Thoughts on Pro-Anorexia Diets

dad106

Maybe those people overate yesterday and want to make up for it today.

If someone overate yesterday, then they should go back to eating normally today. That binge/under eat behavior to make up for it, is a sign of a eating disorder and is not healthy.

Hambone23

The plan my doctor has me following starts at a base of 1000 calories per day. I exercise 5 days a week (mostly cardio right now) and burn about 400-500 per day, and I am to eat back about half of those calories. I drink a lot of water. The foods I eat are (ideally) lean proteins, lots of green veggies, and a limited amount of fruit due to sugar concerns, and at least one daily cup of coffee. I've been doing this for 11 weeks and have never felt like I was starving. I take a good combo of vitamins and amino acids, I get quality sleep, and I really haven't felt this good in years. I go to the doctor once a week for a BP check, weigh in, and consultation. My weight loss has been steady and sustainable thus far. Do I think this particular calorie plan would work for everyone? No...but it works for me. To each her (or his) own. Best wishes to all.

I think the difference here is that you're doing this under the supervision of your doctor. Kudos to you.

rml_16

Maybe those people overate yesterday and want to make up for it today.

If someone overate yesterday, then they should go back to eating normally today. That binge/under eat behavior to make up for it, is a sign of a eating disorder and is not healthy.

Or that person is just not as hungry on the day after overeating. If I eat a lot one day, I can generally go until mid-afternoon the next day without feeling even slightly hungry.

Also, many people on this site purposely cycle calories, so they eat high one day and low the next because they think it helps their metabolism and I think some do it to bulk up without gaining fat.

ExistingAsAMemory

respect to you for coming out the other side, i hope that everything works out for you:flowerforyou:

Thank you! I hope so too

plantgrrl

I had a friend request yesterday.. I looked and read her status' and threads. I was completely shocked to see she was a young girl (18) living at home asking others advise on fasting and how she could hide a 10day fast from her parents! The replies consisted of taking an apple to the room where her parents were, taking a bite, then going back to the kitchen and spitting it out. She and others seemed to be in competition on how few cals they could survive on and her diary was no more than 400 cals a day.

I also saw others who had tried to help her and had to defriend her as she was not listening to any of their advise. After this I thought , as a fitness website the 'owners' need to hold some responsibility here to help this young girl. If only there was a help button others could press where MFP can offer support.

so yes it is a great site for those who wish to be healthy/ fit / wanting to lose weight / build muscle /
but can be very dangerous for those with eating disorders..............

This is sad about this girl. But I think it's REALLY important to note that it is NOT MFPs job to regulate how we the consumer of this free service use the service. Some days I don't log, does that mean I didn't eat? No. I just didn't log. It is not, nor should it ever be the job of the person providing the service to "fix" this anorexic little girl. And if she completes her journal under 1200 (not net...but consumed) it will warn her she's projected to lose weight at a greater then healthy rate. We live in such a litigious society that I REALLY don't like it when people say that it's someone elses job to make sure this girl doesn't kill herself--where are her friends and parents??! NOT MFPs job. If people sued over s*** like that, there would be no more free diet websites, like this and SparkPeople. A fat, fat worked of calories reference websites and me not maintaining a paper journal.

Fit4_Life

10 months on a 1,000 daily calorie here!! Woot!! AND...it's been a working progress.
And all my "functions" are working just FINE!

jkleon86

A good friend of mine can be very successful at dropping the weight for special events. but for 8 years I have watched her go up and up then down down any more though when she starts to make some head way ends up in the hospital with health issues and I wondered if it was related then I found out that when she get serious she goes to curves all the time and eats around ONLY 800 calories a day. I tried to talk to her and she just blows me off because she "knows what works for her":ohwell: I am working to lose my weight in a health way to keep it off , I guess some people you can't tell them anything so just live what you believe and be a example :happy:

Timkoetta

I had a friend request yesterday.. I looked and read her status' and threads. I was completely shocked to see she was a young girl (18) living at home asking others advise on fasting and how she could hide a 10day fast from her parents! The replies consisted of taking an apple to the room where her parents were, taking a bite, then going back to the kitchen and spitting it out. She and others seemed to be in competition on how few cals they could survive on and her diary was no more than 400 cals a day.

