Here's my question. Physiologically, isn't it the truth that it takes 3500 extra calories to gain a pound? When I eat in the realm of 1000 to 1500 per day, we're talking massive weight gain for me. The next day after eating a "normal" amount of calories I'm looking at the scale and I'm two to FOUR pounds heavier. How is this even possible? In the mornings the water weight is sieved off and that's supposedly your "true weight." I want to normalize my eating habits but at the rate I'm gaining weight... unreal! I have to eat under 500 calories just to maintain a weight! I'm getting frustrated... aren't we all?

Don't panic! This will only happen for a little while. Your body is probably bloating because it's not used to being fed. I gain off of 2,000 calories and that's usually what a normal person eats to just maintain their weight. But eventually it will normal itself out for me and it will happen for you too. It's probably just bloating. Do you notice bloating in your stomach? And what exactly are you eating?

I get that. One morning I was 88.5 lbs. and then the next I was 92, and vice versa. I hate it. I wish water and food didn't weigh anything! LOL

I'M RIGHT WHERE YOU GUYS ARE ON THIS ONE. one day i can be a weight, eat normal, like 1500 cals, and the next morning i gain 2 lbs too. how is this possible you'd have to eat 7000 extra calories to do this. so either a)the "experts" don't have a clue as to how many calories each person needs to maintain a weight without gaining or B)it is water and because of how much sodium is in everything it is normal to have this. i don't know but is frustrating especially to us who obsess about the scale!!

Whoever invented scales should be shot. LOL And I know I have an unhealthy obsession with mine, cuz I went out of my way, in SECRET, to buy my own because my family doesn't even OWN one.

Whoever invented scales should be shot. LOL And I know I have an unhealthy obsession with mine, cuz I went out of my way, in SECRET, to buy my own because my family doesn't even OWN one.
Ah! I definitely did this too. I went and bought a 70 dollar scale that tells you your weight, body fat, body water, BMI, and bone density! Blah. I don't like this "eating normal" thing. What's perfectly normal to everyone else feels like a huge binge for me. The whole thing is, I don't feel like I have an eating disorder. I don't feel abnormal. I feel unhappy...

Oh, I know how you all feel. Its like even if I eat like normal people do for even A day I'll be about 4 lbs heavier the next day. Once I gained 9 pounds in ONE night! I really freaked out then:eek:

I didn't think 9 lbs. was POSSIBLE. :eek:

neither did I and believe me I FREAKED OUT!! But then I thought about what I ate, there was a lot of sodium and I did drink TONS of water and diet coke. Plus I was feeling really bloated. But after a few days I went back to the weight I started at so really I didnt even gain a thing

neither did I and believe me I FREAKED OUT!! But then I thought about what I ate, there was a lot of sodium and I did drink TONS of water and diet coke. Plus I was feeling really bloated. But after a few days I went back to the weight I started at so really I didnt even gain a thing
That's probably the craziest thing I've ever heard. It just goes to show how silly the whole weight game is...

Obviously it is not 2lbs of fat if you weigh 2lbs heavier on tuesday than you did on monday. Our bodies are made of almost 75% water - anything from a salty meal to an intense exercise session can cause your weight to fluctuate. The only way to possibly gain a pound of actual WEIGHT is like you all said - by eating 3500 EXTRA calories. Chances are, if you weigh more from day to day, it is nothing but normal fluctuations. This is PRECISELY why it is not a good idea to weigh yourself everyday. There is no question that it will be different every single time.

And if you are re-feeding, you will definitely see a jump in the scale right away, but you are NOT gaining weight. It is simply water and bloating b/c your body is not used to actually getting food. Trust me - most people actually gain some weight the first few days, then start losing when they start re-feeding b/c their metabolism kicks into high gear quite quickly. Don't let this initial weight gain scare you off...

That used to happen to me.. I also hardly ever lost weight, though...I made my doctor test my for thyroid problems because besides depression- my period stopped, i couldnt go to the bathroom- I generally hated life- so I made him check and I find out I need thyroid hormone! I think it's something more people should be checking on.

do the normal rules apply to ED recovery ie still taking 3500cals to gain real pound, or do we gain on less?

do the normal rules apply to ED recovery ie still taking 3500cals to gain real pound, or do we gain on less?
that's exactly what i'm wondering...?? do we defy the laws of science??

