Fasting for weight loss vs. anorexia

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sabusby
sabusby Posts: 78 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Forgive my ignorance, but I fail to see the difference.

For someone with an ED (in year 9 of recovery) I'm not sure what the difference is. Aren't you both doing it to lose weight? Is anorexia just fasting taken too far?

Discuss!
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Replies

  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    Kind of agree.

    For the most part (with the exception of IF) fasting is ridiculous.


    I guess you're trying to figure out at what point it becomes an ED? I think anytime you completely obssess about it and/or it causes negative effects to your health, it becomes some type of disorder.

    Just my 2 cents.
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    Thanks for the reply!

    I am, in a way, attempting to construct a 'definition' of sorts.
  • JayByrd107
    JayByrd107 Posts: 282 Member
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    I do intermittent fasting on a daily basis. I eat during an 8 hour window and when I do eat, I consume my daily calorie allowance. I am quite, quite far from being anorexic. From what I understand, when anorexics eat, it is too little, too infrequently.
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    I understand. Your fasting is regular...like most people who fast overnight.

    I guess I should be more specific and say that when you don't consume your caloric/micro/macro needs for extended periods of time.
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
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    Well fasting for weight loss can mean eliminating certain foods from your diet for a period of time. It doesn't have to mean going without food completely. Eating only fruits and vegetables for a month is technically a fast. I do get how if taken too far it can be the same as anorexia, but it doesn't have to be.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    I understand. Your fasting is regular...like most people who fast overnight.

    I guess I should be more specific and say that when you don't consume your caloric/micro/macro needs for extended periods of time.

    There is definitely a fine line between anorexia and athletes who cut weight for sports and your average gym goers who want to be leaner.

    I'd say it comes down to someone eating WAYYY below their needs, for an extended period of time, when they are already underweight.
  • sobriquet84
    sobriquet84 Posts: 607 Member
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    i'm sorry, but if you've had an ED, you should know the difference.

    anorexia, bulimia, ect.. they are PROGRESSIVE psychological disorders.

    a fast is wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am-i'll-try-it-and-see-how-long-i-last... a far cry from a progressive psychological disorder.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    i'm sorry, but if you've had an ED, you should know the difference.

    anorexia, bulimia, ect.. they are PROGRESSIVE psychological disorders.

    a fast is wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am-i'll-try-it-and-see-how-long-i-last... a far cry from a progressive psychological disorder.

    Exactly how do you think EDs start?

    "I'll eat a little less today" then "I won't eat all today" then "I won't eat at all this week"

    Sounds a lot like "I won't eat for as long as possible" to me.
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
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    The "professional" definition of a disorder is when the behavior is impacting your life negatively in 2 or more areas. Work AND home. Home and friendships. School and church. Physically and socially. You get the idea.

    Technically, it isn't a clinical disorder unless you're having some kind of trouble. So if you are fasting, but you aren't changing your social life, work performance, or physical health for the worse, you don't have a clinical disorder.

    You're still playing with fire, imho.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    The "professional" definition of a disorder is when the behavior is impacting your life negatively in 2 or more areas. Work AND home. Home and friendships. School and church. Physically and socially. You get the idea.

    Well put. I was trying to think of a way to explain it.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    There are a lot of kinds of fasting. The 8 hour window kind is popular now. Brad Pilon's kind (which was like fast a few 24 hours periods in a week, IIRC) was popular. Master Cleanse is always out there. Technically, going not eating from 8pm to 6am is a fast. Of course there are spiritual fasts and political fasts.

    I think it's dangerous to paint anyone as potentially anorexic. Usually someone trying the MasterCleanse or other silly fasts like that will be fine on the drink for the 1-10 days (usually 1-2 is enough) and then gain back all the weight lost (or not) and realize there are easier ways. In a way it's probably a good, educational experience and reaffirms their need for a healthy relationship with food. I've seen it suggested in intuitive eating books to do a short term fast just to experience true hunger and your feelings about it.

    I suspect true disordered eaters will get to where they are with or without the trendy fasts. But I'm no expert.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    i'm sorry, but if you've had an ED, you should know the difference.

    anorexia, bulimia, ect.. they are PROGRESSIVE psychological disorders.

    a fast is wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am-i'll-try-it-and-see-how-long-i-last... a far cry from a progressive psychological disorder.

    ^

    http://www.something-fishy.org/

    I suggest anyone confused should read up on it, knowledge is power and all.

    Great site for recovery, also.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Having recovered from an ED myself, I'll just give my take... It becomes "disordered" when you are doing something IN SPITE of your health, rather than FOR it, and the focus is on the action itself (whether it be binging, purging, or fasting) rather than the result.
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    i'm sorry, but if you've had an ED, you should know the difference.

    anorexia, bulimia, ect.. they are PROGRESSIVE psychological disorders.

    a fast is wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am-i'll-try-it-and-see-how-long-i-last... a far cry from a progressive psychological disorder.

    Exactly how do you think EDs start?

    "I'll eat a little less today" then "I won't eat all today" then "I won't eat at all this week"

    Sounds a lot like "I won't eat for as long as possible" to me.
    Not only am I a recovering anorexic (I say 'recovering' because many health professionals recognize it as an addiction) but I'm an RD.

    I'm not sure why people who are FASTING don't consider themselves to have ED. My perspective is not from this side.

    Thank you, Beastette! Good information.
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    Ah, yes. Too many times was it more of a 'competition' with myself, knowing I'm doing something unhealthy but keeping at it, much like smoking.

    That was so many years ago!
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    Ah, yes. Too many times was it more of a 'competition' with myself, knowing I'm doing something unhealthy but keeping at it, much like smoking.

    That was so many years ago!

    Glad you are better able to cope now. :flowerforyou:
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
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    Forgive my ignorance, but I fail to see the difference.

    For someone with an ED (in year 9 of recovery) I'm not sure what the difference is. Aren't you both doing it to lose weight? Is anorexia just fasting taken too far?

    Discuss!

    I would say yes, effectively, if not specifically (I have no clue what the actual medical definition of anorexia). When I fast, I do it conciously for a 24 hour period of time, usually once per week. The other days I eat a very good amount of food, work out, etc. With fasting, you're definitely not starving yourself, and none of those metabolic self defense mechanisms kick in.
  • GnochhiGnomes
    GnochhiGnomes Posts: 348 Member
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    Anorexics don't always fast, its different for every person.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
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    Kind of agree.

    For the most part (with the exception of IF) fasting is ridiculous.


    I guess you're trying to figure out at what point it becomes an ED? I think anytime you completely obssess about it and/or it causes negative effects to your health, it becomes some type of disorder.

    Just my 2 cents.

    So, for the record, all fasting is intermittent fasting. Otherwise, it's called death.
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
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    i'm sorry, but if you've had an ED, you should know the difference.

    anorexia, bulimia, ect.. they are PROGRESSIVE psychological disorders.

    a fast is wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am-i'll-try-it-and-see-how-long-i-last... a far cry from a progressive psychological disorder.

    Exactly how do you think EDs start?

    "I'll eat a little less today" then "I won't eat all today" then "I won't eat at all this week"

    Sounds a lot like "I won't eat for as long as possible" to me.
    Not only am I a recovering anorexic (I say 'recovering' because many health professionals recognize it as an addiction) but I'm an RD.

    I'm not sure why people who are FASTING don't consider themselves to have ED. My perspective is not from this side.

    Thank you, Beastette! Good information.

    You're welcome.

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