post-anorexia metabolism. help.

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alexoftroy
alexoftroy Posts: 40 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi there,

I am twenty years old, but four years ago I had an eating disorder that took my 5'6", 135 lb frame down to about 90-95 lbs by limiting myself to no more than 500 calories a day, not counting exercise. Horrible, right? When I went into recovery, I gained all of the weight back, plus an extra thirty pounds. Since then, I've lost that extra thirty pounds and have been stuck in the mid-130s for what seems like forever.

I would really like to healthily make it back down to the mid to high 120s - I repeat, healthily and the right way. However, I'm convinced that my metabolism or something in my body chemistry was set off-balance during my anorexic days, because the scale seems to be super-glued.

That said, I'm extremely into health and fitness and have been since middle school. I feel more than comfortable stepping up and saying, "I know exactly what I'm doing"...but I'm beginning to wonder. Do I really? Or do I have it all wrong? Here's what my concern is:

My calorie intake.

On average, I'm burning around 500-700 calories in the gym every day while consuming no more than 1500-1600ish calories, usually around 1200-1400. That seems like the recipe to lose weight, but I know that many times the scale won't move because one doesn't eat enough. I'm worried that that's my problem - especially because a remnant of my eating disorder is a fear of higher calories. And if I do need to eat more, should I exercise more?

Again, I'm not looking to lose thirty pounds and be unhealthy again. I just want to reach the goal weight I set for myself a couple of years ago, the right way. Advice and insight would be much appreciated!

Replies

  • feisma
    feisma Posts: 213 Member
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    Best way to reset that metabolism is to eat more. That is going to be rough coming from a post-anorexia mindset (been there, done that). However, focus on calorie dense foods (nuts, proteins generally...). The calories you eat should include the calories you burn in exercise so that your body doesn't think it's still in starvation mode and has to keep your metabolism slow. Good luck and good for you for focusing on being healthy :-)
  • dittiepe
    dittiepe Posts: 557 Member
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    Best way to reset that metabolism is to eat more. That is going to be rough coming from a post-anorexia mindset (been there, done that). However, focus on calorie dense foods (nuts, proteins generally...). The calories you eat should include the calories you burn in exercise so that your body doesn't think it's still in starvation mode and has to keep your metabolism slow. Good luck and good for you for focusing on being healthy :-)

    I agree. You might also want to have some blood tests done for your thyroid, and other electrolytes just to make sure everything is where it should be.
  • greyhoundluv
    greyhoundluv Posts: 49
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    Yes, eating more calories (carefully, like you know) may be the answer. I don't know if it is truly "post-anorexia" metabolism as much as it may be that you are very close to your goal weight and our bodies seem to have a much much harder time giving up the weight the closer we get to goal.
  • jpalmer7384
    jpalmer7384 Posts: 23
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    What is your daily caloric goal??? Not how much do you actually eat but what is your goal? Stay as close to that figure as possible. I think when you are only consuming 1200 calories a day (most days right?) you are probably sending your still fragile body into starvation mode. I would suggest keeping you calories 1500-1600 each day, and not yo yo so much below that, maybe 1400 at the very least. I hope that helps! Good luck in your weight loss goals!!
  • hrigsby
    hrigsby Posts: 31
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    Congratulations first on your recovery. I have a family member that had an eating disorder as well when she was young. So my heart is with you.

    Looking at the calculator you are in your ideal weight and by the look of your picture you look great and healthy. Sometimes it is not the number on the scale but how you take care of your body. You said you are extremely into health and fitness. Keep in mind that your muscle is going to weigh more. Which I am sure you already know.

    Do you have a body bug that you wear or something that is measuring your calories burned. You may be burning more than you think. If that is the case you will need to eat more than you have been.
  • alexoftroy
    alexoftroy Posts: 40 Member
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    What is your daily caloric goal??? Not how much do you actually eat but what is your goal? Stay as close to that figure as possible. I think when you are only consuming 1200 calories a day (most days right?) you are probably sending your still fragile body into starvation mode. I would suggest keeping you calories 1500-1600 each day, and not yo yo so much below that, maybe 1400 at the very least. I hope that helps! Good luck in your weight loss goals!!