that's funny you should ask that question because i called my mom crying this morning because i've gained 2.5 lbs since last sat. and i don't get how, there is no way i've eaten an extra 8500 calories this week. my mom seems to think that the so called experts don't really know how many calories each individual body needs, metabolism, hormones, weight, fat, are all different in everyone, and how our body processes the food may be different especially for us who have ed and our bodies are used to surviving on less food, so the more we eat, our bodies hold onto it all, whereas in people with normal eating habits, they process food more efficiently. it does make sense, but it doesn't help us who are in the middle of this crap, it's hard to see the numbers go up when we do nothing to justify this. we can only try to beat this ed and learn to eat normal again so our bodies process food better, this is only my mom's and my theory, does this make sense?? take care case

that's funny you should ask that question because i called my mom crying this morning because i've gained 2.5 lbs since last sat. and i don't get how, there is no way i've eaten an extra 8500 calories this week. my mom seems to think that the so called experts don't really know how many calories each individual body needs, metabolism, hormones, weight, fat, are all different in everyone, and how our body processes the food may be different especially for us who have ed and our bodies are used to surviving on less food, so the more we eat, our bodies hold onto it all, whereas in people with normal eating habits, they process food more efficiently. it does make sense, but it doesn't help us who are in the middle of this crap, it's hard to see the numbers go up when we do nothing to justify this. we can only try to beat this ed and learn to eat normal again so our bodies process food better, this is only my mom's and my theory, does this make sense?? take care case
I think I agree with you. 3500 calories is so much! Most people don't eat that much in a day but are still struggling with being overweight and such. I think it does depend on the individual, and unfortunately, I think I've screwed my metabolism up or something. I've been eating so well... I don't think I eat over 1500 calories a day, and most of what I eat is unrefined and filled with protein and fiber. Yet, behold, I've added about 5 pounds to my frame in about a week. I have seriously thrown my hands up in the air and said screw this, it's not even worth it. I refuse to keep gaining weight...

so what do you mean when you say screw this i refuse to keep gaining weight? do you mean restricting so you don't eat as many calories? i'm right where you are on this one, i just told my hubby that tonite because i'm gaining a ton too, and i don't want to keep gaining, i'm so at a place in my head where i want to do the same thing throw my hands up and say screw it, ed has won, because i don't want to be a blimp!! but i know it is not healthy, i have to keep fighting this and so do you. don't you think our bodies will just level off when we get to a healthy weight without restricting? right now i think our bodies are so screwed up, i'm just hoping this, i don't know what else to do. good luck case

Usually when I say "screw it", I'm meaning the opposite. lol I'll be eating well, and then I'll binge and be like, "WHATEVER. I'm skinny enough, a few more pounds ain't gonna kill me.." and then I step on the scale and beat myself up if the numbers are higher. And then I swear to myself I won't do that again... but I always do... Vicious cycle, I tell ya!

i read that for someone who is starving, it only takes 2000 calories extra to gain a pound (and 4000 under to lose one).

also, the food itself does weigh, and if its a lot of vegetables and fruits, well you should maybe wait until you have been to the toilet before weighing yourself. honestly, i have lost 2 kilos (about 5 pounds), just by going to the toilet. but this is also why you shouldnt weigh yourself often, i have refused to buy scales since i got to france (still have the tape measure...), so am only weighed by the doctors, and once a week is enough to mess with my head.

im sorry if someone has already said this...

i read that for someone who is starving, it only takes 2000 calories extra to gain a pound (and 4000 under to lose one).

:eek: :dizzy: EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW That totally makes me wanna like... stick to my 1,100 diet. LOL I don't want ittttttttt. *prefers not to think about numbers*

i read that for someone who is starving, it only takes 2000 calories extra to gain a pound (and 4000 under to lose one).

also, the food itself does weigh, and if its a lot of vegetables and fruits, well you should maybe wait until you have been to the toilet before weighing yourself. honestly, i have lost 2 kilos (about 5 pounds), just by going to the toilet. but this is also why you shouldnt weigh yourself often, i have refused to buy scales since i got to france (still have the tape measure...), so am only weighed by the doctors, and once a week is enough to mess with my head.

im sorry if someone has already said this...
That makes more sense... but I think I gain on 900 calories or more; no exaggerations. My digestive tract is completely screwy so you could be right, but who's to know? All I know is I'm 5 pounds heavier for some reason.

so what do you mean when you say screw this i refuse to keep gaining weight? do you mean restricting so you don't eat as many calories? i'm right where you are on this one, i just told my hubby that tonite because i'm gaining a ton too, and i don't want to keep gaining, i'm so at a place in my head where i want to do the same thing throw my hands up and say screw it, ed has won, because i don't want to be a blimp!! but i know it is not healthy, i have to keep fighting this and so do you. don't you think our bodies will just level off when we get to a healthy weight without restricting? right now i think our bodies are so screwed up, i'm just hoping this, i don't know what else to do. good luck case
Yeah, I'm definitely at a low place right now. When I say screw it it means I'm thinking this whole "healthy living" thing is totally overrated. I feel like I'm sacrificing my body to fat for other's happiness and not my own. Before when I was eating healthy, definitely not overreating, I just kept gaining and gaining and I put on 20 pounds in less than a year. I don't want to go back to that place again.

