Emotional hunger vs actual hunger

So lately I've been incredibly hungry. Like I'll eat upwards of 3500+ calories per day! I'm no longer trying to gain anymore, and for awhile felt satisfied at roughly 2500 - 3000 cals per day. But now, I'm never satisfied! So how can I tell if this is just emotions or ACTUAL hunger?? If I don't eat for an hour or two (sometimes even less), I'll get shaky and feel dizzy when I stand up. Am I hypoglycemic or something?? I really want to give in, but I don't want to get into the habit of eating huge amounts and then becoming overweight. :/ I'd really appreciate any advice you guys have! :)

For those who don't already know me, I'm a 16 year old male, 5'7" and now ~135 lbs. I'm recovering from an ED. I'm now completely weight restored, but mentally...errrr I still have some work to do.

hey

bc of the physical symptoms u describe, i think ur hungry but that u should also ask ur parents about seeing a doctor, just incase it is something else.\u r a young growing boy, 2500+ might be a good amount 4 u.  u also dont mention ur activity level which could be a factor.  again, u r on the lower end of the healthy range, were all diff, ur body may want to be at a higher weight, after all, its just a number, rt??

i second agruskin. it sounds to me like you are hungry, those shaky feelings mean your blood sugar is low and you need to eat . are you making sure you eat the right types of food when you are hungry . i also think it may be a sign your body wants to be a little higher weight.the lower end of the range isnt always best for everyone paticuarly for someone who has had an ed . you are very young and still growing i think you need far more calories than you actually realise ,hang on in the bud xxx

agruskin: I already normally eat above 2500, but lately it's been 3500 and sometimes even more! Whoops, I forgot about the activity part. I run about 45 minutes whenever convenient, sometimes its 3 days a week, other times its 5 times a week, it all depends on what's convenient. But haven't been doing any more than that. In fact lately, I've been so busy with school work, I haven't been running. The last time I ran was on Saturday. It's not so much the number that worries me..it's the way I'll look. And I know technically that isn't any better. It's also kind of embarrassing sometimes.. If you say this is real hunger, I'm curious then, what exactly does 'emotional' hunger feel like?? Or is it nearly impossible to distinguish the two?

Helen: That's kinda what I was thinking as well - that the shakes are a sure sign of hunger. But why are they coming on so quickly now? Before I used to be able to go several hours before feeling like this. Now it's only like 1 or 2. I feel almost as out of control as I did when I first began recovery. :( I do make fairly decent choices with snacks as well. I rarely ever have things like chips or candy. I have been having a couple more of those seasonal holiday treats (egg nog, pannetonne bread, spumoni ice cream), but they're never a substitute for a meal. I realize I might need more calories than average, but doesn't 3500 seem a little excessive?? Especially for maintenance?

45 mins of running is beyond intense gooby, i mean 45 mins, that is a lot.  im not sure if emotional hunger feels like anything in a physical sort of way, not the way u described feeling at least, that was more physiological.  w ur activity and ur age, idk, 3500 may be appropriate.  also, the way u look is subjective, as in, u may see urself a certain way, but not really in an accurate way.  5-10 lbs might look better, u r growing remember.

Really? I didn't think 45 mins was that much.. I always thought that was just an average amount. Yeah, I'm kinda worried that in a way my body is 'tricking' me into eating more even though I don't really need it..

Really? 3500 seems like such a huge amount! :O You're right about the way I look being subjective.. I really wish sometimes I could see myself the way others see me. Then maybe I wouldn't have problems like this! 5-10 lbs seems like quite a bit..and when I gain weight it's very obvious on me, of course maybe that's just the way I see it. :/

Original Post by goobyb:

Really? I didn't think 45 mins was that much.. I always thought that was just an average amount. Yeah, I'm kinda worried that in a way my body is 'tricking' me into eating more even though I don't really need it..

Really? 3500 seems like such a huge amount! :O You're right about the way I look being subjective.. I really wish sometimes I could see myself the way others see me. Then maybe I wouldn't have problems like this! 5-10 lbs seems like quite a bit..and when I gain weight it's very obvious on me, of course maybe that's just the way I see it. :/

 ii wish i coulds get you to see how you really do look . i understand you feel its excessive but it sounds to me like you are burning up everything it is using ,it has got into the habit of having food regularly . how about upping your intake just for a week or so she how that inmpacts on your hunger and weight , remember you are at the lower end of the healthy range you have plenty of room to gain more h x

How tall are your male relatives? 16 is a pretty common age for males to have a major growth spurt, and I remember my male friends eating SO much at that age - I wouldn't be surprised if most teenage boys need 3500ish calories per day before/during a growth spurt (and that's without exercise).

It's also well document that many recovered/weight-restored anorexics have higher calorie needs than people who have never been severely underweight. It seems very counterintuitive, but it's been shown to be true.

