Struggling to lose weight after a history of disordered eating (content warning)
Hello, I am a 20 y/o female, 155cm/5'1, 53.5kg/118lbs.
I suffered from anorexia when I was 16 to just under 18, and weighed about 90-100lbs. I have since well recovered but often find myself eating unhealthily and emotionally, and now I am close to 120lbs. I am aware this is a healthy weight but I would like to lose some of the fat I have gained, maybe 5-10lbs. I have started to workout 3-4 times per week with both cardio and strength training 45min-1h each session, but still feel hungry after eating 1800-2000 calories which is above what I need for weight loss, possibly because of my smaller frame.
I can't stand even the minor discomfort of being slightly hungry, or not having a treat, with how restrictive I used to be. I also struggle to do anymore exercise than I already do due to university and getting out of breath/tired very easily.
Does anyone have any tips?
Thank you so much!
Best Answer
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do not forget that you do move around and work out more and that requires more food.
I am in the same boat and made the mistake of dropping a lot of carbs whilst working out a lot. Lost a lot of weight (which was necessary, because I was over a 100 kg) but then I did not need to lose that much anymore and I stopped losing weight and I kept eating less. Not a good idea, because I kept working out a lot. Now I have psychological help and I am eating a lot more again and my weight is good now. One day a bit more and one day a bit less. It stays stabil, but because I eat more carbs I am feeling a lot better and stronger in my head.
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Answers
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I am in the same boat so I can sympathize. I am not sure of your particular diet but I find that if I eat mostly meat & veggies I feel fuller and more satisfied. If you feel like you need a snack try to go for low carb/low cal snacks. For us who have previously disordered eating, a lot of it is in our head. Something that never goes away. I am proud of you for taking the proper steps to recovery!
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As you say, you are at a healthy weight, so what's your reasoning for wanting to lose fat? Is it for aesthetic reasons, because you don't like the way your body looks? Or how it feels? Have you discussed this with your medical team to make sure it's a safe strategy for you?
Firstly I think the amount of exercise you are doing is contributing to more hunger. Because you are exercising fairly often and for a long time at each session, you are going to feel more hungry because your body wants to refuel after exercise. Especially if you were not doing that much exercise before, there's a lot of adaptations your body makes as a result of exercising and that takes energy. Eating sufficient protein (say, 80-100g per day), fiber, and drinking enough water can help because it will keep you feeling fuller longer.
If I may, I might suggest you try to increase your muscle mass or follow a recomposition strategy (eating at maintenance to stay the same weight while losing fat and increasing muscle), rather than simple fat loss, because of the following reasons:
- At your height and weight you likely don't have that much fat to lose, and you may lose muscle by trying to lose weight.
- Increased muscle mass is going to give you a "leaner" look by putting some structure under your skin, so you won't look "bulky" or soft, but fit and healthy.
- Increased muscle mass will increase your maintenance calories slightly, allowing you to eat a bit more and not gain fat.
- It will most likely make you feel stronger, more confident and most importantly, resistance training helps to increase bone density which could have taken a hit from restrictive dieting.
I'm not a professional or anything, just a nerd who likes to read about this stuff.
Sources:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-basics-of-body-recomposition-how-to-lose-fat-gain-muscle-at-the-same-time/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6566799/
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To be honest, you're playing with fire, and for 5-10 pounds, I would strongly encourage you to consider if it's worth it. I would just focus on eating reasonably and listening to your hunger cues. Losing a few pounds really isn't worth potentially reigniting a very serious ed.
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I agree with others, that there's a slippery slope here given your history, and that it would be a good idea to talk with your treatment team, even if that means getting back in touch with them after having disconnected.
Several things I think are true and relevant, beyond that:
- Someone at your current weight should not try to lose fast . . . in fact, should try to lose very, very slowly if at all. That would take a long time to show up on the scale, but be more health promoting.
- I wouldn't assume you won't lose weight on 1800-2000 calories, as a busy college student doing that much exercise, even if you're petite. Maybe, maybe not. Try it for two months or so, see what happens. (I'm only slightly taller and heavier than you are, at 5'5" and 132 pounds, and a very similar BMI, 22-point-something. I'm around 3 times your age, at 70. I'd lose weight - admittedly slowly - on 1800-2000 calories gross intake, and I'm sedentary outside of intentional exercise. I admit I'm mysteriously a good li'l ol' calorie burner, but only your own track record tells you if calorie calculator values or even fitness tracker estimates are accurate for you or not.)
- I endorse a PP's comment that eating mostly things like meat, fish, veggies, fruits and whole grains is likely to be more filling, though it's fine to include treats in moderate amounts. I'd add that timing of snacks/meals, IME, can make a big difference in both satiety and energy level, in the mix with workouts. There have been times when I did better replenishing carbs during/between workouts, or having some protein soon after (the latter for satiety, not because of illusions about muscle protein synthesis). Maybe try some experiments. (None of that will compensate for significantly under-eating for current needs, BTW.)
- As a PP said, working on body composition is probably more beneficial to appearance goals than losing bodyfat, at BMI 22-point-whatever. That's extra true since you're in an ideal age range to build muscle most effectively, and set yourself up better for lifelong thriving. (I wish I'd done that.)
- You say "I also struggle to do anymore exercise than I already do due to university and getting out of breath/tired very easily." That suggests to me that you've increased total exercise load too quickly for your current fitness level. I'd recommend backing exercise off, and re-adding gradually. I don't know what cardio you're doing with your strength training, but if it's high intensity right off the start . . . stop it. Build base fitness with lower intensity work first - exclusively lower intensity for a while if new to regular cardiovascular exercise. There's way too much nonsense in the influencer/blogosphere realm these days telling people to do HIIT all the time. That is not the best way to build fitness or a foundation for optimal health.
But mostly: Talk to your treatment team. For sure, don't overdo calorie deficit or total exercise load.
Best wishes!
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Thank you so much
Thank you everyone for your answers and kindness, it's been very useful! I think I might try eating at maintenance (I live in a hilly/walkable city so get a decent number of steps in) and focus on gaining muscle and strength and cardiovascular fitness, and not focus too much on the weight.
My only other concern about it was in my family there's a risk of diabetes, heart disease and naturally high cholesterol, which was another main reason for wanting to lose fat (and I am of South Asian ethnicity). I will chat to my healthcare team more, but this was very insightful!
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