Expert: Joanne - 11/1/2007

Question
I finally admitted to myself that I have not lost a huge an accumlating amount of weight since i entered college just because the food is simply horrible and resembles pig slop even though that how it began, but because I now have anorexia. I didn't actully end up at an unhealthy weight (currently 96 lbs) until the middle of last year so I supppose you can say Ive been dealing wiht the disorder for about 9 months or so. Like i said, I've admitted it now to both myself and my mother and have decided to take on recovery without professional help. I've decided to go the route of a gradual increase in calories as opposed to shocking my system by suddenly intaking massive portions.

However, I was wondering a few things abotut he calories I'm going to be taken in now:

What are the msot important nutriants for recovering anorexics to take in (protein, calicum, etc?)?

Also what are the best foods to get these nuitrants from?

In general what are some common and best foods anorexics eat in recovery?

In your opinion are yogurts, cottage cheese and quaker chewy granola bars good additions?

Finally roughly how many calories should i work myself up to? I am 96 lbs, 5'5", 20 years old. Sometimes I'm about a majority of the time I'm moderately active on weekends, but I'm lightly active during the week as my activities tend to be confined to school work at a desk and classes. I would like to work myself up to about 110-112ish.

After i reach my target weight how long should i contiue consuming large amounts of calories before i begin lowering my intake for maintainance. How do you lower your intake for maintance?


By the way, the only restrictions i have as far as food are anyhting made of a pig and I've always (my whole life since i was little) hated deep fried and sugary sweets. And as far as mental health, I'm going to a support group this weekend.

Thanks for your time and i look forward to your response.

Answer
Acalia, congratulations on admitting you have a problem, and deciding to try and sort it!!

You should aim to eat a well balanced diet - that really is the best advice.  Protein is good as you will need to rebuild muscle that you have damaged through restricting, and calcium is necessary as your bones will most likely have suffered as well.

Iron will be important as well, especially if you have never lost your period, as you will be losing iron during this time, but you won't have been taking anough back in - so try to replace that as well, be it meat, or a lot of pulses and dark green veg.

You should be aiming to work your calories up to no less than 1500 calories (preferably closer to 2000), and even when you are trying to maintain a weight, I wouldn't decrease it at all as your body should become used to eating this, and once it has repaired itself, should be able to maintain a weight or even decrease slightly on this!

As for foods, I do think that you should try to eat a well-balanced diet, and eat what you are comfortable eating, but do try to eat different things all the time, as eating a very limited number of foods is feeding the disordered eating still - it is recognised as a sign of an eating disorder.

I would recommend the support group, but I also think that you may benefit from some professional help as well - even if not with the physical eating part, help with underlying issues that lead you to an eating disorder would be of benefit, as unresolved, these issues may continue to feed the eating disorder, and risk you returning to these behaviours again in the future.

If you have absolutely anything that you want to ask, or if you just want to talk to someone, please feel free to come back at anytime!

All the best
Holly