Expert: Joanne - 1/8/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hello! I am 22 years old and since i was about 20, some of my eating habbits started to become unusual eg. picking at food and not finishing portions etc. For most of 2006 i became extremely underweight, weighing at my lowest, about 42kg (not sure what that is in pounds as i am from New Zealand). I would go the entire day without eating and then allow myself to pick at junk food like a little bird in the evenings - strange i know, i am embarassed to say. Since about January of 2007 i attempted to start eating normally again and now i am eating healthily, regularely, and exercising for about 4 hours a week (still mor exercise then i used to do pre-anorexia). Before i became very underweight, i was always slim anyway. Now, on the other hand, i have gained more weight then ever! I'm exercising more and probably eating less then when i was healthy and slim before becoming anorexic but no matter what i do, the weight wont go anywhere. I have gained so much back and nothing i do makes a difference. When i first began eating again i went through a VERY brief period of binge eating but this did not last long at all and from what i hear, it is actually quite normal. Recently ive had all blood tests done, my thyroid etc is perfect and everything is fine apparently. I just dont get why ive gained so much weight back, and even after a yr ive eating normally again i still just cant lose not even 1kg! I dont want to become terribly thin again but even just to have a little progress would be nice. I feel i am a prisoner in my own body. I even went off the pill and antidepressants to see if that would have any bearing on my body sheding a little weight! But no, nothing at all has changed. Have i lost all ability to lose even a couple of kgs for the rest of my life??! Immdoing absolutely everything right, small healthy portions throughout the day - but still NOTHING!!! Starving myself has been my biggest regret.......

ANSWER: Hello Hayley!

Please try not to worry too much about this!  If it is in fact a true inability to lose weight, I would reckon that this should sort itself out in time providing you are eating enough!

I'm wondering though if some of your weight gain isn't weight gain as you think of it!  Have you physically gotten a lot bigger than your original weight, or is it just the scales that are telling you you are bigger?  Does it seem to be 'fat', or are you quite 'solid'?

The reason I ask all these questions is that as you are exercising more often that you did pre-anorexia, is there a chance that you have built up more muscle that you had pre-anorexia?  Muscle weighs more than fat does, so could that account for your weight?  As you continue to exercising, and eating less or more healthily, you may be building more muscle all the time, which is counteracting any weight that you may be losing!

It depends how you feel about how you look, but personally, I gave up on trying to lose weight after recovering.  I know that I quite often am heavier than I have ever been now, but am more toned and slender looking than I was pre-eating disorder.  I don't like it to see the numbers on the scales at times, but I rationally know that I'm not 'fat' or too big (and I don't have huge bulging muscles either!lol).  

I hope this helps put your mind at rest slightly, but if not, I would recommend visiting your Dr again and asking if there are any other tests that can be done just to check that there isn't a reason for being unable to lose weight.

Please feel free to come back and ask absolutely anything that is worrying you!

All the best
Holly


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again!
On the contrary to looking at what is on the scales, i never go on them! I dont like to look as i know it would break my heart to know that i am heavier then i ws pre-anorexia. In regards to your question, yes it is weight and not muscle. I know this because i am not doing the type of exercise to build too much muscle. Also, my clothes (i think the best indicator) that i wore pre-anorexia don't fit me at all! I was very lean naturally befrore i became anorexic and now i just cant shed anything, it is DEFINATELY not muscle. Is there even hope that i can lose just any weight? All i want to t is be nearer to the weight i was pre anorexia, i dont even mine if im a bit more as i realise i am older now. I have has absolutely every test in the book done and guess what? hey are all perfect...i feel helpless.

Answer
Hayley

I think that you need to try and eat a well-balanced, healthy diet for the time being.  Your metabolism has maybe just never recovered fully yet.  Providing you continue to eat well, it should speed up again in time.

Avoid reducing calories below about 1800 for the time being, and make sure that you are compensating for the exercise.  In time, your body should realise that it is going to be fed regularly and well, and should hopefully return to its pre-anorexia state.  Some people find that they don't need to actively lose weight once their body fully recovers as your weight will settle naturally, for some others, they may need to try to lose weight if that is still what they want.

If you do decide to try to lose weight, make sure that this is done in a safe, healthy and controlled way.  A lot of people end up heavier than they were before after anorexia or crash dieting, don't give their bodies time to recover, panic, and then crash diet, or return to anorexia behaviours as a way to try and lose the weight.  By doing this, they end up in a cycle of yoyo dieting, or returning to eating disorders for years to come.

Please try to get advice from a dietician/nutritionist when you begin to try to lose weight again, or joining a reputable weight loss programme may be valuable.

I hope this helps a bit
Holly