Hello!
I've been anorexic for about 3 years now, and sadly buimic for 1. I regret the day I became bulimic, it has been a horrible experience... which is why i started Low carbing about 3 weeks ago. I was just wondering if anyone who is underweight to begin with, and is low carbing, has GAINED any weight from the experience, I was about 118 when I started low carbing, and I'm down to 111, but I just want to make sure I will now gain any... or else it's gonna be back to the old habbits, and I know that is much more unhealthy. If anyone wants to talk, I would LOVE a buddy!

Jessica

hey guys,

I'm 30 so I hope you don't think I'm too old to participate in your discussion.

I have been struggling for years with my weight issues, but probably started exercising to lose weight for the last 5 yrs. that was my purging! and not eating enough. I was overseas for a year last year and put on about 20lbs and now am struggling to even stick with atkins. I never seeked helped with this and now feel like I really need to see my doc about it. I am having depression episodes and cry all the time. it's a binge cycle with exercise as the purging...I can't lose weight though, my mind isn't capable and my body is soo messed up it won't let go of the extra fat.

I just want you girls to know that you don't necessarily need to be a teenager to have an ED and the longer you suffer in silence, the harder it is on the body.

another thing, most of the time it's not boys that make us feel bad about ourselves, females are more critical on other females than males are.

I'm glad you started this thread, it allows others to read others experiences and share their own. we're not alone, alot of us on this forum are great caring people who love to share and help others who are going through something as painful as an ED.

love to hear from you all, together we can help each other,
BIG sss
cathie

I was anorexic my freshmen year in college and got down to 100 pounds.....I am 5'4. I was also gym junkie, averaging 3 hours a day working out. Anyway, to make an extremely long story short, don't starve yourself! My body went into starvation mode and my metabolism slowed to only 400 calories per day. Needless to say, I gained 50 pounds once I started eating again, even though I wasn't eating that much. I have now been trying to lose and get down to a healthy weight again. I don't have much to lose, about 20 pounds, but I am hoping that I can do that in a relatively short period of time so that I will look good when I go back to school on August 25th. If anyone has had a similar experience let me know, I would love to hear from others. Also, how long will it take me to lose that much weight with my current stats??? I am new to Atkins and need lots of support to get myself to goal.

WoW! I have no idea how you could have worked out for 3 hrs. each day! that is crazy! Yeah, I've been wondering if this atkins will work for me, seeing as though i'm already underweight for my height... i'm at about 111-114 (cus of TOM) and have heard that for people who reach their normal weight, their weight loss slows, so maybe i should be counting my cals also as so i'm sure to lose... i don't know, if anyone has any suggestions for me rather than i should GAIN weight (i've been getting that alot lately), i would greatly appreciate it. I want to be around 102... hopefully this atkins will help.

Jessica

hmmm, if i were you i would find a weight and a lifestyle you could live with. eating nothing and weighing 110 is not something you will be able to do when you have things like a family, kids, busy job etc... you will fall apart physically. i know this, i've been there, i've done that, its taking me forever to finish college because of it. once you let go, its easy to balloon up (like i did) and then you just feel like shit because you know longer can fit into anything... blahblah blah, now i am just aiming to be a HEALTHY and MAINTAINABLE wait. unfortunately, I screwed up MY OWN metabolism by refusing to be anything but a size 0 for years and years. now, my body has a fear of being starved, and holds onto every drop of fat, and in the worst places. please please get some control of yourself.

just be careful, its not worth. i had an engagement end because i wouldnt stop bulemia, and i wouldnt admit i had a problem.

just take care, and try and keep some perspective. try and determine if you can maintain where you are without being obsessed, counting every little cal, and weighing 9 times a day.

sorry to preach at ya

i was a compulsive overeater bulimic anorexic, i know what your going through. i'm such a yo yo dieter. it wasn't until a month ago when my x boyfriend said i was killing myself that i realsied that i was killing myself. i'm back on atkins and i'm facing the same problems, some times i feel incredible guilty for eating a small can of tuna and most times i binge on tuna (which has a horrible after afect) if anyone wants me as a buddy or just to get some stuff off your chest email me at ******

hey guys, I'm 27 but I hope you don't mind my joining in. I've suffered from bulimia for 8 yrs and this is the first time in my life that I've ever discussed it. I see low carbing as good solution to stop binges, but once in a while, I'll go on 'Atkins accepted food binge' so I'm still battling.

