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Am I anorexic?

Ok, I'm 13 yrs old, and weigh in at 44.9kgs (98.8lbs). I am aprrox. 158cm tall. Loads of people at my school have been saying I look skinnier.

One girl even came up and hugged me (as usual), then started feeling me (no, not in a sick way) and started saying "Oh my god". That was a little weird.

My very close friend and me have been trying to lose some weight and have currently been on a 400 calorie diet. We skip breakfast and lunch and have something like Baked beans on toast or Cup-a-soup for dinner.

Am I anorexic? I look in the mirror every day and just see a fat, ugly girl staring back at me. My thighs are like jelly and my tummy is so not toned, just floppy. I have bony shoulders, hands, wrists, ankles and ribs but I still look and feel fat.

I'm completely confused with myself and don't know where I am.. please help.

You certainly have described all the symptoms of anorexia.  I'm not sure how much you know about this disease, but you do need to educate yourself.

Have a look at this website

something-fishy.com

It will answer your questions.

Then read this article to find out what will happen if you continue to undereat

The Body Neglected

The best thing for you to do would be talk to your parents and get into treatment before it's too late.  If you don't, the results could be deadly.

Thanks for the links...

I won't say yes or no to the anorexic question.  But your mindset is disturbing - the fact that you see a fat ugly girl when everyone else says you look so skinny is where you need to focus.

A 400 calorie a day diet is dangerous for you both now and in the future.  Sure you may lose weight now but as soon as you want to eat normally again you will gain it back - do not under any circumstances let that sentance deter you from eating more - from today onwards. 

Think about yourself - take charge - I will be responsible for my body - for eating right, for getting the right nutrients, for being healthy and looking good now and for the future as a woman!!

If you want to diet like an adult, if you want to look good as an adult, if you want to be a healthy woman, if you even have the slightest inkling that you may want children in the future - act like a grown up and take responsibilty.  Everyone will help you and support you if you have the right mindset.

I want to add that food is GOOD - I mean the taste of it. Its not just something you need to keep you alive, it is meant to enjoy. So a good idea for you, I think, is to learn to cook or bake. There is so much out there for you to enjoy.

I am not trying to avoid the anorexia topic, I just dont have any experience with it or advice on it besides agreeing that you should talk to your parents for support and to your doctor for advice.

It seems that maybe you have an idea what anorexia is if you are asking people here on CC if that feeling fat but looking "boney" is a sign of this disease. It sounds like you and your friend know exactly what your doing...you said it yourself...."we are trying to lose weight"...and you weigh how much? (99lbs) Sorry if this post sounds kinda mean, but I can't help but notice that it sounds like you have a good idea about what your doing....and your friend as well.....By the way I suffered from anorexia for a long seven years...its not a game, its a serious disease.

Like Stella said, you know full well what you are doing. If 1200 calories is the MINIMUM amount a girl needs to survive, what do you think 400 calories is doing to you?

That's right, starvation. If you took the time to look around these forums, you will see a lot of people have suffered from anorexia when they were young, and NOW that they're older.. they've gained a LOT of weight because their metabolism is completely shot.

If you don't want to ruin your body permanently, I suggest you go to a doctor and tell them what's going on. They can help you get into a healthier diet so that you don't kill yourself.

I know pretty much what you are going through.  I, too, am 13 and i am recovering from anorexia.  Seek some help.  I knew that I was sick, but couldnt bring myself to do anything.  I needed help from a therapist and a dietician(sp?) to start eating healthily again.

i just checked, i was 158.5 cm(practically the same) and 78 pds. at my lightest.  Do something now.  Dont wait.  It can be horrible.

you're certainly anorexic, there's no denying it, it's rather you die or start eating healthfully and accept the fact that you you'll gain extra weight back.
Good luck, take care, be good to yourself

Do you also realise that at your age eating only 400 calories a day may stop you growing in height? I imagine you would like to be a little taller. You will probably grow until you are 16 or so, unless you damage your health through malnutrition. Please be careful.

