Is This too Much Food?

saraclark62 · April 2018

Hi. I have been in anorexia recovery for 5 1/2 years. Recently, within the past week and a half, I started eating more. I can physically feel and see myself getting bigger since I increased my caloric intake. I am a healthy weight - 5'5 and 115 lbs (now 117). Personally, I don't think what I am eating should cause me to gain weight, but clearly I am not able to maintain on more than 1500/1600 calories. Can you please provide feedback about why you think I am gaining weight? Do you think I eat too much? I am sedentary and the only activity that I do is school work and mainly sitting. I am not active.

Breakfast:
1 cup Golean cereal (160 cal)
2 egg whites
1 cup strawberries
coffee w/ fat free cream

Snack:
1 1/2 cup of spaghetti squash
1 carrot

Lunch:
A can of tuna (120 cal) or 4 oz of grilled chicken in either a salad or an 80-cal wrap.
1 Greek yogurt (80 cal)

Dinner:
5 oz meat (usually grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, swordfish, etc - no red meat)
1 medium summer squash (steamed)
1 medium zuchinni (steamed)
1 cup spaghetti squash

Snack:
1/2 Golean cereal (80 cal) or air-popped popcorn
1 Greek Yogurt (80 cal)

Note: Twice per week I have been challenging myself with an egg white omelette made with broccoli and squash but still have strawberries and coffee. If I have an egg white omelette in the morning, I will have 1 cup of golean cereal and 1 greek yogurt at night.

deannalfisher · April 2018

so here's the day - weight will fluctuate - being up 2lbs doesn't mean that you have gained fat - but with your history of an eating disorder, you need to talk to your treatment team about this, tracking food/weighing yourself may not be recommended if it causes you to relapse

saraclark62 · April 2018

deannalfisher wrote: »

so here's the day - weight will fluctuate - being up 2lbs doesn't mean that you have gained fat - but with your history of an eating disorder, you need to talk to your treatment team about this, tracking food/weighing yourself may not be recommended if it causes you to relapse

Do you think I am gaining actual fat? I don't understand. I physically feel and look heavier.

deannalfisher · April 2018

no i don't - i think your body image signals are screwed up and see you are seeing yourself look fat when you aren't - which is why i recommend you reach out to your treatment team

RoxieDawn · April 2018

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/41629984#Comment_41629984
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/41857849#Comment_41857849

In reference to this and your other thread.....

You are not gaining fat. Weight fluctuates 24/7, being female we see these more often than not, its our body handling our functions normally.

eta: Ignore the part about losing fat.. but the rest stands. Another vote to get in contact with your treatment team, anxiety like this is something you need to work through as part of your recovery.

esmesqualor · April 2018

And sometimes it takes a while for bodies in recovery from severe food restriction to learn to function "normally". Sometimes you may even gain BECAUSE you aren't getting enough calories (your body is feeling like it will never get enough and so has learned to slow everything way down in order to try to preserve). Please talk to your professional care team and make sure you are doing okay. It may not be advisable for you to be weighing yourself right now. Sometimes, nurturing yourself, eating wholesome meals, meditating, just being very kind to yourself may be the best strategy.

saraclark62 · April 2018

esmesqualor wrote: »

And sometimes it takes a while for bodies in recovery from severe food restriction to learn to function "normally". Sometimes you may even gain BECAUSE you aren't getting enough calories (your body is feeling like it will never get enough and so has learned to slow everything way down in order to try to preserve). Please talk to your professional care team and make sure you are doing okay. It may not be advisable for you to be weighing yourself right now. Sometimes, nurturing yourself, eating wholesome meals, meditating, just being very kind to yourself may be the best strategy.

sarahbums wrote: »

there's no way you've gained 2lbs of fat in such a short time. That would require 7,000 calories above your maintenance level, and that couldn't have happened at just 1600 calories a day.

As I and other posters in your other threads have pointed out, it's just water weight. I know it's scary, and it DOES go away eventually, but you have to stay consistent and make sure you're getting enough calories. And it's possible you still may not be getting enough calories to properly recover- that's why it's so important that you speak to a professional who can help you with a meal plan and get you the emotional support you need.

Thank you for your thoughtful reaponses .2 questions; 1. Am i eating too Much?
Question 2- do u think 5’5 and 11(5 llb is better or 5’5 130

Cbean08 · April 2018

saraclark62 wrote: »

esmesqualor wrote: »

And sometimes it takes a while for bodies in recovery from severe food restriction to learn to function "normally". Sometimes you may even gain BECAUSE you aren't getting enough calories (your body is feeling like it will never get enough and so has learned to slow everything way down in order to try to preserve). Please talk to your professional care team and make sure you are doing okay. It may not be advisable for you to be weighing yourself right now. Sometimes, nurturing yourself, eating wholesome meals, meditating, just being very kind to yourself may be the best strategy.

sarahbums wrote: »

there's no way you've gained 2lbs of fat in such a short time. That would require 7,000 calories above your maintenance level, and that couldn't have happened at just 1600 calories a day.

