We are not doctors. See a nutritionist, a psychologist, and/or your doctor. You should not have to have this much difficulty with food or body image. Everyone, including you, knows that the 600 cal diet is not healthy, especially in combination with your super intense workout. You were not getting the proper nutrition. Sounds like anorexia nervosa to me, but again - I am not a doctor. You didn't mention how tall you are or how much you weigh. Your body very well could need that 12 lbs.
I want to stress to you, that none of us that share this opinion are judging you. We all sincerely care about you and your physical and mental health. I see you are new here and I urge you to come back here often knowing that we will support you. We may have a different screwed up relationship with food and exercise, but since we are overweight we obviously weren't doing it right initially either. We are here to reshape our minds and bodies and become more healthy, just like you.
John -you are one of the people here at 3FC I respect and admire greatly. But WTH? First of all, it's bad advice. People who have eating disorders need help for both their physical and mental issues. (Not saying the OP has an eating disorder, but that's what John's advice seems to suggest. I am not qualified to make that diagnosis.) Perhaps more importantly, it seems cruel. Pithiness cannot substitute for kindness. I generally love your directness, but the OP was not seeking mental health opinions, let alone callous aspersions. It is a support group, after all.
Not sure why you see it this way. I'm not being cruel, sarcastic, sardonic, or disrespectful.
In my opinion he needs professional psychological help more than anything else. The question he is asking is not relevant compared to the greater need. He is clearly abusing his body and has been for a long time.
If you think it is bad advice than we'll have to disagree.
John -you are one of the people here at 3FC I respect and admire greatly. But WTH? First of all, it's bad advice. People who have eating disorders need help for both their physical and mental issues. (Not saying the OP has an eating disorder, but that's what John's advice seems to suggest. I am not qualified to make that diagnosis.) Perhaps more importantly, it seems cruel. Pithiness cannot substitute for kindness. I generally love your directness, but the OP was not seeking mental health opinions, let alone callous aspersions. It is a support group, after all.
Having said that, I completely agree with Joss. The OP needs medical attention from someone with a far more complete understanding of the many variables here.
Thank you. I agree with every point you have made.
Im sorry to the other posters, but im going to have to agree with JohnP on this one. Read between the lines people...its obvious that he needs some help emotionally and mentally with this struggle that he has going on. It has body dysmorphic disorder/disordered eating written all over it. You cant work out your physical problems if your brain and your emotions keep on getting in the way of your ability to heal. Deal with the underlining issues, and the physical issues will then resolve themselves.
We are not doctors. See a nutritionist, a psychologist, and/or your doctor. You should not have to have this much difficulty with food or body image. Everyone, including you, knows that the 600 cal diet is not healthy, especially in combination with your super intense workout. You were not getting the proper nutrition. Sounds like anorexia nervosa to me, but again - I am not a doctor. You didn't mention how tall you are or how much you weigh. Your body very well could need that 12 lbs.
I want to stress to you, that none of us that share this opinion are judging you. We all sincerely care about you and your physical and mental health. I see you are new here and I urge you to come back here often knowing that we will support you. We may have a different screwed up relationship with food and exercise, but since we are overweight we obviously weren't doing it right initially either. We are here to reshape our minds and bodies and become more healthy, just like you.
This sums up exactly what I am thinking. None of us are prepared to answer your questions the way a psychologist, nutritionist, or doctor could, especially since we don't know your medical history, height, weight, etc.
Please stay with us, though, and feel free to vent or ask questions at any time. I wish you the very best of luck with healing and moving forward.
I truly feel for you. I can't imagine only eating a peanut butter sandwich and a monster drink every day for 14 months. 600 calories a day is very little when working out that much. To do this to the point where you end up in the hospital and your hair starts falling out must mean that you were deeply malnurnished. And then to go from 600 cals to over 3000 must have been emotionally and physically stressful.
Losing weight can be great, but health is the most important. And if you are unsure about your nutritionists plan, consider getting a second opinion from another nutritionist. You clearly have eating issues and I really hope you have a good therapist who can work with you.
