questions!

okay recovering anorexia patient, for the past 3 days i've been binging alot so i have some questions to ask

1) what should i do if i have eaten too much fatty food in the past few days? (cookies, cakes, biscuits)

2) will i gain massive amounts of weight?

3) will i absorb all the calories and nutrients from the food i eat?

4) are oat digestive biscuits healthy?

5) if i revert back to a more controlled meal plan (2000 - 2500)calories? will my weight return to what it was?

   recently my binges have been like from (3000 - 5000 calories)

6) what are healthy snacks i can eat?

7) if i binged alot at one go, does the food all get absorbed or some of it is rejected cause it's an overload of food?

thanks!

If you're recovering from anorexia your body needs plenty of energy and will send you out to find it if it thinks there's a lull in the supply.   You've suppressed your appetite in the past with disastrous results and now it's making up for lost time.   Really don't fight this need to eat a lot ('binge' is very a negative word) or think that it makes you unusual.... it's quite natural and, as you continue to recover, it'll ease off.  Go with the flow.

1.  If you've eaten a lot of cakes and biscuits eat normally afterwards.  Never think you have to compensate in any way..... ie. 'burning off the calories' with exercise or eating very little. 

2.  If you're recovering from anorexia, gaining weight rather goes with the territory.  Anticipate it and be comfortable with it.  It takes sustained amounts of extra energy day in and day out to gain permanent weight....  Three days is nothing.

3.  Yes, your body will be efficiently absorbing every scrap of nutrition from everything you eat.  That's why the human race has been so successful.... being omnivorous means we can turn a huge range of different edible substances into useable energy.  Clever, eh?

4.  "There are no bad foods, only bad diets"...... Every type of food has some nutritional merit, even if it's pure energy.  Digestive biscuits are a perfectly good food. As long as you're eating plenty of other things... meat, fish, grains, vegetables, fruit etc.... then enjoy the cakes and biscuits as well

5.  If you're on a 2000-2500 cal diet with the objective to gain weight and recover your health then you are unlikely to lose weight on that amount.  3000-5000 calories for many recoverers from AN is their normal diet....   If you're comfortable eating more, it may be a signal that you need more on a regular basis. Talk to your doctor or whoever is supervising your recovery and see how you can make the best of this turn of events.

6.  "There are no bad foods, only bad diets".... again, try not to write off certain foods as 'unhealthy' as this limits your options and creates restriction.  Things like fruit, nuts, dried fruit, cereal bars and cheese are great snacks.... but so is good quality chocolate, ice-cream or a few biscuits.  Mix it up and enjoy it all. 

7. Unless you are physically ill in some way that affects your digestion... you've got vomiting or diarrhoea, for example.....  your body will make the best use of everything you give it to eat. (See 3.)

Hope that helps 

I think GIJane has covered it effectively, but in case you need more affirmation...

1) what should i do if i have eaten too much fatty food in the past few days? (cookies, cakes, biscuits) You are recovering from AN. You don't need to worry about having too much fatty food - it is good that you get a decent percentage of fats. I also think allowing yourself to eat those foods is a really important part of recovery. Moderation might be better for you though mentally, so you don't end up questioning yourself like you are right now.

2) will i gain massive amounts of weight? You will gain weight, yes. And it may feel massive. But its never as much as you think. You need to learn that the ED will try to manipulate and distort your perception of yourself. Also, weight does fluctuate. You need to accept the changes that will come and realize that while it may not feel so great all the time, the end result is worth all the effort.

3) will i absorb all the calories and nutrients from the food i eat? Pretty much. Your body is going to put every calorie and nutrient to good use though - rebuilding and restoring your organ tissues, muscle mass, brain function. Some people do have some malabsorption issues in the beginning (I did) but it may or may not happen to you.

4) are oat digestive biscuits healthy? Every food has its nutritional value. If you like the oat digestives, there is no reason not to have them. Just make sure you get plenty of other good stuff too - proteins from fish/meat, nuts/nut butters/oils, fruits, veggies, whole grain breads/pastas, whole-fat dairy. Cookies and the like are great ways to help get your calories in, but they shouldn't be the mainstay of your diet every day. Not to say having a few days here and there where you have chocolate two or three times isn't okay (I've done it!)

