Expert: Ryan Hale - 3/8/2010

Question
Dear Ryan,

I have been a runner, a soccer player and have practiced hot Bikram and vinyasa yoga since high school.  I have also been anorexic/a chronic dieter since high school as well.  I am now 22 years old and have recently made the decision to give up my unhealthy eating habits. I am 5'8 and before any of this disordered eating began, my weight rested comfortably at about 125-130lbs, then through starvation I dropped to 110lbs.  Now, after about a year of bingeing and purging, I weigh about 140lbs.  I am very unhappy with my weight and it has been almost a month since I have been eating regular, healthy meals and running and practicing my yoga (which is muscle toning) at least 5 days a week and I have yet to see any difference in my weight.  I know my metabolism is way out of whack, so I guess my question is, will it ever get back to normal, and if so, how long will it take?

Thank you for any advice or feedback!

Katie

Answer
Katie-  you have said that you have been anorexic since high school which means you've been dealing with this for about 5 or 6 years?  Please be patient, if it took you half a decade to get to this point, don't expect changes over night.  Keep up the healthy life style, but allow your body to go through the changes on its own time.  The opposite is true as well.  I have clients get discouraged at their attempts to lose weight after a few months when they have been over weight for their entire lives... they expect 30 years worth of their body being a certain way to change with just a couple months of lifestyle change.  Enjoy your new healthy life and enjoy the body awareness you are gaining while you go through this process.