Eating Disorders

[HollyTheColliegirl]

Recently I have been looking at myself and frowning, because I feel chubby. I am around 5'10 and weight about 145 pounds so I know statistically I am pretty healthy. I do exercise daily and keep myself pretty active, but I can't help feeling the way I do. I have noticed myself skipping meals and cutting out snacks. I'm afraid I might be "catching" a minor version of anorexia, despite being pretty confident about myself.

 

I had hoped there was a thread already open for this, but I couldn't find one. The thread is really for the support of people who have eating disorders, suggestions on how to get better, etc.

[Wookieinmashoo]

Your concern is a good sign you do not have an eating disorder. Also you recognize you are at a healthy weight. Someone with a disorder will usually see themselves as being at an unhealthy weight when they are not and will try to fix it. That's at least a sign of a developing disorder.

 

I would suggest not cutting out meals, just be more conscious of what you eat. Cutting out snacks is fine since they're not necessary. Honestly I find snacks as not a way to relive hunger, but the urge to chew on something.

 

I have a friend whose mother is very skinny. She has a lean frame but she's pretty bony and eats like a flea. Her doctor even said she should not lose any more weight. She is so paranoid about eating healthy, but is also very active. She's pretty much not eating enough in general and because how active she is. I'm just hoping that paranoia does not rub off on my friend.

[RWyvern]

Very often (nearly every day) I go without breakfast and occasionally lunch. I often have little in the way of tea as well. My mum says that I'm nearly anorexic, but if there is something that I really really like I very readily eat. Unfortunately mum has a habit of trying out all sorts of new dishes instead of sticking with the ones we're familiar with <.<

Edited August 25, 2012 by rampaging wyvern

[Rosedamai]

Recently I've had periods of slight depression, during which I don't eat, and subsequently don't feel the urge to eat at all. I guess you could call that an eating disorder, but I'm not sure if it's tied into being depressed or not. I'm 5'6 and around 105~110 pounds.

Edited August 25, 2012 by ylangylang

[HeroLink42]

If you're 5'10 and weigh 145 pounds, you're totally fine. If you would like to lose a little weight, that's okay as well. Just be really careful and don't try to lose too much. When I first started high school, I though I was "fat" like countless other teenage girls and started skipping breakfast. I ate very little for lunch and dinner, which worried my parents since I once lost 10 pounds in one week. When I started eating normally again, I gained a TON of weight since my metabolism had slowed so much. Not eating properly sent my body into "starvation mode". It took me pretty much the rest of my high school years to lose all the weight and get my metabolism back up to speed again. So please don't skip meals and the such. It's good to watch portion sizes and be aware of what you eat, but skipping meals and eating incredibly small amounts is not the proper way to lose weight.

 

I also once had a very dear friend who became anorexic when we were in 8th grade. She would only have a salad (only lettuce, nothing else) and water for her meals. She was pretty much skeletal and had to be taken out of school to be hospitalized. It's really scary seeing that happen to someone you care about.

[CDM]

Definitely don't go down that road. Speak to a nutritionist about ways you can lose weight safely, but don't go down that road!

 

I became anorexic in my teens, started taking laxatives in my early twenties, and am now, in my thirties, listed officially as "Anorexic with Bulimic tendencies." I never binged and purged, but I would panic if I ate even just a grape, and would take laxatives to get rid of it. It's taken me years to try and get healthy again, and that little voice with always be with me. Also, because of my laxative abuse, I now have IBS issues among other problems.

 

Even now, I am obsessed with my weight, and have trouble forcing myself to eat anything at all because I don't want to get "fat." It's a daily fight. Because of starving myself, and losing weight as a consequence, I came to LOVE the feeling of a growling stomach. But, now, instead of relishing in my stomach's emptiness, I force myself to eat something.

 

Be open about it. Talk to your parents or doctor or your friends. I found that the more people that knew, the more I had people watching me to make sure I stuck to the healthy road. It's tough, but necessary.

 

I do know that if it wasn't for these people watching out for me, and my BF keeping a close eye on me, I would quickly fall back into old and very bad habits.

