In the beginning????

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
In the beginning????
6
Thu, 10-23-2003 - 3:33pm
If anyone has Anorexia, and I'm trying to figure out how to ask this question but when you first started feeling sick because of it, what happened? What were your symptoms? What did you feel like? How long did it take before you started to feel something? And what if anything did you do to help yourself feel better? Forgive me if some of my questions are stupid, I'm not very educated in this at all but have a feeling I know someone who might be anorexic.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 10-23-2003 - 4:08pm

Hey Girl, your questions are not stupid and I am glad you asked. Unfortunately I never got to that point, but I am sure you will get some more answers here. I also wanted to encourage you to go see a doctor. If you can be completely honest it would be a start to get better. And what you can do to get better is be honest with people, get a good support group (besides this one), start seeing a therapist and maybe try to find a good group meeting. Here are some websites to check out:


www.celebraterecovery.com


www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org


www.somethingfishy.org


Also, if you feel like it, could you share a little more about yourself? It would help us in being there for you and trying to help you. But if that feels uncomfortable, please don't worry about it.

Love & hugs, Kristina


Love & hugs, Kristina

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Thu, 10-23-2003 - 6:18pm
Hi, I'm cadey, I'm going to take a shot at your questions. Remember though, that anorexia and bulimia affect people differently, and your friend might not just be anorexic, she might suffer from both diseases, and more, like a lot of "us". I'll give you my experiences.

*** when you first started feeling sick because of it, what happened? What were your symptoms? What did you feel like?

My heart beats irregularly, because my body doesn't have what it needs. my hair is definitely shedding beyond normal, when i eat less it falls out more. sometimes my gums bleed when i brush them, and for a while after. when i was at my lowest weight my ribs and hips stuck out, and i had big black circles under my eyes. (still do actually). my kidneys are messed up, and i'm actually just waiting for lab results from blood tests to find out what i have really done to myself.

***How long did it take before you started to feel something? Let me tell you, if your friend is experiencing these kinds of things and that's why you are scared, she is pretty well entrenched in her eating disorder. If you want to talk to her about it, I also recommend something-fishy.org, it's very informative for you and her.

***And what if anything did you do to help yourself feel better? I went to a therapist, got on anti-depressants, and am waiting to see what happens. recovery is a foreign word to me right now.

***Forgive me if some of my questions are stupid, I'm not very educated in this at all but have a feeling I know someone who might be anorexic. Believe me, you are not stupid. a lot of people don't understand it, and that's why websites like the one i mentioned before are so helpful. because they really get it. they'll tell you the things that will push her away and the things that will really help her. good luck, and i hope that she is healthy. and you are a good friend for trying to find answers for her.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Fri, 10-24-2003 - 12:10pm
Hi and thanks!

Actually I do know someone who I am concerned about, she is my SIL. She is very sickly looking, she looks like skin on top of bone, has no color at all and her skin looks pasty, and her hair looks really stringy, she's as white as a ghost. I haven't really ever seen her eat, we don't see much of each other, but when she was at my house for the holidays I offered her some things and she accepted but just kind of pushed them around on her plate or left them there. The only thing she really wanted was black coffee and I don't even know if she ate that. Last time we were at their house my husband said he saw exercise equipment all over the place. So, I'm wondering.

Also I do have some questions about myself now. I started a diet and have been on it for 3 years now and love it but to tell you the truth I don't eat all that much most days. I pretty much eat one meal a day in the evening. I usually eat fish, meats, chicken, etc and lots of green cooked vegetables and salads and sugar free desserts. I don't eat sugar at all. I eat quite a bit at this evening meal. I am also in menopause and have many many problems with it so far. Recently I started not feeling well, about a month now, I feel so lifeless all the time and think I could sleep around the clock. I did go to the doctors about all of this and he's given me many vitamins to take and we are working on balancing my hormones too. I think though that I might not have been eating enough and maybe depleted myself of many vitamins that are necessary. I also think and have been told that I am overly concerned about gaining weight back. I had always been thin and then gained about 30 pounds and could not lose it until I found this way of eating and now sometimes I'm scared I ate too much and even feel terrible at times if I eat certain things that are fattening. So I am also concerned for myself.

I am quite thin now, my eyes are always red, I feel like my mouth is always dry and when I drink water it really doesn't help too much, and I just feel so crappy. Another thing too is that my urine smells so strong, like ammonia. So I'm trying to look into everything. I have discussed all this with my doctor and I think that he really thinks it's nutritionally and stress related. In the past few years I have gone through tremendous stress so maybe now that things have calmed down somewhat it's all getting to me.

Other than that everything looks good, my hair, my teeth, my skin, everything. In fact I've never looked better but I want to not only keep my looks but my health too.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 10-24-2003 - 12:18pm

Well, I am no doctor or nutritionist, but having dealt with many health issues myself, I have read quite a bit. It does sound like it could be nutrition or the lack thereof. It could also be hormones and if your nutrition is not where it needs to be, then your hormones will be messed up, too.


