Motivation and Support
06-02-2012, 02:39 PM
#1
FitDay Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 11
Motivation and Support
I am 5'4", 137 lbs and 20 years old. This past year has been crazy. I've been recovering from anorexia (I used to be 110 lbs). I hate being this heavy. I work out a lot. During the school year, I worked out at least an hour every day. I'm still 137 though, and I eat pretty healthily, except I go on binges every once in awhile. I think I am an emotional eater, and I really want to stop. I just feel as if I need help.
Anyone in the same position? I thought we could chat and give each other tips and support.
Anyone in the same position? I thought we could chat and give each other tips and support.
06-02-2012, 04:00 PM
#2
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 443
137 is a healthy weight for you according to the BMI. I think you should just do your best to choose healthy, nutritious foods (don't go overboard on that, because I've seen people get obssessive on that topic too. Just you know, try to get your 5 a day fruits and vegetables, and avoid the golden arches). If you binge now and then, you probably make up for it later because you're not overweight.
06-04-2012, 07:00 AM
#4
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,225
Look elsewhere for help with the emotions you describe. They aren't connected to food. When they are, that is when eating disorders can develop! If you are not fat, yet you 'beat yourself up' for feeling fat, is your body to blame? Or is it your mind? If it is your body, you think, then you'll gravitate toward diet solutions because you think you are fat. If it is your mind, then at least you have the option to start thinking about why your mind is not realistically evaluating your body and instead is responsible for a lot of anxiety that is really unwarranted.
I'm fat. I can tell by my BMI that I am fat. Even I'M not that anxious about it. I know how I got fat and my mind is not telling me I'm fat. The BMI calculator flat out tells me I'm fat. No splitting hairs here. No need to. But if I were of normal weight, and all I could think of is that I'm FAT, there would be something wrong. And it wouldn't be the BMI calculator that was wrong. It would be my attitude, no one else's... and I'd want to change my attitude just so I could feel better about my absolutely normal weight. I wouldn't want to change the weight - why would that do anything? I'd always be self-critical and ready to think that just a few more pounds weight loss would make a huge difference and make me all the more acceptable - in my own mind, no one else's.
If I'm sounding harsh, or scolding, that is not my intention at all.You are at a normal weight and just fine the way you are - I can tell without even seeing you! If you need a boost to your self-esteem, join the club... weight seems to be an area that includes self-esteem issues. But that has nothing to do with BMI or normal body size! All that turmoil and self-doubt originates above the shoulder blades, not below them.
I'm fat. I can tell by my BMI that I am fat. Even I'M not that anxious about it. I know how I got fat and my mind is not telling me I'm fat. The BMI calculator flat out tells me I'm fat. No splitting hairs here. No need to. But if I were of normal weight, and all I could think of is that I'm FAT, there would be something wrong. And it wouldn't be the BMI calculator that was wrong. It would be my attitude, no one else's... and I'd want to change my attitude just so I could feel better about my absolutely normal weight. I wouldn't want to change the weight - why would that do anything? I'd always be self-critical and ready to think that just a few more pounds weight loss would make a huge difference and make me all the more acceptable - in my own mind, no one else's.
If I'm sounding harsh, or scolding, that is not my intention at all.You are at a normal weight and just fine the way you are - I can tell without even seeing you! If you need a boost to your self-esteem, join the club... weight seems to be an area that includes self-esteem issues. But that has nothing to do with BMI or normal body size! All that turmoil and self-doubt originates above the shoulder blades, not below them.
06-04-2012, 07:31 AM
#5
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 4,083
Look elsewhere for help with the emotions you describe. They aren't connected to food. When they are, that is when eating disorders can develop! If you are not fat, yet you 'beat yourself up' for feeling fat, is your body to blame? Or is it your mind? If it is your body, you think, then you'll gravitate toward diet solutions because you think you are fat. If it is your mind, then at least you have the option to start thinking about why your mind is not realistically evaluating your body and instead is responsible for a lot of anxiety that is really unwarranted.
I'm fat. I can tell by my BMI that I am fat. Even I'M not that anxious about it. I know how I got fat and my mind is not telling me I'm fat. The BMI calculator flat out tells me I'm fat. No splitting hairs here. No need to. But if I were of normal weight, and all I could think of is that I'm FAT, there would be something wrong. And it wouldn't be the BMI calculator that was wrong. It would be my attitude, no one else's... and I'd want to change my attitude just so I could feel better about my absolutely normal weight. I wouldn't want to change the weight - why would that do anything? I'd always be self-critical and ready to think that just a few more pounds weight loss would make a huge difference and make me all the more acceptable - in my own mind, no one else's.
