Expert: Ryan Hale - 2/15/2010

Question
I have been suffering from aneorexia for about 2 years now, and REALLY want to recover, but am scared to!

I look at old pictures of myself and cry...I WANT TO BE HEALTHY AGAIN!!!
But I am afraid my metabolism is messed up, I won't get my athletic build back and it will just be fat around my mid section ("the inner tube")

I don't know what to eat or if I should exercise or not!

When I do feel like I want to start gaining weight, I eat crappy food and I know that won't help me. I feel like I need an example of a good week of food and exercise just so I can feel comfortable and will more likely stick to my recovery.

How messed up do you think my metabolism is? In high school, I could eat anything I wanted and not gain a pound, now I am scared I'll gain it back quickly because I've messed up my metabolism so bad.

Answer
Leah- That's great that you sound so motivated to great well.  I can understand why you would be hesitant to attempt to make the changes though.  There are so many things that contribute to eating disorders so there are a lot of areas that need to be identified and worked on while getting better.  The good news is that not only will the disorder be better, but you have a chance to fix the others things too.

For many, there are big life stresses and pressures, from work, school, parents, partners, or even from yourself.  Sometimes there are issues that haven't been dealt with such as abuse, physical or sexual.  Sometimes there are underlying conditions such as depression or anxiety.  It is a tough thing to look at any or all of those issues in the eye and be willing to confront them.  it could seem like a huge task!  But, someone with experience in this kind of thing can help out tremendously.  

First, your medical doctor can help with the medical aspect of your situation.  There should also be a nutritionist or dietitian who can help you with your meal planning and food choices.  A qualified counselor or psychologist can help you with the other aspects of your life that may be making you feel bad as well.  You can have an entire team on your side!

Your metabolism may take a while to recover but your life is a marathon and not a sprint... you will eventually settle into a new normal metabolism.  With the help of a nutritionist, you can assure that your are feeding your body the fuel you need to live the life you've dreamed.  You'll need help to get there.  Please consider talking to someone.  Your family doctor is a great place to start.