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anorexic much ?

So im not quite sure if i am anorexic but i think i am, im auctally pretty sure i am.  i used to never care about my weight or what i looked like; im only 14 i thought it should be the last thing on my mind.  but then the end of the year started to come and it seemed i was the 'plumpest' out of all my friends. they were all so skinny and i was just blah. so i started dieting, and i thought i was doing it the eight way.  i started out 145 and im 5'4; im now only 115 and i have only been on this diet for 2 months now.  i havent had a period in about 4 months, i have no desire to do anything i love anymore and i have no energy but yet i still workout everyday and constantly nag on myself about what i eat.  i dont eat more then 500 calories a day and i know thats not healthy but im scared that if i eat more that it will all turn into fat. i dont skip a meal i just cut out all fat calories. everyone tells me im getting to skinny, i have teachers at school who say i have lost too much weight to fast but i disagree.  but i know i have a problem and i think my mother does too.  i have even considered purging but nvere have auctally done it.  i look at myself in the mirror and im so unhappy with the way i look.  yeah im skinnier but there still is that flab, and i have tried to turn it into muscle but it seems to not be working. i dont know what to do anymore.  i keep telling myself that after my stomach is finally flat ill be happy, but what if it never gets flat because im not doing this right. im scared to just stop this diet and start eating because my brain tells me my body will turn it all into fat or i will just gain it and more right away.  i need help, and suggestions ?

tara ):

pretty sure you are anorexic..it makes me feel really sad because i'm only a teenager (17) and i have so many friends who have had this problem, it's really terrible. i'm glad that you can at least see it even though you don't really have the control to end it. but it's a start. your BMI puts you just on the enge of being unhealthy which is especially dangerous for teenagers, because we are still growing and developing. you don't want to ruin your whole life because of this problem during these critical years. i urge you to stop living this way and work on healthy eating patterns. it will be hard, but it's so much better for you. i just hate to see you suffering and going down the wrong path..

you can friend me if you want to talk more, i kinda hope you do. i'd love to see how things go. if you want help, it's there. you should reach for it..

{{{xxohtara}}}

honey, you may have some anorexia starting or you just might need some good old fashioned learning on how to eat right and what is healthy for you!

First, 500 calories a day is waaaaaayyyy to little for anyone who is still growing!  You burn many more calories just living and breathing.

It sounds like you have already lost a bunch of weight but you did it very rapidly and not in a healthy and balanced way that would give you all the nutrition you need for your growing body. 

Even your bones and organs are still growing, so it is very important that you eat enough so you don't cause long term problems ~ so you will be able to grow up and have a family.

Not having your period is a serious signal that you are beginning to suffer from malnutrition.  You really need to bring this to your mom's attention and get help from your doctor and a dietician to get you a meal plan that is appropriate for you ~ your age, your height and your weight! 

Also, the calculators here are for adults.  The international standards for teenagers (age 19 and younger) are different because you are still growing.  And especially if you are very active as an athlete.  It's important that you don't go underweight (anything below a bmi of 18.5 ). 

Anyway, here is a calculator with lots of information including calorie information for teenagers.  We suggest you read this information carefully and share it with your parents:

http://www.kidsnutrition.org/bodycomp/bmiz2.h tml

Here's a linke with more Good information on Calorie Guidelines for teensagers: 

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/healthydiet/ healthyweightq/#A220129

This is what happens when you undereat for an extended period of time.

The Body Neglected

This is how you should be taking care of your health.

Nutrition & Health for Teens

Aside from the fact that you are a growing teenager and need extra nutrition to support growth, this article explains why undereating is counter productive.

Dieting & Metabolism

And here is where you, and your parents, can find information about dealing with eating disorders if you do end up being diagnosed with anorexia or if you just want to know more about getting help.

Something-Fishy.org

Hope this helps :) 

And here's the BMI calculator from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

I have to give you credit, most anorexics (that I have known) haven't exactly fessed up to their horrible eating habits. But admitting your problem is the first step to recovery, and I'm happy you're doing that.

5'4'' and 115 doesn't seem horribly underweight (my sister is around the same size as you) but the fact that you lost it so so so rapidly and the fact that you're barely consuming a Starbucks drink worth of calories definately triggers an eating disorder in my mind.

My best suggestion is to talk to your parents and tell them what's up, you should also go to a doctor because he's a professional and can tell you the best route to becoming a healthy teenage girl again!

