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  #1   ^
Old Thu, Jul-22-04, 00:46
gomo gomo is offline
New Member
Posts: 15
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 140/135/120 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 25%
Default Eating Disorders II

undefinedundefinedundefined
Hey all, I am new to this journal...or whatever its called...anyways after reading some information on the internet I am freaked out, I think I have ruined my metabolism (anorexia) and want to be healthy and fix it - but does anyone know if I am gonna have to gain tons of weight to fix my metabolism? I am scared. Just as background the last few months I have been running an hour a day and eating about 800-1000 calories a day with occasional binges (centered around alcohol) - so basically I figure I must be pretty screwed up - I just want to be normal again so I am trying this low carb thing....help!
---Mo 20 years
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  #2   ^
Old Thu, Jul-22-04, 19:33
cococarby's Avatar
cococarby cococarby is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 410
 
Plan: low carb
Stats: 150/150/120 Female 5'6
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Indiana
Default

I am your height. I am 20 years old. I have also had a similar history as you. The problem you face is that by eating so little calories and having gone into starvation mode, when you do raise your calories to healthy/normal levels... probably around 1400 for our height, your body will hold desperatly on to them and you will gain weight.

The key for this NOT to happen is to start eating more, but do so very slowly. Do not go from 800 calories everyday to 1400 everyday. You must increase very slowly... like 100 calories more every week or two, in order to not throw your body into shock (this is the part about a messed up metabolisim) You have to "train" your metabolism to be normal again. This cannot happen overnight. It took me about 3 months to increase from 900 to 1400.... slowly increasing calories, and alternated lower and higher calorie days to keep my body guessing. If you don't want to eat 800 calories each day for the rest of your life, this is the only way to go. It is also essential for your long-term health. By incrementally increasing my calories, I didn't gain weight and I am eating twice as many calories as I used to. But please, I am not a doctor. This is just what worked for me. Hope this helped.
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  #3   ^
Old Sat, Aug-14-04, 14:08
Miss Model Miss Model is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 204
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 142/118/115 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:have no idea
Progress: 89%
Location: Idaho
Default

I also have a similar history to you both. I started the whole low carb thing last summer, and if I do say so myself, looked amazing. Then all the sudden I became really compulsive about my weight. I was afraid to gain an ounce, so I pretty much quit eating, except for a piece of low carb bread a day, or a few stalks of celery. Then for Christmas my family went on a vacation to Mexico where there was the most INCREDIBLE buffet I had ever seen at the All-Inclusive hotel where we stayed. After starving myself to look good in my bikini for a few weeks, I totally caved and binged at dinner one night. I ate more in that ONE evening than I'd eaten in the past two weeks combined. I have NEVER felt that sick in my life ever... so that night was my first episode of binging and purging. I had to get the food out of my stomach... I literally thought I would die if I didn't. That's how sick I was from everything I ate. The next two weeks became a cycle, when I discovered I could eat all I wanted at dinner time, and then throw it up back in the hotel room. After this trip was over I'd gained a few pounds... so quickly fell back into my anorexia. Not only did I shoot my metabolism to hell... but I've been trying to restore it for the past few months, and I find myself so frusterated when I gain a few lbs back, that I end up emotion-binge-eating again, and the whole cycle begins anew. I started the Atkins Fat-Fast two weeks ago, and lost about 8 lbs. I then binged one night, and gained back about 5 of it. So I cursed myself, and then started the FatFast up for the past 4 days. I've lost all my binge weight, and now I started induction today. I will SUCCEED. I am going to do induction perfectly for the next two weeks. Just thought I'd share my story with everyone who can relate to eating disorders. Low Carbing is going to save my life. I'm ready.
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  #4   ^
Old Sat, Aug-14-04, 16:37
cococarby's Avatar
cococarby cococarby is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 410
 
Plan: low carb
Stats: 150/150/120 Female 5'6
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Indiana
Default

Miss Model- my advice to you is to throw out your scale. I used to weigh in every day and the number i was given dictated my mood for that given day. I didn't feel "better" until the scale showed that magic number... and even then, there was another magic number I wanted to see. When I began this woe, I had a pretty big cheat about once a month. My stomach and headache told me how physically bad I felt. But the scale told me how I emotionally bad I felt and for how long I would feel that way. I also obsessively tracked my daily calories, carbs and fat grams. This too became self destructive. Now, I don't write down what i eat and have learned to listen to my body. Instead of, wow! ive only eaten 300 calories today, I can afford to eat a piece of cheese right now, and still have xx many calories saved for dinner!, its like: my stomach growls, i feed it, i dont think about food again until im hungry again. I cant tell you how much better I feel. Also, instead of weighing every day, I do so about twice a month and I am seeing numbers drop faster than when I was obsessing about every little thing! Occasional cheats have officially stopped too. I refuse to let numbers run my life. By "letting go" of all the little control factors that I used to monitor my day to day, I realized that i was not living life to the fullest. I was actually glad that another day had past quickly and I had "done good" that day. I dont want to spend my life wishing the days were almost over. I know you didn't ask for advice, nor I am I directing it at you. Just a little insight though, from a person who knows. good luck.
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Aug-16-04, 04:49
Miss Model Miss Model is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 204
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 142/118/115 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:have no idea
Progress: 89%
Location: Idaho
Default Induction, gasp, starts NOW

