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Am I suffering from an eating disorder?


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I've been noticing lately something is off.

 

Ever since I started working and stopped dating for 3 months, I became more body consious. I heard how working at the office can cause you weight gain. I decided to cut off my usual maintaining intake of calories to half. I went from eating one cup of rice to one half on every meal. I don't take snacks in between and I eat three meals per day.

 

As for my exercise, I do a 10-15 minute walk from home to the place I'm gonna commute for work. And as I arrive at work, I usually have to walk and move around due to the papers I need to give around the company. And when it's time to go home, I commute and walk 15-20 minutes to go home.

 

Psychologically speaking, it always feels right whenever I eat less. I keep eating less and less as I am approaching in my early to mid 20s. Now that I'm 23, my calorie intake is low. I am aware of that but I can't stop undoing it. Somewhat, it feels right that I'd rather have my tummy grumble than eat one biscuit during work.

 

Currently, I am 58kg which is 127.6 pounds at a height of 5ft tall. I got my blood pressure recently and it was really low. It's around 80 something and my mom is kinda worried that I've been pushing my diet too much. Although I kept assuring her nothing bad will happen (which I believe there won't be).

 

I do want to point out I have a cheat day once a week. Once a week, I binge eat whatever I want. Then the next day, I would go back to my old diet routine.

 

Every time at work, when someone offers me at least a candy or a chocolate, I decline it saying I'm full even if I'm not. There is that fear of gaining back my old obese body again that's why my calorie intake keeps getting less and less. I have this perception that society and people will respect me more if I keep losing weight.

 

I do admit, I am aware my eating habits are kinda off and I want to go back to my old self and enjoy what's on my plate but it's hard to remove that mindset. I always see food as a friend and foe. I see food as a comfort but I mostly also see it as an enemy who wants to ruin my life again by gaining back my old weight.

 

Am I suffering from an eating disorder or am I just being paranoid and what I'm doing is okay?

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Always best to see a doctor - especially if you have low blood pressure - but in my non-professional opinion, I think you are fine.

 

Your BMI puts you in the normal range (but not at the low end of normal). So... not that you need to lose any weight, but if you want to drop a few pounds, you can still do so safely.

 

My advice would be to consult your doctor and monitor your BMI. Yes, yes... you will hear a lot about how BMI does not work for everyone (and that’s true!) - but unless you are an athlete or something with tons of muscle mass - it’s a decent guide for the rest of us.

 

... but again, talk to your doctor who can give you more personalized advice and check on your blood pressure while you’re there.

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According to the NHS BMI calculator, you are a healthy weight - in fact at the upper end of the healthy weight range; one of the failings of this system is that it doesn't take into account your physical build, or how much of your weight is composed of muscle rather than fat, so you're much better placed than anyone on here to judge how you're doing.

 

With blood pressure, you should have two readings - saying that it's around 80-something doesn't mean very much. Ideal blood pressure is 120/80 or less. It also sounds as though you're eating healthily. Declining candy and chocolate is part of developing healthy eating habits, not indicative of an eating disorder, and if you get out of the habit of eating junk you'll find that it gets less and less appealing - and that healthy foods become more and more so. If you're not used to this, then it will feel "off".

 

There are online tests for eating disorders, but they're fairly meaningless for the most part - if you're worried then get medical advice, but it actually sounds as though you're getting more healthy, not less so!

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If you aren't feeling right, it's probably a good idea to have a conversation with a doctor or therapist to discuss your situation.

 

In the meantime, start doing some data gathering. What do your meals consist of? Have you been losing weight and/or inches and if so how much? What is your overall calorie intake for the day? On these cheat days, what do you eat? When you track your calories over time are you in a calorie deficit or calorie surplus? Have you ever had a body scan to see what your body fat percentage is vs your percentage of muscle? What were you eating before this? How is your energy level throughout the day? How are you sleeping at night?

 

I often turn down sweets and salty snacks because I choose to eat whole, nutritionally dense foods. I also might eat only a couple of meals a day plus a snack if I am not very active in a day, because I let my body decide when I am hungry and when I am not. I am concerned about my health and well being given my age and the fact that I sit at a desk for work so I take extra care with my diet. I am in the best shape of my life... have had many tests, I am at a healthy weight, and have plenty of energy throughout the day. If something changes then I adjust my diet accordingly.

 

Most people have somewhat unhealthy relationships with food because of the nature of food available, and the fact that in modern society food has become a source of comfort, social connection and emotional satisfaction. Food is meant to nourish our bodies and give us energy. Our bodies know how much we need to eat but very few of us trust the signals our bodies give us.

