I need help. I need people with healthy relationships w/ food to respond.

Options
cspong
cspong Posts: 260 Member
edited October 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys.

My counsellor knows and I have an appointment with my dr soon. But, I've run into anorexia again (atypical, since I'm obese). I'm terrified to eat carbs. I've been eating about 800 calories a day.

Today my brain fog hit so hard someone was talking to me and he repeated it multiple times and I literally couldn't understand him. The same thing happened right afterwards with someone else. It was like they were speaking another language.

And it scared me. I think I need to eat a greater variety of food to offset this (and obvious more calories)... but I feel like I'll immediately gain like crazy if I do.

So, I just need you all to beat logic into me. How do you eat carbs and lose? How do you eat over 1000 calories and lose?

Edit: I'm not arguing about the diagnosis. I got it as a teen and it's atypical because I never hit underweight. I love how sensitive you all are :/
«1

Replies

  • jbbjbb2017
    jbbjbb2017 Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    I'm eating lots of vegetables, protein and "good" fats with very little carbs. If you eat a good amount of those do you still feel off? Stress gives me brain fog. I'm one of those people who piles up my plate with vegetables so I can munch for a good long time before the meal is over so I get full.
  • cspong
    cspong Posts: 260 Member
    Options
    jbbjbb2017 wrote: »
    I'm eating lots of vegetables, protein and "good" fats with very little carbs. If you eat a good amount of those do you still feel off? Stress gives me brain fog. I'm one of those people who piles up my plate with vegetables so I can munch for a good long time before the meal is over so I get full.

    I have been eating almost no veggies, it's been all protein (I know that's stupid). I think maybe really pushing the veggies and trying to get to a healthy amount of calories is what I need to do :/
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
    Options
    cspong wrote: »
    So, I just need you all to beat logic into me. How do you eat carbs and lose? How do you eat over 1000 calories and lose?

    By understanding how the body works.

    Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to function. Think of calories like putting gas in your car - if you put very little gas in it, it's not going to go far, is it? Your body isn't much different, as you've already seen. Use the number MFP gives you, and make sure your measuring is accurate. I have no idea what your stats are, but these are mine: 5'6, current weight 238lbs, loss goal is 1lb a week, MFP gives me 2070cal. I've been steadily losing about 1lb a week. Excess calories will make you fat, your body needs carbs. And hopefully your counsellor can help you navigate the mental aspect of it.
  • CTcutie
    CTcutie Posts: 649 Member
    Options
    Orthorexia, maybe?? systematically avoiding foods one believes is harmful... I’m not a dr, but it sounds to me like you are scared of carbs at the moment... your body needs carbs & sugars for your brain (and other organs!) to function, just like your body needs a range of vitamins, electrolytes, proteins, amino acids, water, etc. Your brain fog does sound scary, but I’m sure you can turn this around with the help of your drs & counselor :-) Hang in there!!! You can MOST definitely lose weight eating carbs (I eat about 50% and used to be 227 @ 5”4’)... I still have work to do, but I was eating 1500 cal & it IS possible to lose :-)
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    Options
    There is nothing wrong with carbs - our bodies are designed to prefer them as they are broken down into glucose, the main "Fuel" we run on - even protein can be turned to glucose!

    Now, I personally avoid carbs as I am on a keto diet - however, it is important to eat more fat and protein in the right ratios to compensate. You can't just cut out carbs without increasing other macros. I only avoid carbs as I find it easier to manage hunger and cravings - not because they are "bad". Vegetables can be high in carbs and you'd be hard to find anyone who argues vegetables are bad. Now if you start reintroducing carbs you will see a gain on the scale - this is simply "water weight" (water and glycogen) and not fat. I re-started keto after a "break" due to illness, and I lost 4kg in a week simply from my glycogen stores emptying and my body dumping the excess water I no longer needed.

    Now regardless if you want to eat carbs or not, such low calories is not healthy or sustainable, as you seem to already know. Such intense brain fog is a warning sign that you are on the cusp of doing damage - it's practically starving your brain of energy.

