Low carb anorexia recovery?

[p0llyanna]

Hi everyone. Anorexia has dominated me for about four years now. I'm 20 years old. I see a nutritionist and a therapist and I'm ready to recover. However, I have been "ready to recover" on several occasions and when I go about eating the nutritious foods prescribed to me, I immediately gain a ton of weight and burst out of my clothes and feel more depressed than ever, leading me to restrict and overexercise again. During my 4 year struggle, I went almost one year eating the proper foods and enough calories and waited for my metabolism to speed up again so I could lose weight the "healthy way." It never happened, I kept gaining. I even adopted a fat and protein deprived vegan diet for several months and gained on THAT (I avoided grains; excessive fruit, perhaps?).

I'm sick and tired of sitting and watching people experience multiple glorious meals a day and only have to go on a jog to stay in shape. I have to eat 400 calories or less and run four miles a day to lose weight....if I eat 400 calories and DON'T run I either maintain or gain. My metabolism is shattered, and I don't know what to do about it. I am at college now and hardly have the energy to make it to the fourth floor of my apartment.

I want a new lifestyle. I want to be able to eat more than 400 calories, exercise a moderate amount, and be happy. I have been researching Atkins because I think it may help my metabolism. Throughout my anorexia I'd avoid protein and fat like the plague and just eat fruit and vegetables.

I guess what I am wondering is if anyone has had success using Atkins for the recovery of anorexia. I realize Atkins is a lifestyle, not a diet. I'm willing to commit to it. I am not overweight or underweight (you'd think I would be). My question is if I follow the Atkins plan and very slowly add more calories to my diet, will I balloon up like I do every other time? Will I even experience ketosis, or will my body so desperately cling to what it's given, and store the dietary fat? What I am hoping is that the fats and proteins help repair and speed up my metabolism. I am not looking to lose a ton of weight. I'd be happy staying where I am now. My ideal weight is at most five pounds from where I'm at (when my "healthy," NOT "anorexic" jeans fit best). But I'm just so afraid of eating all these delicious foods that my body is NOT accustomed to. I've been following a very calorie reduced "Atkins" plan for the past three days and the paranoia of melting a tablespoon of cheese on my tuna or egg is driving me crazy. Please reassure me! My nutritionist doesn't agree with low-carbing, but is unable to explain why I gain an excessive amount of weight and become unable to lose on her so called "balanced diet." The fact that I was capable of gaining incredible amounts on fruits and vegetables alone make me think my body is more suited for low-carb.

Some things I have noticed eating Atkins approved foods for three days (though definitely not enough of them) is that for once I don't feel like I'm going to die of a headache or collapse on the stairs from lack of energy. For the first time since moving back to college, I feel like I could work out again (I haven't been running my four miles). I don't really have any ketosis symptoms like the weird breath, etc. My mouth perhaps feels dry and I'm drinking a lot more water.
In a way, the boost of energy makes me feel nervous, like I am gaining weight. I thought most people feel terribly tired and flu-like during induction? It seems like my body never responds how a "normal" persons' would...

Also, how would I go about increasing calories? I have heard of so many different methods. Some say add 100 a week, some say start eating BMR calories right away, some say jump into eating more than 3000! I was thinking I'd be most comfortable kind of zig-zagging them up gradually, but what to I know?? I want to hear your opinions!

Thank you so much, anyone who read this whole thing.

[JuliaL]

Hi Polly! After reading your post I really do believe you are ready to recover. It sounds like you want to live a healthy life, and you are not overly-fixated on being thin. I'm not an expert on eating disorders, but there is a board on this site for people who are struggling with ED's.

Atkins is a very healthy way to eat if you do it right. Also, have you read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution or Protein Power? Both of those books do a really good job of explaining why protein and fat do not make you fat. Basically by controlling your blood sugar and insulin production you control your weight. When you eat too many carbs your body over-produces insulin, which triggers your body to retain fat. I highly recommend that you read as much as you can about why and how low carb eating works. You sound like a very intelligent young woman, and I'm sure that once you understand the way low carb affects your body you'll feel much better about it.

Good luck, and hang in there!

[Leo41]

Polly-

You mention a nutritionist and a therapist, but what about a medical doctor? I ask because I saw a TV show featuring a woman who described her daughter's recovery from anorexia, and it was an M.D. who supervised the repair of her metabolism. It seems to me that there must be specialists who deal with the problem you're experiencing.

That said, as the previous poster mentioned, you should not gain weight on protein and fat (we don't need carbs to function), and you should get both nutrition and energy from those foods (e.g. meat, fish, eggs, butter). I've also heard that adding calories in 100 cal increments can help, but I'm no expert and would still advise seeing a doctor.

