Ever been afraid you'd end up with an eating disorder

MeIShouldB
MeIShouldB Posts: 578 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Seriously. With all the calorie counting, weighing in, and working out have you ever been afraid you may become scale obsessed and/or develop an eating disorder? Some people who who have been heavy all of their life develop one because they become obsessive about keeping it off or don't know when to stop losing.
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Replies

  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I've struggled with disordered eating for many years, and so for me, MFP is a chance to do things properly. I understand that I will probably never be able to just eat and not think about it, and so at least this way I can see what I'm doing. I might always have to spend part of my day thinking about my calories in and out, and that's okay with me. It's a lot better than the cycles of heavy restriction, binging, and binge/purge with which I'm so familiar.
  • neacail
    neacail Posts: 228 Member
    Nope. I'm not worried at all.
  • Lumen1505
    Lumen1505 Posts: 77 Member
    I've struggled with disordered eating for many years, and so for me, MFP is a chance to do things properly. I understand that I will probably never be able to just eat and not think about it, and so at least this way I can see what I'm doing. I might always have to spend part of my day thinking about my calories in and out, and that's okay with me. It's a lot better than the cycles of heavy restriction, binging, and binge/purge with which I'm so familiar.

    Similar story.... I was exhausted all of the time before I started logging on MFP mainly due to starving, binging, purging & overeating - and still I didnt loose any weight. Since I've started logging & eating more food on a consistant basis I've lost weight and pretty much stopped all of my old ED behaviour. I'm happy to replace my old habits with this new one....for me its a much safer one :happy:
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
    I have... Before I started using MFP I was binge eating/over eating. I stopped before it got too far. I'm so much more conscious about what I eat now compared to before when I didn't remember what I ate the day before.
  • workavoidance
    workavoidance Posts: 28
    I think dieting and logging calories specifically is very conducive to developing an eating disorder, but that might just apply more to people who have a predisposition. Hard to say. I've been anorexic, an exercise bulimic, and a compulsive overeater.

    I found logging brought back a lot of anorexic type thinking that I thought was far behind me, so I stopped after about 5 months. Then I went through a month of binge eating, and I'd never been a real binge eater before that, so that totally freaked me out. Now I have wicked body dysmorphia, and I'm finally seeking outside support, and just trying to eat normally again... so yeah... it's easier for some than others... but if you're afraid you're developing an ED, seek aggressive treatment immediately.
  • smirf1972
    smirf1972 Posts: 93 Member
    I've never had an eating disorder but was put on diets constantly throughout my childhood by my mother from 3 months old. I've heard countless times about how she took me to the doctors as a baby and told the doctor that "i was gonna have her trouble and be overweight" the doctor agreed i was to big and that was it. I was always the fat child after that and my sister the skinny one. I often binge on whole packets of biscuits or multipack crisps and hide food, so for me MFP is a way to see what i'm doing to myself. I haven't had a serious binge singe i started logging on here :smile:
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    I fear it. It took me a very long time to realize I had an eating disorder. I was an emotional binger. I'm slowly getting that under control, but I fear that I will not see my progress and end up anorexic or something. I have never done it an dnever will, but there are some nights I just wnat to be belimic.
  • eswartz0728
    eswartz0728 Posts: 47
    I was never worried about my diet until I started using calorie counting and realized on average I am eating 900 fewer calories a day than I should be. So I think for some people it is a good idea. Especially to try to just see where you are
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    I use to binge and starve (not eat for days) Believe me, what I'm doing now is far healthier!
  • Emtabo01
    Emtabo01 Posts: 672
    I have started binge eating only since joining MFP, never before in my life, still trying to get past it currently.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    Yes. I think ideally once you are at goal weight you should stop logging and trust yourself to eat healthy food in sensible portions. Natuarally thin people don't log every calorie, they just know how much to eat and after months of logging so should I!! I KNOW that I can't eat an entire bag of fudge in the evening and not put on weight. I don't need to enter it on a website.

    So when I reach goal weight I plan to stop logging and just weigh myself once a week. If the weight starts to creep up then I guess I will be back on here!
  • IlyanaRose
    IlyanaRose Posts: 21 Member
    I first started logging with MFP in late 2011, and in combination with taking medication which made my moods very low, I ended up severely restricting my calories (less than 900cals a day). I lost weight quite slowly; I went from 140lbs to 126lbs in about seven months. I wasn't anorexic, but I was heading down that road. Seeing how many calories I was eating and constantly reducing my calorie goals made me obsessed with my weight and not eating. I wanted to get down to 100lbs - far too skinny for my frame. It extended to taking laxatives and trying to purge (which I couldn't do). My family don't know the extent of it all, but they were worried about my determination to lose weight, and my boyfriend was horrified when I eventually told him what I'd been doing to myself.

    Thankfully, something clicked in my brain and I realised I had to stop. I was losing my hair, I was constipated, and my college work was suffering. I'm still not fully recovered mentally, and it took my digestive system and metabolism the best part of a year to recover. I maintained at 130-135lbs until December 2012, with little or no effort and I was okay with that weight. But I crawled back up to 139lbs so I'm back on MFP to try shed maybe 15lbs.