You may try eating 5 to 6 small meals per day. I don't see anything wrong with the foods you are eating as I am and advocate of a no or low grain diet myself. However, are you getting enough fat? You may want to add some high quality flaxseed oil, olive oil, and/or coconut oil. All very beneficial to your health. And look into taking some Omega 3. If your body is lacking it you can have all sorts of symptoms that are hard to daignose.


Here is a site where I have gotten tons of great info: www.mercola.com. This guy is a doctor but he is a proponent of healing through nutrition and supplements. I have his book called 'The No-Grain Diet' and have found some relief from my symptoms already through implementing some of the things he recommends. I do think it's important to eat several small meals throughout the day rather than one big one. Your body needs energy during the day and it should get it from food.


As for your fear of gaining weight back, it does sound a bit obsessive. Have you considered seeing a therapist? IT could help you deal with your emotional issues which may lead you to focus on your physical appearance. I hope this helps and please post as often as you need to. I hope your SIL will get help also. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do if she doesn't want to be helped.

Love & hugs, Kristina


Love & hugs, Kristina

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2003
Fri, 10-24-2003 - 2:43pm
Hi Truly,

That's how my problems started. I was always thin but gained in college. I found the lean way of eating (pretty much what you do), and soon became terrified of sugar.

It worked for me...in fact, it worked so well that in a matter of months I looked like the friend you describe.

While this is a safe way of eating for many, it just isn't for some. I guess it depends on how you're made.

Your symptoms sound familiar: the dry mouth, the red eyes. My eyes were always kind of squinty while I was eating this way. I was pretty tired and cold too. My circulation was the WORST! In photos, my nose is all red and my skin looks rough. I was really dehydrated, I think. Also, my stomach stood out from my body whenever I ate. (Which it still does but for other reasons.) I felt really anxious and nervous all the time, especially around those yummy sweet foods that everyone else seemed to eat with no problem.

There were certain pairs of pants I was afraid to try on in the morning because I was afraid they would be tight. But of course, once I put them on, they were always falling off.

I lost my periods (not an issue for you, since you say you are going through the change), and still have not really gotten them back.

You said that your doctor cites nutrition and stress as the main problems here and I don't see why not. In fact, imbalanced nutrition places stress on the body which can cause a chain of bad things.

Well, I have to say that my recovery is not the smoothest thing in the world and I am very tempted to go on Atkins or the South Beach...just til I can lose 10 pounds and get my bmi down to 18 or so...but I have to keep telling myself no.

I learned that self abuse comes in many forms...

What do you think?

Just to reiterate, I think that there are some people who are really happy and healthy without starches or sugars. I am only sharing my experience because you just gave me a big old blast from the past.

be well,

Shortie

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Mon, 10-27-2003 - 1:03pm
Hi Shortie!

I certainly do feel like I can't have sugar most of the time. It's funny but I started this Way of eating like I said 3 years ago and lost everything that I wanted too. I didn't go extreme and still ate somethings with sugar especially when I went out to eat. Never candy or cake or anything like that though but I did occcasionally like birthdays or holidays. I think I stayed the same weight for about a year and then without even trying OR wanting to lose any more weight I did, I was fine though and felt healthy although alot of the time I didn't have all that much energy but still felt good. And like I said I'm having alot of meno problems for the past 2 years too.

Then all of a sudden recently I noticed I've lost more weight again. Anymore it seems like every time I try clothes on from the year before everything is too big and I'm constantly taking things in for alteration. If I loose anymore I think I'll look terrible but It's so hard to bring myself to eat too much more than I am. Although now I think I know that I WAS depleting myself of tons of vitamins. Only in the past week have I been taking all my vitamins diligently and I already feel a little better. And I have been eating oatmeal for lunch at work and also drinking this shake that my doc gave me and it also has alot of good things in it. This past weekend we went to friends and I at pizza and chips and dips and all kinds of things and I didn't give it a second thought. So you see, I'm not as fanatical as some people but I think i'm on the edge and I've always been so concerned about my weight.

Now I'm hoping that all my symptoms are because of this eating of mine, because then I can do something about it.

Actually I still do have periods but they are very eratic and sometimes I flow very heavily for weeks so that also attributes to my tiredness. I wish that I would completely stop but not because of the way you have. And I have also wondered about that for myself too.

I have had alot of stress in the past few years, some good, some bad plus what I have been doing to myself nutritionally and it's been reeking havoc.

Now you are saying that you want to lose another 10 pounds. Do you really need too or is it the illness? How tall are you and how much do you weigh if you don't mind my asking?

I agree and think there are some people who are hapy and healthy without starches and sugars and I think I can be one of them if I just do it the right way. I do not have to completely stay away from those things as I think that you wouldn't have too either. Have you ever read the ATkins book? IF not, you should, you'll see that if done properly a person should never get sick or have problems. That's how I started and didn't even realize later on that I was not continuing. Hopefully I can now. And I hope that you make a complete recovery too!!!