to discourage me or anyone else.
I want to hop in here and give a little defense for the poster who said people cannot recover. There are two schools to treating addiction: Those who believe recovery is possible in full, and those who don't.
Many of us who don't believe full recovery is possible do so because many addictions do not have a "normal" phase that "recovered" implies. An alcoholic cannot have a beer like a normal person, no matter how "recovered" he is. A herion addict cannot do a line like a weekend warrior might smoke a bowl, no matter how "recovered" in sobriety they might.
Time clean, behaviors corrected, lives rebuilt - that does not change that we are addicts and can destroy ourselves again through the same patterns. This is what we mean when we say "not recovered" - NOT that the behaviors cannot ever be helped.
Many of us look at cessation of symptoms as merely that and NOT as a full ride off and forever free of the original addiction itself.
This is not meant to demean any of you or say that you cannot get better.
It's sort of a catch 22. It's stupid to tell someone who thinks she is recovered that she's not, yet it's cruel to tell someone who is not and might never recover that she can and should. I was diagnosed at 12, and had intensive in patient treatment about 6 months in. After that I dealt with it on my own for another decade or so before I hit a point where I started thinking of myself as recovered. I think the early aggressive treatment was probably the key to my eventual recovery, and maybe my experience isn't typical, but I don't think anyone should be told that she is going to have to live with an ED forever. Lots of psychiatric conditions used to be thought of as lifelong and incurable, but I think that's outdated thinking and there was never really anything behind it to begin with.
I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let myself be defined as an anorexic or an addict or mentally ill, or anything like that. I think that sort of thinking and defining is helpful to a point, but at some point it boxes one into becoming something they don't have to be...0 -
It really makes me happy to hear all these people agreeing that full recovery is possible. It is. A lot of people don't even want to admit that there was ever a time they struggled with this because they don't want to be defined forever as having a mental illness that never goes away and never allows them to eat and live like a normal person just because of something they went through as a child or teenager when they were not even fully grown yet in body or mind. And it does demean the work they have done to live a full, healthy and happy life.
I understand that some people can struggle with it for life and that is very difficult.
But, there is a spectrum with this, a range of possibilities. Just because a teenager has struggled with this she should not feel that she can never live and eat fully normally and healthily with all of the flexibility of normal eating. I usually don't say anything because the concept of never being recovered is so prevalent and I did not want to butt into other people's experiences. So, instead I came to the conclusion that I struggled with this when I was younger, but it never became a disorder for me. Which is true for me because I experienced the health consequences and I made the choice to fully recover and realized it was just a mistake and then I became committed to health and nourishment (along with flexibility and enjoyment). So, I can't speak for people that have struggled with this as a long term disorder. But, I do understand the underlying reasons that can lead someone to this (at least from my own perspective), and when I hear recovered people describing those feelings I understand what they are describing because I had those feelings as well (they are very deep issues and not about wanting to be thin like a model). And I was fully recovered before adulthood. Other teens can recover as well. Teens are resilient and still growing, there is so much room to learn and heal, to recover, and to not be defined forever by something that happened in the childhood/teen years. I have had a completely full, healthy and happy adulthood.
Edit: I agree with the person below that this is not quite the same as drug and alcohol addiction because it is about food, eating, being healthy, fit, and progressing as a dancer or athlete. That is not the same as substance abuse. Maybe it is for some people, but not for everyone. I have personally never struggled with addiction (but many family members have).0 -
It's sort of a catch 22. It's stupid to tell someone who thinks she is recovered that she's not, yet it's cruel to tell someone who is not and might never recover that she can and should. I was diagnosed at 12, and had intensive in patient treatment about 6 months in. After that I dealt with it on my own for another decade or so before I hit a point where I started thinking of myself as recovered. I think the early aggressive treatment was probably the key to my eventual recovery, and maybe my experience isn't typical, but I don't think anyone should be told that she is going to have to live with an ED forever. Lots of psychiatric conditions used to be thought of as lifelong and incurable, but I think that's outdated thinking and there was never really anything behind it to begin with.
I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let myself be defined as an anorexic or an addict or mentally ill, or anything like that. I think that sort of thinking and defining is helpful to a point, but at some point it boxes one into becoming something they don't have to be...
It depends. For myself, if I start thinking I'm not an alcoholic, it'll be real easy for me to go "Hey, it's Christmas! What's a glass of wine? I'm not actively an alcoholic anymore, what's the problem?" You'd think years of previous experience would prove me wrong, but it doesn't. So I have to have that in the back of my head in order to prevent myself from acting on it.
I can never have a normal drink. I can never go out bar hopping like other people do. The length of sobriety I have behind that will never change it. Therefore, while I might not be ACTIVE in my addiction, it is not "cured".
Cured means things go back to normal. Recovered is often thought of as the same way. As in, once you get to that point, you can do whatever it is that normal people do and not be addicted. Some people can. Most can't.
You may be different. I also have to concede to the point that ED's and drug addictions - while they share many, many similarities - are not the same. Your journey and what you may need from the language of recovery will be different. That is okay.
My continuing to think of myself as an addict doesn't box me in, anymore than most people would. The only thing it limits is my ability to use (and the way I used alcohol and the drugs I did use are not ones that normal people used anyways) and that's not a bad thing. It's when you start to use your disorder as your excuse that things start to go haywire in recovery.
EDIT: I'm not trying to be an *kitten*. I'm just trying to explain that when some people say "you won't be recovered", that doesn't mean they think you are weak or doomed to a life of addiction. It's just another school of thought.0 -
I need to count calories because I always undereat when I don't (think under 600 calories). I'll think that I'm eating enough but I'm not. It is obsessive, but I really cannot afford to eat as little as I eat if I don't count calories. Like today, I thought that I had overeaten but in reality I'm still under 500 calories. I'm hoping to correct that and still reach my goal, but that's going to be difficult.
I understand completely, same thing happened to me, but it'll get better Once you get used to eating more and are counting calories, you will know roughly where you are at without counting. All I am saying is try not to let it become an obsession. It will be difficult but it is achievable. Believe in yourself, that is a key element people always seem to forget. If you believe in your ability, anything's possible - including full recovery I haven't read the full "discussion" about on here, but instead of focusing on the destination, just focus on making progress. The fact that you are trying and making steps is what is important now. You can do it. Good luck! :flowerforyou: 0 -
In recovery from any addiction, the definitions of sobriety are probably as varied as the people who want to get better. You HAVE to continue eating. My drug of choice in my anorexia was control. Not necessarily food. It was manipulating my body to control my emotions. Although some of the tools that I used are sometimes used for weight loss, it couldn't be more different. Anyone that is addicted to a drug or substance can choose to eliminate that drug from their life. Not so with food. It's about letting go of control, surrendering to healthy thoughts, actions and eating.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions