Losing weight after an eating disorder?

amandasmira
amandasmira Posts: 2 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I had a nasty issue with anorexia for about two years, 2011 and 2012. I did a recovery program for 6 months and gained 30 pounds. In the last 6 months I gained 20 more and am not a healthy weight. I started running in feb and have built up to four times a week, my long run being 1hour and 10-20min. I eat healthy and track my calories. The issue is that I did a breath analysis test that showed my RMR was only 1010 calories. That's low. I was eating around 1800 calories then lowered to 1300-1500. I can't exactly
Figure out what to do... If I go too low that's bad, too high no weight loss. I lift weights and do crossfit a few times a week also. Any advice or has anyone else had this happen?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    were you losing weight on 1800? was that net or gross?
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    First, those breath tests are not 100% accurate. I would track a few months of actual results to figure out what your TDEE is, not a breath test.

    Second, do you still work with a doctor or team in your recovery? They may be able to help you with appropriate calories. We don't know your height, weight, age, activity level so it is hard to determine appropriate calories but 1300-1500 seems very low for your activity.

    Third, I have heard time and time again of women gaining weight doing crossfit and following a Paleo diet. Some of this weight is usually from muscle gain and some is from eating unlimited bacon, avocado, etc. Are you tracking your calories with a scale? Anything different in eating or activity for last 6 months? While I know a lot of people that love the cross fit and Paleo lifestyle, some people take it too far it can be a very rigid and competitive lifestyle. I know more than one person where it causes eating issues (obsession with eating the right foods, weight lifted, etc.). So just be careful with not going down that path if this is the exercise you enjoy.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,487 Member
    edited July 2016
    You went straight from 1800 to 1300 - 1500? That is a 300 - 500 calories difference and to me is fairly large!

    Did you or do you eat exercise calories back, and do you NET calories to include the exercise?

    The next question, since your recovery,etc. have you had any blood work done (i.e. comprehensive metabolic panel, possibly TSH and T4 and/or any subsequent vitamin or micro nutrient deficiency tests)?

    I have edited to add and ruling out medical condition: A person body just cannot change its resting metabolic rate per unit of fat-free body mass. So any decrease in the resting metabolic rate is a result of loosing muscle. Did you recovery team explain the right diet for you during and after weight gain and how to move you into maintenance and moreover work to regain your muscle mass?

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,055 Member
    I recommend reconnecting with your treatment team.
  • amandasmira
    amandasmira Posts: 2 Member
    Oh gosh so many questions! Thanks for the responses y'all! I'm not on a paleo diet, it not for me as I like yogurt, legumes, etc. The team I worked with in recovery is in another state, so I can't reconnect there. My general intake is 1300-1500 cal, taken down from 1800-1900 over several weeks. I don't generally eat back exercise calories. I've definitely put on muscle, but this 20lb in the last 6 months isn't that. I was doing crossfit for a while before the gain and actually the only thing that changed was that I moved?? I really didn't even restrict calories much in the last couple of years, just ate reasonably. I started running in feb when I saw the huge gain and have been since, with less crossfit. I looked at several reputable studies that seem to indicate that starvation (prolonged) has a long term effect on overall metabolism. I'm just wondering if it's even possible for my REE to be that low and why the heck is my weight not budging. I think I covered everything that was asked.. Oh and going by General calorie requirement predictors, according to my weight/height/age, it's much higher. But I gained weight eating that much. So I'm at a loss... 5'2" 176lb 41 years old, I run or do some kind of exercise 5-6 days a week with an average cal burn or 300-400 cal.
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    You should try to make contact with someone locally to help continue with your treatment.

    I ran your numbers on a TDEE calculator. Your BMR is 1513, so you are eating less than your BMR each day. Not good. Your TDEE is 2346-2611, depending on whether your exercise is moderate or strenuous. So a 20% cut is 1877-2081 (again depending on exercise intensity). You are eating far below a healthy range for your stats.

    Now this is assuming your logging is accurate. If you aren't losing, that is the first place to look. If your logging is accurate, then you need to meet with a doctor. It may be that your eating disorder is having long term effects on your metabolism, but my limited understanding is that you need to slowly ramp your calories UP to improve that, not cut even further. This is where a doctor can come in to help you with a plan.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,487 Member
    edited July 2016
    amandasmira wrote: »
    Oh gosh so many questions! Thanks for the responses y'all! I'm not on a paleo diet, it not for me as I like yogurt, legumes, etc. The team I worked with in recovery is in another state, so I can't reconnect there. My general intake is 1300-1500 cal, taken down from 1800-1900 over several weeks. I don't generally eat back exercise calories. I've definitely put on muscle, but this 20lb in the last 6 months isn't that. I was doing crossfit for a while before the gain and actually the only thing that changed was that I moved?? I really didn't even restrict calories much in the last couple of years, just ate reasonably. I started running in feb when I saw the huge gain and have been since, with less crossfit. I looked at several reputable studies that seem to indicate that starvation (prolonged) has a long term effect on overall metabolism. I'm just wondering if it's even possible for my REE to be that low and why the heck is my weight not budging. I think I covered everything that was asked.. Oh and going by General calorie requirement predictors, according to my weight/height/age, it's much higher. But I gained weight eating that much. So I'm at a loss... 5'2" 176lb 41 years old, I run or do some kind of exercise 5-6 days a week with an average cal burn or 300-400 cal.

    I understand that you recovery team is in another state, but did that doctor just did not cut you loose did they? Surely they are available for you to contact them at any time when you have a question or need help. they have all your medical history and if anything they can release that for you to give that another doctor, it does not have to be an ED specialist, but it can be your local doctor or GP.

    I would say that its time for a checkup at your current doctor. I would get a thorough wellness check, accompanied by blood tests that checks for a slew of things. You can also get your BMR and current body composition professionally tested. You need to do this so that you are not guesstimating that you have a metabolic disorder.

    I am grasping for straws as what to say other than, we cannot know the details to make an informed conclusion.

    edited to say: if you have increased your lean muscle mass and you are 100% sure that you have recovered from this aspect on the disorder, then your RMR should have drastically improved and the tests you had done warrant a second opinion.
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