5) if i revert back to a more controlled meal plan (2000 - 2500)calories? will my weight return to what it was? recently my binges have been like from (3000 - 5000 calories)

The minimum for a weight gaining diet is 2500, so you should not go below that period. Please don't say you are binging. Your body is coming out of the starvation setting, its natural for you to want to eat. Binge eating is an emotional problem, and I do not think that is what is causing you to eat. Its because you are listening to your body's hunger.

That being said, I need 3000-4000 calories a day consistently to gain a pound a week. If you feel comfortable eating that much, there's no reason not to. It could very well just be what your body is going to need to recover.

6) what are healthy snacks i can eat? You can eat whatever you want as a snack. I understand wanting some healthy options though. I like having a bowl yogurt with PB or almonds, and dried fruit or a banan with honey, or with a crumbled lara or clif bar. Also good is a bowl of cereal with fruit/nuts/PB or cottage cheese with PB and fruit. If you're more of a savoury person, try crackers with cheese and hummus, or a sandwich. I will say though, I do have dark chocolate and ice cream as well for desserts.

7) if i binged alot at one go, does the food all get absorbed or some of it is rejected cause it's an overload of food?

Honestly, I think it depends on the state of your body right now. Several times, after increasing my calories, I experienced my body essentially flushing itself out. Not pleasant. This may or may not happen to you, I don't know. Even still though, your body does its best to make use of the calories its given.

erm sorry i have further questions! please help!

1) what if i have been taking alot of chocolate biscuits (empty calories)?

2) before anorexia i was rather muscular and had high metabolism. after i recover will be metabolism revert back to what it was previously? or higher or lower?

3) should i straight away eat A 3000-5000 calorie diet to boost my metabolism or should i increase my calorie intake slowly?

4) does eating food in high fat content make you fatter than eating carbs and protein?

5) sometimes i feel like eating although i'm not even hungry and i start eating alot at one go (2000-3000 calories in 1hr?) is this normal? will it cause weight gain?

THANKS alot(:

stop asking questions and worrying sweetie, it will only harm you. focus on eating and getting well. eat, ignore the ed thats making you paranoid. remember you NEED fats and you need to gain. x

stop asking questions and worrying sweetie, it will only harm you. focus on eating and getting well. eat, ignore the ed thats making you paranoid. remember you NEED fats and you need to gain. x

I understand the need to ask questions. i was filled with them as I started my own recovery. You've got to have faith and stop worrying.

1) what if i have been taking alot of chocolate biscuits (empty calories)?

At the end of the day or week - a calorie is a calorie. If you're eating enough to gain, you will. You could eat 3,000 calories worth of cookies or 3,000 calories worth of fruits and veggies. Neither is going to cause more or faster weight gain than the other. However, it really is a good idea to try to get a well-rounded diet. If you're getting at least 1/2-2/3 of your calories in from hearty foods - its okay to make up the rest with fun stuff.

2) before anorexia i was rather muscular and had high metabolism. after i recover will be metabolism revert back to what it was previously? or higher or lower?

No one can really predict that to a T, not even a doctor. It is generally safe to say that with full recovery, your body will go back to its normal self. Do keep in mind there WILL be a period of time that your body is going to need to redistribute the weight you gain. So for a few weeks, even a month, you might not feel quite like yourself, but the weight DOES redistribute back into organ tissues, muscle and bone mass. It just takes  a bit of time. Be patient. Your metabolism will be the same way - it might be a little screwy for a bit but it should pretty much go back to normal.

3) should i straight away eat A 3000-5000 calorie diet to boost my metabolism or should i increase my calorie intake slowly?

Depends on where you are at physically. If you are very, very underweight, it is best to work up to 2500 first and see from there. Too much at once can overwhelm a malnourished body and cause organ failure, cardiac arrest or other refeeding issues. If you have already been eating 2500-3000, you are better off keeping it there so you don't send your body into shock after its adjusted to getting that much. All things said - you need to increase at your own pace and what you feel you can handle without having it cause you to step backwards. 2500 is a minimum to start with, up and beyond from there. 5,000 is a bit much to jump to though. Something we need to learn in recovery is moderation - with the way we eat (enough, not too little!) and exercise (not too much!) and making a huge jump could confuse your body.

4) does eating food in high fat content make you fatter than eating carbs and protein?

Once again. A calorie is a calorie. Eating fat does not make you fat, and eating protein will not make you gain muscle. No matter where your calories come from, they are all going to be initially stored as fat, until they get used up for restoring and rebuilding your body. Accept it and deal with it. That being said - you need to get 25-35% of your calories from fat whilst in ED recovery. Fats are necessary in restoring cellular integrity, organ mass, and brain and hormone function.

