Gained 6 lbs in a week!!? Anorexia recovery..
ThatLoser17
Posts: 6
Okay, so I'm currently in recovery from an eating disorder that has lasted for almost a year. I began the refeeding process a week ago and I've gained 6lbs!!! I'm now eating 2400 calories a day! I just want to cry and relapse.. I know I have to gain weight.. (If I don't I will have to go inpatient) but I didn't expect the weight gain to be so rapid!! I work out at least 3-4 times a week (when I'm allowed). Is this normal to gain this much?? Did I really gain 6lbs of fat?! Please help! I'm so lost! Any advice would be appreciated!!
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Replies
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There's no way you gained 6 pounds of fat in a week. Your body is likely retaining water and body weight fluctuates up to 5 pounds depending on a HUGE array of factors including last time you pooped, whether its your TOM (if you're female), what you've eaten, etc.
Good for you for doing the right things. Keep on going and everything will balance out.0 -
No you didn't gain 6 lb of fat.
You are eating more = more food in body adding scale weight, as well as increased glycogen stores and water weight.
I assume you are under the guidance of a professional, in which case stick with the eating plan you have been given. If you're not seeing any professionals, then you should find a good physician and dietitian to support your recovery.0 -
I agree. It's not 6 pounds of fat. Most likely water weight. Don't worry over it and just get healthy again! Good luck!0
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Karen's post is spot-on.
Water weight and "food weight".
Fight the urge to weigh yourself frequently. You'll get a much better reading on actual weight gain if you wait at least a fortnight to a month to weigh yourself.0 -
Could be water retention or your body is building strong muscle.Remember one day at a time. Good luck on your journey.0
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No way you gain 6lbs in a week - 3,500 calories in one lb of fat!!!!!!!
Your body is probably in shock.............Thinking wow food, and a lot of it is water weight from the food!!
Well done for trying to eat a lot more - Good for you!
Just take it day by day, incorporating different yummy things - Cooking new recipes, having fun with food!!
Keep it up, there is so much help out there for recovery
Good luck : )0 -
It is not 6lbs of fat. Weight doesn't come off that way or go on that way. My guess based on personal experience is water weight and hormones turning themselves back on. If you are doing it all right, one or twonif you are really blessdd will be there at your next weigh in. Just keep eating right and exercising sensibly when they say you can do so safely. Weights for lean muscle. Walking for cardiovascular health. You will add fat as you become healthy again. My BF% got into the single digits and even athletes shouldnt get that low as women. Adding a healthy amount of body fat is not the same as getting fat.
What you are doing is hard and I am proud of you.0 -
Again to reflect the above comments please do not let this stop your progress! The first time I started recovering from anorexia (sadly a relapse over the last few months so I'm regaining again) I put on alot of weight in the first 2 weeks, and naturally you panic and have this anxiety that your weight is going to balloon out of control, and you'll become uncontrollably fat.
This is NOT the case, your body has just got a sharp kick from all of the nutrients you are giving it and all sorts of systems that were shut down because of starvation our waking up!
The more consistent you are with maintaining your increased calorie intake, the less your weight will fluctuate so much.
I know its frightening but TRUST me, it does get easier the more you eat.
If you want to ask anything please feel free to message me
Good luck, you really can do this!0 -
Keep in mind that during recovery, you are refeeding your body amounts of food that it isn't used to. You will probably get bloated. And don't worry, this isn't fat. This is just water weight and the weight of the food you are consuming.
Choosing recovery is so brave, and it's a great choice. Stay strong.0 -
I agree with everyone else. There's no way you gained 6 lbs of fat in that short amount of time. I recently posted a similar question on MFP and after reading the responses and doing a lot of research of my own found that it would be very difficult to gain that much weight that quickly, even when you're eating 2400 calories.
I don't know how true it is, but I read something about how our bodies tend to hold on to food if we've put it in a state of deficiency/given it reason to believe it may not be nourished again soon. So initially it may seem like you're gaining fat when you see that number on the scale and bloating from water weight/whatever, but as you continue to eat a sufficient amount of calories per day, your body will adjust and let some of that weight go. You'll of course gain some fat, but it sounds like that's what you need. I think gaining actual weight from fat is a lot slower of a process than most people realize. Again, I could be wrong, but that's what I found in some of my research. Just stay strong! I know how tough it is. Feel free to message or friend me if you'd like.0 -
I agree with the above posters.
When I was recovering from anorexia, my weight shot up, and I got awfully painful bloating at times.
Your body has been malnourished for so long that when you begin to eat enough again, you will get a sharp increase in weight. This is due in part to
- Water retention, particularly because your cells need to heal and grow muscle / repair / etc.
- Food retention - your body isn't used to digesting much food, so: (a) it will take longer than usual to get through your sluggish digestive system (b) due to that there might be a bit more...gas produced (c) it wants to get as much nutrition out of that food as possible to heal your body!
Also, this is something I posted in response to someone a while back, I think it's worth repeating:Having recovered from 3 years of anorexia myself, I'd be happy to talk to you about recovery if you ever feel alone or worried about it, just send me a PM. I know how life-consuming the problem is!
I found that by saying my anorexia was a demon sitting on my shoulder, I used to try to tell it (not very politely, mind you!) to p*** off when I felt thoughts creeping in. It might help you see the anorexic thoughts as not-you and help you ignore them, and hopefully conquer them with time!
