Eating Disorders/ED

[PetCuddlePuppy]

I've been kind slim my entire life and it wasn't until last year that my friends started to get concerned about my weight. I have not been vain about my weight, in fact I just never really thought about it. A couple of my friends alerted me to the fact that I hardly ever eat anything and there are very few foods that I will actually eat. I have been hospitalized three times in the last 9 months for issues related to mal-nourishment.

Most recently I went through a series of tests and evaluations. One of the doctors told me that my brain does not react to food as any normal persons would. Even after periods of 8-24 hours of not eating I still did not have normal brain activity or any physical reaction to it. Now I am taking new medicine to help me put on some weight.

I now feel very depressed that I have to be self conscious now and keep track of what I eat and constantly weigh myself.

 

[Brijan]

I now feel very depressed that I have to be self conscious now and keep track of what I eat and constantly weigh myself.

At this point think of it as self preservation.

Why do you eat so few different foods?

 

[PetCuddlePuppy]

I can not sense when I am hungry. I have eaten very plain looking foods just to eat it.

 

[Brijan]

I can not sense when I am hungry. I have eaten very plain looking foods just to eat it.

Do you feel full after you eat?

 

[PetCuddlePuppy]

most of the time i can only have a few bites. my doctor said that part is dyspepsia. once in a while i can eat a whole pizza.

 

[Críostóir]

Puppy, those of us who love you, and no one loves you more than I do, are glad you're dealing with it, because we've been concerned for a long time.

I don't notice being thirsty. I notice being dehydrated eventually ("gosh, my skin feels tight!") but that's not the same thing. That's why I measure out my water each day and (usually) make sure I drink as much as I'm supposed to.

So you make sure I drink and I'll make sure you eat. Together, we'll live well! (And we'll live well together, but that's another topic.) And I can make pizza. And my asiago cream sauce is to die for! Just you wait.

As for eating disorders, I have the most common of them all: yoyo dieting. It has serious health consequences, but not the same social stigma as overeating or anorexia. This is because it's common, not because it isn't bad (no, I don't think it's as bad as those others, or what you have).

 

[LatinoSTAR]

Ive been really skinny all my life as well....some people think im anorexic....but i eat a lot...lol

 

[versatastic]

How's your blood pressure? I have a friend who's really skinny too and his blood pressure is kinda high. I think it's cuz he'll eat half a stick of butter or double cheeseburgers to try to gain weight though. He smokes a lot of cegarettes too. He's 5'9" and weighs 95lbs. He almost never eats unless he goes out with us and then he'll say "Wow, this is my first meal in a couple days." He'll only take a few bites and then take it home for his roommates to eat later. He also says that sometimes he gets light headed and realize he hadn't eaten in 3 days!

His doctor was always concerned about his weight when he would get a physical every year. His doctor said that his brain tells him he's full too quickly after he starts eating but he never really did anything about it in terms of taking meds.

It's more of an issue of getting enough nutrients for your brain and organs to function properly than just the amount of food you eat. If you take a simple multivitamin at least a few times a week you won't have a problem with malnutrition no matter how little you eat. My friend stopped getting headaches after he started taking vitamins. He likes those gummy bears ones for kids cuz you need three of them for an adult and he can joke about eating three meals a day now. It does help with absorption, especially the lipid soluble vitamins, if you take it with food or milk. And with all the health problems associated with food in the long run of the whole lifespan, it's actually better that you don't eat much at all. The problem with most people is that they get hungry and get used to eating until they're full.

 

[PetCuddlePuppy]

Actually, my BP is very low. When I had been hospitalized it was because it was too low.

I love kids vitamins, they taste good! lol

Crio, I love you

 

[versatastic]

If you really want be able to eat food like most people and maybe gain some weight, maybe you should try to get your doctor to prescribe some marijuana or THC (dronabinol or marinol) so you don't have to smoke.

 

[Eternaldarkness]

In your case, it is all about reminding yourself. Psychologically, your brain is missing the "I'm hungry" and the "Snack-time!!" nervous response of the nervous system. Supposedly, when a person is really hungry, the stomach sends signal to the brain by the nervous system. Somehow along there, your missing something.

I would suggest that you remind yourself constantly to eat. Every 3 or 4 hours, have an alarm ringing for you to eat. You don't have to eat a whole big meal..just try and eat something.

Then again, the whole process of gaining weight depends more on quality and not quantity. The more calories you intake into your body's system, the more weight you'll gain.

So, technically speaking, you can have something very small but as long as its high in calories, you will gain weight.

Reminding yourself to eat constantly every several hours is a great way to ensure that you have eaten. You might not have any urge to eat at all, but you can simply do the eating if you're watching tv or something. Just makes sure you're not totally engaging in something that is far more interesting then eating the food.

Also, consider eating only the food that you'll like. Very tasty food. Only favorites.

Your case is all about psychologic and has very less with physically eating. If you cannot have the urge to be hungry, you must make it a habbit of intaking food on a timely basis.

 

[Críostóir]

Eternaldarkness, those are helpful suggestions, but in PCP's case it's not actually entirely psychological. He has physical issues as well, and some of them make eating problematic.