[Trista]

i am in recovery for anorexia and i want to know something. how do normal people eat? i have always had an unhealthy relationship with food so i dont know. what foods are good for you? how many calories is normal? can anyone help?

[IWantMyFairyTale2]

Just to give you an example I am 23, 5'3" and weigh 196. If I wanted to MAINTAIN this weight I could eat 2176 calories a day and not gain an ounce.

What I would suggest is to find a good basal metabolism calculator and it will ask for your age, height, weight and gender. It will then calculate how many calories you can eat to maintain your current weight. Then depending on if you want to lose or gain weight add or subtract calories. It takes a defecit of 3500 calories to equal one pound of weight loss which is 500 calories a day if you break it up over 7 days. The same could be said that a surplus of 3500 calories will cause you to gain one pound (not counting water weight, that is a whole different monster).

"Normal" eating is eating when you are hungry. Have a well balanced meal, something you like, just watch the portion sizes.

Good luck with your continued recovery!

[conway_1979]

Trista, it is great that you are asking questions and finding out as much as you can!!! I would recommend seeing a doctor or a Nutritionist to learn what will be best for you... One thing to remember though, is that food needs to be viewed as food, and nothing more. It can be enjoyed, but it should not be the focus of your life. Eat to live, do not live to eat. You can enjoy the foods that you wish to eat, as long as they are consumed in moderation. Too many people create emotional connections to foods by labelling certain foods as "good" or "bad", when they should realize most foods are okay as long as they are not overconsumed. You really should see a doctor to figure out the best way to get back on track!

[Greekgirl]

Hi Trista,

Welcome and thanx for joining. It's good you are asking questions about what to eat. Of course it also depends on where you live ans what you are used to, but there are some general tips that are valid anywhere:
1. Your body needs fuel, not trash to feel good and to make you feel good inside it so:

2. Fresh is better than canned is better than frozen. This means you can eat lots and ots of healthy vegetables and fruits. They will make you feel better.

3. It's important to eat regularly, like: 1. breakfast (bowl of sugar-free cereal or oatmeal with skim milk, piece of fruit), 2. snack like yoghurt, cottage cheese, fruit, 3. lunch, look around for options that please you on the site at the recipe section. 4. another snack 5. dinner: like lunch, evening: glass of skim milk.

4. Because you are recovering from anorexia, it's especially important that you have a doctor or dietician near you who can help you with the right choices, even a friend you can trust and who wants to help you get healthy again would be ok for a start.

6. Remember: Your body is part of you and it needs to be treated well because it then will treat you well, also.

I think you are on the right way and very brave for coming here and asking the questions you need to ask!

Go on!

Greekgirl, Lyon France