Recovered anorexic - help

elenafm13
elenafm13 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Introduce Yourself
Hello. I'm 19 yr old and I've had a very conflicted relationship with myfitnesspal for a few years now and haven't used it in just under a year. At first I used it to help lose weight when I was borderline overweight and really unhappy with my figure. But then I suffered with anorexia nervosa and used it in a destructive manner. during recovery it was useful and harmful at the same time, but I ended up deleting it once I felt food no longer controlled my life. However, since then I have gained all my weight back and MORE, making me in the overweight category, which as you can probably imagine, is every person with an eating disorders (recovered or not) worst night mare. I'm on here with the intentions of losing weight healthily and happily, but find it EXTREMELY difficult to lose weight/watch what I'm eating without using old habits and usually end up spiralling downwards very quickly. I'm not sure of my exact weight because I threw away my scales, which I am glad about and think was a brave move, but I know the last time I did weigh myself I was over 10 stone and I can only guess I've gained since then (not because of any distorted thoughts, before you assume, but because of my clothing size, etc) so the 150lb is not accurate and probably under what I weigh. I'd love to get back to a healthy weight (I was happiest with my body when I was around 8- 9 stone. Also note I'm 5'3 so this was a healthy weight to be at. If there are any people out there who have been through similar things and could offer some advice, PLEASE come forward. I struggled a lot with binge eating during recovery because my body was in a state of extreme hunger after being malnourished for so long, and so the weight piled on and even when I got past the bingeing, continued. (I think it was due to the medication I was on, and the heavy drinking I was (still am) doing due to being a student. I do admit I eat takeaways far too often and need to be more strict with myself, but obviously I find this so hard due to how I was previously and being so terrified of going back there. Please help me!!!!

Replies

  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    edited November 2015
    Do you have a recovery team or physician assisting with this process? Your best option will be a recovery team/physican/dietician/therapist... some combination of the list provided as all will be helpful to you during this process. If relapse is possible then having a recovery team will benefit you more than you might think/be aware of.

    OP, good luck to you, but outside and professional assistance is really the best for your situation.
  • KirstenDinnie
    KirstenDinnie Posts: 16 Member
    You will find a lot of support on this app but I truly encourage you to find some support at home and even professionally as suggested above. I also used to have an eating disorder (binge eating) and getting professional help has really helped. Just know that it's ok to enjoy takeaways here and there! It's not the end of the world. Restricting heavily will just end badly (as you know). I think it's wonderful that you are not focussing on the scale. What I do is I ask myself if whatever diet I'm currently doing is long term. Can I see myself still eating this way in a year from now? If not, I make a healthy change. Add me if you'd like to talk more :) and also, I used to beat myself up a lot if I didn't see miracles occur within a week. Let's be serious... Time to simply take care of and cherish your body. You're stronger than you think :)
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Seek professional care now and they can help you manage this in a healthy way.
  • veronicaleepee
    veronicaleepee Posts: 2 Member
    I do not recommend using this app as you mentioned it is not good for recovering anorexics. My best friend almost died from anorexia and using apps like this made him more inclined to pay attention to his weight and body. I would go to a professional trainer or doctor and see what you should do besides this. If you insist on using this, do AT MOST 30 minutes of cardio a day (150 calories burned). Eat healthy foods and don't count calories. Good luck.
  • elenafm13
    elenafm13 Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you everyone for the advice it really means a lot, I didn't expect anybody to reply! I will take your advice and delete the app and speak to my doctor about being appointed with a new dietician. I did have a support team/psychiatrist when I was super ill but I moved away from home and was discharged. I have a therapist now but it's not for my eating disorder it's for other mental health issues. I am going to book an appointment with my doctor and ask her for help. Thank you for making me realise I shouldn't be doing this on my own! All the best on your own journeys, thank you very much once again xxx
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