5) sometimes i feel like eating although i'm not even hungry and i start eating alot at one go (2000-3000 calories in 1hr?) is this normal? will it cause weight gain?

This sounds like it might be problematic for you - especially if yo are feeling badly about it afterwards. If you haven't been eating enough, it is natural for your body to recognize that its being fed and want you to continue to eat. But if you are eating out of boredom thats a bit different and you should probably try to stick to scheduled meals and snacks so you don't start a whole new problem, or end up causing yourself to relapse. You might want to consider seeing a therapist to help you deal with and understand your "all or nothing" mentality about food.

so actually it doesn't matter what i eat it's only the calorie value that counts?

i'm eating lots of chocolate biscuits, cakes and cookies does it matter?

...Like G-Jane said:

4.  "There are no bad foods, only bad diets"...... Every type of food has some nutritional merit, even if it's pure energy.  Digestive biscuits are a perfectly good food. As long as you're eating plenty of other things... meat, fish, grains, vegetables, fruit etc.... then enjoy the cakes and biscuits as well

And as I said - its perfectly OK to have those things, as long as you are getting at least 2/3 of your daily calories from solid, nutritious sources IE whole grains, veggies, nuts/nut butters, whole fat dairy, proteins. If you've gotten a good basic lunch in but it needs another 200 calories, by all means eat a few cookies with it. Cookies and cakes should NOT be meals in and of themselves, rather in addition to, or as part of a snack.

this is what i have eaten today

breakfast: 1 loakers packet(nutella flavour) - 8 biscuits

lunch: oatmeal( 1.5 bowl)

snack: 3 loakers packet
       &nb sp;   1 gigantic chocolate cookie
       &nb sp;   10 chocolate wafer sticks
       &nb sp;   2 chocolate pralet(french chocolate cake)
       &nb sp;   1 pocky(chocolate)
       &nb sp;   2 hello panda packets

dinner: 2 slices bread
       &nb sp;    1 serving salmon

is this okay?
i binged on the snacks. i know. but is my mp acceptable or should i reduce on snacks (the problem is even if i eat more for my 3 meals i will still binge on snacks?)

I have no idea what a loaker's packet is?

But you need more proteins and healthy fats, complex carbs. Having fruits, veggies, good sources of protein etc WILL help you stop the snack-food-binging. You might not believe it, but half the reason you are binging is probably because you aren't getting enough nutrients with breakfast and lunch.

I just looked up loackers. They are cookies? Goodness. Cookies are NOT breakfast. No wonder you feel out of control. OK. Try something like this:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal cooked in 1 cup whole milk and either 2TBS peanut butter OR a tablespoon each of peanut butter and nutella (since you like your sweets) and 1 cup strawberries (about 550)

Snack: 1 cup whole milk yogurt with 1TBS honey, 1 large banana, 1/2 oz almonds (about 12) (400)

Lunch: 2 slices whole meal bread (should be 100 cal. per slice), 1/4 cup tuna mixed with eitehr 1/2 TBS mayo or 1TBS avocado or salad dressing (300) 1/2 cup cooked broccoli (or 1 cup raw baby carrots) with 2TBS hummus (75) plus a 200 calorie dessert. (575)

Snack: 1 cup whole milk yogurt, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 serving pocky (530) (tried to give you some of your sweets! but dried fruit IS nature's candy)

Dinner: 3oz salmon, 1 cup pasta with 1/2 cup cooked veggies and 1TBS salad dressing. 200 calorie dessert. (650)

This menu gives you 2700 calories.

what if i eat empty calories for snacks?

and i tend to overeat on snacks even if i'm full i can't seem to stop? how?

1. You shouldn't eat JUST empty calories for snacks. If you tried eating more whole and nutritious food, even for a few days - you would find that it IS actually more satiating than just cookies alone. Eat a few cookies, but have a yogurt with some nuts and fruit too. K? That way, you won't feel like you've been binging on junk.

2. I've never personally had this problem. From my own observations, a few things seem to be helpful:

Give yourself ONLY the portion you want to have. Put the rest away. Sit in a different room while eating so you don't have the temptation to get up and go grab more..

Eat good, full meals that are rich in protein, fats and complex carbs. Should help curb the junk food craving if you get a good start because your body won't be going into the sugar crash that makes you crave.