Thanks for the insight Cococarby... it's refreshing really, to hear that there are others out there who've gone through a similar, sugar-coated-hell. I decided to wait and start induction until today (Monday). It's just easier for me, to start at the beginning of the week; must be psychological, hm. Anyhow I know that these next two weeks are going to be just about the hardest thing in the world for me. My sugar withdrawls during induction are so strong, I literally have to talk myself out of running down to the 24 hour doughnut shop. I guess this is how a drug addict must feel. Food is my drug. How sick. I wish something as meaningless as food wasn't such a threat to me on a daily basis. I really do wonder how much time I spend per day thinking about either my weight or food. What a waste of brain. I envy people who can simply eat what they want, when they're hungry, and that be the end of it. Seems I'm always either planning my next binge, or talking myself out of eating entirely. Wish me luck! I'm not letting food rule my life anymore. Thanks for all the support. I can't articulate how much it means to me.
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Aug-16-04, 20:16
gomo gomo is offline
New Member
Posts: 15
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 140/135/120 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 25%
Default an update

Just thought I'd add in here - I have upped my caloric intake from 800 a day to 1200 - 1300 a day and get this - I keep having to make my belts tighter - so inches are coming off even though I am eating more calories...crazy! Anyways I think any support us "recovery" type can get is great - I have just moved back into the dorms (Im gonna be an RA - so my newest temptation is the cafeteria - it seems everyone eats exactly what they want so thats hard and I always tend to just see the people smaller than me and compare myself - and that really sucks - when your value is wrapped up in your size/appearance) oh well a little rant - anyways atleast I am getting healthier and verrrry slowly the weight is coming off - It seems the first time I lost weight I lost like 20 lbs in two months (got down to 100 - not so healthy) I don't lose like that anymore --- anywho I am rambling - but I'd like to hear from you girls from time to time
lates
Mo
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  #7   ^
Old Wed, Aug-18-04, 14:48
pecan's Avatar
pecan pecan is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 468
 
Plan: atkins/pesco-veggie
Stats: 115/115/115 Female 64.5"
BF:
Progress: 50%
Default

[QUOTE=cococarby]I was actually glad that another day had past quickly and I had "done good" that day. I dont want to spend my life wishing the days were almost over.[QUOTE]

i can relate so well to that. it really isn't until you let go of calorie counting and obsessing over your weight that you can make progress in any other areas of your life.

one thing that really helped me was not fretting over my body image or anything like that, but focusing on HEALTH. if you make your choices with that as the basis, not worrying about fat, calories, etc, then everything has a tendency to fall in place. your body WANTS to find it's best metabolism...and when you feed it right, it will.

best of luck to you!
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  #8   ^
Old Wed, Aug-18-04, 14:51
xotcbabe's Avatar
xotcbabe xotcbabe is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 431
 
Plan: ATKINS DIET
Stats: 123/122.5/110 Female 5 something
BF:
Progress: 4%
Default

pecan,
how did you get from 115 to 100? thats fabulous.. i wish i could do the same
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Aug-20-04, 02:11
gomo gomo is offline
New Member
Posts: 15
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 140/135/120 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 25%
Default

Pecan,
Whats pesco veggie?
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  #10   ^
Old Fri, Aug-20-04, 11:03
pecan's Avatar
pecan pecan is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 468
 
Plan: atkins/pesco-veggie
Stats: 115/115/115 Female 64.5"
BF:
Progress: 50%
Default

low carbing broke my sugar addiction, which was really a lot of the reason i had an eating disorder. body image wasn't really the problem in my case, it was a need to eat sugar, which consumed my mind. i was never overweight, but lcing still saved my life...additional proof that it's more than just a fad diet.

pesco-vegetarianism is vegetarianism with seafood.
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  #11   ^
Old Fri, Aug-20-04, 12:58
Starmaker's Avatar
Starmaker Starmaker is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 253
 
Plan: Dirty Carnivore
Stats: 197/150/135 Female 5'6
BF:
Progress: 76%
Location: Saskatchewan
Default

