Posted by Racer on September 19, 2008, at 19:21:39
In reply to Racer, posted by WaterSapphire on September 19, 2008, at 16:00:58
> I ate healthy today and kept stepping on a scale that doesn't even go up high enough to weigh me, but I have a need to at least gage once it has gone round the dial.
> Every time I go to eat, I am afraid now
> I am eating weight watchers style, but the guilt sometimes is just amazing.
(Disclaimer: I'm also a local resource person for a national eating disorders education and advocacy group, and I am so sensitive to this...)Stepping on a scale after eating, or stepping on a scale multiple times a day -- honestly, more than once a week -- feeling guilty after eating, being afraid to eat because of weight concerns, are all actually signs of a disordered relationship with food, eating, and your body... I'm pointing that out in hopes that it helps, since it's such hell to be obsessed by weight and to hate one's own body.
> Perhaps saying to your friend I am worried about your health, and remember when we talked about this and this...
Honestly? I only worry a little about any health risks involved. I worry that he isn't happy, and I worry that he doesn't feel good about himself. I have no real right to worry about those things, but I do.
Seems I lied, because there's something else I can't stop myself from putting in...
> I just have to keep telling myself that severe calorie restriction is not the only way to lose weight.
And severe calorie restriction is usually not very effective, especially for those who have a weight problem. Unless you're seeing a doctor and a dietitian to oversee this, you should probably be taking in about 1500 to 2000 calories per day *minimum* in order to lose weight. Go much below that, and your body will go into famine mode, and hang on to every single bit of energy it can get, all of which will be stored as adipose tissue.
Besides which, starving oneself almost inevitably leads to binging, which then becomes a cycle that involves an awful lot of self-loathing. And the starve-binge, starve-binge pattern will put more weight on you than eating a healthy meal plan would. (ie: three solid meals and three snacks per day; something to eat at least every two and a half to three hours, etc. The goal is that you should never be more than a little hungry, and never feel "stuffed." Just coasting in the range of "I think I should start planning dinner and eat in about an hour" to "I feel satisfied, but I could certainly eat dessert if I so chose." Make sense?)
(Oh, and most anorexics who've had nutritional counseling as part of their treatment can offer sound, healthy advice about eating. It's only applying it that is so hard... Nonetheless, if you're serious about losing what seems to be a significant amount of weight, I urge you to get professional guidance. It makes a huge difference, because the goal is to be healthy, not to be thin.)
poster:Racer
thread:851460
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/eating/20070820/msgs/852996.html