Recovery from Starvation Mode

I was wondering if anyone has received any advice from nutritionists about how to safely recover from starvation mode. I'm worried that my body has adapted to eating around 1000 calories every day for an extended period of time and I'm wondering if its better to kind of "shock" your body back into eating normally and begin eating around 2000 calories and then start reducing that number so that my body can begin to loose weight in a healthy way or if it is better to increase gradually by say, adding a hundred calories every week or so. If anyone has any info or previous experience with this, please let me know what you think.

I'm not sure but I know when I was put in the hospital for anorexia they started me off at a meal plan of 1200 calories and I was increased by 200 calories every two days. However I know that for some girls who came in very severely malnourished they're intake was increased at a slower rate. If you've been eating around 1000 calories I would think you're safe increasing every few days so you get up to 2000 (or whatever your ideal calorie intake is) within a week or two. Your metabolism will bounce back though. Just be patient! It takes time!

I'm recovering from Starvation Mode. It's taking about 5 months so far. I also have hypothyroidism and that's what put me in starvation mode. I believed I needed to reduce the calories to lose weight and then when I stopped losing weight I reduced my calories even more...so....starvation mode for about 1 year. It has taken 5 months at maintenance level and more thyroid medicine to maintain my calories with weight. I feel lots better and I only gained about 7 pounds back. I am now trying to get back on track THE RIGHT WAY! Have fun! Don't restrict your calories too much. A 500-800 calorie deficit is just right....NO MORE!~

Here is my post about this subject!

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/3633 8.html

Hello!
I have been reading some posts in this website and decided to ask for your help!
I`m 23 years old, 5'4'' and 116 lbs. When I was 16 I had anorexia, and recovered when I was 18. I was eating 1200 calories per day and doing fine, 102 lbs, healthy and thin. After 2 years, without any changes in my diet(very healthy) I started gaining weight (24 pounds in 4 months). So, I cut down my calories since then. In the beggining i lost 10 pounds, and the scales stopped going down. The last 3 years, I`ve been eating 600-800 calories per day and my weight hasn`t change but I always thought that this was very strange, because everybody eat very well without gaining weight and I was always on salads, fibre, little food. If I eat a little bit more I would gain weight. I asked my doctor and did blood tests but everything was always fine. So, I started searching on the net and finally found out that my body was in starvation mode. It`s been almost 2 weeks now that I started eating better. First week 1200 calories per day, second 1400 calories per day. I am eating very healthy (veg, fruits, fish, wholegrain breads and even a little chocolat per day). But I gained a little bit of weight (1 or 2 pounds)and I am afraid of gaining more. I would like to ask you for some advices. Am I doing right? If I continue like this my body will gets healthy and my metabolism will be normal again? What about the calories, should I continue increasing or just keep like that? How long does it takes to recover and stop gaining weight?
Thank you very much for your time,
Anne.
PS: Just one more information... Every day, I walk 40 minutes.

You can't rectify a slow metabolism without gaining some weight short-term.  1400 calories, even if it's healthy food, is too little.  If you go to 1600 next week 1800 the week after and 2000 the week after all you're doing is undereating for several more weeks.  If you go straight to 2000 it's like ripping off a sticking plaster.... painful but quick. 

NB... if the energy needs for someone your size are 1900-2000 but you keep gaining weight on that amount it's likely that 116lbs is not your natural healthy weight but simply one that you've artificially maintained by undereating for so long.  So do bear that in mind and keep with the right amount of food... at some point your weight will stabilise and that will be your natural healthy weight.

Thank you very much Gi-jane for replying!!! Yes, i agree with you about gaining some weight short-term... what i wonder is when its going to settle! But I think 2000 is too much for me... I dont do much exercise... I`ve been reading about BMR and mine is 1352 calories, and with my type of life stile I would have to be eating 1500 - 1600 per day.

Thanks one more time!! Take care:)