Afraid I might becoming anorexic!

AGreen54

I started this 2 months ago and I have not lost any weight or inches. I was so excited when I first started because I thought it was actually going to help. After 6 weeks of this I gained 3 pounds so I freaked out and dropped my net calories considerably. It used to be 1350 a day but now It's about 1000 cals or even as low as 700 cals a day. I exercise 6.5 hours a weeks and even with the low amount of cals I'm only losing 0.6-0.8 lbs a week. I'm stressed about food, eating when I'm bored, and always wanting more food but hating myself when I give in to my cravings. I didn't use to be like this, always worrying about my calories and what food I eat. Am I becoming anorexic? Oh and also I'm very short, 4'11" and am 18.

MiSo_SeXy

I've been there, its scary but already you're catching it before its too late.

You need to understand that you need food. 700 cals is too little. You're going to cause problems in your
Organs if you don't give it proper fuel and nutrition.

Instead of solely focusing on calories, focus on what you're eating.

Protein, good cards, good fats ect.

Ex
5 oz of grilled chicken 142 c
Cup steamed broccoli 56 c
Cup of brown rice 218 c
Apple 65 c

Total= 481 cals

that's not bad and these are good for you and will give you the energy
You need and nutrition your body craves.

And let's say you decide on a 1400 cal intake you still have 919 calls left for your
Other meals.

Plus exercise you're good. Add me if you need some support.
You can lose the healthy way. Eating shouldn't be scary or stressful.
I learned it the hard way.

Hope this helped

tryclyn

Wish I had this when I was a teenager not eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

nixirain

Wish I had this when I was a teenager not eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

This

felice03

Looking through your diary for the last week your cals are not as low as you are leading us to believe. Anorexic no, paranoid maybe.

kenazfehu

I think the problem might be in what you're eating rather than the higher calorie count. Refined grains (white rice, flour tortillas, packaged mac and cheese) tend to sit around in your gut for a long time. I'd suggest going for whole grains, lean protein, lean dairy, lots of fruit and vegetables. They nourish and move on.

Debbe2

See a doctor and good RD- registered dietician if at all possible. That will give you clarity, direction and a small team to work through this with. God luck!

perfecting_emptiness

I think the problem might be in what you're eating rather than the higher calorie count. Refined grains (white rice, flour tortillas, packaged mac and cheese) tend to sit around in your gut for a long time. I'd suggest going for whole grains, lean protein, lean dairy, lots of fruit and vegetables. They nourish and move on.

This^^

I don't think you have an ED yet but counting calories, exercising loads and becoming obsessive is how it started for me. I have other 'mental problems' (OCD and PTSD) which contributes to it. If you are otherwise healthy I would say you're just over-doing it a bit but it wouldn't hurt to talk to a dr or something just to make sure before it gets out of hand.

Corsetopia

Your diary looks like you've been eating enough, not anorexic at all. Over 1200 pretty consistently.
But if you feel like you're moving in that direction I'd talk to someone.

sammyjo0402

Just from looking at the foods you ate yesterday I'd not only recommend the above topic to read and seriously eat to your recommended calories but the types of food you are eating may be a source to your slow loss of weight.
White rice has a high glycemic index which I saw in your breakfast.. it'll spike your blood sugar quick, quick energy... then plummets later. Although it may not be "extreme" with the amount you ate you are consuming a bad source of carbs. I believe someone said to watch what kind of carbs and fats you're eating and that's true. It's really important to know which are bad and good for you.
Also you can watch and track how much sugar you are intaking. Sugar can lead to horrible cravings and can be found in foods you may not realize.
I myself have been in a very similar situation you are describing. This past week I have been a terrible role model on what to eat lol. I stressed about it there for a bit but it happens. You need food! It is an absolute must of survival. There's no need to over stress yourself on it (: One thing I tried that helped me is go a few days without tracking. Eat what you know to be good and enough to make you feel energized and healthy. And seriously don't allow yourself to track it at least until the next day after you've already consumed it. Eat to your fill, check the nutritional values and try to get a good source of fiber. It will leave you full for awhile and those silly cravings can diminish.
Lastly. I read somewhere to know what you want and when those cravings do arise and they are strong and you KNOW you are going to give in. Give in. It's funny but I've found to be very true. Don't try to go eat something healthy telling yourself that you'll eat this.... and then allow a little of what you crave. Skip the healthy part you don't honestly care about and dig in moderately to what you want. You'll be saving yourself the extra calories and everything else and can more guiltlessly smile about what you ate.
Just a few tips that have helped me anyways.

xxthoroughbred

I'm stressed about food, eating when I'm bored, and always wanting more food but hating myself when I give in to my cravings. I didn't use to be like this, always worrying about my calories and what food I eat.

I was never as bad as you're describing, and I've never been overweight, but a few years ago I got to the point where I was sick of always worrying about calories and what foods I was eating. It's very easy to be consumed with the numbers and measurements and scales and exercise regimens, especially when you're on this forum frequently. I completely stopped tracking everything (I understand that may not be an option for you), but it was good for me to have the nutrition knowledge without the tight constraints of counting everything. I think I'm a lot healthier because of it. Now, I only really track my food ocassionally to make sure I'm still correct in my mind.

jessilee119

I would also suggest you track sodium. I looked at a couple of days in your diary and the processed foods, soy sauce, and chinese food are loaded with sodium. I track my sodium and it's crazy how much can be consumed without realizing. Alos, do you track all the water you drink? If you're not drinking enough water and eating foods high in sodium, you'll bloat and hold water. Water weight alone can be more than you think.

