Gaining water weight

It is incredibely important that people who are in the early stages of recovery realise that any rapid weight gain is primarily due to water weight (edema) and is not true weight gain. Edema is an anorexics worst nightmare, especially early on in recovery as for an anorexic at thi time weight gain is the scariest thing in the world. So many anorexics become terrified by the rapid 'weight gain' and therefore either start restricting again or fail to increase ther intake to a proper recovery amount. 

Please try your hardest to push through the anxiety and fear associated with water retention and continue on your recovery journeys as otherwise you will be creating many future problems for yourself. Even if you manage to regain weight on a lower calorie intake, your metabolism will not repair and neither will the rest of your body. You may think that you are some kind of exception and that you do not need to eat as much but you honestly do, in order to make a successful recovery. 

I know how scary it can seem when your body swells and you gain weight at an incredbely fast rate but you just need to keep reminding yourself that it is not real body weight. And that the edema will pass and your weight gain will eventually slow down. In order to make a full recovery, weight gain really is necessary but atleast after the edema subsides, this weight gain will happen at a more barable weight. 

I found the following information on the your eatopia site and thought it may be helpful to those struggling with rapid weight gain due to edema at the moment.

'Water retention. Massive water retention. Water retention that hurts. Water retention that aches. Water retention that makes you look pregnant. Water retention that looks like it might be real weight. Water retention that adds 16 lbs. or more on the scale after only 2-3 days of eating recovery guideline amounts of food. Water retention that scares you. Water retention that sends you scurrying back into full-blown relapse.'

Why Does Edema Happen in Recovery?

When you twist your ankle badly it swells up and it hurts. These are symptoms of healing. The swelling is water retention and the pain is the reaction of the tissues to that swelling that signals you to stay off the ankle and rest.

The water retention in recovery is fluid being retained in areas where a whole mess of damage is being cleaned up and removed by all those fabulous cells dedicated to the task. The fluid actually speeds up the process because things travel faster in and out that way.

Think of it as your own personal City of Venice and all the damaged, overworked, cells that have been on shift for months (because restriction means no back-up cells are available to takeover) are now hopping on the gondola and heading out for retirement (finally).

And the sore is the body's way of trying to keep you immobile—it’s a bit harder for the gondolas to do their job if you either flush all the water away with diuretics or you decide to ignore the pain and slosh everything all over the place instead.

Sore is the signal to rest.

That swelling is a badge of healing honor.

You do not want to try to make the water retention go away because with it will go the healing process as well.

Tips To Manage Edema

The first thing to accept is that the body needs you to rest. You have to chill. Relax.

Ideally spend most of your time sitting with your feet up, lounging or lying down.

Eat a lot. Snack constantly. The more energy you provide, the faster those gondolas move nutrients into the area for repairs and damaged cells away from the area as well.

Put nothing on that doesn’t have elastic and lycra. Stretchy and floaty clothes are your best friends.

Don’t use diuretics. Ever. If the swelling is very painful and you still have things you have to do, then (with a doctor’s o.k.) consider compression socks, hose and garments to ease the pain while still allowing the healing to continue.

Nap and sleep as much as you possibly can.

Donate your clothes. Never try on clothes that once fit you. There are several really good reasons for that. First of all, if they fit then you are not recovering. Secondly, if they don’t fit you will get upset despite the fact that it is a clear indicator you are recovering. Thirdly, only weighing yourself or measuring your dimensions is worse than trying on old clothes when it comes to handing a relapse on a silver platter to the eating disorder.

Remember how I mentioned that you to get rid of the scales and the tape measure? Well, it’s worth repeating. Do not weigh yourself or measure yourself. If you are being supported through recovery with a treatment team, then make it very clear you want blind weigh-ins—that means that you do not face the scales and only your treatment team is aware of exact progress.

Use this time to journal. Investigate all the aspects of yourself that have gone by the wayside, or perhaps never even had a chance to flourish.

Have regular massage therapy sessions as they are especially useful for easing some of the edema-related pain while not interfering with the healing progression. Furthermore, massage therapy is clinically proven to help those with restrictive eating disorders have less anxiety about body image, weight gain and food intake and less desire to practice restrictive behaviors when the anxiety strikes as well.

If you do experience mini-relapses throughout recovery, and almost everyone does, then be prepared for a few rebound days of water retention—obviously restriction causes damage and the body has to fix it. But you will return to where you were in your recovery process within a few days of getting back onto your recommended food intake guidelines*.

The edema will end. The water, bloating and swelling will all dissipate. Of course it won’t mark the end of the recovery process, but it does mark the end of Phase One.  

*Minimum Recommended Intake Guidelines for Recovery:

a) Females under the age of 25: 3000 calories and sedentary.

b) Females 5’0”-5’8” over the age of 25: 2500 calories and sedentary.

c) Males under the age of 25: 3500 calories and sedentary.

d) Males over the age of 25: 3000 calories and sedentary.

e) Females over 5’8” over age 25: 2700 calories; under age 25: 3200 calories.

f) Females over age 25 and under 5’0” as well as post-menopausal women can lower the minimum intake to 2300, but more is always better.