Eating Disorders and life with one - Discussions, Opinions, Advice.
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Sorry for the anon.
Original post by DatDinosaur
Hello I was just wondering if it was a good idea to do strength training in recovery? I'm 5ft 10 105lbs and d have lost a lot of muscle in my arms and stomach, I hope to eat 2500 cals a day of mostly good fats and protein and strength train 3 times a week for 45 mins should help me build muscle and fat to right? I'm also female.
You should not be doing any moderate-high energy exercise when under a BMI of 17.5. At your weight, your heart is just not strong enough to be doing strength training yet honey, sorry. It's something you can aim for though, when you are a bit healthier
Also remember to get plenty of carbohydrates - our bodies, especially starved, need lots of carbs because they are the primary fuel source for our brains and cells. Our cells can't carry out their repair work without energy.
xx
I have a bmi of 14 yet I walk about a mile per day on average, is this considered high energy exercise? My muscles feel like jelly after I carry 5-10kg of shopping back home once a week and my shoulder-bag which is a bit light. I sort of feel heartburn and get stitches sensation on my stomach area after a long walk from campus or shops, sometimes I do about 10 pushups in the morning but not all the time because I have no fat to burn. When I spread out my hands, it looks as if I had my skin taken off it would just show the bones as there is so little fat on them.
I eat on average 500 calories a day, mainly due to financial problems but I get catered food which is not enough most of the time. Having type1 diabetes doesn't really help and I have put off having insulin for a few days due to sleeping problems/ not eating that sort of thing.
I eat on average 500 calories a day, mainly due to financial problems but I get catered food which is not enough most of the time. Having type1 diabetes doesn't really help and I have put off having insulin for a few days due to sleeping problems/ not eating that sort of thing.
Original post by Cinnie
You should not be doing any moderate-high energy exercise when under a BMI of 17.5. At your weight, your heart is just not strong enough to be doing strength training yet honey, sorry. It's something you can aim for though, when you are a bit healthier
Also remember to get plenty of carbohydrates - our bodies, especially starved, need lots of carbs because they are the primary fuel source for our brains and cells. Our cells can't carry out their repair work without energy.
xx
Also remember to get plenty of carbohydrates - our bodies, especially starved, need lots of carbs because they are the primary fuel source for our brains and cells. Our cells can't carry out their repair work without energy.
xx
I would only really be working on my arms and stomach but if you say no I'll take you're advice and wait till I've put on abit of weight, oh and also how should I go about addeding calories like 200 a day or should I just go to 2500 in one jump? Oh I'm still gonna eat carbs haha there's no way in hell I'm gonna miss my chance to eat nutella every day and know it's helping me, thank you
I have anorexia nervosa. In me, it manifests itself as a disinterest in food and eating that escalates into an antipathy and then to a terror if I'm pressured to eat. I quit taking my risperidone tablets, prescribed for my schizoaffective disorder, because they caused me to eat compulsively. I have never liked food; on risperidone, it truly felt as though some external influence was controlling me. My risperidone abstinence landed me in hospital, but I would rather be free in my mind and not in my body than free in my body but not in my mind.
Original post by DatDinosaur
I would only really be working on my arms and stomach but if you say no I'll take you're advice and wait till I've put on abit of weight, oh and also how should I go about addeding calories like 200 a day or should I just go to 2500 in one jump? Oh I'm still gonna eat carbs haha there's no way in hell I'm gonna miss my chance to eat nutella every day and know it's helping me, thank you
Weight training needs even more calories, you definitely need to gain first! But good on you for taking it sensibly and getting those carbs in
I'd say increase slowly to make things more manageable and avoid the risk of "refeeding syndrome", but I think a medical professional would be in a much better position to tell you how many calories you should be increasing by.
Best of luck to you!
x
I'm still finding myself eating chocolate and stuff sometimes just to please others...I'm not recovered but I think I've come a long way. This is the recurring theme though that often makes me unhappy/feel powerless.