If you really are worried, though, talk to your doctor.

MaraDiaz

See a doctor and good RD- registered dietician if at all possible. That will give you clarity, direction and a small team to work through this with. God luck!

This! And get bloodwork to rule out metabolism issue while you're at it.

csplatt

I would invest in a trainer for one on one advise. If I feel overwhelmed on maintenance calories or start to regain I am going to do that. Nutrition advice and calorie tips, body fat test, etc included

saraann4

If you think you are headed down a dark road, go talk to a nutrionist or your doctor and get some advice. That would be your best bet.

lieselLalor

Try drinking more water through out the day. 8 cups of water might seem like a lot at first so aim for 2 cups a day and then 3 and so on. Also I see you don't always eat breakfast. That can be another habit that's hard to break so do a little at a time-some fresh fruit or small bowl of oatmeal. Whenever something isn't working for me I have to take it one step at a time. If I do too many changes at one time I feel overwhelmed so tomorrow try a small apple for breakfast and one bottle of water for the day. Slowly increase it over time.

mdb543

I've been there, its scary but already you're catching it before its too late.

You need to understand that you need food. 700 cals is too little. You're going to cause problems in your
Organs if you don't give it proper fuel and nutrition.

Instead of solely focusing on calories, focus on what you're eating.

Protein, good cards, good fats ect.

Ex
5 oz of grilled chicken 142 c
Cup steamed broccoli 56 c
Cup of brown rice 218 c
Apple 65 c

Total= 481 cals

that's not bad and these are good for you and will give you the energy
You need and nutrition your body craves.

And let's say you decide on a 1400 cal intake you still have 919 calls left for your
Other meals.

Plus exercise you're good. Add me if you need some support.
You can lose the healthy way. Eating shouldn't be scary or stressful.
I learned it the hard way.

Hope this helped

She is totally right, you need to keep an eye on your calories, but pay more attention to what you are eating

JLD81

Plain and simple- stop. I was 14 when I fell into anorexia. Don't do it. Stop obsessing over calories. Start eating to fuel your body with lean meats, complex and whole grain carbs, steamed or boiled veggies, fruit, and some dairy. Do u know the results of eating disorders , other than weight changes? Do u know ur hair stylist or dentist are likely the first to figure out when u have an ed? Ur hair becomes brittle, u experience hair loss/thinning, and becomes dull instead of sshiny. Ur teeth can becomes weak from lack of calcium and minerals. If u purge ur teeth will suffer dramatically. I am in the healthiest spot in my life at 31 years old bc I decided to be healthy and stop starving myself. I eat more than I ever have, am losing weight and gaining muscle, and am determined to get the body I want-the right way. Also if u ever want to have babies- get help if u think u have an ed now-bc most people I know who had eds when younger cant get pregnant. I was lucky that I never lost my cycle despite my ed. Most aren't as lucky.

likepepsicola

I'm 4'11" too. It's pretty hard for people our height to lose weight, so we do have to eat a bit less than others. If you want to go by the advice of trainers, Jillian Michaels believes that net calories is total bs for weight loss, she believes in eating 1200 and exercising on top of that and to only move onto net calories when you want to maintain.

As a person who personally went through anorexia, I will tell you that most do not go by net calories when restricting food. 1200 - 1700 a day total, not net, is more than most anorexics would eat, unless they have a very fast metabolism, are in recovery, or are going through a "binging phase" (it happens). 500 - 1000 total, not even counting exercise, is what I would eat on a daily basis. I considered 1200 to be a very bad day and I would feel extreme guilt, shame, and self-hatred if I ate "that much".

To be diagnosed with AN you must meet the medical criteria (afraid of weight gain/refusal to gain weight, not menstruating for three consecutive months if you are a woman, BMI under 17.5).

So you are not anorexic right now but are you becoming anorexic? Only you can say. Is that your mindset right now? If so, seek help before it gets worse and affects your physical health as well as mental. Also keep in mind that there are many other EDs besides anorexia. There's bulimia, EDNOS, BED, COE, etc.

AGreen54

Thanks everyone who replied to this. I really appreciate it and your tips helped.

purple_tux1

I saw your other post and also that you only had 2 pounds to lose and are a ballet dancer? This kind of raised some red flags for me as anorexia is quite common among ballet dancers.

http://documentaryheaven.com/dana-the-8-year-old-anorexic/

Here's a good documentary on anorexia. I was susprised to see how quickly it can take hold of someone. If you suspect you're going in this direction, be sure to talk to your parents and teachers.

wannabeskinny27

hey

please see your gp as soon as you can and stop it while you have time

xXxBlissxXx

I started this 2 months ago and I have not lost any weight or inches.

If you haven't lost weight in 2 months, you are not anorexic

It used to be 1350 a day but now It's about 1000 cals or even as low as 700 cals a day.

As others have pointed out. Your profile and daily information on here does not correlate with this statement.

I exercise 6.5 hours a weeks

This is a perfectly normal amount of exercise to be getting.

eating when I'm bored

This is not an anorexic trait

Sooo...

Am I becoming anorexic?

No.

You clearly have some issues but these do not suggest anorexia.