How do I get my metabolism back to normal?
Hey, I'm wondering how I get my metabolism back to normal after:
1. Severe restriction due to anorexia.
2. Gaining weight on 3,400 calories in hospital.
3. Losing half of the weight I gained eating between 1,200 and 1,800 after discharge from hospital.
4. Maintaining on 1,500 calories?! My metabolism is messed up at this point.
I'm at a healthy weight for me individually...I mean in terms of my physical health anyway. I'm 5'6 and I weigh 105lbs - I know my BMI is pretty underweight but I'm naturally slim anyway. I need to get my metabolism back to normal after the calorie "yo-yo" it's been on, haha. I know that I shouldn't be maintaining on 1,500 because I don't feel healthy right now and I want to be eating more! I'm not getting enough nutrition like this...so what do you guys suggest I do to help my metabolism speed up to it's natural rate? (I'm 16 by the way, and fairly active, so in theory I should maintain on at LEAST 1,800-2000)
Why did you lose weight after the hospital? If your doctor had you gain weight- your physical health probably required weight gain... no? Did they say you should lose weight? You're right- you are pretty underweight. Did your doctor/dietician give you the "ok" on your physical health? You're right you should be eating at least 1,800-2,000.
I would say that going back to the 3,400 the hospital had you eating would be a good start.
I don't know how high the hospital had you gain to, but surely they didn't release you with the intention of you losing half of it. Without knowing your stats, I can only guess that 1800 was probably too little (if you are fairly active, that's more likely to be a weight loss amount), and 1200 should never have even been an option after you got released.
Original Post by idk12345678:
Why did you lose weight after the hospital? If your doctor had you gain weight- your physical health probably required weight gain... no? Did they say you should lose weight? You're right- you are pretty underweight. Did your doctor/dietician give you the "ok" on your physical health? You're right you should be eating at least 1,800-2,000.
I couldn't manage at the weight they put me up to which was 117lbs. I just couldn't manage it mentally and it was too hard. I didn't get my period back at that weight either, but strangely, I recently got it back at 105lbs which makes no sense to me but...yeah. I was told by my doctor that the main indication of physical health is that I get my period back (which is probably wrong), and nobody has told me that I need to gain weight again so I haven't :\
Original Post by amethystgirl:
I would say that going back to the 3,400 the hospital had you eating would be a good start.
I don't know how high the hospital had you gain to, but surely they didn't release you with the intention of you losing half of it. Without knowing your stats, I can only guess that 1800 was probably too little (if you are fairly active, that's more likely to be a weight loss amount), and 1200 should never have even been an option after you got released.
They made me gain to 117lbs in hospital, and right now I'm 105lbs (5'6). Haha, well no I wasn't supposed to lose any weight but I couldn't cope at 117lbs. I'm comfortable at the weight I'm at now and don't want to lose anymore which is partly why I want to eat more and stabilize my metabolism. When I say fairly active, I mean I do a lot of cleaning/housework, I go out for 90 minute walks every day, occasionally I go out on hard bike rides, I do a lot of light walking etc, but not any regular intense exercise :\ Would eating 3,400 make me gain?
117 at 5'6" is a BMI of 18.9. Generally I've heard that at least a BMI of 20 is recommended for recovery, if not more.
The weight that you describe yourself as "comfortable at" is a BMI of 16.9.
Being uncomfortable at 18.9 and wanting to be at 16.9 suggests to me that you aren't mentally recovered. From what I've read from other folks on these forums is that the mental recovery can come with the weight recovery - in other words, instead of losing weight when you were released, you should have continued to gain until you reached at least 124lb (BMI 20), if not more.
I don't think that you can afford to stay at 105lbs. And I don't think that you can expect your metabolism to recover if you do.
Original Post by kimberleyrg:
Original Post by idk12345678:
Why did you lose weight after the hospital? If your doctor had you gain weight- your physical health probably required weight gain... no? Did they say you should lose weight? You're right- you are pretty underweight. Did your doctor/dietician give you the "ok" on your physical health? You're right you should be eating at least 1,800-2,000.
I couldn't manage at the weight they put me up to which was 117lbs. I just couldn't manage it mentally and it was too hard. I didn't get my period back at that weight either, but strangely, I recently got it back at 105lbs which makes no sense to me but...yeah. I was told by my doctor that the main indication of physical health is that I get my period back (which is probably wrong), and nobody has told me that I need to gain weight again so I haven't :\
That's the thing about menstrual cycles is that some people, although they are unhealthy/underweight/deep within their ED- never lose it. Some lose it quite quickly, so JUST getting your period back is NOT the only indication of physical health! You're right on that being probably wrong. You DO need to gain weight- as someone who is in recovery for Anorexia Nervosa, as someone who has seen multiple doctors, TRUST me that a BMI of 16.9 is not healthy for you and you should look into seeing a doctor who specializes in ED if you can! Are you speaking to anyone/expressing your discomfort with maintaining a healthy weight? EDs aren't just physical- they are mental, and your mental health should be addressed <3
some helpful links!
youtube.com/katimorton
Original Post by idk12345678:
Original Post by kimberleyrg:
Original Post by idk12345678:
Why did you lose weight after the hospital? If your doctor had you gain weight- your physical health probably required weight gain... no? Did they say you should lose weight? You're right- you are pretty underweight. Did your doctor/dietician give you the "ok" on your physical health? You're right you should be eating at least 1,800-2,000.