If I'm sounding harsh, or scolding, that is not my intention at all.You are at a normal weight and just fine the way you are - I can tell without even seeing you! If you need a boost to your self-esteem, join the club... weight seems to be an area that includes self-esteem issues. But that has nothing to do with BMI or normal body size! All that turmoil and self-doubt originates above the shoulder blades, not below them.
I'm fat. I can tell by my BMI that I am fat. Even I'M not that anxious about it. I know how I got fat and my mind is not telling me I'm fat. The BMI calculator flat out tells me I'm fat. No splitting hairs here. No need to. But if I were of normal weight, and all I could think of is that I'm FAT, there would be something wrong. And it wouldn't be the BMI calculator that was wrong. It would be my attitude, no one else's... and I'd want to change my attitude just so I could feel better about my absolutely normal weight. I wouldn't want to change the weight - why would that do anything? I'd always be self-critical and ready to think that just a few more pounds weight loss would make a huge difference and make me all the more acceptable - in my own mind, no one else's.
If I'm sounding harsh, or scolding, that is not my intention at all.You are at a normal weight and just fine the way you are - I can tell without even seeing you! If you need a boost to your self-esteem, join the club... weight seems to be an area that includes self-esteem issues. But that has nothing to do with BMI or normal body size! All that turmoil and self-doubt originates above the shoulder blades, not below them.
There are a number of people on these boards that face a challenge trying to lose the last 5-10-15 pounds, or even to maintain the loss they've made...I'm one of them. I can say from experience that even being at a "healthy" weight doesn't make you feel any better if you know you have been fitter, stronger, a few pounds less, and making healthier choices in the past. And I agree that emotional eating is a struggle that many of us go through, and can and should be able to post about and discuss.
I definitely hear your point, Kathy, and we may just agree to disagree, but I think telling a member to "look elsewhere" for help with issues related to emotions and food, when this is something that is often brought up on the boards, contradicts the spirit of the FitDay forums. Obviously, if there are severe issues, FD is no substitute for therapy, but it is an amazingly wonderful, supportive community that can generate some awesome discussions on any topic.
3661, I bet if you started your own thread about "emotional eating," you'd get some thoughts and comments. Alternatively, please jump into some of the other threads and meet some folks. There is a 10-15 pounds to lose thread in the women's corner and a 7 day motivational thread there also that would be helpful, I think. http://www.fitday.com/fitness/forums...pounds-28.html
.
06-05-2012, 05:55 AM
#8
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,225
I get the point. If anorexia had not been mentioned as part of the post, I think I would have thought it is just another 5 pounds. AND for all I know, it may be.
A WW leader once said that all weight loss is maintenance, or something to that effect. I thought that was brilliant - because over the years, I have lost, and regained, many pounds. I don't think I've ever been at a point where I struggled to get those last 5 pounds off... the struggle was getting the larger number of pounds off. That said, if I felt that I hated being heavy at my normal-BMI weight, I'd understand completely what the writer was saying. I only know what 'hating being heavy' feels like when I'm fat.
I think the writer has something in common with athletes. For whatever reason (requirements to weigh in before being able to compete in a weight class, for example), they look perfectly slim to the rest of the world and yet, they must lose a few pounds to make a certain number. It doesn't have to be evidence of anorexia. I may have been misled by her mention of that (although it is helpful to know that) and by mention of, 'The day-to-day struggle of feeling good about myself .. '
I'm glad there's a thread about emotional eating. I thought emotional eating had to do with eating when emotions, good or bad, are strong. If there's a discussion about connections of eating (and weight gain) to self-esteem, then all the better!
A WW leader once said that all weight loss is maintenance, or something to that effect. I thought that was brilliant - because over the years, I have lost, and regained, many pounds. I don't think I've ever been at a point where I struggled to get those last 5 pounds off... the struggle was getting the larger number of pounds off. That said, if I felt that I hated being heavy at my normal-BMI weight, I'd understand completely what the writer was saying. I only know what 'hating being heavy' feels like when I'm fat.
I think the writer has something in common with athletes. For whatever reason (requirements to weigh in before being able to compete in a weight class, for example), they look perfectly slim to the rest of the world and yet, they must lose a few pounds to make a certain number. It doesn't have to be evidence of anorexia. I may have been misled by her mention of that (although it is helpful to know that) and by mention of, 'The day-to-day struggle of feeling good about myself .. '
I'm glad there's a thread about emotional eating. I thought emotional eating had to do with eating when emotions, good or bad, are strong. If there's a discussion about connections of eating (and weight gain) to self-esteem, then all the better!
06-09-2012, 06:05 AM
#10
FitDay Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Montana
Posts: 122
3661, I have a familly member who is going through similar when it comes to going form the lower end of the weight scale to moving up. She shared with me that she felt like it was a lot of work to try and stay the lower weight. Like you she spends about an hour a day or more working out, but has seen herself gain. Could you be gaining muscle? I've heard muscle will make one weigh more.
