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Nutrition help? :]


Aaeolyn
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http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/kaitlynpike/datez.jpg

 

Hello everyone! I'm new here! I went vegetarian 6 years ago, and vegan 2 years ago. I have an eating disorder, but I want to get better and be healthy!

I have always been confused about how much is the right amount to eat. If I eat too much, I gain, and if I eat too little, I lose. So this has always made

me very concerned about how much I should actually eat.

 

I would love if anyone could help me and tell me a good amount of calories I should consume to maintain, and gain more muscle mass.

How often should I spend exercising and weight training? Currently, I am 5'6" and 120 pounds. Thank you guys <3!

 

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Aaeolyn;

 

You look good.

 

First, you will want to learn what you need. Here is a sticky I wrote about introductory vegan nutrition

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13710

 

I went in the other direction from you. I lost 48 lbs and kept if off for a year this coming January. I didn't change any of the foods I eat. I just learned and stuck to portions that worked for me. You need to do the same.

 

I know that recovering eating disorder people don't want to go anywhere near "diet" texts, but if you feel up to it, read "The Hacker's Diet". It will teach you how to keep a food diary and use a scale to help you figure out portions that work for you. You can do that in about 3 weeks and then toss it:

 

http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html

and

http://www.physicsdiet.com

 

This article will also help you deal with the scale, a tool you will need to make friends with for learning portion control:

http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/scale.htm

 

As far as lifting weights goes your best choice is to find a good gym and hire a personal trainer to teach you the basics about using free weights. Barring that I this site has the best books on conditioning I have ever seen. They even have free online videos of how to do the exercises correctly:

http://www.exrx.net/

 

You probably already have, but if you haven't please get professional help for your eating disorder.

 

Welcome to the board!

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Hi Aaeolyn,

it is hard to tell you how many calories you need, because we don't know how much you're active, or what you typically eat, but, to maintain your weight, it should be around 1500-2000 calories, very aproximately. Only you can know precisely what you need. Eat a certain amount of food for a certain period of time, see if you lose, maintain or gain; adjust in consequently.

But ultimately, by trial and mistake, you will know better what you want and need, and you'll arrive to a point where you eat in a more natural way, without having to think about eating or about what and when to eat.

Basically, eat when you're hungry, and stop when you're not hungry

The more the foods you chose are natural, the easiest it is to follow this simple rule. Because as Brendan Brazier said, if you eat food that is deficient, like empty calories, your body keeps asking for more food, because it wants more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc.

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Make sure you eat really healthy foods, & you wont eat more than you need.Eating crap food will just make you want more, so you will eat more, as Im Your Man just said.

 

How many calories you need is hard as we are all different.I always say - eat more than you need, & then burn off the fat with exercise!

 

That way you know you are getting enough food, & you are keeping your heart healthy by exercising.

 

Some people will tell you to eat less, I just think you need to eat as much as you want, but exercise more.

 

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As others above me have said

 

1. Eat when you are hungry, and don't eat when you are full.

2. Eat as healthy as possible, but if there are a few junk foods you like, then don't go crazy removing them from your diet

3. With a real eating disorder, none of us here can truly help you. You should definitely seek professional assistance.

4. You are a cutie!

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Just want to second what beforewisdom said. Keep a food diary and use a scale. Keep track of your macronutrient ratio as well as anything else you're particularly concerned with (e.g. fiber, types of fats, minerals).

 

And don't be afraid to gain a little while you're figuring out the number of calories that's right for you. I know it can be tough to not to stress about few pounds here or there, but you look great, so you have some room to work.

 

1500 to 2000 sounds about right for your frame, depending on level of exercise. The more you work out, the more you can eat, so don't worry so much about what you "should do" right now. Try to find a level you're comfortable at.

 

And welcome to the group!

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Welcome!!! Congrats on taking control of your ED. I've been an "off and on" bulimic for 5 years now, but with the help of a wonderful boyfriend and an equally wonderful therapist, I've finally overcome my ED. I'm not sure how far into your recovery you are. When I was in early recovery, my metabolism was shot and it was really hard for me to gauge my "true" hunger. Tracking your calories can be a very effective tool, but if you are new to recovery, it may not be the best option. If you have a therapist, I would ask them what he/she thinks about tracking your food. For the most part, I would focus on what your body is telling you. Eat as many whole foods as you can and try to make the majority of your diet vegetable based. Like some of the other posters said, it's a trial and error process of knowing how many calories you should be consuming. Most would agree that females should intake at least 1200 cals per day. I would say somewhere in the 1500 range would be good for you. I'm 5'1" and my cals range between 1300-1700 depending on my workouts. Most of all continue to love yourself and know that you are doing the best thing possible for yourself, for all animals and for the environment. Feel free to PM me for samples of my diet. However, there are many people on this site that know much more than I do.

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