I couldn't manage at the weight they put me up to which was 117lbs. I just couldn't manage it mentally and it was too hard. I didn't get my period back at that weight either, but strangely, I recently got it back at 105lbs which makes no sense to me but...yeah. I was told by my doctor that the main indication of physical health is that I get my period back (which is probably wrong), and nobody has told me that I need to gain weight again so I haven't :\
That's the thing about menstrual cycles is that some people, although they are unhealthy/underweight/deep within their ED- never lose it. Some lose it quite quickly, so JUST getting your period back is NOT the only indication of physical health! You're right on that being probably wrong. You DO need to gain weight- as someone who is in recovery for Anorexia Nervosa, as someone who has seen multiple doctors, TRUST me that a BMI of 16.9 is not healthy for you and you should look into seeing a doctor who specializes in ED if you can! Are you speaking to anyone/expressing your discomfort with maintaining a healthy weight? EDs aren't just physical- they are mental, and your mental health should be addressed <3
some helpful links!
youtube.com/katimorton
It's difficult to admit to myself that I'm not at a healthy weight and I feel like I will never be able to manage a healthy weight, ever :( I have a meeting with a dietician soon and a meeting with a horribly patronising doctor next week so I'll speak to them about the physical/nutrition side of things but as far as mental health goes, I have my therapist who is brilliant but I find it hard to tell her that I struggle.
Thank you for the links, I've just had a look around them both and I'm so pleased you gave them to me, they're great! :) I think Kati will be very helpful, haha!
Original Post by kimberleyrg:
Original Post by idk12345678:
Original Post by kimberleyrg:
Original Post by idk12345678:
Why did you lose weight after the hospital? If your doctor had you gain weight- your physical health probably required weight gain... no? Did they say you should lose weight? You're right- you are pretty underweight. Did your doctor/dietician give you the "ok" on your physical health? You're right you should be eating at least 1,800-2,000.
I couldn't manage at the weight they put me up to which was 117lbs. I just couldn't manage it mentally and it was too hard. I didn't get my period back at that weight either, but strangely, I recently got it back at 105lbs which makes no sense to me but...yeah. I was told by my doctor that the main indication of physical health is that I get my period back (which is probably wrong), and nobody has told me that I need to gain weight again so I haven't :\
That's the thing about menstrual cycles is that some people, although they are unhealthy/underweight/deep within their ED- never lose it. Some lose it quite quickly, so JUST getting your period back is NOT the only indication of physical health! You're right on that being probably wrong. You DO need to gain weight- as someone who is in recovery for Anorexia Nervosa, as someone who has seen multiple doctors, TRUST me that a BMI of 16.9 is not healthy for you and you should look into seeing a doctor who specializes in ED if you can! Are you speaking to anyone/expressing your discomfort with maintaining a healthy weight? EDs aren't just physical- they are mental, and your mental health should be addressed <3
some helpful links!
youtube.com/katimorton
It's difficult to admit to myself that I'm not at a healthy weight and I feel like I will never be able to manage a healthy weight, ever :( I have a meeting with a dietician soon and a meeting with a horribly patronising doctor next week so I'll speak to them about the physical/nutrition side of things but as far as mental health goes, I have my therapist who is brilliant but I find it hard to tell her that I struggle.
Thank you for the links, I've just had a look around them both and I'm so pleased you gave them to me, they're great! :) I think Kati will be very helpful, haha!
Aw I know, but you're only 16 hun. Trust me- it gets better if you want it to get better. Perhaps if you feel you can't say it aloud, write it out before you go to your next session. If you feel you can't open up to your therapist- try a couple others who make you feel more comfortable. If you can't be honest with yourself/your doctors- you can't receive proper help, and then it won't be you running/living your life- it'll be the ED! Take hold of the reigns love, trust me. You'll be happy you did in the long run! Don't let your ED take any more time away from you!
I was near death in the hospital with a bmi of 14.9. I know how it feels to come back out into reality where there are MIRRORS and scales suddenly and to have a completely different body. I struggle with that too (exercise addiction actually) and the best advice I think me and anyone can give you is LISTEN to your nutritionist. You look slimmer if you build muscle. and your metabolism works better too. But seriously. I have a meeting with my nutritionist monday that im dreading but also excited for. Im going to LISTEN to her this time.
The main reason you're probably having to eat so few calories is because you are at such a low weight. How much you can eat to maintain is very much relative to how much you weigh - and at 5'6 and 105 lbs, you've found that you can't eat much because you're just not burning as much as you would at a higher weight with more muscle.
Your doctor sounds like yet another member of the medical profession that is relatively clueless about eating disorders. For the record, plenty of unhealthy women continue to get their period. Just because you are getting yours doesn't mean you're at a healthy weight for you. I know you don't want to hear this, but your current weight is not probably not healthy for you at all, and it will continue to be even less so as you get older - you're a growing young woman, and at that low of a weight, you're setting yourself up for osteoporosis and a whole slew of other possible medical complications down the line.
I know as someone also recovering from an eating disorder that we get pretty adroit at coming up with reasons that we need to continue unhealthy habits (e.g. refusing to maintain a healthy weight - every single person I've meant with anorexia through residential/group therapy has, at some some point, indicated that they were "just meant" to be underweight). That's the eating disorder talking, and it's important that you get to a place where you can separate eating disordered impulses from healthy ones.
Now, I don't mean to downplay the work you've been putting into your recovery - it's hard work, and my very sincerest congrats to you for getting this far!
That being said, just because you may be in a better place physically (and even mentally) than you were doesn't mean you're just dandy now - the fact that you couldn't handle being at the very lowest end of a normal weight tells me that you still have a long ways to go, and I think on some level you know that.
I think most people recovering from eating disorders reach a certain point where they're afraid to go just a step further in their recovery (whether that means throwing away the scale, or gaining those last few pounds), and honestly, you've just got to fight to push through it. It's worth it, I promise. :)
