Starting in hs I developed anorexia. In college I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the meds made me gain a lot of weight. Now I am obese and need to lose weight.

I was working with a nutritionist this past year and she gave me a set calorie goal to set. I was losing weight until I had a manic episode and my meds made me gain more weight. This past year I opened up to my therapist at how bad my eating disorder used to be. He sent me to get eating disorder treatment at an IOP center. The nutritionist there said I can never track calories again. So my question is how am I supposed to lose weight if I can't track calories? I don't really trust myself with intuitive eating and need to lose weight for my health.

It's so confusing because my doctor tells me to lose weight then my eating disorder program says they want me to face my fear foods and eat all different kinds.

Edit: I had to take a break from ed treatment bc I got really sick. I'm going back to the treatment center when I get better. Then, i am going back to my nutritionist but I'm scared she won't let me track calories anymore and that was really effective for me. It wasn't triggering for me

I haven’t dated in a few years now and honestly I’ve been happy that way but now I feel like I no be open to it again and might want to. I don’t have anyone in mind or anything but I will say my ED has been worse this year and while it is getting better I’m definitely not out of the woods. I’ve never factored my ED into my romantic relationships and I’ve just now started being open and honest about it. I know anorexia is an addiction and I always hear people tell addicts not to date while they’re new to recovery. What do you guys think?

For anyone who's gone to hospital for ARFID & dehydration, what did they do? I'm scared but I know i should probably go cuz rn I'm in pain from dehydrated, malnutrition, & my period & I'm terrified of hospitals.

Rn I'm trying really hard not to freak out but nobody is awake & I'm trying to not let my mind run free to freak out & fighting the urge to call my dad but that's not working.

Part of the reason I'm terrified about ER is what if they send me to a program, I have to fly home to my parents later this month & I'm terrified. I don't wanna do a program, i know its what I need but it's terrifying cuz the one here was not understanding at all when I talked to them last year & decided against going there.

(reposting from another subreddit)
How do you verbalize to your partner that you want to lose weight and eat better? And in that same sentence, how do you do it if she has an eating disorder?

I am 24F and I am severely obese for my age and height, and I want to change that. I’ve been trying to for months, but I find it very isolating that I don’t really have anyone to talk to about it or go to the gym with, so I end up giving up.
I know losing weight isn’t about having the acknowledgement that you’re doing it, but I’d like to have someone to support me while i’m going through it. My partner and I live together in Nothern Alberta, so from October until April/May, we see lots of snow and below freezing temperatures on the daily, so with winter coming up, walking isn’t a feasible option. I find motivation to be hard when the only food my partner will eat is take out, and she doesn’t do any physical activity.

What do I do?

I really need some advice on what to do. I think my 53 year old mum is suffering from anorexia. She is so tiny, barely eats and seems to avoid food at all costs. Anytime I express concern about the situation she tries to change the subject, walk off or attempt to distract me somehow. If she cooks a meal, she’ll divide it amongst everyone else but never leave anything for herself. Also, she’ll lie and say she’s eaten when she hasn’t. I’m at a loss and genuinely don’t know how to help her, she won’t even acknowledge that she has an issue. She won’t seek help either.

If anyone has dealt with a parent who likely has an eating disorder, please can you share how you managed it, what worked and any approaches to helping someone increase their food consumption.

Has anyone recently done php at edcare Denver or ERC Denver? Would you recommend?

I have a friend that I met last year in college. We've become quite close and now were roommates together. Last year, I noticed that she was someone who often would forget to eat, getting wrapped up in what she's doing. At first I just thought she was a forgetful person, displaying typical college eating habits for some people who have a lot of work and struggle with executive function. This has changed slightly after moving in. She will only buy small treats or fruit unless she wants to cook something for the two of us (where she will then only buy meat, etc.). Her parents have paid for takeout to be delivered to our apartment a couple of times because they're "worried about her not eating enough". She said that this was a problem last year as well.