By the way I don't intend this post to encourage people to continue restrictive diets or anything, of course; but I'd rather eat what I need and what I enjoy and sometimes what I want and enjoy, than constantly have something I don't need and want, just so I don't rock the boat.
By the way I don't intend this post to encourage people to continue restrictive diets or anything, of course; but I'd rather eat what I need and what I enjoy and sometimes what I want and enjoy, than constantly have something I don't need and want, just so I don't rock the boat.
^^^ That was me guys.
In other news my girlfriend broke up with me due to circumstantial pressures of our relationship and her depression :/
but I'm optimistic for the future!
In other news my girlfriend broke up with me due to circumstantial pressures of our relationship and her depression :/
but I'm optimistic for the future!
Original post by x-Disenchanted-x
Weight training needs even more calories, you definitely need to gain first! But good on you for taking it sensibly and getting those carbs in
I'd say increase slowly to make things more manageable and avoid the risk of "refeeding syndrome", but I think a medical professional would be in a much better position to tell you how many calories you should be increasing by.
Best of luck to you! x
I'd say increase slowly to make things more manageable and avoid the risk of "refeeding syndrome", but I think a medical professional would be in a much better position to tell you how many calories you should be increasing by.
Best of luck to you!
xDo you think I should get to 125lbs first? Which is like 2 stone I have to put on and I really don't want all that to be in fat, I don't fear carbs much anymore I understand calories out calories in and no matter what you eat if you exceed you're daily needs you're gonna gain weight, oh my what's refeeding syndrome? It sounds grim
my dietian sucked and just gave me a leaflet and nowt much else I assume since I have such a low weight my metablism most have slowed down to the point where I should gain at least a pound a week on 2500.Original post by DatDinosaur
Do you think I should get to 125lbs first? Which is like 2 stone I have to put on and I really don't want all that to be in fat, I don't fear carbs much anymore I understand calories out calories in and no matter what you eat if you exceed you're daily needs you're gonna gain weight, oh my what's refeeding syndrome? It sounds grim my dietian sucked and just gave me a leaflet and nowt much else I assume since I have such a low weight my metablism most have slowed down to the point where I should gain at least a pound a week on 2500.
my dietian sucked and just gave me a leaflet and nowt much else I assume since I have such a low weight my metablism most have slowed down to the point where I should gain at least a pound a week on 2500.Make sure you're at least a healthy BMI and that you're exercising when you WANT to exercise, not because you feel like you have to...it can quickly develop into an obsession and become part of the disorder itself. I understand that some people genuinely enjoy exercise though, it's just a matter of being sensible, fuelling yourself properly and not doing it merely to "burn calories" or going crazy with it every day.
Refeeding syndrome is a rare but serious event though this tends to be a greater risk for those severely underweight who suddenly take in a large amount of calories and needs urgent medical attention.
I'm sorry your dietician wasn't much good
I haven't really got medical support at the moment either, it's very hard to access treatment. Do what you feel you can, I'd say go up a couple of hundred every week so that you can slowly incorporate extra snacks/bigger meals in a way that is not going to overwhelm you until you get to your goal calorie intake. Little steps add up to making great progress!Original post by x-Disenchanted-x
Make sure you're at least a healthy BMI and that you're exercising when you WANT to exercise, not because you feel like you have to...it can quickly develop into an obsession and become part of the disorder itself. I understand that some people genuinely enjoy exercise though, it's just a matter of being sensible, fuelling yourself properly and not doing it merely to "burn calories" or going crazy with it every day.
Refeeding syndrome is a rare but serious event though this tends to be a greater risk for those severely underweight who suddenly take in a large amount of calories and needs urgent medical attention.
I'm sorry your dietician wasn't much good I haven't really got medical support at the moment either, it's very hard to access treatment. Do what you feel you can, I'd say go up a couple of hundred every week so that you can slowly incorporate extra snacks/bigger meals in a way that is not going to overwhelm you until you get to your goal calorie intake. Little steps add up to making great progress!
