confusion with multiple needs!

[emmab]

i am 35 and have commenced recovery from 17 years of eating disorders. i used to also be a competitive swimmer and generally enjoy exercise once i get started!
at my worst i was still on about 1000cals a day so was never in major starvation mode.
however, two weeks ago was diagnosed with osteoporosis so need to build up muscle and bone asap!
i have noticed since i inc my daily intake to 1400-1500 cals my arms have grown considerably...before that i could get my fingers to touch around my upper arm!!! my dietitian says it is merely from glycogen and fluid replenishment in the muscle but it did freak me out for a few days
i have been doing some basic upper body weights at home for nearly two weeks, just using 3kg dumbells as i was told not to go heavy for a while to avoid stress fractures.
my questions for you wise people are:
1) How do I need to tweak my intake to maximize muscle gain
I am mainly confused re the protein intake..
I read that to build muscle you need protein
But also that too much protein negatively impacts bone development

2)Interestingly even after 3-4 days of lower intake from having gastro I aint got ANY smaller in arms, and I CANT have built muscle strength that quickly can I?

3) is my dietitian for real re the glyc/fluid or is she trying to protect me from freaking about my arms?!?!

4)Guess this is triple complicated ie recovering anorexia, osteo,and trying to build muscle and strength!

5)What exercises can I do for strengthening lower back, given that that L1 (lumbar1 vertebrae) was my worst T score. all i was told was avoid situps

currently my exercise regime is focused mainly on biceps, triceps, shoulders and chest, and i also walk about 2km 3times a week. i was keen to get an exercycle but was told walking is better as it is weight bearing

any advice on any of these qs would be very gratefully received.

i eat clean, and am also taking magnesium, calcium, fish oil and a multi

 

[wlmcrae]

i am 35 and have commenced recovery from 17 years of eating disorders. i used to also be a competitive swimmer and generally enjoy exercise once i get started!
at my worst i was still on about 1000cals a day so was never in major starvation mode.
however, two weeks ago was diagnosed with osteoporosis so need to build up muscle and bone asap!
i have noticed since i inc my daily intake to 1400-1500 cals my arms have grown considerably...before that i could get my fingers to touch around my upper arm!!!

You could get your fingers to touch around your UPPER ARM? And you used to be a competitive SWIMMER with the muscle that entails? Good God, you must have had nothing there but BONE. The humeral bone is almost that big!

my dietitian says it is merely from glycogen and fluid replenishment in the muscle but it did freak me out for a few days

Quite possible - she's the expert and will give you the best results, most likely. You are not, currently, a 'normally responding' person.

i have been doing some basic upper body weights at home for nearly two weeks, just using 3kg dumbells as i was told not to go heavy for a while to avoid stress fractures.

my questions for you wise people are:
1) How do I need to tweak my intake to maximize muscle gain
I am mainly confused re the protein intake..
I read that to build muscle you need protein
But also that too much protein negatively impacts bone development

Maximizing muscle gain - eat at maintenance calories or up to 500/day above, 30/40/30 Protien:Carb:Fat % ratio works for me (there are other ratios). For you, your dietician will give you the correct calories and ratios for your current needs, which will be very different from the needs of a 'normal' person. If you want to be able to do the calculations yourself, the e-book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto has all the formulae, again, being aware that they are for a normal individual, who has not suffered from anorexia for 17 years.

2)Interestingly even after 3-4 days of lower intake from having gastro I aint got ANY smaller in arms, and I CANT have built muscle strength that quickly can I?

Your body will attempt to come back into balance by replacing its fluid and glycogen when you start to feed it. It IS NOT NORMAL and IS VERY UNHEALTHY to be able to wrap your fingers around your upper arm. Around your wrist, yes, by all means! No, you are not putting on fat, just replacing the pieces you have lost to years of unhealthy eating.

3) is my dietitian for real re the glyc/fluid or is she trying to protect me from freaking about my arms?!?!

Your dietician is correct.

4)Guess this is triple complicated ie recovering anorexia, osteo,and trying to build muscle and strength!

Yes, it will be complicated. Go and look for fitness competitors on the web - find one that is close to you in height and general build. Find her stats (measurements and weight in the off-season). Use those as an objective measure of where you could be if you were as healthy and good-looking as she is. For you, unfortunately, I suspect that you will need to look at and measure by someone else for awhile until you get back to being able to see yourself normally, without the body dysmorphia from anorexia getting in the way.

