Wow, y'all are fantastic. Thanks so much to the feedback on my last post. I was about 99% sure I wasn't going to even get the prescription filled, but now I'm about 85% sure that I will take the Pred . . . with a lot less anxiety now. All of the feedback was very appreciated.
I thought I should explain a bit more about my anxiety over the weight gain, too. If it's just water weight and will go away, I can handle that. I'm slightly worried about discomfort while traveling, but I imagine I'll survive. It's not like the parrots and monkeys care if I'm a little bloated, right? And, as one person pointed out, having my appetite boosted a bit may not be a bad thing as I'm heading into an environment in which I slip into restrictive mode way too easily.
A few people brought up the fact that the general equation for weight gain is 3500 calories/pound. I know that, but I think my worry is that in my experience the rule doesn't really hold, for me at least. There have been some points in my weight restoration at which I was gaining weight exactly at the predicted rate, using that statistic. But bodies don't work in a uniform fashion. Interestingly, one study I found suggests it takes more calories for an "anorectic restrictor" to gain a pound than an "anorectic bulimic", during recovery...but what is the definition of an anorectic bulimic? Someone with exercise bulimia/anorexia athletica? If not, then how do those cases fit in? More research please! I didn't link to the study because of all the discussion of daily intake rates, wasn't sure if it would trigger some readers). Not to make this triggering or anxiety inducing for anyone, because just for the record, in my personal experience, for what that's worth, I have *never* gained weight faster (ie on less than the standard 3500 calorie rule) than I "should" have.
There have been plenty of times I gained it much more slowly, though. As evidenced by my recent post about constant hunger, my body seems to like to go into hypermetabolic mode when it is bouncing back. A few months ago I returned from a trip after not doing so well, foodwise, while away, and getting back on my meal plan essentially doubled my daily caloric intake. And....I lost weight the first week!
And as a rule during my weight restoration, I'll gain for a while, hit a plateau, and not budge above that (usually happens about every 5 pounds) until I make an additional significant change in intake or exercise. So much for the "X grapes adds up to Y pounds over the course of a year" theory: weight gain isn't infinite, bodies like balance! I know I've discussed this before, so I guess I'll stop rambling about it.
There have also been times when I haven't lost as much as might have been predicted by the book, which I would hypothesize was caused by some form of metabolic compensation.
So all of that should be comforting, but it has also made me distrust the rules about gain/loss being purely calorie in or calorie out. And I hate taking any medication, whether I suspect it will change my weight or not, just because I hate feeling like something is altering the way my body works in a way I can't control. Scary!
In other news, my Bottomless Pit Syndrome has abated somewhat over the past couple of days. I hate that stage where I am famished less than an hour after finishing a high-volume and calorically compliant meal. It is such a weird sensation to be physically uncomfortable because I am so full, and to really not have an appetite, but to still have hunger pains. Just haywire.
I am less than 48 hours from leaving for my trip! Hasn't sunk in yet. At this point it's pretty routine for me, though, the only thing that changes each time are my traveling companions.
Speaking of companions, this separation from Match (for those of you who don't know, he had to move 600 miles away last fall for grad school and I only see him one weekend a month) has been the hardest yet, on both of us. I am so glad that my boyfriend is also the best friend I've ever had, but it makes it doubly hard when I have to be away from him. I am fiercely independent and progressive and capable and all that, don't get me wrong. I know I don't need the boy, but I want him, damnit. I sad.
I hope everyone's weekend is off to a great start, love y'all.
5 comments:
Sorry you're missing Match! I used to live 400 miles from my boyfriend so I can relate a bit. It's always tough. At least it stops you from ever beginning to take each other for granted though!
The calories in/out thing is a great mystery ;) it certainly takes far more than 3500/lb for many restrictive anorexics. I gained right on target throughout most of my weight restoration, but now I'm maintaining on nearly the same number, and I've been weight restored for eighteen months or so. Not that I'm complaining about having a high metabolism! That's a strange fact about anorexics with bulimic features or purging anorexics - I've always found the opposite, all the purging anorexics I knew needed more than me to gain. Maybe it's different again between people who purge a LOT (and so have more damage to their digestive system/more absorption problems = more calories needed) and anorexics who binge and purge infrequently? I know when I used to binge and restrict I needed fewer calories to gain than when I was just restrictive, but by the same token my friends who binged and purged a lot needed more than I did. Random theory there :P
If it is any comfort, I used to take quetiapine, which can and often does cause weight gain, not simply by increasing appetite but by doing something odd to metabolisms too (it can't just be the appetite thing, since people on atypical antipsychotics sometimes develop diabetes in a far shorter time period expected than if it were caused by their diet). My metabolism is perfectly fine and speedy now, so although prednisone is an entirely different drug, I should think any even remotely possible side effects on your metabolism would be very short lived. Again, purely anecdotal, but bodies are very good at bouncing back.
Yea, weight can be weird sometiems..
And what you were saying about different kinds of anorexia.. I am pretty sure that I have definitely had athletica anorexia or whatever. I used to not allow myself to eat unless I had run at least 4 miles previously.. psycho, huh?
Anyway, my metabolism is really high, and so I need a lot of calories to gain weight, but sometimes it's hard for me to admit this to myself..
Anyway, I am glad that you're less anxious about the meds now! I'm sure they'll be fine :)
<3 Haley
I haven't met a person with an eating disorder who doesn't believe that the rules simply don't apply to them! And yet they do. Even the 3500 kcals to gain a pound fact.
Breathe deeply, and trust your body. Prednisone or not, you will get the signals--you just need to listen to them ; )
And for the record, I too have been on Prednisone and have survived without a weight increase.
You'll be just fine!
have a great, productive trip.
i hate taking medicine too, yet, it sounds better than skin infections and irritated nerves. glad it's a short-term dose. of course, at times in my life, i might have picked nerve pain over any tiny chance of potential short-term weight gain
i don't know about the whole 3500 calories per pound thing. it's never seemed to have equated for me, but who knows.
hope everything goes smoothly on your trip
Sorry I'm just getting caught up with this! Anyway, sometimes I think you have to separate your superior intellect and scientific self and accept that not every rule applies to every situation. We all think we're the exception to whatever rule applies, but to be honest, we're not special.
Well, actually we are special, in that we've put our bodies through more shit than most other people, so we do require a special amount of calories and rest--more than others. Regardless of what some equation tells you, if you're hungry or if you're feeling drained, it's a sign you need more--rest or calories.
Your body doesn't know those dimes or pennies--and extra 100 calories here or there--but only the big things over the long term. Any sort of restrictive trauma will put it into auto defense mode and distrust that you know what you're doing--you know this. It takes a steady streak of healthy behavior and minimal activity for real "change" to take place.
As hard as it is to let go of the "logic" of numbers and not go by the "book," as the story is different for everyone. Even if you did gain 5 lbs in a week, quite impossible, it would be better than losing 5, being weak and not completing your research to the best of your abilities. Right?
Post a Comment