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Recovering from anorexia?
I've had symptoms of severe anorexia for a while (never diagnosed, but lost a bunch of weight), and now I need to gain a bunch of weight before my next pediatrician appointment in the summer. Right now I'm 5'5 and 68 lbs and last year I was 92 lbs. I just recently stopped doing 4 hours of cardio exercise every day, about two weeks ago. And I was also on "high restriction" for a few months, eating only 500 calories a day, sometimes less. Last week I was more like 600-800 calories, and yesterday I got up to 1000, maybe a little less. Where should I go from here? Would it be safe to eat more than 1200? And should I continue to increase? (How much?) Any other advice?? I really don't want to go to the hospital. Thanks in advance!
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Maybe give some free advice about: Nutrition?
The fact that you realize you have a problem is a good start. But self-diagnoses and treatment is very bad and dangerous.
You do need to see a doctor for being that much underweight and taking in so few calories you may have done harm to your body that you may not be aware of. One of the reasons the body stores fat is so when on an occasion you do not take in enough calories for the body to maintain itself it makes it up from the stored fat.
An example would be if you normally need 2200 calories in a day but you have a very active week and only take in 1800 calories a day for most of the week. Missing 400 calories one day is no big deal but missing 1,200 to 1,600 calories in a week the body is going to dip into its reserves. If there is no reserves the body will shut down systems it feels it does not need to maintain starting with the system it feels is least important. In a woman it is her reproductive system and you may stop getting periods. If it needs to shut more systems down it continues to shut down in order until only the brain is surviving for that is the primary mission of the body to support brain activity.
Your doctor needs to see if any part of you has been harmed and if so what needs to be done to repair the damage. Next you need to gain wait in a supervised manner. I doubt seriously you will be hospitalized unless you have done serious harm to yourself in which case it is the best thing for you.
Your doctor will probably refer you to a nutritionist who will but you on a specific high calorie diet along with concentrated high calorie formula supplements.
Please listen to what I have written here. I do not wish to scare you but I have watched as a good friend agonized as his daughter died from Anorexia. It is a killer and it is not the type of disease you overcome on your own you need professional help. Please if you are an adult see your doctor immediately. IF you are a minor talk to your parents and have them take you to a doctor immediately.
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