When I was at my heaviest, a doctor sent me to a nutritionist, and I found her to be useless, wanting me to eat a number of calories that would insure that I continued gaining and eating the standard American diet on which I gain so very easily. All she could do was mouth the 'truths' she learned in school. If I were you, I would not rely on a nutritionist.

[ozdancer]

polly and welcome to LCF. I hope you have the professional help you need to get through this phase of your life and come out healthy. Julia explained much more eloquently than I could some of the basics for you. Find the ED thread and read, read, read, ask questions too. Good luck on your journey to a health metabolism, mind & body - you can do it.

[stephanie34]

Hi there sweetie. I am so sorry for what you are goiong through. I know it is so hard, and you want to be healthy and fit. It does not matter how thin you are, if your not healthy. But it seems to me that you are getting on the right track. You just have to remeber you trained your body for 4 years not to live on many calories, 400 is like a breakfast meal. You HAVE to retrain your body to live off more, but at least aim for 3 healthy meals. Maybe don't put a number so you don't obsess. It will be hard at first, you are going to think all you do is eat. But your body is very adapable and will follow what you do. It may rebel for a tiny bit, but it will even out. Plus you exercise, so you still will be burning calories. I know it is all in your head and no matter what we say, you will do what you know and "feel" is right out out of fear. Do not live your life in fear. Do not allow your head to tell you things that are simply not true. Get the book and read it and tell yourself you are going to follow it to a tee and don't let your head talk to you negativly.

[Looweewoo]

Gary Taubes, in his book "Good Calories, Bad Calories" hints at recovery from Anorexia.

If you are clinically Anorexic, then his theory probably applies to you. You might not want to read the whole book to find that one or two pages, and I don't remember exactly where they are, but I assure you that they are there.

The theory is that your blood is full of signals telling you that you have more than enough fuel while in fact you do not. This is the opposite of what an obese person feels. Both conditions can be alleviated by supplying a steady amount of real fuel, not floods and droughts of carb fuel.

Those signals are what tell your brain that you ate too much, that you need to exercise (whether you have the energy to do so or not) and your mind interprets this as "I'm fat, I need to exercise, I need to eat less". Your other recovery methods can address that kind of self-talk, the diet will stop your body from sending the wrong signals.

Don't go by my memory of this though, if you can read the book. Its a classic of low carb information, it's a heavy read, but if you can get though it you will be inspired.

[Ilpirata]

Hi Hon,
Welcome to LCF. I also hear how ready you are in your post. This thread is not specifically for anorexia but it is from one of our moderators cheri based on an interview with an Atkins Nutritional Advisor and is all about metabolism repair I think it will be helpful for you:

Atkins Nutritionals Interview (Repairing your Metabolism and more)

Here are some other threads I found in the addiction support portion of LCF that may be useful:

Help!

Extreme Diets and Eating Disorders

There are more there that you can search for as well. My understanding is that someone recovering from an ED CANNOT DIET. PERIOD. So you will have to embrace Low Carb as your Way of Life not something to use to drop weight. Low Carb is a healthy Way of Life and if you educate yourself, read, practice and follow it you should be able to achieve and maintain a healthy body.

Good luck!

[fawn]

Hi Polly and welcome
It does sound like you're ready to make a commitment. I congratulate you. This is the first step to the rest of your life.

One of the best books I have ever read which addresses anorexia and the supplements to assist you in your recovery is called The Diet Cure by Julia Ross. She is an awesome writer and goes into great detail for you. Small details like encouraging taste bud activity with zinc and utilizing amino acids.........It's an easy comprehensive read.

I wish you much success in your recovery and know that nourishing those cells for a long, happy lean life is very important.

[p0llyanna]

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your links, advice, and support. It is so much appreciated and I already feel welcome! I am definitely headed over to Barnes and Noble today to leaf through Atkins and 'Good Calories, Bad Calories' (been reading about this one, I plan on studying nutrition so the dense subject matter makes it all the more appealing, I spend hours researching nutrition anyway!) Hopefully I can decide from there what plan would be best for me...

Anyway, today I have eaten an egg, string cheese, and half of an avocado (GAH! I could eat so many of those babies) and I am just so, so paranoid. I am just so saddened that I have been programmed all these years to fear fat. Still not sure as which approach to take to increase calories, I will definitely need to head over to the eating disorders section.

