need help rebuilding my metabolism

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mklanyatl
mklanyatl Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone. Very happy to have found this site.

I have pretty much battled bulimia for almost 20 years (I'm 34 now) and finally I just got tired of living this way and have vowed to recover once and for all.

I've started exercising 3-4 times a week (usually a brisk walk on the treadmill for 30-60 minutes a couple times a week) and doing a little strength training (also 3-4 times a week)

For years, I have probably existed on less than 1000 calories a day (on days I would consume more than that, I would purge, so I could keep my caloric intake under 1000)

Of course my metabolism is super slow and now that I am trying to eat normally/healthy (lots of veggies, fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, fiber etc) and exercising (normally being eating between 1200 - 1500 a day) the weight just seems to be creeping on which is making me want to stop what I am doing and go back to my restrictive ways and eat less than 1000 a day

Please help: any advice would be welcome. How can I increase my caloric intake without my weight climbing so fast! I'm not under weight at the moment (5'7 approx 115 lbs) and honestly - I have never cared about the number on the scale....I would be happy to be fit and toned and weigh 20 lbs more but all I'm seeing is 'fat' gain

Replies

  • mklanyatl
    mklanyatl Posts: 3
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    anyone?
  • Ttrun219
    Ttrun219 Posts: 4 Member
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    Hi Mklanyatl and welcome!

    I’ve never had to deal with trying to gain weight, but my first suggestion would be to get an exercise and diet program from your doctor or a qualified nutritionist. Personally, I would think you should be doing less cardio and more strength and resistance training since more muscle mass will help increase metabolism and also gain muscle weight. Since you are trying to increase your metabolism, you should probably spread your calories out by eating six times a day, just like those who are trying to lose weight. You should also add a good Whey Protein to your diet to assist in muscle growth. You will need to monitor your weight closely because as your metabolism increases you will obviously need to increase your calorie intake. Good luck to you! – Feel free to add me if you like.
  • loufranks
    loufranks Posts: 45
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    I'd love to be able to help you but I'm afraid that other than recommending to build muscle (which would boost your metabolism) I can't really offer much. I have struggled with binge eating and some bulimic tendencies over the last 10 years but luckily I don't think I've completely wrecked my metabolism - although I think it's fair to say it's not great!

    Best of luck though, I really hope you find something that works for you.
  • Zenny7861
    Zenny7861 Posts: 4
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    Hi MKLANYATL

    I also agree with Ttrun, it would also help if you made sure you are having breakfast as this will give you energy during the day and get your motabalism starting early.
  • stephs0214
    stephs0214 Posts: 269 Member
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    Hi Mklanyatl and welcome!

    I’ve never had to deal with trying to gain weight, but my first suggestion would be to get an exercise and diet program from your doctor or a qualified nutritionist. Personally, I would think you should be doing less cardio and more strength and resistance training since more muscle mass will help increase metabolism and also gain muscle weight. Since you are trying to increase your metabolism, you should probably spread your calories out by eating six times a day, just like those who are trying to lose weight. You should also add a good Whey Protein to your diet to assist in muscle growth. You will need to monitor your weight closely because as your metabolism increases you will obviously need to increase your calorie intake. Good luck to you! – Feel free to add me if you like.

    I agree with this ^^^. I battled anorexia for 6 years. I ruined my metabolism and pretty much every muscle that was on my body. I got to the pt where any little thing I ate caused weight gain, and like you, I didn't want to live like that anymore. Everyone has different experiences, but mine wasn't a quick fix. It probably took a good year for my metabolism to jump start and get back to normal, but then again, it took 6 years to ruin. I added strength training to my work outs and today, I can eat 1200-1800 cals now and not gain a lb. I actually continue to lose. Of course, I still work out diligently, but that is something I'll never end. It's been 4 years now and I still deal with binges from time to time, but I no longer freak out if I gain a lb or two because I know I can lose it with help from this site.

    My other advice would to end your relationship with the scale right now. I ignored the scale in the beginning because I had noticed clothes were fitting tighter when I started the "recovery", but I kept thinking I did not want to go back to what I was doing. After a few months, I began to monitor my weight and increased cals as needed. Finally, after 3 months, the weight started coming off for me. Just don't give up!
  • jsj024519
    jsj024519 Posts: 400 Member
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    Exercise. Do cardio for at least 30 to 45 minutes per day; four to five times per week. Eat small meals every two to three hours.
    I would suggest you look into the zig-zag calorie plan. It has worked for me.

