Calorie question

Hello,

I am a fifteen year old female and i am 5'7" 1/2 and I weigh 110 pounds. Obviously this is an unhealthy weight, as I have been in the process of recovering from anorexia. I have made a complete mental/emotional recovery from the disorder, but i have been having trouble gaining weight My ultimate low weight was 103, and it has taken me about two months to get up to 110. I am quite active in my every day life...school, dog walking, ballet once a week. I also walk one mile every day and do sit ups and push ups so that the weight i do gain will distribute nicely.

Okay, my question is...how many calories should i be consuming a day to gain healthy muscular weight? my goal weight is 120, btw.

~Kaiyuh

120lbs is too low for 5'7 1/2. You need to be a BMI 20, ideally, when recovering from anorexia. This is to encourage the return of periods as well as have a buffer present for possible relapse or unintentional weight loss (eg if you fall ill) so you do not just fall right back in an underweight category. For you that would be about 130lbs. The management of an underweight weight leads to many health complications and is something CC does not support.

You need to be eating at least 2500 calories sedentary to gain, restore your metabolism to functioning order and gain consistently and at a rate you can manage in the future. Do not weigh yourself for two weeks while increasing as you'll see weight gain not true to your actual weight - you'll see water fluctuations, a natural reaction to caloric increases.

This said you are not sedentary so it is more like a need for 3000 minimum for you. You should not really be doing exercise as you are at your weight. Your weight distributes on its own, believe it or not; I was forced to be sedentary during my last bout of gaining and my weight distributed itself.

Change your goals, and increase your calories.

Wow, thank you so much for this wonderful information. I will be sure to change my goals, and aim for 130. I am a very antsy person, and do a lot of chores and things as a part of an active lifestyle, so when I'm not puttering around should I just sit back and relax? sorry for the seemingly silly question, I was overweight for the past three years until the anorexia and am kind of at loss as to how to gain healthy weight. thanks so much!

You are very young and I developed my ed at your age well 16 and was 5'7. I would encourage you to change the focus of your goals to health then being underweight which will cause physical and mental problems. It does not have to be black or white aka heavy or under. It can be healthy. What is your day of food like now? When I was increasing my nutritionist had me do 200 every 2 days. That way you can adjust. Regardless it cause both mental and physical discomfort but it will get easier. As for the constant movement that is common among ed's. Part of being healthy is to relax. Can you read a book,watch a movie,a craft?

Like Abbi said, part of being healthy is making time to relax. Have a long hot bath. Draw. Heck, even nap. Abbi's suggestion for increasing is good - I did that, but in bursts of 500, so don't be scared to manage a bit higher if you want.