Health & Support

hi my question is...... ive been told that i need 2,000 cals to maintain my weight when healthy ... so if i eat that 2,000 cals now will my body slowly gain to its healthy weight??? will i need more or less...... and will i be able to continue to maintain eating 2,000???

hey...... we haven heard from u in ages!! good woman on gettn them cals up.... it wont quite work like that tho.... sorry!!

the body is very quick to adapt, and u will find that while initially u will gain some water weight, and visceral fat (surrounding organs) it wont really show on ur body. it is well documented that ppl recovering especially from anorexia have metabolisms that can reach race horse speed. it is similiar to to effects on the metabolism of burns victims. coz so much damage was caused, and coz ur bod isn used to dealing with cals, quite a large amount is lost to digestion and a phenomenal "wastn of cals!"

i found at 2000 at my LW that i was in fact still losing about .75lbs a week. i u can increase it at a steady rate (100-150cals) a wk til u reach 2500.

the slow increase makes sure u dont freak urself out, and when u do reach the point of wanting to maintain u just wean back down the same way so ur body doesnt think ur restricting again (which scares it terribly!!).

kudos spek, iv such respect. u went off put ur head down, did wat u had to do. (sorry for th cow-harshness on my part, i just get frustrated wit that STUPID disease!)

I'm assuming that is the advice that you received from your doctor/nutritionist?  If that is the case, than absolutely continue to follow whatever protocol was discussed to help you achieve your goals!

Only he/she and you can know if you will need more or less.  Congratulations on your continued recovery!

I agree with fidget that you'll probably need to eat more than 2000 to gain and then continue gaining.

In the beginning, some people gain weight on very little (comparatively) food. This is because they are in starvation mode. As their body "wakes up" they'll need more food to continue gaining.  I don't know how much you have been eating currently, so this will depend on how much of a "shock" 2000 calories is for your body.

Lots of people do end up needing an insane amount of food, more  that can be "justified." I fall into this latter category - when I started recovery it took 3000 calories to gain (and I wasn't even that underweight), then it took 3100, and now I maintain on just under 3ooo daily.

*The short answer to you question is that even if 2000 would be the right amount for you to maintain when you are a healthy weight, that doesn't mean it will be enough to get you to that healthy weight. *

Just remember that often there is an initial "jump" of weight, but this is normal and often won't "hold" even if you want it to. So pleasse don't freak and restrict!!

Congrats on recovery, Catgirl

thanks... i hit 1,700 yesterday!!!!!

im wondering why do some ppl maintain on still a really high number..... and others maintain on a really low number?????

has to do with the individuals' metabolism, i think..

 

congratulations on the cal intake, girl :)

Chances are that you will need close to double that in order to reach a healthy weight. (you don't need to get up that high immediately, just eventually). I know someone who was basically the exact same weight as you when she entered IP. After being IP 9 weeks, she was still the thinest person (by far) and she was also the person on the highest calorie level. Typically, the more weight you have to gain, the longer your metabolism continues to increase. At least in my experience.

ahhhh not hearing what the ed wants to hear!!!!:(.............:)

okay and how much exercise should i be doing..... i think im over doing it:(

really spek you shouldn be exercising. u shouldnt.

like if u pursue balancing act like that u will find that u will develop a mind set that if u dont exercise u cant eat anything (this is what happened me).

it is REALLY important u dont listen to ppl eating 1700 cals "maintaining" their weight. u are in a totally different  ball game. 1700 is not enough. u need to gain not maintain and if u are exercising u are going to be losing weight.

i know this is scary but you have to get those cals up. 2500 AT LEAST more if u refuse to back down on the exercise front.

but than ill have to cut back once ive gained:(

no... once you'v gained enough (which is a bit off yet) u add exercise in then.....

u teach ur body to utilise the ole calories properly. while u need to get fixed get fixed. i dont mean get fat i really mean get fixed. d extra cals u eat will go completely on repair of wearing and malnourished tissues and structures in the body. by exercising now u wont allow these to take place and u wont get max benefit. ur tired from this i would  imagine?? ur body is craving rest and repair and if u continue to exercise you will still feel in some element of restriction.

come on, if you wer advising me on this what would u say??

u kno its not right to be exercising. i know when u feel ure eatin more ther's this strong sub conscious urge to get rid of the cals another way. but if u want to do this right... do it the right way.

my mum sed summit very wise today "if it is to be-it must come from me"

you are right....... but u said i should eat 2,500 cals well i wouldnt be eating that when at maintance would i? even with exercise?

Hi Spek,

I just want to throw my 2 cents in here, which is that exercise in moderation is not a bad thing.

The problems with exercising are (1) you can burn off all your added calories resulting in no gain (2) you can further stress your body and its organ systems (3) you can get caught in another kind of disorder - over-exercising or exercise bulimia. 

There are, however, powerful arguments in favor of some exercise (1) the weight you gain will have a higher percentage of lean mass (2) you will feel better about your body and its appearance, resulting in higher chance of success and willingness to gain weight. (3) emotions can be directed toward exercise instead of food - i.e not restricting calories becasue you're having a bad day.

