Expert: Reverend Abbott - 12/19/2008

Question
I noticed that you wrote a long response to someone who was struggling with metabolic issues left over by her anorexia. My problem is slightly different. For the past two and a half years, I have been struggling with "poor gastric compliance" which means, basically, that my stomach does not expand. When it began, if I ate too much, I would either experience severe discomfort or my stomach would contract and I would throw up. I saw a gastroenterologist, etc, etc, but the short story is that I didnt eat normal amounts for about 2 years. I ate way way less. I started to gain weight about a year ago. I thought "this is weird" and upped my caloric intake, figuring that I was not eating enough. (This caused immense discomfort at first, but through breathing exercises, I was able to almost fix the stomach issue). And then, eating about 1400 calories a day (I am 5'8' normally 125 lbs) I gained weight really really fast (and continued to over this past summer). Just like the other woman, I know all about healthy eating and exercising and I do everything right. I have stabilized my weight (around 160 now) but I still probably eat only around 1000 calories a day (mostly veggies and protein and whole grains). Part of this is for comfort reasons; another part is that I do not want to gain any more weight.
1. how much exactly should I be eating
2. What is the trick to healing this: just eating regularly and sensibly? how many calories?
3. How long does it take to fix it?

Answer
Yeah, I'm a bit passionate when it comes to this subject (thus 'wordy') because on at least four different occasions I was deep into anorexia and spent a lifetime with various forms of bulimia.  
  The resulting health problems will eventually contribute to my death many years before I should.

 The answer to number 1 is to keep up what you're doing.  Stick with whole grains, vegetables/legumes (beans), plenty of fruits and of course protein.   A serving of protein (fish, chicken, lean beef) is about the size of a deck of playing cards.

I know you think you gained weight on 1,400 calories, but you didn't gain 'fat'.  You'd need 3,500 calories more than your body uses for normal metabolism in order to gain 1 lb.  
 
A person your height/weight with even minimal activity would need about 2,000 calories each day for regular living.  So you'd have to consume over 5,000 calories in a day to gain 1 real pound of weight.

 What you're seeing is likely fluids.  Reducing your intake is actually causing this reaction.  If you push through and focus on eating right no matter what - the body should level off.  

 It can take as little a week or as much as three months, but focusing on the long term is much more important than worrying about the moment.

 *****  Again, I've got this one from first hand experience ******

2. No trick.  Well, not really.  I don't count calories anymore.  I focus on the right foods in the right amounts using a couple paper cups and my hand to gauge serving sizes.  A 'kitchen' (about 5 ounce)sized paper cup is for puddings, yogurts, ice cream and certain sauces (like for pasta).   A full sized paper cup (8 to 12 ounces) is for a serving of cereal and about 1/2 that cup for milk (I use only soy milk) on that cereal.  

 The size of your palm or a deck of cards = protein serving

 There's a lot more about how and what to eat here:
       www.GetTheReal.info  

3. When I got rid of the scale and stopped counting everything in a month there was a noticeable difference in how my clothes fit.  In less than 5 months I was PERFECT.  Two sizes smaller, able to eat anything I wanted (moderation is probably the only real 'trick') and now, all these years later - I'm still doing it and I'm still there.

Unfortunately, my heart is bad, my liver and kidneys are bad and my intestinal system is bad - every single problem traced back to the diets and eating disorders that started when I was 12 years old.

 And you know, knowing all there is to know about nutrition doesn't make a single difference.  This is a psychological disorder.  Interestingly, the university students that have more cases of anorexia than any other.... medical students.

   Check out www.GetTheReal.info and let me know how you make out