All should read! EDs, calories, and the truth

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  • Serenstar75
    Serenstar75 Posts: 258 Member
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    Hello. My name is Cam, and I'm a 19 year old girl, almost 20, living in San Francisco, CA. I had an eating disorder that developed in the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of high school. I was insecure with everything and just wanted some control. But even as I starved, I would slip and binge. My weight fluctuated between 90 pounds and 120 pounds (which for my 5'2" frame is quite large).

    I'm under 5'2" and for many of us at this height, 120 is not "quite large" it's unrealistically too small. I don't know how you're built though. I'm built where my weight always seems much lighter than it actually is, very solid.
    3. Enjoy. People on here so often say that "food is only for nourishment" or "I will not treat my body like a trash can." Sure, it's irresponsible to eat 3 pans of brownies and 7 cheeseburgers and 5 ice cream cones. But really, do not restrict yourself on what you can and cannot eat. Seriously. Don't try to "add things back in later", eat how you're going to eat forever. Maybe physically, yes, food is only for nutrition, but people who say this fail to take culture into account. Sharing a meal or a dessert can be a wonderful culturally significant experience.

    Spot on and I loved the very last sentence. That's so true. If you're not doing it constantly, it's very rewarding to share an experience like that. I really enjoyed reading all of your tips and information. Some people don't know when they are hungry or not, so eating until they aren't hungry is deceptive until they train themselves on eating a more realistic amount. I've dealt with ED as well: binging, purging, drowning out in water and energy pills without nourishment, hard exercise.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    bump for number 5
    number five
    # five
    #five
    # 5
    #5
    read #5...
    reread number five.

    Beautifully put :heart:
  • parys1
    parys1 Posts: 2,072 Member
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    Very well written with great perspective. I am one of the ones who finds the calorie counter of this site eminently helpful, but then I do not suffer from disordered thinking. I also did not always enjoy exercise, this became an NSV for me, as I now gleefully anticipate the gym and how strong I feel.

    Thank you for your post.

    Edited to fix typo.
  • libbyskolnik
    libbyskolnik Posts: 9
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    A lot of what is said here makes some sense. But no one set of rules works for everyone. I have high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure. Plus I do need to lose at least 20 lbs. In order to get my numbers down, I do need to regulate everything, i.e calories, protein, carbs, fat, cholesterol, salt. Myfitnesspal keeps track of all of these numbers for me. It is quite the balancing act on 1200 calories. And yes I am hungry and do feel deprived; but it is so much better than going on insulin or ending up with a stroke. I think to myself "there is no other option; I have to stick with this plan. It is a matter of life or death." Anyone else out there in the same boat and want to connect? Please do not hesitate.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    I don't deny I have many times 'comfort eaten' to make me feel better.
    But I do this because in the first place I enjoy eating food.
    If it wasn't was for the consequences I would happily eat a lot more even when I'm in a very good frame of mind. I do have plenty of 'bad history', but that's far from the complete story blaming it on that for me.
    Your body's survival method is not eating everything in sight immediately; that is what it has been trained to do, perhaps.
    In an evolutionary sense it certainly makes sense that those who ate plenty of high calorie foods were more likely to survive to an age where they could procreate.
    Do you have any evidence to suggest this is not the case, or is it just your opinion?
    Either way, what are you basing this on?
    If you eat below your maintenance level of calories, all you do is train your body to be more efficient in conserving and storing calories.
    Again. Eating below maintenance is the ONLY way to lose weight by definition.
    So it's certainly not 'all you do'. I've lost around 60lb since May be eating between say 3000 and 1000 calories under what would be required for maintenance (starting higher and reducing as I got nearer my 10% BF goal).
    Experience everything, indeed. When you are craving that ice cream, you eat an ice cream. And when you are full, stop. Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full. You will lose weight, but I think that is less important than being satisfied with yourself. Because you're a human person and deserve pleasure and love.
    No, I absolutely will not.
    Afraid you are most definitely wrong in regards to me in this case.
    I certainly don't get the 'full' feeling as quickly as others do. Everyone is different and while that may well work for you, it doesn't mean it will work for me.
  • pleytem
    pleytem Posts: 79 Member
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    Thanks for sharing your thoughts...
  • Hopelessone
    Hopelessone Posts: 270 Member
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    Well written! You are wise beyond your years. Thank you for sharing. I am sending a friend request!
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
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    Lovely post, thank you for sharing it with us. :)
  • mingecrackers
    mingecrackers Posts: 152
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    Thanks for sharing this :)
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
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    I'm glad you were able to recover from your ED. It is true that MFP can be triggering to some people, but it can also help people connect with others who struggle with the same afflictions.
  • juliesjuke
    juliesjuke Posts: 93 Member
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    Really good post and definately food for thought. Thank you.:wink:
  • knottygrandmav
    knottygrandmav Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks for your post- I've been beating myself up for years now about my up and down weight- and your words are so true. We all need to be reminded from time to time- thanks- and blessings to you....
  • Cyndi1
    Cyndi1 Posts: 484 Member
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    Thank-you for sharing.. I enjoyed it and it made sense. : ) good on you for working on you.
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
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    You are wise beyond your years!