I also saw others who had tried to help her and had to defriend her as she was not listening to any of their advise. After this I thought , as a fitness website the 'owners' need to hold some responsibility here to help this young girl. If only there was a help button others could press where MFP can offer support.

so yes it is a great site for those who wish to be healthy/ fit / wanting to lose weight / build muscle /
but can be very dangerous for those with eating disorders..............

It's not the owners responsibility. Their job is to provide the site and tools we need, They can not make the girl eat or get help no more than the others could. People are free to eat as much or as little as they want.

ExistingAsAMemory

10 months on a 1,000 daily calorie here!! Woot!! AND...it's been a working progress.
And all my "functions" are working just FINE!

There, she's said it all. Bodies are different. A person that needs 1000 calories a day is definitely NOT the same as someone who requires 1500 to feel human and those who need around 2500 to gain weight, such as people with an ED or recovering from an illness. Everyone's different, and we shouldn't try to fit ourselves into one narrow category.

I also think everyone should consult a professional about their recommended daily calories, so they don't end up consuming too much, leading too obesity, or too little, leading to illness and EDs.

P.S. All figures noted here are just examples.

dad106

Maybe those people overate yesterday and want to make up for it today.

If someone overate yesterday, then they should go back to eating normally today. That binge/under eat behavior to make up for it, is a sign of a eating disorder and is not healthy.

Or that person is just not as hungry on the day after overeating. If I eat a lot one day, I can generally go until mid-afternoon the next day without feeling even slightly hungry.

Also, many people on this site purposely cycle calories, so they eat high one day and low the next because they think it helps their metabolism and I think some do it to bulk up without gaining fat.

You and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this one my friend.

When I hear the term "make up for it" concerning overeating, my psychology side tends to think that they mean oh I binge one day so I don't eat anything the next day or I exercise a ton to offset the binge.

If you are just not as hungry the day after overeating or are calorie cycling, then thats a different story.

Hambone23

You can't eat enough vitamin D, need to be out in the sun or taking a supplement.

Bzzzt. Wrong. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

TheWinman

excellent post!

rml_16

Maybe those people overate yesterday and want to make up for it today.

If someone overate yesterday, then they should go back to eating normally today. That binge/under eat behavior to make up for it, is a sign of a eating disorder and is not healthy.

Or that person is just not as hungry on the day after overeating. If I eat a lot one day, I can generally go until mid-afternoon the next day without feeling even slightly hungry.

Also, many people on this site purposely cycle calories, so they eat high one day and low the next because they think it helps their metabolism and I think some do it to bulk up without gaining fat.

You and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this one my friend.

When I hear the term "make up for it" concerning overeating, my psychology side tends to think that they mean oh I binge one day so I don't eat anything the next day or I exercise a ton to offset the binge.

If you are just not as hungry the day after overeating or are calorie cycling, then thats a different story.

But the example stated was only conjecture on the poster's side. She didn't KNOW why people did it. She guessed.

I also think, if you're "making up for it" on a regular basis, it's a problem. But if you do it every once in a while because you wanted to indulge at a party or a restaurant and it isn't a regular thing, that's OK.

I very successfully followed Weight Watchers for a while and that's even built into the program. You have a set number of minimum daily points (mine was 20) that you're not supposed to eat below, but you have (at the time, anyway) 35 weekly points and whatever exercise points you earned to use at any time during the week. So, you could have a night where you just indulged to your heart's content and used all those weekly and AP points and then the next day you would eat at your 20 points (or whatever).

It works very well and helps you get an idea of how to balance your diet throughout a week.

roachhaley

Maybe those people overate yesterday and want to make up for it today.

If someone overate yesterday, then they should go back to eating normally today. That binge/under eat behavior to make up for it, is a sign of a eating disorder and is not healthy.