    My daily caloric goal is 1000 calories (subtracting my calories burned in the gym from how much I actually eat). I realize that that's low - it's just a product of my frustration at having been stuck in the same place forever. If it will help me healthily lose weight, I can definitely learn to eat more. It'll be difficult given my past, but if it's right, I'm so in.
  • alexoftroy
    alexoftroy Posts: 40 Member
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    Also - Thank you so much to everyone who has responded! This site is such a positive, healthy support system for me - when I was anorexic, I was surrounded by other eating disordered girls, so you people are a breath of fresh air. It really means a lot!
  • dittiepe
    dittiepe Posts: 557 Member
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    1000 is too low. You'll want to bump that up to at least 1200. But by your exercise calorie loss, I would try to make it 1400 if you can. Incorporate things like nuts as snacks and see if that helps some.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Advice and insight would be much appreciated!

    My advice would be to move away from a scale related goal and move more towards a body recomposition goal or fitness goal.

    I presume your real motivation isn't to be X weight but to look more fabulous and "toned" than you currently do, be healthier and have increased energy levels. These things aren't reflected too well on the scale. For example, say for the sake of argument you lost 10lbs of pure fat but gained 10lbs of lean body mass (to include both water and muscle.) Your weight on the scale would not change AT ALL. However, you would be smaller in size and look much better.

    The best thread for someone at your level on here is this one:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner

    The guy who lead that thread, Steve (stroutman81) is pretty approachable so if you want some specific and professional advice then he is a good person to ask. Alternatively, one of the mods here, SHBoss is a trainer as well so he could point you in the right direction as well.
  • alexoftroy
    alexoftroy Posts: 40 Member
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    Advice and insight would be much appreciated!

    My advice would be to move away from a scale related goal and move more towards a body recomposition goal or fitness goal.

    I presume your real motivation isn't to be X weight but to look more fabulous and "toned" than you currently do, be healthier and have increased energy levels. These things aren't reflected too well on the scale. For example, say for the sake of argument you lost 10lbs of pure fat but gained 10lbs of lean body mass (to include both water and muscle.) Your weight on the scale would not change AT ALL. However, you would be smaller in size and look much better.

    The best thread for someone at your level on here is this one:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner

    The guy who lead that thread, Steve (stroutman81) is pretty approachable so if you want some specific and professional advice then he is a good person to ask. Alternatively, one of the mods here, SHBoss is a trainer as well so he could point you in the right direction as well.

    Aah, this is amazing! It really helps hearing things like this, because this is almost more of a mental process for me than it is a physical one. Thank you endlessly!
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
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    Did you go into recovery for your eating disorder? If you recovered with the help of professionals, please seek their advice again now, just to help make sure that you don't go back to any unhealthy or obsessive behaviors.

    I am speaking as a recovered anorexic, just so you know. Please take care of yourself!
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Aah, this is amazing! It really helps hearing things like this, because this is almost more of a mental process for me than it is a physical one. Thank you endlessly!

    If you have time read a book called "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz. It's a seminal piece of literature on what drives our self image and how to improve it. For you, like many others I suspect, the hardest part of this process is the mental one. You are certainly not alone in that respect.

    Good luck in achieving your goals.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
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    You said you are in the gym, are you doing any weight training, or just cardio? If you are not weight training, start it will boost that metabolism and tone your body at the same time.
  • alexoftroy
    alexoftroy Posts: 40 Member
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    You said you are in the gym, are you doing any weight training, or just cardio? If you are not weight training, start it will boost that metabolism and tone your body at the same time.

    I typically do 1-1.5 hours of cardio every day and follow a weight training program that has me lifting 4 times a week. I'm wanting to up my cardio, though - I run 3 miles, but I think I'm going to start shooting for 4-5.
  • michelelittle
    michelelittle Posts: 5
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    I'm new with an ED and this was great to read!!

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