Eating Disorder or just crazy...?

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I'm not too sure why I'm posting this but I feel I need to put it out there and see what others have to say about it.

I think I may have some kind of eating disorder, but I'm finding it hard to categorise:

I'm 5"7" and over the past year I went from 136lbs in February to 110lbs in June. I went on several holidays over the summer and fluctuated but would always re-lose the weight after I got back from holiday. At my lowest I was 108lbs before a 3-week vacation to france with my family. I can't remember exactly but I think I went up to 117 after the holiday and due to poor tracking I don't remember exactly how much time it took to lose again but I stated a post-holiday diet at the very end of August and by the end of October I was 106lbs.

Now, I am a very conscientious logger and I track everything - if anyone wishes to look back over my diary it's all there and open to the public and it's definitely honest, I eat exactly what I log - in fact I plan it the day (or week before so I can do a grocery shop) and never skip something on the day - I love food too much!

So, all whilst eating up to 1600 calories a day (I know it's still a cut, but I also don't exercise and I was still sort of trying to lose weight) I went down to 100.4lbs at my lowest around 15th Dec last year.

Here is where I bring my concerns. I know I wasn't fat, in fact I was very tjhin and people commented, but I liked it. I wasn't ACTIVELY trying to lose weight, but seeing another lb go was great for me. I will also mention that over the period of November and December I went to parties/events/Xmas do's almost weekly (if not twice weekly) so there will be unlogged daus, but I would always follow up a slurge day (and they were splurges, not binges, but definitely having a good time!) with a couple of low-cal days and then go back up to my 1600cal daily intake.

So I gave myself Xmas off (which turned into the period 22nd Dec - 14th Jan!) and I'm up to 114lbs now. I know this is a healthy weight, I'm not fat - although I can see lots of fat that wasn't there before! But I am fighting the two sides of me - the one that says - "get back to 105lbs, you were happy there and not losing the weight after a gain like this is how the weight creeps on and you're overweight again" and the other half of me that says "you're fine...just enjoy yourself, don't go crazy but stop with this dieting" the problem is I liked being 105lbs, although I know it was underweight, and I haven't been this heavy in so long that it's scaring me an the concept of staying here is almost unomaginable...for the best part of a year I have gone off the wagon, gained and then been very good at getting back on and losing it again but I'm kind of tired of it, although terrified and depressed at the same time.

To be honest, I don't know what I'm asking, or whether I just needed to vent and put this all out there. I don't need people just commenting saying - that's underweight, that's bad etc. I get that, I ned something constructive...I just don't know what.

Also - I don't work out. I hate it. I have tried and tried and tried to like working out but it never gets better and I'd rather just walk. I like in London and do ALOT of walking every day so I just have to say that's enough. I did JM 30DS last July for 50 days and I liked working out no better at the end than when I started. I have tried swimming, running, zumba, yoga, the gym, pilates...so many things and I just hate it. If thats relevant in any way...!!

So as I said, I'm not sure what I'm asking or if I'm asking anything at all but I feel like I just needed to get this out there. Is it an eating disorder when I do normally eat quite a lot? I just don't know what to do...the thought of not going back down to 105lbs where I was is terrifying...isn't that how weight creeps on and BAM, you're overweight again?

Ugh, I'm sorry for anyone that actually managed to read all that!
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Replies

  • bridgew24
    bridgew24 Posts: 143 Member
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    I think you need to stop categorising yourself as either 'fat' or 'thin'!
    If you're 115-130 you're healthy and normal for someone of your height with a slender frame.
    End of story.
  • EmilyAFraser1
    EmilyAFraser1 Posts: 31 Member
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    Thanks for reply, but to be honest, not helpful.
    I know the numbers, I know I'm at a healthy weight range and as easy as it is to say (or type) to just stop categorising myself as fat or thin is much more difficult than it would seem.

    But I don't know what I was hoping for by posting here...it was an impulse I guess.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Sweetie, you might want to talk to someone about the thoughts in your head.
    If you go to Uni, there might be free counseling available through them.
    It sounds to me, that you're leaning towards EDNOS (not really anorexic, not really bulimic, etc)

    The last few days of your diary, you don't even hit 1000 cals.

    You definitely do need to work on those thoughts in your head.
    But I think if you tried strength training, you'd see changes in your body that you'd like.
  • sbilyeu75
    sbilyeu75 Posts: 567 Member
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    I think you need to stop categorising yourself as either 'fat' or 'thin'!
    If you're 115-130 you're healthy and normal for someone of your height with a slender frame.
    End of story.

    She is correct. I think you my have poor body image and possibly looking for something to be wrong when nothing is. Maybe speak with your doctor so you can get reassurance.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Thanks for reply, but to be honest, not helpful.
    I know the numbers, I know I'm at a healthy weight range and as easy as it is to say (or type) to just stop categorising myself as fat or thin is much more difficult than it would seem.

    But I don't know what I was hoping for by posting here...it was an impulse I guess.

    I didn't find that useful either and I'm not the OP
  • EmilyAFraser1
    EmilyAFraser1 Posts: 31 Member
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    Yeah the last few days (although tues and Wed I planned but didn't follow, just ate a bunch of other stuff, wrnt out etc) are a classic example of my 'back on the diet' method - 3/4 days of low cal to begin with before upping to 1200 for a few days/weeks depending on weight to lose and then 100cals extra a week until I reach 1600 and stay there until all weight loss is achieved.

