Food for thought on eating disorders.

I was recently doing some reading on eating disorders after listening to a program on the radio about a book called "Just a little too thin" about how to identify if your daughter has or is starting to have an eating disorder. I didn't know much in detail on any of them. I know I have many issues w/ eating, binging, and My therapist tells me I over exercise and that could be a form of bulemia. As I was surfing the net I found pro-ana and pro mia sites that support anorexia and bulemia not as eating disorders but as a lifestyle choice. I looked thru some of those sites and to be honest, I felt like I was reading some of the posts from this (OH) web site. It has really made me think long and hard about what I am reading and seeing and how I let it affect my thinking. I have had to kind of back up and look at my choices and how I feel about myself and my eating. Much "food" for therapy. I OFTEN let my food choices affect how I feel about myself and the control or lack of control I have with regards to eating. My strict desire to control is exactly what anorexics have, they are just more disciplined in following thru. I recently also read a book called "how much does your soul weigh" by Dorie McCubbrey. she is a dr (PhD) who treats eating disorders and is recovered from an eating disorder herself. It has exercises in it that help you look at your diet habits and the emotional stuff that goes with it all. I highly recommend it. I am going to repost this as a new post too. I feel it is important to share and support each other with kindness to be well and healthy. However I don't think it is real possible to get recovery from an eating disorder with out some kind of professional help and support.

I can really identify with some of the things you are saying. I definitely had (possibly still have) an eating disorder. Where you said: "It has really made me think long and hard about what I am reading and seeing and how I let it affect my thinking. I have had to kind of back up and look at my choices and how I feel about myself and my eating. Much "food" for therapy. I OFTEN let my food choices affect how I feel about myself and the control or lack of control I have with regards to eating. My strict desire to control is exactly what anorexics have, they are just more disciplined in following thru." WOW, do I feel the same way quite often! I let my food choices affect how I feel every day of my life! I feel guilty if I think I made a bad choice or if I feel I ate too much that day. There's very little room for error in my mind. Also, the strict desire to control I SO identify with. You said that you over exercise~I feel in the past month or so I've started this trend as well~I don't know that it will stick b/c I seem to go pretty well for awhile and then I back off (at least that's my history with exercise)~in my mind I've stepped it up a few notches b/c spring and summer are coming and I want to be in the best possible shape for the pool and beach. I have not been in any therapy since having surgery, but I've thought about seeking it. Not that I feel there is "something wrong" with me right now, but I do worry about in the future~I don't want to let my warped ideas cause me to gain back any weight that I have lost. I've worked to long and hard on my body so maybe now its time that I do some work on my mind. Anyway, thanks for posting this! It has really got me thinking! Tracy B 328/159 5'9"

As I read things, I have often wondered if WLS has empowered and enabled some people's anorexia. Thanks for the post. Nowhere Man/PH/Jay

wow, this thread has just about brought me to tears. It does make you think. K

I sometimes wonder about that when I read the boards here. Just the fear and loathing of food generally--the constant references to certain foods being "bad" and the way people beat themselves up for eating something "bad"--and the the neverending quest to lose more, and more, and more, no matter how much has already been lost. On one level I completely understand, by on another level it seriously frightens me.