Expert: Leigh-Anne - 5/25/2004

Question
i struggled with anorexia and bulimia when i was in high school, but then got control on my own and everything was fine until i gained fifty pounds with my last pregnancy. i managed to lose all of it using high protein, no carbs, 400 cal/day (or less), ephedra and too much exercise. now that i am back within normal range, i don't know how to stop without gaining anything back. i REALLY REALLY can't handle gaining even a few pounds back. do you have any suggestions?

Answer
Jen,

You are not alone. There are no really easy solutions to the problem you are going through. I have been there and still struggle on and off. There is no garuantee that you get out of this without at least gaining a little bit of weight. I don't know what kind of solutions you are looking for, but I can tell you what helped me a great deal... I became a vegan. For a long time I always hated myself and always felt guilty with what I ate. becoming a vegan almost always meant that I was eating food that I knew was good for me, and that meant that I didn't feel guilty when i did eat. In turn, those foods that I was eating filled me up more, so I ended up still eating less than I should have been, but I was still getting all the nutrients my body needed. So, you may want to look into vegetarianism, or even veganism (there is a distinct difference). Stopping the ephedra, or diet pills, abruptly might cause more problems than just weight gain. It may cause you to become extremely tired and make you feel lethargic/fatigued. So, I would recommend that you slowly taper yourself off of those. I have always been an advocate for exercise, and even with those who siffer from eating disorders. So, unless you are starting to suffer from medical problems brought on by not eating enough and exercising too much, I think you should keep up the exercise. Too avoid weight gain at all costs, i would recommend filling yourself up with salads, and other veggies, fruits, and whole wheats and whole grains (even when you eat pastas). Sweet potatoes have less calories than white potatoes. Eating whole wheats and whole grains doesn't cause as much of an increase in insulin production, so there isn't as much going into fat stores as there would be if you were eating products made of white flour. Good luck and let me know if I can be of any other service! I am here for you, so contact me as much as you want... even if you just want to vent about things.

Leigh-Anne