My BMI experience

[Lirali]

Hello! Excuse my errors, since I am not an English native speaker. I used to be anorexic few years ago. When I started my recovery I tried to stay as thin as possible. I maintained my weight at BMI of 18-18.5. I thought that I was healthy, however I felt weak and hungry most of the time and didn't have regular periods. 1 year ago I gained just a bit more weight to BMI of 19.2 and that's made a big difference for me. My periods finally went back and I have much more energy for doing sports. Now I am Ok with my body and find myself being slim and attractive, even though I felt chubby being at 18.5. The point of my post is that we are all different, so I recommend you listening to your body and find what is better for you, since low normal BMI values can still be a bit underweight for some people. Good luck and I wish you all the best in your recovery)

[Caroline74]

Wow thank you so much for this. Its really really helpful and encouraging. Im really struggling at the moment. I was bmi 15 but for about a year ive been 16.5-17.5 and desperately struggling to go up but i know i really need to get to 19 if im ever going to recover from this illness ive had for 25 years.....

Thank you x

[Houseelf]

Thank you so much for this message. I completely understand what you mean about feeling ok in your body at a healthier BMI yet chubby when at a lower one. A few months ago I had that realization yet recently have found myself feeling more tired, anxiety ridden and thinking I need to consume less. It dawned on me I may have inadvertently lost a little which has triggered the anorexia thoughts. I checked and even though it was about 2lbs, that has been enough to effect my brain. I recently listened to a podcast sharing recent research evidencing this to be the case in anorexia patients and that we have to stay on top of it for the rest of our lives - we can't 'just miss lunch' or 'skip breakfast' or cut out an element of a meal, as whatever it is will unknowingly trigger the body to respond in a particular way, as it is the way we are wired.

[m7-cola in reply to Houseelf]

I applaud your thinking. It’s so clear and insightful. It would be so helpful for those caught in this awful condition to read it.