[Vicissitude]

Hello everyone.

I am a male in his mid-twenties suffering from AN. Now, the thing is I developed this from dieting down hard, going from quite overweight (not obese) to a normal weight, where I have stayed for about six months. All in all I cut out roughly a third of my body weight during the process, while strength training like a madman.

I realized I had an ED after christmas when I experienced my first binge. I went to see a therapist and got to meet a dietician as well. The thing is, they were quite useless since they were not specialists, and since I have a normal weight I wasn't allowed to see specialists either. I did learn a bit about how to approach recovery from a mentality point of view, however.

The thing is, what about the physical side? An has made me do rather extreme things; it is (hopefully was) not uncommon for me to starve myself for days on end, sustaining myself purely on sugar-free energy drinks, nicotine and rather often alcohol... I've spent weeks drunk and famished. The thing is, should I strive just to maintain, or should I up my intake some in order to allow my body to recover? Should I experience the common symptoms from re-feeding (which I think I do)? Digestion issues (slow, erratic), extreme hunger, bloating, waking up in the middle of the night sweating and ravenous, etc.

There isn't a lot of information on the webs about what a normal weight AN (technically ED-NOS I guess) sufferer should do, so any input would be greatly appreciated!

[eskielover]

I would say you need to eat a lot more healthy diet than sugar-free (filled with sucralose that is a killer) energy drinks, nicotine (hard on the heart & lungs & asking for cancer), & alcohol.....definitely asking for liver problems.

You should eat healthy foods that will neither increase nor decrease your weight but let it settle into it's set point at a good healthy weight & you will also be healthy, not with all that crap you are putting into your body that you wrote here

[Skeezyks]

Hello Vicissitude: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

I don't really know as I have much of anything to offer here. I keep my weight down toward the bottom of the normal BMI range for my height, gender & age. I weigh myself every morning. (I'd rather know I need to lose 1 pound than to suddenly realize I need to lose 5 or 6 or so!)

I don't snack. I eat whole grain cereal & fruit for breakfast, no lunch typically, but then a normal dinner. Sometimes I have some fruit or a dessert item during the evening (because I have a sweet tooth.) I rarely eat out at restaurants or eat prepared foods. If I notice I'm starting to gain weight, I cut back a bit for a day or two until I get back down where I want to be. This regimen works for me.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. There are many knowledgeable & caring members here. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!

[eskielover]

What Skeezyks said is how I do it now too.

After having 2 really bad times with anorexia that both landed me in & out of the medical hospital having to have IV nutrition through a central line.

Living alone I'm very careful with eating while still keeping very active but don't want to be home alone & pass out like I used to when the ED was bad.

[LaDauphine]

I know how lost you feel! I've suffered from an ED for years (I'm in my thirties now) and although I was obviously underweight during certain periods, ATM I'm a "normal" weight. Although in comparison to some at my height (5'10'') I'm on the thinner side. But I'm still not thin if you know what I mean. It's tough because we suffer, but it's not obvious what we suffer from. I feel as though I'm not truly anorexic because you can't see bones.

I think you should absorb the costs and speak to a nutritionist. An actual specialist. I'm worried if you try to gain control over food yourself you'll repeat the cycle.
Good luck to you!

[AlittleUnsteady]

The DSM 5 has taken away EDNOS. There is now OSFED(Otherwise Specified Feeding Eating Disorders) and OUFED(Otherwise Unspecified Feeding Eating Disorders). These are the new EDNOS. I guess the purpose was to specify more between the disoders to get more insurance coverage for these conditions.

You can now be Anorexic, while not being underweight. This is called Atypical Anorexia. This is just as serious as anorexia because starvation still affects your internal organs, no matter your size. People die from this regardless of size.

There is also now Orthorexia, which is an obsession over being "Healthy". Like obsessing over eating healthy and obsession over excercise. I am not a professional. I just know more about certain Eating Disorders, especially Atypical Anorexia, because I have been diagnosed with that. It is best to find a specialist who specializes in Eating Disorders. Dieticians who don't specialize in eating disorders aren't necessarily helpful. Now-a-days they are taught from societies standards that aren't all accurate when it comes to things about "healthy". That is actually something I was told from another dietician.

I hope that this information is somewhat helpful and that you are able to find some help.

[boydisappearing]

I'm a 33 year old male, and I've been struggling with anorexia for 11 years. I have been emaciated a few times over those 11 years, I've been overweight a few times over those 11 years, but most of the time I've just been average. But despite being average weight all of the yo-yoing and restricting my food intake has done permanent damage - I have osteoporosis. You can absolutely experience refeeding symptoms at a normal weight. I would second the recommendations here to find a nutritionist who can help you learn what you need to eat - I would also recommend you find a nutritionist who has experience with eating disorders, because they would know how to help you with the unique struggles people with eating disorders experience. Meal plans tailored specifically to my recovery helped me the most, and now that I know what my specific body needs, when I start struggling I can put myself back on my recovery meal plan.

[Starving2death]

Ms. Lizette I hope you're doing better now. I know how bad it gets with this killer disease. This is no joke. I've lived with anorexia for 30 years. In the beginning it wasn't so bad. As I've progressed thru the years I've become extremely good at losing weight. Right now I'm very thin and my brain has been adversely effected. My depression is roaring now. The anorexia is beyond killing me. I have no ability to stop this. None, and I've been thru treatment several times all for nothing. I just don't want to lose this ability to lose weight. Obviously I'm my own worst enemy.

I was so sorry when I read your post. I want to be able to help you but I know I can't.
If I can't help myself I can't help anyone. You know yourself very well and I think that will help you to recover. I'd love to see someone recover from this mess. It'd be such an inspiration!

[Purple,Violet,Blue]

It is a mess, Starving2death. And I hope everyone on this thread is doing OK.

Hopefully, those who need it are back in therapy.

The good news is, the spell AN has cast over you can be broken. Not in 5 years, not in 20 years, but right now.

It's one of the few positive things about ED's... unlike some afflictions and diseases, AN starts and ends in our own minds.

What you've created, you can also destroy.

To the original poster... in my experience, the food you eat after you've 'woken up' doesn't really matter. It's not about the food. It's about the mindset.

We tell ourselves it's too complex, that we can't deal with a normal eating routine. But, in truth, we know what a healthy-ish diet looks like.

Just keep going forward. You'll be amazed how quickly the thoughts about food start to fade. That's because you're NOT HUNGRY.

Lots of love to everyone.