All should read! EDs, calories, and the truth

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Replies

  • pinkita
    pinkita Posts: 779 Member
    A very insightful post, thanks. I could post a novel about the many ways I've experienced first-hand pretty much everything you said. I have Binge Eating Disorder. After reading "Brain Over Binge" and "The Diet Cure" I decided to stop logging my food and stopped counting calories weeks ago.

    I used to watch TV while eating my carefully weighed, low-fat meals, but a few days ago decided to practice mindful eating, i.e., no eating while watching TV, really tasting what I'm eating, and eating to satiety rather than fullness. Also eating what I really want.

    I found that I really enjoy and mostly want real (i.e. whole, unprocessed) foods. I worked healthy fats like avocados back into my meals, saute veggies in coconut oil, etc. I don't "eat by the clock" anymore, or just because everyone else is eating. I haven't eaten breakfast for days because I don't have an appetite in the mornings. And no, this has not led me to overeat/binge at lunch or dinner. I was even able to eat just ONE cupcake the other day, whereas just days before I would've inhaled a dozen, and I enjoyed it without any guilt or negative self-talk.

    I weighed myself this morning and I'm down 5.8 lbs! I'm not constantly thinking about food, or going to the store after dinner and spending $20 on junk food to binge on. Just making small changes, taking things slowly, and focusing more on my mental and emotional health, which I believe leads to better physical health.

    One size certainly does not fit all, but so far this is what's working for me.
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    Bump
  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
    Its a shame the OP concept and vision is lost.

    Good intentions of the OP was meant but its turned into a point scoring match.

    A young woman has found her inner zen and serenity from her disorder she had. She leans on these beliefs and she wants to share and others think this as an opportunity to tear the comfort zone down on the fact of being right or wrong when its such a gray area.

    Good job guys

    I agree
  • rieann84
    rieann84 Posts: 511 Member
    My weight fluctuated between 90 pounds and 120 pounds (which for my 5'2" frame is quite large).

    jeez.. i'm 5'2" and my *goal* is 120. i can only hope i'm lucky enough to get there, i'd settle for 125 even. i understand it might be the way your particular frame is, but i worry about the average 5'2" girl reading this who now thinks her weight of 120 is "large". :\
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    thank you for this!! amazing maturity at your age...ignore the haters :flowerforyou:
  • DarcyGibbs
    DarcyGibbs Posts: 44
    First and foremost, fantastic post!

    However, I feel just as people misrepresent or generalise classifying healthy and un-healthy food, you may have generalised too heavily on people who seem - to you - to be too obsessed with the way their body looks. Many people find a drive, a passion and a calling in physical pursuit and dietary control. I feel it isn't up to anyone to brand their actions poor unless they are doing themselves or others serious harm. Speaking for myself, I have found the journey of self-improvement, not only physically, but also mentally to be wholly rewarding. I'm sure some of my approaches may seem ridiculous to others, but for me, I live a happy and fulfilled life because of them. I think we should all be careful in the way we brand others.

    All that being said, I think you have helped a lot of people with your post and I myself thank you for sharing your personal experiences.
  • EndlessSacrifice
    EndlessSacrifice Posts: 325
    This post is amazing in every way possible.
  • midnight333
    midnight333 Posts: 149
    I'm 5'2" and when I was in high school I weighed 123 until I was 20 I was fat to me. I struggled to wear a size 5 but never could I was always stuck in a size 7. Then I gained 15 lbs and unhappily HAD to wear a Jrs. size 11 that really stunk for my 21st birthday. When I was 25 my marrtage dress was a nice size 6. I went into the 140's after age 26 my bra size grew to a 36D that made up alot of my weight. When I turned 30 I was down to 110 and very happy still C cup just a 32C. My wedding dress was too big after 5 years. I was a size 1 or 0 depending on the name brand. I'm in the 160's now my bra size is a large 38DD. My heaviest weight was 209lbs I had the l largest bra I ever owned I was in a 42E. I think EVERY BODY is different. I think some advice you gave was very helpful though thanks for the input. BUT EVERY BODY IS STILL DIFFERENT.
    Edit I'm thinking about going down to 115 actually because of all the clothes I have from a trip I took to CA in my 30's.

    My measurement's when I was in Cali. were 32 26 36 I was very very happy.
  • SkyMusic
    SkyMusic Posts: 43
    Hello all,

    I sincerely apologize. I did not mean to say that every single one of you would benefit from every single word I wrote. When I said all should read, I meant that all should read because you never know what might help and what won't.

    Maybe this won't apply to those with high cholesterol levels or people who sincerely love counting calories or who can't feel hunger signals. That's fine. This does not have to be relevant to you.

    I merely posted this because this advice literally saved my life. I used to be so full of hate and self loathing that I did not want to live, and I would die to be thin. I worry about people on that same path, and I know that simple calorie counting in the beginning turned into something horrible for me personally. Because now my life is full of love and happiness. I can love food, all food, and I can eat anything. I don't have to be afraid.

    So I hope you find what works for you.

    And I wish you all every happiness.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    You don't need to apologize. I appreciated your words even if they may not apply to me 100%. When someone provides us with wisdom is is our job to take what we can from it, and know what doesn't make sense for us.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    No worries.

    And I'm probably going to get criticised for this, but I offer it as what I believe to be genuine and useful advice:
    As a moderator on another large forum I well know that most want everyone to read what they have to say and consider it to be important.
    I do appreciate how passionate people can get to share and encourage others with their happy-success and it's perfectly understandable - I've got quite evangelical* at points myself, especially, trying not to sound too condescending, when I was your sort of age.
    *Not in a religious sense, of course; but about the areas I was interested in at the time.
  • saudade108
    saudade108 Posts: 33
    I have enjoyed reading this. Your very wise for someone so young.