    This time, I'm making sure that I eat 1200cals a day and no less, and my boyfriend is keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't starve myself anymore. I let myself have treats at the weekend and I eat healthy nutritious meals during the week.

    I'll always see myself as fat; that's what near-anorexia did to me. But I'm more focused on being healthy this time around, rather than being skinny. It's a struggle not to slip back into that way of thinking, but I'm doing my best :)
  • fatburnd2012
    fatburnd2012 Posts: 35
    I know I am obsessing right now but I have days I go out and eat and drink all the wrong things and would never make myself sick or anything. But I do think I have to stop talking about food at work because everyone is starting to tell me I'm losing too much weight and am becoming insane about it.

    I wanted to see how much milk I was putting in my coffee today because I was guessing and could only find a baby bottle that measured in low mls so I brought it in to work and the girls told me not to bring it to the main canteen(I was going to take the top off it!) because if I measure out my milk in front of people they will think I'm mad.

    When this journey starts from just looking to lose a stone and then down to the last bit of belly fat and the last 10lbs you have to become slightly obsessive I think. So I know I am not mad and I don't have an eating disorder. It is just that others around you think a bit of fat around the middle is ok and can't understand that you want abs and a really nice body.

    People out there can begin to put the idea in your head that you have an eating disorder when you don't! So from now on I am really going to try to stop talking to people about diets and food. I'll just carry on and keep quiet.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    No. I'm in control, so there's nothing to worry about.
  • Alexandra289
    Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
    Grown up in a family full of eating disorders so it's a bit of a worry for me. However, I've realised that I've become addicted to going to the gym but my body kicks up a right fuss if I try to starve it. Wouldn't be capable of starving myself and I think that would be more dangerous than being a bit obsessed with exercise.
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
    I actually think logging calories helps keep me from an eating disorder...an overeating disorder!
  • KxCoyote
    KxCoyote Posts: 122 Member
    I've had food issues for my whole life, and I've found MFP has helped me ensure I at least eat something, whereas when I'm not tracking, I usually forget to eat, or eat too much. This brings some sort of order I suppose, keeps me aware of what I eat.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Even though I have an obsessive personality, in many ways, I'm not worried about developing an eating disorder. There's usually more to it than just the food/calories aspect.
  • blondley
    blondley Posts: 38 Member
    I struggled with an eating disorder for a year... counting calories brings back bad memories of being crazy about calories. I try to just stay sane about everything but I can see where you're coming from.
  • nwg74
    nwg74 Posts: 360 Member
    I used to have a worry that I thought I wouldn't stop losing as I lost 200 pounds in 20 months. However, since 24 months came and went, I have only lost 4 pounds. The body will adapt and settle to a weight. It goes up a bit and back down again over a few weeks. I only have 3 pounds to my goal weight of 12 stone and it is taking forever but I don't care.
  • lalaland82
    lalaland82 Posts: 176 Member
    Not from this site - it tells you off for eating too little :happy:
  • ceceoplaymate
    ceceoplaymate Posts: 63 Member
    Yep- I have been there...but I know how I am, I am sure if I am not strong enough I would get back into that mind set.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
    When I first started and was obsessing over the 1200 calories thing, I saw that it was a path that could be easily traveled and it wasn't what I wanted. Thankfully, I found better options for me and am no longer obsessing and fearful of food.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    No. My goal is to become big and muscular while still being somewhat lean. Emaciation does not appeal to me. I want my bones to be less visible but from increased muscle, not increased fat.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Nope. Only thing I'm afraid of is waking up one day and looking like an olympic athlete. THE HORROR OF HAVING 8-PACK ABS. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    I had ED issues as a teenager, which is almost helpful because I recognize the thought patterns. Whenever I start feeling like I'm sliding into that, I stop cutting and eat at maintenance for awhile. It's taken me longer than most to lose the weight I have, but it keeps me sane.
  • mammakisses
    mammakisses Posts: 604 Member
    Nah I love food too much!
  • alexsis88
    alexsis88 Posts: 36 Member
    I don't struggle with it now because I have confidence in my body and myself. But from ages 14-16 I was anorexic. Struggled with it I was 5'4" at the time got down to 98lb. I remember jogging twice a day and would beat myself up over eating a handful of crackers. My parents had marital problems a lot then and i was kinda in the middle of it so I took it out on myself. I'm still somewhat insecure now but I do not have a disorder instead I have confidence
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    Nope. I'm not worried at all.
  • inksyrup
    inksyrup Posts: 81 Member
    MFP definitely triggered--and still continues to trigger--my eating disorder. My mindset when I first starting counting calories was, "Why 1,200? If that can make me lose weight, I bet I could go even lower!" It's also frustrating to see that no matter how much weight people lose, they're never really satisfied. It made me feel like no matter what I did, it wasn't good enough. That was just my mindset at the time, anyway.

    Losing weight is a funny thing. I see people with goal weights close to my weight now, but I'm not happy with where I am. I always thought I'd be, but that's where the ED kicks in. :P

    I'm doing a lot better now, but I still have my days (this whole week has been hell). I'm just thankful that I have a very supportive mother and group of friends who remind me that they'll love me no matter what I look like.

    I never want anyone to have to live through the hell that I did...so if any of you guys think you might be developing an ED, or just need support, please feel free to add or message me!

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