Edited August 25, 2012 by CDM

[fainewebbe]

I am an adult who developed bulimia then anorexia when I turned thirty. I come from a family where my mother and sister have very thin frames naturally--both are size 2 and can eat whatever they want. I take after my dad's side and am heavier framed. When I turned thirty, I developed a serious stomach infection and dropped a lot of weight. I began to get caught up in the attention I was receiving and started to drop a lot more weight in very unhealthy ways. To anyone who even thinks you may be heading down this dangerous path, I beg you to talk to someone. Although I have been in recovery for about five years, I am still having major health issues because of this. My body will never be the same and I can tell you, it is not worth it. I know, especially for pre-teen and teen girls, there is so much pressure to be thin. I am telling you from experience, nothing is worth your health. Please talk to someone, embrace who you are, and own what weight is natural for your body type. There are healthy ways to lose weight. If you are bent on doing so, please talk to your parents and a doctor first. /lecture.

 

If anyone wants to talk to someone about it, please, please feel free to PM me.

 

Edit: +1 Everything CDM said. It is a daily struggle. Don't go down that road, or it will affect you the rest of your life.

Edited August 25, 2012 by fainewebbe

[Gsea]

I don't have an eating disorder and don't feel a need for one. If anything I think I should gain some weight. I'm 14 years old, a centimeter or so under 5 feet and about 88 pounds. I'm teeny. My friends playfully call me anorexic - and I'm definitely not, I'm just small and so is my appetite. In the mornings I'm not hungry so I'm very skimpy on breakfast, and I can hardly finish a whole sandwich for lunch. I usually make up for it with tons of snacks and a large dinner, but I'm still super skinny. Not in an attractive, slimming way either. I'm like a pile of bones. I can see my ribs and my hips jut out. There are times when I wish I had less fat on my thighs or my stomach but then I realize I have, like, hardly any fat I dunno, I can't imagine myself ever being anorexic or bulimic because it's not that I think I'm not skinny enough, it's that I think I'm too skinny.

[CDM]

Oh, and one little tip for all us women out there....

 

Stay away from scales!!

 

Don't be focused on numbers. Focus on how your clothes fit, how good you feel in them, how good you yourself feel, how many flights of stairs you can run up without falling over. You want to know why? Because those numbers mean F-all.

 

Put it this way. If you start weight training, and working out the gym, you could-theoretically-put on 40lbs of pure muscle (which is a GOOD thing!) but all you would see is that you've "gained" 40lbs.

 

Oh, and don't get me started on the useless BMI scale. Bah! *waves hand angrily* I'm 5', which, according to the BMI scale, means I should be around 100lbs. If I weighed that little (and I HAVE weighed that little before.......during bad bouts of anorexia ) I would be a bone rack again. Not everyone is built the same. Yes, I'm 5', but I am built more like a tank. I have big hips, a big chest, broad shoulders, and I can put on muscle like there's no tomorrow if I don't stick to the lighter dumbbells. I can't BE a skinny-minny.

 

edit: *hugs* for you, Fainwebbe. I know exactly what you mean

Edited August 25, 2012 by CDM

[tyto_alba]

Hello. 17-year-old recovering bulimic here.

 

I started making myself throw up when I was about 13. I've had chronic stomach pain since I was about that age, and I found that throwing up made the pain ease. So I started throwing up all the time. Any time I ate at a restaurent, after dinner at home, etc. When I got to high school, I was making myself vomit every day at school, and at least twice more when I got home.

 

I wasn't losing weight, though. I never did what I did to lose weight in the first place; it was pain-related and my way to make myself feel better. I didn't seek help til I was a sophomore. I'm still struggling to quit, since every once and a while I still do because it still helps relieve the pain.

 

Dealing with eating disorders is never easy. It took every scrap of courage I had to finally tell my friend I needed help. If you are struggling with food-related issues, I suggest you tell someone. No one should put themselves through this kind of torture.

[HeroLink42]

Oh, and one little tip for all us women out there....

 

Stay away from scales!!

 

Don't be focused on numbers. Focus on how your clothes fit, how good you feel in them, how good you yourself feel, how many flights of stairs you can run up without falling over. You want to know why? Because those numbers mean F-all.

 

Put it this way. If you start weight training, and working out the gym, you could-theoretically-put on 40lbs of pure muscle (which is a GOOD thing!) but all you would see is that you've "gained" 40lbs.