    I'm 24 and I've been in and out of Anorexia since I was 13, all the points you made here are excellent and it is fantastic you have come to embrace recovery so fully as your young age!
  • LisaLouisiana
    LisaLouisiana Posts: 145 Member
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    I commend you for caring about your fellow human being to make the effort to make a difference. I think your advice holds true for many people.

    There is a wide array of people with issues that run the gamut as to why we are here working on our bodies. I also have to agree with the poster I quoted here:
    This might be good advice for you.
    For me and a lot of other people, it's exactly what DID make us unhealthy and overweight.

    Each of us need to find what works for us and I'm sure you have helped some people today find answers for themselves. :)
  • small_ninja
    small_ninja Posts: 365 Member
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    Experience everything, indeed. When you are craving that ice cream, you eat an ice cream. And when you are full, stop. Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full. You will lose weight, but I think that is less important than being satisfied with yourself. Because you're a human person and deserve pleasure and love.

    Unfortunately, that's how I ended up here... I'm quite small already (5'0" and started MFP @ 132lb) - I went from around about 120lb to 132lb gradually over 4-5 years. This is simply because it doesn't take a lot of calories to maintain that weight, particularly in comparison to "normal-sized" people. I exercised a lot and would generally eat what I wanted, but in moderation. For example, when I went out to dinner, I'd still eat salads if I wanted dessert and I'd hardly ever eat a whole chocolate bar. I hardly scoffed anything and everything in sight. I simply didn't put what I knew about calories into practice. I convinced myself that if I wanted that bikini body I'd have to live on salads for the rest of my life. MFP has opened my eyes to the fact that this is not the case, and I find that quite liberating.

    I still enjoy the foods I love, in moderation, and usually after I've exercised, and then I really feel great about eating them. I think a better message would be to tell people to keep in mind the importance of still enjoying life whilst seeking their perfect body. It's way too easy to get sucked into the diet mentality and stress over going over calories or not exercising that day. Give yourself a break people, you're in it for the long haul :smile:
  • Jongfaith
    Jongfaith Posts: 195
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    Im proud of you for coming to these realizations! This is your truth.

    Mine is slightly different. *shrug.

    At my highest weight I was 295lbs and got a slew of health problems with it. High cholesterol, diabetes, polycystic ovaries, blah blah blah. MFP helps me control myself in keeping on the right track of weight loss. I do try to live and you can see Mcds frappes, ice cream, chips, pizza and everything else in moderation in my diary. Now I'm at 219lbs and have a long road yet ahead of me to get to a healthy weight and possibly reverse some negative effects on my body.

    Kudos to you and your realizations of what helps vs. hurts you and I agree with almost everything you said! Congrats for being at a healthy outlook on your body and weight. Hope your journey continues to be a positive one.:flowerforyou:
  • ktrn0312
    ktrn0312 Posts: 723 Member
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    Thanks for the prospective.
  • fittiephd
    fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
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    Bump. I am very impressed by your recovery, you seem to have a beautiful relationship with food now! Congrats.
  • ivikatasha
    ivikatasha Posts: 192 Member
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    These are some of the most important lessons I learned through my treatment. People call MFP a great tool for weight loss, but I respectfully dissent. Calorie counting is quite unhealthy. Eat until you're no longer hungry, and eat foods that make you feel GOOD. This is life. If you spend your whole live at war with your body, will that really a be a life worth living? Enjoy everything, experience everything. And above all, love yourself.

    Lovely post! I just cannot agree with this last part though. Love the rest though :)

    Me eating until I was no longer hungry made me obese in the first place, being obese is not healthy at all. MFP has been pretty much been the only weight loss tool to work for me. I also just feel better when I am more aware of what I eat. I wouldn't consider myself being at war with my body, I just want to be healthier.

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