Am I suppressing my metabolism?

Hey,

I have been eating around 1800-2000 for a month or two, and I /think/ I have maintained but I am not sure. I exercise through walking for 30-60mins a day(usually, I have days off). My friend suggested I eat 2500 to boost my metabolism, and also because I'm only 16. I'm just scared that I would gain weight(I am around 59kg at 169cm). I could deal with a little gain, but ultimately I want to maintain and be healthy. My current diet means I need to eat low fat options, small meals and count calories. =/ I wish I could go without that!!

I'm not sure what you're asking.  If you don't know if you're maintaining or not, why don't you weight yourself?  If you are . . . what's the issue?  What are your stats and what are you currently eating?

I don't want to weigh myself religiously as it becomes an obsession. The less I weigh the better, for me. =) I used to have an ED, you see.

If I am what, what's the issue? If I'm gaining? Well, I don't need to gain given my weight, which I had stated in my first post. I also stated what I'm eating. =) My question is whether I'm eating a sufficient amount. I gain weight really easily, so I am sticking to a low number to make sure I don't. But I don't know whether this is actually doing me harm.

I can certainly understand the not wanting to weigh yourself to the point of obsession...I've been there.  But from my past experiences the only way to know if I'm maintaining weightloss is to weigh myself once a week.  If I see that I've gained then I adjusted my calories and checked how I was doing the next week.

When I stopped getting on the scale....I started gaining weight again.  (But even without the scale, I could usually tell because my clothes started fitting tighter or not fitting at all.)  

Essenitally after dealing with the diet rollercoaster for years,  I've learned that no matter how much I hate getting on that scale....I have to do it.  It's easier to see that I've gained 5lbs and adjust to loose it then to not weigh at all and find later that I have 20lbs to lose again.

I'm a few pounds away from my goal...so I'll be in the maintaining mode soon too.  I guess my plan is to estimate how many calories my body uses daily (plus excerise), using CC and then trying to stay around that mark.  I don't know if I agree with your friend???? Because, for example...if you're only burning 1600 calories a day, I cant see how upping your calories to 2500 will give your metabolism a boost.  If I did that...the only thing that would happen, is that I would gain.

Good luck!

Hmm.. But there are resources which suggest I should be eating up to 2500 calories daily. I don't know what to believe. =( I feel like eating 1800-2000 a day isn't satisfying enough.

If you aren't satisfied with what you're eating right now, then you should try to eat more and see what happens, or maybe exercise a little more if you're too scared. But if you're recovered of still recovering from an ED, gaining a little bit shouldn't worry you that much, it's only a number on a scale. But you are the same age as me, lots of young people like us do maintain their weight on 2500 calories, I really think you can do it. =) But the only way to discover is trying.

You keep on asking this question in different forms because you are hungry. You're 16 years old and somewhat active. You should be eating a lot more. You should not be counting calories. You have to accept that you might/will gain weight if you start eating properly. You are still restricting calories, so you are not over ED.

Up your calories, eat until satisfied. Eat what you want. You can artificially maintain this weight for now, if you are too afraid to really overcome ED. If you do this, you will be hungry, and you will screw yourself over in the future.

You were a higher weight prior to ED right? Well, perhaps that is your natural weight, and a weight that is more comfortable for your body.

You want permission to eat more? The only permission that matters is your own. Your ED is afraid of weighing more, but your body wants food. The body always wins eventually.

Anonymous: I was mildly overweight and overate before I developed an ED. I wasn't healthy by any means before I lost weight. I used to maintain a BMI of around 21 before I started to gain weight as a result from lack of exercise and too much food. I would have been eating 3000 calories or so, hence my BMI was 25.

I will have eaten around 2300 calories by the end of today, which was a result of eating as much as my stomach desired and having high calorie foods like PB & J on ryvitas. 

I recall eating 2200 for a couple of days and losing weight, ahaha, so I think I will allow myself to eat this amount more often. I'd love to have 2500 a day, and I could easily do it, it's just the thoughts in my head which scream 'you'll gain if you have more than 2000!'

I know for ED recovery Hedgren suggests someone my age should have 3000, but I am not prepared to go to a BMI of 24 or so in order to recover. I'm barely a BMI of 21, so I cannot fathom gaining quite so much! I gained more to get where I am now, but being close to overweight would scare the crap out of me.

You don't have to eat 3000 calories, but if you are hungry for it, I really suggest that you do.

At the very least, don't allow yourself to be hungry or unsatisfied. If you still fear gaining weight so much, don't fool yourself into thinking you're recovered.

You say you used to maintain a BMI of 21... but you were very young and the weight gain you had may have just been development in puberty.

How you eat is ultimately your choice, and you do not need permission to eat.

From my experience, I have noticed that the people who fear gaining and continue to restrict out of fear quite often face one of these two outcomes: 1) Eventual binging 2) Unusual weight gain despite continuing undereating. I don't know that this will happen to you, but I suggest that you try to overcome the fear of gaining weight and eat an amount that leaves you satisfied (rather than an arbitrary calorie count).

Okay.. I had 2300 yesterday, and I think I might have the courage to have 2500. My gut is telling me to do it, to risk gaining a little weight for the sake of being healthy and free of my ED. I might even have 3000, I'm not sure just yet. But I am going to try. =)

Yep, I had 2500 today. =D Woot!

Im glad you're happy :)  I don't know much about ED and how many calories they suggest you have. But you're right, there is probably a ton of differing opinions out there. Maybe a trip to your doctor would help and they could give you a calorie level that is right for you....considering your weight, height, bone structure and age. If you're still growing, you'll need those extra calories. And maybe they could set an amount of excerise that would be good for you as well. That way you're not burning calories that you're body needs.

It's not about being skinny, its about being healthy:) I wish you the very best!

Nicole

I would also recommend for you to get a check up with your doctor. nobody except him will have the knowledge how this problem would be solved. Also, I have learned that intake of calories depends also in your age. That is why women over 20 should take more calories.