Refeeding syndrome is a rare but serious event though this tends to be a greater risk for those severely underweight who suddenly take in a large amount of calories and needs urgent medical attention.
I'm sorry your dietician wasn't much good
I haven't really got medical support at the moment either, it's very hard to access treatment. Do what you feel you can, I'd say go up a couple of hundred every week so that you can slowly incorporate extra snacks/bigger meals in a way that is not going to overwhelm you until you get to your goal calorie intake. Little steps add up to making great progress!Will I have a high body fat % at a healthy weight? That's what I'm more concerned about becoming skinny fat with no definition because I've put so much weight on in such a short space of time at least if I did a small amont of weights I'd build just a little bit of muscle, oh god I really just wanted to jump into in and put the weight on as quickly as possible as I havnt had my period since June and I've heard it usally dosnt come back till you're a healthy bmi which in my current state is gonna take 4 months + just to get to the low end of healthy which will mean I wouldn't have had a period in a year and I dread to think what damage that's gonna do, I'm sorry to hear you're also suffering when it comes to getting help it's almost like all they say is 'eat more' it's not that simple when you're used to eating 900 max per day
Original post by DatDinosaur
Will I have a high body fat % at a healthy weight? That's what I'm more concerned about becoming skinny fat with no definition because I've put so much weight on in such a short space of time at least if I did a small amont of weights I'd build just a little bit of muscle, oh god I really just wanted to jump into in and put the weight on as quickly as possible as I havnt had my period since June and I've heard it usally dosnt come back till you're a healthy bmi which in my current state is gonna take 4 months + just to get to the low end of healthy which will mean I wouldn't have had a period in a year and I dread to think what damage that's gonna do, I'm sorry to hear you're also suffering when it comes to getting help it's almost like all they say is 'eat more' it's not that simple when you're used to eating 900 max per day
This. It's even worse when you're eating that, yet are still at a 'normal' BMI...
Original post by DatDinosaur
Will I have a high body fat % at a healthy weight? That's what I'm more concerned about becoming skinny fat with no definition because I've put so much weight on in such a short space of time at least if I did a small amont of weights I'd build just a little bit of muscle, oh god I really just wanted to jump into in and put the weight on as quickly as possible as I havnt had my period since June and I've heard it usally dosnt come back till you're a healthy bmi which in my current state is gonna take 4 months + just to get to the low end of healthy which will mean I wouldn't have had a period in a year and I dread to think what damage that's gonna do, I'm sorry to hear you're also suffering when it comes to getting help it's almost like all they say is 'eat more' it's not that simple when you're used to eating 900 max per day
Hmm, sounds to me like the need to exercise is fuelled by anxieties over your body image. Of course you won't get fat, you will restore your body to health...remember you are underweight and as a woman your body needs a certain level of fat to be able to function properly, hence why your hormones are "switched off" at the moment and you aren't having periods (this is my main motivation to get better...it scares me not having periods at the moment). I know it's hard but you have to accept that your body will change but this is a positive...you are restoring your health not "getting fat".
It's a shame you haven't got some sort of CBT support that would help you with the body issues...I think everyone feels the same in recovery and it's a massive trigger for relapse so please try and focus on why you need to get better rather than trying to attain the "perfect" body. Do you see a healthy person and think of "healthy" as a negative thing? Of course not. Seeing someone taking charge and regaining their health is an admirable, beautiful thing.
I totally understand the whole "just eat" thing...my GP said quite bluntly "take a walk in the garden and eat some food".
Er..okay mate. Cheers for that...put a sandwich on prescription, yeah?
Eating disorders are more than just "not eating". There is so much psychological complexity, underlying issues, our own self-perceptions and outside influences which keep us trapped in it. Of course not eating is irrational. Of course the answer is to eat.
But there are so many reasons that "just eating" is so difficult and if you can get access to some form of counselling or therapy please push for it. Keep friends and family close. Confide in people. Don't be afraid to admit when you're struggling. Share your feelings here.
