Recovered from eating disorder & want to lose weight the right way

brokenxdreams · May 16, 2004

Hey ladies,
When I was in my teens I struggled with an eating disorder, which I did overcome. Now I'm 20 years old and in the last year or so I've gained quite a bit of weight. I attribute this partially to the birth control pill. Anyway, I'd like to lose some of this extra body fat that I've gained over the last year, and I'd like to do it the RIGHT way. The thing is, I don't know where to start. I still have a few complexes from before - I feel like if I'm eating an adequate amount of food and don't feel deprived/hungry, then I'm "failing" and not losing fat. I know this isn't true at all, but I guess it's something that's still in my head from before. I was hoping some of you girls could give me some tips and help me start on the right track. I'm really confused about where to start, what macronutrient ratios to use, whether I should adopt a low-carb way of eating, etc. Any suggestions would be much appreciated

And I'm obviously new, so please be gentle! lol.

Thank you!

Sassy69 · May 17, 2004

Hi BXD & Welcome!

First, congrats on beating the eating demon! That's no small accomplishment. It sounds like your body has adjusted back to "normal" eating, so now it looks like you want to go to the next level & fine tune into a "clean" eating habit. My first caveat is that, as you know, you can't "lose weight fast" - it needs to be a gradual change for your body to make the shift to the cleaner eating & training, while cleaning out any accumulated garbage from an "unclean" diet and then start burning fuel in an efficient manner. (But I'm sure you know that! I only reiterate this because you don't want to approach a change in eating & training habits in a panic mode to 'lose weight as soon as possible', but rather to adopt a new lifestyle with a long-term view. Trust me, it will save you lots of pain & anguish if you just don't look day to day for improvements, but rather keep your eye on the long term, then within a few weeks all of a sudden you notice the changes, both mentally, energy-wise & physically!)

So, <sassy climbs down from the soap box> , let's talk about where you are now & what are your goals specifically? Can you lay out a typical day's diet & what sort of training you do right now, and also what is your current height, weight, age, bodyfat (if you know it). Then where do you want to go from here & in what time frame are you expecting?

FitFossil · May 17, 2004

Welcome! You've come to the right place. I've been a member for about 3 1/2 years, and because of that, have been able to recover from a 20 year eating disorder. The people/knowledge here is amazing!

To overcome the "complexes", the first thing you need to do is start viewing yourself as an athlete in training rather than someone who needs to loose weight/fat. If you concentrate on building yourself into the best athlete you can be, the fat will come off, and you'll be a lot happier and healthier. (That's what that saying "Stronger, Faster, Better" in my signature is all about.) Look for positive role models. Check out the pictures in Oxygen magazine and see how alive and happy these women look compared to those in regular fashion magazines who look limp and scared.

As for making our bodies lose fat, we're fighting millions of years of evolution. Our bodies are designed to survive, and that means avoiding starvation at all costs. It's only been in the past 100 years or so that humans have had a steady food supply, and it'll take another 100,000 or so years before our bodies get the message.

The trick is to work WITH your body. Going with that survival theme, our bodies do like to be strong, and given the right nutrition, they'll respond wonderfully to training. My other favorite saying is "EAT like an athlete - TRAIN like an althlete --> LOOK like an athlete". All the training in the world will NOT make up for a lousy diet (believe me, I tried!). A training diet is SO different from a traditional weight loss diet, because it's all about eating to support your training, not depriving yourself.

As you replace fat with muscle, you might see the scale weight going up, but don't worry. Muscle is DENSER than fat and takes up less space, plus muscle raises your metabolism - it's awesome!

Here's a great site to check out: http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html

brokenxdreams · May 17, 2004

Thanks, Sassy & FitFossil for your replies. FitFossil, congratulations on overcoming your eating disorder. It's so hard, and I'm glad that we were both able to do it.

