Yesterday we had our weekly CAMHS weigh-in session and everyone was stunned to find Ben had LOST over a kilo in the past 7 days. So the decision was made to add an extra 100 calories a day to his intake with immediate effect. In the past, such a decision would have freaked him out big-style, but yesterday he accepted the need for extra nutrition without batting an eyelid - together with the psychiatrist's explanation that it could be due to his metabolism speeding up now his body is successfully healing itself from within.
Okay, we all know you can't take a week's weight gain or loss in isolation, but we've been carefully monitoring Ben's weight for the last few weeks to check if his current calorie intake is sufficient. This has also enabled Ben to check his exercising against any weight gain / loss. Significantly, last week he reduced his exercising to a minimum while occasionally going 'over calories' on some days. So the kg weight loss was an extra surprise to him.
Anorexia is notoriously irrational, insisting that 'black is white'. So in the past, 'proof' like this eating /exercise combo would have gone in one ear and out the other. Maybe he would have readily agreed to increase his calorie intake at the CAMHS meeting, but in practice he wouldn't have been able to do it. The anorexia wouldn't have let him.
Now, several months after Ben 'turned a corner', his reaction is completely different and I hope the extra calories will now become the norm.
Also, he knows that if he continues to lose weight on this extra intake, he may need to increase his calories still further.
A sticking point, though, is when I suggested today that we buy 'ordinary cheese' instead of 'reduced fat cheese'. He recoiled at the idea; it was a step too far. Maybe I'll try again in a month or so.
He was also going on about the fat content in something or other so I simply said: "Fats are what have helped to heal your brain so they are here to stay".
And he seemed to accept that. Or at least, he didn't object.
Want information on eating disorders in boys? Worried your son has an eating disorder? What are the signs of eating disorders in boys? In 2009 my 15-year-old son developed anorexia. Now aged 31 and with a MSc in Psychology he is recovered & working in mental health using his experiences to help others. I help to raise awareness of eating disorders in boys, point parents to helpful resources & talk about how eating disorders can traumatise families.
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