Screwed up metabolism and hormones permanently?

[youaremysunshine]

Hi guys. I'm wondering if any of you have any advice for me regarding my weight issues. I'm 5'5 and from the time I was a teenager I have pretty much weighed 125 pounds without trying. I never exercised and have always worked in bakeries. I loved cooking and eating, Especialy carbs.

 

Stupidly, I hated my body. Last winter when I was 21 I started compulsively calorie counting and exercising for hours at a time. This was a way to distract from other issues in my life at the time. I got down to 110 pounds, not even that low but my hair started falling out and I lost my period.

 

It was not sustainable ans I fell into a binge/purge cycle, often binging at my night job on things like raw bread dough just to punish myself then vomiting. It was a dark time.

 

I stopped purging and my weight shot up to

155 rapidly, leaving me with strech marks everywhere and one breast much larger than the other.

 

I'm doing much better now. I work days at community cente. I'm less stressed and sleep more.I do not overeat, I stop when I'm full. I eat lots of fresh veggies, brown rice and my main source of protein is beans. I drink rarely these days. I don't feel deprived because I like those things. I don't beat myself up though if I eat something bad though.

 

I walk to and from work (I am on my feet all day) and I swim occasionally but I can't work out seriously without getting over emotional and stressed about things. I also know calorie counting will lead to me becoming obessed again.

 

A year and a half later, I still weigh 150 despite eating better than I have ever had in my life. My period has also not returned. I want to lose weight but I'm scared I will fall into that trap again and screw up my body even more. I feel as though I am finally at peace and food is not main focus of my life.

 

 

Have a permantly screwed up my weight?

[youaremysunshine]

Also worth noting is that my mother has never exercised a day in her life and is also a cook and she has never weighed over 110 pounds at 5'6 My twin brother is 120 at 6 foot despite living off candy to the exclusion on other foods. Sadly he is dealing with stomach problems related to that.

 

Everyone in my family always teased me about my big butt and praised me for losing weight. I look at pictures I used to hate and I would KILL for that body now! Oh and I am remembering how boys never minded the big butt!

[thefooloftheyear]

I would make an appointment with an endocrinologist and have everything tested, but quite frankly you are young and I wouldnt be surprised if everything eventually settles back down....

 

People do go through physical changes during the course of their lives..So its entirely possible that this is the "new" you. But get everything checked out just to be on the safe side. You can eventually tailor your diet and exercise regimen to get what you want..

 

TFY

[youaremysunshine]

I have been seeing a reproductive endo. He says I have poly cystic ovaries but my hormone levels are fine so I don't have poly cystic ovary syndrome.

 

I should face the fact that I will have to deit and spend time and money on cardio. I'm just scared that I will fall into the crazy downward spiral I did last time.

[hppr]

I would get some blood workup first if you haven't done it yet and ask to see the actual numbers for your hormones. Example, Male testosterone is 1000+ when we're young and 200 when we're 80 years old, however if you are say, 500 at age 20, they will tell you it's in the 'normal range' when in fact that its 40 year old man numbers. So don't take the doctor's word about it being normal. It could be that you have a hormonal imbalance of sorts which is why you have been missing your period and experienced a 40% weight gain.

 

As for height and weight it sounds to me like you could stand to lose probably 20-30lbs and I bet once you get the above blood work done and start exercising a bit more you will begin to lose weight steadily until you get back to around 130ish as before.

[hppr]

I'm just scared that I will fall into the crazy downward spiral I did last time.

 

Don't be scared just get your actual numbers there are places that do blood workup only, ask around for one. Bodybuilding forums know of places that do blood workups because they use them for steroid use, ie to get a baseline of what their hormones are like.

 

After that it's just slow but steady, nothing drastic, just make a habit of a good jog every day, eating healthy, and going to the gym 2-3 times a week and you will slowly but surely lose the weight. If anything that is probably all you need to do and your body will probably stabilize on its own. However I would still get a full blood workup and ask to see the results.