Anorexia Recovery and Energy Levels - Please Help :(

Hey there,

I'm in recovery from AN. I've gained 6kg this year on my own so far, which is the first time I've ever gained weight out of hospital and I'm doing pretty well, eating the right stuff, the right calories etc.

My problem is that I'm STILL SO COLD AND TIRED. Ridiculously so. My fingers turn blue all the time, I'm exhausted after a day out... Considering I survived for 2 years at a BMI of 12/13 I don't understand why now that I'm eating 3000 a day, not exercising and at a BMI of around 15.7-16 (Yes I'm still gaining, and intend to gain until I'm healthy - not stopping here!) I'm still as exhausted if not more than when I was much iller.

I'm starting uni in three days and I'm SO scared of how tired and cold I get. I'm scared being too tired to go out will mean I don't make friends, am isolated and then start having thoughts of relapse.

Sorry, I know this post is probably really, really annoying, and I feel for all you non-ED sufferers because us lot do tend to monopolise this board a bit... I'm just desperate. I've tried asking my doctor and he's like 'Oh well you'll feel better when you eat more.' Great, really helpful. I AM eating more! I would have thought with the increase in energy taken in I'd be feeling better... And now winter is coming :'( So scared.

Please help?

Your doctor is right..... You will feel better as you keep eating more and as you get nearer to a healthy weight.  Truth is that you probably didn't really appreciate just how ill you really felt when you were at very low BMIs.... your body and mind were in a kind of suspended animation, feeling nothing, doing nothing, completely shut down in an effort to preserve life.... 'surviving' for 2 whole years but getting weaker and sicker all that time.   You're 2 years older apart from anything else... that also has an impact.

Now that you're giving your body something to do, something to work with, it's actually feeling normal for someone who is underweight.... i.e. cold, tired, numb at the extremities.  That's almost how you 'should' be feeling... if that doesn't sound too callous.

So all you can do is keep going, keep gaining, keep eating.  Make sure you're getting the very best nutrition for your 3000 calories and take supplements to cover any shortfalls.   You're right not to exercise vigorously but you may find it helps your circulation if you stay mobile.  Other measures would include plenty of hot sweet drinks to keep your body-temperature and energy levels up.

Well done so far and good luck

Thanks so much GI Jane - it's just frustrating to feel like I've tried so hard yet am still not reaping the benefits of recovery... I can't bear it if I'm going to feel enormous AND cold, tired and miserable!

Proper nourishment and a healthy weight should stop you feeling cold.   But it's up to you not to feel enormous, of course.   So keep going.... and keep reminding yourself that a healthy weight is not 'enormous'... just 'normal'

Hunny i know exactly how you feel my bmi is the same as yours and i have been at a far lower bmi and doing far more exercising and feeling far more weller in myself. we ve given our boddies a real battering its just our bodies way of getting us to slow down and take heed . i know it feels awful , and it can seem so annoying as you are putting in so much hard work and not feeling much benefit. but give it time keep pushing forward consistantly getting those calories in nurishing your body . i know you probably still think other wise but youve still along way to go , and i dont think the true benefits will come in untill you restore a healthy weight. look over your shoulder how far youve climbed did you think you d get this far ? the end is in sight but you must stay strong and fight fight fight to get there we are all with you   h x

oh and i suggest digging out those wholley jumpers and mittens :)

Thanks guys <3 It's encouraging to know that it WILL get better.... More reason to keep plugging onwards.

God to feel warm would be SO nice. The worst is after lunch - for some reason I always get FREEZING then. Brrr!

I'm just tired of feeling nauseous, tired of then having to eat on top of the nausea, tired of headaches and aches and pains and stomach bloating and weird BMs and just.. everything.

And on top of that, seeing my body change and trying to challenge my eating disorder at every minute of every day.. it just gets tiresome.... And then there's the fears about uni, moving away from home for the first time, away from my treatment team, away from all the things I feel keep me 'safe.' Ungh. Sorry... Just feel so frightened.

I know its very tiring . you are normal to feel frightened i certainly would change is hard and even harder when we have other issues . im sure you will feel better once you get into it all you will be busy with new friends and studys. are you sure it isnt to soon though going to uni ?i dont mean to put you off its just your health is the most important thing and if you fear you may relapse stepping into all this id advice you to defer for a while all my love h x

I had a short stay in a resi treatment centre earlier this year. One thing i couldnt get my head around was how tired and unwell i felt while actually eating a considerable amount more than before i went in. I had no energy, wanted to sleep all the time, felt physically unwell etc but when i wasnt eating i felt fine, i had heaps of energy etc. 

They explained to me that actually eating and digesting the food, using it for fuel takes alot of energy. On top of that the body needs to repair itself and that takes alot of energy too. 

I also found that spending all day thinking about having to eat/fighting ed thoughts took alot of energy. Im not sure if this is still an issue for you but it could also be having an impact.

Im back at uni now, infact i finish my semester and degree in 35 days, WOOT, and i have to admit i relapsed nearer the beginning of the semester. Reading, taking notes, studying, learning in general takes so much effort, concentration and energy. It would be so much easier with food for fuel. 

Keep up with your energy requirements, add more if you have too, i have exams coming up and am really trying to increase my intake to be able to complete them successfully. 

 

Good luck

+ a million on being warm! Next summer I want to be able to chill in shorts and a tank top like anyon else.  Not put on a sweatshirt as soon as it's not 90+ degrees!

 

More on topic,

A lot of the symptoms and results show up later- both delayed effect sort of result and also purely a matter of "time in an unhealthy state" Even if it's less unhealthy now--the health has to be reached before the damage can be reversed. 

You're on your way--keep at it and once you get OVER the hump of health you can get the payoff's therein!

-and the sooner you get there the less "time in an unhealthy state" will build up to give the icky results.

I'm at a bmi of ~18 and am still freezing. I thought it would be better by now, but I guess I need to keep gaining!!!