I don't know when I'll ever be happy with my weight. I always feel 'too fat'. My weight now fluctuates from 114-118, mainly around 115.

I hope one day I'll stop obssessing over weight. It's still what I think about ALL the time. I'm glad to have read that there are people out there battling the same problem as me. Good luck to you all,

btw, I'd love a buddy as well.

Hey all,

I just joined this board - I'm 21 and have had "disordered eating" and yo-yo dieting for the past 7 years, plus one long bout of serious anorexia and a short relapse. Basically, those periods of starvation have completely screwed my metabolism (I gained 70 pounds in a flash during 'recovery') and I'm still trying to set my body and my hormones back in some kind of balance.

I've been doing Atkins' Induction for the last 2 weeks - today was day 15 - and I gained both inches and fat weight! I can't believe it. I'm so demoralized and depressed that I really decided for a while that I just had to stop eating. But considering how much I've already screwed with my system, that's really not going to do me any favors. Plus, I'm a college senior right in the middle of midterms, and anyone who's fasted knows how much that's likely to mess me up too...

High-carb foods are generally a big binge trigger for me, so I was staying away from them before I started Atkins, but I was hoping this plan would help me lose instead of just maintaining my weight as I was before (I'm 155 and looking to lose 25-30 pounds). I was eating a very low-calorie diet before and exercising a lot just to kind of "break even" with my metabolism and from what I've read of Atkins it seemed like it might work in a little bit of a different way.

Eating this much fat, few veggies, and no fruit is a big change for me - Induction doesn't go on forever, but I really have gained. I don't know how sensible it is to keep going on with this, since I really can't afford to gain more weight, but I also think that Atkins would be great if I could just get into ketosis and start losing.

I may end up doing the Fat Fast (for the metabolically resistant) - but I hate egg yolks and mayo! Has anyone here done it? Can you share your experiences?

Glad to have found this board - you all seem like a great group.

- Chrissy

Hi Chrissy!
Your story sounds very similar to mine. I am 20 and am still trying to lose weight that I gained (50 pounds) from my eating disorder. I ruined my metabolism and it has taken almost two years to get back on track. I also gained weight on the first two weeks of Atkins and it was so discouraging. I find that I feel better and lose better when I eat more carbs- around 100 a day. I make sure that the carbs that I do consume are full of fiber and are low fat. I am not a big fan of meat, cheese, eggs, etc., so I decided to change the Atkins diet and do what I felt was right for my body. I haven't stepped on a scale in 2 months, but I can measure my success by the way my clothes fit and how I feel.

Some of the things I eat: all vegetables, apples, low-carb wheat bread, popcorn, All-Bran cereal, cottage cheese, low-carb protein bars, turkey, fish, and veggie burgers. I watch my calories, but do not count carbs. I also do cardio at least 4 days a week, and strength train at least 3 days a week.

I was on the Lean for Life diet for two months and lost 20 pounds. You might be interested in that. It is a low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie plan. You can still eat fruit and some grains. I did the on-line program, which was very interactive and supportive. I got bored and didn't want to spend more money, so I stopped. You can check out their website: www.lindora.com

If you have any questions let me know....I know how hard this can be. Like I said, we have had a very similar experience and I wish you the best.

~Keh001

Wow - you're like my body/food twin.

I decided that since I gained on Atkins induction and was still having a really hard time eating so much fat and restricting my vegetables, it really wasn't hte best plan for me. If I could have gotten into ketosis I would have been fine in the later stages of the program, but I just don't feel 'good' eating so much fat, especially saturated fat. Plus I hate the taste of mayo, egg yolks, and cream cheese, which didn't give me a ton of food options.
So I went grocery shopping and re-stocked up on all the foods I used to eat - lots of fruits and veggies, lots of lean protein, egg whites, yogurt, low-fat popcorn. I've always been one to take more protein over more carbs, so I naturally end up on a pretty high-protein diet.

