need help with past eating issues

[buckley]

Hi,

 

I need help........when i wa syounger i had an eating disorder , when i finally got better ( eating properly etc again) i put alot of weight back on as my metablosim was stuffed up, i mean alot of weight....

 

anyways as i have major issues with being fat i want to know how u loose weight healthily....

 

as in is it that i need to burn off more calories that i have in a day?

 

or is it that i just need to eat like for example no more then 1700 calories a day?

 

or is it that i need to eat little amounts of calories ie 1700 and exercise daily????

 

can someone help me understand what it is u HAVE to do to loose weight?

 

or is it just cut fat foods out or what????

 

please help me know

. i want to do this right, n im too scaredto ask ppl as they get all concerened again that im worried about my weight etc

 

so pls help me i wanna do this right

thanks

[thePuma]

To lose weight you have to eat less calories than you expend on a regular day AND exercise.

 

But not just any type of exercise. For example, push-ups and sit-ups are not useful to lose weight because you do them for only a minute or so and then you're tired. In these exercises that last for a short period of time, your body burns mainly sugar. That's the purpose of sugar, to provide instant energy for short periods of time.

 

To lose fat, you need exercises that last for longer periods of time, ideally, nothing less than 20-30 minutes. Exercises like walking or jogging or a mix of both are great to start losing weight. These keep your heart beat above 100 beats per minute, and it is the only way to lose weight.

 

To summarize, you can eat less, avoid sugars and fat foods but you will not burn any fat unless you exercise for long periods of time. That's just the way our body works. The fat in our body is used to generate energy for long activities, if we don't exercise, our body doesn't touch the fat.

 

In fact, long lasting exercises are so important that you can lose weight even without changing your eating habits, but of course, eating healthily helps to stay healthy.

[RayKay]

Congratulations on working through an eating disorder...I had anorexia when younger and it was a very tough struggle to overcome. And yes, because your body is in starvation mode still, so you can gain weight quickly...and store fat.

 

However, I am happy to report today I am lean, toned, strong and healthy.

 

I would advise that given your history, you look at seeing a nutritionist and a personal trainer to get you started. Because you will have to eat ENOUGH calories too, and the right KINDS of food. And because they can help you find a good plan, and perhaps your family and friends will be more supportive if you are going about it the right way.

 

Limit sugars, salt, refined carbs (white bread) and eat more veggies, whole grain carbs (important for activity!), fruit, lean meats and low fat dairy products (skim milk, yogurt, etc). But ensure you eat enough. As a growing female and depending on your activity level you could need anywhere from 1700 to 2000 calories a day for maintenance alone. But a nutritionist will be best able to help you in this area.

 

If you are not too physically active yet, start off with 20-30 minutes cardio 3-4 times a week and over time build up time and speed/distance. Try running, cycling, elliptical, swimming. In fact, mix it up if you can, it keeps your body on it's toes. If you find something you love, then focus more on that but mix it up now and then. For example, I am a competitive cyclist, so 75% of my cardio stuff is on the bike, but I also run the other 25% or so.

 

Add some weight training...you will NOT get bulky as a female which is what many women fear and is what keeps them away from weights. You WILL build lean, toned muscle, which will define and refine your body, give you strength, boost your metabolism to burn fat. And trust me, you will LOVE having some lean muscle, it looks great It will make you tight in all those places you want. You can find some pretty affordable gym memberships and maybe see a personal trainer a couple times to get you started, and do some research.

 

I also like to do yoga in addition to all the above, you can also look at pilates. I prefer yoga (as I already do some core stuff) though as it helps your mental state too...and keeps you flexible, loose and prevents injury. But it also balances your "head" which is nice. It also helps with body image according to recent studies.

 

It will take time, results won't happen overnight, but you will see change. And if your parents/family get on you, tell them exactly what you are doing, why you are doing it, show them your meal plans, be open about it all and show them you are really doing it right

 

And learn...not to weigh yourself. Go by how you FEEL. Muscle weighs more than fat, so weight can be deceptive if you are building muscle too...just learn to love what you have, it takes time, but you'll get there.

[buckley]

congrats to u also raykay, its a tough thing to get thru hey......thanks guys laso for being non judgemental

[buckley]

wow,

 

thankyou so much guys for your advice, was great.

 

Raykay i agree completely, i am lucky in the sense that my ex ( have posted in previous posts about hehe) is now a qualified personal trainer and has ALWAYS been VERY supportive to me in all areas esp my past eating disorder and has offered to do me up a plan n ersonal train me, we had our first session today n i loved it!

 

he also told me i should do some weights n that even tho im scared would bulk me up that they wouldnt, n he started me on boxing which was alot of fun.

 

i started yoga a month ago so i still do that 3 times a week n im going to be startin tai chi 3 times a week in the mornings as of next week....

 

along side this i have been goin to the gym 3 - 4 times a day for past 3 weeks for atleats n hour so hopefully im on rightrack, n of course eating healthy.....

 

thanks so much for the help guys n inspiration