If you're not toned at all, have you thought about starting a workout routine or joining a sports team? You'd shape up that way pretty fast, especially since it sounds like you don't have much fat to lose. 99 pounds at your height isn't terrible, but you don't want to drop any lower, especially at your age. I would definitely suggest you talk to someone and try to start eating more. You could do some really serious damage to yourself eating only 400 calories a day when you're 13. Do you think talking to your parents might help you sort things out? Would they be open to taking you to a dietician or a counselor?

When I was 13 I tried the same kind of starvation-level diets. I lost a few pounds but as soon as I stopped the diet, they came right back whether or not I was eating healthy. The kind of diet you're on has NEVER WORKED for permanent fat loss.

I agree with emsioh - start working out if you're worried about flab and lack of muscle tone. Dieting will NEVER make you toned if the muscles aren't there already! If you do some research about how to lose weight in a healthy way, you'll see many people saying that starving yourself (which is what you are doing) actually eats away at your muscles... so the weight you're losing may actually make you look LESS toned!

Try eating more calories and starting to work out. Maybe the friend you're doing the diet with would want to try it too. You can do anything, running, swimming, sports, whatever you think is most fun. You should be increasing your heart rate for at least 20 minutes per day. Once you start working out, your body will NEED more calories. Please eat them!! You can have lean protein like a piece of chicken with no skin, which will help give your body fuel to build muscles.

1200 calories a day may seem like a lot after 400 but again, if you do some reading about healthy weight loss, 1200 is the recommended daily minimum. If you eat less calories than that, your body panics and starts holding onto all its fat for dear life... which is the last thing you want. If you research healthy foods (fruits & vegetables, lean meats, whole grains) you'll see that they don't have very much fat in them so you are unlikely to gain fat by eating healthy food.

One other thing is that eating breakfast is really important. You can have something small like 1 egg or a fruit smoothie. Think about food as fuel that your body needs to build muscle. If you run around all day on empty, your body will not be able to create new muscle as efficiently.

Getting toned can take some time. Don't give up if you don't see results in a week, and don't panic if the numbers on the scale go up. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat.

Let me know if you have questions about any of this... and let us know what you decide to try!

   Maybe but maybe not. I am 42.7kg and 165cm tall my bmi is 15.7 and I weigh myself more than once a day every day. I also have the same problem with being thin and thinking i look fat. To me my stomach is flabby and my legs are enormous, in reality I'm very thin. And finally I'm very picky about what I eat but I don't think I'm anorexic so maybe your not.

   If your really worried you could o to a doctor I have a friend who was/is anorexic and she goes to the clinic for a check up every wednesday and it's helped she has her final check up next week! Maybe you should try it.

you are describing both eating disordered behavior and actions. remember that you can be a healthy weight and still have an eating disorder and STILL be doing damage to your body. dont think just because you aren't deathly underweight yet that you arent doing damage - possibly irreversible - to yourself.

eating disorders like anorexia distort your perception of yourself and make you see yourself as if you are looking into a funhouse mirror. it makes you see yourself as fat even when you arent. you need to talk to a doctor, parent, or other trusted adult and get help.

here is a 48-second youtube video that will help you understand what is happening to you and what your mind is doing to you: please watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7umojyvQoTw

if you continue to eat 400 calories a day you will starve to death. it may not happen right away but it will happen. concentration camps during nazi germany fed their prisoners 1200-1500 calories per day. you are feeding yourself  at least 800 calories LESS than a CONCENTRATION CAMP PRISONER.

also, you talk about feeling floppy and not toned - this is what starvation is doing to you. It eats away your muscles and they lose their tone and definition and your skin becomes saggy. if you want tone, then you have to eat enough to enable your body to build muscle.

please talk to a doctor, school counselor, or parent as soon as possible. you need to get help so that you can heal and live a happy and healthy life.