increasing sodium and incresing calories.

hey all i have been at 2000 cals for over 3 weeks now and have went from a bmi in the high 12 range and now i am mid 13 bmi so about 4.5 lbs.

think i am to up it tomorow as i ahvent gained an ounce in 3 days now. i am terrified to up it. and ed is telling me not to, and 'maintain' this sick weight. ugh. i WANT t gain myhealth back and be happy and have enerygy again. and i know my body is crying out for more nourishment and weight.

is a 200 increase to small...ive always done it that way, but in IP it was 350 every increase. i am stuck and i guess i just need to SUCK it up and do it asap. i dont want my ed  to get so commfy at this place i am in.

and any advice on adding more sodium easily, and not overwhelming, i ahve a fear of salt or atleast my anorexia is so so so afraid of going over XXX amt. so dangerous. and i need and want to conquer, has anyone had this struggle and how did you get over it?

xo

Hey, are you the same Maya from Pistachios and Rainbows (the blog)? If you are - hey! I just started reading yesterday and I think your blog is really great. I noticed you were stuggling a lot though, and I'm glad you came here for help because there are a ton of experienced, smart girls on here who would love to give you some advice; myself included.

A BMI of 13 is deadly. I'm very surprised you are not hospitalized right now. I'm not saying that to be abrubt or rude, I'm just very concerned. I didn't realise your weight was so low. Are you regularly seeing a doctor? I have faith that you can overcome your ED if you truly try and commit but don't be afraid to ask for help. Your life could depend on it.

How often are you adding 200? Every day? Every week? What is your current intake to begin with? Sorry for asking so many questions, it would just help me to better answer your question if I knew the basics. When I increased initially I went straight to 2,200 and added from there. Eventually I reached 3,000 and that is what I ended up needing, but everybody is different so don't think that you will FOR SURE need that much (or that little if you end up needing more).

How much salt/sodium are you getting now? It's probobly the easiest thing to add since it's in almost everything. Even naturally in things like eggs, dairy products, seafood, certain vegetables, etc. If you don't buy a lot of packaged foods and prefer to cook at home, just use a modest amount of sea salt instead of nixing it altogether. You will be amazed at how much it enchances the flavor of your dishes. I usually get about 1,800 to 2,400mg a day and I need it since I'm also very athletic. I'd say if you're getting virtually no sodium, then at least try to get 1,400mg. If you're active you'll likley need more. Remember, sodium is an essential mineral so don't deprive yourself! And don't even worry about bloating! Unless you're getting upwards of 3,500mg or so you probobly won't have anything too noticeable. And salt DOES NOT make you gain weight.

wow!! you are very very very very ill...sorry for the emphasis but you should be an inpatient facility...not seeking advice on this forum. we would love to support you here but i think for your safety that you need to confide in an adult or someone who can hold you accountable. I would presume that your heart is very week, your blood pressure low, and at any moment you could collapse. Not to try and scare you. 

you CANNOT maintain that weight and expect to live a long and healthy life. you are killing yourself sweetie. 200 calories is not enough...YOU'RE NO LONGER GAINING AND YOU'RE STILL ILL. please begin eating at LEAST 2500 calories starting now. thats a minimum recommended intake to gain and you've been doing 2000 which is why it has stopped so soon. you have quite a bit of weight to gain and you will still be thin when you reach a healthy weight...but keyword is that you'll be HEALTHY when you reach a healthy weight.

everyone has these fears when recovering. EVERYONE!! but the thing is that when your weight is this low you can't think rationally, your brain is simply not functioning optimally because it requires fat in the diet to sustain its connections and to send messages. you don't have enough of that. the only way to overcome the fear is to simply do it and see that it's not the end of the world. you'll still be living, breathing, and the world will be turning if you eat enough to get healthy.

you deserve to be happy, strong, healthy, and a life that's not fueled by irrational thoughts about food and weight. just increase your calories, if 200 is all you're comfortable with for now then do that for 2 days and then bump it to 2500 but really you should be eating 2500 or more NOW. if you need support please PM me...i'm not trying to be harsh just direct and honest.

thank you girly :) yes i am maya from pistachios and rainbows, btw i checked out ur blog a while back and i want u to make me your pancakes, okay ? :) hehe. you are so smart and i really admire your food philosophy.

well...

well yes, i know i am surprised i am home and not in  IP at my weight, but i think i can and i am determined, and with my doctor, therapist and phych. and motivation, etc...i feel it is possible. but ip is always an option if worst comes to worst i suppose. but as i said i know i can do it.

in september, 6 weeks ago, i increased 200-250 every 5-8 days to get to 2000 and then  the past 3 weeks i have been at 2000 cals still and about 4 ish lbs. so i guess my body is holding on to the cals bc its so malnourished...but i gained 2.5 lbs the first week and about 1 each other

i know i need to increase soon, as my weight has been at the same for 3 days now. so i suppose its slowing down and plateauing on this amt.and i want to jump start my metab so i can get it healthy again i was at about 18 bmi in june 09 and may this year after re-feefing at home i got up to 2800. in the end of june i relapsed and lost over 25 lbs in 7 weeks. alot happened, it was horrible.

yes! soo true about the sodium, and so smart. i know rationally it is all bull this fear, and i know nothing will happen if i go over my "safe" (scary dangerous 200 mg or less a day i dont know how i manage it. but it restricts what I really want to eat. main goal, but it is also vital for my very low blood pressure and brain functions i suppose. just mainly salt from veggies, granola, non dairy milk, and greek yogurt. counting mg's from veggies, i dont even know why?? its not healthy at all. and hindering so much of my recovery and weight gain/food fears and moving forward in life.

and thank you chrissy! i think your advice about getting to 2500 is a great idea and def what is needed. at a weight like this i see i can not think rationally.

xx

Salt is a basic element and essential for health. The recommended daily amount is 2400mg a day which gives a lot of scope.   Over a long time... 40 or 50 years,..... a diet that contains excessive salt might be an issue.  But for someone in your situation being severely and dangerously underweight trumps the microscopic risks of eating salt.

The Romans used to get salt as part of their wages... hence the word 'salary'.  Pickling foods in salt to preserve them gives us the word 'salad'.   Mahatma Ghandi famously protested against the colonial monopoly on salt production by making his own sea salt.  Salt is not a bad thing.

Many people with anorexia pick 'bad' nutrients to give them a cockeyed rationale for avoiding foods..... Ranges from fears of fat and sugar to adopting a vegan or 'raw food' diet.  All boils down to the same thing.  You need 2500 cals a day to start gaining weight again and salt is going to be a perfectly healthy part of that mix. 

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