What do you think?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
What do you think?
4
Thu, 05-31-2007 - 3:54pm
I'm a 26 year old female and about 5 years ago, I starting restricting my calories to about 500-900 a day. This went on for a couple of months, until I couldn't keep up with it anymore. I then went on a month long binge and gained the 10 lbs back that I lost. I then restricted my calories again during the week, Mon-Friday, to about 900-1100 calories per day, and began to binge and purge on Saturday and Sundays. This went on for years. I lost about 15-20 lbs. I'm 5'3, and my weight became stable at 103-107 lbs for about a year and a half. I was desperate to give up purging, and finally stoped about a year ago, however I still restrict. For the last year, I have not purged, but I've restricted my calories to about 900-1050 on Mon-Fri and eat whatever I want on the weekends, but I don't binge. This has gone on for months, but noticed by the weekends comes, I'm so tempted to binge, and sometimes I do to an extent. Not a full blown binge like it used to be years ago, but I'll continue to eat despite being full. Because of this, I've gained about 5-8 lbs. I decided to add a little more calories to my mon-fri routine and now eat about 1000-1100. I'm so nervous to gain more weight! Another thing I'm concerned about is feeling generally not good. I just don't feel "normal". I tend to feel weak at times, randomly tired, especially after exercise! I feel vertigo sometimes. I'm wondering if this is because of the mild restricting that I've been doing? I'm not really restricting THAT much, which makes me wonder if that would really be the cause of me generally not feeling as good as I think I should be. So, I figured I'd ask you all here to get your thoughts and see if you've experienced the same things? THANK YOU.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-13-2006
Thu, 05-31-2007 - 5:27pm

Greetings, kristymay_c!


Welcome to the board! Thanks for introducing yourself to us!


Let me first say, we are not professionals on this board. We are simply people who've been in or are in the same place where you find yourself. We provide the best advice from experience and support each other. I hope that we can provide some words of encouragement and hope for you. It does take a lot of courage to admit that there is something not right with what's going on. You should be proud of yourself!


Are you seeking any kind of professional help? Or are you willing to seek help? If I were you, I would consider going to see a professional. I'm really concerned about the whole vertigo thing. The amount of time you have been restricting and how much you restrict seems to be taking it's toll on your body. Your body is giving you a sign that it needs attention. Your body is designed to tell you when something is wrong with symptoms (like vertigo, lack of energy, hair loss, headaches, etc.). Your body needs calories to even accomplish the smallest of tasks, if you add extra physical activity it needs more. During my extreme ED days, I passed out twice in a week. I had little signs (general sick feeling and headaches) leading up to it, but chose to ignore it. I ended up being rushed to the emergency room twice in a week. Remember, ED's are not all about food. ED's are our way to coping with things and stress in life.


Should you have a question, concern, or just want to talk - please, come back and talk to us! That's what we are here for!


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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2005
Thu, 05-31-2007 - 7:50pm

Hey kristymay, I remember you.


I agree with everything Catherine has said ... don't really have anything to add. No matter how you think you are doing, the body can give signals that it doesn't agree :)


This could be one of those times.

 

 

~Diana~

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-12-2007
Thu, 05-31-2007 - 10:25pm

I would try to eat normally all through out the week instead of restricting on the week days and eating a lot on the weekends. You would feel better plus you would stop gaining weight. Just eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full and treat yourself every once in a while and you will do great! Try not to count calories. (I'm trying to work on that myself) What are calories anyway! Just some stupid numbers! Eat healthy and eat a balanced diet and you will get all the calories you need.

~Alex~

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2005
Fri, 06-01-2007 - 10:30am

I totally agree, Alex!


 

 

~Diana~