Advice (eating disorder history)

[sarah0320]

Hey all, I just have a question and wanted to see what you guys think. I completed inpatient treatment for anorexia in May of this year. When I left treatment I was about 108 pounds and eating close to 3000 calories a day to maintain with minimum exercise. I'm a 19 year old female, 5'4.
I went back to school in September and slowly started to eat less, workout more and thus lose weight. I'm now 102 lbs and just so sick and tired of listening to my ED. Since I started school I'd estimate that I've been eating 1200-1400 calories a day. I know I need way more food than that... I'm hungry and tired all the time and can't think straight. Any way, I guess my question is should I jump my calories back up again immediately or should I gradually increase them? Does anyone have any experience with this? And do you think my maintenance will once again be 3000 (if not more since I am exercising now- running 3-4 miles 6 days a week)? Also I want to add, I want to start getting into lifting, but I feel like I should have my nutrition in check before I tackle that. Also, I am working with a dietitian and therapist

[LunaLifts]

The most important part is working on the mindset first. Building muscle requires putting on weight over a long period of time, and people without eating disorders can have issues with that as it is. It's important to get up to a healthy calorie range, but doing it all at once can be hard as physically, as well as mentally.

I find it hard to believe your therapist is ok with you doing that much running, especially being underweight. Most people in treatment for EDs are instructed not to over exercise. You're still struggling with a lot, and I don't see building muscle being a goal for the near future. As someone who's been there, you need to cut down on the running, stop trying to burn so any calories, and get your own calories up, increase by 100-200 calories a week until you're gaining steadily, and reach healthy weight. 108 is on the fringe of being underweight, so you really haven't been able to reach a healthy weight yet, let alone stay at it. Until you can get to that point, your focus needs to be on fighting the habits, and mindset that are still effecting you.

[girl81]

Hey all, I just have a question and wanted to see what you guys think. I completed inpatient treatment for anorexia in May of this year. When I left treatment I was about 108 pounds and eating close to 3000 calories a day to maintain with minimum exercise. I'm a 19 year old female, 5'4.
I went back to school in September and slowly started to eat less, workout more and thus lose weight. I'm now 102 lbs and just so sick and tired of listening to my ED. Since I started school I'd estimate that I've been eating 1200-1400 calories a day. I know I need way more food than that... I'm hungry and tired all the time and can't think straight. Any way, I guess my question is should I jump my calories back up again immediately or should I gradually increase them? Does anyone have any experience with this? And do you think my maintenance will once again be 3000 (if not more since I am exercising now- running 3-4 miles 6 days a week)? Also I want to add, I want to start getting into lifting, but I feel like I should have my nutrition in check before I tackle that. Also, I am working with a dietitian and therapist

If possible, I would return to inpatient and this time do outpatient transition as well.

[sarah0320]

Thank you both for your advice! Definitely a much needed wake up call.