Help! Gain weight won't stop

VorJoshigan · July 2013

I somehow was worried about gaining so fast and got back to bad eating habits. I starved most of the time but then, of course the binges got even worse so I consumed about 3,000 calories at the end of the day. Soon I was at 53kg (116lbs).
But since I hit this weight I started restricting back a lot. I set my goal to 600calories a day but sometimes it can even be 1000, or 12000. No more than that.
I weighed myself again and I gained 3kgs (7lbs) AGAIN!! I am currently at 56kg (123lbs)!!

This paragraph demonstrates your problem, and indicates that you are still working through your recovery.

I do not believe in starvation mode, but wild swings in caloric intake like what you are doing may not be healthy, and may have a harmful effect on your metabolism.

I would double down on the therapist advice, and add that whatever you do with your diet from here on out, do it slowly. Dietary "shortcuts" like 600 cals a day pave the road to disaster.

Hugs!

ddky · July 2013

But why am I gaining weight right now even if I eat no more than 1200 calories?

Because you have totally screwed up your metabolism. You need to see an RD, but until you do, use an online calculator to figure out what your maintenance calories would be an do that for several weeks and then gradually decrease your calories, aiming for a slow and steady weight loss. Good luck to you.

unoriginalusername007 · July 2013

But why am I gaining weight right now even if I eat no more than 1200 calories?

Hey there! Wow,34 pounds... that sounds scary. Honestly, anorexia is a constant cycle, and you don't want to get stuck in it. If you were eating really little and became anorexic, and then gained weight, and now are eating under 1200 calories again, you're just going to send yourself back into the anorexia can't stop restricting and can't stop losing weight mode. I know it must be irritating to you that you're above the weight where you started, but before you try dropping just a few pounds, I would definitely wait until your body is back to normal again. Try to maintain for at least a few months first so your metabolism gets working normally again, your health and hormones are all back to normal, and you get your eating under control. I'm not sure if you knew this, but if you eat too little, your body will gain weight. You can see for yourself many people on MFP have said when they've restricted too much they've gained, and when they increased their calories they actually lost. I know that might sounds weird to you, since you ate really little before and managed to lose weight, but you have to understand that your metabolism is all out of whack right now, and besides, that's not a healthy way to lose weight. For now, eat about 2000 calories a day for a couple weeks, and see if you gain any more weight at the end of those couple weeks. Chances are your body's going to need every morsel of that food and you're not going to gain more than a pound in that time. (Now, I had a friend who had anorexia, and when her dietician boosted her to eating 2000 calories a day from her previous 1000 she obliged, however, she weighed herself the next day and was concerned that she gained two pounds. Weight fluctuates based on the last time you used the bathroom, how much you drink etc. so don't weigh yourself right away and then go back to eating ridiculously small amounts of food because you think eating 2000 calories a day will make you gain 2 pounds a day. It won't. It'll replenish your body of nutrients lost and won't be enough to make you gain. It takes 3500 calories extra for one pound of fat.)

Anyway, my number one piece of advice for you right now is to try to eat normal- try not to restrict and try not to binge. Aim for a healthy 2000 calories a day for a little while until your body gets back into sorts. Please don't put it into starvation mode again by eating 600-1200 calories- whether you believe in it or not, though I saw my friend first hand in starvation mode... Even if you don't believe in starvation mode, that number of calories daily still isn't healthy since you'd beat eating below your BMR which is the minimum number of calories needed to keep your heart, liver, brain etc. functioning properly. That's why anorexia is so fatal; when you aren't eating enough your body doesn't have the energy it needs to keep your organs working efficiently, organs fail, and after putting yourself through that for long enough you can wind up dead. It's scary, really. I know the cost of a dietician might be a little expensive, but I also suggest just try setting up a few sessions so you're at least heading in the right direction.

Good luck! Try not to fret about weight gain right now; you were almost dead- you said it yourself- so the way your body responds to food right now is way out of sorts.

MightyDomo · July 2013

You'd be suprised but you are getting to a normal healthy weight range with the gains you've had already.

I used to be anorexic, was for years on and off, and I can guarantee that you will have little control over your body until you exercise regularly and eat to maintain and not lose. Your metabolism basically stopped, your body has been trying to survive the entire time you have been doing this which means it is in fat storing mode. By building muscles and going to a healthy diet to maintain the weight you currently have you will be able to burn the fat and can help your metabolism go back to normal.

As someone noted before you will probably need to eat multiple times in a day, snacking is your best bet instead of full meals. Plan out your snacks to meet your dietary requirements and do minor strength and cardio training to get started.