    Thanks.

    That's what I was thinking too.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
    Congratulations for improving your attitude with food, and its good that you feel you wish to share your advice. You may have changed a few peoples attitudes, even saved a life by choosing to write what you wrote since you never know how troubled a person could read it.

    All I would say is that a disagree with a few things, some factually, some subjectively. But I certainly wouldn't say calorie counting is unhealthy and to instead eat till i'm full. Thats why I'm fat, I ate till I'm full and beyond cos I eat with my mind not with my stomach, like most people here. Calories are my way of saying 'This is how much I need to eat'. If I listened to my body that plate would be 4 times as big and I'd be in a food coma.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    I see no one "quite large" at 5'2" http://www.mybodygallery.com/
    I will say, the rest of this is lovely and well written :] Thank you for making me smile and keeping me from binging at the moment
  • vzryder
    vzryder Posts: 129 Member
    Thank you so much for sharing this, full of common sense and great attitude to our health!
    I appreciate the reading of such a well written statement.
    Thank you
    Pat
  • positivepineapple
    positivepineapple Posts: 87 Member
    Thank you for this
  • lysadahlin
    lysadahlin Posts: 2 Member
    What a great message! Thank you!
  • NoahandPresleysMom
    NoahandPresleysMom Posts: 763 Member
    My weight fluctuated between 90 pounds and 120 pounds (which for my 5'2" frame is quite large).

    jeez.. i'm 5'2" and my *goal* is 120. i can only hope i'm lucky enough to get there, i'd settle for 125 even. i understand it might be the way your particular frame is, but i worry about the average 5'2" girl reading this who now thinks her weight of 120 is "large". :\

    yeah im 5 ft 0 and 250. Now i feel like a beastly whale :(
  • kjjm08
    kjjm08 Posts: 217 Member
    I'm very happy you found help and that it has saved you with the information you have learned. It's a good read. I agree with some things and disagree with others but that's ok. We aren't all of the same mold.
    I'm glad that works for you, and in theory these rules are true.

    However, for people like myself with PCOS and other hormone disorders, often our bodies are affected by a hormone imbalance, which can sometimes mix up our hunger signals etc, so if we were to eat whenever we were hungry, chances are we may very well never stop eating.

    Also, hormone imbalances can cause huge cravings for sugar, meaning that we literally 'cant get enough' of the white stuff. So it is more of an addiction, rather than our bodies being physically hungry.

    Personally, calorie counting has really saved me. Sometimes this works for people, sometimes it doesn't. But it's somewhat close-minded of you to dismiss it.

    Do what works for you, and we'll do what works for us :)

    PCOS is a ***** and I agree with you. I don't find counting calories unhealthy or anything like that, in fact MFP and counting calories has helped a lot. As for eating what I want, until I am full - well that is why I am here with thinking like that (for me).
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    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).

    When my parents found out, when I was 16, they got me a therapist, an ED doctor, and a nutritionist. With their help, I changed how I see food and how I see weight loss.

    1. Don't believe everything you read on the internet. My wonderful nutritionist had been in her profession for years and understood the science between weight gain and loss, and how calories actually work. You see, you NEED carbs. You need a healthy, normal, amount of carbs.

    2. Do not ever eat below maintenance level of calories. Trying to gain weight and trying to lose weight have the same solution. If you've been starving, slowly reintroduce amounts of food to work up to a normal level. If you're trying to lose weight, decrease your amount of food until you're at your normal level. The body wants to be healthy. It's hard on the body to be fat. If you give it what it's aways needed, it will give you the body you need to have (over time). Not everyone needs to have THE perfect body, but every single person can have his or her perfect body.

    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.

    4. Don't exercise for weight or appearance. People need to stop running and doing crunches to get that "perf beach body". I understand the desire to want to look great, but unless you FEEL great, about yourself, that's not going to be possible anyway. If you exercise, it should be because of how it makes you feel happy, strong, relaxed, etc.

    5. There are NO healthy or unhealthy foods. This was the first thing that my nutritionist told me. I had been categorizing, like many of you, food into "healthy", "okay occasionally," and "bad for you!". She debunked this rather quickly. Huge amounts of anything can be harmful. But no one food can destroy or restore health, so no one food is healthy or unhealthy.

    6. Understand, respect, and love your body. Yoga really helped me with this. Your body has a purpose. That purpose is to survive. Help your body fulfill its purpose more efficiently and effectively. Understand why it does why it does. Your body needs to conserve fat sometimes, because fat can be healthy. Understand that, and stop fighting your body.

    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.

    Wow!! Well written and so very true!!!! I agree with every single word! Thank you :flowerforyou:
  • pedraz
    pedraz Posts: 173
    Bump
  • Rien5
    Rien5 Posts: 51 Member
    I really need this but am I going to listen to it tomorrow? No probably not. I'm going to tag it though so I can come back when I slip up.
  • mleanne21
    mleanne21 Posts: 9
    thank you for sharing..is helpful to hear this perspective
  • Rien5
    Rien5 Posts: 51 Member
    Here I am reading this again because I really need it. I have to learn to just go with the flow and eat in moderation without restricting or going over.
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
    bump
  • tlab827
    tlab827 Posts: 155 Member
    Great post! I couldnt agree more with the calorie counting.

    ED is something I have dealt with for far too long and it wasnt until I took the numbers out of the equation that I finally started to live and enjoy eating and exercising. My life and happiness for so long revolved around the number of calories in what I was/was going to eat, the number of calories I burned, the number on the scale.

    Congrats to you and I wish you much luck and happiness in your future!

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