 

Oh, and don't get me started on the useless BMI scale. Bah! *waves hand angrily* I'm 5', which, according to the BMI scale, means I should be around 100lbs. If I weighed that little (and I HAVE weighed that little before.......during bad bouts of anorexia ) I would be a bone rack again. Not everyone is built the same. Yes, I'm 5', but I am built more like a tank. I have big hips, a big chest, broad shoulders, and I can put on muscle like there's no tomorrow if I don't stick to the lighter dumbbells. I can't BE a skinny-minny.

 

edit: *hugs* for you, Fainwebbe. I know exactly what you mean

DEFINITELY. Part of my problem was I was so obsessed with scales. My doctor would constantly tell me that I was fine but I wouldn't believe it because I was so much heavier than my friends (who were all a good two or three inches shorter than I was). I'm also one of those people who would never be able to fit into those ridiculous 0 or 00 sizes. Even if I weighed 100 pounds. I'm 5'7" and just don't have the right body shape. But when you're a pre-teen/teenager you often don't think of that.

[Dauntingale]

Don't continue not eating if that's what you're doing. I have an anorexic friend, and it's life and health-threatening. At least you recognize it though, and you don't exactly have distorted body image. If you're tall, of course you'd weigh more. A lot of my friends complain about their weight, but they're perfect for their height. Also, if you're a reader, I recommend Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. It gives you a good look at anorexia and bulimia and why you shouldn't go down that path.

[tyto_alba]

I've read Wintergirls. It's a fantastic read and hauntingly accurate, I think.

[Mommy_Kitty]

Oh, and one little tip for all us women out there....

 

Stay away from scales!!

 

Don't be focused on numbers. Focus on how your clothes fit, how good you feel in them, how good you yourself feel, how many flights of stairs you can run up without falling over. You want to know why? Because those numbers mean F-all.

 

Put it this way. If you start weight training, and working out the gym, you could-theoretically-put on 40lbs of pure muscle (which is a GOOD thing!) but all you would see is that you've "gained" 40lbs.

 

Oh, and don't get me started on the useless BMI scale. Bah! *waves hand angrily* I'm 5', which, according to the BMI scale, means I should be around 100lbs. If I weighed that little (and I HAVE weighed that little before.......during bad bouts of anorexia ) I would be a bone rack again. Not everyone is built the same. Yes, I'm 5', but I am built more like a tank. I have big hips, a big chest, broad shoulders, and I can put on muscle like there's no tomorrow if I don't stick to the lighter dumbbells. I can't BE a skinny-minny.

I totaly agree on you there CDM, i dont care about how hevy i am as i dont have any seriouse health isues even tho i`m a bit hard on the scale. But i have an aunt that used all kinds of pils and powders and stuff to losse weight so she ruined her helth to that point that she bearely survived, had multiple surgeries, and the last one was Colostomy due to haveing colon cancer, and now shee needs to use some kind of bags/pouches where waste is colected, and she needs to replace them daily.

 

I love to watch animal planet, and there are a lot of shows that have animal police in them, and when someone is not giveing proper care for theyr animals and the animal is skiny and bony the owner goes to curt and can be sentenced to seweral 1000 $ and even some time in prison and animals are taken from them. And why not do the same thing with parents too, clearly they can not take care of theyr kids if they dont see that skin and bones are not helthy and dont even look good, but it is rather ugly, and same thing shuld happen with parents that have overweight kids.

 

And most of all shuld all the modeling agencies be shut down as they do nothing but put super skiny supermodels in front of fashion magazines, wich is wrong as it incurages teenage girls to not eat and loose weight even if it is not necesary.

[7Deadly$ins]

What do you think parents should do when their children have an eating disorder, then? Force feedings, with constant supervision? Rehab homes? Therapy? Animals don't have a choice in the matter.

[HollyTheColliegirl]

Don't continue not eating if that's what you're doing.

Eating disorders aren't something you can snap your fingers and get rid of. They're actually classified as a mental illness. As a possible developing anorexic, I know that they sneak up on you, you don't just choose to starve yourself. :|

 

 

[Rosedamai]

you don't just choose to starve yourself. :|

THIS. You just don't feel the need to eat stuff because you don't feel hungry.