Yes low carb saved my life as well. I was a BAD anorexic/bulimic and had been for over 2 decades. I almost killed myself with throwing up. My stomach is now completely screwed and I have to take a Zantac if I even look at a bad carb. Whenever i get a flu (not often thank goodness as low carb keeps me healthy) and I am sick to my stomach, I still throw up blood as well. Testimony to what people with eating disorders do to their bodies. I am an energetic person, I am a DJ by profession and am always jumping around on stage, teaching dances etc. But there was a time when my bulimia kept me from enjoying all the things I used to love. A very good friend of mine who laid the Atkins NDR book in my lap had this to say to me..."Keep up what you have been doing to your body and your soul girl, and you will end up dead in a grave, guess then you will be happy with your weight as you will be nothing but a skeleton covered in juicy maggots." She was right. My skinny a$$ body won't matter much when the maggots come a calling would it? Sorry for the brutal reality check, but take it from someone who knows the truth. Low carb saved my life, not only did I NOT gain a little bit of weight when I started, but I started losing right away. After getting scared off of puking my brains out, I gained 60 pounds, low carb took care of that. There is no scale in my house. I am my own scale. If I stand naked in front of my full length mirror, and like what I see looking back at me...thats all the scale and proof I need. This board is full of lurking people, models, wannabe models, dancers, regular people, all of them to afraid to post, all of them hunting around for a sure cure for their eating disorder affliction. Most of them afraid to speak up and tell the world their dirty little puking secret. I am speaking to you personally, you are not alone, you are human and humans make mistakes. Alot of the times this is due to what the magazines and movies show us are their idea of the ideal woman. What happens when you starve yourself...anorexia...your body goes into shock and starts eating its own tissues/muscles to survive as your food reserves are depleted. Bulimia....you will never get skinny anyway, the body struggles to hold onto food that you put in it and even after puking your brains out, you will never be rid of all the food, but whats left in your body is not enough to sustain you, it also turns right into fat as your body is starving and makes every effort to hold onto whats its given. your brain starts to starve as well. I have wrecked my beautiful body doing what you are doing. Stomach and throat problems, teeth issues, weak heart. I now have to face the music. Low carb is healing me, but my body...my temple, will never be the same. My internal organs are that of a 65 year old, to quote my doctor. And I owe all that to anorexia and bulimia. For those of you who are lurking here, looking for a way out of your nightmare, keep this in mind, my doctor said the damage I did to my internal organs was accomplished in the first 6 months of abusing my body. Stop the vicious circle now. Trust me, you WILL find salvation in low carb and will break this death sentence you have imposed on yourself. You are slowly commiting suicide. With all that said, come and join the land of the living...the sun shines on my face and all is right with my world for the first time in 20 years. You can do it, its so easy you will laugh at all the wasted time you spent hanging over the toilet seat.
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  #12   ^
Old Fri, Aug-20-04, 14:04
xotcbabe's Avatar
xotcbabe xotcbabe is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 431
 
Plan: ATKINS DIET
Stats: 123/122.5/110 Female 5 something
BF:
Progress: 4%
Default

starmaker,
thanks for the inspirational story. Well done putting your life back to normal
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  #13   ^
Old Mon, Aug-30-04, 20:43
auntiemmy's Avatar
auntiemmy auntiemmy is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 187
 
Plan: atkins nutritional
Stats: 140// Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Wisconsin
Default

Quote:
I have just moved back into the dorms (Im gonna be an RA - so my newest temptation is the cafeteria - it seems everyone eats exactly what they want so thats hard and I always tend to just see the people smaller than me and compare myself - and that really sucks - when your value is wrapped up in your size/appearance)


Gomo~ how is it going with the temptation of the cafeteria? I just moved back in the dorms also. This is my first college experience on atkins and I am not too nervous, but I am a little afraid I guess you could say. I am going to go to walmart tomorrow to buy chicken breasts to cook up and always have at hand, and maybe some mayo to add a little old fat ( I still cannot believe I am eating some of the stuff I am!). I quoted you because of how you said you compare yourselves to the other girls....I am doing that so much! It sucks! BIg time sucks! I still have this drive to want to be the thinest, but I am no where near the thinest, nor do I wish to starve myself to death either. You had wrote to me in a previoius thread; hopefully we can stay in touch! I hope being an RA is great! I am an RA alternate, so if someone tranfers or something...Hope to hear back from you!
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  #14   ^
Old Sat, Sep-04-04, 20:40
TheProf83's Avatar
TheProf83 TheProf83 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 352
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 155/110.5/110 Female 64in
BF:15%
Progress: 99%
Location: Austria
Default wow

so many people here that i can relate to. I am really upset recently- since i came home from school (I go back next week) I have put on 4 lbs of the weight I lost on atkins initially.
i am thinking of doing the fat fast like miss model tried...i'll report on how it goes, i start tomorrow morning after my workout
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  #15   ^
Old Sun, Sep-05-04, 00:24
ex_vegan's Avatar
ex_vegan ex_vegan is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 378
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 150/134/120 Female 5'5
BF:too much
Progress: 53%
Location: USF, Tampa, FL
Exclamation Pecan...

I do not mean to be rude but wtf are you trying to achieve at 5'5 and 100lbs? That is pretty underweight! I mean if you are small boned or something I apologize in advance but still I cannot imagine a lean yet fit body that could be 5'5 and 100lbs. Maybe 109-112 but still... I dunno it just shocked me to see that was your height and weight and that you lc-ed. I always thought that if one lc-ed properly one would reach their ideal body weight? Not one too high or in your case really low. Oh well... I'll leave ya alone sorry for bothering ya I was just shocked!
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