Remember you don't have to do this alone. You need all the support you can get on the difficult road to recovery but it will be 100% worth it, remember that. x
Original post by Anonymous
This. It's even worse when you're eating that, yet are still at a 'normal' BMI...
And I bet because you're normal BMI you think no one will believe you about you're fears? It upsets me that people feel the need to go below healthy bmi just for people to show concern
but trust me you don't want to go down from a healthy bmi, yes at the start as you see the scales going down week by week you get such a thrill but there's only so many nights you can spend litterally lying against a radiator because you're so cold and only so much hair you can lose in the shower before you realise you've gone to far and you've got quite a mountain to climb to go back to that 'normal bmi' you hated and ran away from, I know it's hypocritical of me but I'd do anything to be a normal bmi right now just to feel normal and healthy and released from this mindset, stay healthy and sane stay at you're healthy bmi please you will look a thousand times more beautiful at it than you will underweight.Original post by x-Disenchanted-x
Hmm, sounds to me like the need to exercise is fuelled by anxieties over your body image. Of course you won't get fat, you will restore your body to health...remember you are underweight and as a woman your body needs a certain level of fat to be able to function properly, hence why your hormones are "switched off" at the moment and you aren't having periods (this is my main motivation to get better...it scares me not having periods at the moment). I know it's hard but you have to accept that your body will change but this is a positive...you are restoring your health not "getting fat".
It's a shame you haven't got some sort of CBT support that would help you with the body issues...I think everyone feels the same in recovery and it's a massive trigger for relapse so please try and focus on why you need to get better rather than trying to attain the "perfect" body. Do you see a healthy person and think of "healthy" as a negative thing? Of course not. Seeing someone taking charge and regaining their health is an admirable, beautiful thing.
I totally understand the whole "just eat" thing...my GP said quite bluntly "take a walk in the garden and eat some food".
Er..okay mate. Cheers for that...put a sandwich on prescription, yeah?
Eating disorders are more than just "not eating". There is so much psychological complexity, underlying issues, our own self-perceptions and outside influences which keep us trapped in it. Of course not eating is irrational. Of course the answer is to eat.
But there are so many reasons that "just eating" is so difficult and if you can get access to some form of counselling or therapy please push for it. Keep friends and family close. Confide in people. Don't be afraid to admit when you're struggling. Share your feelings here.
Remember you don't have to do this alone. You need all the support you can get on the difficult road to recovery but it will be 100% worth it, remember that. x
It's a shame you haven't got some sort of CBT support that would help you with the body issues...I think everyone feels the same in recovery and it's a massive trigger for relapse so please try and focus on why you need to get better rather than trying to attain the "perfect" body. Do you see a healthy person and think of "healthy" as a negative thing? Of course not. Seeing someone taking charge and regaining their health is an admirable, beautiful thing.
I totally understand the whole "just eat" thing...my GP said quite bluntly "take a walk in the garden and eat some food".
Er..okay mate. Cheers for that...put a sandwich on prescription, yeah?
Eating disorders are more than just "not eating". There is so much psychological complexity, underlying issues, our own self-perceptions and outside influences which keep us trapped in it. Of course not eating is irrational. Of course the answer is to eat.
But there are so many reasons that "just eating" is so difficult and if you can get access to some form of counselling or therapy please push for it. Keep friends and family close. Confide in people. Don't be afraid to admit when you're struggling. Share your feelings here.
Remember you don't have to do this alone. You need all the support you can get on the difficult road to recovery but it will be 100% worth it, remember that. x
I guess you're right I need to get this 'fat' idea from my head! I have pictures of me last year at a very healthy 10 stone and I look great I can see that I don't look fat at all I look lean and long that's the great thing about being tall but I can't stop the thought in my head that says you're gonna get fat it's so stupid when I can see photographic evidence of me not being fat, I hate my body right now clothes just hang off me I have no shape but yet the thought of eating so much makes me feel sick it's so f'd up, what a idiot! It makes me wonder how some get the job, if you could 'just eat' do they think you'd be freaking underweight! People who can just 'just eat' are healthy and wouldn't be there in the first place! I'm pretty sure all I have to do is push myself like I said I hate my body right now, I want to put on weight I feel ugly I just have to trust in my body that it will put the weight on in healthy places, thank you for you're advice
xxI could really relate to the part:
"I liken the disorder to a demon on your shoulder, creating a bubble around you. The frustrating thing is you *know* how to get better, but the demon talks you out of it. When you reach for the answer, the bubble stops you. But the bubble is a comfort. It is safe. It is known, accepted, quantifiable."