Last thing - recovery hurts. I know people say you have to eat "the right things" but don't be afraid to eat "the wrong things" too. When I was recovering, I ate mostly cake, ice cream, etc (along with regular meals), because the cravings came after having denied them for so long. DON'T deny the cravings, as that may be taken in your mind as "letting anorexia win this round". There will be times when you're sad and feel like you can't take it, but it is WORTH IT in the end.
A note about the "recovery hurts" part that I said - when I began to gain weight, my body took on a lot of water weight, which lasted a fair few weeks - this felt sore and achy, and can be perceived as "oh my gawd I have ballooned!" - ignore it and keep soldiering on, once you get past that bloating bit, you really feel your mind and body starting to heal!
(I think the water weight is due to swelling as your body begins to repair, a bit like when you first start weight training, you get a bit of inflammation).
Once again, feel free to contact me with any questions, any time, and I wish you all the best in your recovery x0 -
You didn't gain 6 lbs of fat in a week. Perhaps 1 pound of fat and 5 pounds of water. Now that is feasible.
I have been in recovery for anorexia in 2006. Similar situation as you; my parents were forcing inpatient on me if I didn't go. I gained about the same as you in the first week. It really freaked me out, but as I got used to my diet plan my weight actually went down and then they made me up my calories again.
It's really just water weight. As time goes on, your body will get used to all the new calories and you will get less water weight.
Good luck on your recovery process. It's hard and it does take time. Just take things slowly.0 -
My weight can fluctuate between 3-7 lbs in a single day depending on salt intake and water retention, the time of month, etc. Please don’t worry too much, as everyone else has said, you haven’t gained 6 lbs of fat in a single week. The best way to tell is by practicing consistency when weighing yourself. I didn’t learn this until recently but now my weigh-ins are much more meaningful and it’s easier to gauge my actual progress.
Here are some tips:
- Don’t weigh yourself more than once per week. I usually weigh-in on Sundays.
- Weigh yourself first thing in the morning, naked, and after having a BM (going #2) if possible. This will give you the most accurate result, omitting extra weight from bulky clothing or food waste built up in your colon.
You’re doing great, don’t give up!0 -
The less you weigh the faster you can gain weight so sure you could gain a lot of weight in one week. Especially if you are recovering from anorexia your body has been deprived. It wants to survive and to ensure that your body will want to gain weight. It is a good thing however. Because it will ensure your survival and once your body knows it won't be deprived and you have gained more weight back, it will become harder to gain weight.0
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It is 6 pounds of muscle and water. Good job!!! It isn't fat don't worry, you are doing so well. Keep it up and you will be very healthy!!0
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Also even if some of it is fat, we all do need some fat to be healthy. With no fat at all our skin wrinkles and it can make us look decades older. A little fat keeps our skin smooth and stores energy for when needed later. So some fat is preferable to no fat and I would imagine your body is a little low on fat as well as muscle and vitamins and minerals. So do not fear, you will not gain 6 pounds a week. you would have to overeat by thousands upon thousands of calories for that to be the case. You are going to be fine and I really do wish you well!!!!0
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Why are you weighing yourself at all? If you really want to recover you need to trash the scale, not count calories, and get some help from a psychologist.0
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Okay, so I'm currently in recovery from an eating disorder that has lasted for almost a year. I began the refeeding process a week ago and I've gained 6lbs!!! I'm now eating 2400 calories a day! I just want to cry and relapse.. I know I have to gain weight.. (If I don't I will have to go inpatient) but I didn't expect the weight gain to be so rapid!! I work out at least 3-4 times a week (when I'm allowed). Is this normal to gain this much?? Did I really gain 6lbs of fat?! Please help! I'm so lost! Any advice would be appreciated!!
Hello!!
My goodness I went through exactly the same thing as you! They even gave me an allotted time and chart to make sure I ate regularly, however please don't cry, it's okay, your not gaining pure fat, your body is rebuilding and refueling. It has to get its systems running, remember all your organs need to function and they need fatty tissue around them to protect. Then there is water which no doubt your body is rehydrating so alot of weight will come from that.
It's okay, you will be fine!! Trust me, I freaked out too and almost relapsed because its scary right?
You feel so out of control and are afraid of gaining that tabooed 'fat'.....but don't because seriously once you accept the new weight you'll find there is nothing wrong with you, your body just wants to survive and be healthy so let it.
And if you notice that your becoming untoned then now is a good time to lift some weights oh and yoga is brilliant for your inner and core strength! (your not just muscles and fat, your bones, tendons, organs, blood and other tissue!! Let it thrive!)
But don't do too much cardio, if anything then go for a short but fast run or sprint every few days to strengthen your whole body
Add me as a friend if you want, I'll always support!
Best Wishes
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NO YOU DID NOT GAIN 6 POUNDS OF FAT!! What you gained is mostly water weight. Please keep nourishing your body with good foods. You will not regret getting on the healthy weight track. The sooner the better. This is advice from a gal who had an eating disorder (anorexia, bulemia, or combination) for over 15 years. How I wish I could live that time over again and do it the right way! Good luck, I am rooting for you.0
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You are eating more = more food in body adding scale weight, as well as increased glycogen stores and water weight.
This is all true. I doubt you even gained ONE pound of fat in this time. Good luck to you in your recovery!0 -
I'm also in recovery for anorexia and laxative abuse.
I have been totally laxative free for 15 days and have gained 24 lbs but it is ALL water weight. It's mostly in my abdomen but also in my legs too. It's scary and I hate it, not to mention it gets painful as the day goes on but don't give up!!
It will even out in time (usually 4-8 weeks depending on how malnourished you are and how your body heals.) Stay strong, you're more than your eating disorder.0
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