curious...weird eating habits from ED/OCD?

This may be in the wrong forum, I was just wondering has anyone else developed or had weird eating habits since an eating disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder?  I have always had some quirks from my OCD, but since my eating disorder I laugh and question myself when I find myself doing these behaviors.  In therapy, I see a lot of others also have the same concern or do similar behaviors.  Some of mine include-

• Cutting up my sandwich or whatever I am eating into very, very small pieces and eating them with silverware, even if it was a sloppy joe or turkey sandwich
• Dipping my sandwiches/crackers/fruit/cookies in milk
• Ripping up my sandwiches and dropping them in milk, then eating it like soup
• Cutting up scrambled eggs, salad leaves, spaghetti
• Cutting up my english muffin or bagel upside down
• Taking forever to cut up a piece of fruit because I refuse to bite into it
• Mixing foods like peanut butter with tomato, chicken, turkey etc.
• Eating foods lighter in color first, then darker ones later
• I hardly ever use ketchup/mustard/salt/pepper anymore, maybe its the whole 'fear of calories' thing
• Experimenting with microwaving foods and seeing what tastes good
• Eating either really fast, or really slowly.

Those are just a few of them, but I have seen people overuse condiments to an extreme, have the compulsion to eat every little crumb and finish everything 100% and of course, cutting up food beyond belief.

I'm doing better now at controlling them, but I was just wondering out of curiosity.

I do most of this stuff too, small dishes only for me, weighing everything in grams, cutting up food, eating in a certain order, eating every 2 hours because I'm afraid of getting overly hungry.  It's never bothered me, I have always just accepted my new weirdness as a side effect of the behavioral changes that come with dieting. It's so good to read these posts and see all this.

One weird thing I do is go to the grocery store and "visit" all the food. Really, I'll just walk up and down the aisles and study everything, but I won't buy anything. My grocery lists are extremely precise, my food budget is very strict, I only allow myself to buy food on Fridays or Sundays - if I run out of something, I simply live without it until then, and I constantly clean and rearrange my refrigerator and pantry. I was happy to see other people do the "condiment tasting" thing too, like eating a teaspoon of jelly. I'll even do that with ketchup or salad dressing, it's the one habit that bothers me, because I hate to put things in my mouth if I haven't written them down in my plan for the day. I hate when I stray from my list.

• I won't eat unless the person I am with is eating
• If I go to see a friend in the middle of the day and I have already had several snacks and they have had nothing, I won't eat and then bug them to eat so they can 'catch up' with me and I won't feel like a pig
• I write down what I eat, and I will not eat more then I can fit on one page of a 5.5 x 3.5 inch notebook.
• I do not eat meals
• You can't take me out to a restaurant. I refuse to pick where to go, which usually ends to a fight with whoever I am with because I usually hate where they pick
• Overall, I am just anal about food. I don't know how to describe it, I am just insanely anal.

It is amazing, I used to feel so alone with the way I did things, but I realized that I am not the only one. I do pretty much everything everyone else does. My biggest fear is if I am doing it when my son is older(he is almost 6 months) I don't want him to pick up the crazy habbit from me, I am hoping I can overcome my obsession with food by the time he is old enough to understand :(

Oh I have another:

 

I am CONSTANTLY checking on what my boyfriend has eaten during the day. If he hasn't eaten much I get really angry and try and force him to eat. And when he gets home from work and doesn't want any dinner I also get mega annoyed and have a go at him and tell him he NEEDS to eat, and I don't have to.

 I think it's because I know how miserable I am when I'm not eating and don't want him to feel the same. Though he would never. He loves food.

I'm away at school, and I HATE eating in the caf with other people. I feel very self concious. Eating at the caf stresses me out in general (since it's buffet style and the food is everywhere, etc) so I have to go alone. I eat very slowly too... and I cut everything up small. It takes me so long to eat anything. Also when preparing myself a meal, my portion I have measured out is MY portion. I have to finish it all even if I'm not hungry, I don't know why (I think I just don't trust my own hunger mechanisms). If I want more food I measure out another portion exactly and eat all of it. and no one can have a bite of my portion either, it makes me anxious.

 I'm not fully recovered though, I'm still in progress. 

Reading through this thread I copied others people's sentences that i do too!

I eat at least every 3 hours... I fear being hungry because it leads to overeating

I always have to chew everything thoroughly. (or my stomach gets upset after i eat.)

I eat with miniature utensils, and eat out of undersized serve wear. ie, teaspoons, cake forks, eating out of drinking glasses etc...

