Expert: Jeanne Rust, PhD - 1/13/2010

Question
Hi... so I am 13 and I have recently lost around 13 pounds (from 93 to 80) in around 4 months of restrictive eating disorders. My mom noticed a change in my weight, my hands and feet turned cold, my period left. So now I am trying to recover. My mom is forcing around 2500-3000 calories a day for me (I have been doing this for a week)and is not letting me exercise much (maybe 30 minutes for 2 days). I am so scared of gaining back weight because I heard your metabolism gets messed up and you gain back even more and it's hard to lose it again. I was only restricting for around 3 to 4 months, but I am not sure if it is extremely damaged now.
Here's what I did:
For the first month, I basically purged after bingeing because I was curious about it after reading a book. I became hooked for about a month, then stopped because my throat would always hurt and it was always such a hassle. So I tried out restricting foods. I ate around 1400 calories a day for two months maybe and swam for around an hour for five days. I did sit-ups and crunches every night, too. Before I began experimenting, I was already considered almost underweight (93 pounds and 5' 5") and I was vegan. I used to eat a lot and not gain much weight, but there was a significant fat layer around my middle which is what caused me to want to lose weight.
Please help me, I do not want to gain too much weight back and not be able to lose it. I'm so scared.
Thank you.  

Answer
Hi, Mary Jane,

I'm so glad that you wrote!

A person's metabolism doesn't get messed up because they gain weight -- it gets messed up when they lose a lot of weight -- just the opposite.  You won't gain back more weight than you lost -- that is something that happens with people who are obese and then diet -- not someone who is anorexic.

I hope that your mom will also take you to a therapist who specializes in eating disorders.  Recovering from an eating disorder is about so much more than just regaining weight.  93 pounds at 5'5" is severely anorexic.  A good nutritionist is also an excellent idea.  You need to be eating whole foods, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, chicken, fish, etc.

I know you're scared.  This is why weight gain needs to be slow so you can keep up with it psychologically.  This doesn't mean you'll be fat when you're a normal weight.  You can still be thin and not use an eating disorder to be there.

Please let me know how you do!

Warmly,
Jeannie Rust, PhD
CEO/Founder
Mirasol, Inc.
888-520-1700
Www.mirasol.net
Www.edrecovery.com
@jeanniemirasol