Can anybody explain.......

Pannna
Pannna Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
First of all I wasnt sure where to post this and if this has ever been asked( i did do a search ) but here goes....

I am a recovering anorexic.
I have asked my doctor and nutritionist this question but cant seem to get a clear answer .
I know I have been gaining weight because of the way my clothes are fitting me but the scale is telling me Im still ___ lbs.
I can even see the weight gain in my stomach and butt and legs but really dont understand why the scale isnt telling me.
Anybody ??? And thanks !!

Replies

  • bmarees
    bmarees Posts: 8
    You may be replacing muscle with fat. It will weigh the same but the fat will take up more room.
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
    Hun, since you are recovering from an eating disorder, you are more than likely thinking you are gaining weight. If the scale isn't moving, you aren't gaining weight. Maybe try to lift weights to get some muscle if you really think you are gaining flab.

    And don't be ashamed of your weight. I know it is hard, but I weigh 140lbs .. I am working on going to 130. But I am happy where I am at right now!
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    You really answered your own question. Because you are a recovering anorexic. You are going to magnify all those sensations that lead to the conclusion of "I'm gaining weight". What is "obvious" to you is imperceptible to everyone else, and that can include the d**n scales. If you truly want to recover, you have to let those feelings go, because they will destroy your recovery. I know it is hard and I know that YOU know that better than anyone. But sometimes good things happen even when we are being told by our reptilian brains "don't go there". Otherwise, why would people jump out of airplanes? Get past that huge hurdle of "I can't do this" and experience something truly magical - a true shot at recovery. Best I can suggest is to bring this issue up with your therapist. And remember, recovery is hard WORK! It isn't something you are going to passively achieve. I told you it was hard! Good luck with it.
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    You may be replacing muscle with fat. It will weigh the same but the fat will take up more room.

    And don't listen to this! TOTALLY NOT TRUE.
  • Pannna
    Pannna Posts: 42 Member
    I am feeling the clothes fitting differant...my size 3's that were to big on me 5 months ago are now too tight
    the scale says im still low ....confused :/
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    You are not hearing me, but, then again, there is no audio with this thing. You are MAGNIFYING the feelings. That is NORMAL, but it doesn't make it accurate or true. Again, these are your FEELINGS and, while important, may not have anything to do with the REALITY of the situation. I can understand being frustrated, scared, panicked, but confused? No, not confused. The concept I'm telling you is actually simple. Your response leads me to believe that you are not mentally set for recovery of this disease. And, yes, it IS a disease. It can kill someone just like any other disease can kill. I told you it would be HARD to overcome your initial panicky feelings about gaining weight. Recovery = gaining weight. PERIOD. Don't think you can recover without doing that. It doesn't work that way. Maybe you need to try to decide if recovery is important enough for you to achieve. Try and think about that while you are experiencing your feelings of everything being tighter on you. Think about what is more important - the way you FEEL clothes fit or recovery where these feelings won't control your life anymore. Sorry, but I know of a college kid who just died of this disease this past week. THAT is what you need to think about for a while. Because ONLY you can do something about this.
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    Send me a message if you like.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    You may be replacing muscle with fat. It will weigh the same but the fat will take up more room.

    Not a good or correct answer. Sorry!
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    You may be replacing muscle with fat. It will weigh the same but the fat will take up more room.

    And don't listen to this! TOTALLY NOT TRUE.

    Agreed. That's just silly. :flowerforyou:
  • RobsGirl_lds
    RobsGirl_lds Posts: 211 Member
    It may just be gas bloat making your cloths feel different. If the scale isn't moving you aren't gaining weight.
  • bmarees
    bmarees Posts: 8
    Wasn't sure.... I've looked at a comparison of a lb of fat and a lb of muscle and the fat def takes up more room. I'm also clearly not telling her that IS the reason, and chances are girl you are probably just thinking they fit tighter and seeing it. If that scale hasn't budged then chances are, your body is the same! Gas can make you bloat, you can retain water esp close to menstration! A billion things can cause your clothes to fit tighter and make you feel bigger, but I'm sure you aren't genuinely getting bigger! If you've had anorexia chances are you are making yourself think these things when they aren't actually perceived that way.
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    It may just be gas bloat making your cloths feel different. If the scale isn't moving you aren't gaining weight.

