Healthy Weight Gain: Overcoming Eating Disorders and Nutrition Tips - Nutrition

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Hello! Thank you for reaching out and sharing your journey with eating disorders, particularly binge eating and anorexia. It's commendable that you've recognized the need for change and are taking steps towards a healthier lifestyle. Your current weight and height indicate that you are underweight, which can have significant implications for your overall health.
Firstly, it's important to understand that overcoming eating disorders is a complex process that often requires a multi-faceted approach, including psychological support, nutritional guidance, and sometimes medical intervention. Since you've mentioned that you've had recent health checks and everything is normal, that's a positive sign, but it’s crucial to continue monitoring your health as you make changes to your eating habits.

From your description, it seems like you are trying to increase your caloric intake, which is a good step towards healthy weight gain. However, there are several factors to consider to ensure that your approach is both effective and sustainable.

1. Balanced Nutrition: While you are consuming a variety of foods, it’s essential to ensure that your diet is balanced. This means incorporating a mix of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. For instance, while chia seeds and vegetables are great, you might want to include more protein sources, such as lean meats, dairy, legumes, or plant-based proteins, to help build muscle mass and support overall health.

2. Caloric Density: Since you are aiming to gain weight, focus on calorie-dense foods that provide more calories in smaller volumes. Foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, whole grains, and healthy oils (like olive oil) can help you increase your caloric intake without feeling overly full.

3. Regular Meals and Snacks: It seems like you are eating several times a day, which is excellent. However, consider incorporating snacks that are high in calories and nutrients between your meals. For example, nut butter on whole-grain bread, smoothies with protein powder, or yogurt with granola can be effective.

4. Hydration: While staying hydrated is important, be mindful of how much water you drink before and during meals, as it can fill you up and reduce your appetite. It might be beneficial to drink fluids between meals rather than during them.

5. Mindful Eating: Since you have a history of binge eating, practicing mindful eating can help you develop a healthier relationship with food. This involves paying attention to your hunger cues, eating slowly, and savoring your food, which can help prevent overeating.

6. Physical Activity: While walking your dogs is a great way to stay active, consider incorporating strength training exercises into your routine. Building muscle can help increase your weight in a healthy way and improve your overall body composition.

7. Professional Guidance: Given your history with eating disorders, working with a registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders can provide you with personalized guidance and support. They can help you create a meal plan that meets your nutritional needs while addressing your concerns about weight gain.

8. Mental Health Support: Since eating disorders are often linked to emotional and psychological factors, continuing to seek support from a mental health professional can be beneficial. Therapy can help you address underlying issues related to your eating behaviors and improve your overall well-being.

In summary, while you are making commendable efforts to change your eating habits, focusing on balanced nutrition, calorie-dense foods, and mindful eating practices will be key to achieving healthy weight gain. Remember that recovery from eating disorders is a journey, and it’s essential to be patient with yourself as you navigate this process. If you have any further questions or need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Wishing you all the best on your path to health!