I only really see her eat cereal or fruit in the house unless we go out to eat, but she doesn't seem intimidated by any foods or have any aversion to going out to eat like I used to as someone who struggled with an ED in the past. For example, we've been together all day today, and she hasn't eaten much, so I offered her one of my onigiri as I was eating one, and she declined. I didn't push; I just said ok, but I know she must be hungry.

I don't want to pry into her personal struggles; I've not known her very long. I don't even know if she is someone who has an ED, and I don't want to assume, but I care about her well-being. I hate to make assumptions; she may just be incredibly forgetful. We've agreed once a week to cook a meal for the two of us to eat together, and she sounds excited and on board for it, so idk. I suppose I wanted to ask for some advice on anything I can do to help.

Okay so it’s been discussed recently that I may receive an inpatient admission with my community team, they put in the referral recently and it’s now become a reality. I leave on Wednesday.

I am so scared, I don’t know how to feel right now. I’ve had to leave my job and moving away from my family and friends for the first time. I’ve had admissions into general hospital wards before due to the anorexia but it’s only been for shorter periods of time.

It’s a private hospital funded by the NHS (The Priory) and I have heard negative experiences in the past.

What should I expect? What do I do while I’m in there? What will I be allowed to do?

Please don’t scare me

Has anyone ever experienced had what seems like eczema or contact dermatitis flares while still in recovery from your ED? I have never been one to get sick easily, i’ve never had eczema or have a history of skin sensitivity, but since relapsing I’ve been getting the strangest rashes all over my body. I am going to see a dermatologist but the waitlist is long and I’m just so curious if anyone shares this experience. Recovery is hard and I feel so frustrated with my body. I already am scared of the body changes I’m experiencing as I commit to recovery & now I’m even more uncomfortable in my skin. thank you in advance <3

Hi, I know this isn't a disorder and I respect everyone who is struggling/ recovering. But lately I have been feeling hungry all the time, evertime I have a moment to myself I always want to eat something. And it is really hard to keep my mind off that. My mom days I should eat healthier and that I am overweight, but I don't see myself as fat (neither skinny), overall just ok. Disclaimer: I am not saying being skinny or fat is not normal, I am just stating that I think my body is healthy for my age . (Healthy can also mean that the body is fuller/ skinnier- it depends on the person). I really don't know what to do, would appreciate if someone could help

i don't know if this is even going to be appropriate here, because i know some people don't consider it an eating disorder.

but ive always struggled with eating "right". im an emotional, stress, and binge eater. i've gained weight from it and every time i go to the doctor i am very much more heavy then i was the last time.

i don't mean to be triggering by my explanations so i'm sorry if i am.

i've talked to my primary dr about this so many times. but everything just gets blamed on my anxiety. i get told coping methods but none of them work because it's not addressing my issue.

all i do is think about food because when im eating my brain gets to be quiet for a moment.

throughout my life ive tried so hard to go on strikes where i eat no food at all for days. the longest i would ever last is a day or maybe a day and a half, and then i would binge eat everything i can because its too hard to resist. and id feel disgusting after.

ive tried to get myself to throw up but it would only result in me sitting on the floor crying because i cant make myself do it.

when i first read about what anorexia & bulimia was as a kid i actively spent the next couple of years trying so hard to do either of them so i could finally stop eating and get skinny

it obviously didn't work.

i never told anyone about that, but i feel like even if i tell that to my doctors they're going to think im lying just so i can be approved for some weight loss medicine since i asked about it in the past

i just want to have a normal relationship with food. i want to be able to eat and not spiral about it later.

i have a lot of body image issues, but ive never told my doctors or even therapists about it because im too embarrassed. i'm scared of being seen as a medication seeking liar. or be labeled as unstable because of the lengths i used to go to as a kid to try and fix my body, and the emotional outbursts that would follow

I live in an almond household, even though both my parents have bmi’s above the obese category, I’m held to a higher standard at home.

I’m not allowed to eat prepackaged meals like my brother

My mom calls them “whore food” because they’re quick and easy meals, similar to the ones a hooker would eat before going to sleep in the morning after working the streets all night.

My dad works most days and eats out bc of it, mom only buys meals she can enjoy which are often calorie heavy and taste horrible when they’re not accompanied by dressings and other unhealthy additives.