    Best of luck.
  • oneida_russet
    oneida_russet Posts: 26 Member
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    Hi, I would recommend checking out the group - EM2WL: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    There are threads available to read on repairing metabolism: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/discussion/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
  • Buckrussell
    Buckrussell Posts: 16
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    And I'm guessing that if you're gaining weight, it's not fat. You're probably toning up your legs by walking on the treadmill and the weight gain is muscle mass....a good thing! Now that your muscles are getting nutrition they are growing. Keep eating and keep exercising!
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
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    Hi Mklanyatl and welcome!

    I’ve never had to deal with trying to gain weight, but my first suggestion would be to get an exercise and diet program from your doctor or a qualified nutritionist. Personally, I would think you should be doing less cardio and more strength and resistance training since more muscle mass will help increase metabolism and also gain muscle weight. Since you are trying to increase your metabolism, you should probably spread your calories out by eating six times a day, just like those who are trying to lose weight. You should also add a good Whey Protein to your diet to assist in muscle growth. You will need to monitor your weight closely because as your metabolism increases you will obviously need to increase your calorie intake. Good luck to you! – Feel free to add me if you like.

    She said exactly what I was gonna say! I just finished ChaLEAN Extreme and my metabolism is in overdrive b/c I've added muscle and since I'm 39 yrs old that's my focus now. Also, with your ED I would strongly recommend getting professional help because the reasons for your ED have little to do with your weight, appearance, etc and is a symptom of an underlying bigger problem. And since you've done so much damage to your metabolism and digestive system I would def recommend seeing a nutritionist who specializes in EDs. Add me if you need support but if I tell you to eat and hold down more in your food diary, don't resent it. I care enough to tell it like it is lol
  • twyble4673
    twyble4673 Posts: 4 Member
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    hello,
    as said previously, best way is to build muscle but there are some foods that have been proven to help speed up metabolism a bit. Can't hurt to try..right? here's a short list I found: Hot peppers, oatmeal, brown rice, broccoli, green tea, apples, pears, spices, citrus fruit and calcium.
  • emisu2
    emisu2 Posts: 53 Member
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    Try low-carb.
  • mklanyatl
    mklanyatl Posts: 3
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    thank you all so much for the motivating words and advice. I am definitely focused on building muscle and I have been eating small protein-rich meals every few hours. Muscle building does seem to be the key.
    Also - in response to one of the posters regarding seeking therapy: just wanted to assure you that yes, of course that is part of my recovery. I've had periods of recovery over the years but I never was able to develop good eating habits.....instead of binging/purging I just switched to cutting my caloric intake. Also appreciated the tip about getting rid of the scale. I never used to use the scale at all (I just went by how my clothes felt/looked) but when my clothes started getting tighter, suddenly I panicked about how much weight I was gaining. Even though I'm healthier and am getting a little bit toner, it's really discouraging when your clothes don't fit /feel tighter.

    Anyway - A big thank you for the encouraging words, advice, links to helpful sites etc. This can be a lonely journey but It helps to know there are people that care. I wish you each success with your journey and I'll keep you posted on mine!

    Happy to have found this site!
  • stephs0214
    stephs0214 Posts: 269 Member
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    thank you all so much for the motivating words and advice. I am definitely focused on building muscle and I have been eating small protein-rich meals every few hours. Muscle building does seem to be the key.
    Also - in response to one of the posters regarding seeking therapy: just wanted to assure you that yes, of course that is part of my recovery. I've had periods of recovery over the years but I never was able to develop good eating habits.....instead of binging/purging I just switched to cutting my caloric intake. Also appreciated the tip about getting rid of the scale. I never used to use the scale at all (I just went by how my clothes felt/looked) but when my clothes started getting tighter, suddenly I panicked about how much weight I was gaining. Even though I'm healthier and am getting a little bit toner, it's really discouraging when your clothes don't fit /feel tighter.

    Anyway - A big thank you for the encouraging words, advice, links to helpful sites etc. This can be a lonely journey but It helps to know there are people that care. I wish you each success with your journey and I'll keep you posted on mine!

    Happy to have found this site!

    I wish you all the best!! I know how scary this is especially when you want to go back to those bad habits. It's a slow recovery process and you may feel your clothes are getting tighter and freak out (I was there), but just stick with it because your health is so much more important than a size 0, 2, or 4. I promise you can get your metabolism back to normal as long as you don't give up. :flowerforyou:

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