I'm 5'5", about 150lbs, and not sure of my bodyfat %. I'm embarrassed to tell you guys this (who are so healthy and conscious of your eating and training) but my diet isn't great. It consists of a lot of carbs, like pastas (which I unfortunately love), frozen food, and processed food, but I AM trying to change that and I WILL change that. As for training, I don't currently go to a gym, I just walk. I'm looking into re-joining a gym. The last time I was a member of one was during my ED days, where I did crazy amounts of cardio because I was obsessed with burning off calories. I'm trying to change my habits and my attitude, and I know that this is going to be a gradual lifestyle change. 'Like I said before, I just don't know where to start My goal is 125lbs to 135lbs. So I'd liek to lose about 15-25 lbs. I'm not sure what a good goal would be. Is 15 lbs. in 4 months unrealistic?

Thanks for your patience guys, I appreciate your input and your kind words!

Daisy_Girl · May 17, 2004

15 lbs in 4 months is NOT unrealistic. That is roughly 1lb a week, which is very healthy and realistic.

DO NOT be embarrassed about where you are now, or where you have been. Everyone has their own obstacles to overcome. The important thing is that you SEE the obstacles and you realize that you are strong enough to overcome them. This is admirable. We have ALL been in various places we are "embarrassed" of...

Start doing some weight training...the physical strength you gain will hopefully fortify your mental stength.

Continue walking - that is great exercise.

Don't rely on cardio to lose weight though, real body changes are done through diet and weights.

Check this board, and the diet board for some diet info.

Keep posting! We welcome you with open (non-judgemental) arms!

Raina · May 17, 2004

Congrats and welcome! I've been in your shoes. I found this place when I was at a point where I either needed to let myself backslide or move forward onto a healthy path. I had to relearn everything I thought I knew about diet and exercise. Somehow in the process of taking care of my body, I started to see myself differently. I stopped fighting my body and started fighting for it.

15 pounds in 4 months is very doable! And you should really consider joining the gym. At least for me, it was an important part of my healing process. My weight didn't really change much but I lost fat and as a result lost size. It also helped me stop focusing so much on the numbers on the scale and start going by how my pants fit. Feel free to ask questions and share your progress!

brokenxdreams · May 19, 2004

Thanks, all of you, for your supportive, kind words and your input.

about my diet, any suggestions? I'm trying to eat better and cleaner but am not sure how I should be eating, in terms of macronutrient ratios, etc.

Any advice?

Sassy69 · May 19, 2004

Do you generally eat 3x/day? The goal is to get to eating more, but smaller meals. Your body processes food every 2-3 hours, so if you feed it just enough to process for 2-3 hours at a time, you are feeding it as it wants while not overfeeding or starving. It takes a little getting used to, but its definitely a step in the right direction.

Start by eating your starchy carbs earlier in the day, and try keeping them to minimally processed sources such as oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice, sweet potatoes for your starchy carbs, and all sorts of vegies for your fibrous carbs. Unfortunately this probably cuts into your love of pastas & noodles. One saving grace is that you can still make progress if you reserve one cheat meal or even one cheat day per week where you just eat what you want ( without gorging!) and then get back on the clean diet the next day. That way you don't feel like you are depriving yourself and its generally good to throw some "junk" in your system occassionally to keep it on its toes.

You also want to get good sources of protein at every meal and also good fats. So to start, so it doesn't feel like you are eating all the time & eating alot, look at a meal plan that consists of 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Something like this:

Meal 1 ("breakfast"): 1 whole egg, 4-5 egg whites, 1/2 c oatmeal (not "quick oats", but the real stuff)

Meal 2: ("snack"): cottage cheese + a couple strawberries

Meal 3: ("lunch"): 4 oz chicken + vegies + 3 oz sweet potatoe

Meal 4: ("snack"): handful of almonds (good source of protein & fats)

Meal 5: ("dinner"): 4 oz chicken + vegies

Meal 6: ("snack"): if you are still hungry, a protein shake mixed w/ water

Other good sources of protein are very lean steak, turkey and fish like salmon, tuna or tilapia. Generally your serving sizes shouldn't be bigger than the size of your fist. Keep the fruit to a minimum - it is basically sugar (fructose). It probably wouldn't be a bad thing to throw in on your cheat day because the enzymes in fruit are good for cleaning out the toxins in your system. Just don't overdo. Strawberries, kiwi & grapefruit also help w/ digestion.

