The Real Amy

Hi Bonitachica, While I got my period right back after coming off the pill (after being on for 15 years), I will say my body remained screwed up for a long time (ovarian cysts and all kinds of other problems). Still not sure it’s 100% recovered, 3 years later. A number of my friends have taken months and months to get a period post-pill. Being on it for 4 years isn’t likely to be as problematic as 10+, but I would not underestimate the issues it can cause. Have you seen a real endocrinologist?

I doubt it’s your weight that’s the problem, if you had the same weight with no issues pre-pill. However, if you were low-carb for awhile, that can cause a lot of metabolic issues that take time to heal.

How many carbs are you eating now? Sounds like you may be eating a very fat-heavy diet, WAPF-style. Make sure you are eating plenty of carbs. A well-balanced diet is really best – square meals. Even if you have a gluten problem, you should be fine with white rice and white potatoes. Make sure you’re listing to what your body wants to eat, not what you think you “should” be eating. No need to eat processed junk, in my opinion, but including some refined foods like white rice can be helpful. Eat to hunger, not past it.

Also, make sure you are getting plenty of sleep/relaxation.

Della, that’s great! Baby steps is what it’s all about. It gets easier. Hunger/fullness cues can take time (like a few months). When I was in recovery I was told it takes a full year of normal eating for your metabolism to really recover, and I think that’s true.

(BTW, I hope you have a good therapist to work with through all the feelings that come up as you recover. Once you start to get past the starvation-recovery stage, you start to deal with a lot of the emotions that you can ignore when you are starving, and you need to understand why you began starving yourself to begin with. All of that gets easier as well. Eating properly is step #1 in loving yourself and understanding that you are a worthwhile and valuable person.)

I would generally agree. 2500 calories/day is low for a female athlete, though, and if 55% of that is fat, it doesn’t leave much for carbs (assuming you are eating a decent amount of protein), so you may be getting less fuel than your body needs. I’d be hesitant to make changes if all signs seem good, but maybe pay attention and be sure you’re listening to your body (such as: does it really enjoy the 55% fat? Or is it crying out for carbs?) Matt himself has said temp is not everything, but the caveat here is that low-carb diets feel really great at first as they boost stress hormones – you feel awesome until things start heading downhill. The body actually feels pretty good as it starts to break down (like with fasting), and the repercussions don’t always appear until a bit later.

I would recommend salt to taste. Once you do, you will see oatmeal with salt is much yummier. If you make it too salty, you will know.

I think it’s a non-issue for someone recovering from an ED. If you have the financial means to easily buy pasture-raised, organic eggs and chicken, then by all means do so. But don’t sweat it at all. The most important thing right now is for you to get enough calories, protein and nutrients. Yeah, I would steer clear of refined veggie oils as much as you can and use butter, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil. But the AA acid issue is more of a long-term issue, and also more of an issue in an unbalanced diet – eat a variety of meats and fish, not only chicken.

One of the most important things you can do is overcome orthorexia, which goes hand-in-hand with anorexia. You can find something wrong with any food if you look hard enough. In the end, those with an overall healthy and balanced diet will come out ahead.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by The Real Amy.

BauerPower, my one suggestion is making sure you eat enough salt. Hyponatremia feels a lot like hyponatremia, and can even mimic reactive hypoglycemia a little bit. (I’ve learned dehydration also feels a lot like a hyperglycemic spike – so weird)

Della, I’m so glad you’re back on track, and I’m glad that I was able to be helpful :-) When fasting, you were probably mustering up the last little bit of stress hormones your body could provide before collapsing. Now the important thing is to rebuild and restore. You deserve a healthy and happy life and a good recovery, too! Self-love is the most difficult thing (still working on it…) but the most important thing you can do.

The best way I’ve found to think about meals are in terms of including a carb, protein and fat, and thinking about what your grandma would have considered a “square meal.” Some examples are below to give you an idea, but please note I am not sure what your calorie needs are and you may need to adjust. I tried to make this decently hearty since your food needs are pretty high right now and you don’t want to be filling up on salads. Do not skimp on meat portions since protein will help your body build back up, and you need to have enough protein as well as enough overall calories.

Breakfast:
-Couple of pieces toast with butter, scrambled eggs, piece of fruit or OJ
-Bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter, banana
-whole milk yogurt with granola and fruit or dried fruit on top
-oatmeal with cream and dried fruit on top, plus a yogurt

Lunch:
-The traditional: sandwich with a generous amount of meat/tuna in it, maybe some crackers or chips or a small salad with dressing, yogurt and fruit or a few cookies
-bowl of meat-based chili, baked potato with butter or sour cream, fruit, cookies or yogurt

Snacks:
-things like cheese and crackers, yogurt and fruit, or cookies and a glass of whole milk

Dinner:
-Roast chicken; mashed potatoes with butter; roasted veggies; dessert (ice cream, fruit compote, or whatever else you want)
-pasta with bolognese sauce; small salad with dressing, or cooked veggies with butter; dessert
-cup of cream-based veggie soup; Beef stew over rice; dessert

I hope this helps!