Would love some advice:)

Hello!!

Well, I am very confused, just need some advice!

After eating too little for 7 years and big fluctuations in my weight I learned that my body was in starvation mode and decided eating more. Since april 9th I jumped from 600 calories a day to 1200 (1st week), 1400 (next 6 weeks), 1600 (next 3 weeks), 2000 (last week) and have been gaining weight gradually (in total 14 pounds). I would like to know if there is anyone that passed through the same thing or similar and the body actually got back to normal and got used to normal amounts of calories!

Do you think I should start dropping the calories to start losing weight or hold 1 more week on 2000 calories and then try cut calories?

I exercise 6 days a week and am 5'4'', 23 years old, 130 lbs.

Monday and Thrusday- 15 minutes lifting weights upperbody, walking 45 minutes, 1 hour yoga.

Tuesday and Friday- 15 minutes strength training lowerbody, walking 45 minutes, 1 hour yoga.

Wednesday and Saturday- 1 hour yoga, 45 minutes walking.

Anyone has any advice? I would really apprecciate some help!

Thank you very much for your time,

Anne.

Have you actually used any equations to see how many  you should be eating each day?  Not just taking a guess?  I have them at home, but it appears that you are about my height and weight...and probably the same activity level...and I came up with about 1300 as my basal metabolic rate, or the amount of calories my body will burn on its own during the day, if I do NOTHING...  so I shoot for about that (usually 1200) and any exercise is just an added bonus... (course I do try to work out, either yoga, taekwondo, run daily or at least 4 times a week).  600 calories is crazy!  how did you not pass out from lack of food?  I would!

Hope this helps.  I'll try to get the equations up here in the next day or so for you.

Hi cblegendre!

Yes, I checked all the calculators on the net and always come up that I need to eat between 1700- 2000 depending on how much exercise I do.

I have no ideia how I didnt pass out, it was just normal for me, I didnt know that it was so wrong!

Thank you very much for replying!

Hey anne, 

I used to eat about that much and became severely anorexic, and when I started eating a "normal" amount I quickly went from 90 to 98ish pounds (but being almost 5'8 I had a ways to go!), things leveled off though, and I eventually had to eat a ton to gain, and so I stopped gaining at 2000 or whatnot. Gaining on such a minimal number is just a result of your metabolism all out of whack, and at least for me, was only a short term thing. I would eat 2000 for a bit longer, just to get your metabolism back to normal. I'm not sure if you need to gain or not, not knowing what you weigh and all that, but if you do need to gain weight I would eat more that 2000, but if you just need to maintain 2000 is quite a dandy number. Best of luck to you! 

Thank you very much Toridl for replying!

How long did it take for you to stop gaining weight?

Yes, I think I probably will stay on 2000 until I stop gaining... But its taking so long, its hard to see the scale going up and my clothes getting so tight... nothing fits anymore!

Hey, well I NEEDED to gain a ton of weight, but I began gaining by myself and was real unsure so did 2000 calories, and was able to put on a bit of weight for about 3 weeks, but then it stopped and my metabolism went real crazy and I needed over 3500 cals a day. But things are normal now, and I know what you mean about your clothes getting tight- it is tough, but I promise it will be worth it in the end! No one can live comfortably on eating so few calories, I know I missed out on a lot of great dinners/parties/etc. because I was afraid of eating more, and now never miss out. So good luck! You can do it! 

Thank you very much for the support, Toridl!It is really important!:)