Weight Training Questions - I'm Struggling With Anorexia

Weight Training Question:
I have been struggling with anorexia for a few years but it has recently gotten worse. In the past few months, I have reduced my daily calorie intake to only 700 calories a day. I have increased my cardio workouts to 2 hours a day and I have stopped menstruating. I am at the point where I don't feel the need to lose any more weight. I just want to maintain my current weight of around 90 pounds without gaining weight.

I am trying to eat a little more every day, but I gain weight whenever I eat more than 800 calories, even though I continue to exercise daily. According to most nutrition experts, I should be able to maintain my weight on 1200 calories a day. But that does not take into consideration the fact that my metabolism has slowed considerably since I have been restricting calories for so long. My metabolism was slow to begin with, just because of my genetics. How can I increase my caloric intake to a healthy amount without gaining weight in the process? If I gain weight, even if it's only a few pounds, will trigger my anorexic behaviors and encourage me to start restricting again. Thanks for any help you can give!

Weight Training Answer:
I highly recommend contacting a registered dietitian who specializes in anorexia and eating disorders. They will be able to give you the help you need to overcome this terrible disease. I would also recommend contacting a local psychiatrist who specializes in the area of eating disorders also. Most of the time, there is a mindset which really needs to be examined before you can truly get healthy.

In terms of diet, you want to focus on nutrient dense foods which includes lean protein, whole grain carbs and the right kind of fats. You need food to fuel your body and increase your metabolism. The less you eat, the lower your BMR (basal metabolic rate) gets and your body eventually goes into a serious starvation mode where it holds onto fat as much as possible. 1,200 calories a day is the absolute minimum and since you're doing 2 hours of cardio (way too much), you probably need at least 1500 calories a day. You should really get monitored by professionals who can help with your current condition. With the right type of monitoring and positive psychological therapy, you can overcome this disease and live a healthy life.

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