gaining...

I started upping my calories on july 10th and now on july 30th, i have gone from 88 pounds to 99 pounds. is this gaining too fast?

I've been eating 2000 to close to 3000 calories per day, although I do exercise about 45 to an hour per day...

I'm just feeling a little anxiety about gaining so quickly?!

i can understand that you are concerned , but i honestly dont think this is to much your such a lw weight you need it and more. you couldnt possibly be overeating , your also exercising to , i had the same problem in the beginning, dont beat yourself up about it , it will even out and wont keep happened remember that youve messed your body around it probably having a dig bk :). youve done so well to fight all those feelings , your doing the right thing working towards a happy healthy future which you deserve, dont let the illness tell you wrong   thinking of you h x

A lot of the weight you are gaining is water. How tall are you and what were your calories before? When you are very underweight and were undereating and then increase your body does retain fluids and the metabolism is still slow. I think your range is too wide though from 2000-3000. If you want your body to adjust and trust you being consistent helps. Also 1 hour a day of excercise when you are underweight is not healthy. I don't think your calories are too high and like stated here until you reach your goal 2500 is a good plan at least.

I am 5'6'', i decided to gain weight when i hit 88 pounds, that was july 10th, now 3 weeks later, i have gained 11 pounds already.

i wasnt really being consistent, when i first started gaining i actually was only getting 1600-1900 calories per day now that i look back at my old menus. but for the past 2 weeks i have been getting 2000-3000 i know that for sure.

i was also very dehydrated while i wasnt eating, so that could be a lot of water weight i gained.

 before i was restricting to probably around 500-600 calories a day, with excessive exercise like swim 2 hours per day, running, calisthenics, etc.

i am just going to stick to a consistent 2500 calories a day and 3000 with exercise and hope for the best :/

any advice anyone can give me is greatly appreciated!

Hi, I understand you're pretty worried, but what you're experiencing is completely normal.  You see, when you starve, you deplete all the glycogen (sugar) stores in your liver and muscles.  You also don't have much food in your gut.  What happens when you resume eating is that your liver and muscles store glycogen again (at least 400g as I understand) and each gram of glycogen holds about 3 grams of water with it.  Bam, a few pounds of sugar and water.  You also fill up your bowel with food, which also accounts for some pounds.  The water balance in your body increases due to dehydration being corrected.  More pounds!

I used to work in a children's ward in Australia (as a nurse), and the psychiatrist who looked after the adolescents with eating disorders would always say that the first few kilos of weight gain was always false weight gain, and nothing to get excited about.

So that's probably exactly what is happening with you!  Keep going strong!

so what about when this rate of gain continues, as it has for me, until you're up almost 40 pounds and still gaining rapidly and your head is about to explode?

cruumb, I'm really not sure in your situation!  I reckon that would be a good one to pose to your doc/nutritionist - as long as they are used to dealing with eating disorders!  Have you had a check-up to rule out any underlying medical conditions?

thanks molli nobody seems to be able to help me figure out what's going on because it just doesnt make sense and this is so hard

double post sorry

Original Post by cruumb:

thanks molli nobody seems to be able to help me figure out what's going on because it just doesnt make sense and this is so hard

 It must be extremely hard for you!  I think I've read that you've been ill for quite awhile?  How close to your goal weight are you?  Good for you for persevering even through the discomfort.

i'm past my goal weight. this is really, really not working for me

thank you molligrub for the insight, that makes a lot of sense and puts my mind at ease ;) i want to gain, but not so rapidly!

and cruumb, how many calories do you eat? is it possible it's that 'starvation mode' thing?

2000-2500, so i doubt it. but i've wondered myself if maybe i need more after years of starvation to get my body to stop hoarding. but 2000 should be enough to get out of starvation mode

well maybe you actually need more? cuz don't we need 2500 to gain?

based on 2000 to maintain but adaptive mechanisms should no longer be in effect and it seems they are 

hmmm i'm no doctor but i would try upping your calories for a week and see what happens...i have just heard a lot of stories about how that works.

that's why i am little afraid i should be eating more, because i exercise so much...but i really don't know. it's so confusing....

yeah i've considered that but then usually that's successful when the person has been eating sub-maintenance level calories, and the thought of gaining any faster is petrifying so i just dont know :(

crumb are you able to accept at all that your body might not want to stay at that goal weight. everyones body is individual and it may be that your body wants to be higher than you want

maybe if i could remember how to breathe

i gained 3 more pounds yesterday

Crumb when you press on your skin does it leave an indent? Can you see fluid? I know you said you went to the er but did they check your thyroid,your blood sugar,and liver? Do you have any other health symptoms like body aches,fatigue,pain?

Sorry to get off the subject just trying to help a little.

Please stay strong all

body aches, check; fatigue, check; pain, check.

they checked everything and said i was fine.

i have all kinds of lines in my skin from my clothes, hair ties on my wrist, socks, etc.

but i dont know...maybe that's normal for someone of a normal weight. i dont know anymore. thanks abbi for caring.