I write down what I eat, and I will not eat more then I can fit on one page of a 5.5 x 3.5 inch notebook. haha. i will cram sometimes. but i haven't been consistent with this anymore since have calorie count.

NEW ONE.

i like to watch people make food because it gives me the a similar satisfaction that eating does. cooking shows, friends cooking. Or i like to cook for others. Foods that i would never choose to make for myself.

eat everything in clockwise pattern by bite.

Ex: bite chicken, bite of veggies, sip of water, bite of apple, bite of rice. And AGAIN.

i also have just abut every other thing ppl have mentioned on here besides the non-touching of food. i am the complete opposite. i NEED things to touch.

i have an intense fear of hunger and can't go to sleep unless i've had a prebedtime snack, b/c i'm afraid i'll wake up in the middle of the night hungry and go down to my kitchen and EAT.

at dinner always eat some veggies first, then bread, then the rest of the veggies and whatever else is on my plate. if i eat the bread first or last it makes me want more.

i like using smaller plates. 

i eat really insanely fast. i can never ever eat slow.

i like watching other people eat. especially junk food. it's horrible. maybe it's some kind of ego boosting thing? 

i'm glad I am not the only one wwho does this stuff!

1) I HATE eating in front of people

2) I prefer making my own meals, but I MUST be alone when I do. I hate when other people are in the kitchen watching me

3) I stay away from bagels, and sandwhiches, I would rather eat cereal

4) Keep safe food in my room, so I can eat it whenever I want

5) I always eat fast, and I eat at least 600 cals for breakfast so that I won't over eat during the day.

6) I like knowing my boyfriend is eating more than me too!! and when he doesnt I feel like I have eaten WAY to much:S.

7) I can only eat 1/2 tbsp of peanut butter at a time, for some reason I can't bring myself to see that I am eating a full tbsp.

8) would rather eat things frozen (fruits, yogurt, juice, peanut butter) than at room temperature.

I know I have WAY more

i hated everything about my ED, most of all these things

1. i would never eat in front of anybody, and still have trouble with it

2. i was obsessed with food shows, recipes, and cooking for others but i would never eat anything i baked

3. i would make myself drink a lot of water, so that when i went to the bathroom immediatly after i would HAVE to do 100 crunches. and i went to the bathroom a lot

4. when i did eat, it was only food with no fat in it, yes way not healthy

5. i would feed my "bad" food to others and enjoy watching them eat it

6. every wensday i was allowed to eat bad foods between 3 and 3:10

there are way too more to put down here and i'd rather not think about it all

I am CONSTANTLY checking on what my boyfriend has eaten during the day. If he hasn't eaten much I get really angry and try and force him to eat. And when he gets home from work and doesn't want any dinner I also get mega annoyed and have a go at him and tell him he NEEDS to eat, and I don't have to.

I do this with my mother and best friend. I'm always shoving food in their faces and if I don't think they've had enough to eat at any given time I will pout and sook and raise hell until they eat or until we end up arguing because I can't seem to let go of the issue... It annoys them a lot, and me as well. I've gotten it slightly under control though, I don't argue about it anymore, I just mention it a couple of times until they start getting annoyed (then I drop it).

I think for me its more that everyone has to eat MORE than me or I will feel like a major pig.

I have to have a full glass of water before every meal.

I calculate and recalculate the calories in check for the day about 5 times just to make sure.

I NEVER EVER use cutlery, unless its oatmeal or soup.

always veg first, then protein, then carbs.

I cant eat with anyone else other than my mum and brother.

I have to be sitting at the right place at the table and wait for everyone else to start before me.

I break everything into teeny pieces.

measuring meals? i couldnt possibly dream of not doing that.

If we go out to eat, or go over to a family members house for a meal, i always take my scale and my ingredients, im too scared to eat other peoples food incase they slide in extra oil etc...

I have my own cupboard in the kitchen, my own drawer in the fridge and a box where all my packaged stuff is kept.

i have to do my own food shopping in my own trolley then meet my mum at the checkout.

i always check in boxes and packets just to see how much of the contents have been eaten by other family members.

i HAVE to make my mums shopping list.

i get really upset if other people in the house buy the same food as me or have the same dish, or even contemplate touching my safe foods.

my god, EDs are so life consuming.

