Mend Your Diet - Anorexia....?

Anorexia....?

What are the characteristics of someone who has anorexia? Besides the skinnyness..obviously. Because, i think i may have it. Or atleast the mind set of someone who has anorexia. And i want to know what to look for.

Public Comments

vomiting over exercising throwing food away
I have struggled with an eating disorder for 5 1/2 years. If you think you have one, please get help before you lose all your freedom to this disease. People who tend to develop anorexia are often obsessive-compulsive types, perfectionists, very ambitious, introverted, intelligent, anxiety-prone, and sensitive.
vomiting isn't anorexia, that's bulimia. it's the obsession with what you eat. Eating almost nothing at all, but still feeling fat. having an abnormally wacko body image. an obsession with counting calories. etc. etc. look on some government website for more info.
increased body hair, hiding their body so that others wont see/comment on weight, alot of anorexics are frequently cold, lethargic. If you look in the mirror and see fat that you know you are over reacting to. Avoid eating in front of others. Being disgusted by the sight of food. Dividing meals up into extremely small portions.
Oh no... not this baby. Dangerous. -Obsession with working out or burning calories -dangerously low calorie intake levels for level of activity(example: 500 calorie a day limit for working out 1000 calories a day or only eating 1300 cals and working out 1600) -removing one or more foodgroups from your diet (ie: missing out on protein) -not being social so one can pursue 'thinness' for fear of unknown calories (ex: not going out to dinner with friends) -rapid weight loss(not only 15% of healthy body weight) -headaches (from lack of food etc) -obsession with teas, laxatives, and other weightloss products. -denying hunger (ex: telling friends 'I ate earlier') -hating to eat around others or eat at all. There are others but those are some major ones.
I have it - it doesn't worry me that much as it's only a temporary things and because of that I'm not losing too much weight. :) It's when you intentionally miss meals to lose weight (I miss breakfast and sometimes lunch) and have an obsession with exercising. They also don't eat sugar or fatty foods when they DO eat (I eat lots of sweet foods - it's probably why I don't lose much weight) and therefore enhance the curves of their skeletons.
someone who has anorexia does not want to eat anything because they are afraid to gain weight. if they eat anything its probably very little. they try not to be hungry. they feel angry at times and stressed out some faint and feel dizzy because they don't eat.
Anorexia means you see yourself as fat no matter what size you actually are. Because of that you tend to eat very little food and most of that is water based--like celery, grapefruit, lettuce, water, diet soda--and even that you will eat very little of. You exercise like a maniac multiple hours each day so you lose the calories you have eaten. To hide your bony body from others, you tend to wear layers of clothes, hiding yourself behind sweat shirts, sweaters, bulky coats. The bad part of all this is that you will die of mal nutrition because you are not eating a balanced diet of meat, veggies, fruits, whole grains and low fat milk. You are not getting the protein, carbohydrates or fat; vitamins and minerals that you need to survive. Exercise is good but not to the extent anorexics do. If this description fits you, Please go see your private doctor who will probably refer you to a nutrition specialist and a psychologist to help you understand why you feel you are fat when you aren't. Thanks for asking because it is a plea for help. Please get it!!!
I have also struggled with an eating disorder, the first thing you need to do is talk to your parents, even if you think you are borderline, it can develop very quickly into something else. SO, talk to your parents, and also to a nutritionist who can help! Seriously, when you are done reading this go down and talk to them, I know it seems scary, but it is the best thing! Good luck!
Okay, here's the signs: #1: Have a controlling, abusive parent/stepparent/older figure in your life. ~ Studies show that Anorexia is more frequent in abusive homes. #2: Hate yourself with every inch of your fucking body. ~ Get your low-self esteem going. Come on! You know you hate you. #3: Constantly look to the experts for advice. ~ Model Isabelle Caro ate only 5 cornflakes and 2 small pieces of chocolate each day. #4: Exercise the shit out of you. ~ If that doesn't work, take laxatives too. #5: ...if you're not dead yet, repeat all of the above. Anorexia isn't as fun as it seems. I was Anorexic/Bulemic (The DSM-IV-R noted that my condittion didn't have a name, but fell into the cracks of Anorexia/Bulemia) for years. My stepmom wanted me to be thin, so she made me exercise for hours a day and put me on various diets. I hated exercising so badly that I figured if I don't eat, I won't have to exercise. Pretty soon, I missed eating. Then, my stepmom showed me how to throw up. I was doing it all the time after that. Even if I ate just a cookie or a bowl of cereal, I would feel this fear inside me telling me to THROW UP!!! THROW UP NOW!!! I was doing it after every meal. I had cuts all along my knuckles from my teeth. My fingernails would scratch my throat until it bled, and then stomach acid got into those cuts, making it even more painful. Food would get stuck in my nose, and I would sneeze out dinner remnants constantly. Pretty soon, I got tired of throwing up. I decided if I didn't eat, I would have to, right? So I ate a pack of ramen and a few packets of Equal (artificial sweetner) each day. I drank only water and diet coke. I loved seeing my hip bones poke out. I loved it when my rib cage was visible. It was great when my collar bones poked through and irritated my sagging skin. But it wasn't enough. I started taking laxatives. Sometimes I would take 12 pills a day (the recommended amount is a maximum of 2). I was constantly in the bathroom. I was defacating blood. Sometimes I thought my intestines were coming out as well. I lost 40 lbs this way. Sounds like it's okay, as long as there's a payoff, right? Wrong. I have the metabolism of a rock. I have developed anxiety disorders due to not throwing up anymore. I stress constantly about my weight. I now have to take laxatives (recommended amount) because my food will not digest on it's own. My skin is stretchy and saggy. My hip bones still poke out, but my body is disproportionate because I never fully lost the weight in my legs and thighs. I'm always tired and never have energy. I have severe depression and struggle with daily things. I have self-esteem issues I don't trust people I don't trust myself I was able to climb out of this hole because of my boyfriend, who hated seeing me this way. When he said it hurt him to see me like this, I slowly stopped, since I did not want to hurt him. Now, I'm on medication for my problems. I don't worry about my weight. Instead, I worry about my health. I don't know who you are. I don't know why you want to do this. If I met you on the street, I wouldn't say hi or wave. But to you and anyone that wants to be or is anorexic: Get help. Don't make the same mistakes I did.