Best of luck and honestly you will need to be patient and probably see a doctor to ensure you are doing all the right things to get back on track and return your body functions to normal.

knitwit0704 · July 2013

First of all, you can GAIN by eating too little, sometimes. Your goal shouldn't be at 600. But listen, I know how hard this is. I'm in recovery from anorexia as well, so I know how it can be. But you can do it! Up your calorie intake, track your exercise, eat those calories back, if you can, and, if you want, I'll help you to find your maintenance calories to eat to maintain your weight. If this doesn't help, and even if it does, go to a doctor. There could be some underling problem.

Also, many people in recovery from eating disorders have messed up their metabolisms in the process, so you need to figure out by slow increases and decreases what your maintenance calories actually are. Message me if you need help.

knitwit0704 · July 2013

Based on your height, 1200 calories may not be a deficit sufficient to cause weight loss. At 5'2" it may be closer to what your body generally NEEDS on a day to day basis.

This isn't true. Her TDEE is above 1200. Now, with a messed up metabolism, MAYBE it's what she needs, but for her metabolism to recover, she needs to eat more than that.

1princesswarrior · July 2013

As a person with an obsessive personality, I would make sure you have a strong support system and at least one person you can trust who won't judge you. Have that person weigh you once a week.

I feel for you and I don't know the right advice to give you except try to eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein, good fats, fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Also, see your doctor and ask about what type of vitamin deficiencies you might have and how you should fix those. Malnutrition, whatever the cause, really screws up your body. When I was a teenager I became anorexic from an illness and dropped to 80 pounds at 5'3" simply because I could not hold anything down. They did many blood panels and my mineral balances were so messed up they had to fix those before they could address me gaining weight at a steady rate. I got the same illness in college and the same thing happened. My doctors put me on a medically supervised diet though. I would recommend doing that if you have the ability.

Best wishes to you. Feel free to message me if you want to talk or any more details.

knitwit0704 · July 2013

But why am I gaining weight right now even if I eat no more than 1200 calories?

Hey there! Wow,34 pounds... that sounds scary. Honestly, anorexia is a constant cycle, and you don't want to get stuck in it. If you were eating really little and became anorexic, and then gained weight, and now are eating under 1200 calories again, you're just going to send yourself back into the anorexia can't stop restricting and can't stop losing weight mode. I know it must be irritating to you that you're above the weight where you started, but before you try dropping just a few pounds, I would definitely wait until your body is back to normal again. Try to maintain for at least a few months first so your metabolism gets working normally again, your health and hormones are all back to normal, and you get your eating under control. I'm not sure if you knew this, but if you eat too little, your body will gain weight. You can see for yourself many people on MFP have said when they've restricted too much they've gained, and when they increased their calories they actually lost. I know that might sounds weird to you, since you ate really little before and managed to lose weight, but you have to understand that your metabolism is all out of whack right now, and besides, that's not a healthy way to lose weight. For now, eat about 2000 calories a day for a couple weeks, and see if you gain any more weight at the end of those couple weeks. Chances are your body's going to need every morsel of that food and you're not going to gain more than a pound in that time. (Now, I had a friend who had anorexia, and when her dietician boosted her to eating 2000 calories a day from her previous 1000 she obliged, however, she weighed herself the next day and was concerned that she gained two pounds. Weight fluctuates based on the last time you used the bathroom, how much you drink etc. so don't weigh yourself right away and then go back to eating ridiculously small amounts of food because you think eating 2000 calories a day will make you gain 2 pounds a day. It won't. It'll replenish your body of nutrients lost and won't be enough to make you gain. It takes 3500 calories extra for one pound of fat.)

Anyway, my number one piece of advice for you right now is to try to eat normal- try not to restrict and try not to binge. Aim for a healthy 2000 calories a day for a little while until your body gets back into sorts. Please don't put it into starvation mode again by eating 600-1200 calories- whether you believe in it or not, though I saw my friend first hand in starvation mode... Even if you don't believe in starvation mode, that number of calories daily still isn't healthy since you'd beat eating below your BMR which is the minimum number of calories needed to keep your heart, liver, brain etc. functioning properly. That's why anorexia is so fatal; when you aren't eating enough your body doesn't have the energy it needs to keep your organs working efficiently, organs fail, and after putting yourself through that for long enough you can wind up dead. It's scary, really. I know the cost of a dietician might be a little expensive, but I also suggest just try setting up a few sessions so you're at least heading in the right direction.