I think this is the element of anorexia that very few people without it understand. When I was 14 and had anorexia, people would say to me 'you need a pie' or 'why don't you just try to eat that'. This lack of empathy made me feel so misunderstood.
Also I remember the time when my dad made me lay on a huge piece of paper so that he could draw around me. When I saw the outline of my body I refused to believe how thin I looked, and I accused my dad of manipulating the drawing.
It was really hard to beat the "demon" because I knew I had lost weight, and I felt so confident in my 'new' body (as I used to call it). I used to love flaunting my figure in my age 11 shorts and age 9 T-shirt. And I still carried on losing weight after this as there was always 'room for improvement'.
Because I was so obsessed with dieting, I ignored the desperate pleas from my parents to try to gain weight. I sort of knew I was thin but I thought that if I ever said to myself that I was thin enough or happy with my figure, I would magically gain pounds of weight overnight. And gaining weight was my biggest fear.
In the end, I lost my period and my dad realised because I stopped asking for pads. So I had to see a doctor and a dietician (the dietician was crap though). The psychological problems still remain but I am a healthy weight now (I was under 6 1/2 stone, and I am now 8st at age 16). I really hate my body now, but my dad is happy that I am healthy again, so I am happy. It is difficult to not relapse but I'm a bit worried about when I move out because I will be in total control of my diet.
So I have a question for those out there who have suffered (or are suffering), what events led up to your development of your disorder?
For me it was just seeing myself in photos as the short, fat one; going to a swimming party in a bikini and having girls laughing at me/ sarcastically complimenting me on my bikini; generally being very self-conscious; having my mum call me pudgy; and also being rejected by boys and feeling like the only one without a boyfriend amongst my friends. It may sound pathetic but I was only 14 when it all started and I am very sensitive.
"I liken the disorder to a demon on your shoulder, creating a bubble around you. The frustrating thing is you *know* how to get better, but the demon talks you out of it. When you reach for the answer, the bubble stops you. But the bubble is a comfort. It is safe. It is known, accepted, quantifiable."
I think this is the element of anorexia that very few people without it understand. When I was 14 and had anorexia, people would say to me 'you need a pie' or 'why don't you just try to eat that'. This lack of empathy made me feel so misunderstood.
Also I remember the time when my dad made me lay on a huge piece of paper so that he could draw around me. When I saw the outline of my body I refused to believe how thin I looked, and I accused my dad of manipulating the drawing.
It was really hard to beat the "demon" because I knew I had lost weight, and I felt so confident in my 'new' body (as I used to call it). I used to love flaunting my figure in my age 11 shorts and age 9 T-shirt. And I still carried on losing weight after this as there was always 'room for improvement'.
Because I was so obsessed with dieting, I ignored the desperate pleas from my parents to try to gain weight. I sort of knew I was thin but I thought that if I ever said to myself that I was thin enough or happy with my figure, I would magically gain pounds of weight overnight. And gaining weight was my biggest fear.
In the end, I lost my period and my dad realised because I stopped asking for pads. So I had to see a doctor and a dietician (the dietician was crap though). The psychological problems still remain but I am a healthy weight now (I was under 6 1/2 stone, and I am now 8st at age 16). I really hate my body now, but my dad is happy that I am healthy again, so I am happy. It is difficult to not relapse but I'm a bit worried about when I move out because I will be in total control of my diet.