Or that person is just not as hungry on the day after overeating. If I eat a lot one day, I can generally go until mid-afternoon the next day without feeling even slightly hungry.

Also, many people on this site purposely cycle calories, so they eat high one day and low the next because they think it helps their metabolism and I think some do it to bulk up without gaining fat.

You and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this one my friend.

When I hear the term "make up for it" concerning overeating, my psychology side tends to think that they mean oh I binge one day so I don't eat anything the next day or I exercise a ton to offset the binge.

If you are just not as hungry the day after overeating or are calorie cycling, then thats a different story.

Not really. My "overeating" is actually just situations where I couldn't get out of eating a high calorie food (for instance if someone cooks for me. I find it rude to not accept what they give me, and sometimes even the smallest portion can add up). I have actually never binged before. I've made a bad food choice, maybe, where I should have had something healthier or nothing at all, but I've never had a proper "eat until i'm sick, 1000 calories over my goal" binge.

skinnieminniemouse

Can you define "starvation" please, as used in this sentence.

I am not in favour of anorexia or extreme diets, but I am even less in favour of junk science.

While I agree that the term "starvation mode" is misused and falls in the alarmist category but you are kind of being a dick about it.

Agreed :]

inktink

UGH. Why are there SO MANY of these kind of threads??

"I dont understand why people can't just eat their calories"
"Why do people starve themselves"
"People who dont eat 1200 calories a day are destroying their bodies"

etc etc etc

Maybe those people have an eating disorder. Maybe those people dont actually NEED 1200 calories. Maybe those people overate yesterday and want to make up for it today.

It's really none of your business and if it bugs you so much dont look at their food diary and don't talk to them about what they eat.

Does my mere existence bother you that much? Does the fact that I eat under 1000 calories a day just grind your gears SO much that you need to point me out and analyze me and ask questions about me? I don't go around asking how people can eat over their calorie goal.

I'm just so sick of this. LET PEOPLE EAT WHATEVER THE **** THEY WANT.

THIS. I have issues with appetite due to medication and sometimes struggle to hit my calorie goal - I don't think I'm following a "diet", and if I'm getting a good amount of protein, fat and nutrients in, does it matter if I'm a few calories below goal?

Also the term "pro-anorexia diets" makes me feel really uncomfortable - anorexia is not a diet, it's a MENTAL ILLNESS that manifests itself in the control of food intake. You can't just follow an "anorexia diet" until you're skinny and that's it - you'll end up either mentally ill, binging, or gaining all the weight back.

As a recovered bulimic, posts like this really anger me. Why the hell is it anyone's business what issues anyone else is suffering through? Yes, you eat all your exercise calories and believe eating under X number of calories = death, good for you, no need to evangelise about it. Have you never considered that these suffering girls may or may not be mentally ill and UNABLE to eat more? Condescendingly judging them will get you nowhere. Live and LET LIVE.

Yeah, the "anorexia diet" stuff makes me mad as well. A diet is something you have control over. I don't have control over the way I feel about food.

Also, I usually hit my goals as far as nutrients as well. I actually developed healthier eating habits when I was in the worst part of my ED (because I needed to make every calorie count), and so now when I more than I used to, I eat healthier food than I did a few years ago when I hit 1200 every day.

To me the "anorexia diet" part was more in relation to the fact that that's how ED starts for some people. When I was in high school almost all of my friends turned to ED to control their weight. One girl lost all of her weight by being anorexic, and through observation another friend realized what she did and jumped on the bandwagon. Were they all mentally ill? Yes. Did they do it intentionally to begin with? Yes. Did they then get sucked into something they could not control? Yes.

My point is it may not be a choice once you're in it but it can very well be a "choice" in the beginning. No one is arguing that ED is a mental disorder. What the OP seems to have been upset about is the people who glamorize ED.

Saruman_w

UGH. Why are there SO MANY of these kind of threads??

