Weakness and hunger after weight loss.

Question
About 1.5 years ago I decided to lose some weight, I was 255 at the time, I am 5'9.5?22yo male.  Before this I payed no attention to what I ate and no attention to my weight.   I did this first by just eating less, I never counted calories and just ate what seemed like a decent amount.  I did this for about a year and got down to around 165lb.  At this point I decided to start lifting some weights, just to build some muscle.  During this time though of learning about weight lifting and nutrition I was flooded with information, and seemingly some of it which I now know was not very accurate.  For awhile I was lifting weight and eating under 2000cal a day perhaps significantly under but I am not sure as I was not really counting calories at the time (I work a rather physical job as well.)  Everything was going well for a couple months then I began to lose A LOT of strength very quickly, over only a few weeks.  The weights I could lift went down by about half and I began to feel weak all the time (I also lost my libido almost completely).  Well when this began to happen I decided to stop lifting until I felt better.  Well after a couple weeks I still felt really weak and decided to do some research.  I found out that the amount of calories I was eating may be too low.  My weight had dropped to about 150, which was what my goal was.  So since I was at my goal weight I decided to start uping the calories I was eating, I also began to track them rather accurately.  Well for a couple weeks I ate 2000.. still lost.. then 2250..  still lost... then 2500.. still lost... finally I seem to be around maintenance at 2750, I don't consider anything off limits and eat a wide variety of foods (this is without weight training).  I have been eating at 2750 for about 3 month now.  However, I still feel weak all the time.  I am also constantly hungry.  While my stomach will be very full I am still consumer by the thought of eating and my mouth is ready to go.  The few days I have 搇et lose?and not counted calories I estimate I have eaten well over 7000.

Anyways here is my question.  Is it possible that while my weight never dropped to a unhealthy level my body still entered a severely malnourished state similar to anorexia?  Would this perhaps mean that I should give into my desire to eat a lot and go through recovery similar to an anorexic?

Side question, if its not the need for a full on recovery, could a widely accepted healthy weight for most people be too low for someone if its after 100lb of weight loss?  If I perhaps gain some back will my appetite return to normal?

I have no problem with gaining weight back.  I only did this in the first place to be healthier and currently feeling weak all the time seems to be the opposite of that to me.  I just want to know if my ideas are reasonable and are not just me trying to justify a gluttonous rampage as I do enjoy eating a lot .
I have gone to a doctor for blood tests and everything was normal.  

Thanks.

Answer
John

Of course it's possible and what are you basing unhealthy weight on BMI? BMI is useless. By BMI standards I am stage 2 obesity and near stage three and for me to be so called healthy I would have to lose a HUGE amount of lean mass and be a starvation levels of body fat.

It also sounds like you were in starvation mode, malnourished and just generally under fed. This would also have to do with not only how much your eating but what. Couple that with what sounds like over training from exercises and a manual labor job and your asking for a BIG whack to the hormonal system. I have had much the same thing happen to me in my past and it was a LONG return back.

I suggest you start eating NOW. Due to your activity and training, work you need MUCH more then the typical person. When you under fed your body it will take all energy away from what ever it can to simply make you survive and will actually start to store fat and lose expensive muscle, ( hence the lack of energy and strength)

You need to get plenty of fats in your diet which have a direct tie to hormones, cognitive function and general health. Fat is GOOD for you.

Dont pay attention to the scale throw it out, instead pay attention to your body composition, measurement, body fat, how you look and most important how you feel and perform. Ive been everywhere from 300lb+ not training to 165 and 215 at low sinlge digit body fat to a current 270lbs national record holding power lifter, The worst ive felt and worst health ive had was at extreme low body fat. Oddly enough this is the time other try and reach and the point I got modeling offers etc. Its not a natural state for most ppl, more so without the aid of performance enhancing drugs.

Low body weight and body fat does NOT by any means mean healthy and strong.

For more info you should join our free discussion forum, you will get lots of great advice and discussion there www.teamstaley.com start a training log. We can help with training, diet and then give advice on supplementation

Phil
www.staleytraining.com

I also ask you to take a look at my charity strength event with proceeds going to support Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Look at the online raffle make a donation no matter how small they all help the cause and give you a chance of winning some great prizes at the same time
http://www.lift4hope.org  

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