Eating Disorder Support Group

[ErikTheElectric]

Easier said than done. My day-to-day mindset is so dependent on my body image it's ridiculous. I really should (and would like to) get therapy, but that's just not an option right now.

Anyway, I'm off to bed and tomorrow is day 1 of, hopefully, the rest of my healthy, binge-free life.

Why isn't therapy an option? Do you not have the time for it?

[boy91boy]

no you dont want to rely on T injections
Eat more exercise less and gain weight and you will see T rise
If your body starts relying on t injections, it will stop producing T on its own

u r the first guy on this forum who advises me to do exercises to counter the low testosterone problem.. the others were just "go T shots"..

makes me wonder that they acted like that because they knew the increase from exercise is just temporary..

i've read about permanent endocrinal system damages due to eating disorder.. scary.. the guy above me.. he's 94 lbs, but he's 5'0.. i was 99 lbs, but i was 5'7..

guys if my eating disorder and extreme thinness have caused me low testosterone level, should i expect the level to rise to its former high level after i eat and live well, or maybe better, to rise past my former level, knowing that i havent finished my puberty yet?

Or r T injections the only way?

my lowest weight was 99 lbs and my height was 5'7.i'm afraid that i've done permanent damages to the hormonal system.

i've also experienced extreme penile and testicular shrinkage @ that weight.was it temporary or permanent that i've lost actual penile tissue due to atrophy and or possible tissue tearing/burning due to very low weight and starvation..? u know..body needs fats and muscles, and penis is soft muscle..or was it just simple blood flow problem..

This should be a common knowledge here guys c'mon!

[determined4000]

u r the first guy on this forum who advises me to do exercises to counter the low testosterone problem.. the others were just "go T shots"..

re-read the post
I said eat more
exercise LESS
in order to increase T-levels

[boy91boy]

re-read the post
I said eat more
exercise LESS
in order to increase T-levels

im sorry i missed that..

well..if i dont exercise, i thought the calories will be registered as fat/estrogen??

[avad]

not sure if it fits here but every time i eat simple carbs i get massive red pimples and cysts on my back and cheeks.

[determined4000]

im sorry i missed that..

well..if i dont exercise, i thought the calories will be registered as fat/estrogen??

go to posts 9287-9288 and 9305-9306

I did not say to cut out exercise completely. But read those posts and you will see that too much exercise (especially when undereating) is harmful.
Diet
1. Calorie defict = low T, calorie surplus= high T
2. Insufficient fat = low T
3. Low carbs can be low T
Exercise
1. Too much exercise= cortisol, lowering T and increasing fat storage
2. Short bouts of intense weight training have been shown to be associated with high T, while long durations or low intensity exercise lower T
3. Cardio and insufficient rest lower T

SO my advice for an anorexic recovering T levels is:
1. Start gaining weight and eat in a surplus for an extended period of time
2. Make sure you are getting adequate macro nutrients
3. Workout 3-4x a week with a beginner low volume weight training routine. Do no cardio until at a healthy weight. Then start slowly adding it based on if T and weight (and mindset) is recovering. Additionally I would suggest that this activity not be any strucuted cardio (rather than I will job 1 mile, instead play pickup basketball w/ friends, 9-holes of golf with your father, a wlak and chat with mom around the block, catch w/ your sibling, etc.)

[determined4000]

not sure if it fits here but every time i eat simple carbs i get massive red pimples and cysts on my back and cheeks.

no this is not the right thread for this
and it probably has a lot more to do with a certain food/foods than macronutrient

[boy91boy]

go to posts 9287-9288 and 9305-9306

I did not say to cut out exercise completely. But read those posts and you will see that too much exercise (especially when undereating) is harmful.
1. Calorie difict = los T, calorie surplus= high T
2. Too much exercise= cortisol, lowering T and increasing fat storage

okay..got it..

but what do u think about my weight and height? 99 lbs and 172 cm? worse than that riaden guy..

i know i dont sound like depressed or anything-that was years ago..anyway when i was depressed, i put my mind on something else and i didnt really care about my body..

now i'm only looking into the effects of this habit..

i feel like dumber now..slower..im afraid that i'd killed many brain cells due to starvations and had shrunk my brain permanently..

im sure that im having a low testosterone level now.. and it was a fact from a physical test at school that i used to be one of the boys at class who had high testosterone levels..

and i think its hard for the doctor to diagnose me since i dont have pre-anorexia diagnosis..maybe the result of the diagnosis will be normal/average for normal people but borderline low for my standard/genetics..

