Dealing with Anorexia

Does anyone have any suggestions or encouraging thoughts for me. Im having problems gaining weight back. Im trying to gain 5 lbs. but is very hard for me considering ive been on a 1200 cal diet for the past months. Im scared of gaining weight back, but my mother  thinks i must..pls help

Hello Meg, Welcome! Thank you for posting your concerns. Tell us more, what kinds of things are you eating? Do you think you need to gain 5 lbs? What kind of exercising do you do? 1200 calories is good, 1200 calories is what your body needs to survive. Anything below 1200 calories and your body will go into starvation mode. Have you ever been hospitalized or diagnosed with an Eating Disorder? We were just talking about EDs (Eating Disorders) earlier today, if you would like to check out the post:

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/7512 .html

Also- how much do you weigh and how tall are you?  I know this is such a standard, dorky question, but let's have a "look" at you.

On the theory that your mother's right and you do need to gain five pounds, what scares you about that?  are you afraid that you won't be able to stop gaining, after?

im about 5'6.. i weigh 116. im a soccer player, i play it 5 days a week. i've lost thirty lbs over the last four months. but everyone thinks im too thin now, im trying to gain weight back, but am scared ill gain too much.

    Hey Meg!
If you keep playing soccer like this it will be nearly impossible for you to gain "too much" weight. You do need to gain weight though and start eating right :)

Think about this: If you just have two more apples today, or a big glass of a berry juice, you are already going to be up another 100 cals. These 100 cals are important for you and very easy to have.

Also, eat a lot of protein in eggs, fish and beans and you will gain muscle not fat!

We're cheering for you! Yay!

at 5'6" your mother is right- between 120 and 130 would be a lovely weight for you.  Especially with all your activity, you're going to end up looking pretty athletic.  Think about some of your role models- who would you like to look like that's an athlete?  I'll bet they weigh more than you think!

I'm glad you're listening to the people who say you're too thin, rather than shutting them out.  How much is "too much"?  I can see not wanting to be 150ish again, but you can stop gaining when you get to a sensible weight, really you can.  The thing is, a "sensible weight" is going to end up being about a 5 pound range, as you monitor.

If it helps, I'll let you know I'm your same height, I'm training for a marathon and I do martial arts, and I'm coming to realize that my body at the peak of training is probably going to weigh around 130.  At that 130, I will probably (considering the trends I've seen in my size) wear a pretty consistent size 4.  So my 130 is going to be pretty different from the 130 of a person who doesn't work out as much, right?  and my "goal weight" is 130-135, since I know I can see as much as 5 pounds of water weight fluctuation, as well as extra weight from just plain having food in my stomach, etc.  It sounds like you're headed down the same path I'm on, as far as being fairly athletic.

You're probably not done growing, and if you are atheletic you are going to put on muscle not fat. 

Use the tools here to determine your healthy BMI and weight. Start logging everything you eat and keep checking your analysis.  Don't weigh yourself too much - once a week is fine.  Concentrate on being healthy and strong, not on how much you weigh.

It sounds like you have the full support of your mother.  She can help you by keeping healthy foods and snacks in the house so that you don't begin eating empty calories. 

thanks so much everyone

hey, meg! I've been struggling with anorexia too for about three years now, it's tough, but it's defetly worth getting over. At first it might seem relaly scary, but I knwo you can do it. I was kdian in big trouble with my weight for a while, but I pulled out adn gained back the 25 lbs. Basicly, idk, I was kdain on my own for this one. at first you'll probbaly feel prone to binging, adn it's only natural concidering you denied yoruself for so long, I msut have binged for nearly a month. the only way to prevent this is to chill out. the more you worry, the more you'll eat. I woudl suggest eating smartly untill like 6 pm, then having something you feel safe about adn uppign the calories slowly, that way you dont' panic. also talk to your mom about seeing someone, it really helps. best of luck with this. let yoru love of soccer motivate you to stay healthy!

Hi Meg, my name is Hyl. I've been struggling with Anorexia and Bulimia for almost 7 years. I am 5'6" as well and I used to be 90(-) pounds and when I went through recovery the first time around and had to put on weight, it was really hard. Some days, I didn't feel like eating solid food, but I needed the calories. So my doctor gave my mom a protein/calcium powder to mix with my soymilk and I would drink that as a meal replacement. It gave me the calories without making me feel too guilty and I eventually gained the weight back I needed to gain.

That might be an idea for you to take into consideration. You can find a dozen nutrient/meal replacement powders on the market today, just be sure you research before you buy and you can mix them with cow's milk. Just an idea that helped me.

I think you are doing well to realize that you need to put on a few pounds. I'm not sure how your body is built, but everyone tells me I looked my best when I was 15-20 pounds heaver, at 125-130 pounds. I know how scary it is though, and how the mind can play such brutal tricks when faced with a mirror.

Good luck to you and I hope maybe my suggestion wasn't a really stupid one.

I understand what your saying, I need to gain 11lb. And it's horrible to think of putting on weight, but if you lost so much weight and gone down the scales to a bad weight, you need to gain some pounds more. I'm also scared I would go over 7 stone, but just keep in mind, do you want a skeleton body or do you want a nice body that you will love.

Just learn to love yourself, Anorexia is one of the horriblest thing I never came across, but now I'm recovering I don't think Anorexia is getting the best of me by saying "Lose weight, don't eat it your gonna be fat." Now I think positive feelings like, "If I eat it I'll only become heathly". Just please, get to your ideal weight, and if your going over the weight you want to be, just lose it by NOT taking so much calories away, but just excersize with soccer.

Good luck, I know you will be fine! :) Just got to believe in yourself!