Expert: Ginger - 11/8/2010

Question
hi. i'm writing here because i don't know where else to turn. this all started back in march; i temporarily switched to a new birth control pill which caused me to immediately gain 10 pounds, completely freaking me out. in an effort to lose the water weight i had gained, i switched back to my old pills and started an intense diet/exercise regimen. back then, i was 125 pounds at my highest and 5'5" tall. now, it is november, and i'm down to 99 pounds and i feel like i'm losing everything. i seriously restrict my food intake, and i work out constantly in fear of gaining weight back. my sex drive is gone, and one of the questions i need to ask is if that is a result of the ed, and if i can expect it to come back with weight/time? also, do i need to stop working out while i'm gaining weight? i ride my bike and do crunches everyday, because i'm afraid that i will gain nothing but fat back and all of the work i've done to sculpt my abs will completely disappear and have been a waste. how much weight gained back will actually be fat, and when will i be able to work out again to keep my body tone the way it looks now? thank you so much in advance, i know i need help, i'm ready to begin the process, and this is the first place i'm turning.

Answer
Hi Nicole,
Thank-you for your e-mail! I'm so happy you've decided to get help now, before things get more serious. This is one of the hardest parts in overcoming an eating disorder, so congratulations!

To answer your questions:

- Yes, your sex drive will come back. It's likely gone because you've been messing with your hormones by restricting your food intake. Oftentimes eating disorders go hand in hand with depression as well, and depression is also a common cause of loss of sex drive. Either way, it will return once you recover. Don't worry!

- You do need to cut down on exercise while you're at this stage in your recovery. Your body needs to gain weight first, then you can worry about sculpting afterwards. As long as you're restricting like you are, you're not doing your body any favours by exercising- if there aren't enough calories to burn, your body is going to start burning the muscles you've worked so hard to sculpt, and they'll atrophy (shrink and become flabby). You won't gain only fat, I promise. Don't look at the weight gain as fat at all- look at it as gaining health (because that's exactly what you'll be doing). I don't think riding your bike is a good idea right now. I know a lot of people in recovery choose yoga, because it's gentle, has benefits as exercise/for toning, and also has a meditational quality that could be beneficial. Could you try this instead, at least until your weight gets a bit more stable?

- I can't tell you how much of the weight you gain will be fat and how you can keep your body tone, because I don't know anything about your body type or what you've been eating, etc. Just know that right now, the important thing is to get your body back to a healthy weight. Think about toning once you're stable. I had the same concerns you do when I was at your stage in recovery (I was a ballerina for years), and toning my muscles wasn't an issue. I even (later on, once I'd been recovered for a while) went on to have a baby, and my tummy muscles went back to normal within a month, without any excessive exercise. Trust me- worry only about getting yourself healthy right now, and the rest with come with that. I promise!

I know you said this is the first way you've reached out to begin recovering. A good next step would be to talk to your GP, who can monitor you to make sure you're on the right track, and who can help you come up with a healthy meal plan, or direct you to a nutritionist who can.

Good luck!
E-mail me any time you think I can be of help.
Ginger