How do you know when you have developed an eating disorder?

Alyjacck

I hope this doesn't come across as seeking attention. I just want to hear from people who may have been through what I'm going through or maybe have advice?

I have seen someone close to me lose a crazy amount of weight eating very low calorie in a month.. 40 pounds. Its now the same diet I keep trying to emulate ever time I want to lose weight.

Does anyone else have a hard time eating their full amount of calories?
How did you over come the urge to eat only a little?
Thanks.

SlimMe37

Over the past few years it has crossed my mind that how I think of food could lead to an ED. but so far it hasnt. Five years ago I needed to lose a lot of weight. I didnt calorie count but changed higher calorie foods with lower calorie foods. Thinking back I'm sure I at too little and I exercised a lot! I lost around 33 lbs in around two months. Once I had done that, I started eating more although I don't remember the ins and outs of that. But I got crazy obsessive with food. The first week I lost 6 pounds!

Since then I gained half the weight back so now I'm on here calorie counting. I don't know if I can calorie count for the rest of my life but I, going to try do whatever is best for me so that I don't regain all my hard work. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do once I reach goal and have to eat more to maintain. I expect a lot of people will struggle with this, especially if they're losing lots of weight. To change your eating habits again to maintain is frankly worrying me!

loseah

The first time I started taking notice of the amount of calories I was eating and decided to lose weight, I developed an eating disorder - I had anorexia for a year and didn't know it, but everyone else around me did. Because your perception of what is normal or healthy to be eating/exercising etc when you have an ED is warped, you often can't tell. So if you have any doubt, you should see a doctor about it.
I didn't get better until I had someone else monitoring what I was eating, and forcing me to eat enough. I was in my teens though, so my parents were able to sit down with me at every single meal and snack time and not let me leave until I ate. It is possible to eat more on your own, you have to focus on shifting your perception of what is a 'good' amount to eat.

Hell_Flower

When you have an inate fear of gaining weight. Of having lists and and lists of "safe" and "fear foods". When you drop a lot of weight fairly quickly.

When food and calories consume your waking thoughts. When you can "feel" the fat from foods adding girth to your body. Over exercise. Laxative over use. Becoming reclusive in case any one sees you eat. Becoming reclusive in case some one offers you food. Self hatred and guilt when you eat anything that didn't stick to a "plan" that you made for yourself for that day.

When it changes your personality and starts to define what you think and clouds what you are.

An eating disorder is rarely simply about following a very low calorie diet. If you are in any doubt, then seek help, any positive help, before you go into a full blown ED. You seem to have a lot of self-awareness which is a major step in not letting an ED define you.xx

AlanaTedmon

If you start developing an over-dependency on laxatives, if you are bulemic or if you rely really heavily on any kind of substances to monitor your appetite, those seem like pretty safe symptoms that you can attribute to a real eating disorder.

I think everyone on this site probably plans and thinks out their meals in a way that might seem kind of obsessive; it's sort of the idea of the program to help you keep tabs on your food intake. It doesn't mean you have an eating disorder if you just count calories.

keefmac

There's a big difference between mindful eating/ portion control and an eating disorder. Obviously at the start of a diet you will be thinking a lot about what food you can eat, and how much. As time goes on you should settle down.

Just remember it's a life change rather than a few months of crash dieting..

Alyjacck

Your responses were very insightful. I think its probably a fine line between counting calories and going overboard sometimes. Thank you:)

Shirotora88

For me its hard to maintain 1000 calories, Always want to go under, but that said I don't consider myself to have an eating disorder its just hard to eat the calories needed without going over fat, salt and carbs.

. Once I convert to vegetarianism calories will be easy to find

Alyjacck

For me its hard to maintain 1000 calories, Always want to go under, but that said I don't consider myself to have an eating disorder its just hard to eat the calories needed without going over fat, salt and carbs.

. Once I convert to vegetarianism calories will be easy to find

I am having this struggle too its because I want to see the scale move faster but its easier to gain weight back that way I noticed.

diannethegeek

I'm just going to leave this link here. It has a lot of good support tools to start with: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support

Shirotora88

For me its hard to maintain 1000 calories, Always want to go under, but that said I don't consider myself to have an eating disorder its just hard to eat the calories needed without going over fat, salt and carbs.

. Once I convert to vegetarianism calories will be easy to find

I am having this struggle too its because I want to see the scale move faster but its easier to gain weight back that way I noticed.

From my research and weight loss goals all say I'm not in starvation mode. I'm losing 2 pounds a week. SO far I have lost 119lbs and MFP says I'm allowed to eat 1200 calories only

. I maintained my weight at 215 for a while I left MFP and didn't gain any extra weight. just came back 15 days ago because I want to now reach my goal weight

now I'm 211lbs I check my weight again October 2nd.

DMRinehardt

ED's are not a dieting issue, it is a control issue. Usually, the person with an ED realizes that he/she can control at least this ONE thing in an otherwise out-of-control life.

As posted above, those with an ED don't necessarily see it for themselves, but others do. More so in anorexia. They look in the mirror and still see a fat person, even when they are really skin and bones. I think bulimics know that they have the ED, but have chosen this method.

There Is definitely a difference between obsession and focus.