Eating disorder recovery

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ceva034
ceva034 Posts: 18 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey guys. A bit of a rant and if you've got any advice or motivation please feel free to share it. I've been struggling with binge/purge anorexia. I've just started back at the gym after taking a month away to work on recovery. First thing a trainer says to me is "have you been eating badly, you've put on weight". I know I've put on weight. I was feeling self conscious enough about it without needing a trainer to throw it in my face. How do you deal with these sort of remarks without letting it throw you back into a downward spiral?

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  • misssmadalyn
    misssmadalyn Posts: 360 Member
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    I have struggled with anorexia I was 97 pounds for 3 years & I began to gain weight rapidly I went from 97 pounds to 247 pounds in 5 years I am down to 196.. I do struggle with the concept that I have to eat still I get in time periods where I eat & I stop.. Jan 13 I started to practice eating foods that are nutritious I love fruits & veggies , meats, dark chocolate, almonds, milk, cereal, I still eat pizza , corn dogs, tamales.. I eat what I want but in moderation & keep everything balanced. If I have toast for breakfast I will make sure I also have peanut butter or something with fat & protein to have balance in my diet good luck.
  • mountiesgirl
    mountiesgirl Posts: 41 Member
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    The type of remarks your talking about are what triggered my Eating disorder I started journaling and talking to my counselor I also attend a support group about my problems and signed up for yoga I try to distract myself with reading, listening to music, watching tv, and surrounding myself with positive people.
  • weightBgonegone
    weightBgonegone Posts: 21 Member
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    Perhaps you should tell your trainer about your eating disorder if you already haven't. If you do, I bet he/she will be more aware and know what not to say to you that could potentially be triggering. To deal with these remarks, I suggest just remembering your struggle of the eating disorder and use those memories to fuel your recovery by not wanting to go back there, just to get where you are now, again. If that made any sense. You can also talk with a counselor/therapist about it, and allow them to coach you through the recovery process and take some weight off your shoulders while helping you realize that you are so much greater than your eating disorder.
    Best of luck. You can do this.
  • wissywig
    wissywig Posts: 11 Member
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    I agree, tell your trainer about your ED. It's vital that s/he know your history to properly help you through this process.

    I don't know if you're at a place yet where you can do this, but perhaps try to view those words "you've put on weight" not as an insulting or embarrassing, but rather as simply an observation? Like "you've cut your hair." No comment on whether it looks good or doesn't, just a fact. That might help you avoid the downward spiral a trigger like this can cause.

    I don't know what you look like, if you're healthy weight, underweight or overweight (to your own eye you probably look very different than to an objective one, of course--that's what EDs do to you). But the words themselves carry no judgement unless you assign it to them. Obviously body language, tone, other cues verbal or otherwise would be indicators on what the trainer meant by that comment, and only you know the context in which it was said.

    But you also have the power to make your own context. If you're underweight, then having put on weight is a good thing. And even if you're overweight or healthy weight, putting on weight is something that happens to everyone. Can you look at it as a comment with zero connotations, negative or positive? A neutral statement of fact (if it is indeed even fact)?

    Sorry, I don't even know if this helps at all...if not then I apologize. I think the bottom line is that fact or not, no matter what the trainer actually meant by those words, they had a triggering effect on you. Talking to your trainer about your ED will help him/her to help you. And if your trainer does not respond appropriately after you tell him/her, get a new trainer.

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