    I have a friend who has been through hell and back with anorexia and the only way she made it through was through intense psychiatric help. I would recommend getting whatever medical help you can, before you hurt yourself again.
  • timtam163
    timtam163 Posts: 500 Member
    edited October 2017
    Options
    I don't know if I have a healthy relationship with food, but I've been working on it through tracking. Tracking can be a double-edged sword; it can keep you accountable and see what nutrients you're lacking and help with moderation. But it can also become a game you play with yourself to beat the numbers and eat less and less. Food is fuel, not "toxins"; but thinking too black-and-white can make it difficult to cultivate a healthy relationship with food. Maybe this can be triggering for you, but looking at what other successful long-term weight-losers (?) and maintainers on this site eat can make you realize that one doesn't need to cut out entire food groups (and in fact, most long term success involves a balanced diet that includes solid amounts of each macro, and which absolutely includes fruits and vegetables). In the meantime, are you taking a supplement? Please take care of yourself OP, recovery is a journey and it won't happen overnight. <3
  • MrCailer
    MrCailer Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    Anyone hear an emotional eater.. meaning anxiety sparks a need to eat? How entrenched are you ?
  • tmarple93
    tmarple93 Posts: 75 Member
    Options
    I eat about sixty percent carbs a day. Used to be less(around forty to fifty percent) but lately I haven't been eating meat (just haven't found it appealing AT ALL recently) and since I lowered my protein intake my carb intake has gone up. Lots of veggie grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit smoothies, lots of veggies, Oatmeal for breakfast. My body composition hasn't changed a bit and I haven't gained any weight. Actually Ive been feeling a lot better. Way more energy. Way less brain fog. Plus I've found out that too much protein for me equals upset stomach and lots of gas so it's been a good thing. I still keep track of calories but since my calories have been the same my weight has stayed the same. Carbs will not make you fat. Sorry your going through this.
  • maybyn
    maybyn Posts: 233 Member
    edited October 2017
    Options
    katadx wrote: »
    Anorexia has more to do with mental rather than physical. Look it up before posting something like this. It is not helpful and very demeaning. She clearly said that she HAS a counselor and a doctor. I have diagnosed anorexia, yet I eat at my maintenence level and am healthy. I am anorexic due to my mental and emotional relationship with food.

    .....


    The official criteria for Anorexia Nervosa under DSM-5 requires a low body weight.
    https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/eating-disorders/what-is-an-eating-disorder/classifying-eating-disorders/dsm-5#anorexia

    As the OP herself said, she has OSFED (Atypical Anorexia).
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Options
    I was terrified of fat, but I think that's just a minor detail - I was terrified of sugar and salt as well. I ate too much of all of them, and everything, anyway, and ended up with an unbalanced diet, malnourishment and obesity. How I got out of it? By deciding enough was enough, by reading up, reflecting, discussing, and challenging myself to just eat real food. I already knew what real food was, but I was brainwashed to believe it wasn't good enough. Now I practically forced myself to eat ordinary foods and meals made in traditional ways. It was scary. I was afraid I'd get a heart attack, cancer and diabetes, immediately. None of that happened, of course. Instead, I started to relax and to enjoy food, and lose weight, and be more energetic.

    "How do you eat over 1000 calories and lose?" Calculate your maintenance calories. Just your BMR will be at least 1200. Eating your TDEE will keep your weight stable. Eating above TDEE will make you gain weight. All this presupposes correct plotting of numbers throughout.
  • bribucks
    bribucks Posts: 431 Member
    Options
    cspong wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for your responses. I know, logically, how CICO works, but I got so sucked into the Keto world that it really set things off for me (not that Keto is bad, I just don't think it works with my disorder). I spent some time last night researching the benefits of carbs and what a balanced diet looks like. It really helped to get outside of the "bad food" thinking.

    I'm working on upping to 1000 calories for now, with some more variety in what I eat. Once I've gotten to a point where I can eat that much without feeling uncomfortably full, I'll increase again to 1200 (and so on).

    I've done this before and I can do it again.

    Sounds like you’ve got a good plan! Good luck!
  • Chantaljg
    Chantaljg Posts: 75 Member
    Options
    I don't have any advice/tips to offer as I am not educated enough on nor do I suffer from this condition.

    I do however want to wish you luck and success!


    Rooting for you ❤

Categories