Worried about eating

p0sitiv3_vib3s
p0sitiv3_vib3s Posts: 78 Member
in Motivation and Support
So 8 weeks ago my husband left me, due to stress I've been unable to eat. I've had odd days where I have eaten and I've lost nearly 3 st (39lb), I still have weight to lose but I'm worried about hitting my calories and gaining weight. I'm pretty active and I know at this point my energy levels are dipping because I'm not eating much. Has anyone been in a similar position and has not gained weight once they've started to eat again?

Replies

  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Disordered eating is a slippery slope. Are you getting professional help for grief? Losing 5 lbs a week is not sustainable by a long shot and once you eat normally again you might gain.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    If you start eating normally again, of course you will gain weight. But only temporarily, from having a normal amount of food in your digestive tract again, and water from the increase in carbs. It's not fat, it's no good to starve yourself because you fear the number on the scale.
  • p0sitiv3_vib3s
    p0sitiv3_vib3s Posts: 78 Member
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    Disordered eating is a slippery slope. Are you getting professional help for grief? Losing 5 lbs a week is not sustainable by a long shot and once you eat normally again you might gain.

    Thank you, I'm on medication and talking to my friends but I've not told them about my eating because I'm embarrassed about and I also don't want them trying to push me to eat.
  • p0sitiv3_vib3s
    p0sitiv3_vib3s Posts: 78 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    If you start eating normally again, of course you will gain weight. But only temporarily, from having a normal amount of food in your digestive tract again, and water from the increase in carbs. It's not fat, it's no good to starve yourself because you fear the number on the scale.

    Thank you, it's a horrible mind set to be in I just feel like if I gain I'm failing again
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    Would it be an option to simply not weigh yourself for a few weeks, as you return to normal (moderate weight loss) eating? To avoid seeing scale go up? I mean, you know (rationally) that you need to eat more, there's just the 'irrational' part of you (that doesn't want the scale to increase) in the way?
  • Metalmealtracking
    Metalmealtracking Posts: 3 Member
    First of all, I'm sorry about your circumstances of your husband leaving. I can't imagine how hard that is right now. Second, I would echo other's sentiments on getting in Therapy. Focus on yourself and your worth. You are unique, and strong, and amazing! You will get through this and you have support!
  • pridesabtch
    pridesabtch Posts: 2,479 Member
    Therapy is a great place to start.

    I was in a similar situation years ago. I lost a lot of weight quickly due to somebody moving on without me. There came a day where I could face myself again, actually it took me seeing him with a new girl. I guess that was the closure I needed to move on. Anyway, I began eating again, I did put back on a few pounds like @Lietchi said, but that was just food, not fat. I kept most of the weight off for a year or two.

    Using MFP to make sure your calories are not too low & not too high should be a good guide for you. Good luck!
  • p0sitiv3_vib3s
    p0sitiv3_vib3s Posts: 78 Member
    pridesabtch wrote: »
    Therapy is a great place to start.

    I was in a similar situation years ago. I lost a lot of weight quickly due to somebody moving on without me. There came a day where I could face myself again, actually it took me seeing him with a new girl. I guess that was the closure I needed to move on. Anyway, I began eating again, I did put back on a few pounds like @Lietchi said, but that was just food, not fat. I kept most of the weight off for a year or two.

    Using MFP to make sure your calories are not too low & not too high should be a good guide for you. Good luck!

    Thank you this is helpful 🥰
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,744 Member
    Due to some stressful circumstances a few months ago, I unintentionally lost a few pounds. I was losing energy and knew I needed to eat more. I used that as a time to focus on the quality of food I was eating. I've always been low carb, high protein, but I started experimenting with new (to me) and different types of food. I'm almost back to normal, but mentally I FEEL better because I've increased the quality of my overall diet.

    Sorry for your situation. There is light at the end of the tunnel! Just keep moving forward and take care of yourself.

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