Have I got an eating disorder?

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2

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  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
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    That about sums it up but you may need to talk to your doctor.
  • cadaver0usb0nes
    cadaver0usb0nes Posts: 151 Member
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    I would talk to a counselor or your regular doctor about this. It sounds like you do have disordered eating. If you binge and then stave, over exercise, and obsess about calories thats definitely a warning sign. (I've had disordered eating/eating disorder for 10 years)

    I would recommend to talk to someone before it gets much worse hun.
  • sparklefrogz
    sparklefrogz Posts: 281 Member
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    I cannot imagine anything worse that admitting to my family I may have an eating disorder...
    Need to try to sort it out.
    And the way to sort it out is with a qualified professional. If you talk to your doctor, the doctor can't even tell your husband without your permission. If you're worried about how to explain it when you have appointments with the counsellor, I would look deep and hard at WHY you are worried about this. If your husband loves you, he would undoubtedly be relieved to see you get help, and want to assist you in any way he can.

    The rest of your family? Doesn't need to know at all.
  • thingofstuff
    thingofstuff Posts: 93 Member
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    Never be afraid to get help because of the stigma around mental illness. After getting out of an abusive relationship that left me with PTSD, I was afraid to tell anyone because I am studying Psychology in hopes of becoming a therapist and didn't want to appear weak or unqualified (should have seen it coming-type situation) to help others, but if anything: getting help makes you understand yourself and other people better to avoid this pattern in the future. The bottom line is if your behaviour and thoughts are causing you emotional discomfort, disrupting your daily functioning, and even causing distress to those around you, then you need to get help to make life easier.

    I also have struggled with an anorexia since I was 14 and had never talked to anyone about it until dealing with my self esteem issues during a counselling session with the BWSS, which offers free counselling for women dealing with domestic violence and abuse. Although time and maturity had helped a lot with my ED, it made a huge difference to talk to someone about it and I probably wouldn't have such a good handle it today if not for the professional help.
  • Losingthedamnweight
    Losingthedamnweight Posts: 535 Member
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    yeah binge eating then starving yourself is an eating disorder

    ???? I totally had this for the past decade. Can't believe I lived so long doing what I did. Wonder how common this is among men
  • melaniefave41
    melaniefave41 Posts: 222 Member
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    You should be discussing this with your doctor.
  • Jeneba
    Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
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    AS one of the other posts says, ED is very often linked with trauma.... I agree with all of those who have mentioned seeking professional help. You might want to look at the website of Mary Anne Cohen emotionaleating.org She has written a book about what it is like to experience ED therapy. Be gentle and kind to yourself. There is plenty of hope. :heart:
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    As for 'isn't this normal for MFP?' I think it is fairly common for calorie counting to turn into calorie obsessing. A lot of people have trouble transitioning from counting to not counting. And the 'all or nothing' mentality with diet and exercise, and yoyo dieting, are all also very common. I would try to quit or seek help but I don't know if you need to brand yourself "ED" to all your family.

    You look very thin. That would scare me more, if that's you-- thinking you're "a little overweight". Are you overweight by BMI?
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    I did not realize I had a weird relationship with food until I started paying attention/logging what I eat. I definitely binge under times of stress. I cut calories for a while afterword while my stomach settles from eating ALL THE THINGS.

    An estranged family member is visiting me this week, and the stress (we are estranged for a REASON) has caused some yukky food behavior for me.

    I have had a 3,000 calorie day somewhere this week, and a 1,200 calorie day somewhere this week.

    The visit is over after today. I know I will be able to eat normally in the coming days. For the most part I am conscious of my decisions, and able to craft balanced food days.

    This is a coping mechanism, and I wont need it for much longer.

    However, I dont consider myself "disordered" because I have an accurate picture of my body, I have a healthy BMI, and I dont over-exercise in response to intake.

    I do log my binge, brush my teeth afterwords, try to focus on WHY I did that, and do my best to dust myself off and try better tommorrow.
  • AlwaysWanderer
    AlwaysWanderer Posts: 641 Member
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    No, my BMI is normal, although towards the top end. Me in the picture is before pregnancy, so i wasn't overweight then. I'd like to get back to that weight.

    I just hate the fact that i cant seem to think about food as sustenance, not obsessing about it all the time.
    Since i posted this i got worried that i wasn't eating enough, and that was just the perfect excuse my stupid body needed. I binged so much last week, its sick. 1500 calorie meals were not an exception. I just cant find the moderation. I cant think, ok I'll have a doughnut, i have to have a whole 5-pack, follow that with a large hot chocolate with cream, and then have an extra large McDonalds for dinner because "I'm starving". I don't tell my husband about my binges, I mostly eat when he's not around and dispose of the evidence :( didn't do any exercise either :(
  • AlwaysWanderer
    AlwaysWanderer Posts: 641 Member
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    How did you stop?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    A lot of people here are obsessive about calories, to the point of weighing every ounce they swallow. I'm not sure if it's an eating disorder or not.