[RuthlessWolves]

I don't have an eating disorder and don't feel a need for one. If anything I think I should gain some weight. I'm 14 years old, a centimeter or so under 5 feet and about 88 pounds. I'm teeny. My friends playfully call me anorexic - and I'm definitely not, I'm just small and so is my appetite. In the mornings I'm not hungry so I'm very skimpy on breakfast, and I can hardly finish a whole sandwich for lunch. I usually make up for it with tons of snacks and a large dinner, but I'm still super skinny. Not in an attractive, slimming way either. I'm like a pile of bones. I can see my ribs and my hips jut out. There are times when I wish I had less fat on my thighs or my stomach but then I realize I have, like, hardly any fat I dunno, I can't imagine myself ever being anorexic or bulimic because it's not that I think I'm not skinny enough, it's that I think I'm too skinny.

I have the same problem here, and I'm about your age. I used to not eat breakfast in the morning when I'd be heading out to school, because I take most of my time at 6 am to shower. I find little time left for the cereal, but last year in seventh grade I made a conscious effort to have cereal in the morning. After to visiting my relatives in Poland for the summer, I've been making my own breakfast. They believe American cereal is basically sugar flakes and hardly sustain people... When school starts soon, I'll be getting up earlier to make breakfast for my sister and I AND taking a shower (I feel fresher showering in the morning).

 

My mom makes school lunch for me. She usually packs a sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce, kielbasa, cheese (yuck), and a water. The school cafeteria is DISGUSTING except for the wrap section I get pretty bored with the sandwiches if it goes on for some months, and begin to eat only half. I'm not quite sure how to solve that problem ^^"

 

All my friends tell me I look like a stick. My arms, legs, and wrists are very thin and I'm aware about it. I eat anything I want from the kitchen and nothing changes. I guess it's just my frame. I'm just like my gaunt dad, while my sister resembles our mom. I know to never stray into eating disorders, because it could end terribly. So, that's just about most of my problems ^-^

[danegrrrl]

You just don't feel the need to eat stuff because you don't feel hungry.

As a recovered anorexic, I disagree with the not feeling hungry part.

 

I was certainly hungry, but it was more about control and battling the inner demons in my brain. I had a strict, obsessive caloric intake limit for my daily consumption, and if I consumed even ONE calorie over that amount, I'd make myself vomit, or exercise for hours. Even that wouldn't staunch the emotional backlash.

 

Hunger was never *not* there. But obsession with winning out over the hunger was more important. Obsession with making myself suffer through hunger won out.

 

Everything is strictly regimented. Even though I've been "cured" for 10 years now, I still remember my daily rituals. The rituals are the most important thing, or they were for me. Any deviation from my rituals would send me into a tailspin of turmoil.

 

I woke up every morning and immediately weighed myself. If I weighed the slightest millimeter more than the day before, I'd restrict myself further. Which, after a while, became very difficult seeing as how I was barely eating enough to sustain life, much less afford room to cut back on. After weighing myself, I'd start a two hour walk with the dogs around the 40 acre property. They usually got tired of walking after the first hour, but I kept going. It HAD to be two hours to the minute. Rain or shine.

 

After the walking, I'd come in an shower, and weigh myself again. I'd drink 3 bottles of water, and call that breakfast.

 

Around 3 O'clock, I'd allow myself a cup of air popped popcorn, no butter. I'd make that last for hours. I had to wait ten minutes between each piece, or that would invoke a whole 'nother flurry of self-hatred for my lack of control.

 

At 7 O'clock in the evening, I'd drive to my favorite park and walk there for an hour. When I got home, I'd heat up my dinner. A 220 calorie frozen Weight Watchers Macaroni and Cheese dish. Every noodle had to be cut up at least 6 times, and I'd eat each tiny little sliver on one tine of my fork. I'd have to chew this microscopic little piece of food 20 times before I could swallow it. This "meal" usually took me 2 hours to eat, at least.

 

It took lots of therapy and medication to "fix" me, and even now I could easily allow myself to fall back into old habits if I'm not careful. I don't remember much of how it started, but I remember the worst parts when it had progressed to a life-threatening stage.