I actually went to a health club near me where they can calculate your actual resting metabolic rate (RMR) and compare it to what it should be based on your body composition. MY RMR is only 2/3 of what it should be, which means that I definitely have screwed myself over from a metabolic standpoint. I've read studies where semi-starvation diets can reduce metabolism as much as 40% - who knows how much more when it's prolonged fasting?

I never really ate refined flour or sugar before Atkins, so that might be one reason I didn't start off losing as much as some people, but for me I think it really is much more a matter of 'calories in calories out' than what kind of calories they are.

I'm definitely going to check out the Lean for Life diet - it sounds like a much more reasonable plan for someone who's got a very slow metabolism. Congratulations on your 20 pound loss - that's awesome! If you've got any more info about your experience with it I'd love to know, if you've got time.

Thanks for the reply. I feel a whole lot better and not so much of a failure.

- Chrissy

Chrissy-
I wish I could send you a personal message, but unfortunately you have to have 20 (I think) posts before they enable that feature.

Lean for Life is pretty restrictive, but I never felt hungry on it. Once you are in ketosis it is pretty smooth sailing. I think structure is good, but I like doing my own thing. That is why I stopped. I think it is so important to not only be in control of what you are eating, but to be able to choose (in moderation) what you are eating.

I don't know if you saw some of my previous posts, but there is a lot of info in this thread about what I have been through with my eating disorder. I saw a nutritionist for almost a year and had my metabolic rate tested once a month. They hooked me up to a machine that I had to breathe in for 15 minutes. When I first started treatment, my metabolism was down to 400 calories a day. Then I began eating again, and bingeing, and gained 50 pounds in two months. It was horrible. It took a very long time for my metabolism to correct itself. They also did a bioelectrical impedence test, which measured my fat, muscle, and water percentages by hooking electrodes to my foot and arm. My body was basically eating away at my muscle- I stopped having my period, and was at risk for early osteoperosis.

Unlike most anorexics, I never starved myself, but I severely limited my calories. I averaged around 1300 calories a day, but spent 3 hours every single day at the gym. At my lowest I weighed 99 pounds (I am 5'4) and wore a size 0/girls 14/16. I looked horrible, but at the time I still thought I was huge. What was your lowest weight? Did you go to a treatment center? I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but I definitely came out of my experience a stronger and better person. Thanks for sharing your story- hope to hear from you again.

I checked out the Lean for Life website - it looks like a pretty good program, so maybe when my midterms are over and things calm down a little I'll get to the bookstore and find the actual books. But as you said, I really like having the flexibility of doing my own thing too. Once I find out what works for me, I'm usually pretty good at sticking with it.

Right now I really think my biggest problem is that my metabolism is just super-slow. A few months ago I did the same respiration/bioelectrical impedence test you described and my BMR is 1060 calories, which isn't very helpful in terms of actually being satisfied and nutritionally balanced while trying to lose weight. I need to keep calories low and still feel full - my appetite is still out of whack, along with my hormones and metabolism. I exercise frequently and I'm very muscular - my expected BMR based on my body composition is 1750, and I'm 5'3".

I yo-yo dieted all through high school, but my real anorexia was about 4 years ago (and my body is STILL this messed up). I've had all sorts of hormone problems, bone problems (3 stress fractures in my shins that almost landed me in a wheelchair because they wouldn't heal), and definitely weight problems. At my lowest I was 96 pounds, which was only for about a day since I passed out and got taken to the ER. It was then that I either had to gain weight on my own or go into a treatment center and miss my senior year of high school. I chose to gain on my own, but my body was so starved (literally, I would go days without eating) that the weight just piled on at a staggering rate. I gained 60 pounds in the following year even after I tried cutting back my food intake - you probably know exactly what I mean!