Don't forget your fats. Flax seed oil is a great source. Cheese & dairy aren't really great sources. I've been known to put flax seed oil & vinegar on my salads. Natural peanut butter is also a good source of fat + protein and 1-2 tbsp makes a good snack. Don't go overboard on it though because it is also a carb source, and frankly, I tend to break out from too much of it. My skin is very sensitive to fats.

To get a good listing of the actual calories & breakdowns of the food you eat, you can use www.fitday.com to calculate it all. (Its free!)

brokenxdreams · May 20, 2004

Sassy69 said:
Do you generally eat 3x/day? The goal is to get to eating more, but smaller meals. Your body processes food every 2-3 hours, so if you feed it just enough to process for 2-3 hours at a time, you are feeding it as it wants while not overfeeding or starving. It takes a little getting used to, but its definitely a step in the right direction.

Start by eating your starchy carbs earlier in the day, and try keeping them to minimally processed sources such as oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice, sweet potatoes for your starchy carbs, and all sorts of vegies for your fibrous carbs. Unfortunately this probably cuts into your love of pastas & noodles. One saving grace is that you can still make progress if you reserve one cheat meal or even one cheat day per week where you just eat what you want ( without gorging!) and then get back on the clean diet the next day. That way you don't feel like you are depriving yourself and its generally good to throw some "junk" in your system occassionally to keep it on its toes.

You also want to get good sources of protein at every meal and also good fats. So to start, so it doesn't feel like you are eating all the time & eating alot, look at a meal plan that consists of 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Something like this:

Meal 1 ("breakfast"): 1 whole egg, 4-5 egg whites, 1/2 c oatmeal (not "quick oats", but the real stuff)

Meal 2: ("snack"): cottage cheese + a couple strawberries

Meal 3: ("lunch"): 4 oz chicken + vegies + 3 oz sweet potatoe

Meal 4: ("snack"): handful of almonds (good source of protein & fats)

Meal 5: ("dinner"): 4 oz chicken + vegies

Meal 6: ("snack"): if you are still hungry, a protein shake mixed w/ water

Other good sources of protein are very lean steak, turkey and fish like salmon, tuna or tilapia. Generally your serving sizes shouldn't be bigger than the size of your fist. Keep the fruit to a minimum - it is basically sugar (fructose). It probably wouldn't be a bad thing to throw in on your cheat day because the enzymes in fruit are good for cleaning out the toxins in your system. Just don't overdo. Strawberries, kiwi & grapefruit also help w/ digestion.

Don't forget your fats. Flax seed oil is a great source. Cheese & dairy aren't really great sources. I've been known to put flax seed oil & vinegar on my salads. Natural peanut butter is also a good source of fat + protein and 1-2 tbsp makes a good snack. Don't go overboard on it though because it is also a carb source, and frankly, I tend to break out from too much of it. My skin is very sensitive to fats.

To get a good listing of the actual calories & breakdowns of the food you eat, you can use www.fitday.com to calculate it all. (Its free!)

Thank you for the great reply! I have another question (sorry to bombard you guys with questions) regarding calories.

I know the "right" # of calories depends on the individual person and the metabolism, but I'm not sure how many I should be taking in. I've heard the following:
1) 12cals x bodyweight = generally maintaining weight
2) 12cals x bodyweight - you can lose weight with this
3) 10cals x bodyweight is good, but you shouldn't go under
4) 12cals x bodyweight - 500 calories a day for weight loss

So, I'm confused. 12cals x bodyweight - 500 is a lot less than 10 x bodyweight. lol. What's a good caloric intake?

Pamela · May 21, 2004

Welcome and you have come to the right place!
Most of us girls know exactly how you feel.

You have made a decision to be healthier and to feel better.
Hang in there, You are so very wise to get yourself into a better way
of life, at your age. Because an ED can and will take over your life.

So hang in there and eat good and workout you will feel so much better.

Pm me if you need someone to talk to...

Pamela... :Pamela:

Recovered from eating disorder & want to lose weight the right way

brokenxdreams

New member

Sassy69

New member

FitFossil

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brokenxdreams

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Daisy_Girl

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Raina

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brokenxdreams

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Sassy69

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brokenxdreams

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Pamela

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