Eating disorders

[acorreia]

Anyone else out there with an eating disorder? I ask because its hard to talk about it. If anyone else needs a forum to share, let me know.

[andreajackson]

I have been battling with one, but with help it's getting better. I think that it is nice to talk with other people who also have or had struggles with these kind of problems. Thanks for posting hopefully we can give each other support through this board!

[BevP]

Hate to mention a different web site, but ivillage has a board just for eating disorders. In their boards section, I think it's under mental health. Good luck to both of you.

[BeckyM]

I consider myself "recovered", though I occasionally have a relapse. Not many people know this about me -- only my closest family. It is still difficult for me to admit or talk about, I guess because I still feel embarassed about it. I keep reminding myself that it's nothing to be ashamed of, but I don't always listen to myself about that. I'm not sure how much I would want to share on a bulletin board, but I am willing to give support and encouragement to others who are battling things similar to what I have gone through.

[Janet R]

Been there, done that. I've bben on both sides of the eating disorder fence. As someone who still battles, I would love to chat with someone who knows exactly what I am going through. my problem is that I go from extreme starving, to eating healthy, but at the same time using diarrheals to flush my system. My family knows about the Anorexia, but i keep everything else safely hidden away. I feel like it is a sign of weakness not to be able to control my eating. Recently, I have been very depressed, and when I do, I eat. Which makes me even more depressed.
Not knowing about food and healthy eating is NOT my problem, I was a chef before I was forced to quit working because of a health problem called Crohn's Disease. So, I have no excuse.

[cookgirl]

Originally posted by Janet R:
Been there, done that. I've bben on both sides of the eating disorder fence. As someone who still battles, I would love to chat with someone who knows exactly what I am going through. my problem is that I go from extreme starving, to eating healthy, but at the same time using diarrheals to flush my system. My family knows about the Anorexia, but i keep everything else safely hidden away. I feel like it is a sign of weakness not to be able to control my eating. Recently, I have been very depressed, and when I do, I eat. Which makes me even more depressed.
Not knowing about food and healthy eating is NOT my problem, I was a chef before I was forced to quit working because of a health problem called Crohn's Disease. So, I have no excuse.
Janet, I'm so sorry to hear that. My husband has UC, and it's a hard thing to battle. Interestingly enough, he has very irregular eating patterns and is always concerned about his physical appearance. We're now trying to get him to gain weight. I think he mostly stopped eating to avoid the pain associated with UC. I know it's hard to keep a regulated healthy diet when you are dealing with something like that. The depression is not good, and i'm sure you know, can inflame Crohn's and UC. Two strikes against you. I hope you are doing all right and that your lifestyle change (work) is helping you.

[emilycat]

I just discovered this post, and although it's been nearly 2 months since it came up, I'd still like to reply to it. I haven't even seen postings of some of the women on this thread recently, but I'm here for you girls! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

I've kind of been in denial of my whole eating disorder ordeal for about 7 years; my sister is pretty hard-core anorexic (she's maintaining right now, but she's 19 and been sick since she was in the 6th grade; she's been in and out of intensive remedial programs and at one point weighed 72--she's 5'4").

It's always been pretty difficult for me to acknowledge that I ever had anything other than disordered eating habits, until my psychiatrist told me my senior year of college that I had anorexia. I was completely taken aback; after all, my sister was the sick one, not me...

The point was, it wasn't my weight that was the sign of an eating disorder (I've only been as low as 94 and I'm 5'2") but my mentality. Since the 10th grade I've been VERY regulatory about food, tons of rituals and such, and I weigh myself every day. If the numbers inch up 1 pound, it would ruin my day.

I'm happy to call myself "recovering" right now; I still weigh myself every day, but no longer measure my food or count my calories, and I've learned to loosen up ALOT about food. I took a 1 month trip to Europe this summer with my boyfriend, and although I was afraid of the constraints I would have, it ended up being one of the best things to change my behaviors in a long time. I learned how to be so much more flexible, in terms of eating and exercise; I'm not nearly as anal as I was even 5 months ago. So I am doing a lot better; I weigh 103, but although I'm described by most as skinny (I hate that word), I still don't have the most perfect body image. I always want the inner thighs I had when I danced in highschool, and there's a part of me that wishes my stomach was as flat as it was when I was 17

Anyway, I'm doing really well right now, but somewhere to blab about this is always a great relief for me...


[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 11-07-2000).]

