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I've become obsessed with my body and finding it difficult to resume a healthy eating pattern.

Tagged as: Health, Teenage<< Previous question   Next question >>
Question - (2 March 2011) 2 Answers - (Newest, 2 March 2011)
A female United Kingdom age 30-35, anonymous writes:

Hi, i'm hoping you can help me out on an issue with my weight.

I'm a tall woman, around 5"9 and have a BMI of 19.3, within the 'normal' range.

I've always been self-conscious about my weight, believing I was fat, so last summer, weighing almost 11 stone, I decided to go on a diet (which basically involved cutting back on fatty foods and eating less in general) soon enough I got to my target weight of 10 stone which I was satisfied with! Then over the christmas period, I came down with the flu and could barely eat for 3 weeks which lost me another 1/2 stone.

At first, I thought I looked awful and was referred to as being 'scrawny' so made it my mission to get back up to 10 stone. However, when I did start piling the pounds on, I disliked what I saw in the mirror. As a result, I cut down on food again and now weighing in at just 9 stone, 5 pounds. I'm happier with my figure, but my breasts have shrunk dramatically - which is my only complain really! I wanted to lose it off my legs, but it came off all in the wrong places.

My parents have noticed the change in my eating habits as well as the weight loss, and are quite concerned about me. My mother has confronted me a couple of times about the issue, of which I deny there's a problem. The truth is, I've got used to eating so little that I don't feel hungry much anymore. I can easily get through the day on just cereal bar and a sandwich later on in the day. I've got used to the way my body looks and I'm fearful of putting weight on, because I know I will gain it in the wrong places. Ideally, I would like to fill out on my upper half but stay as I am on the lower half. I feel awful for not eating, severe lack of energy and pounding headaches!

I know this needs to stop, but I've become obsessed with my body and finding it difficult to resume a healthy eating pattern. I don't know how to deal with the situation! Deep down I want to gain weight, but every time I look in the mirror I think 'no, it will destroy my figure'. Any advice would be great.

View related questions: breasts, christmas, my figure, period

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A male reader, LovelessAct1 United States +, writes (2 March 2011):

I agree with Honeypie. You should really seek out professional counsel.

There is a common misconception that being unhealthy = gaining weight and that being healthy = losing weight. But I'll skip the lecture because I think you know that. Overall, you should be noticing that lack of energy you mentioned and the pounding head aches.

What you may not notice is your skin becoming less healthy, your bones slowly becoming brittle, your muscle tissue being unable to repair and decaying, your hair thinning out, and the overall function of your internal organs beginning to slow. Ask yourself, how much is worth sacrificing in order to look a little thinner in the mirror?

If even in your heart you know it is wrong, but your brain still tends to tell you that the sacrifice is worth it, you need help. Eating disorders are MENTAL disorders. They first and foremost affect the way your brain reacts and even sees your own body. The sooner you seek help, the less damage you'll do to your body and can start feeling AND looking healthier!

I guarantee that guys can tell when skinny becomes unhealthy. We're not blind, muscle headed bigots who see hot girls on the street and whistle. We care about the girls we're close to and can be straight up disgusted by the way some girls treat their bodies. If you're thinking to yourself "I want to look better for the guys," then I'll tell you right now that you are chasing after the WRONG types of guys.

Seek help as soon as possible. At this point I think the mental disorder has set in. Even though you're low on energy and want to gain weight, you can't help bear the thought of losing that figure you've obtained. I'll tell you right now that there is nothing sexy about a girl with sickly skin, thinning hair, bags under her eyes, osteoporosis, and a skeleton showing through her skin. Being healthy does NOT mean being thin. I know you can feel that. Now its just a matter of reversing the damage.

I wish you the best of luck! Tell your parents first and then let them help you find a solution and some professional help! You can do it.

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A female reader, Honeypie United States + , writes (2 March 2011):

Honeypie agony auntI think you could benefit from seeing a counselor/therapist also. Yo may not want admit it, but you sound like you have anorexia.

You need to start a HEALTHY life style, not one that kills you. DO NOT be afraid to ask for help. Talk to your mom, ask to see your doctor or a dietician. LEARN what to eat to maintain a healthy body & mind.

Start with some weight training or some exercise so that you can "obsess" over something other then food. Get a gym membership.

Because if you keep doing what you are doing, at some point your organs are going to take damage from the lack of proper nutrition.

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