Talk to a therapist or other mental health professional. To me, it sounds like  you are having issues with overcoming the black/white all or nothing thinking. I can help you come up with a meal plan and tell you to follow it to a T, but if you can't adhere to it - no words typed across a screen can help you. You know that you aren't hungry. You know you should stick to a healthy eating plan that has SOME treats but that they should not be your main source of calories. If you don't give yourself the ability and power to say "I can stick to this. I can do this." - what can anyone on this board truly do for you, if you aren't going to help yourself?

*Hollers "here here"* in response to rebel's advice. As much as I'd like to believe otherwise at times, only you can do this for yourself.

i over ate junk food again!!!

breakfast: 12 chocolate wafers
       &nb sp;           3 subway double chocolate chip cookies
       &nb sp;           3 oat biscuits

how?!! i feel so horrible. my mum keeps buying cakes and cookies and biscuits for me and i end up bingeing on them?!

i want to gain muscles instead of fats. what should i do?!!

i want to gain muscles instead of fats. what should i do?!!

 The opposite of what you're doing now.

Eat regularly. Space out your meals and eat meals of WHOLE, CLEAN foods at least six times a day with no more than three hours in between each. Dump the junk food as much as possible - just ask your mom to stop buying it for pete's sake! No wonder you feel awful - you are virtually eating a 100% empty calorie diet with no nutrients or minerals to sustain you or support healthy growth. You need protein. You need whole grains. GOSH, you need real food. I hate to be so blunt, but that's the truth.

Weight lifting will also aid in muscle gain but you MUST, MUST, MUST eat enough. Otherwise your body will only burn up the muscle tissue you already have and you will end up even worse off. Eat lots, lift heavy.

When I began recovery, I decided to start Clean Eating and have been following it ever since - nearly three years now. I have never felt better and it has made gaining so much easier since I gained over 15 pounds, yet put on very little fat whatsoever.

Here's what I ate today...

Breakfast - Blueberry bran-flax pancakes with unsalted almond butter, fresh strawberries, and an egg white omelet.

Snack - Sprouted grain toast with peanut butter, an apple, and no-salt-added cottage cheese mixed with plain nonfat yogurt.

Lunch - Tuna pita sandwich (sprouted grain pita round, tuna salad [tuna, plain yogurt, herbs, celery, red onion, feta cheese, pesto], tomatoes, lettuce, and red pepper hummus), green beans, a bell pepper with salsa, kidney beans.

Snack - Blackberries, pistachios, almonds, cashews, and peanuts, Ezekiel bread, and plain nonfat Greek yogurt.

Dinner - Sauteed chicken breast with spices and herbs, a corn tortilla, organic low-sodium black refried beans, green beans, peas, a bell pepper with salsa, and some pistachios.

Snack - Plain yogurt mixed with cottage cheese and lots of ground flaxseeds, a small banana, and some raw almonds.

I can maintain on this since I'm very active (running, swimming, and weights most days). This is 3,000 calories all together. It's 100% real homemade food and 100% delicious. It's about 30% protein, 25% fats (from nuts and seeds), and 45% complex carbs.

Give clean eating a try - you WILL feel better. You can start slow (clean out your pantry and fridge, etc.) but the sooner the better.

help?!!

i can't help it. my body keeps sending chocolate cravings and i keep eating till i'm overfilled. today instead on bingeing on empty calories i ate fruits till i was full but i still had chocolate cravings and in the end i ate like 12bars of chocolate wafer to curb the cravings??

why's my body so screwed!!! help!

i used to have oat cravings now it has changed to chocolate?

I can't add any more advice re: clean eating, to what has already been posted.

What I will say is please PLEASE PLEASE seek professional help if you haven't already done so.

Your doctor is probably the first person you should see.  He / she should then be able to refer you to a counsellor or dietitian for further help and advice.

You do sound as if you have a sort of mental block that needs sorting.

Please go out there and get the help you need - it is there, you only have to take it upon yourself to go and seek it.

The very best of luck to you.

Original Post by breathesofhope:

i can't help it. my body keeps sending chocolate cravings

why's my body so screwed!!! help!

 You do not get "cravings". You do not HAVE to eat that food.

I agree with waycat that you may have some sort of mental issue here.

what happens if i eat empty calorie food as snacks to gain weight(on top of main meals?) instead of eating more healthy snacks?