Good luck! Try not to fret about weight gain right now; you were almost dead- you said it yourself- so the way your body responds to food right now is way out of sorts.

I agree with this, all of it. Exactly what I would have said, but someone said it for me.

susannamarie · July 2013

The fact that you have your goal set at 600 cal/day makes it seem like you really haven't recovered, or that you have relapsed. Honestly.

I would think that a dietician who specializes in eating disorder recovery would be able to best help you.

loorita90 · July 2013

Thanks again! I appreciate those answers.
I think I got my blood tested recently and the doc said it was everything fine, except I have a Vitamin D deficit....

Yarrowdays · July 2013

Here's some knowledge from a nutrition book that I'm reading, that might help you to better understand why your body is still gaining weight. I went through something similar, though not as drastic as you did after I went through a period where I was eating very little food during the day for about a year. Though I went all the way up to 136 on the scale when I started eating again.

Hunger Triggers Survival Mechanisms
When you go hungry for a prolonged period, your body reacts as it would to starvation. There are studies that show that the body has survival mechanisms that food deprivation sets into motion. One is a tendency to overeat when food becomes available again, so that your body can ready itself for the next food shortage.

That probably explains your binging, which is terrible, but I hope it makes some sense.

An example the book gives are World War I and II victims of starvation, that found it difficult to control their appetites once they were provided with good again. They would consume 4,000 or even 5,000 calories a day, and many of them became obese.

Looks like it's the body's natural instinct to take in as much food as possible when it's available again. Which, I guess since it's a natural function, it's pretty hard to ignore. What I would do is just make sure you're taking in the right kinds of foods, so that your weight gain is as little as possible. Whole grains, fruit, veggies, as little processed food as possible. I imagine that will help you

As for why you're gaining weight still, the book says that people who went through starvation/semi starvation (very low calorie diets), can experience improved efficiency of their intestines. So their intestines become better at pulling the nutrients from the foods you eat. Thus, when you start eating again, you gain weight more quickly.

Again, if you eat the right kinds of things; stay away or just limit fat heavy foods like oils or dairy, it's possible you will have less of a gain at the end of your recovery.

Your metabolism also lowers when you going into starvation mode. It means that you burn less calories while you're resting, and when your exercising. It's another way for your body to try and conserve what energy it has left. So you have to give it a chance to pick up again and start working normally. I have no idea how long that takes. You'd have to ask a doctor to answer that question for you

Or maybe look it up on the internet.

So I hope that answers a few of your questions as to why your body is doing what it is. You were starving yourself, so your body turned on it's natural mechanisms to help you survive longer and use your food more efficiently. The more you dieted, the more efficient your body became at storing and using the food you ate. So weight gain is happening, and weight loss will be slower. Your body is much less reluctant to let go of the calories you're giving it now.

I'd say you just have to give it some time to adjust to the fact that you're not going hungry anymore. Once it gets used to it, I'd say everything will even out again. People recover from this, and there's no reason you shouldn't, either. It just takes time. The advice I would give you would be to try and relax. Realize you're recovering from a disorder, and that nothing happens immediately.

I wish you the best in recovering from what you went through. I have been struggling with obsessing over my food for a few years now, and like I said, I went through some of the starvation that you went through. So I can understand it in a small way. I hope my advice helps you in some way

loorita90 · July 2013

You've all been amazing. :flowerforyou:

heybales · July 2013

But why am I gaining weight right now even if I eat no more than 1200 calories?

Because you've killed your muscle mass, and that means whole lot less glucose stores possible.
Both if which would add to lean body mass (non-fat mass), and increase metabolism if you had them.

You probably also have a shot metabolism besides that effect.

As such, until you build up your muscle mass, you are eating at maintenance right now. So it don't take much for your body to see a surplus.

Your only exercise should be heavy lifting.

And you'll have to except the fact you will gain weight, muscle and glucose/water, and some fat, while eating enough to actually rebuild what you have lost.

You are in prime position for a very frustrating life-time of yo-yo dieting, because you are starting out young with probably a whole lot less muscle than average.

Actually, while you start lifting, you could probably increase calories up to a level that would match what your body really could handle, probably more than then 1200, but it won't be at normal levels for someone your age, weight, height.

It would probably be a great advantage to get a bodyfat % test, hydrostatic or Bodpod or DEXA scan if you have the money, and know what your metabolism could be based on that LBM.
You could probably increase your metabolism somewhat.

Help! Gain weight won't stop

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