Anorexia recovery: Calorie suggestions?

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Replies

  • LuneBleu85
    LuneBleu85 Posts: 217
    I read a book once while housesitting years ago for a psychologist called "Life without ED", it was such a great book. I have never suffered with an eating disorder but in my teens I was scouted as a model and struggled to try to lose more weight (I am 6 feet tall and was 125lbs at this time), it didn't work but it left me with feelings of failure and disappointment in myself and my body. Reading the book inspired some much healthier habits in me.
    I hope you find good support here! I think that counting your calories (even if your goal is a healthy amount) could be dangerous in the recovery progress. That's just my opinion. Best wishes to you on your recovery :flowerforyou:
  • juliesummers
    juliesummers Posts: 738 Member
    bump to read later.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    What little advice I do have has already been said repeatidly in this thread so I just wanted to tell you that I understand how you feel. I know your struggles and I wanted to extend a sympathetic ***Virtual HUG*** to you because you need it. I really hope you either get help that works for you or learn to love yourself the way you are. 125 is tiny tiny tiny. Take care of yourself.
  • boggsmeister
    boggsmeister Posts: 292 Member
    Just a thought. Maybe you could change your goal to gaining muscle weight. It may be that a completely different mind set is really what you need.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    I use to eat 500 to 1000 calories a day and some body builders eat about 800 calories a day to shred the last few ounces of body fat that they have. Obviously, low calorie diets are meant to be temporary. The general rule when you want to up your calories from a VLC-diet is to add about 100 calories per day until your body is use to it. So basically, add an extra 100 calories for a few days and then after those 3 days add another 100 calories to your diet. When adding calories, choose protein over carbs to help build and maintain muscle mass. Try it with all All whites, egg whites, since it's much easier to count the protein and fat content in them.
  • veggieshark
    veggieshark Posts: 153 Member
    Gah, thank you all so much for being so supportive and helpful. I do think I can do this. I may return and seek help from a professional if I can and I'll definitely be trying to balance a higher calorie intake with good exercise, cardio, and strength training. I don't want it to be about the numbers anymore. I want good body image and health.

    Thank you all for the wishes. :blushing:
  • veggieshark
    veggieshark Posts: 153 Member
    I use to eat 500 to 1000 calories a day and some body builders eat about 800 calories a day to shred the last few ounces of body fat that they have. Obviously, low calorie diets are meant to be temporary. The general rule when you want to up your calories from a VLC-diet is to add about 100 calories per day until your body is use to it. So basically, add an extra 100 calories for a few days and then after those 3 days add another 100 calories to your diet. When adding calories, choose protein over carbs to help build and maintain muscle mass. Try it with all All whites, egg whites, since it's much easier to count the protein and fat content in them.
    I totally agree with the adding calories every certain amount of days. I'm hoping someday I can work my way up to 1500 or so totally comfortably.
    I'm going to get some sleep now, I haven't slept properly in a week, thank you all again!
    Feel free to add me.
  • angielautenbach
    angielautenbach Posts: 119 Member
    Everything I was going to say has already been said. I think that if you are detemined to do this on your own you can. People recover from drug addictions by themselves when they want to. My personal opinion would be to strength train and keep you calories at a min. of 1200 a day. Strength training will get rid of your "flabby belly". I wish you the best of luck. Dont give up, you are worth it.
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
    First off, it makes me glad to see someone who seems genuine in her quest to recovery! Congrats :)
    As others have stated, we are not professionals and it would be very beneficial to you to see a nutritionist and therapist in order to keep on the right track and know how many calories you need. If you don't have insurance and can't see a nutritionist, there are therapy centers that provide therapy (even ED specific) and base what they charge off of what you can pay. You can sometimes end up getting free therapy.

    And although this is probably a long ways away, lifting weights will make you leaner and appear thinner but still allow you to be at a healthy weight. When you get to that point, I highly recommend it.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    First of all, congratulations on caring about your health. That is a BIG step. Have you figured out why you are anorexic? That is an important part of recovery. YOU are worth it, please get help with this. It's too hard to do it alone and stay healthy.
    Recovered anorexic here, 23 years now. :) I finally decided to get help when I started having chest pains after eating as little as 300 calories a day for weeks. I had 2 little girls that I didn't want to leave behind. Because I had no control over things that happened/were happening in my life, I wanted to be in control of something, anything.. so when I started losing weight it made me want to lose more. I felt like I was in control but I wasn't.