Because I am back at school I no longer have access to the therapist and nutritionist I was seeing at home (but to be honest I'm fed up with my nutritionists
"6-11 servings of grains a day!!!" weight gain advice. She knows I'm in a healthy range and don't need to GAIN, and 6-11 grains plus fruits and veggies most definitely pack on the pounds for me).

I finally got up the courage to call my school health center today to make an appointment with a doctor/nutritionist but of COURSE they closed about 2 minutes before I called so I will have to gather the courage again tomorrow Yikes..
I kind of want to have my thyroid tested because I read severe restricting can damage it a lot. The fact that I can appear to (I don't weight myself, I go by how my clothes fit) gain weight on 400 calories is extremely unsettling and MUST indicate something is wrong. Plus, I'm always frigid, depressed, have muscle cramps in my legs...basically all the symptoms. I realize these also are symptoms of being anorexic but the one that makes me think I may have hypothyroid is the irregular periods. For the past few months I've been having 3 week long periods (sorry if TMI) with just a one week break in between...this is DESPITE being on birth control, and hey, don't anorexics LOSE their periods? Psh...
I also forgot to mention the fact that last year I had an epic bout of "chew and spit." I gained a lot during this time despite the fact that I was only actually ingesting my usual 300-400. I was chew/spitting almost all sweets and I've read this can basically screw your insulin responses over....THANK GOODNESS I stopped that. That is one phase thoroughly behind me.

Anyway, felt good to vent some more. Always looking for new opinions and words of wisdom!!

[CurlsNCuffs]

Welcome! Please read Dr. A's book! Good luck post often!

[stephanie34]

hey there again, not to say you dont have a thyriod problem it is possible and you just need to get a blood test.... But also remember you have put your body through tremendous stress. It may also just take a little while to get all your cells and muscles and other stuff back in sync. If it turns out it is not your thyiod, remeber your body will turn itself around. You are young and by getting healthy now and not waiting another day, It will go back to it's healthy state, just give it time... and feed it properly. The saying you are what you eat, is true. You have for 4 years been incredibly hard on your body, give it time to heal. Eat healthy.

[maryvit]

Polly

The other responses were all good info for you to help you in your journey to health.

I just wanted to welcome you aboard this forum; it is the BEST for support and help! We'll be happy to follow your journey and offer tips when possible .. I am not qualified at all in the area of anorexia so I am just here to support you.

again, Welcome to LCF!

[jem51]

the answer is YES!! after seeing therapists, MD's, being medicated and involved in studies w 0 results, i discovered that low carb really worked.
it helps diminish cravings and you won't get fat from all those carbs recommended on a 'balanced' diet (i'm not saying you won't put on some weight, especially if you're under).
i had been a vegetarian and that didn't help at all since the high carb content fattened me up and as you and i both know, getting fat is very scary. that's a hump, i know, at my age, i will never get over.
so, yes! give it a go.
there're a lot of us who've survived because of low carb and only low carb.

[Leo41]

Polly-

I'd like to encourage you to make that call again to your school health center because I thought of that myself after I had posted.

I'm a retired college professor, and at the university where I worked for 20 years, our MDs and psychologists were very experienced in dealing ED, since, as you can imagine, it's frequently an epidemic among college students. I think you'll find a lot of support at your school health center. You should not be trying to heal yourself alone.

[CurlsNCuffs]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Polly-

I'd like to encourage you to make that call again to your school health center because I thought of that myself after I had posted.

I'm a retired college professor, and at the university where I worked for 20 years, our MDs and psychologists were very experienced in dealing ED, since, as you can imagine, it's frequently an epidemic among college students. I think you'll find a lot of support at your school health center. You should not be trying to heal yourself alone.

Come on - make that call - we are with you!

[Strawberry]

Anorexics actually become hypothyroid (there is a special pattern that the tests show), but its not a permanent condition that you can't reverse as you return to healthy eating (like other forms of hypothyroid disease). The thyroid just slows way down to try to slow metabolism so you can survive on the little bit of food that is coming into the body.

[DaffodilSoup]

I don't know much about recovering from ED's but I am here for lots of hugs! You CAN do this!

[erinberndt]

i tried to pm you, but your so new. I just wanted to let you know, ive had my issues, if youd ever want to write.
you can email me
cadburyegg2003@yahoo.com

[F3SPIRIT]

Originally Posted by erinberndt

i tried to pm you, but your so new. I just wanted to let you know, ive had my issues, if youd ever want to write.
you can email me
cadburyegg2003@yahoo.com

Me too! I know it's a lot in the begining. But I have been in recovery for quiet sometime. It is possible to live and eat normally, I promise.

annietownsend@comcast.net