Can you have an eating disorder and be over weight?

Sarahr73

To everyone who is saying she needs at least 1200 calories, you do realize she is saying she eats 800 KILOcalories, right? 1 kilocalories is 1000 calories.

So, OP, do you really eat 8000 calories in a day? Just wondering so we can get a better idea of what people are saying about you in terms of an eating disorder.

Sarahr73

To everyone who is saying she needs at least 1200 calories, you do realize she is saying she eats 800 KILOcalories, right? 1 kilocalories is 1000 calories.

So, OP, do you really eat 8000 calories in a day? Just wondering so we can get a better idea of what people are saying about you in terms of an eating disorder.

Sorry, I meant 800,000 calories.

LindseyAlyssa

Like everyone else is saying, eating disorders are mental, not physical.
They just have physical repercussions as well.
I used to throw up a lot of my food when I was younger, and though I stopped that,
I didn't count out what I was eating to make sure I was getting enough.
I ended up gaining upwards of 30 pounds because I was unintentionally starving my body by only eating 500 or so calories a day.

Now that I've joined this site I still fight to reach, and surpass my calorie goal and make sure I eat those calories back that I burn.
Lord knows my body needs the extra nutrition.

Mindful_Trent

I have been to the drs several times and he just gives me xenical (which I don't fake as it makes me have my period every other week) and tells me to eat less. I told him what I ate and he said I was obviously not being honest about what I eat

Not sure if the doctor you are referring to is a medical doctor or a mental health professional - I was referring to the latter... so you can address the mental/emotional aspects of this journey moreso than the physical. If you are talking about a mental health professional, then you should find a new therapist, as that one doesn't sound like a good fit. It doesn't even have to be a therapist who can prescribe medication - I see a licensed clinical social worker and the therapy has been a great experience for me... you just have to find someone you "click" with.

Mindful_Trent

To everyone who is saying she needs at least 1200 calories, you do realize she is saying she eats 800 KILOcalories, right? 1 kilocalories is 1000 calories.

So, OP, do you really eat 8000 calories in a day? Just wondering so we can get a better idea of what people are saying about you in terms of an eating disorder.

Sorry, but you're wrong. A kcal is the same thing as a calorie.

ladyhawk00

To everyone who is saying she needs at least 1200 calories, you do realize she is saying she eats 800 KILOcalories, right? 1 kilocalories is 1000 calories.

So, OP, do you really eat 8000 calories in a day? Just wondering so we can get a better idea of what people are saying about you in terms of an eating disorder.

Sorry, I meant 800,000 calories.

kcal and cal are interchangeable - kcal is just a more precise term. She means 800 cals/kcals (same thing).

bjberry

I agree, 1200 is the minimum you should eat most of the time, and you are eating less than that, plus you need toeat back some of the exercise calories.
Concerning chocolate: I love chocolate. I eat healthily, but always have room for the little 42-calorie Hersheys chocolate candies (1 or 2) per day. Just try not to have a whole bagful available!
I hear a lot of stress in your description of yourself. Stress is not good during weight loss. Use your exercising to release your stress, learn breathing techniques to reduce stress, and (I have heard that) sex is a good stress reducer!
Please drink lots of water to rinse away all the toxins that build up from foods and protiens. Hugs, BJB
:drinker: (lots of water)

T0RIEELIZABETH

Add me as a friend Maybe we can help get you back on track.

if you search around the boards, there are threads about eating less than 1200 calories, how your body goes into starvation mode, holding on to everything you eat, and making it even harder to lose weight.

cisforlisa

@Sarahr73 kilocalories are what we commonly refer to as calories. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilocalorie

KarenLouise1981

An eating disorder is based on your relationship with food - whether you over eat, under eat, binge or purge makes no difference. it is literally disordered eating. 800cal is unhealthy for your body - it will take the energy it needs from muscles and will store every ounce of food you eat in your fat cells incase you start starving to death. The end result will be a "skinny fat" body were you have no muscle, jut fat. The very minimum the body needs is 1200cals to function without you feeling the side effects (tiredness, anemia, missed TOM, mental confusion etc). If you are eating so little and still punishing yourself over little things like chocolate (girls best friend dont forget!) than I would agree with others on this page and have a chat wih someone - even if it is just getting those cals up to a healthy range with some good nutrition advice.

On a personal note, I have a friend exactly the same and not only is she incredibly difficult to be around (I cant eat this or that, oh my goodness I have had 4 protein shakes today AND a sandwich!) but it breaks my heart and is very draining emotionally. If you can't do itt for yourself - do it for those around you who care.

Good luck xx

JPayne53

In the past, I have actually been diagnosed with an eating disorder (about 6 years ago).. I was overweight according to all BMI charts.. I was 5'1" and weight 155 lbs. (obese for my height), because of this I found myself avoiding food, obsessive exercising, and focusing my whole life around what to eat and what NOT to eat, after ending up in the hospital something had to change... MFP has actually helped me focus on the healthy part of living rather than obsessing over a weight problem. I am still 5' 1" currently at.. 150 lbs!! But, I can proudly say BMI charts are crap... it's a comparison of height and weight ratios a doctor uses as a "reference" not an exact measure... muscle vs. fat is a completely different issue... I am a certified nutritionist and personal trainer now.. and as someone who has had personal experience with an eating disorder, I would love to help and motivate or answer any questions you would like an opinion on.