    What I would suggest, like many others, is to see a nutritionist and TRUST them when they tell you how many calories you should have. Most health departments have one on staff that will help you for free.
    Eat at least your minimum calories, set honestly by you and MFP, and eat as many of your exercise calories as you can. I know it's hard but your body needs the minimum of 1200 calories to stay ALIVE. The extras from exercise will help you build muscle as you're working out and you'll get that 'toned' look that you want. And you know that when you're anorexic you have no muscle because you have starved yourself.
    Please please get help. You are worth it and you'll be happier after you know why you're doing it and have a different way to cope.
    Also, I'd like to add, calculate what you 'should' weigh and go for the bottom number at first. For example, if for your height you should be 130-160lbs, aim for the 130 to be healthy. You shouldn't be below that number.
    Good luck. <hugs>
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    And if you think you need to seek help. Seek a dietitian or a nutritionist, not a high school counselor. They won't know anything about how to eat right.
  • najla56
    najla56 Posts: 195 Member
    I dont have anything to add, but congrats on deciding to recover from anorexia:) good luck:)
  • wish21
    wish21 Posts: 602 Member
    My advice to is that you start from the root of the problem. What went through your mind when you first started starvign yourself? Was it hurtful comments, overweight youth, or maybe attention. Address that problem first. It's all in your mind about the way you look. From your profile pic you are a beautiful girl!! Tell yourself that no matter what the scale says. I suggest eating at maintence and strenght train. Good luck
  • patriot201
    patriot201 Posts: 117 Member
    So I'm 5'9" and trying to recover from anorexia WITHOUT the ridiculous weight gaining. I've already gone from about 117lb to about 125lb and I refuse to gain any more. I got there by starting out with a healthy 1200 calories/day followed by a few binges and now I just don't look good. I want to start losing weight again but not to an extreme and I want to do it the healthy way where the pounds stay off.
    I'm now eating between 900-1200 calories per day just because my metabolism is fragile and all and I want any calorie increases past that to be very, very slow so that I can lose some of this new weight.
    I'd say I'm lightly active. I bike and walk every single day and I usually burn between 50 and 350 calories per day just by doing what I do. How high do you think I should raise my calories? Now please be sensitive to the fact that raising them too high and continuing to gain weight will probably make me have a heart attack and relapse within days of that. So please try and help me... I'm trying so hard.

    I am your height, approximately your weight, and am also recovering from anorexia for the third time in my life. I completely understand where you are coming from. Completely. ((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))

    That being said...

    You need to see a dietician and a therapist who both specialize in treatment of eating disorders. At your current weight, you are still underweight, so weight loss shouldn't be the goal right now, especially not if you do plan to recover. A starving brain cannot recover.
  • libby328
    libby328 Posts: 287 Member
    I do know what you are going through, I have been fighting anorexia since I was 14. The last time u had a severe set back was in 2007 I went from 128 to 102 in a matter of weeks! After I started slowly putting weight back on I was laying down and my heart started skipping... 10 times in 30 seconds I went into the er after this continued for 30 minutes, it felt like I had ran a marathon
    ! I couldn't seem to catch my breath! They did sooo many test and found out my heart was swelling and retaining fluid around it! Put me on meds and sent me home well since then I have been to the clinic 37 times! I now suffer from extreme and very painful stabbing pains in my heart! I was sitting at work and my arm went numb I was blurry eyed and my heart was hurting so bad I couldn't do anything but sob to the 911 lady! I was told if my weight ever drops that quickly ever again it could kill me! Now I was never bone thin but my weight was dropped so quickly it damaged my heart in such a way where I will forever have these horrible pains that knock me over for the rest of my life! Sweetie I am 27 years old with 2 babies! Trust me your dad would rather spend the money to get you help then bury his girl! Stay strong hun you are not alone!
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
    This is your long-term health we're talking about here; it's not a waste of anyone's money. Heck, if I had the money for it myself, I'd offer to pay for you, deadset! It's very important that you have proper educated ongoing post-anorexia care, as even now there is a psychological side to your journey as well as the physical one.
    It's just that my dad's going through a divorce right now and is paying for so, so much. That's very sweet of you to say. I've had a psychologist in the past when I was at one of my peaks of anorexia but she refused to work with me anymore because I refused help...
    it seems like you are putting up excuses to get real help. Anorexia is a disease that is affecting your health--
    GET PROFESSIONAL HELP!
  • jenj1313
    jenj1313 Posts: 898 Member
    This is your long-term health we're talking about here; it's not a waste of anyone's money. Heck, if I had the money for it myself, I'd offer to pay for you, deadset! It's very important that you have proper educated ongoing post-anorexia care, as even now there is a psychological side to your journey as well as the physical one.
    It's just that my dad's going through a divorce right now and is paying for so, so much. That's very sweet of you to say. I've had a psychologist in the past when I was at one of my peaks of anorexia but she refused to work with me anymore because I refused help...

