Help neded

Hi. Im 13 years old, and Im sufering from anorexia since 4 months ago.  I have lost 3 kilos since the begining of my treatment...Yes! I know, Ive been doing bad, but my mind  would not let me eat. But now Im wealing to gain all the weight necesary..Is just that im fed up of how I feel, so weak.

Im 164 cm (538.057742782 ft) and my weigh is 47 kg (103.6lbs). My ideal minium wieght is 51 kg (112.4lbs), this mean Im 5 kg under weight. I need to reach at least this weight...

can you please help..I need to know how many claories should I eat each meal...I eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner..

thanks!

Hi camilita, welcome to CC. First up, well done on facing recovery. It's no easy task to take that first step! I know what you mean about your mind not wanting you to eat - but you have to learn to stamp down on that voice and tell it where to poke it. :] Your BMI is very low, but 5kg is a doable thing. Generally, a good goal to gain weight is 2500 calories. This helps to push your metabolism into working order. You do not have to reach it within days, not even within the week, but it is a good endgoal. To reach that goal, a few suggestions:

1. High calorie, low density foods. These are foods that are as the name says - high in calories but low in bulk. These are not only vital in the sense that they can still easily be broken down by a stomach trying to mend itself but also because they add calories without adding bulk. Examples of these would be whole fat dairy, nuts and nut butters, avocado, oils like olive oil and canola (rapeseed) oil as two examples, oily fish, dried fruit and dense fruit like bananas as just a handful of examples. There are two threads stickied at the top of this forum: Support Recipes and The Official High-Cal Food List. The first of these is a list of example recipes that are tasty, high calorie and helpful in gaining. The second is a more general list of foods that will also help in gaining.
   
2. Eat your meals spaced out over the day - aim for about five to six total. Breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner, or switching one of those snacks for an evening snack would be an example. This is both to make it easier on your stomach and to help rev your metabolism. Do not skip them. If it is easier for you, devise a meal plan routine by yourself or with a nutritionist and stick with it.
   
3. This is an important one: do not weigh or measure yourself for two weeks when beginning refeeding. Why? Because our body will hold to a large amount of water initially. This water shows up on the scale, but is not a true indication of weight gain and will flush out after two weeks. However, seeing any increase can understandably be triggering for a recovering undereater and as such you should find someone to hide your scales and your measuring tapes until two weeks from managing a steady 2500. If numbers trigger you full stop, I highly recommend you steer clear of scales altogether and ask your doctor to blind weigh you.
   
4. If you eat a steady 2500, and then find you are maintaining or even losing weight, you will need to increase. Do not think about this just yet - just aim for 2500 first at a pace you feel comfortable with, managing either a couple of increases over a week or once a week from about 200-500 calories each increase.

The physical dangers that come with undereating and being underweight are numerous. You put yourself at risk of osteoporosis, of loss of fertility if you lose your period, hair loss, electrolyte problems, a weakening of the immune system, low blood pressure, blood disorders such as anemia, heart problems, and even death. From The Body Neglected: Between 5% and 20% of people who develop [anorexia] eventually die from it. The mental woes that come alongside can be just as devestating. Depression is common in undereaters, as well as distorted perceptions and problems like Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Do not worry about nutrition at this point. You will probably have a higher intake of everything compared to others - and really, comparing yourself to anyone else at all isn't the way to go. The only thing I personally think is worth watching in gaining is salt and trans fat, but any other nutrients and food groups? Don't worry about it. Aim for carbs, proteins, fruit or veg, healthy fats and dairy in all your meals over the day and take a full multivitamin as a buffer, and you'll be fine. Remember to treat yourself to what you might call less healthy from time to time and when you feel like it. Manage a balance. Think of food as your medicine to a healthier, happier you.

I assume you are working with a doctor already, but if you haven't please do go speak to them. They can help you set up a full meal plan. If your parents are on board, they are invaluable too - but parents normally are! I don't think it would be wise for you to do any activity right now, particularly as you are so young and still growing and the extra stress of such will likely not help you at all. Oh, and if you want some further online support, I suggest going to this website: http://www.something-fishy.org.

I hope this helps, and again, welcome to CC!

- Ellie.

Hi!! Thankk you a lot!

All you information was so usefull..

I have another thought.. When i reach my goal how would I maintain if Im used to eat so much food?

It's a common question, don't worry. Now, I know you're 13 and probably not too riveted by science (hey, neither am I!), but you might want to look here: Abnormal Caloric Requirements for Weight Maintenance in Patients with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa

Studies have been performed showing that recovering anorexics particularly require more calories both to gain and maintain than other ED groups, even on bedrest. You may find you need even more than 2500. I personally have to eat 3000-4000 calories just to make significant gains of weight. It sounds scary but is possible!

To gain on low numbers generally means that the metabolism isn't at working speed yet. It might feel alright for some, but you have to think: if this is what I am gaining on, what will I maintain on? By eating more now you can make sensible substitutions whenever the moment maintainance comes around comes around, and likely maintain on 2000, or even higher.

Right now you should not worry about maintainance at all but when it does come to the point you have to maintain, you would remove about three hundred calories from your intake at that time and eat that for a week, then seeing a week later if your weight is stable, or if you have lost. But really, do not think about it right now!

Ive just ate 3 pieces of vegetarian pizza (without the edge and some of thwe cheese).. I feel terrible! My mind is just telling me that Im gonna get like a pig...Helpp me erase those thoughts! pleasee

relax. take a deep breath and breathe. you're going to be okay!

if you need someone to talk to - i'll be here for you!

At your age, I really think you should be seeing a nutritionist and getting support from your parents.  What do they think?

Thanks a lot for those word danielle!!!!!!!

For_zev...im already going to a nutricnist. And well you may imagine what my parents think about..they are really worried, but they are giving all their support so thta i can recuperate!!!...

THIS PAGE IS AWESOME.. THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPORT!

Hey Everyone

I havent posted for a while..

I have a question about snack..How many should i be eaten? How many calories should my snacks have?

Right now Im eating two snacks, one at the morning and one at afertnoon. The calories they have vary between 130-170. Should I continue like this? Or should I pur them more calories?

What does your nutritionist say?

Well we dont that much abpur calories... And im planing to change, as she is a little to expensive. ..

What do you think about my snacks? Good or bad?... Tell me YOUR opinion

It really depends on how big your meals are. If you're eating a ~800 calorie breakfast, lunch and dinner and then your two snacks at that range then sure, that'd be fine, as that'd bring you to 2500. But if you're not eating that much, then I suggest having something more like:

EXAMPLE 1 - 2500 CALORIES

Breakfast 600

Snack 1 300

Lunch 500

Snack 2 300

Dinner 500

Snack 3 300

EXAMPLE 2 - 2500 CALORIES

Breakfast 550

Snack 1 300

Lunch 550

Snack 2 300

Dinner 550

Snack 3 250

Both of these would bring you to 2500 calories for the day without you getting overly full at each meal. It is very easy to reach each of those numbers while using high cal low density foods, and even then an average dinner should equal 400-500 calories anyway so it's easy to chalk that number up. 300 calories is a handful of nuts, or some whole fat greek yoghurt with nuts mixed in, wedges of whole fat cheese and some grapes, squares of chocolate... it's plenty to have fun with!