Good luck! :)

I know exactly how you are feeling! I am 13, and ALL my friends are frickin sticks! I feel like if I hug one of them they'll snap! ANyway, I was perfectly fine (5 foot 4 inches 115 pounds is what I was) until this girl (who I thought was my best friend) started calling me fat. I have been on this diet for two months and I am only 109 at best, since I have been on my period I haven't looked at the scale.  Peer pressure hurts, but you don't want to get sick from it. Trust me, look at your body in the long run, look at your genetics, heck, look at Beyonce or J-Lo, you don't see them starving themselves because of other people. Every girl has some stubborn body fat, that is just the way we were made.
  Since you think you will gain if eat more try this: if you eat 500 calories, tomorrow add 25 calories. Then in three days go to 550, and every three days add 25 calories. Then once you get to 1,200-1,300 stop and eat between there. You will feel better mentally, and you can do more physically. I eat between that much and I dance everyday, plus regular excersizes I have never felt better!
  And if you want to really turn you whole body into muscle try new sports, dancing, yoga, pilates, swimming, anything you enjoy doing! Just don't get sick.
-Jackie
P.S. If you need a diet buddy mail me on calorie count, it would be nice to have someone about my age to talk to

Now why would you give some little twit friend THAT much power over you? That she could call you fat and you immediately drop weight? That girl was probably just jealous of you! Don't listen to her!

But these stick girls are just taht - sticks. A lot of guys i know HATE girls without booty. I know if i were a guy, sure, rolls and rolls woudlnt be attractive, but neither are ribs. An energetic fun lovin girl is much ebtter than a cranky starving one (not saying your friends are anorexic!)
I think the most imporant thing is health. esp at your age. isntead of focussing on weight, focus on health. try to eat food with some nutritional value. So fruit is great, as are veggies. You need a bit of meat for protein. And fish for good fats. See if you can visit a nutritionist who can help you out a bit
Dont worry about food. That's all it is. you can eat as much as you want, as long as you burn it off (for weight). Its only when you burn burn burm and dont eat, or eat eat eat and dont burn that things go funny

It sounds like you are really struggling. Anorexia is not just you wanting to lose weight it's something going on in your head too... and the sooner you can address it the better. I really recommend finding a physician that you can trust to talk to about what you are going through and getting some help. If you cut out too much for too long your body just stops working like it should and doesn't process what you do eat correctly.

It's understandable to want to be thin, but you can be healthy and thin at the same time. You don't have to give one up for the other.

My sister has struggled with an eating disorder since she was 12 years old and no one knew for a very long time. She is finally getting help and she is doing much better, but her health has really suffered from it.

Please call someone soon!

xxohtara-Definetly talk to your doctor. He/she will give the best advice and might refer to a nutrionalist. Thats good that your eating. Make sure you have three meals day along with snacks.

Don't worry, you're not anorexic. You may have some similar qualities of an anorexic person but your bmi has to be 15 or lower to be diagnosed. You do have unhealthy eating habits though and you know it so i'm sure you'll get back to normal eating sooner or later. It's a phase that most teenagers go through.

You may not be anorexic but you are starting an unhealthy relationship with food and you are losing weight WAY TOO FAST! Know this (I am a 29 yo who had food issues in college and went down to 110 at 5'7') you feel like this is what's important right now..but you have to think about how you want your body to be in the future too...you only have 1. If you keep at this pace not only will your body suffer but when you finally balance your eating habits (through whatever means...therapy or nutritionalist) you will have a harder time in the future maintaining and/or taking weight off (after pregnancy or whatever). You are training your body to be in starvation mode and therefore it will learn to be a camel and hold onto fats and nutrients for fear of the next food "drought". This is a cycle very hard to break...take it from me. Just know that there are 2 forms of beauty...long term and short term. Short term is youth and make-up and hair dye and flucuating weight....Long term is healthy habits: eating, skin and hair care, exercise, positive mindset...etc. Know that you are in good company (aka every woman out there) and that it's a process that takes your whole life.

Most of the posts above give good advice.  Do be careful!! I just wanted to say, food and weight aside, work up your body image!!! I bet you're beautiful.  It sounds like you have negative feelings towards yourself, and I don't want you to take it out on yourself in anyway.  Use that little voice in your head and repeat the positive whenever you look in that mirror! You're beautiful!

You aren't. Actually, 5'4 and 115lbs sounds fine to me. However, if you're only eating 500 calories a day, you're bound to continue to drop off pounds.  Which can create a problem further down the line. You have to remember that you want to maintain a healthy weight. There is nothing anyone here can say to make you feel better about the way you look. " You're skinny enough ... you don't need to lose another pound " It doesn't matter if everyone else thinks your great, if you have issues with yourself esteem.  You may be a ' great ' weight right now. But, others are concerned because they don't want great to turn into Nichole Richie. Lol  annnnd I'm sure you don't either...

