Have I got an eating disorder?

AlwaysWanderer

Hi all

I have just taken a eating diorder test only because it popped out on eatingwell.com website, and the results have shoked me. It says I most likely have an eating disorder and need to seek help immediately. I then followed onto national eating disorders website, and took a screening test, and it came out that I most probably have one and, again, need to seek help.

The thing is I never though that I could have an eating disorder.

I'm overweight, but only by few pounds, and I have been on a diet on/off for the last 5 years or so. I call it a diet because thats what it is, I never made a lifestyle change. I lose and gain the same 10-15lbs over and over.

I think about food a lot. I count every single calorie that goes past my lips, unless I'm on one of my binges, where I dont log anything for weeks, and eat everything I can see. It's not abnormal for me to eat 5000 in a day (I'm 5'1").
Then I get back on it again, but heavier, and eat very little. 800-1000 calories, not unusual to have negative net calories. And so it goes on.

I either exercise exsessively (twice a day, mainly cardio), or not at all. And when I exercise, I focus on calories, thinking what I'll be able to eat for that.

But is it really out of the oridinary? If you're on MFP, you're suppossed to count calories, you're supposed to count calories burnt and then eat them back. Have I gone beyond normal, and became obsessed?

Any insight would be appreciated.

kaseysospacey

yeah binge eating then starving yourself is an eating disorder

kaseysospacey

You should probably see a doctor though not ask us.

blueboxgeek

It sounds like you are in a cycle of overeating and then undereating, which I guess is an unhealthy attitude to food.

You can always have a chat to your doctors and see what they say.

cherrylf

Sorry to say it sounds like an eating disorder. Actually it sounds like me about 15 years ago. Binging and starving, obsessing about how many calories a workout is going to give you. I talked to a therapist and still do every so often. Not the end of the world. But you should look into talking to someone.

Good luck.

AlwaysWanderer

Darn, it has never occurred to me

Laurenloveswaffles

Bingeing and restricting is an eating disorder.

HerbertNenenger

You are one extreme to the other and know no middle ground. So yes, there is a problem there. Your life shouldn't be all or nothing. Learning to moderate your diet and exercise would be helpful.

whovian67

yeah binge eating then starving yourself is an eating disorder

A good psychologist would probably be a good idea. sooner than later.

Who cares about any of the answers on this forum... it's your health and you need to take care of yourself.

AlwaysWanderer

You are one extreme to the other and know no middle ground. So yes, there is a problem there. Your life shouldn't be all or nothing. Learning to moderate your diet and exercise would be helpful.

Any tips on how to do that? I cannot imagine anything worse that admitting to my family I may have an eating disorder...
Need to try to sort it out.

cwolfman13

Definitely some disordered thinking going on..binging and then being super restrictive and then binging again is not normal behavior...nor is excessive exercise and then no exercise whatsoever. You have zero balance...it's one extreme or the other and that is disordered...I'm not going to go so far as to say it is full on ED, but definitely some disordered thinking and a pretty unhealthy relationship with food and fitness.

dammitjanet0161

But is it really out of the oridinary? If you're on MFP, you're suppossed to count calories, you're supposed to count calories burnt and then eat them back. Have I gone beyond normal, and became obsessed?

Is it really out of the ordinary? No, in the sense that that type of relationship with food and exercise is all too common, and I bet we all know someone who has these tendencies, as it can be an easy trap to fall into.

But yes, it is a disordered relationship with food, although as wolfman says above, maybe not a full-on ED. But if you think it's started to affect other areas of your life and is all-consuming, with feelings of guilt etc, it might be worth speaking to someone to help you get some perspective.

3laine75

You are one extreme to the other and know no middle ground. So yes, there is a problem there. Your life shouldn't be all or nothing. Learning to moderate your diet and exercise would be helpful.

Any tips on how to do that? I cannot imagine anything worse that admitting to my family I may have an eating disorder...
Need to try to sort it out.

Try setting MFP to maintainence or a very small deficit (like 250 or lose 0.5 lb a week) and see if you can stick to it for a few weeks then months etc. and when I say stick to it I mean HITTING your goal not being way under it. if you can deal with very small loses and not massive ones you might not be so inclined to binge and end up back at square one.

You might not actually binge now that you have noticed a pattern.

AlwaysWanderer

This is scary stuff...
I will definitely try hard to stop obsessing, as hard as it may be...

FindingAmy77

yeah binge eating then starving yourself is an eating disorder

i was thinking the same thing. mfp is a tool for your weight loss as a way to keep track of what you eat in an easy way. it is not something to encourage bad eating habits rather it promotes eating healthy. Read up on getting started forums and the guide to sexy pants. they are both on here. this takes consistency and trial and error. No starving or binging required. If you think you cant get out this cycle then seek help. :flowerforyou:

stephgas

if you've taken the NEDA quizzes and are concerned, i'd bring it up to your doctor. there's no reason to tell your family if you don't want to yet - unless you're under 18, some doctors may not treat you without parental consent.

NEDA's website has links to professionals in your area. if you call your health insurance company or go on their website, you can get a list of psychologists/therapists who accept your insurance. call and ask them if they work with disordered eating.

it took me years, decades really, to discover i had disordered eating, and am finally addressing it with a clinical psychologist who is helping me restructure how i interact with food and calories. so far, so good.

good luck - take care.

saiger14

Hi there!

I'm a long term eating disorder veteran and the only thing I can tell you is go talk to your doctor or to a nutritionist about it. As speaking from experience, if you're questioning your behaviors you need to talk to someone who knows more than we do and can safely and reasonably help you. Good luck!

oedipa_maas

This is scary stuff...
I will definitely try hard to stop obsessing, as hard as it may be...

I'm going to be very frank here. I had an eating disorder (bulimia, which involves binging and various ways to severely restrict) for decades. I tried hard to stop on my own. I couldn't. I'm sure there are those who could, but mostly, using your "will" won't help much, it will just lead to more cycling. Try this web site: anad.org.

I got free group treatment from them and found a cheap ED specialist too. Good luck.

Missfit35

Balance is the key. You should allow yourself one cheat day a week this way you eat what you're craving and after that day you get back on the horse and ride the diet train. There are many diets that allow one to eat the things they like and still lose weight. Portioning your food is also a prime key in this journey. Seeking professional help is probably a good idea your health is very important. Good Luck!

dmpizza

It really depends on how often you do all the things you describe and how accurately you see your body.

When people travel or during holidays, it's not hard to have a 3,000 to 5,000 calorie day.
Often during a work week, many smaller women eat very little.
It's not a bad idea to ask a professional.