I recalculte consitly and try for
200cALS 8 AM
100 CALS 10 AM
350 CALS 12:30
100 CALS 4 PM
600 CALS 7 PM AND THEN I SEE WHAT ELSE I CAN EAT  

hate to eat infront of people

 am nervous for a whole week and obsessivly look at menus if i have to go out to eat
I dont like to eat pizza or sand all at one i always take off the toppings then eat the bread,
always cut my sweets into the smallest of bites
have to eat at the correct time,
lie about what i ate good or bad
watch other people and add there calories
thats all i can think of but there is so much more

I ALWAYS have a cup of green tea after eating. No matter what it was.

When I binge, I eat very high sugar items, and I eat them in front of the mirror.

I make sure that whoever I'm eating with has the last bite, and I only eat 'safe' foods.

I only eat out of one bowl, and I only use one specific spoon and knife.

I like to make a mess in that bowl, like I rub whatever food onto it so that it leaves streaks. (I know, wierd eh...)

I only eat between 11am and 12pm, then between 4pm and 6pm, and usually again between 8pm and 9pm. (I have a wierd work schedule)

I watch my roomate eat, I also make him food.

I generally like to make whatever I eat spicy by adding some cayenne and such.

I rather room temperature food and liquids, even my tea.

I don't eat a 'full meal' as in there are no side dishes. Just one thing I eat.

There are a few more, but they're not coming to me right now, or I'm just past the point of noticing if it's 'odd' behaviour... 

 

 

  

I just thought of another one. I can't eat anything white, unless a food of another color is with it. But everything else, I try to only eat the one color. like green with lettuce, I don't eat salads if theres tomato or carrots... but green peppers yes!

only eat the white tips off candy corn

mustard/salsa for salad dressing

eating alone at night

eating fatfree frozen cool-whip instead of icecream

diluting soups with water

hmmmm, billion more but some r really embarrassing  

eating nothing for salad dressing

I only ate with the smallest spoons

eating tabasco sauce or chili garlic sauce with everything because i heard that it speeds up your metabolism.

eat a fruit for lunch every single day.

Eat 1 cup of dry kix cereal for breakfast

eat brussle sprouts for dinner every single night

Always ate alone!

I always drank green tea after dinner thinking that it will speed up my metabolism

I have some OCD, hahah, but no ED.

• I always use the smallest silverware (makes it seem like I'm eating more, and I don't rush myself).
• I don't like cooking in front of people (but eating in front of them is fine).
• I always finish my veggies before I even take a BITE of anything else on my plate.
• I always measure ingredients in things.
• I drink three glasses of water with each meal.
• I eat six meals a day instead of three (Clean-Eating thing).
• I always have oatmeal and an omlette for breakfast.
• The silverware and napkin must go on the left side of my tray... ALWAYS; don't ask why.
• I always have an apple, broccoli, peas, green beans, and kidney beans at lunch, with some kind of main-dish.
• I like to cook (and EAT, EAT, EAT) whatever I bake, so I usually only bake in small amounts.
• I use curry powder or cumin in almost everything.
• I really don't like mayo, so I use Greek yogurt instead.
• When I order pasta at a restaurant, I make sure to only eat HALF - or less if I get full (this is probobly a good habit, heh).
• I only eat Ezekiel bread; I can't STAND the taste of "diet breads" and everything else has added sugars.
• If I eat sugary foods after 8:00pm I can't fall asleep as well.

new addition to my list...

i ALWAYS have to have breakfast when the house is empty (i mean everyone else is at work/school) and the same with lunch, but dinner.... i refuse to eat alone.

Oh gosh, I have so many of these weird habits, foods can't touch, cutting things up, I can eat massive amounts of healthy foods and don't really care, but sweets or proccessed foods I avoid like the plague, etc...

My new question is, does anyone else eat a ton of food right before bed?  I'm in the process of trying to gain weight so I think it started as just trying to fit in as many snacks as possible, or sometimes freaking out that I haven't eaten enough during the day and want to make up for it at night. I'm not sure of the exact reason I started eating more at night, but the amount has started increasing and I usually crave a ton of carbs. I also think I started doing this because I heard some carbs help you sleep better and I definitely have trouble sleeping so I'll have a glass of warm soy milk with honey and some sort of toast, cereal, yogurt, peaunut butter (more like all of the above...:\) and the last month or two I also wake up in the middle of the night and eat too. I also started this with the reasoning that, well if I'm up I might as well be eating, or maybe it will help me go back to sleep, but sometimes I also wake up starving several times a night, or really early in the morning.

I don't think it's that I"m not eating enough, I eat every couple of hours during the day and I'm going over 2500 calories a day usually. But do you guys think this means my body still needs more? Am I just stressed out? Or is my metabolism seriously screwed up?