[determined4000]

okay..got it

but what do u think about my weight and height?

1. see my edited additional info from that post
2. you are probably 35lbs underweight at least. Any exercise is probably stressing your heart and organs. Exercise should be limited until you get your weight up. You should probably be being followed by a medical doctor outpatient every 1-2 weeks and be more concerned about getting in a position where your life is less as stake, rather than worrying about T.
People are hospitalized with BMIs at 17.5 (you are 15.5)

[boy91boy]

1. see my edited additional info from that post
2. you are probably 35lbs underweight at least. Any exercise is probably stressing your heart and organs. Exercise should be limited until you get your weight up. You should probably be being followed by a medical doctor outpatient every 1-2 weeks and be more concerned about getting in a position where your life is less as stake, rather than worrying about T.
People are hospitalized with BMIs at 17.5 (you are 15.5)

i've edited my post..

that was my weight years ago..

[determined4000]

i've edited my post..

that was my weight years ago..

so you have been at a healthy weight, consistently eating in a surplus and not over exercising for years????
I doubt it

[boy91boy]

so you have been at a healthy weight, consistently eating in a surplus and not over exercising for years????
I doubt it

yes.. i quit school 4 years ago.. ever since, i only stayed at home playing a video game..which made me to quit school itself..pathetic, isnt it?

i exercise..occasionally..very very rarely..and after days, usually i stop again..because i dont have motivations and nobody supports me..

i havent really been at a healthy weight all the time.. in these 4 years, there was a couple of times where my weight went down to to 110s..and usually it lasted for months before i started to eat more again..

[determined4000]

.because i dont have motivations and nobody supports me..

i havent really been at a healthy weight all the time.. in these 4 years, there was a couple of times where my weight went down to to 110s..and usually it lasted for months before i started to eat more again..

then why would you expect it to get better?

stop making excuses (no motivation, no support) and start making changes

[boy91boy]

then why would you expect it to get better?

stop making excuses (no motivation, no support) and start making changes

sorry i forgot to mention something..i've had a full 6 months of dedicated will to change my lifestyle and live as healthy as possible.. but no life-changing results.. combined with the stuff i've read on the net-anorexia and its possible permanent damages-i lost my motivation and started to play video game 10 hours a day and masturbate 3 times a day again..

[determined4000]

sorry i forgot to mention something..i've had a full 6 months of dedicated will to change my lifestyle and live as healthy as possible.. but no life-changing results.. combined with the stuff i've read on the net-anorexia and its possible permanent damages-i lost my motivation and started to play video game 10 hours a day and masturbated 3 times a day again..

there was this overweight guy who was obese for 10 years and decided to go on a diet for a few months
unfortunately he was still fat after a few months so he decided to go back to only eating pizza dn fast food
he just didnt see any reason to be motivated

I guess both of you are just in helpless situations with no way out
not sure why you waste time on here away from video games when you are in a situation beyond repair

[boy91boy]

there was this overweight guy who was obese for 10 years and decided to go on a diet for a few months
unfortunately he was still fat after a few months so he decided to go back to only eating pizza dn fast food
he just didnt see any reason to be motivated

I guess both of you are just in helpless situations with no way out
not sure why you waste time on here away from video games when you are in a situation beyond repair

firstly im not obesed..im just 165 lbs..

secondly..i know i sound like a ***..and u r trying to make me down because of it..well im telling u, u cant me more depressed and down than i am now..seriously i cant be more depressed anymore..about anything..last week my big brother died and i didnt feel anything though we used to be very close when we were younger..i sound like a mad psycho but im not..i used to be a very sensitive guy..i also cant feel happiness or something like that..i've won an online lottery which gave me a lot of money and cool stuff..but i didnt feel anything..maybe its due to the structural changes done to my brain which made me more emotion-less..

i just need some knowledge regarding this problem with some logical explanations and if possible, pls provie some source links/proofs or hopefully maybe some references from your doctors who have handled your eating disorder problems..id be very very grateful..

but what u r trying to do to me with that post, gives no impact to me..sorry

[riaden]

if your not willing to make a change, and you are happy with your life, keep living the life you want, tucked up in your room, hidden from everyone, to fragile to move, you have lost the will to live, you dont appreciate life.

imagine being on a death bed, not knowing if your going to live through the night, with your mum crying her eyes out, looking at her son that is almost beyond repair. stop taking life for granted, when was the last time you watched the sun rise, when was the last time you went for a walk through a national park, with no IPOD, just listing to nature, when was the last time you sat on the beach and watched the waves just roll in, when was the last time you walk past some flowers and actully stopped and smelled them??????

