so this happened… what's up?

biorobotics
biorobotics Posts: 38
edited November 8 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
(i'm in recovery from an eating disorder, and trying to gain weight, even though it scares me for some reason that i haven't figured out yet).

i was barely 110lbs on saturday, and on monday i was 111.7lbs.
i didn't do any activity or exercise on sunday (i didn't even leave the apartment), so now i'm freaking out a bit. i feel i have to go for 3-hour walks every day, or i'm just going to get fat.
i haven't been reaching mfp's calorie goals set for me. in treatment, i was eating a lot more, and gaining weight very slowly (one week, i maintained on 3700 calories/day).
i don't want to sit around all day and eat, but i don't know if it's "healthy" to make up reasons to go out, even though it's freezing and windy.

Replies

  • MichaelRussell120589
    MichaelRussell120589 Posts: 3 Member
    110lb? what is your height and age and gender?
    you can gain or lose 1-2lb over night just with water weight.
    Weighing 110lb I would not worry about eating to much myself....
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Adding in excessive exercise to "make up" for food you eat is still considered an eating disorder; it's a form of bulimia. Are you working with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders? If not, you really need to be; it seems most people who work on recovering from an eating disorder find it very difficult to do on their own.
  • biorobotics
    biorobotics Posts: 38
    i'm male, 26 years old, 5'6.
    i know i'm underweight.
    i've been in and out of treatment for 10 years. i was recently discharged from a program for not being ready to move any further ahead (after 4 months, gained 30lbs).
    i'm on the wait list for an outpatient program in my area.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    You definitely get to work on how you view small weight gains; good luck getting into the program, and hopefully it's soon.

    As to your one pound gain, small fluctuations are likely water weight. But in addition to that, you do need to be gaining weight as you are underweight. Know that you need to do so and accepting the increase in the scale are two completely different things, and it's what you need to work on. Do not try to compensate for scale gains with exercise and realize the scale will need to go up.

    Have you thought about maybe trying to increase your muscle mass by weight lifting and eating at a surplus? Many people can be very lean but not under weight because they have a higher muscle mass than you currently do. Some people don't like the look, but it might be something you want to consider.
  • biorobotics
    biorobotics Posts: 38
    i do 15~20 minutes of strength training most days, but it's very light and i'm not really building any muscle yet.
    thank you for your advice.
  • Jennisin1
    Jennisin1 Posts: 574 Member
    Random internet strangers are not going to be able to help you with your mental illness. Only you, working with mental health professionals can do that.

    We can however encourage you to please be ready to move forward in your treatment.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Just popped in to say that you shouldn't start strength training without approval from your doctor. Depending on where you are in your recovery, it may not be safe for you to lift weights. People in recovery can be in danger of some very serious health risks, like heart attacks.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    biorobotics wrote: »
    i'm male, 26 years old, 5'6.
    i know i'm underweight.
    i've been in and out of treatment for 10 years. i was recently discharged from a program for not being ready to move any further ahead (after 4 months, gained 30lbs).
    i'm on the wait list for an outpatient program in my area.

    Holy cow! You weighed 80 lbs before treatment?!?!

    Dude! Stay indoors, have some hot chocolate, read a good book, and forget that you stepped on the scale this morning. You are doing great!! Don't go back to unhealthy! It's not even worth it.

  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    biorobotics wrote: »
    i do 15~20 minutes of strength training most days, but it's very light and i'm not really building any muscle yet.
    thank you for your advice.

    Although I agree with the advice that you should talk to your doctor about strength training, you do need to realize that you are going to need to eat more to actually gain muscle.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    I know that when I come out of a cut and get my glycogen stores back, I suddenly gain about 8lbs - its not fat. Just bear that in mind - a fluctuation of 1-2lbs is very minor.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    Just popped in to say that you shouldn't start strength training without approval from your doctor. Depending on where you are in your recovery, it may not be safe for you to lift weights. People in recovery can be in danger of some very serious health risks, like heart attacks.

    Completely agree. My advice was a little premature, and you should get any exercise approved by your physician before starting an exercise program.
  • PwrLftr82
    PwrLftr82 Posts: 945 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    Just popped in to say that you shouldn't start strength training without approval from your doctor. Depending on where you are in your recovery, it may not be safe for you to lift weights. People in recovery can be in danger of some very serious health risks, like heart attacks.

    I read this as "pooped" and laughed.

    But I agree.
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