Crash Diet :(

Lorjon1
Lorjon1 Posts: 6
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Im 5’8 and 18 years old and unfortunately went on a crash diet. I was always skinny until junior year of high school, where I put on a lot of pounds because of unhealthy eating and I stopped playing sports. Anyways, this year, I (unknowing of the consequences) went on a crash diet by only eating 1 meal a day (dinner) and restricting my caloric intake to 1200 or even less than 1000. From February 2014 of this year to June 2014, I lost 40 pounds, going from 170 to 130. I’ve now been trying to maintain 130 pounds, but it’s been very hard. I’ve found that I’ve been feeling fatigue, getting dizzy, and never feeling full or satisfied (I can eat and eat and eat until I feel bloated to the point of pain, but I’m still hungry). I also assume that my metabolism is much much lower than it should be, so I have to eat less to maintain. I didn’t know all of this would happen until I researched crash diets after (didn’t even know they were called that??), and apparently everyone puts all their weight back on and more because of similar symptoms. Is there any hope? Did anyone else go through something similar and rise above?
«1

Replies

  • Lorjon1
    Lorjon1 Posts: 6
    I want to add that ever since I started maintaining (about a week ago), I’ve started to do intense exercise for an hour every day. I did not exercise while losing weight.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    You're 5'8" and 130 lbs. you're having trouble maintaining because you're underweight.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    There is hope for sure. It is hard work and it takes time, but you can get your metabolism back up to burning like a furnace. The process is called reverse dieting. Check out these videos that talk all about it. They are made by Layne Norton. He has a PhD in nutritional science, is a natural body builder, and is a fitness competitor coach.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5C3uqA1yRI
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3gTGLulLnI

    Please let me know if you have any questions.

    Allan
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    Ok - since I know you don't want to put weight back on - this is my recommendation - and I AM NOT A DOCTOR.

    But instead of ONE meal a day - you need to split your calories into several (at least 3) meals throughout the day. (go find a calculator out there to find out what your calories should be at (scoobys workshop) or even MFP at maintenance level.

    LOG EVERYTHING - WEIGH EVERYTHING you eat or drink - keep close track of it - slowly increase your calories until you are eating as much as you can - without gaining (normal fluctuation of a couple # don't count). Maintain for a while - later if you want to lose again - then decrease your calorie intake.

    Eat back at least 1/2 your exercise calories, since MFP gives high burn numbers you probably don't want to eat back all of them.

    Also - find FILLING foods that fit in your calorie range. Many people say HIGH protein helps keep them full.

    Good luck
  • sljohnson1207
    sljohnson1207 Posts: 818 Member
    You're 5'8" and 130 lbs. you're having trouble maintaining because you're underweight.

    I agree you may be underweight. You must have incredibly tiny bones to have dropped to this weight at your height, or you may have lost a tremendous amount of metabolically active muscle tissue. I think your body knows what it needs. Feed it with good, fresh foods, and exercise, and see where you settle out. That is probably a healthy weight for you..where you settle out. Of course, 130 may also be...not knowing what your body structure looks like makes it difficult to ascertain.

    I'm 5'7" and when I was in the throes of crash dieting that turned into eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, laxative abuse, and compulsive exerciser, body dysmorphic disorder), I managed to get down to 130 lbs. I had zero breast tissue, prominent backbone, sunken hips with jagged prominent hip bones, and all my ribs and chest bones were visible. My collarbone was very prominent as well, and my elbows and knees were larger than my limbs above and below them. I was malnourished and caused severe permanent damage to my heart. I wish I had known then what I know now.
  • myfitnesspale3
    myfitnesspale3 Posts: 276 Member
    Yeah, under-eating can mess you up.

    dizziness: maybe monitor blood pressure. Lots of places now have public BP machines, and a BP cuff is only $25 and easy to do at home.

    hunger: can be caused by crashing blood sugar which can be caused by occasional high carb intake, or diabetes. Blood glucose meters are ALSO cheap and easy to use at home. Or you may simply be under-eating for your BMR/TDEE .
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
    FYI: 5'8" and 130 pounds is technically not underweight if you are using BMI standards. I am teetering on the borderline with a weight of 126-127 at 5'9.25" tall. (And I definitely don't have tiny bones!) My question for you: how many calories are you eating being in maintenance? I get in around 2,000 a day BEFORE exercise. You should be eating somewhere near that.