4months of eating good, and not exercing isnt going to help 4years of damage, your 27years old, time to grow up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj6cRdlUiJU

[boy91boy]

if your not willing to make a change, and you are happy with your life, keep living the life you want, tucked up in your room, hidden from everyone, to fragile to move, you have lost the will to live, you dont appreciate life.

imagine being on a death bed, not knowing if your going to live through the night, with your mum crying her eyes out, looking at her son that is almost beyond repair. stop taking life for granted, when was the last time you watched the sun rise, when was the last time you went for a walk through a national park, with no IPOD, just listing to nature, when was the last time you sat on the beach and watched the waves just roll in, when was the last time you walk past some flowers and actully stopped and smelled them??????

4months of eating good, and not exercing isnt going to help 4years of damage, your 27years old, time to grow up!

your mom cried for u..well that makes a very big difference between us..

at one point i also fainted when i was at my lowest weight..100 lbs..after 2-3 days of not sleeping/eating/drinking, and doing video game marathons at the internet cafe..walking to my home..luckily people at the street immediately helped me by carrying me to the nearest bench..they gave me water..after i reached the house..my father greeted me with an hour of b*tching..then after that, while i was trying to refill the water by lifting the gallon, i fell..and what did my dad do??he ran from the living room to the kitchen, and he thought that i was mad and started to b*tch for another hour..

u were 115 lbs..and ur mom cried for u..
i was 100 lbs..and my parents thought that i was a demon kid or something..

look at ur picture when u were 115 lbs..look at u..try to imagine urself with less 15 lbs..and instead of getting cries, u got b*tching..

and at another point..when i was very into gym and stuff which i've mentioned in the previous post about me being full dedicated about improving life..where i tried to eat more and separate meals into 5-6 sessions..my parents, my dad and his wife, called me downstairs..they said i mustnt eat that much..and when i said i was trying to bulk up..they said u cant, we didnt allow u as the other family members only ate 3 times a day max..and u know what..we didnt have any economical problems!!

and btw im not 27 y/o..

[daith]

Hi guys. I'm new and I posted a thread before I saw this sticky. I'm wondering if I'd have more luck getting support from here.

Quick intro! I'm a 19 year old female recovering from Bulimia Nervosa. I'm having a very difficult time eating/keeping down enough food to reach my calorie goals for gaining muscle. I've been in mental treatment for 2 years and I can assure you the problem now is purely physical. I'm just never hungry. If I make myself eat my small meals, I feel bloated and nauseated and just plain ill all day. Even then, I can only reach about 1000 - 1200 kcal in total.

I just feel so discouraged. I feel like I'm finally above my disorder, mentally... but my body is still resisting normal portions because of the abuse I've put it through in the past. I've tried cutting out dairy, wheat, anything that might be causing allergies or intolerances. I've tried loading up on calorie-dense foods. Nothing works. I just feel so ill and I can barely ever reach my calorie goal.

Does anyone have any experience with stomach shrinkage and difficulty reaching their calorie goals after an ED? I'd appreciate any input you can give me. I'm just so frustrated with myself that I can work my ass off in the gym but I can't even sustain my body with the nutrients it needs. ugh.

[riaden]

D i dont know how you do it!
but thanks for staying with me!

[riaden]

Hi guys. I'm new and I posted a thread before I saw this sticky. I'm wondering if I'd have more luck getting support from here.

Quick intro! I'm a 19 year old female recovering from Bulimia Nervosa. I'm having a very difficult time eating/keeping down enough food to reach my calorie goals for gaining muscle. I've been in mental treatment for 2 years and I can assure you the problem now is purely physical. I'm just never hungry. If I make myself eat my small meals, I feel bloated and nauseated and just plain ill all day. Even then, I can only reach about 1000 - 1200 kcal in total.

