AboutMeg Expertise I am recovinging from about nine years with my eating disorder and while I am not a psychologist, I`ve accumulated a good deal of knowlege about eating disorders as well as my own experience over this time. I`ve mainly struggled with anorexia, but have definitely had times where I have engaged in bulimic behaviors as well. I also struggle with over exercising, but am about to be certified as a personal trainer and have learned moderation as well as how to treat my body well so it can perform at it`s best. I promise to give an honest answer to anything asked, and I want to say that while it is a long, scary road---it is possible to get free of this and it is so important to keep on taking little steps and knowing that you are not alone.
Experience Sufferer for nine plus years. Also, my Mom has strugged with this issue- as have others in her side of the family.
Question QUESTION: I started to get healthy last may and all went out of control and by june this year i was about 106lbs and i was excercising everyday, i stopped exercising and eating more and i lost more weight and im so confused if i start eating again and exercise will my weight go up.
I cut out almost all fat. Im now 5`8 and 98lbs female 15.Im so determined to get well but i dont wan to gain just fat i want muscle. I drink lots more milk and yoghurt and ive added protein.. what else would you recommend?
Many Thanks
ANSWER: Hi Jessie,
Thanks for your question and first off all, it sounds like you've really come a long way in recovery so great job so far. I'm glad that you want to get healthy and it sounds like you've taken some positive steps to do so.
Losing weight when one starts eating more healthfully is not all that uncommon, as your metabolism (which has been pretty inactive) can kind of kick into hypergear when you're eating again for a short while. If you stick with a healthy meal plan, then this should even itself out after not too long. However, it is also possible that you are eating more than you did as an anorexic, but still not enough for your body to gain weight.
Do you think you're eating a healthy amount right now? Have you considered working with a nutritionist who can help you assess this (as it is really difficult to be accurate with what is enough when you are coming out of being anorexic).
Its really important as you recover that you eat a well balanced diet that includes all of the food groups, including *some* fat. I do understand that you may feel more comfortable eating low fat, which is generally fine but your body is not going to be able to fully repair itself unless you give it all of the nutrients that it needs.
Again, a low fat diet won't make you fat, it is only when people consume excess fat that they can have health or weight problems. Additionally, it is important that you have some body fat as it will get in the way of your reproductive development and you won't get your period if your body fat stays too low.
Its good that you're eating protein and you're right that this should help you build some muscle as you regain your weight. However, as I mentioned above, its really important that you're also eating fruits, veggies, complex carbohydrates and even some fats. I would suggest taking a look at your current meal plan and figuring out if it really is balanced.
I know that adding new foods can be difficult and a little daunting, but you can try to incorporate a few new foods a week and keep building until you are used to eating a full range of healthy stuff.
I'm sorry if some of this is vague and feel free to write again with more detail if you would like. However, in general I would recommend revamping your diet to include all of the elements of good nutrition and if you're going to exercise, then make sure that you are doing it in moderation and it is not canceling out the nutrients that you are giving your body so that it can recover.
Does that make sense? Please take care and feel free to write anytime.
Best,
Meg
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello again,
Just a quick few questions this time.
Will my body fully return to normal?
How long does that bloating feeling after everything last, any ways to ease it?
And, how long does it take for the weight to distribute, because my back and chest area are really obviously boney, if that makes sense.
I have been reading alot of your other responses to people and i feel so positive. I truly am really grateful.
Many Thanks
Answer Hey Jessie,
I wish I had a precise answer, but all of the questions you asked depend on how long you were sick, how much damage was done to your body, your diet right now (ie: if you are getting everything your body needs), as well as what your own individual physical makeup.
However, I can answer these generally in terms of what most people experience and that will hopefully be pretty right on for you.
Will my body fully return to normal?
Yes, definitely. Its a matter of how long that will take and all of the above things I mentioned factor into that and unfortunately its not a precise science. However, the quicker you are able to consistently give your body what it needs to get healthy again, the sooner your body will be back to normally, healthy functioning.
Also, if you are concerned that your body is not getting there soon enough, it is never a bad idea to check with your doctor as there are certain tests they can do (like monitoring your blood chemistry, checking your thyroid, etc) to let you know if your body is almost normal or still has a way to go.
But, the most important thing is consistency and good nutrition (even though I know it can be difficult). The good news is that as your body gets healthier, you will physically feel better too which makes everything a whole lot easier. Its hard to feel great when you don't have energy and just feel "off"-as is often the case when you have been or are restricting. So, that's one positive to look forward to :)
How long does that bloating feeling after everything last, any ways to ease it?
Unless there is some physiological reason for the bloating (ie: your digestion is out of whack) , its more a matter of getting used to feeling food in your stomach and your body getting used to digesting a more normal amount of food. Again, there is no set time but I would say generally that if you are eating consistently for a few weeks, this should get back to normal and not be such a bother.
As for how to ease the bloating feeling, I found that the best thing after eating for me was distraction. If I ate and just sat there, I would often feel pretty yucky and my brain would start playing the old eating disordered thoughts. Of course, this went away after awhile, but it helped me a lot to plan something (a phone call, watching a TV show, doing something with a friend, a walk, reading, etc) after meals so that I had something more constructive to think about than just how full and gross I felt. I've known other people who have successfully taken similar approaches, so this is something to think about.
Also, depending on how long you were restricting and what that involved for you, you might want to start off with foods that are more easily digested and gradually add new ones to your meal plan.
And, how long does it take for the weight to distribute, because my back and chest area are really obviously boney, if that makes sense.
It makes perfect sense, and again (I'm so sorry) it depends a lot of your genes and where you gain weight first. A lot of people are worried about where they will gain weight and sometimes it feels like it comes back unevenly at first. Its hard to know if this is due to the body distortion that we feel from an eating disorder or from the weight actually being a little weird. However, when your body gets healthy (again, with consistency and good nutrition) your weight will eventually end up evenly distributed. And, it most likely will start off even distributed. But, that is out of your control so the best thing to do is focus on the positive things that you can do for your body right now.
Also, I feel that its important to find other focusses as you recover as you will be able to start putting forth your new energy towards the things that are really important to you. So, I encourage you to find those things or else cultivate them now!
Finally, I don't know if I gave you the link for the Something's Fishy website before, but its a great and informative place and has a helpful peer support board that got me through a lot and might be something you would like as well. Here is that link:
Best of luck to you. You sound really strong and motivated and I've no doubt that you're on the way to being totally free of this and HAPPY :) Keep up the great work and write anytime.