MrsCon40

To everyone who is saying she needs at least 1200 calories, you do realize she is saying she eats 800 KILOcalories, right? 1 kilocalories is 1000 calories.

So, OP, do you really eat 8000 calories in a day? Just wondering so we can get a better idea of what people are saying about you in terms of an eating disorder.

That's not true. What we consider a calorie in terms of food is actually a kilocalorie.

* The small calorie or gram calorie (symbol: cal)[2] approximates the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 °C. This is about 4.2 joules.

* The large calorie, kilogram calorie, dietary calorie or food calorie (symbol: Cal)[2] approximates the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 °C. This is exactly 1000 small calories or about 4.2 kilojoules.

Sarahr73

@Sarahr73 kilocalories are what we commonly refer to as calories. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilocalorie

I had read a different article before and it said something different. But this one makes more sense. Sorry about that.

1234lbsgone

Actually most people with eating disorders ARE overweight. Anorexia is not the only eating disorder. Bulimia (binge/purge) usually causes weight gain, as does binge eating disorder, and many obese people have some form of eating disorder. Disordered eating is about the mental processes and relationships with food and body image. Lack of eating, bingeing, purging and other things are just SYMPTOMS of disordered eating.

If you suspect you may have or are beginning to develop an eating disorder, please look for resources that can help.

1-800-931-2237
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help-today/

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THIS!!!

Yes you can. I was Anorexic at 98lbs and still anorexic at 200lbs.... and now a healthy weight of 130, I'm still anorexic. It is a disease, not a look. And take it from me, the sooner you get help, the sooner you will like how you look. It's not something you can control on your own, it can be very dangerous. Think about those walks with your kids. One day, you may pass out. Your body can only take so much before it starts fighting back. Please take the advice of the poster that I quoted. The reference she gave is a fantastic organization.

myofibril

@Sarahr73 kilocalories are what we commonly refer to as calories. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilocalorie

I had read a different article before and it said something different. But this one makes more sense. Sorry about that.

Actually, you were technically right. On a scientific basis a calorie is such a small unit of energy that in dietary / nutritional circles units of energy are shown in kcals for ease of reference eg 1,000 calories per kcal.

However, you can pretty much be sure that when anyone on here talks about calories they are actually talking about kcal values...

moonay

I discussed this issue with dieticians at the obesity clinic and they referred me to a few articles in regards to not eating 1200 calories a day and the starvation myth.

Take a read of this: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1574882/starvation_mode_dispelling_the_myths.html?cat=5

Weightwatchers also did a similar article but I can't find it on the net. It was in their magazine.

The dieticians told me that if your body wasn't receiving enough calories you would feel it, firstly you would feel hunger but mainly you would feel lightheaded and dizzy the majority of the time. If you aren't hungry and you aren't feeling lightheaded or any other side effect then 800calories works for your body. Don't forget everyone is different and our bodies all need different things, It is actually worse for you to eat if you aren't hungry just to hit 1200 calories than it is to stick to the 800 if that is what fills you up.

If you feel bad after you eat anything that isn't a salad then you should seek out a counsellor or similar to talk that through as that could stem into a serious problem psychologically.

If you want to read anymore articles on the starvation myth then let me know, I have loads of links.

1234lbsgone

I discussed this issue with dieticians at the obesity clinic and they referred me to a few articles in regards to not eating 1200 calories a day and the starvation myth.

Take a read of this: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1574882/starvation_mode_dispelling_the_myths.html?cat=5

Weightwatchers also did a similar article but I can't find it on the net. It was in their magazine.

The dieticians told me that if your body wasn't receiving enough calories you would feel it, firstly you would feel hunger but mainly you would feel lightheaded and dizzy the majority of the time. If you aren't hungry and you aren't feeling lightheaded or any other side effect then 800calories works for your body. Don't forget everyone is different and our bodies all need different things, It is actually worse for you to eat if you aren't hungry just to hit 1200 calories than it is to stick to the 800 if that is what fills you up.

If you feel bad after you eat anything that isn't a salad then you should seek out a counsellor or similar to talk that through as that could stem into a serious problem psychologically.

If you want to read anymore articles on the starvation myth then let me know, I have loads of links.

We are talking about eating disorders here. As a lifelong anorexic, I promise you there are NO feelings of hunger and an anorexic will not give in to feeling lightheaded or dizzy untill they actually pass out. Even then, they will stay in denial. This is a serious topic, please be careful telling someone that 800 cals is working for their body without fulling considering the consequences. Eating disorders are very serious and you cannot relay general information when it comes to EDs. Not only is it completely wrong, but you risk playing with that persons mind and telling them that what they are doing to their body is just fine. It is NOT! She is a mother, she needs to be healthy for her kids, but more importantly for herself.

ladyhawk00

I discussed this issue with dieticians at the obesity clinic and they referred me to a few articles in regards to not eating 1200 calories a day and the starvation myth.