    I know, I know, but this is one of those things that's just too important to feel guilty over. It's also not your fault you've gotten unwell and need some extra help. It doesn't have to be a psychologist, at this point a dietician with some background in anorexia recovery might be even more helpful. Are you in a position to work at the moment? If it makes you feel better, maybe you can just get a "loan" from your dad and pay him back as you're able to.
    I actually believe my school has a free counselor who specializes in self-harm and eating disorders (I'm trying to recover from both). I'd made an appointment to start seeing her but then I decided I wanted to recover on my own so I figured I'd better not waste her time when I'd figured out what I wanted to do. :/

    Sure you've figured out what to do, but since you're asking us HOW to do it, seems like you still need some guidance. A counselor can help with that too.

    You are worth other people's time. Please don't sell yourself short. We all mean well, but you need professional help. Put yourself first on this one. Please.
  • carissaharkins
    carissaharkins Posts: 48 Member
    This is your long-term health we're talking about here; it's not a waste of anyone's money. Heck, if I had the money for it myself, I'd offer to pay for you, deadset! It's very important that you have proper educated ongoing post-anorexia care, as even now there is a psychological side to your journey as well as the physical one.

    ditto
  • stopdropandstay
    stopdropandstay Posts: 16 Member
    My guess is that you might well be the correct weight, but you feel "flabby" because you lost a ton of muscle during your anorexia phase. (125 pounds is very slender for 5'9")

    If you feel you have to go it alone, get into weight training. Set your calories to maintain. Your ideal would be to stay the same weight but have smaller measurements (less belly, for instance).

    Be very, very cautious about actually losing weight, since you know you have a problem with that.

    Best of luck!
    Yes, I never really had a problem with this number. I've been here before and I'm sure I looked better at it last time, probably because I still had a bit of muscle back then. Toning is probably my best route. I just don't trust what this website says is my maintaining weight because surely my BMR has gone down quite a bit after starving for so long.
    there's actually a lot of ways to calculate your BMR. Actually, I only know 2 ways.. 1 is like.. miffin something? and the other is something that starts with an H. (harris benedict)
    Here, I went to this site to really help me out with the numbers

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/personalized/

    English BMR Formula
    Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )


    also, I'm not gonna lie, I think FITDAY.com has a much better exercise tracker than myfitnesspal. But I know it's a hassle to maintain 2 sites, which is why I'm sticking to this one now.
    I've never personally dealt with anorexia before, but boy, do I know what it's like to see those numbers go up. It drives me nuts...

    this link here, I find to be reeeeeeealllllly helpful!! (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/treatment/underweight-treatment.php)
    It seems to understand that you don't want to gain weight through fat. It's got a few tips, and all.
    Personally, I believe you should do a combination of aerobic, and strength training.
    (so like, do some cardio, and some strength/resistance training) Circuit training is worth a shot. That way, you'll lose visceral fat (the fat inside you - surrounding all of your organs)
    Drink lots of milk, and eat apples -those help you lose weight, but they also seem healthy. Just make sure you don't live on it is all, ahah. Get loooooads of water in you too.
    If you feel really "flabby", try toning up. I've been really trying hard to focus on my abs lately, and that has helped me cope with the weight gain and all..... :\
    Try youtubing:
    toneitup (THE BEST FITNESS THING EVER)
    blogilates
    daveywavey
    & tiffanyrotheworkouts

    You want to tone yourself, not make yourself all muscular, and stuff, so make sure you follow some of these things:
    note: I am NOT AT ALL a professional, so yeah... warning.
    -Eat something a few hours before you workout. I think meat takes 3 hours to convert into energy, and carbs take 2? I'm not sure... look up blogilate's what to eat before & after a workout. That' jam packed full of reallllly important information.

    -Make sure you REST 48 - 72 HOURS after your workouts before you start again.
    If you don't, your muscles will become really... bulky and stuff. There's a condition for that.. it starts with an H... but it's bad..

    -When you workout, and uhmm say your doing v sits. Make sure you breathe in when you go down, and out when you go up. You want to breathe in when you're doing the "hardest part" of the exercise. If you do something like bicycle crunches, just breathe normally.