 

All I can say is if anyone here even remotely SUSPECTS they may have an eating disorder, or feels like their behavior is abnormal in regards to eating habits, please talk to a counselor. Once these behaviors take hold and progress, it's almost impossible to reverse. It's an internal mental battle I would not wish on anyone. People think it's about weight loss, but it really isn't. Mine was the result of an extreme self hate. It was punishment. It was slow suicide. Food, or lack thereof, was my weapon.

 

If anyone ever needs an unbiased ear, please PM me. I know how hard it is to talk to friends or family about it. Sometimes it's easier to talk to a complete stranger. I'm always available to talk to.

Edited August 26, 2012 by danegrrrl

[Ashes The Second]

I'm almost 15, and think my legs are fat. (Yes, they are, and that's been said by numerous people). I'm skinny as all-get-out, but my lower body is not. It makes me self-conscious to sit down without a desk in front of me, and I strain my feet by putting them straight down (toes on the floor; nothing else), and sit that way; after doing it for two years, it's second nature. I can feel my ribs, and see them without much trying, and can feel my hip bones. I eat. A. Lot. I can't help it, but I'd love to gain a few upper pounds. I don't like being told I'm skinny because then I obsess I'm fat.

[AngelKitty]

This might be amusing to some of you, since I'm pretty vocal about fat acceptance and such. Gotta love the delicious, delicious irony!

 

I have non-purging bulimia, according to my psych. I've had it for six years and didn't even realize it. I didn't know there was such a thing until I went to see him. I'm going to type this all out the way I see things from my own head, don't consider it an endorsement of this behavior and if you think this'll be triggering, skip it.

 

For reference, I'm a US size 16, and my body sort of looks like hers.

 

Here we go.

 

I can't make myself throw up by sticking my fingers down my throat. I've tried it, on many an occasion, and I just can't get myself to throw up more than a little bit before freaking out, and it's not enough to actually be helpful. I've considered getting ipecac or something, but I'm too big of a wuss to throw up on a regular basis. Recently something at a restaurant made me sick and I threw up my whole dinner, and aside from wondering what caused it, all I could think was "well at least I don't have those calories in me anymore."

 

So, since I'm a barf coward, my "purges" consist of long fasts instead. I binge for a day or two (and by "binge" I mean "probably eat like a normal person") and then don't eat, or eat barely anything, for the next week to make up for it. I feel good about myself when I don't eat and I can look at myself in the mirror and smile when my stomach's nice and tight from hunger, and if I eat like a normal person I feel like a fat pig.

 

I have my ups and my downs with it. At my best, I eat normally and feel good about myself, though there's always the question of "did I eat too much today?" nagging at my mind. At my worst, I'll constantly belittle myself and consume nothing but water and the occasional protein shake or (if I'm feeling generous to myself) grilled chicken patty for a week or so before binging and then starving myself again. I'm currently at my best, where I feel alright about myself and I'm eating normal for the most part and it feels great. Unfortunately I know the "up" won't last, although I wish it would. Things get worse in the winter, when daylight hours decrease and I become overall more depressed.

 

And this is part of why I'm so vocal about fat acceptance. I mean, yes, I do believe we should be accepting of all body types, but there's also the fact that I'm trying to help myself get over these bouts of extreme self-hatred and starvation and just accept myself.

 

I've only told maybe two people outside of my psych about this and none of them are extraordinarily close to me. The reason? I don't want anyone helping me, because the irrational, self-loathing part of me hopes I can perfect this craziness and make it work for weight loss. My metabolism is probably gloriously and permanently screwed, anyway, I've been doing this for over six years and for five of those I didn't think anything was wrong with me.

 

I need to talk about it, though. The logical part of me knows it's not healthy, and it goes against all the "self-love" crap I spew, and my mother worries about me enough without having this self-destructive nonsense added to the paranoia-pile.

 

...

 

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get myself a delicious bowl of pasta with tons of cheese.

Edited August 26, 2012 by AngelKitty

[ShinyTomato]

*tiptoes into thread*

 

I think everyone knows this, but I am anorectic, officially "recovered" but that's a laugh. I was diagnosed around 12, but started at about nine.

 

Your concern is a good sign you do not have an eating disorder.

 

Misconception, I was concerned the entire time I fell into anorexia. There's a reason people often use Alice in Wonderland metaphors. "I give myself very good advice, but very seldom follow it."