Take a read of this: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1574882/starvation_mode_dispelling_the_myths.html?cat=5

Weightwatchers also did a similar article but I can't find it on the net. It was in their magazine.

The dieticians told me that if your body wasn't receiving enough calories you would feel it, firstly you would feel hunger but mainly you would feel lightheaded and dizzy the majority of the time. If you aren't hungry and you aren't feeling lightheaded or any other side effect then 800calories works for your body. Don't forget everyone is different and our bodies all need different things, It is actually worse for you to eat if you aren't hungry just to hit 1200 calories than it is to stick to the 800 if that is what fills you up.

If you feel bad after you eat anything that isn't a salad then you should seek out a counsellor or similar to talk that through as that could stem into a serious problem psychologically.

If you want to read anymore articles on the starvation myth then let me know, I have loads of links.

Quite untrue. I have been, and know many others, IN starvation mode and you usually DON'T feel hungry, have lightheadedness or any other physical symptoms for quite some time. Unfortunately, many "obesity clinics" are merely scams selling diets and diet products. A qualified (and ethical) dietitian is well aware of the risks of LCD/VLCD and would never suggest that just ANYONE can eat 800 cals a day and be "fine".

Here are just SOME of the actual scientific studies addressing LCD/VLCD and adaptive thermogenesis (starvation mode):

The following describe the various risks inherent in LCDs and VLCDs (eating below BMR, typically), especially without supervision of a doctor and dietician. And these are mostly for obese/morbidly obese people - The dangers for a relatively lean person can be far higher.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8777329&dopt=AbstractPlus

http://www.ajcn.org/content/47/6/981.full.pdf+html

http://www.ajcn.org/content/56/1/230S.full.pdf+html

http://www.ajcn.org/content/39/5/695.full.pdf

http://www.springerlink.com/content/vl488623pn1q0219/


Long-Term Weight Patterns and Risk for Cholecystectomy in Women
Background: Obesity and rapid weight loss in obese persons are known risk factors for gallstones. However, the effect of intentional, long-term, moderate weight changes on the risk for gallstones is unclear.

Objective: To study long-term weight patterns in a cohort of women and to examine the relation between weight pattern and risk for cholecystectomy.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: 11 U.S. states.

Participants: 47 153 female registered nurses who did not undergo cholecystectomy before 1988.

Measurements: Cholecystectomy between 1988 and 1994 (ascertained by patient self-report).

Results: During the exposure period (1972 to 1988), there was evidence of substantial variation in weight due to intentional weight loss during adulthood. Among cohort patients, 54.9% reported weight cycling with at least one episode of intentional weight loss associated with regain. Of the total cohort, 20.1% were light cyclers (5 to 9 lb of weight loss and gain), 18.8% were moderate cyclers (10 to 19 lb of weight loss and gain), and 16.0% were severe cyclers (≥ 20 lb of weight loss and gain). Net weight gain without cycling occurred in 29.3% of women; net weight loss without cycling was the least common pattern (4.6%). Only 11.1% of the cohort maintained weight within 5 lb over the 16-year period. In the study, 1751 women had undergone cholecystectomy between 1988 and 1994. Compared with weight maintainers, the relative risk for cholecystectomy (adjusted for body mass index, age, alcohol intake, fat intake, and smoking) was 1.20 (95% CI, 0.96 to 1.50) among light cyclers, 1.31 among moderate cyclers (CI, 1.05 to 1.64), and 1.68 among severe cyclers (CI, 1.34 to 2.10).

Conclusion: Weight cycling was highly prevalent in this large cohort of middle-aged women. The risk for cholecystectomy associated with weight cycling was substantial, independent of attained relative body weight.
http://www.annals.org/content/130/6/471.full

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v22/n6/pdf/0800634a.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8696424?dopt=Citation

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7489033&dopt=Citation

http://www.springerlink.com/content/t462u540t7151722/

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0689/is_n3_v41/ai_17516395/

http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/18/6/620?ck=nck

http://www.ajcn.org/content/53/4/826.full.pdf+html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2341229&dopt=Citation

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2613433?dopt=Abstract

http://www.ajcn.org/content/49/1/93.full.pdf+html

http://www.ajcn.org/content/45/2/391.full.pdf+html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6694559&dopt=AbstractPlus

http://www.ajcn.org/content/57/2/127.full.pdf

http://www.ajcn.org/content/51/2/167.abstract?ck=nck

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v32/n3/abs/0803720a.html

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/low_calorie.htm

ladyhawk00

Take a read of this: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1574882/starvation_mode_dispelling_the_myths.html?cat=5

BTW, this is essentially a blog, written by a random person on the internet with NO academic, nutritional or any other kind of stated credentials.