    I think you venture into disorder territory when the choices you're making do harm to your body and you don't stop yourself, whether it's over eating or under eating. If you're obsessive about calories, that doesn't really a whole disorder make. It's just a little quirky. Not something that per se requires professional help.

    Talk to your doctor. See what they say. :)
  • kessler4130
    kessler4130 Posts: 150 Member
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    Well is your disorder any different than someone who eats 3 meals a day at McDonalds? At least you recognize you have gained weight and diet back down, however based on the information you do it at a dangerously low caloric intake. Yes you have an issue, but so do half the people on MFP eating 1200 calories a day doing cardio every single day. Unless you are 4' tall and do 0 exercise, there is no godamn reason to eat 1200 calories a day.
  • mandycasey
    mandycasey Posts: 274 Member
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    Hi you have described me exactly! I'm alot bigger than u though, but the binging or undereating, the heavy full on cardio exercise or nothing at all!!!!!

    I know its not normal but never thought it was a disorder! My old doctor ( old for a reason lol) told me everyones binges etc!!!!
  • rmbenham
    rmbenham Posts: 1
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    Hi Sweetie,
    'I'm no expert, but your behavior sounds erratic and irresponsible to your health. I think it's okay - even healthy - to count calories and think about what you are eating, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Tracking what/how much you are eating over a period of several weeks can give you insight into what and how much to eat to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Exercise of course burns calories, but I wouldn't think of those burnt calories as something to "eat back." Exercise is essential for strengthening bones and muscles, improve vascular, cardio, and poulminary systems, burning extra sugar, carbs, and fat. And it improves brain function. Exercise earns you "bonus" calories, if you want to think of them that way, but I think of these calories as ways to eat more healthy foods to make up for vitamin/mineral defficiencies, or indulge in a glass or two of wine, or that serving of dessert as a treat for hard work. But I don't try to eat back all that I burned through exercise.

    I would seriously discuss your eating habits with your doctor or see a nutritionist and see what s/he says.

    Good luck.
  • northbanu
    northbanu Posts: 366 Member
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    Sorry, I didn't read all the replies, so if this is just more noise, I apologize.

    I'd be hard pressed to take anyone's answer here, on this forum or any other, with anything more than a grain of salt. Specific diet questions, tips, etc is one thing, but a only a conversation between your doctor and close, personal friends that you can trust to be brutally honest, can answer this question.

    Having said that, here's my grain of salt: You may or may not have an eating disorder. But maybe your eating habits are just a natural (albeit not necessarily healthy) extension of your personality. Do you obsess and then lose interest, and then obsess again about other things in your life? Are house chores all-out obsessive clean freak for a couple weeks, and then ignored until it finally bugs you? Get stuck playing online games or whatever until you realize you should set them aside and do something else, only to become obsessed with that something else until it bores you?

    All I'm getting at is that maybe your eating habits are just par for the course, and match up with the rest of your personality.

    The thing is though, if you think that you should change your habits because they are detrimental to your well-being, than seeking the help and advice of doctors and therapists is the place to start.

    Sometimes just wondering if there is a problem is the beginning of real, lasting, healthful change.
  • supersupercoolio
    supersupercoolio Posts: 6
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    Okay so I obviously don't really know anything about you but as someone who struggles with bulimia I know some stuff about EDs. To me it sounds much more likely that you have disordered eating rather than an eating disorder. Although it is possible that you have ednos (or osfed but I really hate that word) I think that disordered eating or unhealthy but not particularly severe eating habits is much more likely. How often do your binge days come? Would you say it more of a cycle or are they irregular? Do feel that you restrict to punish yourself for your binges? Sorry, you don't have to answer those but some more information would be helpful to determine whether you have ednos or not.
  • sparklefrogz
    sparklefrogz Posts: 281 Member
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    Having said that, here's my grain of salt: You may or may not have an eating disorder. But maybe your eating habits are just a natural (albeit not necessarily healthy) extension of your personality. Do you obsess and then lose interest, and then obsess again about other things in your life? ....

    All I'm getting at is that maybe your eating habits are just par for the course, and match up with the rest of your personality.
    I'm like that, actually. Average lifespan of a new interest or hobby is 3 weeks. :)

    But here's why it could be disordered eating for the OP in my (totally worth what you paid for it) opinion: she feels shame or embarrassment around her eating behaviour, to the point where she tries to hide that behaviour from others.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    Well is your disorder any different than someone who eats 3 meals a day at McDonalds? At least you recognize you have gained weight and diet back down, however based on the information you do it at a dangerously low caloric intake. Yes you have an issue, but so do half the people on MFP eating 1200 calories a day doing cardio every single day. Unless you are 4' tall and do 0 exercise, there is no godamn reason to eat 1200 calories a day.

    Not to derail this thread, but tell that to MFP:

    Your estimated BMR is: 1,182 calories/day


    If I eat more than 1200 calories a day without exercise, I don't lose even 1/2 a pound a week. And I've proven that to myself by trying it, too, unfortunately. I wish I could eat more and be all slothy and still lose weight!

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