[acorreia]

emilycat,

I wrote the original post for this thread, but did not go into detail about myself. I did email a few of the repliers. Anyway, thanks for your story. I can really relate. I don't know if you could consider me anorexic or bulimic. Maybe a little of both. I am also very ritualistic about how I eat and what I eat. My husband cannot cook for us anymore b/c I won't touch oil/salt/carbs/etc..... Every time we eat out (and it has to be at either a sushi place, a sald bar, or a chinese place that will steam) it's always a big ordeal. I'm either thinking about what I am about to eat, what I am eating, or what I can make for my next meal. I just began seeing a therapist. I also saw my gen.prac. and he prescribed some mild anti-depressants, so that I can "loosen up" with the eating habits.

Anyway, all of yall please continue to post updates. I know there are many other BB's that facilitate these discussions, but this is the BB I feel closest to.

-ac

[shanyfreak]

I have been dealing with anorexia for over 4 years now (who can really say when it begins?). This discussion was started two years ago, so I know that I am definitely a little slow in responding, but I felt that I had to. It's so amazing how I can relate to basically everything that has already been said. In my community, there is no type of social support for anorexia and bulimia, so through my recovery I have felt totally alone. My family really hasn't been involved - I think that in many ways they are still in denial and feel that my recovery is to be handled by my doctor and therapist. Anyway, I just wanted to say that it is nice to know that their is a place for me to come when I want to talk about my eating issues.

One of the things that I have found is that I can't seem to shake a lot of the compulsive things - like counting calories and eating on a schedule. I've fortunately or unfortunately also started running. I am so happy to finally see my body get strong again (I participated in many different athletics as a child and teenager), but now it seems to have become a compulsive ritual for me. I can't skip of day of running 3 or 4 miles without feeling really anxious or cutting out something in my diet.

Not to say that I haven't made strides in my recovery, though. Today I am so much stronger mentally and physically than I was 4 or even 10 years ago (I am 21 now). And even though I haven't weighed myself in over 2 years (and don't really care to know what I weigh now), I know that I have gained about 30 pounds (from a low weight of 75). Still, though, I am left feeling a bit confused. Should I expect that this is as good as it will ever get? I don't know what to do to get over the compulsions. If anyone has any advice, please share. Thanks!

Oh! And thank you all for sharing your stories! It helps so much to know that I am not in this alone! Oh! And thank you all for sharing your stories! It helps so much to know that I am not in this alone! :)

[Katya]

This post is for all, but especially emilycat, since my situation is very similar to hers.

I also was more of an anorexic mentally than physically, counting calories and planning my meals days in advance. Through running and limiting my food intake, I lost about 25% of my body weight, getting down to 94 lbs (I'm 5"3').

By the grace of God and the love of my family, I overcame my disorder and now am a healthy 107 lbs, still running and eating healthfully.

I was wondering if any of you had amenhorhea (absence of menstrual periods) as a result of being underweight or heavy exercise. I was amenhorheaic for 8 years (from age 14 t0 22).

[acorreia]

Katya,

I basically did not have a period during the entire year of 2000. I am 5'3". My "low" was maybe 95 lbs. I regained my period when I got back to 110 lbs. Email me if you need any more info.

-Angela

[shanyfreak]

I had amenorrhea for about 4.5 years. I recently went to see a gynocologist about it (as my medical doctors didn't seem too concerned!) and he put me on birth control. I was worried about fertility problems, but he was more worried about osteoporosis. When you get to such a low weight some of your hormone levels drop way off (which is why you don't get your period) as (I believe) you don't have the fat necessary to produce the hormones. Anyway, the hormones protect your bones and my gyno was really worried.

He gave me a bone density scan which revealed that I have ostepenia (a precursor to osteoporosis). At 21 yrs. I am already having to worry about this! Luckily, my period started right up on the birth control and I am running to try and strengthen my bones. Has anyone else found that they have lost a significant amount of bone density due to amenorrhea?

[claire797]

Well. My trouble started at 11 so I somehow managed to stave off having a period at all. 10 years later, when I no longer based my self-worth on weighing 68 pounds, we decided I needed a period so we kick-started the process with some birth control pills. Amazingly enough, that worked. We stopped the pills after about 3 months and my period just kept coming for the next 10 years. Cool, huh?

Shanyfreak,

The answer to your question is YES! I had a bone density scan (not the X-ray but the ultra-sound) done 19 months ago when I went to my gyno to see if I was pregnant. Yes. I was pregnant and Yes. I too had ostepenia. Since I couldn't take birth control pills and still don't want to take them, I have upped my calcium intake radically and am hoping this helps. I'm also breastfeeding. Believe it or not, breastfeeding is supposed to help osteopenia. I think the study showed that your bone density drops during lactation, but increases dramatically when you wean.