Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Struggling to stop losing weight after diet!

I started a diet in October consisting of low carbs and more exercise. I consumed about 1, 200 calories a day and from October until January I managed to go from 9 stone 9 to 7 stone 8. I am 5 ft 2 inches.

I looked and felt great and was happy with my new lifestyle, however I am struggling to maintain this. I keep losing weight in fear of putting it all back on and it is beginning to go too far. Since January the weight loss has carried on and I am currently 6 stone 11. I look too thin, however I am worrie about backtracking on all my hard work. I stopped exercising to see if this would make me put weight back on, but it hasn't really. I still don't like to eat high carb foods such as potato, bread and pasta as it now makes me feel ill, but I don't want to keep losing weight! I am still eating around 1,000 - 1,200 cals per day but don't know how much I should be to maintain this, especially for my height, what to eat as well without going full throttle and putting too much back on.

My boyfriend doesn't help as he keeps saying how good I look at the moment, but I am beginning too look too thin I think. What can I do?

Reply 1

Mark85

You need to gradually increase your food intake until you start putting weight back on. If you are down to 1200 calories Maybe eat 1300-1400 calories for a week, then 1400-1500 for a week and so on until you start putting on weight. By doing this, you will find a level where you should stabilise. Trust me, you really aren't going to pile weight back on quickly unless you stuff your face with food. At your current rate you will end up ill unless you start eating more.

You should also tread carefully since it sounds like you have a bad relationship with food and body image.