As I and other posters in your other threads have pointed out, it's just water weight. I know it's scary, and it DOES go away eventually, but you have to stay consistent and make sure you're getting enough calories. And it's possible you still may not be getting enough calories to properly recover- that's why it's so important that you speak to a professional who can help you with a meal plan and get you the emotional support you need.

Thank you for your thoughtful reaponses .2 questions; 1. Am i eating too Much?
Question 2- do u think 5’5 and 11(5 llb is better or 5’5 130

Those are both questions for your treatment team, not for an online forum with strangers who do not know you personally.

PokeyBug · April 2018

saraclark62 wrote: »

Thank you for your thoughtful responses. 2 questions; 1. Am i eating too Much?
Question 2- do u think 5’5 and 11(5 llb is better or 5’5 130

For me, that would actually be too little food. My TDEE. with exercise (I walk 5K/5 days a week) is around 1900-2000 calories. (I'm just under 5'2".) Everyone has different needs, and even when you use a TDEE calculator, you have to tweak your recommendation to get it right for you. As for the right weight for you, there is no way anyone can know what a healthy weight for you is, especially with your medical history. We're not trying to be mean, but you've got to be really careful about taking advice from strangers on the web. Focus on eating good, healthy foods, throw your scale in the dumpster if you have to, and keep your focus on being healthy. Honestly, the best decision I've made thus far in my journey was deciding to stop weighing myself every day. Nowadays, I'm lucky if I remember to do it once a month, because I've realized that a number on the scale isn't important.

TavistockToad · April 2018

You need to get back in touch with your treatment team

ccsernica · April 2018

Holy kitten. I just added up that menu you provided, and it's only 984 calories! Did I miss something?

Breakfast:
1 cup Golean cereal (160 cal)    160
2 egg whites                      34
1 cup strawberries                 4
coffee w/ fat free cream          20
       Total                218

Snack:
1 1/2 cup of spaghetti squash     46
1 carrot                          25
        Total                71

Lunch:
Can of tuna (120 cal)            120
1 Greek yogurt (80 cal)           80
         Total              200

Dinner:
5 oz grilled chicken             234
1 medium summer squash (steamed)  37
1 medium zuchinni (steamed)       33
1 cup spaghetti squash            31
          Total             335

Snack:
1/2 Golean cereal (80 cal)        80
1 Greek Yogurt (80 cal)           80
           Total            160

Grand total                 984

That's actually higher than when I added it up the first time. This time I took higher calorie estimates to give you the benefit of the doubt. And I can see just by eyeballing it that you're getting next to no fat, which is something we need even if many of us overdo it. But you're absolutely NOT overdoing it! You aren't getting any 1600 calories; you're getting less than 1000 and are probably hurting yourself if you've been eating like this long-term.

Two pounds is nothing. My weight fluctuates by as much as 6 lbs over the course of a week even if I'm not trying to cut a little for the summer like I'm doing right now. Please, please follow the suggestions others have made and get in touch with your treatment team.

laura9503 · April 2018

As a former anorexia 'recoveree', I suggest we stop commenting on this thread. OP, from your responses and questions and my own experience in recovery, this is not the way to find out if your diet is okay. Please contact your treatment team and perhaps they can refer you to a dietician if that would help. A dietician who is specialised in people with a history of anorexia.

PAV8888 · April 2018

No. It is probably not enough food. Especially looking at the numbers posted above.

You are conflating normal weight fluctuations and body functions with fat gain. Not all weight changes are fat. Also I am not sure that it is commonly recommended that people should weight themselves during recovery.

By the way, how can it be valid to poll random internet people as to which target weight is appropriate for you? We each have our own ideas!

With a view to clinical objectivity, I have read of BMI 22 (130lbs in your case) as being considered a "weight restored" target for people recovering from anorexia, whereas I have not seen support for a sub 20 bmi (such as 19.2 =115lbs in your case) to be considered a "weight restored" position.

Historically BMI 20 used to be the bottom of the normal BMI range (with 19.9 being considered under-weight) and values between 18.5 and 19.99 were subsequently accepted as part of the normal BMI range primarily to accommodate oriental and/or vertically challenged females. 5ft 5" does not qualify as vertically challenged!

Your questions scream that you need to talk with the people who helped you out on your road to recovery. If such people do not exist, why not push for some professional help now? You mentioned you go to school and usually university and college campuses offer student health services where professionals can be accessed more readily than they will be later on in life. Please take advantage of the opportunity!

Is This too Much Food?

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