Anyone on here trying to gain weight after major weight loss

pharmaphreak · August 2011

This is my first post on the MFP forum, but Ive been using MFP for quite some time now. I was just curious if anybody has experienced a situation similar to mine: I'm about 6'2" and went from 210lbs to 140lbs in 3 months after I developed anorexia and worked out all day every day. It wreaked havoc on my body to lose all that weight (mostly muscle tissue from not eating enough and doing to much cardio) that fast and now Im faced with a situation where I am like a stick figure and my appetite is very weak. Ive been lifting for awhile now and trying to reduce cardio but I still struggle to pack away much more than 2000 calories in a day without feeling like Im stuffed. All the calculators say I need roughly 2500 calories just to maintain my weight, and thats not including extra calories burned off from working out or activity.

Does anybody have any tips/experience with restoring appetite after a major weight loss? I know this is the opposite of what most people go through (rebound weight gain, cravings, etc) but I just wanted to see if I could find some answers on here.

superflyrbi · August 2011

Try some of the gainer shakes made for hard gainers. I never have because I am on the other side of the coin, but knew someone who did. I didn't get the impression they made him too full and he was able to gain weight. Good luck!

schnarfo · August 2011

Hi

I think its so tough to actually put the weight back on once youve been in the grips of an ED. If the feeling of being full is too much to handle aim for smaller meals but more often with lots of protein. Extra calories from nuts help as they are full of good fats. Protein shakes really help me when im really low on calories. Swap low fat alternatives for the normal ones and steadily increase portion sizes. See if you can get a nutritionist to help you devise a plan
Its really tough to advise someone as everyone with ed is different and everyone has different fears and triggers surrounding food. Good luck though

x

KudzuSouth · August 2011

You might try supplementing your diet with a few whey protein shakes -- put in twice the normal amount of protein powder mix per 8 ounces of skim milk. Also, maybe try switching from skim milk to 1% or 2% low-fat milk.

PeytonSwan · August 2011

I'm diagnosed with Ednos, 2 weeks ago I was hospitalized because I just broke down from absolutely not eating - to binge eating and purging.. I was a wrack. And before it would get much worse I made myself understand that I have to change my "habits". I have a healthy weight, but still want to loose . But now I want to loose the extra " disturbing " pounds the healthy way. Therefore I would have to eat at least 1200 calories. I've reduced my exercising (from 600 to a maximum of 200) in order to concentrate myself on "just eating" .. I still barely get to the 1000 calories.

To keep myself eating though, I make a lot of things myself, trying out all kinds of new recipes, just to keep me going and to make food " interesting " for me also. It's still hard, I still have my ups and downs...but someday I'll get there.
So my tip would be just stay on track, keep in mind food is necessary , try to choose different things than you would normally eat

to keep it all "exciting."

pharmaphreak · August 2011

Thanks for all the recommendations/support on here. I do use whey and casein protein powders mixed into things like yogurt, cottage cheese, or peanut butter to get in extra calories (I rarely drink it). From what Ive gathered it seems like the best thing to do is work on improving my "relationship" with food and not be so stingy with eating "super-healthy". I've fallen into a pattern of eating pretty much the exact same "healthy" foods like chicken, spinach, peanut butter, oatmeal, broccoli, fruit, and greek yogurt everyday. Its to the point where its so monotonous that I just kind of sit there and eat my meals without even tasting the food; I pretty much have no enjoyment eating at this point which just makes the appetite issue worse. I've been trying for weeks to summon up the courage to eat a "cheat" meal (like pizza or a burger or whatever I actually want) but I just cant do it. Just have to take it one step at a time for now...

Genie30 · August 2011

Beans are pretty high calorie but also really healthy as they're full of protien and good fats. A bean burger is tasty meal and simple to make (or you can buy them).

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/535041

schnarfo · August 2011

Thanks for all the recommendations/support on here. I do use whey and casein protein powders mixed into things like yogurt, cottage cheese, or peanut butter to get in extra calories (I rarely drink it). From what Ive gathered it seems like the best thing to do is work on improving my "relationship" with food and not be so stingy with eating "super-healthy". I've fallen into a pattern of eating pretty much the exact same "healthy" foods like chicken, spinach, peanut butter, oatmeal, broccoli, fruit, and greek yogurt everyday. Its to the point where its so monotonous that I just kind of sit there and eat my meals without even tasting the food; I pretty much have no enjoyment eating at this point which just makes the appetite issue worse. I've been trying for weeks to summon up the courage to eat a "cheat" meal (like pizza or a burger or whatever I actually want) but I just cant do it. Just have to take it one step at a time for now...

yup breaking out of this cycle is really hard and i understand what your going through. Maybe you dont have to eat a cheat meal entirely maybe a slice or a few bites might be enough for now... like you said its one step at a time but try and find some enjoyment in food. When you start to look at it purely through nutritional content and calories..... yawn.... it gets dull and boring! you need to find something that you know you once enjoyed eating and try and get your interest back a little... even if you only manage a few bites, its still achieving something. Youll get there it just takes a long time to get back there. EDs dont happen over night and they dont go away over night either. half the battle is wanting to do something about it!

pharmaphreak · August 2011

Genie--I actually do eat beans often, but they're full of fiber which fills me up pretty quick so its kind of a double-edged sword. My brother showed me a bean-burger recipe like the one you posted and he said it turned out pretty awesome so Ill have to try it, thanks!

Schnarfo--I think you're right, this isnt something that will just go away all the sudden; its going to be a journey to say the least. I think Im going to keep a diary and each day I will test myself to eat one thing I truly feel like eating, regardless the nutritional value of it. Whether it be a slice of pizza, some candy, a cookie, etc. Ill see if I can just eat it and move on without worrying so much and feeling regretful.

Anyone on here trying to gain weight after major weight loss

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