Chronic Undereaters?

monica_621

I'm 21 and 5'11''. I think I may be a chronic undereater, and I think it's been a problem for a few years now. I don't eat bread, sweets, dairy (I'm lactose intolerant and sugary things bother my stomach a lot), I avoid processed food, I'm a pretty clean eater. But I find myself incredibly lazy about eating, I'm less hungry than most people. I noticed I'm always cold and have a *kitten* immune system, as well as thin hair, poor sleep, nails are getting kind of brittle..I guess I'm a little afraid of weight gain too, but I'm tired of being sick and often not having energy to workout. I would rather eat more and then exercise more instead of eat less and have to sit home. I go for three meals a day but it's hard for me to fill myself up with almost 700 calories per meal to get to 2000, which is what I seem to need to maintain.

If anyone shares this issue, do you have any advice on how I can start eating like a human being?


**edit- when I say I'm a little afraid of weight gain, I just mean that 2,000 seems like it would make me gain. I don't have a negative body image at all and don't care about my number weight, I'm just afraid of gaining fat.

juggernaut1974

movuksanaj wrote: »

I'm 21 and 5'11''. I think I may be a chronic undereater, and I think it's been a problem for a few years now. I don't eat bread, sweets, dairy (I'm lactose intolerant and sugary things bother my stomach a lot), I avoid processed food, I'm a pretty clean eater. But I find myself incredibly lazy about eating, I'm less hungry than most people. I noticed I'm always cold and have a *kitten* immune system, as well as thin hair, poor sleep, nails are getting kind of brittle..I guess I'm a little afraid of weight gain too, but I'm tired of being sick and often not having energy to workout. I would rather eat more and then exercise more instead of eat less and have to sit home. I go for three meals a day but it's hard for me to fill myself up with almost 700 calories per meal to get to 2000, which is what I seem to need to maintain.

If anyone shares this issue, do you have any advice on how I can start eating like a human being?

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

pootle1972

Also seek advice from a gp...they can pu you in touch with dieticians and councellors.

kk_inprogress

A registered dietician would be a much better resource than MFP, but while you're here...

Your symptoms are very consistent with malnutrition. You are on a course to seriously damaging your body, based on the symptoms you described. Look at foods that are high in caloric content that you like (for me, it's peanut butter) because you don't have to eat much to get good nutrition value.

HippySkoppy

As someone else who has experienced the struggles to eat enough (mine is due to illness) I would entreat you to get as much help with this issue as you possibly can.

The effects of living like this aren't pretty and long-term the damage can be irreversible. As @kkenseth has pointed out what you are describing does fit the picture of malnutrition.....my malnutrition lead to me developing osteoporosis.....I had no idea....till I broke my back last year. For the rest of my life I have to have injections to halt it's progress and my life is so, so much worse.....I would hate to see anyone go through it.

Please seek help from professionals to deal with the underlying anxiety. Get your GP involved and be truly open and honest about your struggles as it will help him help you. I would imagine he/she will order blood tests, bone density studies maybe....

Please don't delay and in the meantime focus on nutritionally dense, high calorie foods that you enjoy to fill those gaps....

I wish you all the best.