 

Because of starving myself, and losing weight as a consequence, I came to LOVE the feeling of a growling stomach. But, now, instead of relishing in my stomach's emptiness, I force myself to eat something.

 

Very much this, eating disorders are addictive. I am incapable of really feeling hungry anymore.

 

Don't be focused on numbers. Focus on how your clothes fit, how good you feel in them, how good you yourself feel, how many flights of stairs you can run up without falling over. You want to know why? Because those numbers mean F-all.

 

Put it this way. If you start weight training, and working out the gym, you could-theoretically-put on 40lbs of pure muscle (which is a GOOD thing!) but all you would see is that you've "gained" 40lbs.

 

This can be dangerous too, though, especially if you use exercise or activity to purge. You have to find what's right for you.

 

What do you think parents should do when their children have an eating disorder, then? Force feedings, with constant supervision? Rehab homes? Therapy?

 

There's no one answer. Trust me, as someone who has been in the hospital several times, you can figure out how to starve anywhere. And if you have no way of doing it, even if you have no bulimic tendencies, you will find some way to purge.

 

Hunger was never *not* there. But obsession with winning out over the hunger was more important. Obsession with making myself suffer through hunger won out.

 

It's different for everyone. It is intensely hard for me to feel physically hungry at this point. I have to rely on alarms and other signals like light sensitivity and sense of smell to tell me when I should eat.

[Alegra]

I've never been diagnosed but I'm pretttyy sure I'm bulimic, as in several epic binges/purges daily. For now I'll just say I have disorded eating habits.

 

I've given up on normal "meals" altogether because everything just turns into a binge/purge. I'm in the healthy bmi range, though I'm probably not all that healthy inside. Have headaches and am tired ALL the time. I'd never had a headache until recently.

 

Annnd currently binging while typing this,

[brairtrainer]

I don't have an eating disorder and don't feel a need for one. If anything I think I should gain some weight. I'm 14 years old, a centimeter or so under 5 feet and about 88 pounds. I'm teeny. My friends playfully call me anorexic - and I'm definitely not, I'm just small and so is my appetite. In the mornings I'm not hungry so I'm very skimpy on breakfast, and I can hardly finish a whole sandwich for lunch. I usually make up for it with tons of snacks and a large dinner, but I'm still super skinny. Not in an attractive, slimming way either. I'm like a pile of bones. I can see my ribs and my hips jut out. There are times when I wish I had less fat on my thighs or my stomach but then I realize I have, like, hardly any fat I dunno, I can't imagine myself ever being anorexic or bulimic because it's not that I think I'm not skinny enough, it's that I think I'm too skinny.

I had something similar in middle school where my friends (they didn't use anorexic but that's a whole 'nother story) would call me twig. I've finally added weight to the top part of my body but I'd recomend taking another look at your 'fat legs'. IF you ride horses or do something that natrually stregthens your theigh muscles your theighs are going to be bigger from muscle and fat protecting them. Its also the hardest place to lose weight from.

 

My recomendation, try to switch to whole milk. It helps with digestion and it helped me to start to put on weight gradually. Bonus: Whole Milk is easier to get calicium from because milk also naturally contains vitamin D that is attached to the fat molecules and that is easier for our body to take in than the vitamin D that is artificually put in. Try also doing some exercises, if you have a wii use the wii fit yoga and strength exersizes. It allows you to track your weight as well as feeling accopmlished when you do a new exercise or hit top rank. building muscle will give you the little oomph you need to fill out your upper body.

[Obscure_Trash]

I've never been diagnosed but I'm pretttyy sure I'm bulimic, as in several epic binges/purges daily. For now I'll just say I have disorded eating habits.

 

I've given up on normal "meals" altogether because everything just turns into a binge/purge. I'm in the healthy bmi range, though I'm probably not all that healthy inside. Have headaches and am tired ALL the time. I'd never had a headache until recently.

 

Annnd currently binging while typing this,

Can I just say - please get help. 3=

 

Binging is physically and mentally unhealthy, as you're experiencing now. It's good that you've recognized it, but please ask for help and work on change. As you can tell from Shiny's post right above yours, it is hard, but it's better than this. <3