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Well, at 128 lbs, you're a bit higher than ideal weight. You've discussed before that you're a little chubby. I don't think you're getting enough exercise. Depending on the size of your cup or rice, you could be getting only 300 calories a day. That's not good. Your metabolism might be in starvation mode which is why you're not losing more weight. Having an intense fear of becoming obese could signal an eating disorder. Ironically, when you're in starvation mode, eating less won't allow you to lose weight. Your body is trying to conserve what it has.

 

I think you should slowly increase the amount of food you're eating and increase the amount of exercise. You may only be burning 36 calories during your 15-minute walks. Otherwise, you might only be burning a measly 20 calories an hour while awake and less while you're asleep.

 

You might want to join a gym where you can get some exercise and turn some of your fat into muscle, and also talk with the trainers there on what you should be eating and how much. Rice is 90% carbohydrates, 8% protein. You need more protein in your diet, 10% to 35% and ironically, more fat, 20%-35%, for energy.

 

I think you need to talk to someone who knows about nutrition and exercise to get back on a healthy track. Don't be fooled by your weight being OK. You need to balance your metabolism.

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I've been noticing lately something is off.

 

Ever since I started working and stopped dating for 3 months, I became more body consious. I heard how working at the office can cause you weight gain. I decided to cut off my usual maintaining intake of calories to half. I went from eating one cup of rice to one half on every meal. I don't take snacks in between and I eat three meals per day.

 

As for my exercise, I do a 10-15 minute walk from home to the place I'm gonna commute for work. And as I arrive at work, I usually have to walk and move around due to the papers I need to give around the company. And when it's time to go home, I commute and walk 15-20 minutes to go home.

 

Psychologically speaking, it always feels right whenever I eat less. I keep eating less and less as I am approaching in my early to mid 20s. Now that I'm 23, my calorie intake is low. I am aware of that but I can't stop undoing it. Somewhat, it feels right that I'd rather have my tummy grumble than eat one biscuit during work.

 

Currently, I am 58kg which is 127.6 pounds at a height of 5ft tall. I got my blood pressure recently and it was really low. It's around 80 something and my mom is kinda worried that I've been pushing my diet too much. Although I kept assuring her nothing bad will happen (which I believe there won't be).

 

I do want to point out I have a cheat day once a week. Once a week, I binge eat whatever I want. Then the next day, I would go back to my old diet routine.

 

Damn

 

Every time at work, when someone offers me at least a candy or a chocolate, I decline it saying I'm full even if I'm not. There is that fear of gaining back my old obese body again that's why my calorie intake keeps getting less and less. I have this perception that society and people will respect me more if I keep losing weight.

 

I do admit, I am aware my eating habits are kinda off and I want to go back to my old self and enjoy what's on my plate but it's hard to remove that mindset. I always see food as a friend and foe. I see food as a comfort but I mostly also see it as an enemy who wants to ruin my life again by gaining back my old weight.

 

Am I suffering from an eating disorder or am I just being paranoid and what I'm doing is okay?

 

I eat less bad carbs than you. I also get a lot more cardio (six days a week). I do not think I have an eating disorder.

 

What is your daily caloric intake? You should address your blood pressure, I don;t think it has anything to do with the weight loss- you are not under weight. Talk to the doctor.

 

I wish I could eat anything on my plate. You may be able to go back to some of your old eating habits, but you need a ,lot more cardio.

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Nearly 128 at 5 feet is actually slightly over weight. You can drop a few more pounds but you need to do so safely. Don't go into starvation mode.

 

Keep eating healthy foods and a decent portion sizes.

Your vegetables should be the biggest amount on your plate (2 cups), carbs should be the next size(about a cup) and meat should be the smallest (1/2 a cup).

Snacks in between meals should be low calorie or fruit.

 

Again, those are estimates. But as long as you are making healthy food choices and still eating decent portions, you'll be fine.

 

As for the blood pressure, check in with your doctor and see what he has to say about it.

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It would be best to consult a doctor, registered dietitian, psychologist and physical trainer to establish health attitudes towards food/body image and to develop a healthier eating and activity plan. A BMI of 25 is borderline overweight, however the more important factor is your level of overall fitness and eating nutritious food.

There is that fear of gaining back my old obese body again
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Hello everyone. Thank you for the responses. I'm sorry I cannot reply to each replies.

 

My food intake is usually half cup of rice and probably 200 calories of meat. I estimate my food intake is around 1000-1200 calories per day. I do want to check up with a dietician if I have time.