The key is to not do too much exercise, give your body lots of rest time, and, especially, do only certain types of exercise.  I'd advise against all cardio except maybe a little stroll. Basically all cardio does is burn calories and muscle mass.  But if you want you can do some strength training (either with weights or just your body weight at first) to gain some muscle.

While, in my opinion, exercise is a healthy habit, I need to stress that you must be eating enough calories!

Catgirl

P.S. Please don't worry about the future when you might have to reduce your calories by a little.  Even if won't eat 2500+ forever, that's so reason to not do it right now!!

ok speckles :D.. this is my experience wit an eating disorder programme. i like u was very very underweight, critically so and i was in there with a bunch of ppl in the same position. this was wat our day was like and UNLIKE u most of them didn have to chance to up cals slowly therefore they were much more apt to gain weight quickly. this is what i observed.

breakfast 8.30 1 glass orange juice (150-200mls), 1 bowl of cereal (2weetabix etc) and FULL fat milk. 2 slices of brown or white bread (about 90 cals each) 1 square of butter and 1 of jam (100 cals total)

10.30.ENSURE

13.00 lunch: 2 potatoes (decent sized smaller than apple bigger that large egg) 1 serving of veg (not 8) and fillet of salmon/breast chicken, slices of beef etc. Dessert which could be apple cake n custard, strawb mousse, choc cake, eclairs etc.

15.00 ENSURE

tea: chicken and rice 5-6 dessert spoons rice and some chicken a la king, or beans and sausage (2) or an omlette AND with tea 2 slices of brown bread 1butter and 1jam

20.00 ENSURE

this totalled between 2500 and 2800 cals a day. we had movement. most of our days we attended group on the unit (wee werent allowed roam around the rest of the hosp) we spent most time in the common room wher we read or chatted or watched tv or did something OTHER THAN EXERCISE or worry about what we had eaten.

the average rate of gain was 1-2lbs a week. the 1st two weeks saw the most signifigant jumps (maybe 2-4lbs) and this settled very quickly with food having to be added to ensure gain continued. NONE of the girls i did the programme with are at a BMI above 20. they follow the maintenance plan rigidly (whic means just cutting out 2 of the ensures (the evening on is necessary or else a 250-300cal snack).

THIS WORKS..... i seen it, i was part of it. when ther is no pissin about,

THIS REALLY WORKS

this really helps...... but what are you eating cal wise now????? and how much do they all miantain on now?????r they and u all a healthy weight?

cals-wise now i eat about 2000-2200, i was restricting for a while recently and going mad on exercise, but a few weeks ago i just stopped that crap coz my Dad was diagnosed with cancer and i couldn keep doing it to them or me.

now i suspect ur very intelligent,,, without sound up my bum i am as well and i used always try figure out the failsafe method about if i just eat maintainence cals il gain slowly and still have control etc. all my friends maintain on about 1900-2000. BUT if u are going to do this u neeeed to get the intake up to 2500... stop with the little increases coz ur body'l jus adapt and utilise them all

what weight are u?? truth

31kg and stand at 163cmtall

and 21 if that matters ...... been sick since 10

aw spek........... ok seriously STOP exercising unless ur prepared to eat 3000-3500 cals.

the fact that u have ben sick for so long is indicative that u are much less likely to be "gaining" on lo amounts of cals like some the other girls.

u are critical in terms of weight.... im guessing ur american?? coz if u were in europe, ireland ud be sectioned and NG fed. i have friends with higher bmi's and ben NG and sectioned.

ur BMI is 11.6. i dunno anyone this bad (no offense). u were at a kilo or 3 heavier in recent posts. u are NOT maintaining, u are losing and u are on the point of organ collapse i suspect. U KNO THIS AND IF U WANT TO GET BETTER U HAVE TO CHANGE THIS.

2000 cals is not enough. i respect u immensely for working as hard as u are. but u have to get the cals up, 2500 no exercise. u have to gain weight. if u want to recover u have to gain weight. even a5kg target is acceptabl.. but 5kg over 5-6weeks not a year. and then review (cals and activity).

il help if u want. but i wont answer the same question each day and give advice while u only think about applying it.

if ur gonna do it. do it.

i know ur scared, but death is prob the next point if u dont do something to help ur self.

YOU MUST DO THIS

im from australia....... i know that i need to gain, i just cant seem to make myself eat more...... i added today but only 1/2 apple ...... im still hiting about 1,700-1,800

u can eat the food. if i told u to lose 5kg u would in a heart beat. a half apple is horse ****.... u know this. if u want to recover u have to make the effort. more than this i cant say. u need 800 more cals in ur diet. STOP loading on veg, take ensures to guarantee good quality nutrition.

but if ur not willing to do this, i am not willing to keep supporting or encouraging, coz its a one sided effort

sorry if this is harsh. but u have to take responsibility