I just feel so discouraged. I feel like I'm finally above my disorder, mentally... but my body is still resisting normal portions because of the abuse I've put it through in the past. I've tried cutting out dairy, wheat, anything that might be causing allergies or intolerances. I've tried loading up on calorie-dense foods. Nothing works. I just feel so ill and I can barely ever reach my calorie goal.

Does anyone have any experience with stomach shrinkage and difficulty reaching their calorie goals after an ED? I'd appreciate any input you can give me. I'm just so frustrated with myself that I can work my ass off in the gym but I can't even sustain my body with the nutrients it needs. ugh.

if you cant enough! why are you going to the gym??????????????????????????????????????????
to burn more cals, and eat even less!!!!!!!!!!!

if i was you i would stop all forms of exercise, tell your parents or friends about your problem that you cant eat enough! get support!!!!!!
try having more engery dense foods but smaller, butter, olive oil over salads?>?????, mashed up hard boiled eggs in salads????, nuts, seeds, you never feel hungry because you never feed your body!

[daith]

if you cant enough! why are you going to the gym??????????????????????????????????????????
to burn more cals, and eat even less!!!!!!!!!!!

if i was you i would stop all forms of exercise, tell your parents or friends about your problem that you cant eat enough! get support!!!!!!
try having more engery dense foods but smaller, butter, olive oil over salads?>?????, mashed up hard boiled eggs in salads????, nuts, seeds, you never feel hungry because you never feed your body!

If I stop exercising I'll go insane. I just... that's not an option right now. The only way I've been able to allow myself to eat so much (1200 kcal is a lot for me, compared to what I used to eat) is because I'm exercising. Plus it's like a natural antidepressant for me. If I go a few days without exercise I get really depressed and start starving myself again. This usually leads to a binge/purge and the cycle continues until I start exercising again. Eating disorders are such a nightmare.

[riaden]

seek professinally help asap!

do you want to end up in hospital?
your doing permant damage to yourself, that is going to be beyond repair, do you want health issues for the the rest of your life??????????????
keep going the way you are, and you will!

[daith]

I don't know if you read my first post carefully, but I did mention I've been in treatment for the past two years. I've been with many professionals and they've helped get me out of the ED hole. I'm at a healthy weight now. I used to restrict, binge, purge, rinse and repeat. Every day. For a year. Now it only happens occasionally, in times of high stress. I started exercising lightly and now I'm lifting and doing cardio 6 days a week. I feel better than I've ever felt, physically and mentally. The only issue is feeding my body the amount it needs, when it's literally refusing to keep some things down. I'm not purging on purpose now but sometimes it just comes up. alkjsd

[john777777]

You are always doing a good job!

[ChicagoCubz]

Why isn't therapy an option? Do you not have the time for it?

Don't have the money for it. I suppose I could look into an anonymous support group or something, but I'd prefer to get CBT.

[ErikTheElectric]

Don't have the money for it. I suppose I could look into an anonymous support group or something, but I'd prefer to get CBT.

CBT is tough. In my experience at least. Just having the mental ability to be "in the moment" and sit through it.
Training your mind is what will get you out of this though. So, if you can do it. More power to you.

If there's one regret I have about my past summer in the Eating Disorder Treatment Center that I was in... It was not paying attention
to CBT.

[JeffyDOS]

Unsure if I have an ED.

I don't eat normal (relative to my friends/family) since I do IF. I usually eat 1 large meal (and I mean 'large') and some protein shakes on the side to hit my macros.

Everyday I'm thinking about what I'm going to eat for dinner though and can't wait.

I think I should probably stop doing IF and go back to eating normal amounts of food because I can stuff down 6k+ cals in one sitting no prob (I don't normally, but if I binge, this is no prob).

[determined4000]

Unsure if I have an ED.

I don't eat normal (relative to my friends/family) since I do IF. I usually eat 1 large meal (and I mean 'large') and some protein shakes on the side to hit my macros.

Everyday I'm thinking about what I'm going to eat for dinner though and can't wait.

I think I should probably stop doing IF and go back to eating normal amounts of food because I can stuff down 6k+ cals in one sitting no prob (I don't normally, but if I binge, this is no prob).

sounds like you are in a restrictive/binging cycle
so yes, try to normally eating patterns

[JeffyDOS]

sounds like you are in a restrictive/binging cycle
so yes, try to normally eating patterns

nailed it.
going to do a food competition (make use of this appetite while I can eh?) then switch to eating whenever I get hungry (obvi counting cals still)