Food: My anorexia is getting a lot... - Weight Loss Support

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PessimisticOptimist profile image

My anorexia is getting a lot better. I've started eating again, and still losing weight but in a healthy way. However I always feel hungry. I eat

- chicken, cottage cheese, mushrooms, bran bread, corn, all sorts of vegetables and recently I tried beef but didn't like it, and fruits (I drink milkshakes but without added sugar)

I still feel hungry. I eat 1700-1800 calories a day and burn about 500 (600 on outdoor activity days) any advice on how to fill myself up?

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PessimisticOptimist
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14 Replies
BridgeGirl profile image
BridgeGirlAdministrator2 stone

Good to hear from you and even better to hear that you have been eating. We've been worrying about you since you last posted :)

My suggestion would be to add some healthy fat in there: full fat dairy, olives and olive oil, coconut milk/cream/oil (no seed oils or vegetable oils), ghee, lard, avocado, oily fish, meat with fat and skin on, nuts, eggs. Whichever of those you like will make you feel less hungry.

It's a good idea to keep trying new foods, like the beef: you won't like them all, but some you will.

PessimisticOptimist profile image
PessimisticOptimist in reply toBridgeGirl

Thank you so much, it's so great to hear people not encouraging my anorexia so I lose weight.

Avocado isn't available here and I'm allergic to seafood. I do drink milk and cook my chicken in olive oil and I eat eggs for breakfast. There's a lot of variety but why am I so hungry all the time 😭😭😭

BridgeGirl profile image
BridgeGirlAdministrator2 stone in reply toPessimisticOptimist

Maybe you just need to get more onto your plate :) Is your milk full fat? And your cottage cheese? Do you like yoghurt?

PessimisticOptimist profile image
PessimisticOptimist in reply toBridgeGirl

They're both low fat

BridgeGirl profile image
BridgeGirlAdministrator2 stone in reply toPessimisticOptimist

Go for full fat. That will keep you fuller longer. We don't get fat from eating fat: we get happy and full :D

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone

Great news PO! Well done you! :)

BridgeGirl has given you some excellent advice to combat your hunger.

You might like to add more protein so maybe a vegan protein vanilla goes with everything. This will help build muscle !! Are you into the almond butters or peanut butter or cashew or pumpkin or sunflower ??? You can add that and some spinach and a few berries. You can even make two at a time and drink them on the go. After you exercise it’s really wise to have protein so the shakes Woukd Rock for that and adding in some granola with nuts into your diet. Oats are a slow burning carb really good for you and the proteins esp with some fats from the nut butters are excellent things for your body to build muscle. Beef is something to work into as your body isn’t used to it. It’s harder to breakdown you’ll have to learn to ease it in. Chicken things dark meat great and fish pork gets a bad rap but it’s very good personally I like pork chops done with shake n bake coating mix in oven lol you might find bison burgers awesome as they’re lean

PessimisticOptimist profile image
PessimisticOptimist in reply to

I can't really eat pork, religion forbids it. Spinach is seasonal but I do sometimes make spinach quesadillas with mushrooms and low fat cheddar. I love peanut butter and almond butter is really expensive here. I'll try the protein powder and oats too. Thank you for your help!

in reply toPessimisticOptimist

Good. Try to eat more nuts and seeds then. Will help

H61g profile image
H61g

Really good hear from you and glad you are feeling a little better. If you want to feel fuller, eat full fat cheese, plenty of protein, full fat yogurt (Greek is really filling) and plenty of vegetables. Wishing you all the v best.

Itsmesally profile image
Itsmesally

Hi there!

Well done on starting the long journey to recover from anorexia.

I have been there, although it was a long time ago and I hope that I understand the battle that you are currently having with food choices.

What I remember is, that it was ingrained in me to chose low fat, low calorie options and because that was what I was used to, I imagined that those foods were the foods I prefered.

My understand of eating was distorted by my desire to be thin. Hunger was, at this time, sort of a friend, a reinforcement badge telling me I was doing well.

After a time the pangs of hunger abated and without a feeling of hunger starving myself became much easier. I was very good at starving myself but if I honest truly miserable.

The road back was hard and there were times in my life when extreme stress made me vulnerable to my anorexia again, which is sometimes the case.

How did I get from there to where I am now, an overweight middle aged woman?

It started with baby steps but eventually my love of sport in particular athletics required me to be strong and I could not build muscle and stamina without a truly healthy diet. Always good to find a passion away from food that you need to be strong for.

It strikes me that you are working to quite a low calorie balance; if you eat 1700 calories and burn 600 you are only allowing yourself 1100 calories for the day. Your basal metabollic rate determines how many calories your body needs to function (without moving about); as an example a 25 year old 5' 4" woman who weighs 120lbs needs 1351 calories just to lie in bed all day. The older you are the less calories you need. If you are taller or heavier you will need more.

Unfortunately if we don't eat enough our brain sends signals (hunger) to make you want to eat and at the same time slows down our metabollic rate. This is why many people stall on diets.

So given this shortage of calories and the brain response, it is not at all surprising that you feel hungry..... You are actually hungry - not greedy - not eating the wrong things - just hungry!

So here is the real answer.... eat more of what you like and add in something that you really loved before you turned to anorexia. This is your food journey and in your heart you know what you truly deisre. For me it was icecream, that helped me regain a more normal weight without feeling a loss of control. I just love the stuff, although these days it is a vegan version.

I am sorry if I am repeating ideas that have already been shared with you, but I only joined this site a few days ago and I truly want to help where I can.

Please message me personally if you think I can help, or even just listen.

With very best wishes,

Sally

BridgeGirl profile image
BridgeGirlAdministrator2 stone in reply toItsmesally

How are you doing, Itsmesally? Will you be joining a weigh in team or using the Daily Diary? They are a great way of sharing ideas and support

Itsmesally profile image
Itsmesally

Hi Bridge Girl, I weighed in yesterday with the Mass Movers. It's all going well at the moment, weight is coming off and I am optimistic about my healthier future. How about you?

BridgeGirl profile image
BridgeGirlAdministrator2 stone in reply toItsmesally

That's good, the team support is excellent. I was a member of Sunday Super Slimmers for a long time. After a break, I've now joined the Maintainers' Club and hoping to have the same encouragement there

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