Expert: Leigh-Anne Persing, PA-C - 5/5/2007

Question
Hello,

My bout with anorexia began as healthy eating and exercise. In a period of about 3 months I went from 116 lbs to about 98lbs (I'm 5'3"). By eating less than 300 calories a day, I dwindled to around 90 lbs. After about five months, I began binge eating about once every four days, with complete fasting in between. This lasted for about 7 months, with very minimal weight gain (5-8lbs). Beginning in January of 2007, I began binging on an almost daily basis as an emotional coping mechanism. I eat literally almost nonstop on anything available most days, punctuated by occasional normal eating days or days of fasting. Obviously, I have gained weight doing this - I now weigh around 110 lbs, most of which is fat.

How can I normalize my eating? And will I be able to regain a normal body composition (ie, lose the fat and gain muscle) considering my history of eating disorders?

Any guidance regarding this would be most appreciated!

Best,

Christine

Answer
You certainly can develop a normalized eating pattern... and with that your body can change in composition as well. Exercise is always a good thing. This helps build muscle and makes your body more efficient at burning calories... and it tones up the areas that have been affected by the binging and purging. It takes a lot of effort to get yourself out of the b/p cycle, so if you have the help of a therapist or someone else who can keep you accountable that would be great. Meal planning is a great way. And preparing meals ahead of time is a good idea as well. That way when it is meal time you get out your already made food and you sit down with that... and only that... and have nothing more afterwards. SMALL snacks in between meals is a great way to keep yourself from having a full blown binge. You need to find some other way to cope with your emotions... whether it be talking with someone about how you are feeling... listening to music, reading, etc. That is going to be a big part of breaking the cycle.

Good luck!