Expert: Joanne - 4/21/2007

Question
Hi Holly,

I struggled with anorexia as a teenager, then gained back to low-end healthy weight and have spent the last 5 or 6 years being very restrictive with my eating. I'd get about 1400-1600 calories a day, plus an hour of intense exercise 6 days a week. I was constantly hungry, cold, cranky, tired and headachey. I finally got sick of it, and about 9 months ago started eating closer to 2000 calories a day. I have gained 15 pounds, putting me around 130 lbs (I'm 5' 3").

I've noticed that most the weight gain has been in my stomach area - in fact, my belly now hangs over my belt. I'm extremely self-conscious of it, but I don't want to go back to my unhealthy behaviors to get rid of it. Do you know whether it's normal to gain most of the weight back in that area?  I'm still working out religiously...

Also, do you know whether a person's weight goes back down a little after their metabolism speeds up?  I keep telling myself to hang on and wait, but after 9 months I'm starting to think I need to reconcile myself to being a little chubby.

Thank you so much for your time, and for any thoughts/ advice you have,
J

Answer
Sorry that I'm so slow in getting back to you!

After restricting, your body needs to build itself back up!  After doing so, it also tends to overshoot your starting weight slightly as it is repairing itself, and allowing everything to stabilise again.  After your body is functioning normally, it should sit at a pretty stable weight, maybe even lowering slightly.  

Unfortunately, not many people know that this is how their body will respond, and leads to years of yoyo dieting, each time, putting slightly more weight back on initially!

They say that it takes you roughly the same length of time to gain weight as it did to lose it, that is why most people that crash diet also tend to put weight back on quickly.  How long did it take you initially to lose the weight?  Many people in your situation will have lost most of their weight within the first few months, and then it is more a matter of avoiding gaining it back that keeps them restricting.

I reckon that if you feel that this is affecting you emotionally/psychologicallu, I think that you should maybe make an appointment to see a psychologist to look at body image issues, but I really encourage you to try to get an appointment with a nutritionist that may be able to have a look at your diet and make sure that your body is getting what it needs!

All the best
Holly