Do I have an eating disorder?

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Replies

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    jainafaith wrote: »
    When I'm motivated to lose weight I eat as healthy as possible and I basically starve myself. I eat very little. Once I reach my goal weight I end up changing my diet and binging on lots and lots of junk food. I would gain up to 10-12 lbs after binging. I start to obsess over my weight. I would check it several times a day. I would check when I wake up, after I eat lunch, after I workout, after I use the bathroom, after I drink water etc... I monitor my weight the whole day and it upsets me. I was 125 lbs a few months ago when I was barely eating. Now I eat soooo much that I reached 135 lbs in a short period of time. My weight always fluctuates like this. I don't understand how I can eat very little for a while and next thing you know my eating habits are the opposite. What can I do about this?

    If you think you have an eating disorder you need to make an appointment with your doctor immediately and not ask the question to a bunch of internet strangers. We will all provide answers based on our own filters, and some of the "no" answers might come from people who have eating disorders themselves.

    That said, what you described sounds like disordered eating to me. Consult with your doctor.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Of_Monsters_and_Meat wrote: »
    You do not have an eating disorder. I'm not really sure who on this thread so far is even qualified to make such an assessment. You do not need to get medical attention.

    Its really pretty normal for someone to gain 10 pounds in a few months. It is possible that some of that is water weight, and some is fat and a small amount of muscle gain as well. The reverse side. It is possible to lose 10 pounds over the course of a few months. 1-2 pounds per week. Completely normal and doable.

    You should start tracking better, perhaps you are eating more than you think.

    You don't know that (bold part), anymore than I don't know if she DOES have an ED. But, I would say that her description sounds like very disordered eating.
  • GoPerfectHealth
    GoPerfectHealth Posts: 254 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    If you believe you have an eating disorder, you need to get help as soon as possible. With that said, I think this is normal dieting behavior - almost every dieter who is misinformed about nutrition does it. It usually goes like this:
    1. you eat too little, thinking that would accelerate your weight loss (and it does) which involves a lot of stress, hunger and deprivation.
    2. You reach your desired weight
    3. Your willower basically gives out. Your body, starved of nutrients, ramps up the production of hormones that increase hunger + emotional reaction to deprivation and you end up with a huge long-winded binge.
    4. Oblivious to the fact that weight fluctuates naturally + gaining some weight from the binges, you start obsessing about the numbers on the scale
    5. back to 1 and repeat.

    To break this cycle you need to do a few things:
    - Stop fad dieting, starving yourself, labeling foods as bad (that induces guilt which fuels the cycle)
    - Pick a reasonable target, about 0.5 lb per week in you case, set your calories to that and patiently follow through without stressing yourself, changing your habits slowly.
    - Realize that the scale can change its numbers depending on how much sodium you eat, volume of your food, water retention, new exercise, alcohol, being constipated..etc. Real weight loss is a general trend. There are apps that can help you calculate that. I use Libra for Android.
    - Realize that it takes time to retrain the way you view food, so don't stress if you can't indulge within your calorie budget without feeling guilty right away. It's a process.

    Very nicely put. And seek help if it feels too difficult.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    Of_Monsters_and_Meat wrote: »
    You do not have an eating disorder. I'm not really sure who on this thread so far is even qualified to make such an assessment. You do not need to get medical attention.

    Its really pretty normal for someone to gain 10 pounds in a few months. It is possible that some of that is water weight, and some is fat and a small amount of muscle gain as well. The reverse side. It is possible to lose 10 pounds over the course of a few months. 1-2 pounds per week. Completely normal and doable.

    You should start tracking better, perhaps you are eating more than you think.


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    So you're saying no one is qualified to say she does or does not, yet you tell her she doesn't. Got it. Yes, she should seek professional help to determine if she has an eating disorder, to tell the OP otherwise is irresponsible.
  • ElisabethL27
    ElisabethL27 Posts: 3 Member
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    ElisabethL27 wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    "When I'm motivated to lose weight I eat as healthy as possible and I basically starve myself."

    Just look at the contradiction within your first sentence ... and discuss that with a professional.
    I think what she meant by this was that she's basically starving herself, and the only exceptions she makes is for food considered very nutrient dense. This is not a contradiction, but it is unhealthy.

    Starving yourself is NEVER healthy. She didn't allude to the nutrition density of her food.

    You're right I'm sorry for being unclear about my meaning what I meant was that the use of the word healthy might refer to the type of food rather than thinking eating like that was healthy. It is definitely unhealthy, and I have edited my comment to make sure it mentions that.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    While it is true that none of us are qualified to diagnose an eating disorder, I don't get why so many people are quick to say that the OP has an eating disorder just because the OP asked about an eating disorder. I'm pretty sure that the first question a doctor is going to ask is not "have you ever asked someone if you have an eating disorder."

    Given that a "disorder" is a physical condition that is not normal or healthy, starving oneself and then overeating might be considered a disorder because it is unhealthy. But does someone need to seek professional help with that? They only need professional help if they can't stop doing that without help. If they stop doing the unhealthy thing, a professional is nothing but a waste of money.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    While it is true that none of us are qualified to diagnose an eating disorder, I don't get why so many people are quick to say that the OP has an eating disorder just because the OP asked about an eating disorder. I'm pretty sure that the first question a doctor is going to ask is not "have you ever asked someone if you have an eating disorder."

    Given that a "disorder" is a physical condition that is not normal or healthy, starving oneself and then overeating might be considered a disorder because it is unhealthy. But does someone need to seek professional help with that? They only need professional help if they can't stop doing that without help. If they stop doing the unhealthy thing, a professional is nothing but a waste of money.

    Starving oneself is a RECOGNIZED MEDICAL DISORDER.

    Perhaps you should read this link and familiarize yourself with the concept.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1392905/updated-eating-disorder-resources#latest
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