To give an example, I am 5'6" tall and very fine boned, naturally quite slender. I meet the criteria for excellent rating in all normal body measurements. At 130-135 lbs (my water weight varies depending on time of the month), I have 6" wrists and 11 1/2" biceps. I want larger upper arms and more muscle mass since I'm still quite undefined.

5)What exercises can I do for strengthening lower back, given that that L1 (lumbar1 vertebrae) was my worst T score. all i was told was avoid situps

Lower back - you are looking at core strengthening. I agree in avoiding situps, since they work primarily the hip flexors, not the core. Look into exercises for transverse abdominus, obliques, quadratus lumborum, rectus abdominus. Be aware, for your body dysmorphia, that core strengthening will result in an increased waist measurement. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING - think about a limp, brown, floppy, old celery stalk vs. a beautiful young, strong, flexible willow tree. That is the difference btw. a weak core and strong core.

currently my exercise regime is focused mainly on biceps, triceps, shoulders and chest, and i also walk about 2km 3times a week. i was keen to get an exercycle but was told walking is better as it is weight bearing

Very true - keep on with any weight bearing exercise. Be aware that bone remodels constantly, turning over completely in about two years. This is a long process - but it took you seventeen years to 'eat' all the goodness out of your bones, so a few years to put it all back in is a small price to pay.

any advice on any of these qs would be very gratefully received.

i eat clean, and am also taking magnesium, calcium, fish oil and a multi

It sounds like you're working with professionals - keep on with that. As you get stronger, you will probably want to add some lower body work to your weights. Do it in concert with your professionals - with the added complication of long-term anorexia, someone who can see you and see how you are doing can probably give better advice than 'web buddies'!

 

[Raina]

I can relate to a lot of that as someone who was a swimmer and has dealt with EDs for my entire life. I think that a healthy fitness lifestyle saved me. I was at a point where I could either fight my body or fight for it and I chose the later. Amazing how much healthier and better you can look when you start eating right.

1) How do I need to tweak my intake to maximize muscle gain
I am mainly confused re the protein intake..
I read that to build muscle you need protein
But also that too much protein negatively impacts bone development

I think you'll hear a lot of different answers to this one. I suppose it also depends on what you're trying to do. At minimum I try to eat a gram of protein for every pound of body weight I am. Right now I'm eating 40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carbs. A site like www.fitday.com might help you figure out exactly what you're currently eating if you don't already know.

2)Interestingly even after 3-4 days of lower intake from having gastro I aint got ANY smaller in arms, and I CANT have built muscle strength that quickly can I?
3) is my dietitian for real re the glyc/fluid or is she trying to protect me from freaking about my arms?!?!

I don't think there's a time frame on strength. I think it just depends on the person. Try not to get caught up in old mindsets and habits. Changes like these take time. There's no sense measuring anything, measurements or weight on a day to day basis. Being able to wrap your fingers around the upper arm isn't a healthy thing. I get where you're coming from though. Old habits die hard. It's a matter of taking life one meal at a time and one day at a time and trying to change for the better. You deserve better than anything an eating disorder can ever give to you.

4)Guess this is triple complicated ie recovering anorexia, osteo,and trying to build muscle and strength!

I can only speak for myself but for me, I've always had those overwhelming urges to cope with life through not eating. What I've done is rechanneled all that compulsion into healthy choices. I think the hardest thing is befriending your body when you've fought it for years. It's the only one you'll ever have. Baby it. It's SO hard to work on that but it's worth it in the long run.

5)What exercises can I do for strengthening lower back, given that that L1 (lumbar1 vertebrae) was my worst T score. all i was told was avoid situps.
currently my exercise regime is focused mainly on biceps, triceps, shoulders and chest, and i also walk about 2km 3times a week. i was keen to get an exercycle but was told walking is better as it is weight bearing.

I'm all for training the entire body. I don't understand why people pick and choose what they are and aren't training. Spot fat burning isn't possible. Ultimately you want to strengthen your whole body ad as you train and feed it enough, your lean mass will increase.

What's funny is that I'm smaller now when I'm 30+ pounds heavier than I was when I was being forcefed in a hospital. Behold the glory of lean mass- it's a calorie furnace and leans you out. But you won't build it unless you're eating enough.

Can you meet with a personal trainer a time or two at your gym to give you a routine and teach you proper form? It might be worth it to go into all of this really knowing what you're doing and having confidence about it. What about an elliptical or something for cardio? Something like that is probably a good idea too since back injuries + anything that's not low impact isn't a great idea.

Welcome.