    I was thinking this, as well.
  • Pannna
    Pannna Posts: 42 Member
    bump
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
    you dear are not gaining weight, if the number is not going up like it needs to , you are simply not gaining, there is no way around that, the change in fit in clothing, bloat, TTOM etc.
    but if the number is not going up . then the number is not going up.
  • scottkjar
    scottkjar Posts: 346 Member
    You need more objective measurements. You see and feel things, but you are not measuring them. Get a tape and start measuring yourself every 2 weeks. (Substantive changes won't likely occur any faster than that.) Then you will know, one way or the other, what is or is not changing. Without objective measurements, the fact is that you don't know what has changed, and neither does anyone here.
  • micheleld73
    micheleld73 Posts: 914 Member
    You need more objective measurements. You see and feel things, but you are not measuring them. Get a tape and start measuring yourself every 2 weeks. (Substantive changes won't likely occur any faster than that.) Then you will know, one way or the other, what is or is not changing. Without objective measurements, the fact is that you don't know what has changed, and neither does anyone here.

    AGREE^^
  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
    You need more objective measurements. You see and feel things, but you are not measuring them. Get a tape and start measuring yourself every 2 weeks. (Substantive changes won't likely occur any faster than that.) Then you will know, one way or the other, what is or is not changing. Without objective measurements, the fact is that you don't know what has changed, and neither does anyone here.

    ^ This tool in combination with the scale will give an accurate measure of what is true.

    Stay close to your medical professionals. I hope you are also seeing a therapist who will help you sort through your emotions and thinking patterns. I am not sure if there are any groups here for folks recovering from eating disorders, though I expect there are. Support is important. I'd be happy to lend encouragement if you'd like to send me a friend request. Bless you!
  • Pannna
    Pannna Posts: 42 Member
    Thanks everybody for the replies :D
  • WannabeStressFree
    WannabeStressFree Posts: 340 Member
    I'm happy I saw this post, because just yesterday I decided to seriously ditch the scale, it brings me more mental problems than anything else! What you see in the scale or lack of, could be a fluctuation and there is no explanation for it (bloat, water weight, TOM, etc as others mentioned.) I agree with the gentleman to maybe take measurements and compare them every few weeks.

    Closely monitoring the scale can wreck havoc on our nerves, check this article out, I found it enlightening:
    http://www.dailyhiit.com/hiit-blog/hiit-diet/1200-calories/
  • MarKayDee
    MarKayDee Posts: 196
    What have you been eating recently, anything salty? I know that I am extremely sensitive to salt and when I eat it I feel gross and bloated for days.
    If this isn't just a temporary bloat but a shift in body conformation (I'm assuming you're youngish?) your hips could be spreading out which would make your clothes fit differently. If you're that concerned about your middle for health reasons talk to your doctor and your therapist. Tell them how you aren't pleased with the composition your body has developed and make a plan to do some strength training to redistribute your weight, but know you will need to increase your calorie intake to do so.
    You need to make the best choice for your health, both mental and physical. Don't get discouraged and don't let yourself slip, you're doing an amazing job everytime you don't fall back into old dangerous habits. Maybe take pictures of yourself at different angles, and then photoshop literally anyone else's face onto them, does your body still look fatter and dumpier to you? If removing the sense of self from what you deem bad makes you see how lovely you really are then you know you don't need to change a thing.

    We believe in you.
  • Pannna
    Pannna Posts: 42 Member
    I'm happy I saw this post, because just yesterday I decided to seriously ditch the scale, it brings me more mental problems than anything else! What you see in the scale or lack of, could be a fluctuation and there is no explanation for it (bloat, water weight, TOM, etc as others mentioned.) I agree with the gentleman to maybe take measurements and compare them every few weeks.

    Closely monitoring the scale can wreck havoc on our nerves, check this article out, I found it enlightening:
    http://www.dailyhiit.com/hiit-blog/hiit-diet/1200-calories/


    I know I should get rid of the scale,but I'm having a hard time , still feel I need to weigh myself daily , hopefully in time I can put it away .
    I have taken measurements the other day and will do it again same day next week and see how it goes
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Bloating is very common early in recovery. (I'm not sure how long you've been in recovery, but it can take awhile for the bloating to go away for a lot of people). If your clothes are fitting more tightly but the scale isn't going up, I'd bet it's just normal bloating.

    I'm not sure if you've been on the Goal: Gaining Weight forum, but a lot of people recovering from EDs post there. There are a lot of people who check that forum who are very familiar with ED recovery and could give you some advice based on their own direct experiences.

    Congratulations on making the effort to get better!
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Closely monitoring the scale can wreck havoc on our nerves, check this article out, I found it enlightening:
    http://www.dailyhiit.com/hiit-blog/hiit-diet/1200-calories/
    Please be very careful when directing people in recovery to articles like this. Depending on the person, it could be very triggering.

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