rant- my nutritionist is useless!!!

I'm in recovery from anorexia. My lowest weight was 87 lbs @ 5' .5" but was stopped early by my family and have gained to 95 lbs. My doctor says 100 is a good goal weight, so I just want to gain the last few lbs and be DONE WITH IT.

So, I went to see a nutritionist today because I wanted advice on how to stop counting calories (though I have gotten MUCH better) and have some other, healthy way to judge a good intake (ie food groups, etc). After I told her what I ate on a typical day, she basically said "You're underweight, trying to gain, so just stop counting calories. This is stupid, just stop and you'll be fine. Then eat more to gain." I was like "WOW that's brilliant! That's how you recover from anorexia! EAT MORE. Yeah." (Well thinking this, I was much nicer to her face lol.) She almost made me cry by ridiculing my way of thinking because of the ED. She was extremely rude and unsympathetic about WHY I actually count calories- because I have a medical disorder that affects my health and well-being and makes me obsess over food. This woman made me tear up over MEASURING PEANUT BUTTER.

Sorry for the rant, but I was curious if anyone has had similar experiences in recovery. Sadly, most people (professionals included) just do not understand about eating disorders. They think we just want to be skinny... which is not what anorexia is about, deep down.

Aren't there nutritionists that specialize in folks with eating disorders? I know my sister had one. It's like sending a person with major depression to a therapist and all they can say is "GEEZ stop moping around. Just snap out of it"

exactly! I hope to be able to find a nutritionist who can give me constructive advice as opposed to "just eat and don't worry." I do have a great therapist and a supportive, helpful doctor, so there had to be some professional I encountered who wasn't good :P

Hooboy. I haven't yet been to a nutritionist but will hopefully be seeing one next week - though if the present track record of the clinic my therapists are with is anything to go by I won't be surprised if I get there and have much the same sort of reply (if they even remember I wanted to see one at all); last time I saw my therapist there, I told her I was up to 2000. She kept nodding and going "Mmhm, mmhm" before asking me, "And have you been throwing up afterwards?"

This being at a clinic specialising in EDs.

I requested a new therapist.

I have ultimately stopped counting and set myself a target (3000+) by my lonesome as it took them so long to set up an appointment, but even then, after waiting so long, you'd hope they might have a better response... we shall see. :\ Thankfully, my GP is fantastic, so I have no worries about seeing and speaking to my doctor about things.

I sympathise with you over people just... not understanding, though. My family have been complete pains in the arse where that is concerned save for my mum, who has done her research and spoken to the GP and understands why I now measure the odd thing among others - to make sure I'm eating enough, not just guesstimating and going under (that's where my ED tries to get the upper hand). My dad and sister just try to shove anything at me and don't understand why I just don't eat anything and everything if I'm so desperate to gain weight. Not. How. It. Works. Urgh. I'm sorry your nutritionist was such a turd. :[

i never saw a nutritionist but i did go to several doctors. make SURE you find one that has some experience dealing with EDs. The doctors I went too first didn't understand what I was going through so i got the same "eat more and youll fix everything" then when I got refeeding syndrome and was in constant pain they said I was fine...so yes it matters greatly who you go to.

 

I'm sorry you had that experience....give it a few months and itll fade (i know thats hard when we take this stuff so personally). try and maintain a positive attitude about recover-youre doing this for your health, your happiness, not theirs. obviously she does not understand and has a bad bedside manner...so switch to a different one. better yet, google some experienced nutritionists in eating disorders. maybe you can find a highly recommended one in your area who will help rather then hinder your progress. :)

Even some nutritionists that specialize in EDs aren't equipped to handle the mental aspect of them. I had a nutritionist who knew she wouldn't be able to provide the sensitivity I needed [beyond common courtesy] and didn't bother venturing into conversations outside of the world of food&calories; I had to see her in addition to a psychological therapist, who helped me get to the root of my ED.

oooohhhhh...dont even get me started on nutritionists!  Ok my first one was extremely mean and actually yelled at me for being a vegetarian!  She then put me on a >1200 diet(I was a normal weight at the time)  I was seeing a doctor at the same time who basically weighed me(I lost weight everytime I went) then tell me to eat more, more protein...blah, blah,blah.   I lost like 20 pounds by the time I stopped going to her.  Then I started college, saw new doctors, but it was a hard year, and I lost another 20 lbs. by the end of the year.  The last nutritionist I saw was very nice, but only had me eating 1300 cals and told me I would gain if I ate over 750 cals. (she multiplied my weight by 10)  Anyway, I havent lost any more since them, but am basically maintaining somewhat right now eating like 1500 calories but I know I still need to gain weight.  I am seeing different doctors now who gave me good medications and has been better.  The best thing for me is just surrounding myself with possitive people and trusting my intuition.  There are many books out there about nutrition/EDs so maybe you could check out that..but yea, that was my rant on nutritionists...lol.