 

And it's probably good to hear I most likely don't have an ED. Physically speaking, I do have large breasts because I was naturally born with it. So my weight could be heavier than others because of my breasts.

 

My co workers told me my body looked fine. It's not too fat nor too skinny. I did noticed my collar bone is getting more visible than before. Actually, this is the lowest weight I got. Last year of summer, I weighed around 66kg (145 pounds) during my internship.

 

Thank you all for the wonderful advises. I will try to check up with a doctor. As of now though, I want to get rid of the mindset of getting scared of gaining weight every time I eat something no matter how small nor big the amount of meal is.

 

The reason why I'm so consious is because of the traumatic experiences I got since I was a kid to my late teens. Back then, being obese was scary. It felt like no one respected me and I was bullied almost everyday, even from my own relatives. When I lost so much weight, it felt like people started to respect me that's why I have this fear of going back to 204 pounds again.

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My mother is on the right weight. In fact, we have the same height and she is 52kg. Yes, I live with her and she prepares my meals. Although lately she's been lecturing and telling me why my food intake is so small. I kept assuring her that my meals are right and I know what I am doing.

 

And yes, I do eat protein every meal. It's always rice and protein which rages around 400 calories.

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Stop asking coworkers what they think or fishing for feedback. That is the start of thinking normally about food/body image. Only a psychologist can help you overcome an obsessions with food, diets, body image, etc.

My co workers told me my body looked fine. I want to get rid of the mindset of getting scared of gaining weight . being obese was scary.

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Okay, I was wrong about 400 calories. I researched that one cup of white rice is around 200 calories. Since I only take half of it, it's around 100 calories of rice and 100-200 calories of protein and veggies. Which makes it around 300 calories per meal. Daily, I only eat 3 meals a day and one glass of milk in the morning. I drink water during meals. So I estimate I intake 1000-1200 calories per day.

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Sorry to hear about you being bullied, people can be cruel.

 

Focus on being healthy more so than anything else. Food is fuel to make your body work right. I know a lot of people use it as a comfort but this can cause an issue with weight.

Of course food is to be enjoyed but more so than anything, see it as fuel and energy to make your body run well.

 

That means eating the right kinds of food and decent portions. Moderation is key as is healthy choices.

Exercise is an important factor too, but again, moderation. You don't want to overdo it or stop exercising.

 

Your body is the house you have to live in, make it as healthy FOR YOU as you can. Don't do it for other people or for acceptance of others.

Keep fit and healthy for your own sake.

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Cut back on the rice, there are healthier things to eat. Can you eat it once a day? It has a lot of carbs,

 

Protein and veggies and fruit are much better. Be careful not to eat too much fruit.

 

I would still like to see your average daily menu. You should look into Weight Watchers for a healthy balance.

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Stop asking coworkers what they think or fishing for feedback. That is the start of thinking normally about food/body image. Only a psychologist can help you overcome an obsessions with food, diets, body image, etc.

 

I didn't ask my co workers. They just told me what they think of my body cause I told them how I used to be obese before.

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Sorry to hear about you being bullied, people can be cruel.

 

Focus on being healthy more so than anything else. Food is fuel to make your body work right. I know a lot of people use it as a comfort but this can cause an issue with weight.

Of course food is to be enjoyed but more so than anything, see it as fuel and energy to make your body run well.

 

That means eating the right kinds of food and decent portions. Moderation is key as is healthy choices.

Exercise is an important factor too, but again, moderation. You don't want to overdo it or stop exercising.

 

Your body is the house you have to live in, make it as healthy FOR YOU as you can. Don't do it for other people or for acceptance of others.

Keep fit and healthy for your own sake.

 

Thank you for the advice. Unfortunately, I don't have much time for an actual exercise like going to gyms. So I do a substitute exercise by doing cardio such as walking from work. I must say, it does work. It helps me maintain/lose my weight.

 

I am happy and proud I haven't been eating junk foods aside from my cheat days. So I hope I can continue this

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Don't talk about your body or personal problems at work. Discuss body image and food distortions with a psychologist. See a dietitian to get a better eating program and better information about foods and nutrition. Your current eating plan doesn't seem healthy, balanced or nutritious.

I didn't ask my co workers. They just told me what they think of my body cause I told them how I used to be obese before.
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Cut back on the rice, there are healthier things to eat. Can you eat it once a day? It has a lot of carbs,

 

Protein and veggies and fruit are much better. Be careful not to eat too much fruit.

 

I would still like to see your average daily menu. You should look into Weight Watchers for a healthy balance.

 

Thank you. I will try to look into that. What I just described above is the daily meals I eat per day.

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