My answer to these types of questions and wanting advice, is that it is not a good idea to go on a diet or try to lose weight after an eating disorder. Though it is very individual. For example if someone has been fully recovered for 5 years but then ends up gainined say 8-10kg due to stress eating or emotional eating, and feels that those extra 8kg arent helpful or beneficial in anyway, but that it would be healthier to lose those kilo and return to their healthy set point which they maintained for all those years. If the person then feels mentally healthy enough and knows that the weightloss wont trigger them into wanting to lose more weight.
However if a person who has been 'recovered' for 6 months and feels that their BMI of 20 is too high and they want to lose a few kilo so that they are back to BMI 18, then i dont recommend weightloss. Then it is just because the person isnt comfortable or adjusted to their new body. It takes time to adjust, love and accept your new body after gaining weight. For me it took roughly 2 years to actually love my legs for how they looked and what they could do after reacing my healthy weight.... i could have decided after 4 months that i hated my legs, wanted them smaller and then tried to lose 8kg, but that wouldnt have been beneficial to me or helped me in anyway... it would have just made my legs smaller but i am pretty sure i wouldnt even have liked my legs then anyway. I have learnt to love how my legs look from self acceptance and a daily dose of body love and accepting my body for what it can do and just the fact that i have a capable body and legs. Losing weight wont make you feel more confident or happier, unless it is due to a fast/unwanted weightgain that puts you way past your maintenance or healthy set point, then the weightloss which brings you back to your healthy set point can make you feel more confident and more like yourself again.
But trying to lose just a few kilo when you are already at a low weight wont make you feel happier or more confident, and it will most likely trigger eating disorder thoughts and striving for even more weightloss. The best thing is to accept and love your body and not think that you will feel better just by losing weight, because that isnt the case.
The important thing to ask yourself is WHY you feel you need to lose weight? Because you feel you are too big, or because you think you need to lose weight? Ask yourself if 3kg weightloss will actually be 3kg weightloss? And what would that weightloss actually contribute to you, whether it would be beneficial to you in anyway or just because you think you will feel better? Is eating less, feeling hungry really worth it if you dont even need to lose weight?
That feeling that you are too big, or you want to lose belly rolls or love handles or chubby cheeks etc those wont go away just because you lose weight, instead you will just end up focusing on something else you hate about your body and never be satisfied. The best thing to do is accept and love and realise that unless weightloss is actually needed for certain reasons, it wont always help you feel more confident or better in yourself if the problem is on the inside.
I.e weightloss wont take away the fact that you hate yourself or hate your appearance, those things go away from Self love, not even more self hate. You cant change your body when it is your thoughts that need to change.
And when it comes to diets and following diets i have written about it HERE , and also about the diets i have tried and why and what my opinion on them was.
So, if you think you need to lose weight ask yourself if you actually do? Or whether you are just trying to change your body when in actuality it is your thoughts you need to change?
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