It's time to examine your relationhip with food!

Amo_Angelus

Eating disorders arise from an unhealthy relationship with food. This can either be a pleasent relationship that encourages you to eat more, or an unpleasent one which causes you to eat less. This isn't to ay that everyone who puts weight on has a disorder, they could simply have a lifestyle change that they don't account for, but for those of you with disorders, the first step is to stand up and admit it, this is also the hardest step.

Please take a moment to examine why you are/were over weight. Why did you eat more than you could possibly burn? Why did you allow yourself to reach the point of clinical obesity? Pleasure? Did that salty snack or sugery titbit make you feel good? Of course it did, that's healthy, but did it make you feel so good that you needed it? That you craved it? That this post alone is making you rush out to the kitchen to get your hands on it? Stop. That is a disorder. That is not healthy and you need to examine why. Why have you developed such a dependant relationship on something that will kill you if you continue? Do you know the answer?

Now examine your diet. Have you come to terms with the problem? Tackled it head on? Are you eating enough? Look at your calorie count, the net calorie count. How often does it go under 1200? That is also a diorder, the other way. You have not dealt with the problem, you have simply decided that you no longer wish to be fat (yes, I said it). You have choen to diet, but your relationship with food hasn't really changed. You have simply fallen out. You are starving your body of nourishment, denying it the fuel it needs to function, starving yourself! You are anorexic. You are still eating, but you are still annorexic. Annorexia does not mean totally refusing to eat, it means eating so little that your body cannot function properly. However, you're still large? Who ever heard of a fat annorexic? All annorexics are fat...just ask them.

Think about what you're doing and why you're doing it? Why have you suddenly witched from three thousand plus calorie a day to around one thousand? Less? Why do you need to starve yourself? Eating less than 2000 will bring your weight down, slowly, healthily. Why do you need to have so big a defecit? It is not because it is healthy. It is not because you will look better (the faster you loose weight, the less time your body has to adjust, the less elasticity is there because you are eating less nutrients...you have baggy skin now). Why are you doing it? Is it because those numbers are small? Is it because you think it's an acheivement? Is it for the exact same reason you over ate? Is it because the lower those numbers, the better you feel? Just like the more snacks you ate, the better you feel? You're loosing weight, so it must be healthy right...

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/04_02/LaurenBailey5EN_468x398.jpg

Until you understand your relationship with food, you will not be beautiful. Not in your own eyes, and if you do reach it in other people, it will only be briefly until your diorder once again becomes apparent. Please, examine your reasons and examine your relationship with food.

This needs to be said and read judging by the ammount of threads a day appear with "I never eat more that 1200 calories a day, often going under" usually followed with "why aren't I loosing weight"

MrsGriffin67

Great post! Actually, for me, admitting I have a problem with food is the easy part. Its changing that relationship that is hardest for me. Everyday is a struggle but it is getting easier the longer I keep at it (I'm currently at 283 consecutive days on MFP). The best advice I can give is...KEEP AT IT, IT WILL HAPPEN! :happy:

BeckyNaron

I don't know you and I haven't seen any of your other posts so I don't really know what you normally post, but to me... this post came off a little condescending and unnecessary. I feel like you spend the entire post pointing the finger of blame at people for having a bad relationship with food and never offer up any kind of positive resolution, steps toward recovery, etc.

HoopFire5602

Great post! I do have one comment though...sometimes it isn't all about the food. I am diagnosed EDNOS...during very stressful/high anxiety times I tend to work out more and eat less as a control measure. When things start to spiral, I tend to grasp on to the things that I can actually control and they become my safe area. As long as I can perform my rituals and such, I feel calm, comforted.
I have gotten better about it, but I do falter when things get too chaotic.

AshleyLauren589

This is a really great post. I know that for me, I have always been all or nothing when it comes to my health and nutrition. Finding the balance that I know is possible where I eat right is what I'm really working on right now. Getting to 1200 calories a day and not 3000 once I cross that threshold... it can be difficult, but I know that's what I need to do.

Thanks for the post

kcook323

I agree, great post.

My answer is, I don't know the reason, yet, but I hope I find out one day.

kcook323

This is a really great post. I know that for me, I have always been all or nothing when it comes to my health and nutrition. Finding the balance that I know is possible where I eat right is what I'm really working on right now. Getting to 1200 calories a day and not 3000 once I cross that threshold... it can be difficult, but I know that's what I need to do.

Thanks for the post

All or nothing. That is me exactly!

Ramberta

This came off to me as rather preachy-- are you a nutritionist or psychologist?

Yes, I understand that my love of sugary foods is far more than it should be, but just because I get cravings doesn't mean I have a disorder. Humans intrinsically crave sugar, salt or fat, or a combination of the three, because subconsciously we still want those things to store up in our bodies for a time of need. It's how we evolved. Also, the more you have of something from those food groups, the more you'll want it. I had trouble with fast food for a while too, but I limited myself to twice a week, then once a week, then realized that I felt much better just not eating it at all except on rare occasions. But when I was eating it almost every day, I wanted it every day.

Am I justifying over-consuming those things? No, and that's why I try to deal with my cravings in a smart way (not keeping too many sweet things in the house, moderate portions, eating foods that are less calorie-dense so I can have more of it and feel more satisfied), but sometimes I really frigging want some chocolate.

And I'm sorry, but I don't think that means I have a disorder. I think this post was heavy-handed and largely unnecessary, seeing as a lot of people I've seen here are going about their weight loss journey in a smart way.

mandylooo

I don't know you and I haven't seen any of your other posts so I don't really know what you normally post, but to me... this post came off a little condescending and unnecessary. I feel like you spend the entire post pointing the finger of blame at people for having a bad relationship with food and never offer up any kind of positive resolution, steps toward recovery, etc.

This. Though it does just sound like it's copied from somewhere...the Daily Fail perhaps?

Ramberta

I felt exactly the same way, Becky. Plus they aren't even talking about themselves at all, for positive or negative. I don't see a point to preaching posts like this.

HoopFire5602

I felt exactly the same way, plus they aren't even talking about themselves at all, for positive or negative. I don't see a point to preaching posts like this.

I got kind of the same vibe, but didn't have the guts to say anything. Glad someone else did.

Amo_Angelus

I agree, great post.

My answer is, I don't know the reason, yet, but I hope I find out one day.

I hope you do too. It takes a lot of soul searching to be able to find your reasoning, and then it takes even more effort to admit that reason...even to yourself. But it's worth it if you do.

withchaco

While I agree that severe undereating is unhealthy and is not the right way to lose weight...

Why do you need to starve yourself? Eating less than 2000 will bring your weight down, slowly, healthily.

I WISH I could lose weight by sticking to 1600-1800 net! Sadly (oh so sadly) my maintenance calories are less than 1550, thanks to my short stature. This is the first time in my life I wished I was taller.

Everyone is different...