Weight Loss after an Eating disorder?
I’ve struggled with my weight since I was a teen. Periods of binging/restricting lead me to be quite overweight and uncomfortable. A while ago I weighed 180 (I am 5’6, F, in my late 20’s). I finally took my weight loss and health seriously and gave myself a goal of 145. Remarkably, I reached it, and was quite happy. And then things took a turn.
A combination of sudden traumatic events in my life, in tandem with a growing obsession with my newfound weight loss, spiraled me into a restrictive eating disorder. My goal weight shifted lower and lower, until I lost a considerable amount more weight (I don’t wish to share the number). I am grateful that my dr. noticed and intervened. I was diagnosed with anorexia, began working with an ED dietician, and have since recovered.
Here’s the current story. I’m now around 165-170lbs (don’t know the exact number) and am struggling with the effects of extra weight on my body. I am lethargic, my back and hip pain has returned daily, and I feel sick quite often. I’ve been over-eating, constantly snacking, all on foods I don't even want, and my confidence has plummeted. I do not want to continue feeling this way, nor do I have any interest (I mean this) in living a restrictive lifestyle/being at my lowest weight again. I did not feel physically well there, either.
During recovery I got rid of my scale (I don't really want to bring another one into my home) and learned to no longer use measuring cups/scales, and practiced not paying attention to/counting calories.
But I fear that if I continue to gain at the rate that I am, I’m just going to either plummet back into a restrictive ED in response, or end up with the adverse health effects of obesity. The problem is, when I was losing weight, the only way I really did it was through tracking CICO which I did by measuring foods!
While I don’t have a goal weight, I think I felt fairly healthy/happy around the 140’s, and I definitely don’t want to go below 130. I have check-ins at my dr from time to time that include routine bloodwork, so she's pretty on top of this and would tell me if she felt I was going in a bad direction. I’m not afraid to be honest with her.
I’m not looking for medical advice…rather, if anyone has any life experience regarding this topic and willing to share, I would appreciate it. For those who have a history of an ED and ended up in a body that they felt physically unwell in, how did you handle it? Were you able to lose weight without ending up with an ED again? Were you able to lose weight without tracking calories, w/o using measuring tools, etc.? Really any sort of insight from those who understand, I would appreciate it. Thank you.