Getting on the right path

Hello everyone,

Newbbie Alert! well here's my story in a nutshell. It started in January where I committed myself to lose 15 at most from my original weight of about 145 lb at 5'5". I tried diets on my own before and failed. So this time I turned vegetarian. I ate roughly about 800 calories a day the first two weeks and weighed in at 139 lb. I was so HAPPY! a month went by and I restricted my calories to no more than 200 a day! stupid I know. By the end of summer I reached about 103-105 lb and consuming only 150 calories a day. I was always cold, tired, and wanted to be alone.

Well my parents and I had an intervention about 3 weeks ago and there were tears and awkward moments of silence. I gotten down to 98 lb. I've been trying to recover on my own for the past two weeks gradually adding more calories a day. I'm currently at 700 calories.

QUestions!

1. How should I approach my slow metabolism? I read that some people are consuming 2500 calories a day! I'm scared to even go up to 800 cals!

2. Is my gradual adding of calories suitable because my goal 110 lb at first but I dont want to gain it too rapidly.

Thanks and please help me out. God Bless

There are two things here.   Being 'scared' to increase what you eat is a mental problem that you need to overcome as soon as possible.  'Scary'... in reality... is the state your body is in now.  Emaciated, starved, malnourished and in really poor physical shape.  People your size die of heart-attacks.. *pop*... just like that, because they're so weak.  So be more realistic about 'scared'.... talk to your parents for support, get all the help you can.  See your doctor.  You have to get past 'scared'.

Next, because you're quite badly underweight you need to be getting sufficient calories to gain back the lost weight.  From 700 you need to go straight away to 1500 and then onto 2500 as the next step.  Again, you're going to need support and assistance to achieve this.... working out what foods to eat, making sure you eat regularly, someone making sure you clear your plate.  If you can't do this you need to see your doctor as you may need inpatient treatment.

Finally.... worrying about gaining weight 'too rapidly' is a common problem for people with eating disorders.   You need to gain.  It'll very likely happen rapidly at first but then it will slow down.  Be prepared for that.   You may even stop gaining on 2500 cals and it will need to go to 3000 or higher....  Be prepared for that.   Your target weight has to be a BMI of 20, or 120lbs.  

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you need a minimum of 1500 and 2500 to gain. please dont post here unless you are prepared to start eating that now

I understand your fears, I truly do. 16 months ago, I was on my death bed, eating fewer than 100 calories a day. It took me about 5 weeks, but I got myself up to a 2500 calorie a day diet. I didn't even gain weight until I was consuming around 2200-2300 a day. I know its scary to start eating so much more than you are used to, believe me I know. I've had to eat upwards of 4,000 a day (more when I was IP actually)  in order to gain 1lb/week. I'm currently eating 2800-3200 a day and still gaining at a 1/2lb rate (can I say FMB? I was gaining 1/2lb on 2600-3000 too).

The reason I am telling you that is because you need to see that you are going to have to eat 2500 as a minimum to gain. I'm six years older and only a few inches taller than you. And that is how much I needed to gain. It was hard, but I pushed myself to do it because I didn't want this illness to ruin my life any longer. I was diagnosed AN around the same age as you, though it started when I was a bit younger. I could write you a book on how much I missed out on and how many things were ruined by my ED. I've lost friends, wasted my high school years, and have had to withdraw from college three times (the first withdrawl lost me a $16K scholarship BTW). Don't let what happened to me become true for you as well. Beat this now while you are young before it consumes you and it gets even harder to get better. Don't become another anorexic statistic - fight for your life and never look back. 800 calories is a BREAKFAST for someone one a gaining diet, not an entire days worth of food. I know, I used to only eat that much in a day and convince myself I was doing so much better. It was a lie. I was just too afraid. Sixteen months and seventeen days is a very long time to spend trying to recover. If I could do it again, I would have pushed myself harder in the beginning and not slacked off so much out of my own fears. But from all of this, I have learned that the only way to ever work past any issue, including anorexia, is to face your demons head on and without restraint. You can't hold yourself back for fear of the ED's wrath - then you'll never really get better and it will always have its hold on you.

Add 200 calories every two to three days. I did that until I hit 2400-2500 a day. Its hard, yeah. But its what you've got to do for yourself right now. Recovery is about the restoration of you, not the placation of your eating disordered fear. 

Im sorry you have had such a bad time but glad you have decided to do something about it . you really are under eating massively . i agree with rebelchick . i think you should up your calories every few days by 200 until you reach a minimal of 2500 . its better to do it slow i mean dont get me wrong you need 2500 now but its better to let your body to adjust to it. try not to worry about your metabolism it will adjust . you may initally gain more than you would of like but this is normal just the bodies way of adjusting with fluids and all. the important thing is not to take out anything you put in consistancy is the key. it will be hard but you can do this h x

All I can say is WOW!

You guys have opened my eyes to how my life is such a hellish place becuase of an ED. gi-jane: Thank so much for your advice. I had absolutely no intentions of insulting CC. I'm here to find help from others who have experienced what I'm going through and DAMNIT I'm gonna fight like hell to reach 120 lb becuase I dont need an ED in my life ever! THANKS a bunch

rebelchick1017; And thank you for sharing your experince. Its nice to know some one who has gone through this and is living life to the fullest. Today I'm going from 700 cals to 1200 cals! suck on that ED!

CW: 98.5

GW1: 105

GW2: 110

Heres to living life!

Original Post by 4ever_hope:

Today I'm going from 700 cals to 1200 cals!

1500.... no half-measures.  2500 tomorrow.  We're flattered that you're inspired and motivated but all that means nothing if you don't walk the talk.

GW1.... 110

GW2.... 120

You can do it.