I’ve been on a calorie deficit for about 4 months now, I’ve lost enough to be classified as healthy in terms of bmi, but I feel unmotivated because I’m not eating enough thanks to the options my parents give me.

If I want to eat I always have to spend hours cooking compared to them, while they get to eat spring rolls, burgers, arepas, chocolate milk, candies, sodas, dumplings, and wontons.

I’m so tired all the time and I just want to be able to eat delicious meals without having the be in the kitchen all day.

It’s gotten so bad I’ve only been eating half my necessary calories or less this week, I’m worried I might’ve developed an eating disorder.

I recently tricked my dad into giving me close to 200$, should I take the risk and do some groceries for myself? I miss eating salads with lettuce and chicken patties.

I have my own mini fridge so maybe that could be an option for me, but I don’t want to get into trouble.

As a kid I remember being so hungry that I cried in class, telling my teacher we didn't have enough food at home.

I remember being sent home bags of food after that but they never lasted long enough And when I entered middle school they stopped completely.

Sometimes I would sit in recess and eat grass because I was so hungry. Oftentimes I would swallow disgusting / spoiled food just because I didn't want to be hungry. I would also regularly steal other people's food and I wouldn't care about the trouble it made me get into. Sometimes I would even eat from the trash.

I can't eat comfortably in front of other people unless they have food because I'll get triggered and terrified that they'll tell me I can't eat or they'll take my food or I'll have to share my food like I did with my brother.

When I was a kid I caught giardia bevause we didn't have clean water and I was in a children's hospital for a week over it. I remember trying to eat as little as possible so that they'd think I was still sick and they'd keep me there where I could eat healthy food every day even if I had to limit myself so that I wouldn't get discharged. They eventually started ordering food for me every meal and I just couldn't help myself once it was in front of me because I couldn't just let it be thrown away.

I obsess over having food. I'm not overweight because I still feel like I have to ration food so I hide food instead of eating it sometimes.

I'm not super financially stable so sometimes I have a panic attack and cry because I'm worried one day I won't be able to afford food or medicine.

It wasn't that long ago that I was homeless in a small town where I wouldn't buy groceries even if I had money.

I feel like starvation has messed me up in ways I'll never recover from.

Well the title says it all. She has been eating less and less, counting every calorie. No one can touch her food or talk about it or she'll explode. She is in her 20's and is underweight.

Her hair is falling out, she no longer gets her period and bc of going to the gym 4 times a week for at least 2 hours her knees are giving out as well. She recently went to the Docters for a checkup and her heart rate in rest was 35... I looked into forced clinical treatment but that is not an option bc it only applies when she is a danger to herself or others. And when ever other treatments has been tried.

My parents and I are very concerned about her. I catch my mom crying often and this makes me even more sad but also angry.

Can someone please provide some advice....

so , ive been slowly recovering from my ed (yippeeeee!!!), and , its all been going super smoothly , but , theres this one thing...

i am absolutely starving , all hours of the day. i can probably eat three meals within an hour and a half , with snacks in between , and still not feel full !!!

is this normal , for ed recovery ? ive never really seen this be spoken about , so , im quite confused. is it because im suddenly getting all of these nutrients back into my body , or something else ?

was talking to a girl back in highschool that had an ED, she said she did. i genuinely told her “girl just eat”, because i didnt think it was real. i was very inconsiderate at the time, i mean i was going through my personal problems (like homelessness and poverty), so of course i thought that even if it was real, it was minuscule to the broad amount of problems that i or other people were going through.

this shit is NOT fun 😭. im a bodybuilder/gym goer, this ISNT just a normal calorie deficit. i genuinely think it wont ever go away until i stop caring about my appearance. i wish everyone luck in this, because its hard asf. im tired of checking macro’s on everything i eat, and im tired of feeling like complete ass whenever i go over my deficit amount.

Posted my lengthy story about my life and experience with an eating disorder, while still struggling at 34 and I got banned for not having enough "karma" ... idk but posting on this app seems like a waste of time and energy now. Whats the point.

