Can I go it "alone"?

Hi everyone,

A little while ago I found this forum a huge support in my attempt to regain weight after anorexia.  Posting my menus every day helped me to keep on track.  I feel the weight I gained was more through following the amazing advice given on here than through anything I accessed through the NHS. 

Since having a tummy bug and bad IBS I've lost some of those hard-earned pounds, and I want to gain them again, but I was discharged by my nurse after we both agreed there was little she could do to help me anymore (she wasn't an ED specialist).  I'm not keen on getting another referral to eating disorder services after my previous bad experiences.  I feel I know enough to make my own meal plans and embark on this on my own, but I am scared that this leaves me vunerable to slipping back into anorexic ways, if I don't have someone checking up on me (pathetic, i know!).  Does anyone have any similar experience of gaining weight unsupervised, ie. without weekly weigh ins?  Can I do this on my own? x

i did it alone, but i don't think that this is possible for the majority of people. constantly counting calories, searching forums where there are TONS of people trying to lose weight, and not having a real life person to hold you accountable can make it much more difficult. i'd say that maybe you should seek help at first, maybe until you've restored the recently lost pounds and then think about doing it alone. knowing that you need that accountability should be a sign that maybe this isn't something you should risk going alone. 

Thanks Chrissy, yes, I do see what you mean.  Just out of interest, and because if I do get a referral it's likely to take some time, how did you manage to do it on your own?  Were you recovering from an ED?  And did you weigh yourself weekly/work out meal plans/track your own weight?  Sorry for all the questions, it's just so good to hear from someone who has been successful!

I can't really answer your question but I'm trying to go it on my own.  I didn't necessarily have any horrible experiences with my doctors but seeing three or four people a week (therapist, nutritionist, psychiatrist, and doctor) was making me worse instead of better.  So, I decided to try it on my own for a while.  So far it's gone well and I've gained a little.  The key is that I hold myself to planning meals ahead of time, tracking my daily intake to make sure I'm getting enough calories, weighing in once/week on the same day/time, and upping my calories if necessary.  I also have the support of my husband and a few friends.  Basically I think it depends on your own mindset and ability to control compulsions (like restricting, weighing too often, etc), support system, and physical state. 

You can do it alone.  Have faith in yourself. Im going through the same thing Im practically going through this alone.

Except I have help from fellow cc'ers.

CC has helped me so much hopefully we can help you also. =].

I was recovering from anorexia. i weighed myself once a week, friday mornings, on the same scale naked. i didn't work out at all, maybe some yoga for sanity..lol. i set a calorie goal and stuck to it for the entire week if my weight gain stalled i increased my calories for that week and stayed there the entire week. i did this until i reached my goal weight. i had a meal plan but i didn't follow it because i figured as long as i was meeting my calorie goal i was fine and my meal plan was less calories than i actually put myself on.

hey lizzie i remember when you were on the weight gainers forum and you said that you were over ed and that you have found life again.... or something like that. i remember cause i always liked what you said on that post cause you were nice and all to everyone. 

anyway i have come along way since posting on here and from when i read what you wrote you have too. i think you can do it basically because it gets easier the further out of the ed stages you become.

i don't have a specialist and i'm doing fine. i may be going slower in weight gain than others but i'm progressing faster in getting rid of eds thoughts than others and i am still gaining weight just slowly. i have seen a nutritionsist she has told me what to do so i just have to follow myself and do whats best for me and know i can do it. thats the same with you. know you can do it.

having family and friend support also eases it all but im sure you know that already.  

Yeah, I mean doing it on my own is the long term aim anyway.  As much as I love my family I'm sorry to say recovering for them wasn't enough motivation; I only started to get better when I realised I wanted to recover for myself.  I want to prove to myself that I'm capable of looking after myself and feeding myself properly, and if I can manage to gain weight on my own then I'll feel extra confident about being able to maintain my weight - isn't it crazy that anorexia can take away your ability to do something as fundamental as eating enough?! 

Anyway, enough rambling - think I'll plan to weigh myself once a week like you did Chrissy, and have a go at drawing up some meal plans, though perhaps use them more as a rough guide as I don't want to lose the flexibility I've managed to get back in my eating.  Also, totally agree with the yoga for sanity - I don't think I'd have made it this far without my yoga!

Yoga is amazing. Absolutely terrific! There's my two cents lol

i am doing it on my own as well and it has been almost a month, now i wish i had taken control before...........you know what they  say "prevention is better than cure" but i'm happy that i'm getting better and healthier.    Just trust your body.