Expert: Joanne - 4/27/2008

Question
Hi, I guess I'm looking for some reassurance - I'm really struggling at the moment. I'm 5'6 and used to weigh 106 pounds, due to severe dieting (well....anorexia) and now I'm back up to 118 pounds - but I can just see myself getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I eat about 2000-2500 calories a day and feel dreadful every night before I go to bed because I know I'll just keep gaining weight, and the dieting started because I was a bit overweight in the first place. I don't know how to sort myself out and was just looking for any advice you could give about stayin strong and not falling back into bad, self-destructive habits.

Answer
Ali

Is your daily food intake monitored by someone professional, or are you working on your own meal plan.  I would say that if you aren't under professional advice, then try to get some, but maybe also decrease your calorie intake to about 1800-2000 depending on how active you are.  If you are exercising to extremes, then please don't decrease it, nor should you if you have a doctor or nutritionist calculating your calorie intake (if you are run everything past them first!).  You are now at the lower end of the normal weight range for your height, so although it would be better slightly higher, your body is at a more healthy weight.  With this in mind, I believe that you should be able to decrease the calories to about 1800-2000 calories with the aim of maintaining your weight rather than it increasing.

But please seek professional advice.  If you are receiving it, then speak about your concerns and ask if the can adapt your current plan so as you are maintaining now rather than gaining, and if you aren't getting any help, then I would recommend getting some help as if you have not dealt with the underlying issues, you risk them resurfacing over and over, leading to relapses.

Joanne