    Up your calories slowly over time. I doubt you are getting anywhere near 2K.
  • Emeryeon
    Emeryeon Posts: 61
    im 18 to! its nice to see someone who is my age usually everyone is in their twenties or older
  • Emeryeon
    Emeryeon Posts: 61
    Go to the doctor. If you are eating and still feeling lightheaded thats kinda weird.
  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
    Another 18 year old here! :D
  • Charloo1990
    Charloo1990 Posts: 619 Member
    Yup, same happened to me. I severely restricted and had a full blown eating disorder. I lost like 4st which is about 56lbs but because in the last year of my ED I binged like crazy it's caused me gained every bit of it back :( my metabolism is only just back to normal after 5 years of having an ED x
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    There is hope! Increase your calories and start lifting weights! The more muscle your body has, the more shape you will have, the better you will feel and the more you can eat!
  • BaGoetz
    BaGoetz Posts: 4 Member
    My mother started starving herself and then ended up getting overweight because her body was perpetually in starvation mode - means everything she ate was stored in case she starved again. It's a natural reaction of the body.

    You need to seek the aid of a nutritional specialist to help you set a healthy weight goal, reach that goal, and do so in a manner that will not force you to a very young heart attack. Poor nutrition will first attach your muscles and metabolism. After that the body starts to tap into any resources for nutrients and energy that it has available. Mom had a stroke and heart attack and the specialist said it was due to her eating habits of tea and half piece of toast for breakfast, half an apple for lunch, and a few bites for dinner amounting to about 900 calories per day.

    At your age, you should be eating closer to 2000 calories and out being active all day long.

    Mom finally realized she had to eat to lose weight; eating micronutrient rich foods boosted her liver and metabolism so she was no longer harming herself. She took it slow so her body did not automatically turn all those great veggies into fat. It worked and now she is a healthy size 6, 120 at 5 foot tall and more energy than all her grandkids.

    Learn to eat and be healthy. Seek that nutritional specialist. Your parent's health insurance should cover it till you are 25 or so.
  • BaGoetz
    BaGoetz Posts: 4 Member
    Such great advice. If more people would focus on the right numbers and not just weight, it would be awesome!
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    You're 5'8" and 130 lbs. you're having trouble maintaining because you're underweight.

    Actually, she is not underweight.
    I am 5'10 and my minimum before hitting underweight is 130 Ibs and I am 131 currently with a BMI of 18.7.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    There is hope! Increase your calories and start lifting weights! The more muscle your body has, the more shape you will have, the better you will feel and the more you can eat!

    I also agree with this. Hit some weights, start eating at maintenance and just remain active. Your weight will sort itself out if you continue to watch your diet and focus on fitness and health.
  • ScarletFyre
    ScarletFyre Posts: 754 Member
    You're 5'8" and 130 lbs. you're having trouble maintaining because you're underweight.

    I agree, as others have - I am 5ft 3in and 130 is around the goal weight for me, and I feel like it's the low end for my height.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    You're 5'8" and 130 lbs. you're having trouble maintaining because you're underweight.

    I agree, as others have - I am 5ft 3in and 130 is around the goal weight for me, and I feel like it's the low end for my height.

    that is a BMI of 23, thus not really the low end for your height, given healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25

    Someone of 5'8 is considered to have a healthy BMI between the weights of 121.7 and 164.4, depending on build, of course. Thus the OP, with a BMI of 19.8 is definitely not underweight.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    OP, whether or not your BMI is in the healthy range, if you're having negative symptoms from your diet (fatigue, dizziness, bingeing), it's a sign that what you're doing is not healthy for you.

    Go to this site and figure out your approximate TDEE:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    That's the number of calories you'd need every day. Up your calories slowly (100-200 more per day, every week, until you hit your goal). If you start upping your calories slowly, in a controlled way, you should be able to get some control back and stop feeling so dizzy, tired and starving.

    You don't have to put it all back on, whether you lost it through crash dieting or more slowly. If you keep eating at 1000 calories per day, though, I'd bet money that the binges will get out of control and you will start to gain more than you want. Your body is telling you to feed it.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    Not underweight.
    Been under eating for a while, body wants food.
    You'll put on weight when you go back to eating normal amounts.
    It's not fat, it's water, food in gut, glycogen in muscle.

    Educate yourself, it's all here. Good luck.

Categories