I suggest ' doing ' some activities that will make you feel good about yourself. Instead of focusing on ' HOW MANY CALORIES?!?! Omg, no thanxz ' Since you're already at a healthy weight, you're past the deduct deduct deduct stage of getting fit. You should move on to something else. Such as team sports,( soccer, volley ball, baseball, ect ), or jogging, swimming. Something that will build lean tone muscle.

its best to get out of the cycle as soon as possible. telling someone may seem like the impossible, but even if its just a friend they can be really helpful.

what jackiehunter says is a really good idea. one that i have used myself. you need to up your cals. and i know it seems scary but your body will get used to it. if you increase them gradually then you wont gain any weight. i myself have gone from eating nothing for a week, to now eating 1500cals and i havent gained a thing! just upping them slowly, 50cals a week or sooner if you feel comfortable enough to do.

the fact you havent had your period means your body is really sick. when you miss your period (i dont know all the scientific stuff) calcium from your bones goes. and since your still growning, thats really not a good thing.

feel free to PM is you want :)

Hi. I struggle with this as well and the best thing to do is to just get into a good outpatient program. If you don't take care of this now, you'll eventually be hospitalized and that will REALLY screw you up. You'll also live with anxiety and a messed up psyche for the rest of your life like I've got. Please get help.

I had to struggle with something similar. I started out at 150/ 5'4" and was unhappy with my weight, so I began to exercise. When I hit a plateau, instead of exercising more, I started counting calories and wasn't eating more than 600 a day. [And this was with already 30 minutes of exercise three times a week.] Then, I started to exercise more--1 hour daily. My weight dropped to 120, which was healthy, but I was feeling tired and groggy all the time and STILL forced myself to exercise. Now, I don't want to stop exercising because it's the one thing I know that really works, so I still exercise the same amount but am trying to eat more to boost my metabolism and keep healthy. Since eating around 1200 calories a day I've gone down to 112 pounds--healthily. 

According to the DSM - IV, you do not qualify for Anorexia Nervosa because your BMI is within the healthy range (your BMI is 19.7 and the healthy range is between 18.5 and 24.9).  However, you may be classified as EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) because you are exhibiting behaviors that show an unhealthy relationship with food.  You say that you have a lack of control.  You also show signs of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, as people are telling you that you are getting too thin even though you don't see it.

And let me tell you, you never will see it until you get help.  I said the exact same thing as you.  I said I would stop when I saw a flat stomach, smaller thighs, less flab on my arms etc.  I am extremely unhealthy and underweight (BMI 14.5) right now; people gawk at my bones and how my veins stick out of my arms, and I still don't see it.  I would recommend that you tell your mom (and/or dad) and seek professional help immediately.  I'm glad that you are evaluating yourself so early on, because recovery comes easier that way.

Wishing you the best!

hey, i know exactly where youre coming from.

Technically i dont have anorexia but i have all of the "symptoms" of anorexia, apart from no period and being underweight. I hardly ever eat anything anymore and when i do eat its never over 200clas a day. Ilook at myself in the mirror and i just want to cry, i hate myself so much.

Ive lost 20kg in the last 2 months which i think is around 45lbs but its still not enough, i dont even see any difference. None of my clothes fit me anymore, they all fall off me. But i dont see any change, i still see this horribly obese ugly person. Everyone tells me how good im looking and "wow youve lost so much weight" but its not enough, its not good enough.

Most days i just want to cry. I check the cal content in everything i eat or drink. I exercise alot on pretty much no energy but i still feel like i need to punish myself because im not losing weight fast enough, because i havnt lost enough weight. I have a goal of losing another 10kg / 20lbs by the 4th of july. I know that if i eat nothing until then that i can do it. But i also know that i will get very very sick.

I think what makes it so hard for me is that my doctor knows what im doing, she tells me it unhealthy, she tells me i will get sick but she wont help because im not thin enough. No one will help becuase im not thin enough. People find out about my eating habits an they just say oh thats unhealthy, you should just diet and exercise. What they dont realise is that is how all this started out but i became obsessed. They think that because im not underweight that i cant possibly have an ED, i should just snap out of it, be healthy and sensible.

Anyway enough about me, i just want to let you know that i get it, i totally understand, an dim here if you wana talk.

juicebox04- Have you told your parents or doctor about your eating habits and over exercising?  It sounds like you already know that this is bad for you and just need motivation to stop treating your body so badly. 

When you look at a picture of yourself do you also see 'fat' or is it only when you look in the mirror. 

One suggestion, have everyone you care about right something great about you and everytime you feel like not eating or over working out, read one of those comments and realize this is why you need to keep eating and be healthy... To be that same person that everyone loves so much. :)

i do things in spite of myself. the other day my mom was telling me how her and my dad were so blessed to have had such a child..she said they both thought i was such a great person. i tried so hard to hold back tears because the whole time she was saying it i kept thinking how it wasnt true. i dont think im a good person. i dont think i diserve to be happy. and about my doctor...i havent told her that i lost weight by not eating enough and excercising more. i cant. but yes, i DO know how bad it is for me. in fact, i could pretty much write a book on the perfect diet and exercise plan. but i think its too late for me. i juat want to be thin. and beautiful. its so stupid. i hate myself for thinking that way. but thats my life and i dont know what to do about it. =/