So now, here I am, desperately trying to get my metabolism back into halfway decent shape. Sometimes I get so demoralized that I just think I should stop eating again, but at least now I know that's not going to help at all in the long run. I've taken diet pills, done all sorts of crazy "metabolism boosting" tricks that don't work - even my weightlifting doesn't seem to make a difference. If I'm not dilligent about counting calories, I gain. It's that simple.

Even at 96 pounds, I could never fit into anything smaller than a 4/5 because my hipbones are that wide. I've got a big frame and I've always been curvy, so I think I have realistic expectations about what a healthy and reasonable weight for me is. I want to lose 25 or 30 pounds, which is a pretty large amount for anyone and seems virtually impossible for someone with a metabolism like mine. But in a weird way, I feel better knowing I'm not the only one facing a challenge like this.

Thank you so much for your advice and support - it's made a huge difference in the way I feel, especially after coming off such a miserable "failure" of Atkins induction. I'm still not sure how well I can lose weight, but at least I can try...

good luck to all! an eating disorder is such a hard thing. often times, i think i have a form of one too. my weight is pretty low- i should be gaining but i'm deathly afraid of seeing the scale go up. i am not eating very much but this is because i choose to do a free day once a week. anyhow- i just wanted to support you all! hang in there =)

I just wanted to say hi and see how you are doing. Do you think you will change your course of action??

I think one of my biggest challenges has been fixing the damage I did to my body. It was so miserable to gain 50 pounds in a matter of months after starving myself for a year. And like you said, once your metabolism is screwed up it takes months to make any improvement at all. It is kind of ironic, all you want is to be skinny, and you end up gaining weight in the long run. This is a personal question, but how has this affected your mentrual cycle? I didn't have my period for 12 months, had it once a month for a little over a year, and have now missed it the past 3 months. I am concerned that I will never be able to have kids, I know that happens to some people.

When you were really sick, were you also exercising, or just limiting your food intake? I was an obsessive/compulsive exerciser, but I have gotten that under control. I don't hate myself or freak out if I miss a day, and I enjoy being active.

Anyway, I guess that is all for now....hope to hear from you again

Hi there! Good to hear from you again.

With the stress of midterms and my frustration with my Atkins gain, I ended up doing a complete 180 for about a week and a half. I first ate low cal, moderately low fat, fairly low carb, then somehow I ended up just wanting to eat junk (of course, this fell right around Halloween!!!). Last week I ate a cookie, a few pieces of candy, and bread (whole grain, but still...) and felt even worse. Right now I just hate my body for the weight gain. The fact that I haven't had time to work out or sleep much hasn't helped either.

This week I've got one more midterm and a 35-page research paper due; then things should calm down. But I realized that I needed to get off the carb rollercoaster because it wasn't making things any better. So I've been going to the gym, even for half an hour, and doing my own healthy cooking again - I'd rather pull a couple all-nighters than gain any more weight! I used to be very strict about exercising - I wouldn't say I was quite compulsive, but if I didn't do at least an hour of cardio a day I would probably not eat anything, or at least be very restrictive to "make up" for it.

Funny you should ask about my periods, I was just wondering today if some of the recent weight gain isn't due to PMS bloating. The fact is, I never really know when I'm going to get it. I lost my period for about a year when I was anorexic, then it came back very sporadically. Now, I often get two a month, along with unbelievably bad bloating, fatigue, and cramps. My hormones are definitely out of whack, but my gyno (who specializes in infertility) says that it probably won't keep me from having kids (although I really don't think I want to!). I've been on the Pill for 3 months at a time on two separate occasions, kind of trying to "kick start" my body into regulating itself. So far, it hasn't worked.

I'm going to stick with my current plan for a while: high protein, moderately low carb/low fat. I'll still have some fruit occasionally, but definitely no processed carbs of any kind. Once I have time to start going back to the gym consistently next week, that should stop me from gaining. At least I think so...

Hope you're doing well and feeling good.

-Chrissy