    It's a bizarre and probably very unhealthy method but it's the way I've always dealt with gains before...

    I'm no longer in Uni so there's no councelling service available to me unless I go though the NHS and that's a nightmare and would take months and months I'm pretty sure...
  • EmilyAFraser1
    EmilyAFraser1 Posts: 31 Member
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    It's not that I'm looking for something to be wrong...I would be trilled if there wasn't. But the rational, logical part of me (which normally rules most areas of my life) is saying that something isn't quite right here...it may not (I hope it's not) an eating disorder but I'm constantly looking at girlfriends, other women on the street etc who I think look good and comparing myself to them - am I bigger/smaller etc. And I do think I look fine at the moment but the impulse to get back to the stage where people said I looked really good (or too thin as I was told by many people) is very hard to fight...it seems to me like failing or something...
  • Scoochie1
    Scoochie1 Posts: 121 Member
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    swimming, running, zumba, yoga, the gym, pilates - all solo activites
    What about trying a team sport - basketball, netball, badminton...?
  • EmilyAFraser1
    EmilyAFraser1 Posts: 31 Member
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    swimming, running, zumba, yoga, the gym, pilates - all solo activites
    What about trying a team sport - basketball, netball, badminton...?

    I do keep meaning to try again (I do play a lot of tennis in the summer) but at the moment, very busy - I have 3 part time classes I take several times a week, I have an internshipe for 3 days a week and a part time job for 2 days a week, so I have very little free time, and an odd schedule - I don't just do 9-5, I often take classes or work in the evenings as well so finding a regular time to do a group sport would be tricky at the moment, but once my workload eases off it's a good plan
  • jessicasloan91
    jessicasloan91 Posts: 184 Member
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    Slamming every reply with 'thats not useful' you're probably not going to get many replies now.. let alone useful ones
  • helki3
    helki3 Posts: 10
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    I'm no longer in Uni so there's no councelling service available to me unless I go though the NHS and that's a nightmare and would take months and months I'm pretty sure...

    Even though it may take a while, perhaps it may be worth seeing someone, even if just for your own peace of mind. :)
  • emilyisbonkers
    emilyisbonkers Posts: 373 Member
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    do you feel stressed or sad about your body or weight?
    if not I would say you are just fine
  • inktink
    inktink Posts: 135 Member
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    It may take time to get into counseling, but I would say you need to pursue it. The thoughts you are having are not healthy, and as you've already noticed, it's getting out of control. If you don't seek some outside help, you are going to fall deeper into this hole that you already can't get yourself out of.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    sorry but 1600 cals is not 'a lot' of food.... especially not for your height and if you walk a lot for exercise... (as a comparrison i eat 1800 cals to lose weight and i am shorter than you)
  • EmilyAFraser1
    EmilyAFraser1 Posts: 31 Member
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    Slamming every reply with 'thats not useful' you're probably not going to get many replies now.. let alone useful ones

    God I know. I just looked back and I'm just making excuses or denying things. I apologise, I know you are all actually trying to help or you wouldn't bother. Like I said, I don't know what i was looking to achieve here and I guess I'm not being very open to help at all. I guess I was secretly hoping for some magical oracle answer that would just FIX me or something...

    But the councelling is something that I think I should actually look into...even if it's not an eating dosorder, it's not mentally healthy I don't think
  • 135OHK
    135OHK Posts: 33 Member
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    If you're serious and that concerned about your 'food and diet obsession' you might look into 'overeaters anonymous' it's totally free. Try a few meetings, read the literature and you can decide if in fact you DO have an eating disorder. Good luck and stop making excuses.
  • EmilyAFraser1
    EmilyAFraser1 Posts: 31 Member
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    sorry but 1600 cals is not 'a lot' of food.... especially not for your height and if you walk a lot for exercise... (as a comparrison i eat 1800 cals to lose weight and i am shorter than you)

    No you're right, just reading it I see the stupidity of it...I guess it just feels like a lot of food, because it's all so clean (or low fat) so I have lots of things without actually eating as much as I think...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Slamming every reply with 'thats not useful' you're probably not going to get many replies now.. let alone useful ones

    God I know. I just looked back and I'm just making excuses or denying things. I apologise, I know you are all actually trying to help or you wouldn't bother. Like I said, I don't know what i was looking to achieve here and I guess I'm not being very open to help at all. I guess I was secretly hoping for some magical oracle answer that would just FIX me or something...

    But the councelling is something that I think I should actually look into...even if it's not an eating dosorder, it's not mentally healthy I don't think

    the fact that you are so defensive about your habits suggests it is a problem...
  • EmilyAFraser1
    EmilyAFraser1 Posts: 31 Member
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    do you feel stressed or sad about your body or weight?
    if not I would say you are just fine

    At the moment a little because of the perceived massive gain, but normally not. when I was between 101-110lbs I wasn't stresed or sad about it at all...just eager to keep losing and very very very controllimng about what I ate etc.
  • googlebear123
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    its sounds like it could be a case of body dismorphia, rather than an eating disorder.