My god, people in here are saying exactly what I'm thinking... I've been trying to recover for a while now, of course I always think I'm doing well and it's not until I look back and think actually, when you're making yourself sick 3 times a day that doesn't mean you're well...

I think we've screwed with our bodies so much our metabolisms struggle so we gain faster than the average person. But also I agree with the whole 'what do scientists really know about how many calories we need' theory. Everyone's different so how can they say 'this is what's normal' and that's that? It's crazy and makes us feel bad for not eating much when if we eat more, we just gain, gain, gain. I'm on less than 1000 at the moment and I'm struggling to maintain - definitely not losing anything.

Also jjwdean - my digestive system is totally screwed up too. I hate it and I hate that I think about it all the time and that it affects my life so much. Like, how much of our lives should we have to spend thinking about our bowels (that don't work)?! And it's not exactly the easiest subject to raise with your boyfriend.... ***Anyone who has tips on beating constipation are welcome, I know there's a digestive forum but it's different when it's caused by an ED, y'know?***

People don't know about the aftermath of an ED. They think you just start eating and everything's fine. It's not like that though, and although I'm trying to be good and treat my body well, it's hard when your body's doing it's best to fight against you...

anyone who has advice on getting your bowels moving without the use of laxatives, etc...would be appreciated - my digestion is completely screwed...my stomache doesnt empty like everyone elses - this is a vrey very bad thing, esp when bulimia is involved.
i have tried everything - and i dont no how much more fibre i could eat in a day - even my mum said this....some one i no said i may have IBS but everything i try isnt working...please can someone help me.
thanks

My god, people in here are saying exactly what I'm thinking... I've been trying to recover for a while now, of course I always think I'm doing well and it's not until I look back and think actually, when you're making yourself sick 3 times a day that doesn't mean you're well...

I think we've screwed with our bodies so much our metabolisms struggle so we gain faster than the average person. But also I agree with the whole 'what do scientists really know about how many calories we need' theory. Everyone's different so how can they say 'this is what's normal' and that's that? It's crazy and makes us feel bad for not eating much when if we eat more, we just gain, gain, gain. I'm on less than 1000 at the moment and I'm struggling to maintain - definitely not losing anything.

Also jjwdean - my digestive system is totally screwed up too. I hate it and I hate that I think about it all the time and that it affects my life so much. Like, how much of our lives should we have to spend thinking about our bowels (that don't work)?! And it's not exactly the easiest subject to raise with your boyfriend.... ***Anyone who has tips on beating constipation are welcome, I know there's a digestive forum but it's different when it's caused by an ED, y'know?***

People don't know about the aftermath of an ED. They think you just start eating and everything's fine. It's not like that though, and although I'm trying to be good and treat my body well, it's hard when your body's doing it's best to fight against you...

I found these awesome supplements at the health food store where I work. It's a duel system that helps cleanse and keep your digestive system working properly. They were working so well for me, but after about a week and a half of taking them I ended up in the hospital with debilitating stomach pains. So I'm definitely not going to recommend them here... but I'm waiting for answers as to what can aid digestion too. I've heard that drinking a few tablespoons of NATURAL, unfiltered apple cider vinegar helps aid in digestion. I tried, but I couldn't take the stuff without ending up on the floor gagging and wanting to die. So that's not going to work for me, but you may want to try it.

Yes, I tried apple cider vinegar (actually as a weight loss aid - didn't work and made me feel soooo ill) so I won't try it again!! I take senokot (don't know if we can say brand names?) sometimes and eat about 4 ready to eat prunes a day. I totally agree though - everything I eat has fibre in it, I couldn't possibly get more in!! I used to be okay but my whole digestive system just suddenly stopped working in about February this year and since then it's been a nightmare. Everything's a nightmare!! lol :)

Chookie I know what you mean, when you're not digesting food properly and it's sitting in your system for days on end you just feel like making yourself sick, but the problem is that's what got us here in the first place so in the long run it isn't going to help. I don't want to get hooked on laxatives or go back to just not eating to get around the digestive problems but it's hard when it affects your life so much. Like I just won't go out apart from going to work when I'm all bloated, I just feel ashamed of myself :( I definitely recommend prunes though - just make sure they're the ready to eat ones that are rehydrated, not the ones that you have to soak first :)

More tips anyone???!