    -To tone up, rather than bulk up, you want to do more reps than weights.

    - Do short bursts of high intensity workouts, and then moderate intensity after. Like, 50 seconds of sprinting or something.
    Try the Tabata Protocol! It's when you do 20 seconds of moderate - intense exercises, and rest for 10 seconds.. and you do this for 4 minutes. Here's a really cool workout that involves that. http://www.freeworkoutsguide.com/fatburningcardio.html

    -Honestly, to make your workout effective, and not hit your workout peak, you need to start out by doing sets many times in your first week. Then, gradually lessen the amount, but add the intensity.. Here, let me try to find the article on that too. (okay, I can't find it... ): )

    -eat lots of MUFAs :)
    http://www.prevention.com/pdf/eattobeatbellyfat_goguide.pdf
    http://www.prevention.com/pdf/flat-belly-diet-meal-chart.pdf

    - go to leansecrets.com (you can get the book online for free. it's on the site)
    -prevention.ca
    -eatbetteramerica.com
    http://www.divine.ca/en/fitness-and-nutrition/exercise-finder/c_266/ (WORKOUT HEAVEN)
    http://www.prevention.com/fitness/strength-training/secrets-flat-belly-easy-ways-flatten-abs?page=2
    http://www.prevention.com/fitness/strength-training/build-strong-core-martina-navratilova
    http://www.prevention.com/fitness/strength-training/ab-exercises-best-ab-workouts-flatten-your-belly
    http://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/news/beach-body-fast-2
    http://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/advice/sexy-abs?click=rel
    http://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/news/sexy-strong-abs?click=rel

    yeah.. it's a lot of links..
    I know, it's a lot of info, but that's just me trying to cram 3 months of obsessive fitness bookmarking into one small reply... That's like.. 1/8th of my bookmarks. Oh god, I need help.. ahah.

    Anyhow, I really don't know what else to say. I hope this goes well for you. Geeze, you're absolutely beautiful. I know it sucks right now, but you WILL get over this. I honestly believe you will. You're amazing, so don't ever doubt yourself now! :)
  • FlynnMacCallister
    FlynnMacCallister Posts: 172 Member
    Gah, thank you all so much for being so supportive and helpful. I do think I can do this. I may return and seek help from a professional if I can and I'll definitely be trying to balance a higher calorie intake with good exercise, cardio, and strength training. I don't want it to be about the numbers anymore. I want good body image and health.

    Thank you all for the wishes. :blushing:

    Just be careful... to be totally honest, the reason I'm pushing the idea of getting professional suport so much is because I had a friend who got to the point you're at, then relapsed hard, without even realising, and landed in the back of an ambulance having a heart attack from exercising too hard with too little energy. At least find a non-anorexic friend to buddy up with to keep an eye on you and trust their judgement if they say they think you'ge going overboard. My friend honestly thought she was improving all this time, but she was completely unaware that her perception of her own body was still off, and getting worse again. Being in a high-risk group (white, wealthy young female... you know how it is! ;p ) I've seen and supported a few friends though eating disorders, and as a result I really, really believe in just having a professional to at least check in with to make sure you're still on track and you're brain's not tricking you without you realising.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    I'm not your parent. But if I were, I would really, much prefer to shell out whatever money was necessary to make sure you had the counselling you needed than to have you 'not worry' me.

    What everyone else has said about gradually increasing your calories is spot on, and doing some weight training would help. Unless you're eating at a caloric surplus over a period of time, you're not really going to see big muscles.
  • celeste_xo
    celeste_xo Posts: 88
    I'm with everyone who recommends professional help. A good friend of mine is anorexic and has been for about 7 years. She was recovering really well about 3 years ago, then sort of started doing the same thing you want to - lose a little weight because she didn't like the way she looked after her recovery. Well, wanting to lose 2 pounds turned into losing 30 and she went from 120 down to 90 pounds and (we later found out) was barely eating anything besides soup. She's back recovering again, but I know it's a hard journey. As an anorexic person, it's easy to go from only wanting to lose a couple pounds to slipping back into your old ways and after one recovery I'm sure you don't want to have to go through that again. My friend ended up putting her energy into doing weight training, so that instead of feeling flabby she felt healthy - and it's been a really great outlet for her. She still has her bad days, but she's gotten so much better overall and I think this is something you should probably ask your doctor about as well. I know no two people are the same, but I'm sure it can't hurt. Good luck with your journey :)

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