"I dont understand why people can't just eat their calories"
"Why do people starve themselves"
"People who dont eat 1200 calories a day are destroying their bodies"

etc etc etc

Maybe those people have an eating disorder. Maybe those people dont actually NEED 1200 calories. Maybe those people overate yesterday and want to make up for it today.

It's really none of your business and if it bugs you so much dont look at their food diary and don't talk to them about what they eat.

Does my mere existence bother you that much? Does the fact that I eat under 1000 calories a day just grind your gears SO much that you need to point me out and analyze me and ask questions about me? I don't go around asking how people can eat over their calorie goal.

I'm just so sick of this. LET PEOPLE EAT WHATEVER THE **** THEY WANT.

Normally because alot of these very same people end up making threads complaining about not being able to lose weight, etc. and refuse to believe that their maintained low calorie intake could be the cause of it. Also.. below 1000 a day? Goodness. You must be reeeally short or do no exercise at all in order to sustain yourself on so little food.

KarinFit4Life

The Topic: Thoughts on Pro-Anorexia Diets....

My oldest child (daughter) is now 12 years old. She's become a bit obsessed with being "thin" lately. I find myself watching her like a hawk now to make sure she actually eats and eat healthy. I'm scared sh&tless that she will harm her body by starving and developing a ED. I'm her mom....what do you expect? I'll harm myself before I'll watch her being caused harm, by her own means or by anothers.

So, I went and researched it - the whole Pro-Ana and ED subjects. I was shocked senseless. And ended up being even more afraid for her.
I will and am educating her on the very heartbreaking reality of these so called "diets". I will continue doing so and will educate her in doing it RIGHT. Eating enough, and most importantly - Healthy.

Those of you that comment on "See...she does it with only 800 or 1000 or 1100 calories a day!!"..... If its done under Dr's. care, yes, its safe. Mostly, see me saying mostly, the person losing healthily and safely on that is an obese person that can do it like that. The closer you get to goal weight though, the harder it will be sustaining and keep on being healthy on that amount of calories. Especially if you are exercising and your GOAL is life long health. Short term weight loss is easy if you starve. Its stupid as well.

Why the hell would you want to eat only a little bit for the rest of your life if you can eat quite a lot - healthy food with the occasional treat in there. And dont tell me you cant help how you feel about food...you can if you get the help you need.

Anyway.....I thought I'd share this bit of shocking, disgusting and vile advice from a so called human being that thinks its fine telling the kids and young adults of today that THIS is the way to live your life... (found this while doing my research for my daughter on Pro-Ana):

docktorfokse

just to make sure we're all clear, extreme diet =/= anorexia

roachhaley

UGH. Why are there SO MANY of these kind of threads??

"I dont understand why people can't just eat their calories"
"Why do people starve themselves"
"People who dont eat 1200 calories a day are destroying their bodies"

etc etc etc

Maybe those people have an eating disorder. Maybe those people dont actually NEED 1200 calories. Maybe those people overate yesterday and want to make up for it today.

It's really none of your business and if it bugs you so much dont look at their food diary and don't talk to them about what they eat.

Does my mere existence bother you that much? Does the fact that I eat under 1000 calories a day just grind your gears SO much that you need to point me out and analyze me and ask questions about me? I don't go around asking how people can eat over their calorie goal.

I'm just so sick of this. LET PEOPLE EAT WHATEVER THE **** THEY WANT.

Normally because alot of these very same people end up making threads complaining about not being able to lose weight, etc. and refuse to believe that their maintained low calorie intake could be the cause of it. Also.. below 1000 a day? Goodness. You must be reeeally short or do no exercise at all in order to sustain yourself on so little food.

Oh, well I've never had a problem losing weight, so meh. I'm fairly short and also fairly sedentary so... yeah. Obviously if I were exerting myself tons I'd eat more.

However, I believe the people not losing weight are underestimating either their food or their calories burned. It simply defies the law of conservation of mass to not lose weight on a high enough deficit. Your metabolism DOES slow down, but not enough to halt weight loss completely (see: law of conservation of mass). Also, some anorexic people (and I mean severely underweight) can still burn up to 1,200 calories a day.