Mental Health Anyone know how to lose weight healthily when you have a history of anorexia/bulimia?

[Libby]

Yeah so self explanitory. I got off the meth and stopped starving myself but I went past better and into chubby territory, just want to lose 1 or 2 dress sizes, don't want to get all obsessive and crazy again. Anyone been there done that? Got tips?

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

First of all, I'd recommend going to a doctor whom you trust, telling them your past, and getting their opinion on whether you actually are unhealthy due to your weight. Then you follow their recommendation of what to do next, whether to implement a diet/exercise routine and come back in two weeks, be referred to a specialist in weight loss, or (no offense) see a psychiatrist/psychologist about the matter.

But let's assume you are overweight, and want to be in a healthy weight category. It really shouldn't be to fit into clothes as much as to be able to function and live more healthfully.

It's obvious, but first what you're looking for is to take in less calories than you expend. The best way to do this is through a combination of diet and exercise (also obvious).

It sounds like you have an eating disorder. Interestingly enough, obesity is not an official mental illness. But it can be extremely dangerous the same as anorexia/bulimia. I think there's a real hazard here of things getting out of control, unless you're working with someone who has knowledge in the field. Addiction has a nasty way of reappearing out of thin air.

I think that, assuming it's healthy to lose weight, you're going to face the issues of any addict. What will you do to fill the (temporary) void? How will you give yourself incentive to succeed? How will you handle cravings, and what will you do when they appear? Why do you want to do this? Which again if you want to lose weight for looks, I draw an eerie comparison to your reference to stimulant addiction and anorexia.

Just as with any addiction, there are no easy and sustainable fixes. Pick up a hobby. Read a book. Socialize. Ask a friend to a movie. Sooner or later you'll find yourself in a more healthy spot.

 

[herbavore]

Libby, the best thing I have found is to eat the classic mediterranean diet--lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low amounts of sweets and simple carbohydrates. Eat when you are hungry and not when you are bored or as an emotional reward (my downfall!). Eat slowly until you are full rather than stuffed. Above all, enjoy food--not like a drug but like a very pleasurable necessity!

And if you haven't already, learn to become an adventurous cook. Cooking as an activity is incredibly nurturing in and of itself. learn the foods of other countries and even other regions of your own country. Share your cooking with others--it doesn't have to be anything fancy, just say you cooked a meal and invite a neighbor or two. Everyone is always appreciative.

 

[Ventrusii]

Yeah so self explanitory. I got off the meth and stopped starving myself but I went past better and into chubby territory, just want to lose 1 or 2 dress sizes, don't want to get all obsessive and crazy again. Anyone been there done that? Got tips?

Let me start off by saying I'm sorry to hear you have a history of such. I do as well, and that's why I have taken immense interest in answering your question because I know what it's like to be in your shoes.

If you want to do this without the help of psychoactives, I would suggest a ketogenic diet. A ketogenic diet is a diet that is so low in carbohydrates (<50g/day after an initial phase of <20g/day for one or two weeks to get your body used to the lack of carbs) that your body learns to rely on the metabolites of fat as its main source of energy. There are many weight-loss benefits to this kind of diet, first, in a hypo-caloric situation, your body would first pull from fat instead of the usual protein or stored glycogen. This means that you would, every day, see improvements in weight loss when you eat less or even equal calories to burned calories. In addition, the lack of insulin fluctuations because of the lack of blood sugar fluctuations would cause less fat to be put into cells and stored, so you will be able to eat more while gaining less or even losing weight. Remember to eat fat, though. A low-carb diet and low-fat is just as bad as high carb.

If you would like to use substances but just don't want to try meth again, I would suggest an SNRI, if you have access. I have found that DXM increases my metabolic rate as well as contenting me on lower amounts of food. Another option in this category is Bupropion (Wellbutrin), an SNRI. Also, any B2 adrenergic agonist would assist with weight loss, increasing your metabolic rate. If you have leftover Albuterol Sulfate / Salbutamol from a prescription from a time when you needed it, take ~5mg twice a day to increase your metabolic rate as well as have minor appetite suppression. Pseudoephedrine wouldn't work very well for appetite suppression because even though it's a B2 agonist, it's also an a2 agonist, which increases hunger and decreases metabolic rate. In addition to the B2 agonists, a1 agonists also work against hunger alone, so phenylephrine (the crappy new decongestant) would help decrease hunger.

I trust in you to not relapse! Relapsing is never the answer!

With luck, ~V

 

[hotgirls.jpg.exe]

^I know you mean well but I don't think substance-aided weight loss would be a good idea. A former friend of mine with a major history of eating disorders and substance misuse fell prey many times to doing that for a 'boost' to her weight loss. It always ended badly. She got a hefty addiction to Adderall while in the US and gained something like 30kg when she stopped taking it.

Libby, I would recommend focusing less on weight loss and more on fitness and healthy eating. I run 5k daily and it has such amazing mind and body benefits. Learn to listen to your body and what it needs - I know from personal experience how a fucked up body image means ignoring what your body is telling you and being hyperfixated on forcing it to do what you want. It's not sustainable. I had to teach myself that my body was not some enemy to be destroyed and to stop thinking of it as some kind of battleground. Give your body what it needs and it will thank you

 

[Libby]

Ok thanks that's good advice. I will focus on eating healthy like herbavore suggested and on working up a good fitness regime, and just hope that my weight will sort itself out back to a healthy/normal in time. I am scared of getting anorexic again if I try to lose the weight in the ways that I'm used to doing.

 

[Shaleh]

Calorie intake in a healthy range has always worked for me. And trust me, I went through an anorexia stage where I starved myself into renal failure once. I had little muscle mass, skin was sagging, I looked awful. After that 9 day ICU stay, I began to eat again around 1400 calories, and look healthier than i have in years.

Learn to love food again. Start your own recipe journal. Bake/cook, make visually appealing food you want to eat!

Learn to love your body again - flaws and all.

Lastly, AVOID diet sodas. When I was in ICU the Nephrologist told me they are the worst for your kidneys. If you want a soda, have a soda in moderation. And cut your salt intake. I think we hyperfocus on weight but forget our internal organs need gentle care, too!

 

[Manti]

Look, you should see bodybuilders diet, they know what they are doing and that's important, prep your meals, start carb cycling, keto diet is when you have like 11℅ bf and you want that one digit bf. Exercise like 4 or 5 times a week if you have time, make a plan for your exercises. Your day should have 4/5 meals. 1st one is breakfast. You'll need to know yourself I like proteins and fats in that one, maybe 4 eggs and some nice salad with olive oil(you need to have salad in every meal) after that I like to have 2/3 more meals that are meat/fish and complex carbs(very important they are rice, potatos and sweet potatos) and those meals are before and after workout and one is to not be hungry and to have macronutrients in your diet, last one for me is dinner and then I go to sleep, that one is proteins and fats, some nuts, some low fat and low carb cheese or maybe more meat or some eggs or fish, it's all good. Once you get in that mindset it will be fun and you will almost never be hungry, also it helps with hangovers for me, well atleast for alcohol and mdma ones, I also smoke weed like 4 times a week but that's another story. I was fat from 9 to 15 y/o and from that point a I live really healthy and I am kinda buffy and lean, not too much because I don't want to compete also there is too much work for sick physique. Make your schedule and stick to it, you need eating, exercising and sleeping pattern. If you want help you can pm me your pics and your details, if you want supplements do it bodybuilding way, omega 3 fat acids, some whey, some mineral vitamin supplements, some coffein if that's your thing, working out have some of it own high. Cheers and good luck you can do it and I belive in you even if I don't know your full story