Starting to gain weight

[bongodrums]

my nutritionist's brief has been to maintain my weight for the last month or so, up unitil now.
i've literally just had my first shake this evening to help me start gain weight again
afterwards i watched a really triggering programme on television and now my heads
just in a giant rush! i did something i've never really done before which is run up and down my stairs ******** times, and i live in a v.tall house.

i have quite a few anxieties about the whole thing and i'm just wondering
how did you cope with the changes in your body at first?
and how long did it take for you to notice changes? did people make comments etc?
and what kind of problems you had? etc..

[starforty]

Hang in there. I know it's hard at first. It is SOOO great that you are identifying that you need to gain, and are trying.

I'm not at a going point myself (currently), so it's hard to give advice....but when I did start to gain a while back, I took my mirror away and had my husband hide the scale. It's so hard at first, but you have to take it one day at time.

People probably will be happy for you once you start to gain. If they say anything (which they might not), you'll probably and hopefully hear that you are looking better, you look healthy, etc. In my experience, my friends and family knew that I was at a point where I was unhealthy - and they knew I had a problem (even if they didn't say anything) and they were truely happy to see me gain.

Do you have friends/family that know and who can be of support to you as you gain. Do you have a counselor? Maybe it might be helpful to have someone to support you in a different capacity than your nutritionist can. Just a thought.

Hang in there and take it one day at a time. :) You'll get there, for sure!:gimmehug

[rachelann]

Gaining is never easy when you’ve suffered an Ed but YOU CAN DO IT!

I know it was sooo scary for me as well when I first started to put on the pounds but after awhile it just felt right.

Keep caring on, you are strong and you can fight this!

[nikki_d]

I am in the same situation at the moment, and so I guess I cannot say much more than yes, I know it is scary. However, I have been here before and I found it got easier. LIke someone else wrote, taking away the scales is a massive thing and not looking in mirrors all the time. Taking control over my eating is also important rather than just being like, well now I can eat anything which will just put me into panic mode and I will eat too much than I can cope with. Having people to talk it through with is good I think, eating with someone who can support you, planning in advance what I can eat for the day at least in the initial stages, and writing down lots of reminders of why I am doing this, how much I feel better for it as well as putting down the panic, lots of affirmations etc. Also, like starforty said, I think people can sometimes say things which the ED can interpret in a negative way - such as 'you look good' meaning you must look fat, so anticipate that and try to accept that they don't mean that. Or if you are like me and feel secure in it, I say to them ' that's what that sounds like to me' at which they tend to be more reassuring and qualify it in a helpful way.
I am not sure if this is helpful behaviour that I have put down here but it seems to help me. I hope it is useful.
I guess too to keep posting on here and congratulate yourself on doing this. Also, to look after yourself and treat yourself in non food ways is good too.
Good luck
Nikki

[dchapg]

I also struggle with the concerns of wondering what it will be like once the weight gain is visible. I already know that even without weight gain, people have made comments simply because as I am eating more, I have more color in my face, more energy, and seem happier. However, it can be really hard because I am hypersensitive to any comments and interpret everything as "you look bigger." One thing I have done is to tell friends about this concern and ask them not to comment on how I look. I definitely do have increased anxiety when I have to see people I have not seen in awhile and wonder what they will say. But I am trying to remember that "better" does not equal "fat!" I agree it i so hard and it is reassuring to hear that others have the same fears but also that it can get better (thank you rachelann).