Struggling with anorexia... please help me

Kudos to you for being smart enough to get some help...but it sounds like you need more. You need surrounded by positive people who can help you. Continue eating and don't beat yourself up over it. It's part of life and you need it to survive. Stay strong and work on you...it won't be fixed overnight and just give it time to heal. Your body and your head need to work together! Good luck!

As a recovered anorexic, I really have very little advice because I know the mental struggle--and I know that even when I wanted to do the right thing, I didn't want anyone TELLING me what the right thing was. I had to come to terms with it in my own time and under my own circumstances. I pray that your counselor will be able to give you the tools you need to succeed. I know it's difficult, but try to view food as your friend, not your enemy. Your body needs nutrients and calories to function and be healthy, and depriving yourself of those nutrients will only make you weak and sick.

There is hope. Just decide every single day to live your life in a way that is healthy and beneficial, and if you have a bad day, start fresh the next day. Best wishes to you!

http://www.something-fishy.org/ is an awesome site for this kind of support.

You have taken the first big step - admiting it is a problem and wanting help. you are obviously a very wise person, so I am confident you can conquer this. I have no magic words, but if you would like to message me or add me as a friend, I welcome you to do so. Sometimes all one needs is a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on.

There have been a couple of resonses from people who are recovered anorexics - i would encourage you to stay in communication with them.
good luck!

I am also in recovery, but a little further along if you want to send me a friends request for support.

My wake up call was having to switch doctors. My new one does not mess around and started running blood work, which I always failed, got sent to like 5 specialist last year and I had my gall bladder out this morning.

I am also in therapy and my therapist is awesome, but what made me really want to change my eating habits? I got tired of the constant doctors visits, going in for blood work every 3 months, feeling like crap all the time.

I'm one of those people that likes to go go go all the time and I just couldn't do it any more

Could you drink a protein shake?

I am recovering from anorexia and bulimia. If you need a support, I'm here so feel free to add me. It's tough, my family is not supportive and makes me feel terrible about everything that I do. But we can recover.

As a recovered anorexic, I really have very little advice because I know the mental struggle--and I know that even when I wanted to do the right thing, I didn't want anyone TELLING me what the right thing was. I had to come to terms with it in my own time and under my own circumstances. I pray that your counselor will be able to give you the tools you need to succeed. I know it's difficult, but try to view food as your friend, not your enemy. Your body needs nutrients and calories to function and be healthy, and depriving yourself of those nutrients will only make you weak and sick.

There is hope. Just decide every single day to live your life in a way that is healthy and beneficial, and if you have a bad day, start fresh the next day. Best wishes to you!

^^THIS.

I've never had anorexia, but through my life I have often struggled to eat enough from lack of appetite, forgetting to eat, resenting the time it takes to eat, etc. I go through long periods where I find it hard to eat as much as I need to. And I do understand what you mean about focusing better when eating lightly - eating a heavy meal makes me feel dull and weighed-down, and I really do best in the morning when I don't eat very much at one time.

What helps me most during these periods is eating light, nutrient-dense foods - ie. raw fruits, vegetables, and some nuts and seeds! Some people eat ONLY these foods daily, having adopted a diet called Raw Veganism. When done correctly, many of these people are healthy and have plenty of energy. No certain diet is good for everyone, so I'm not suggesting that you take up this diet for life, but as a temporary measure to get used to eating again, I think it would be healthy to try out because even if your calorie count is still low at least you'll still be getting a lot of vitamins and minerals that you need. And it would probably be much less taxing mentally than trying to force down heavier foods like meat or cheese.

Just remember, the people who succeed with the raw food diet are the ones who eat the calories that they need to thrive, so you'll still have to slowly up the amount of calories you are consuming. If you find that you're able to gain some weight and feel good, then it's generally safe to continue eating this way as long as you're eating a large variety of foods and eating sweet fruits with fiber and protein to keep blood sugar levels stable. If you'd like to add in some cooked and heavier foods after a while, I'd recommend starting on the lighter end with yogurt and soups, and save meat and pasta for last.

A sample menu for a day when you're just starting out might go something like this:

Breakfast: herbal tea (nettles and oatstraw are soothing to the nervous system and contain many micronutrients such as calcium and magnesium), fruit-and-green smoothie (ex. banana, berries, lettuce, spinach, celery, flaxseed, hemp protein powder)

Mid-day brunch: Carrot and celery sticks and/or a piece of fruit

Lunch: Kale salad with other greens, tomatoes and avocado

Afternoon snack: Coconut water, fruit salad

Dinner: Herbal tea, soaked nuts and seeds, sea vegetables/seaweed

Best of luck to you!