Expert: Ryan Hale - 2/2/2010

Question
Dear Ryan,

I'm not sure who I should be writing to because I've not done this before. I have been a mixture of anorexic and bulimic (mainly bulimic) for around 15 years (im 29 now). It has also been varying levels of severity.

I have been well again for 4 months and 4 days with some help and support from friends and family. I have put on quite allot of weight as I have tried to fight this but am now finding it so hard to loose it again. It also makes it harder not to reconsider the easy ways.

I am between a size 14-16 (uk) and feel massive. I go to the gym 3 times a week Mon - Fri for half an hour at lunch burning 300-400 cals. I also do 1-3 classes at the weekend of rpm and weights classes. I'm a veggie and make all my food from scratch, filled with fruit and veg. I even have wheat free, gluten free products to knock out the dairy. I do drink but have knocked that on the head during the week. I don't even drink tea or coffee just water or hot water with lemon. It is getting more and more frustrating that i seem to see very little or no weight loss at all and am starting to feel like I never will.

I understand that this will take a while for my body to adjust and that it has been a long time but to see nothing happening after experiencing weight so quickly when I wasn't well is becoming hard to cope with.

Kind regards

Alexia

Answer
Alxia-  first I'd like to congratulate you on the work you've done to get better and to be healthy.  It sounds like you have really worked hard!  I don't know what is going on in your life our what kind of circumstances you may have experienced in the past that may have contributed to the problem, but usually, those things require "maintenance" even after they have been worked on.  I'm talking about relationships, a history of abuse, troubled family history, the stress of trying for perfection in other areas of your life as well as your appearance.  Like I said, I don't know if any of these things that are common with eating disorders apply to you, but if you have dealt with them in the past, they may need to be revisited and the past work you've done needs maintained.  Setbacks are steps along the way to getting better.

As for your diet, it sounds very healthy as long as you are getting enough variety, nutrients and calories.  It also sounds like your exercise plan is pretty comprehensive, including weights and cardio.  I think it might help to look at your food intake in a whole new way.  Rather than good food or bad food or seeing food as a source of evil calories, your food is the fuel for your activities.  A machine runs much better when it gets enough fuel.  Perhaps you could talk to a fitness professional about how many calories you are burning exactly with your workouts so you don't over or under do it when it comes time to re-fuel.

With a history of eating disorder, it could take the body some time to get out of the fat-storing mode.  Right now, it may not know what to expect so it is storing calories and reluctant to allow them to be burned even if you are eating healthy and are fit.

Ideally, everyone should be focusing on health and fitness, not appearance.  The places that we are told are "problem areas" have no connection to cardiovascular fitness.  I tell people: if you eat a really good diet and exercise hard, your body is just how it is... focus on fitness and health.  As for your exercise, make sure you aren't working out just to look a certain way.  People often give up healthy diets and exercise if they don't achieve a certain look... it's the number one reason people give up a healthy lifestyle.  But that's like saying, "I want to be a billionaire so I'm going to save my money." Then, later, when they aren't a billionaire, they say screw it I'm just going to spend all my money.  Just because you don't achieve being a billionaire doesn't mean you should be careless with your money.

Maybe you could find an activity that you enjoy like swimming, tennis, cycling, yoga, or running.  It helps motivate you to eat well and workout if you aren't just doing it to look a certain way.  If lifting weights makes you a better runner or cyclist, often there is more motivation to do it.  You might even think about entering a charity run, walk, or bike ride.  It can give you a goal to work toward rather than just trying to achieve the "look."