Expert: Joanne - 3/14/2008

Question
Hello,

I am 24 years old and 5'2". i was anorexic for 3-4 years and then seriously bulimic for 3. i was down to 80 lbs and decided i needed to stop 2 months ago. with my husband and parents help i was able, even though it was so hard. i ate 1200 calories for a month and then 1400 calories this past month. first month, little to no exercise because i was so sore and uncomfortable. this second month i have been doing yoga twice a day and ab work daily, as well as running 5-20 minutes a day as i am able.

i found out i have gained 30 lbs in the 2 months...eating just 1200-1400 calories a day and such healthy choices. i eat a balanced diet and stay as active as possible and drink tea and water to hydrate. i always feel dehydrated though! i am so confused how i could be gaining so much in a short time. what happened to 3500 calories equals a pound of fat? i am sure a few lbs is muscle regrowth and also re hydration...but 30 lbs of that and fat? i am so miserable, its all on my thighs and i am pretty uncomfortable...

is this normal...? can i have gained that much fat so soon? its too much to hope its water weight...

and yes i went to the doctor a few days ago. i am waiting on a blood test result...pls help :)

thanks!

Rachel

Answer
Rachel

I'm happy to hear that you are trying to recover, and please don't let this weight gain put you off!

It is true what you say - 3500cal=1lb gain, however that is for someone that is eating 2000 calories or more a day, so whose metabolism is working to its full capacity.  Unfortunately, when you restrict severely, your metabolism slows dramatically so that you can survive on as few calories as possible.  At the moment, you have increased your calorie intake, but your metabolism hasn't recovered, so it can't burn the excess.  As much as you won't like it, it is a good thing - these calories are used in order to rebulid the tissues that have been damaged.  When you starve yourself, you break down tissues, including muscle (which includes the heart!!!) so that there is a fuel for you to keep going on - now your body needs to reverse that.  And with the exercise, you will be making the muscles bigger never mind just repairing them!  When you begin to eat, you may find that you also retain more water than normal as well, so that will account for some of it.  Then yes, you will gain some as fat - your body tries to replace its normal stores, and then may even store a slight bit of extra just to make sure that if you were to starve yourself again, there is something there for your body to work on.

When your body has finished repairing itself, and it is used to being fed well and on a regular basis, the weight should stabilise, but this may require you to up your calories to about 1800-2000 in order to make sure that your metabolism recovers fully!

Once your metabolism is working well again, the weight stabilises, and you may actually lose some before this happens - it is just a matter of continuing with what you are doing now.  It is important that you don't begin to restrict again as you will return back to square one, and risk an even greater weight gain in the future.  Unfortunately this is how many people end up yo-yo dieting for life.  After starving themselves, metabolism slows, they begin to eat normally again, gain weight quickly again, so return to a starvation diet again, each time, never allowing their weight to stabilise and possibly decrease slightly itself!

I'm glad you visited your Dr, as that will help ensure that this is simply your body recovering and that you don't have an underlying problem causing the weight gain, but other than that, it is just a matter of putting up with it, and focussing on having better health!

Once your weight has stabilised, if you are unhappy, please lose weight slowly and safley - the slower you lose weight, the more likely it is to stay off!!

Joanne