So I have a question for those out there who have suffered (or are suffering), what events led up to your development of your disorder?
For me it was just seeing myself in photos as the short, fat one; going to a swimming party in a bikini and having girls laughing at me/ sarcastically complimenting me on my bikini; generally being very self-conscious; having my mum call me pudgy; and also being rejected by boys and feeling like the only one without a boyfriend amongst my friends. It may sound pathetic but I was only 14 when it all started and I am very sensitive.
I've been getting better for around 2 months now and it feels so wonderful. I am so thankful to be able to turn this around. After tests etc it appears my guilty conscious of being bulimic for the past six years has masked the development of coeliac disease; unfortunately it's reached a very severe stage. As a result i'm working towards incorporating a gluten free diet. Nervous to be changing it all; i've gotten to used to the foods and portions that I like and now it's all going to change :/
Hey everyone
If anyone is in Exeter on Monday, get down to the Forum (at the uni) on Monday evening. It's a 'Share Your Story' evening and I'm officially speaking about my ED. I'll be talking for 10 minutes initially and perhaps expanding later on (depending on how many other people are speaking). If I don't get a chance, I'll be heading to our SU pub, The Ram, afterwards. I'd love to see some Exeter people down there for support and any questions or just a bit of a laugh after. Hope to see some of you there x
If anyone is in Exeter on Monday, get down to the Forum (at the uni) on Monday evening. It's a 'Share Your Story' evening and I'm officially speaking about my ED. I'll be talking for 10 minutes initially and perhaps expanding later on (depending on how many other people are speaking). If I don't get a chance, I'll be heading to our SU pub, The Ram, afterwards. I'd love to see some Exeter people down there for support and any questions or just a bit of a laugh after. Hope to see some of you there x
TSR needs your help! We are compiling information for a new sticky about mental health and we need your help.
We would really appreciate if you could help us out with the following information:
- Your experiences with different psychiatric medications including anti depressants, mood stabilisers, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines.
- Your experiences with different therapies such as CBT and DBT.
- Your experiences of being in a psychiatric hospital.
We will quote your experiences in the sticky, but it will be totally anonymous.
We are also compiling a set frequently asked questions, and we would love it if you could tell us the questions you wish you knew the answers to when you first came across mental health problems. We will include these in the guide, once again completely anonymously, and also write an answer for them.
We will merge the information from the current depression sticky, so if you supplied information for that when it was created, your experiences will be merged into the new thread.
If you would like to help us out, you can post your experiences and questions in this thread, or PM me.
Thanks for your help
We would really appreciate if you could help us out with the following information:
- Your experiences with different psychiatric medications including anti depressants, mood stabilisers, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines.
- Your experiences with different therapies such as CBT and DBT.
- Your experiences of being in a psychiatric hospital.
We will quote your experiences in the sticky, but it will be totally anonymous.
We are also compiling a set frequently asked questions, and we would love it if you could tell us the questions you wish you knew the answers to when you first came across mental health problems. We will include these in the guide, once again completely anonymously, and also write an answer for them.
We will merge the information from the current depression sticky, so if you supplied information for that when it was created, your experiences will be merged into the new thread.
If you would like to help us out, you can post your experiences and questions in this thread, or PM me.
Thanks for your help
I've found out more than ever how much of an impact this has had on me being able to get into a relationship. I have serious trouble allowing anyone to get close and instantly feel sick...the only people I'll willingly get involved with are the emotionally distant ones with awful personalities. Currently seeing a lovely guy and had a wonderful weekend but as soon as it came to getting intimate I panicked, felt sick and had to come home in tears. I was never like this before. I am fine with getting intimate with people I only see as flings, but as soon as someone seems genuinely interested in me I freak out completely...I really don't know how to overcome this one.
Does anyone find this in relationships? I'm thinking of just dropping him which would be a real shame, but the thought of getting intimate makes me feel horrible.
Does anyone find this in relationships? I'm thinking of just dropping him which would be a real shame, but the thought of getting intimate makes me feel horrible.