I don't believe I have an eating disorder, but then again who that actually has an eating disorder believes that they do at first? To answer many peoples questions. I am 25 a Senior getting my degree in psychology, I am 6'1 and when I took the bod posttest that put my body fat percentage at 11, I weighed 214. I am built like a football player and have lifted weights for years to tone, never body building. According to this test I took, which is supposed to be highly accurate I had a mass of fat at 23.94 lbs., and a fat free mass of 190.034. I wanted to get down to 210, but my body would not permit me to, even on 600 calories. So I maintained 216 for the summer.
My motivation and the idea to eat 600 calories and working out as much as I did, came from a girl that I had the miss fortune to fall in love with. I thought that if I wasn't fat or a wale as she liked to call me, she might want me back, so I went off to school and started to eat less and less, and I was encouraged by the weight loss and decided to take it down a little more and more. The girl told me she had a friend who lived years on 600 calories and that it would really give me results if I did that, I so desired to not be what I was that it got a little out of control.
I know that it’s very unhealthy and that my hair is never going to grow back, and I can kiss improving my excess skin problem goodbye if my body is not getting enough food, no matter what supplements I am taking. It just freaks me out, forgive me for sounding weak and I suppose I am. But I am more afraid of slipping up and losing control and reverting back to what I was, then anything on the planet. Most people when they lose weight they gain it back, an affect called yoyo dieting I believe. I can’t be one of them.
Everyone, please be aware that your comments may be taken negatively. Even if you are asking an honest question or kindly stating opinion, it is hard to read tone in typed text.
Springsman (Nicholas) - Please know that we are all here to support you and everyone is speaking from a place of love and concern.
Hi Nicholas. I am sorry that you are going through so much emotional strain. I am glad that you now have a nutritionist! They are probably trying to replenish your body's balance by putting you at a higher caloric intake. I think the weight you're gaining is probably a lot of water weight since it takes water to digest all of that food.
Some of your extra weight very well could be extra skin which will improve with time and proper nutrition. don't obsess over the scale, focus on how you feel instead. Weight loss maintainers do take a while to find their "sweet spot" for maintaining their low weight, you need to give your body time.
As for the girl that you fell in love with - LET HER GO! Noone should ever ever call another person names, that is plain hateful and she will destroy your self image. You deserve love and caring like everyone else.
I hope you can start loving yourself again. Just take some time to enjoy your life, life is too short not to.
Last edited by TiffNeedsChange; 08-31-2012 at 12:46 AM.
If I am reading correctly, your nutritionist has you on 3000 calories temporarily in order to reset you body. But you are gaining weight and are freaking out. I don't blame you for freaking out, but if you are going to a nutritionist associated with a physician, and you trust this person you need to give it a shot. You don't want to be eating only a peanut butter sandwich for the rest of your life in order to maintain your weight loss.
You might gain back a chunk of weight but then the nutritionist will guide you how you can start losing again and eat more than that sandwich. Trust the nutritionist.
You want to be healthy and live a long life. Good luck.
Since your body has depleted its fat and muscle, you've actually destroyed the ratio of fat to muscle in your body. As you eat, the fat stores will build faster than the muscle will, even with the working out. You'll have to gain, unfortunately, to lose again, but next time maintaining a healthy ratio of fat to muscle.
I'm not going to make any suggestions about your diet/exercise as I don't want to give you any poor advice and have some thoughts about your other comments.
You've posted about your concerns about your excess skin. I know from reading posts here that excess skin can get better over a the course of a couple of years. When you have a LOT of it though, I've frankly only heard of surgery to remove that. Sometimes, if you have insurance, if your excess skin is extra troublesome, you can have insurance pay for surgery to remove it. It might be worth looking into if it is really bothering you.
Keep in mind too that you probably really weigh less than you do if you have 20lbs of extra skin.
I hope you'll stick around here. I'm very interested in learning about how everything works out for you.
