30 lb weight loss and now can't seem to quit eating

i lost around 30 pounds by restricting calories (down to 600 - 900...not healthy, i know). i am 5'4" and was 130 lbs...went to 98 lbs at my lowest. am now up to 106, which is probably in the healthy range for my height. however, it seems that even with a normal diet 1500 - 2000 calories, i gain weight. does anyone know if it is because i restricted for too long and now my metabolism is out of whack? also, i can't seem to quit snacking. i used to be so worried about what i ate...now, it seems like i can eat anything, but feel guilty later. any advice?

my guess would be that you're right about your metabolism being a bit slowed. I think what's important is that you're listening to your body and snacking when you're hungry. That's a good thing :). Its that intuitive eating that everyone around here is jealous for. I'm sure that as long as you're snacking healthily your metabolism will improve.

i don t know how small you are but 5 4  the normal weight should read 115-120lbs

i thinks you starved you body into that weight loss

and now gaing weight , eat please   ! enjoy food

Your BMI that I computed at 106  with you being 5'4 is 18.2..

Mildly underweight, but depending on your build you could still be okay. Youre metabolism has definitly slowed though. Work your way up to a healthy intake SLOWLY and be sure to be working out. Only a healthy amount of exercise though.  Otherwise weight gain can be expected. Once you boost your metabolism, you can maintain a healthy weight while consuming a healthy amount of calories. ;)

i would assume you're gaining weight because 106 is far to low for your body to maintain.  if you're going to try and stay on the low end you'll still have to boost your weight some.  106 is not your natural weight so there is no way you can maintain it eating a healthy amount. and staving is no way to live so just keep working out and eating healthy and you will look infinitely more fabulous and feel way better than at 106

I agree with everyone else who says that your body is likely trying to protect itself and get to a healthy weight. Especially if it feels at risk based on your diet.

Another thing to think about: I read a good article once and don't have the link (if I find it I'll edit the post) but it basically talked about a woman who was obese on 800 calories a day. She had been eating 800 calories - sometimes more during the weekend or if she binged - for such a long time that when she ate anything "normal" she would gain weight. Worse yet, she couldn't lose weight on 800 calories. The trainer started her on a program to increase her calories first to 1000 then to 1500. Obviously, like you, she gained weight. Most was water weight because her body didn't know how to handle the food. Some was real weight because her body didn't know how to handle the food. But when her system evened itself out, she started losing on 1500 calories a day.

So my conclusion is that you're likely in an adjustment phase. You know that you need to eat a minimum of 1200 calories or risk serious issues. So start there. And give yourself at least a month -- in which your body will likely gain -- for your body and metabolism to get itself working again. Then try to increase to a maintenance weight in which you have a daily deficit of no more than 250 calories. Better yet if you don't have a deficit.

Good luck

Another problem with short term severe calorie reduction is that you lose muscle, as your body needs fuel to exist and hence will metabolize your muscles.  Once you decide to increase calories and begin to gain weight unfortunately it comes back as fat.  So yes you may be slightly under weight and still have excess body fat.  You may want to add some muscle building activities if you're not already doing that. 

You're going to want to increase your workouts to cover part of extra calories you're consuming until you metabolism resets itself.

Walking, running, working up a sweat cleaning the house... Do whatever you need to do!  lol

Simple explantion for wanting to eat - you are really, really hungry!  You should aim to gain up to a healthy level of at least 115 pounds.  Try not to worry too much.  You've just overdone it a bit and can relax now.

Short answer is yes.  You are gaining weight eating the amount of calories that your body should be able to take for maintenance.  This is because you starved yourself.  This has temporarily slowed down your metabolism.  But have no fear.  It won't last forever.  You just need to give your body some time to realize that you are not starving yourself anymore and that it can start revving itself up again.  In the mean time, you might gain a little bit of weight.  And yes, the snacking and extreme hunger is your body's way of telling you that it needs food.  It's also your body's way of letting you know that it's starting to get it's hunger signals back.  This is a good thing.

Your body needs at least 1200 calories per day to survive. Here is a very rough scientific break down provided by a dietician for a  5' 2", 19 year old female weighing approximately 100 pounds, sitting around all day and doing nothing:


-The heart needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The kidney needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The Liver needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The brain needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The skeletal muscle needs 30% of the calories (360 cals)

Since most of us are not 5'2 and 100 pounds, that means most of us actually need more than that. 

Use the tools here on CC.  They will tell you how much you should be eating for your age, height, sex and weight.

As you are 5'4 and 106 you are a BMI of 18.2 which is underweight. To be in a healthy range for your height and considering you have been undereating previously, you should aim for a weight of 117lbs or so, a BMI of 20.

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 you may well be experiencing - as well as distorted perceptions and problems like Body Dysmorphic Disorder. And you've certainly described the last.

I would also say that you should go to your doctor as soon as possible - call and make an appointment tomorrow if you can. What you are describing screams disordered eating. For some online info on this, try http://www.something-fishy.org, and take a look through CC's Eating Disorders Health, Resources and Info Thread. But your most immediate concern should be your health - and for that that means you need to talk to your doctor about what you have done in restricting, honestly and fully, and to inquire about a check-up to make sure you have not done any serious damage.

To gain weight and restore your metabolism, you should aim for 2500 calories minimum no matter your weight or height. In gaining, calculators don't really apply. This number 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.

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. A good example meal plan of 2500 calories:
   Breakfast 650
   Snack 200
   Lunch 600
   Snack 200
   Dinner 600
   Snack 200
   With about 50 calories leeway wherever you want it
   Total 2500

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.

And it should be noted: while you can go for things like weights, resistance training and lighter exercises like yoga or pilates, cardiovascular exercise is counterproductive to weight gain and restoring your metabolism. If you exercise cardiovascularly during all of this you will need more than 2500 calories - aka, you will have to eat back anything you burn. And if your doctor says you should not exercise, don't.

No one should ever feel guilty for eating. You need to not only get physically healthy and well again but also to learn to love food once more, rather than associate negative feelings with it. But your doctor can help you with this, and so can family and friends. I hope this helps you, and good luck.

- Ellie/Lala.

thank you so much to everyone that replied...it is really great to have a place to go to talk and get such great advice!!