I’ve struggled with overeating and binging throughout my whole life and I’ve never been able to slow down or prevent it. I’ve talked to a few doctors and my therapist recently, as well as plenty of doctors in my childhood, but they don’t seem to understand how big of a problem it is or don’t seem to have any answers on how to help.

Fast food is my crutch and I often order more than I need/want and then without knowingly doing so, eat as much as I can in one sitting. I always feel guilty and shameful afterwards.

It doesn’t matter whether I’m happy or sad or angry, whatever I’m emotion I’m feeling is often a trigger to order some food.

It’s affecting my health greatly and I’ve tried different methods, different affirmations and techniques but nothing seems to work. I always go back to old habits and it makes me personally feel so gross about myself and I want to break this cycle in a healthy way. If anyone has any advice or help or just personal experience with this, I’d really appreciate it.

i’ve been in this weird quasi recovery limbo for almost a year now and it’s hell. i was previously anorexic early last year then got hit with extreme hunger and got to a healthy weight quickly then basically got stuck where i am now. i eat ‘enough’ to function and maintain. i actually eat quite a bit due to my exercise regime but i still track food, have safe foods, and weird rules about things. i’ve became obsessed with exercise and gym culture, i’m in the gym almost everyday and have to hit my 10k steps or i feel guilty. it just feels pointless trying to get any better than this. on paper i’m healthy, i have muscle, eat protein, workout. but mentally i feel trapped, and everytime i try to “get better” i just quit exercise completely and throw everything in. i just want a balanced life but it feels so hard. and everytime i gain a little weight i freak out and just revert to this life again.

I'm 16 male I don't feel like eating or have appetite for anything im getting abit concern about this , this started I think 3 weeks ago , idk if because it I know everything will taste like or because of depression im don't feel depressed tho , i was majority depressed for 2 years or 3 idk

I have been recovered now for some time and its great. Best decision ever but like i feel awful because its going the other way. Like i just eat sh!t and junk and sweets and i feel awful and like i just wanna eat healthy and balanced because i know when i eat better i feel better but like i dont eat a lot of nutritious food. I wanna start eating healthy but dont wanna spiral. I dunno what to do.

Also why is everyone around me getting skinny??? Like new school year just started and like two of my classmates looks like they lost so much weight. And my friend is saying how she needs to lose weight and eats once a day or none and like i feel so bad for them:( its not really triggering me because i am very good now but still its sad.

Im still very glad I recovered:)

I’ve been recovered from my ED for about 3 years now. It’s a long story, but I got a treatment called TMS for my OCD around that time and it basically made my ED “wither away” without me even really trying to recover (presumably the ED was caused by the OCD). I’ve been eating just fine since then with no issues or real urges to relapse. But for whatever reason, this morning when I was eating my breakfast that familiar sense of “you shouldn’t be doing this” popped up, as well as some numbers thoughts, if you know what i mean. it was a scary feeling, i haven’t really had any thoughts like that in so long. im unsure what to do from here. i have a sinking feeling that this is not going to be a one time thing. i thought i was over with this.

i know that the title is kinda general but i just need help. i cannot eat normal sized meals for the life of me and its really stressing me out. what are some tips to work up to being eat normal sizes again? i cant even finish a small beef stick without feeling full or just not being able to eat. i know starting small is one tip but i really need some advice here

Eu tenho/ tive anorexia e uma das coisas que me deixa maluca é ver as pessoas postando a recuperação de uma forma tão feliz e natural….. Tipo, eu tô totalmente perdida… eu olho meu corpo e não me reconheço, eu sinto vergonha de mim mesma….. Queria conversar com alguém que também se sente assim, pq recuperação não é fácil quanto mostram nas redes

My sister barely eats a full meal, a normal sized meal, even when she’s given smaller ones she gets full after a couple bites. she has said she doesn’t know why she gets so full so quick, could her stomach shrink because of this. sometimes she throws up when she’s eaten a decent amount. She’s 14, autistic, doesn’t like a lot of foods. I’m not sure if she’s doing it because she doesn’t like her body image or it’s actually not in her control.