My plan is to continue gaining weight until I reach my bodies natural set point however I will not necessarily know when I have reached my set point. Some people say that once you stop gaining weight on a recovery intake, you have physically recovered however I do not agree with this. For example although I am currently eating atleast 3000 calories, I have not gained any weight in the last 6 days. I do not think that this means I have reached my natural set point however, as I am still technically classified as underweight. Therefore if I still weigh the same amount in the morning (on my wednesday weigh in) I will have to increase my intake once again as this will mean that I have not gained any weight for a whole week.
The truth is, while we may be able to estimate what our set point is by looking at our bone structure and the weight of our parents, there is no way of knowing exactly what our set point may be. This is why I plan to reach a weight that I am confident is healthy and then once I start eating intuitively and not restricting at all, my weight should settle at my natural set point weight. If I slightly overestimate or underestimate my natural set point weight, it doesn't really matter as eventually my weight will settle at my natural set point, as long as I am eating and exercising healthily and not restricting or overeating.
Personally, I think I will know that I have reached a 'healthy weight' when I am able to think more rationally and clearly in regards to eating and my weight (i.e. my anorexic voice will almost be gone). I also think that I will have a normal layer of fat covering my entire body, so none of my bones will stick out unnaturally as some of them still currently do. I have decided to go off the pill that regulates my period (which I have been on since before I ever got anorexia), to see if my body can regularly have a normal period without the use of a contraceptive pill. This will also be another helpful indicator for me about whether or not I am at a healthy weight.
I am already confident that my metabolism has repaired as my weight gain has slowed right down even though I am eating proper recovery amounts. I also no longer experience the effects of starvation that I once had like feeling terribly cold, obsessing over food, feeling weak and lethargic or having a very slow heart rate. While all of these things are great as they show that I am getting healthier, I knoow that Istill am not weight restored nd therefore need to keep gaining weight.
If you think that you may have reached a healthy weight for you but are not sure, I think that it would be sensible to gain an extra kilo or two, just in case. Afterall if you overshoot your natural set point, your weight will drop back down once you start eating 'normally' again. Smilarily, if you continue to gain weight after going off of your weight gain diet, dont start restricting again. This just means that you have most likely stopped gaining weight too early and your body is therefore just finding it's natural set point. I do not think that anyone should stop trying to gain weight before they atleast reach a healthy bmi (between 18.5-24.9).
I guess the main message I am trying to get across in this post, is that you need to learn to trust your body. Please Remember that this is just my opinion on set point and recovery. I am not saying that I am definetely right. If your doctor or another professional hass told you otherwise, please do not take my advice over theirs. For some more information on knowing what your set point is supposed to be, you can visit the recovery warriors website at; https://www.recoverywarriors.com/let-go-of-the-perfect-body-and-trust-your-set-point-weight/
Thank you so much for this Karly! It's so hard to accept, but now at a BMI of 19, my mind is SO much better, I am less obsessed by food and I actually don't care too much about the number I weigh, which is great! I'm still trying to find my healthy set point, so I guess it's just patience and an experiment really! Love Laura xxxxx
ReplyDeleteI love your attitute towards finding your healthy set point Laura. It is because you feel like this way you WILL be able to make a full recovery! <3
DeleteThis is a subject I can relate to. Most people who hear about this disorder simply shrug their shoulders and say if she doesn't want to eat, let her starve. It really is so much more that about the eating, it has to do with the minds inability to separate the food from pain and pleasure. Never judge someone unless you walked a few feet in their shoes.
ReplyDeleteMargaretta Cloutier @ Aspire Wellness Center
No one can know there set point, aiming for a weight within a so called healthy bmi is also incorrect. A persons natural set point maybe bmi 28 or 30, does that mean their unhealthy. Weight overshoot is usually necessary to achieve full remission. This minimum is usually around 10%. But it is often above that.
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