disorderd eating?!

hey im 14 almost 15 and i need some major help! im an average weight but leaning more twords over- than under- weight. i've never been very happy with my body and when my sister became anorexic it just made things worse. shes in college now but i find myself devloping the same habbits i watched her devlop growing up. i try to watch my calories and eat healthy during the day but at night i just lose it. weekends are the worst. i am guilty of chewing and spitting. it started out i would just be in the middle of a cookie and feel guilty and spit it out but now its bad. is this really bad for me?? but its not as bad as bulimia right?? please help me!!

i would suggest that you walk away from the behaviors while you still can. if you are happy with your weight and have not adopted any unhealthy habits, though the spitting thing is very ED minded,  you should just live your life. don't be a slave to food. eat the things you enjoy in moderation and listen to your body. it won't stear you wrong. if you've seen the battle your sister went through with anorexia you should be aware of the psychological distress it places on you not to mention how terrible it is for your health. you should do a 360 and turn away from those thoughts completely. =)

Of course this is bad! Any type of disordered eating is bad, whether it be anorexia, bulimia, chew and spit or compulsive exercise.

Life is not ment to be a stuggle where you are battling with your mind. You should be able to eat what you want, drink what you want and sleep when you want without resulting in such behaviour. Like chrissy said above, walk away from the behavior while you still can.

Correct me if im wrong, but it seems as if your chewing and spitting may be how you cope with stress, as well as the infulence created by your sister. My suggestion is to find another way to cope. Also, develop another outlook on food. Think of it as nourishing your body. Think of it as blood for your heart to keep on pumping. But in the end, it is only YOU who can change your habits.

I also should say, you would benefit highly by talking to a professional about this issue. I hope whatever you decide to do, that you will steer in the right direction.

It is only up to you and I hope the choice you make will be a good one!

xx

Any sort of disordered view of food, of eating and behaviour in general is bad. Do not think "I'm not underweight so I'm alright for now", "I'm not obviously malnourished so I'll keep going until I am", "well I'm not throwing up so it's not quite so severe", because, actually, yes, yes it is.

Chewing and spitting is destructive and unhealthy. It can lead to cavities, cracked teeth, ulcers in your mouth and on your tongue AND in your stomach, a sore throat, an upset stomach in general, and swollen glands. Furthermore, to those ulcers - an ulcerated stomach can lead to vomiting, blood in your stool, and even anemia if one of them ruptures and you start losing blood. And it's counterproductive to weight loss regardless; digestion begins in the mouth.

Sound bad enough now?

Chewing and spitting is a symptom of ED-NOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) which you can read up on here: Something Fishy: ED-NOS. That website is also very helpful in regards to online support for disordered eating behaviours including how to go about looking for help.

But first and foremost you need to stop the chewing and spitting and you need to go to your doctor to raise all of this and get yourself checked out. Talk to your parents and sister, too. I have a very strong feeling your older sister will not want her little sister going the same way as her and really, you need all the help you can.

Please remember, Calorie Count's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management. If you continue to make use of behaviours that do not support this mission CC in turn cannot help you. So do go to your doctor.