Help..i dont know when im hungry anymore! How do i regulate my hunger?!

Just as a briefing, im 5'6...113lbs and been struggling with an eating issue which has meant iv only been eating 800-1000 calories a day and working out for an hour 3 times a week.

 I know im not healthy and should eat more and gain weight etc etc and im willing to try but i want to regulate my eating and get back to normal.  I eat the same set foods and amounts everyday and always plan what time im going to eat everything at.

 The problem is, i really have trouble knowing when im hungry and when im full because i restricted and controlled myself so much that iv trained myself.  I have alot of vegetables with my tea and always feel really bloated which makes me feel like im full but then later on i get a funny, heartburn type feeling in my stomach and have been making myself have something to eat (2 oatcakes) in the evening even if im not hungry.

Last night i went out for a meal and ate alot more than i have for awhile.  Found that i wolfed it down before anyone else and ended up finishing my mums off then wanted more (which i resisted).  This morning i was starving (well my stomach was rumbling) and after my breakfast i didnt feel satisfied and couldnt wait till lunch.  Why do i feel hungrier when i have eaten more?

How do i regulate my hunger again? Do i just force myself to keep eating abit more or actually try and understand my body (which hasnt suceeded so far!).

If i know im "allowed" (by myself) to eat something, its all i can think about and count down the time till its time to eat it but if i havent allowed myself to have it then im fine without it.

Can anyone shed some light on whats going on?!?!

xxx

I can relate, but unfortunately cannot shed light on what is going on.  You have trained your body, it took a while to train, so it's going to take a while to untrain so to speak.

I haven't yet reached the un-train part yet, so unfortunately, I cannot help you there.  We went on vacation last week and I, for the first time in 5 months, allowed myself over my "normal" calorie intake.  I was always done first and also went on to have desserts etc.  I'm sure it's because I'm starving myself otherwise, but I can't seem to stop either.  So, to prevent my eating overload, I am back down to what I was (calorie wise) before went on vacation and eating my pre-planned meals at my pre-planned times.

 

I think it's great that you realize you do not have a healthy attitude toward food. Food is meant to be enjoyed. Make sure you are eating 3 meals a day with at least one healthy snack and make sure the meals are well rounded with protein, vegetables and some fat.

I am not a health expert but my daughter had an eating disorder years ago. A therapist and a dietition plus getting involved in yoga helped so much and now she has a good "relationship" with food, is a sucessful yoga teacher and owner of her own yoga studio.

So my advice is that you may not be able to get through this alone - please ask for help somewhere. You have already taken the first step

Love, A mom that cares

I agree with pamdar about getting professional help, or atleast someone close to you to talk about your problem with. I had the restriction problem as well for about a year and in order to get back on track and recover, I had to set up a planned meeting and meal schedule with a nutritionist. I just went online and put in my insurance and called a few of the nutritionist that deal with EDS and I love her. She helps me regulate my day. We started by just eating every hour or two small things, since my stomach couldn't handle bigger meals, and now I eat 3 meals a day and like 3 snacks. The first step is realizing you have a problem and the second step is following through and finding someone who can help you change it in a positive way!

ok heres what IM thinking cause this happened to me: 

We trained ourselves to not eat... to not recognize when we were really hungry. In doing this we also stopepd our metabolisms because we were in starvation mode (im pretty sure u all know about this- ur body holding onto every single little thing u feed it thus making u feel overly bloated and fat when u do eat) 

ANYWAY- now that ur up to a more normal calorie intake u've basically jump started ur metabolism. Thats why ur hungry! ur body is using that food for energy and not storing it like it was in the past. when ur body doesnt know when and where its next meal will come from it holds onto that food. but now ur body is like "cool, i get FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD." so its digesting it and "OMG THATS WAS FANTASTIC... give me more...................."

thats what i went thorugh. i was crazy hungry when i first started eating all the while being like WTF!?!?

IM not a dr- so none of what i just said is based on facts. Its just me, giving you an educated guess paired with self examples.  

 

xbarmyx i understand every single word u just said. I dont know when my body is hungry eithor. but i do know that when i eat "normal"and dont starve (less than 1000) im more hungry the next day 

gosh- im rambling and have written so much- i HOPE THAT HELP YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

thankyou for all your replies... it all makes sense! think im scared of feeling hungry because like you said iv trained my body so it feels naughty or "wrong" to be hungry and even naghtier to eat!!

i dont really know what the answer is! im trying to eat more and listen to my body but im really finding it difficult to add bread, pasta, rice and potatoes back in! im actually scared of them now!

i had a jacket potatoe when i went out for my meal last night and my stomach was so much more settled and less bloated.  I know you need wholegrain/healthy carbs but they seem wrong to me to add back in!

i confuse myself so goodness knows what you guys are thinking!!!

xxx

I've gone through this exact thing before when I was recovering from anorexia.  The only thing that helped me was going to a nutritionist, getting a meal plan, and following that meal plan religiously.  You cannot trust your body right now to tell you what it needs to stay healthy; you need to trust an expert instead!  That's what they're there for!  I know it's very, very scary to let somebody else control your eating, but believe me--if I had never done it, I'd still have an eating disorder and could be sick, dying, or dead.

i would love to see an expert but my doctor said that i can only get access to one if im in an eating disorders clinic and im not bad enough for that.

 if i had a professional directing me, i feel like i would listen.  im meant to be having cognitive behavioural therapy (im on anti depressants) but im having trouble contacting the guy! (he is off sick!).

i dont "feel" hungry but i cant stop thinking about food so when i tell myself i should eat and do, i could just kee going and going so i have to stop myself...is this a sign that i was actually hungry?

on a different note, i keep having a tight/sore chest that really hurts...is that a sign of not eating enough? xxx

I can relate. I wouldn't touch any of the grains (pasta, rice, potatoes, etc) during my ED. Now I eat whole wheat pasta at least 3 times a week, whole wheat bread daily, and potatoes!

The key is baby steps. You can't expect to go from an 800 calorie diet one day to a normal diet the next. Just try reintroducing one food at a time. For dinner tomorrow, try just a half cup of rice or pasta with your meal. When you're ready, try increasing the serving size or try a different food. You'll feel "braver" after trying/reintroducing more food. It gets easier.

You are hungrier when you eat more because you are giving your metabolism a kick start. While on your 800 calorie diet, your body adjusted itself to run on 800 calories. This means consuming muscle from your body in order to slow down the metabolism.

As for your chest pains, I would go to the hospital or doctor as soon as possible. As I mentioned earlier, when in starvation, the body consumes its own muscle: the heart muscle included. If your heart is stressed in addition to being consumed and weakened, you can go into cardiac arrest and or cause permanent damage.

If you have any more questions or need someone to talk to, don't be shy to message me. :)

I agree with muttlover--babysteps, and don't set irrational  goals. Another thing you could try is to eat the same foods you've been eating, but add a bit more to each portion. Later on, you can also start reintroducing items you had entirely cut out before. Since you say you have each of your meals well planned out, it shouldn't be too difficult to just add a little bit more to each meal. Good luck!