In long term recovery from ED, How can I build muscle?

I would say maintain a healthier diet that allows you to cut, and then do more strength-training exercises. If you go for higher weight and lower reps, you'll bulk and build muscle. Lower weight and higher reps help you tone up.

r5d5 wrote: »

Danni_peck wrote: »

I would say maintain a healthier diet that allows you to cut, and then do more strength-training exercises. If you go for higher weight and lower reps, you'll bulk and build muscle. Lower weight and higher reps help you tone up.

Wow firstly, that's a bunch of malarkey! You do not "bulk" up by any means. I'm not sure you realize how difficult it is for a female to get bulky weight lifting. Higher reps at a lower weight is simply a waste of time and energy. Most weight lifting programs will suggest heavy weight and less reps. Also, "toning" is the same thing as building muscle. You don't "tone" and not build muscle. "Toning" is silly, frivolous language. Muscle is muscle. There is no such thing as toning.
All that said, @peacheyn I wish you the best of luck with your recovery. I hope you are able to do so with the guidance of a professional, as eating disorders are not easy to manage on one's own. It really helps to have a trained professional guide you to a healthier mental and physical state. You do not need to do this on your own. I know several recovering eat disorders users use this site to rebuild themselves and try to tackle their eating disorder, but it can also be extremely triggering as well. I hope you find a healthy balance. I wish you well with recovery.
I am by no means an expert in this, but I think you need to start with building a healthy relationship with yourself and with food before you can consider exercising to change your body. If you still host those feelings which lead you to restrict and harm yourself, no amount of weight lifting will solve your problems.
I wish you well and truly hope you recover.

^Agreed. I am in 'remission' for EDNOS and establishing a healthy relationship with food should be your first priority.

Arliah wrote: »

r5d5 wrote: »

Danni_peck wrote: »

I know several recovering eat disorders users use this site to rebuild themselves and try to tackle their eating disorder, but it can also be extremely triggering as well.

I can attest to that. I used to be bulimic, and sometimes I have to close MFP and step away because I get anxious when I read certain posts or see status updates. It's SO hard to be okay with yourself and not stress out about things like bulking, non-linear weight loss and (my personal favorite) the oh-so-hated skinny fat. Good luck with your recovery!!

^Indeed. I had to stop using MFP for about 14 months.

Hi OP. We are the same height. I went from over 30% body fat (60kg/plus, pregnancy, severe under eating and binge phases) to 15% body fat, I now am about 18% and weigh 58Kg 127lb.

I weight lifted and tried to recomp for a bit and got so far. I wanted to run fast and be strong for triathlon and also look really good in jeans!

I cut down to 123lb and mistakenly lost too much muscle and wasn't happy with my shape.

I decided to bulk even though I am extremely fat phobic and temporarily sacrificed my running speed, and did it by eating 250 calories over my needs per day and lifting heavy weights 3x per week all over body. Gaining a few kilos over time, which included the inevitable fat, then slowly slowly (1lb-1.5lb a month) cutting the fat without losing barely any muscle. Kept weight lifting and eating 100g plus protein per day.

This all took a couple of years.

Lifting programs like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting For Women worked well.

You need to find your true maintenance and exercise burns before you start.

I also weigh every day and keep a seven day rolling average.

Bulking was the most exciting and healthy place I've ever been with food, since teenage days before the problems began, and I had no fear of weight gain.

To eat to fuel beautiful muscle growth and make your body look younger (hair, skin, nails, joints, bones, blood volume, brain function, hormone function,internal organs, EVERYTHING benefits from constant excess calories), but you're not getting fat!! I LOVED how I looked at the top of my bulk, 10lb heavier than the bottoms of my cut, I felt like a kid again! I'm sure a lot of it was the brain not being in a calorie depleted body dismorphic state too. I ONLY cut afterwards because of triathlon racing weights, and keeping my body fat lower than say a bikini model would.(20%) for efficiency.

Good luck OP! Many have used MFP to get the truth about how our bodies thrive, it takes the guesswork, emotion and illness out the equation. Such a relief!!

Listen to Springfield1970 -- she knows her stuff!

I'm in a somewhat similar situation -- no actual ED, thank goodness, but years of restrictive dieting, trying to maintain a too-low body weight and not eating enough protein, and I ended up with very low muscle mass. I felt like I didn't have enough muscle to support trying to cut any longer, so I decided to bulk even though my BF% was higher than what would be ideal.

Best. Decision. Ever.

The mental side of it was really challenging, but I can't say enough good things about the physical effects. My lifts all markedly improved, I had a ton of energy and for the first time ever, I wasn't cold all the time. (That sounds like a little thing, but I loved it so much!).

The one thing I didn't realize beforehand was how much I'd put myself in the hole by trying to maintain such a low body weight for years. I did a full bulk/cut cycle last year, went from 121 to 131 and back to 126, and wore the same size clothes the whole time. (Toward the end, a few pairs of jeans got pretty tight, but that's it). I suspect that I needed to build back some other tissue (like bone density, strengthening tendons, etc.), so a lot of the weight I gained wasn't "visible" weight. I did gain some visible muscle, but I was hoping for more, so I'm planning another bulk for later this year. My point in including all this is to say that you may need more than one cycle, or you may need to bulk longer than someone who is starting off with more existing muscle mass, so be prepared. It's so incredibly worth it, but it may take you forever and a day.

charliebitesback wrote: »

I would like to know if anyone finds a result to this.
Personally, I had EDNOS for about four years and have been recovering for a year and am now wanting to gain. I also have a faddy relationship with exercise regimes, but I love lifting and have just started following flexible dieting. It's going well so far.
(I have a problem where I fall out of my fitness-esque routine, gain weight, and then feel guilty and restrict. I'm in the process of picking myself up once more.)

I do that too, but I make sure I restrict at a rate that doesn't cut into my muscle, about 10/15% under maintenance.

The advice given is well known generic bulking advice. Check out the sticky bulking for beginners.