A slightly odd question.

At the beginning of my recovery, I worked my way up steadily (200 increase every other day) to 2000 calories a day. I suffered some rapid gain of water weight, but then about two weeks in my schedule got mucked up by my A Level exams and I was (unintentionally) getting less food in because I was working around my exams. I had many up and down days - one day I got in about 2300 calories (before exercise) because I treated myself to a burger and ice cream for sitting a 3 hour straight exam :x - but I then had a short period where I only managed about 1300 calories on average and ended up losing more weight than ever before. I'm back to about 2000 again over the past couple of days, but... well, would I be out of starvation mode by this point? o__O; My intake has been so irregular for so many odd reasons I don't even know anymore. Haha. I'm determined to fix my metabolism to at least a normal level but also REALLY want some weight back. \: Real weight, not water weight - I miss my boobs and bum. -__-

Stats wise, I'm 6'1, and 106.5 last time I checked.

Well you definitely need to gain a ton that is for sure, but way to go LALA for upping that intake and recovering!

I think from my experience that your metabolism will only damage itself it is starved for a period of at least like 3 weeks or a month or so or longer. It takes a while for your body to trust itself again and to trust that you will refeed it properly. I would increase to more than 2000, more like 2500 for a week or so and then lower a little when you feel ready or you have gained. Some people who have really screwed up their bodies take like 4000 to gain, me on the other hand was more like 1400. But I seriously think that you should focus on getting to at least 2500, my nutritionist recommends 3000 for someone of your height.

Good luck...don't worry you can refix your metabolism, your body just has to be given the proper nutrients to do so. And a few days of 1300 isn't going to cause you to go back into starvation mode. Keep up the fantastic work babe!

Well, I was regularly getting an intake of about 300-500 calories for about a month having dropped steadily down and down and down (the only exception days were when I'd get dragged out to eat at a restaurant and wouldn't be able to get around eating a bit extra) from a normal intake. I'd guess it'd be damaged from that long. ;\ Thing is, I don't know if my intake then jiggling around as it has been (up and down from 2000 to 1400 on some days to 1200 on others to about 1500 again and blah) will have still left me in starvation or if my metabolism will have started catching up with me.

2500? Eep. How soon should I do that? I've only been at around 2000 for the last two days, haha.

hey-

POSITIVELINNY- how many calories are you at now and how active are you?  maybe youre not eating enough?  1400 sounds low to me even if youre trying to maintain.

LALA-my intake also fluctuates and am not sure as to the whole increasing thing.  i know i need to gain! 

im going to weigh tomm morning to gauge my progress.  im averaging 1500-1650 lately, I THINK, its all really such an estimate since i dont weigh my foods and all.  im going to increase my intake regardless of how much i weigh. 

 id like to see a sample of 1800 cals if anyone is at about that, that would be really helpful!

stay positive everyone!

Quote:

"Wheeeee. I've started retaining water again. BUT! It is not soley in my ankles, this time, and more in just my legs in general (not so bad because they actually still look even that way! LOL) and a bit in my abdomen. I've been expecting it so I'm not that bothered - it flushes out in a week or so anyway, correct? P: For now I'm drinking plenty of fluids and keeping going with this! I actually want to increase again, especially after Linny mentioning her nutritionist's mentioning I'd probably need like 2500 at my height @__@ And if I go by the teen BMI calculator that'd be about right, too. I'm actually willing to do it - I just need to plan my meals a bit more to figure out how to get the calories in! Do you guys think this is a good idea, though, going up to about 2500 after just a couple of days? x: I'm already retaining water so I don't have to worry about that, haha!"

Hey congrats on being so willing to do what you need to do to gain! So many of us just freak out about the whole gaining thing and beat around the bush for months until we actually do what we need to! I know thats how I was!  But I think that upping it like that is fine. Just be ready for the retention (it seems like you are already familar with it) and don't freak out if the scale goes up! that's the point right?  Good luck!

P.S. If you're a peanut butter fan, just have a spoonful between meals! that'll boost your calories right up and it won't make you feel bloated and gross. :-)

I can never eat just one spoonful of PB. \: I used to have trouble with emotional eating and PB was one of my major binge foods, and I still don't trust myself with it. And yeah, familiar with retention <__> I was actually wondering how long it takes for it to pass? A week? A couple of weeks? It's not been too bad (it seems to be evenly over my legs come nighttime, and, well. I'd rather that than when it was just building in my ankles) but I'd like to know when I'm seeing honest gains and not just water blubbing me on the scale. Heh.

Have hit about 2100 before exercise today, though I may have overestimated dinner. I don't know how many calories were in it, but I had a medium jacket potato (about 170?) and then my mum ladeled out a portion of chilli con carne - healthily made, nothing wierd in it because she's on a diet, but I don't know how to count it. Either way, I'm still moving on up. [:

Ugh. I'm still confused about how much I'm going to end up needing. My ultimate goal weight is about 144-5 (what I was before this started, where I was happy) and while I won't be reporting anything back until Wednesday I still worry I'm not getting enough food. I haven't been able to reach 2500 yet. \: And I know there are girls and guys shorter than me needing more to gain, so... well. Argh, so frustrating! D:<

How about eating nuts?  They really help me get in extra calories and they aren't that filling and don't cause bloating.  Since you're very tall, you probably will maintain on at least 2000 in the long run.  2500 is a good idea, but more would be better.  When you say before exercise, does that mean you're exercising, because if so you should tone it down a bit and maybe stick to just some weight training.  Cardio will burn too many calories and won't help you gain.  At least with weights you can gain muscle if you eat enough.  Good luck!

I absolutely hate nuts. ;] Suggestion's been made, sadly, but I loathe the things. They were... a culprit in my old binge ways, ESPECIALLY pistachios and cashews. A lot of the food I binged on I now either cannot stand because I ate too much of them - nuts fall into this category - or religiously avoid because I know I still won't be able to control myself.

I have toned down the exercise a LOT. I used to do far too much walking (my normal pace is about 4-4.5mph, and I'd walk about an hour a day) on top of doing things at home, and when I had access to it doing stuff at the gym too. Now, I might pop to the nearby shop - a fifteen to twenty minute journey - just to buy a paper or get milk/bread/loo roll if we're out of it to relieve the ED voice going "OMG FATTY EXERCISE" or take a walk with my sister or dad because walking with someone automatically lowers pace (it's rude to walk ahead). I also may do some brief (5 minutes of starjumps, or pedalling on a stationary bike) warm-up cardio if I'm going to lift because I know you should never weight lift on cold muscles. Considering I used to do so much, I feel I've at least made some sort of progress, there. However, I weighed in this morning and discovered I'd lost 0.5lbs. Bah.