I am at the lower end of healthy, and I do not experience intense physical hunger. This tells me that my body does not need to gain extra weight. However, because you only just stopped gaining, your body may not have calmed down yet, and it may still be exited that you are feeding it properly. I am no expert, but maybe your hunger will calm down, and it may just take a while after you restore your healthy weight.

Another possibility is that you may stand to gain a little more. In addition to these possibilities, it is also normal to get anxious and uncertain about the calories you eat after you initially reach a healthy weight range. You have been gaining, so now that you are not sure that you still need to, you may not know how to handle eating ‘ normally”. I certainly didn’t for some time after reaching a healthy weight.  The anxious feeling made me want to eat.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! B)

Helen: I guess I'm just in total disbelief that I'm using thaaaaat many calories! I know that it's just a number, but I've always felt a bit strange about eating 3500 because of the fact that 3500 cal = 1 lb fat. Obviously it's not all stored as fat, but I can't help but feel weird about it.. I was thinking of trying that actually. Maybe I will :)

appletwo: I'm not too find behind my male relatives. They're between 5'8" and 5'10", but not more than that. And of course my younger 13-year old brother who, as scary as it is, is 5'6" o_O Since I was once overweight, the fear still remains that I will eat myself overweight if I continue. I know it's probably not true, but either way I still can't ditch that fear.. That's an interesting tidbit about anorexics needing more calories. How long does it take for that extra need to disappear? I'd assume when the body is done healing itself, but is that correct?

personaltrainer87: What's weird is that right around the time I stopped gaining, I actually had the exact opposite problem happening. I struggled to make it above 2500 calories. But now, I never feel satisfied! Is imy body somehow 'making up' for this? After this period passed, I started eating anywhere between 2500-3000 and felt perfectly satisfied. No overstuffed, but not starved either. I thought I had reached a happy medium until all this! Ughhh... I appreciate the advice though :)

Ughhhh, it 10 PM right now, 3 hours after dinner/dessert, and I feel as though I haven't eaten in 3 days.. o_O

As far as I know, the extra calorie need doesn't go away, though I think it goes down - I've known newly weight restored anorexics who still need very high calories to maintain, i.e. 2800ish for a ~105lb (5 foot girl, thus the low weight), moderately active, and I've heard that even years after 100-200 extra calories are needed.

I would just eat what you feel like you need, weigh in once a week or so - you can even ask your parents to weigh you backwards, to decrease anxiety. As long as you stay within the healthy range - that's up to 158 or so, a lot higher than you are - you're okay. Also, remember that the lower end of the healthy weight range is generally intended for females, and the higher end for males - maybe 23-24 would be a more appropriate target for you, which is 147-153 - maybe you should still be gaining!

Also - sorry, this comment is ridiculously long - this BMI/calorie needs calculator says that a 16yr old boy with your stats needs (moderately active) 3140 to (highly active) 3650 calories to maintain - so 3500 really is normal for a teenage boy who goes on long runs regularly & is still growing, and is recently weight restored, and maybe still needs to gain some weight!

I have no idea if I am talking nonsense here but isn't it possible that since when you were anorexic your body cut back in all sorts of other areas to use the few calories it was getting to keep functioning that it might be kicking back in and trying to do some repairs now that it thinks the "famine" is over. 

Along with just your physical body, you are a teenager in school absorbing all sorts of information and your brain will probably be using some of the energy that you are eating.  Have you noticed having better concentration, memory retention, that sort of thing since you've been eating better?  Some of the calories are probablybeing used to create extra brain cells.

We don't just get old and boring to spite you youngsters.  Brains actually slow down as we age and that is another reason that younger people need more calories than us old folks:)

appletwo: That's really interesting! I had no idea that the caloric needs were higher for ED sufferers even AFTER recovery... I already do weigh in once a week (tomorrow actually). I post my stats in the 'weigh in' thread in the weight gain forum. I honestly *feel* like I need a lot.. I guess based on what you guys have been saying, it is a true need and not just emotional hunger. Like today toward the end of glass, I got really groggy and nearly passed out when I stood up. I then scarfed down a banana and a bunch of nuts - 5 mins later I felt fine again. I ended up sneaking my sandwich and salad during class, so I avoided feeling that way again around lunch time. I've never really known what activity level to use for that calculator. I think I posted this above, but I'll run for about 45 mins or so anywhere between 3 and 6 days a week. I honestly could do more, but for the sake of my health, I'm stopping at 45 mins.

jenneyrome: It's true that at first, the body tries to repair itself and therefore uses a bunch of calories. I remember when I first started recovery, I had a similar problem where I felt really hungry. But this time it seems to be for no apparent reason! I've been eating above 2500 since mid-August. I would think that the repairs would be done by now.. I do notice that my concentration as dramatically improved since I've started eating a reasonable amount of calories. But now it feels almost as though I'm 'starving' again. Being constantly hungry, I am finding it pretty hard to focus and give my best effort. And with some of the classes I'm taking, 100% effort is absolutely necessary! I didn't realize that the brain actually uses up THAAT many calories. Thanks for the advice! :)