cardio vs. weight training to control weight?

[mizlaur123]

I am in recovery from bulimia and am seeing a nutritionist and a therapist. Because i have only been consuming on average from 800-1000 calories a day for the last few years my metabolism is severely messed up. My nutritionist has me eating about 1600 calories a day working up to the 2000 i should be having for my 5'7 frame. But because my body is basically in "starvation mood" i've gained about 12 lbs. in 2 1/2 weeks. This kind gain is very upsetting me being in the recovery process. I work 2 jobs and often dont have enough time to squeeze in a cardio and weight training workout. I was just wondering which type of exercise would be best for me to do while i'm in the process for get my metabloism working again?

 

[mizlaur123]

I would also like to just add how helpful cathe's videos have been to me during my recovery. I used to run up to 8 miles a day and do an hour of weights because i thought that was what i needed to do to keep my weight in check. But, since i've been doing cathe's videos i've realized that im getting the same, if not better, results doing on average one 70 min. workout daily. Thank you, cathe!

 

[cathy with a y]

Hi,


idealy you should do both. Cardio burns a lot of calorie while you are doing it but several studies have proved that building muscle mass will rev up your metabolism and you will burn more calories even at rest. Muscle needs more energy than fat. You should also include flexibility, things like stretching or yoga. Especially Yoga because it is really good for people with body image disorder. And it can help you relax. Which is sometimes really hard when recovering from ED (I know because I have been there). And you may not like what I am about to say but try not to obsess about putting on weight in the beginning of your recovery because that is an Ed way of thinking. What is important is having healthy eating habits and a normal relationship with food. Once you achieve that your body will settle down and you might even loose some of the weight. That's how it went for me. Now I just concentrate on being good to myself.
Good luck. Recovery takes time. Some day you might stumble but what is a day in one life. It's the long run that counts. Don't wallow in failure but celebrate every small victory.

 

[Carmen1956]

Hi,
I read your post with a lot of interest and felt I needed to respond. About 15 years ago, at the age of 35, I was probably in the grips of an eating disorder but did not recognize it as such. I had to learn to eat again. The panic as the pounds can on was unbelievable, but I'm sure you know what I mean. I'm 5'5" and my ideal weight is between 161 and 176 pounds. I have had several body fat percentage tests and they all come up with the same ideal weight range. I have a very heavy bone structure and I put on muscle very easily and I can become very muscular regardless of reps and weight.
I have lost 55 pounds in the last 2 years. I started at 256 pounds.
I had to do a lot of research to find the information I needed to change my body. I have learned that "metabolism" is somewhat of a mystery to most people. Metabolism simply means the rate at which your body uses energy. Since muscle is the big energy user in the body the amount of muscle you have determines the amount of energy you burn. When you say that you have messed up your metabolism, as I did, what you are saying is that you have lost a lot of muscle tissue as a result of extremely low caloric consumption. I have lost most of my weight through the process of regaining my muscle.
Aerobic exercise trains the fat cells to release stored fat. Eating too few calories trains the fat cells to store fat. For a detailed explaination of this process I will refer you to a video program called Fit or Fat in the '90's by Covert Bailey.
Do not worry about gaining weight. The processes that "messed up" your metabolism can be reversed.
Also, I question how anyone can know that 2000 calories is an appropriate amout of calories for a person without knowing how many pounds of muscle that person maintains and how hard those muscles are being worked.
Good luck to you in your recovery.
Carmen

 

[Mikkia]

You may want to post this on the open discussion thread. There are so many smart and informative people that reply. Good luck during your recovery. Remember, it took a while for your body to get this way, it may take a while to heal it. You are not the number on a scale, or a size on a tag. You are a sum of all parts, a part of you is sick, do what ever it takes to heal. I am praying for you.