**pics**finally recovered--reached goal weight after ED and looking to maintain...opinions welcomed

Please don't be mean or put me down for wanting to maintain. this has been a long hard road and i am finally happy, i have posted pictures on my profile that you're free to look at, one of them is a bit misleading because my arms are raised so i look skinnier than i actually am. anyway, i would love any feedback and thoughts, i've gained about 15 pounds or a bit more and i am happy now!! please share any thoughts at all!! :)

Congratulations on overcomming ED. It takes a lot of courage and maturity to recognize that you have a problem and fix it. I wish you the best of luck.

P.S. Yes you look great!

UD

thanks so much..that makes me feel really good :) i'm happy that other people don't think i still look ill, and i feel great too so that's what's most important!! i wish you well on your journey as well!! :)

hi hun, good job, so far.  what is ur current weight, hight, bmi?

i honestly think u can gain some more, i can see ur ribs which in my opinion, is not a good thing.  id say u can/should, gain some more but ur getting there, keep it up!  i think ull look better w a bit more tho!

Original Post by agruskin:

hi hun, good job, so far.  what is ur current weight, hight, bmi?

i honestly think u can gain some more, i can see ur ribs which in my opinion, is not a good thing.  id say u can/should, gain some more but ur getting there, keep it up!  i think ull look better w a bit more tho!

i think i'll keep that ambiguous, and the picture you're looking at is one with my arms raised which would of course expose my ribs, most people who are slender would have their ribs showing if they took a picture the way i did, i think the others are a better judge, say the one's with jeans or with my arms down a bit. i am at a comfortable weight for me, i am not at all against the idea of gaining a bit more, but i definitely don't think it's a MUST!  I want to shift my focus from my weight to the functionality of my body and my own feelings of acceptance!! i hope you can understand that. i would tell you my height, weight,bmi but i'd be judged and that's not why i'm on here. i will NEVER reach a bmi of 20, because i was never naturally that size, and my mother, at 5'2 has been 110-115 pounds my entire life, and all she does is sleep and eat...literally. it's just not likely and i don't want people thinking that this is ED talking because honestly the weight doesn't scare me all that much, it's more of the way my body functions and how i feel in it. :) thanks for the reply though. and this was not meant to be combative so i apologize if it came across that way!

I think you look great! Congratulations on overcoming the ED!! :) I believe you when you say that you can never reach a BMI of 20. You kind of seem have the specific body shape of someone who is naturally petite. I have seen that in one or two friends of mine as well. If you gained a bit, you would still look good, but I imagine the question is whether you actually could.

Also, I wouldn't dare judge you, because it's clear to me from your post on all kind of topics that you know a lot about nutrition and from that I guess you know what you're doing.

Keep it up, I hope you'll always feel good in your body from now on! :)

Congratulations! This must have been so hard. You're very strong!

How much better do you feel phisically and mentally? 

oh my gosh...physically...i feel so strong and full of energy...i feel vibrant and healthy again, but usually i also feel a bit bloated which can be uncomfortable. i don't think my body has yet to fully get used to being stuffed all the time. i eat what i like though and like what i eat, unfortunately that leads to some bloating and discomfort. MENTALLY...wow..i have come such a long way. i still have family problems and the like but i am starting to realize that those things aren't deficiencies that i need to bare the burden of, i can be happy and that's okay. i don't have to walk around moping all day because no one loves me, i can love myself and i WILL learn to accept myself in my entirety. i still have quite a ways to go, but now i'm actually WILLING to do what it takes, whereas before i didn't care enough to attend to my needs. 

thanks for the compliment on my knowledge!! :) i was a a teaching assistant for physiological science and i really learned a lot. i seek out reputable information and never give advice i haven't verified by some reputable source. i also try to apply those principles to my own diet/exercise choices. i've researched ED recovery in addition to reading what people on here, with real life experiences have to say. it provides a balance and helps to put the theory into concrete real world scenarios. anyway, thanks a ton for the replies. i really do appreciate it.

Okay, HOW did you get your stomach to be that flat?!!! My stomach looks like i'm 2-3 months pregnant while the rest of my body is toning. 

Original Post by maria1215:

Okay, HOW did you get your stomach to be that flat?!!! My stomach looks like i'm 2-3 months pregnant while the rest of my body is toning. 

omg...are you serious? it seems like a pudgy gross belly, but if it is flat then it's only the effect of sleep. i had just woken up. once a meal gets put in there i look like i'm 8 MONTHS pregnant...no joke. thanks for the compliment though! :) that made my day!

It looks pretty flat, plus the jewelry looks kool. I'll shut up now. lol

UD

Original Post by umneydurak:

It looks pretty flat, plus the jewelry looks kool. I'll shut up now. lol

UD

well thanks!! i like the jewelry too, it removes a bit of the insecurity....question...you live in irvine?? that's really nearby!!

good for you!!! Congrats! I think you look amazing!

thanks a ton!! i am getting showered with compliments today, it really does feel nice. thanks everyone for the encouragement :)

You look great! Your body looks more toned rather than skeletal, your stomach is lovely and flat and you just look really good in general :)

I think you look great and what matters most is that you feel good and are happy with yourself.  Good for you!!!  

Original Post by chrissy1988:

Original Post by umneydurak:

It looks pretty flat, plus the jewelry looks kool. I'll shut up now. lol

UD

well thanks!! i like the jewelry too, it removes a bit of the insecurity....question...you live in irvine?? that's really nearby!!

Yep, I moved here couple years ago.

UD

t_legge...you are so right. what matters most is not how i am received by others but how i feel about myself. but of course, we are all victims of our society and often times overly obsessed with other people's perceptions of us...it really does suck and we would be much happier and healthier if we could look to ourselves to find that approval instead of searching outward. hmmm...maybe my goals should include something along those lines. :)

this is so inspirational! as i am in the process of recovery, posts like this really do motivate.

well done and i hope you acihieve what you want.

ps >> quick question - do u still exercise?/weight train.?

i have recently started an exercise routine, yes, but i wouldn't recommend it while recovering. i can answer any questions that you might have!! i love to help people and i try to be relatable. i do weight train, i think it's important in order to get my muscle tone back. i lost A LOT of muscle during anorexia, and my skin was saggy and old looking. now i have a perky bum and boobies, a bloated belly [lol...it's not too bad though], but overall i am much more feminine and womanly. i am happier that's for sure. feel free to send me a message if you'd like!