After anorexia-help!

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mollsmachine
mollsmachine Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,
I appreciate any advice. About a year ago I was diagnosed with anorexia and went through hospitalization. After I got out I immediately started restricting again, and I guess I was at a hovering point with my calories because I started to struggle with bingeing and purging. So it was this cycle.. And now I'm finally trying to eat at least 1200 calories and I eat very healthily.. And I've been excercising regularly... There was a time when my weight would stay at like 110-115 which is where I'd like to be but my weight keeps going up and up!! Now I'm at 150!!! Is it my metabolism?? What am I doing wrong? I'm so depressed..

Thank you..

Replies

  • Xylena88
    Xylena88 Posts: 12 Member
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    I am so happy to hear your getting healthy! One reason you might be gaining weight is because your body is getting used to having food. Your body was so used to not having anything that now its in storage mode. It's normal to experience weight gain for a while until you get healthy. Once your body realizes it no longer needs to store all your calories you will begin to even out. Don't get discourage and continue on the path your on! Don't worry too much on a specific number. Just keep eating the right things and you will be healthy! I wish the best of luck! *hugs*
  • wheezybreezy
    wheezybreezy Posts: 315 Member
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    I agree with above comment. Your body is just getting used to eating again. Many people on here have posted about having to decrease and decrease calorie levels in order to continue losing weight. This is because their bodies are starving! You are doing so wonderful. Continue on eating good food to fuel your body and your weight will even out. Your metabolism needs time to readjust. Believe in yourself and in your body :)
  • theoriginaljayne
    theoriginaljayne Posts: 562 Member
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    I think that weight gain after anorexia is pretty common. After recovery, I was nearly twenty pounds above my pre-ED weight.

    Losing weight after recovering from an eating disorder is very tricky, because it's such a slippery slope. Your body really doesn't want to lose weight at the moment. Fat storage is a natural biological response to famine, and this is your body's way of trying to avoid another period of starvation. Your metabolism would have slowed while you were restricting your calories, and it will take a while for it to pick back up again. All of this means that when you lose weight, you're fighting against your body, and it's tempting to resort to drastic and unhealthy measures just to see results.

    I'm not saying that healthy weight loss is impossible, because you can do it – It will just take a lot of time and twice as much patience. Just for an example – I maintained my post-recovery weight for about two years, and since then it's taken me about six months to lose and keep off ten pounds.

    Right now, you just need to give your body time to adjust. You're doing a really, really good job right now. Keep on eating well and exercising regularly, and stay off of the scale for a few weeks or months. You can worry about your weight later; right now, focus on being healthy and strong. Eventually, eating will feel just a little more natural. Your metabolism will increase, your body will adjust, and all of the crazy weight gain and weird food cravings and mood swings and everything that goes along with recovery will calm down. Until then, I know it's hard, but you need to ignore that number on the scale.

    I'm really proud of you for committing to recovery. That takes serious guts and determination. You are strong. Never forget that.
  • littlemili
    littlemili Posts: 625 Member
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    I gained 13lb in 3 weeks when I returned to a normal intake after starving myself, it stabilised though and yours will too once you find the right number of calories. Also bodies are weird. I was gaining on 1000-1300 calories, now I'm eating more like 2500 and maintaining/losing. Maybe you're experiencing a similar thing. I would recommend you see a qualified dietitian because your caress is unusual and to be honest none of us are in a position to give you good medical advice. Congratulations on turning things around :)
  • mollsmachine
    mollsmachine Posts: 5
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    Thank you all so much, guess I'm just frustrated because I thought over a year later and I would be able to at least maintain a weight instead of keep gaining..but I'll try and ignore the number and just focus on healthy behaviors..

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