So Im also a recovering anorexic (and basically getting nowhere...Ive only gained about 4 lbs. and so right now im 5'0 and about 80 lbs.) and my parents both want me to gain weight. I myself am struggling with the concept of gaining, but obviously it is for the best. My parents keep telling me to just buy cookies, cakes and ice cream. I mean they understand I want to gain healthily and will let me eat my fruits, veggies, nuts/nut butters, and lean meats. The thing is my mom wants me to be completely sedentary while my dad keeps telling me I need to get out and go jogging. Should I really be worried about getting in shape now. He's making me feel fat again which is leading me to really want to restrict especially if I do go for the ice cream. I know my parents are there for me and support me, but should I go jog or juand strength train or is it too early and I should just ignore them?
Oh dear. Get your parents together in a room and talk this out. It sounds like your mum needs to hear your dad and your dad needs to hear your mum. At 5'0 and 80lbs, however, your BMI is 15.6 - WAY too low. You shouldn't really be exercising at all, and if you do should only be doing light strength training.
hi hun...sorry about the situation ur in :( its hard when ur rents think gaining has to be all about eatin unhealthy junk foods..but im sure if u start eatin healthy energy dense stuff like nuts an start gainin theyll see the preogress ur making an leave the junk food thing alone. an my dad is always sayin to me how good excersise is ( like walkin tho he says no joggin) for my mind aswell..like he encourages me to go on walks to clear my mind an for energy an cause its good for the bones etc an sometimes i feel like hes sayin im fat but i know hes only sayin it cause he wants me to find a healthy balance now. im also very underweight an tryin to gain/recover from anorexia. mayb if u sit ur parents down an talk to them an let them know how theyre making you feel?
x
Walking is good for your digestive system and will help you absorb food better, as well as it is good for your mind and your muscles as well. But only if you make sure you know how many calories you've burned off walking and then replace those calories as soon as possible, or you will be counter-acting your efforts at gaining. And don't get fanatical about walking either - you don't need to power walk and work up a sweat and keep going until you feel sick. Just gentle walking, short distances, and as soon as you feel like you need to stop, then do so. Don't push yourself.
But jogging, in your present condition? No. Your heart probably isn't in the best condition right now and spiking your heart rate could be dangerous. Also, your bones might be brittle and jogging could cause stress fractures. Any serious exercises can be damaging when ones muscles are in a state of severe atrophy. Remember - gentle, gentle, gentle. And jogging is probably far too much of a calorie burner right now.
Are you under the care of doctors, nutritionists, anybody? If they're familiar with ED, they should be able to tell you which exercises are healthy and not healthy for your recovery right now. And if they tell you NO exercise, listen.
Your Dad most likely does not think you're fat, he just doesn't have ED and isn't in the low physical state you are in right now, so he is thinking from a healthy person's perspective on exercise - it's drilled into everyone that exercise is healthy and necessary, the more the better. This may be true if you are healthy physically and at a good BMI, but right now what is light/moderate exercise for a healthy person could be detrimental to you right now. He's just trying to make sure that you're doing healthy things, because he wants you to be healthy, but he needs to know that what is okay for him or others to do exercise-wise is not okay yet for you. However, getting healthy enough to be able to go jogging can be a goal, but you're a far ways from that yet so just concentrate on getting enough calories and good nutrition.
I also think you need to approach this as a family and with some professional advice. Your mother is actually the one closest to the mark. You're going to have to overcome some fears and understand that cakes and icecream are perfectly good foods to eat. Dad needs to understand that going jogging isn't going to help you at this stage. And everyone has to work towards helping you eat a lot more than you are doing or you'll need to be referred to a specialist treatment centre.
Get together and tackle this as a team, but a well informed team. Then you'll be much more successful.
