Expert: Nafeesah - 1/26/2009

Question
Nafeesah,

Firstly i'd like to say, i have come an incredibly long way since about January of 2006.  I was a competitive gymnast for about 9 years and was extremely confident in both my mental and physical self. When i quit, the problems began.  I gained 35 pounds (went from about 114lbs to 150lbs) over the next year.  While i realize some of this was due to natural growth ( i was 14 yrs old) i knew that a lot of it had to do with my unhealthy eating habits (being a gymnast i could eat whatever i want and never gain weight0.  I stayed at this borderline overweight status until I study abroad in Europe my junior year of high school.  Over the course of 8months i dropped down to 120 pounds.  I obtained this by exercising and restricting my diet.  When i returned the the US i ran cross country ( i was extremely competitive) and dropped down to 115.  While this weight technically isnt malnourished, I knew i achieved this in an unhealthy way.  So i started seeing a psychiatrist and slowly worked through my mental issues ( i still am of course).  By the end of the summer (exactly one year after my lowest weight of 115lbs) i skyrocketed back up to 152lbs.  This was mostly from a refusal to exercise and a binge eating disorder.  At this point, about 5 months from my true turnaround I am feeling MUCH better about myself.  I recognize my unhealthy habits and am much more careful and open about them.  I still enjoy exercise, i usually do cardio about 30-40 5 times a week and every now and then do weight training.  I am eating actual meals and dont prohibit myself from eating anything in particular (except for fast food, but thats for other reasons..) and i know what im going through is a process. NOW, to my actual question.  I stopped weighing myself but the last time I did I was about 148, a few pounds down from earlier this year.  While I have no idea what my body should be like naturally (athletic, medium frame, 5'5"/6") I feel like I am not at my physical best.  I like to feel good while exercising, not self conscious of how my body looks/feels.  I understand it is hard to lose weight until your metabolism returns to a normal state, but I feel as if mine never has been normal!  I need some reassurance that my body weight will drop somewhat (most of my weight was gained in my stomach, thighs and face) because I feel like this is not me.  I guess I need advice from someone who knows where i'm coming from, and can give me a heads up on what to expect.  I know each person is different, and like i said, it's a process, and i'm trying my best to keep living happily and healthfully but sometimes its hard!  Thank you soooo much for your time.  I know this is long.

Answer
The issue with eating disorders is hormonal balance and when you're anorexic and bulimic you can throw your body chemistry off and once it regulates you will go through periods of weight gain and loss if this is a huge concern talk to your doctor and get a referral to an endocrinologist to find out what's going on with your metabolism.