Quote:
Originally Posted by hopeful
Hi Cat,
I am the same height as you and the weight you are at is not a healthy weight for you. There was a time in my life when I went down to 102 and people kept coming to ask me if I was ill.
I have an extensive background dealing with anorexia. I spent 15 years working in a high school. I also took several classes and conferences on this subject. I even wrote a research paper on the subject. I don't mean to be intrusive and don't know if you want to post your answers but the following are all things for you to think of.
If you are of age, do you still get a menstral period?
Do you have a thin layer of hair on your face?
Do you use laxatives?
When you have them drawn are your electrolytes normal?
Are you a calorie counter and if so how many a day?
Is your hair very dry and damaged?
Do you have purging tendencies?
How are your teeth?
Again, you don't have to answers me just think about this. Most the symptoms your having could be caused by anorexia.
I have seen a lot of people, especially woman, diet and then it gets away from them. They live in fear of gaining back any weight and normally end up losing more. Society tells us we need to look a certain way and some of us oblige.
I'm sure you can guess many years ago, I started on this track. I was doing some modeling and I was down to 100 and had people asking if I was sick. I thought I looked great. I knew it was becoming a problem for me and sought help. I consider myself lucky, I caught it before it caught me. I also shared what was going on with my husband and he kept an eye on me.
I know you probably don't want to hear this but a normal weight for a person at your height with a small frame should be 108-121. Now not everyone is in that range but you can see how significantly lower you are.
I do think it is great that your vitamin levels come back normal. What you are eating must be healthy. Has your doctor ever spoke with you about your weight?
If you want to gain some weight back do it slowly. Your stomach must be very small at this point and can't hold too much food at once. I would suggest small meals at least 4 times a day. It sounds like you already know how to eat healthy so I won't go into that.
I hope this helps and doesn't sound harsh or intrusive. I really do have a soft spot in my heart for people who suffer from this. Not saying you do. That is not for me to determine.
Hopeful  |
Thank you for the response Hopeful. Yes, pretty much all of my doctors have said at some point that I was on the thin side and could gain some weight. But nobody seemed overly concerned so I continued on my "merry" dieting way.
To answer your questions:
If you are of age, do you still get a menstral period? I am 40 and have not had a period in 21 years.
Do you have a thin layer of hair on your face? I guess so?
Do you use laxatives? No but I do use lizness for constipation which tends to give me diarrhea at times.
When you have them drawn are your electrolytes normal? Nothing has been tagged as abnormal.
Are you a calorie counter and if so how many a day? Yes, until the past few weeks I kept it between 1,000 and 1,200 calories a day.
Is your hair very dry and damaged? Yes but I also process a lot
Do you have purging tendencies? No
How are your teeth? Aside from cavities, appear to be fine?
I feel awful everytime I eat now. And I am more tired and more dizzy with this new eating regime. I tend to overdo the calories in my morning smoothie and then pay for it all day. It just seems like the easiest way to get the extra calories in. We just got back from dinner and I forced myself to eat despite a complete lack of appetite especially since we were with friends. My stomach is so swollen the past few days I look pregnant! And the constipation is just awful. It makes me irritable and not fun to be around. I would think the extra calories would HELP with the neuropathy and energy if it was anorexia causing it but it is the opposite. I am not sure what to do....so frustrated.
You are not being intrusive at all-I am the one that put all this out there and really appreciate your time. Can anorexia be a major contributor to neuropathy? If so, why is the extra nourishment making me feel worse? I am attempting to take in close to 2,000 calories a day which is scary but almost liberating as well. BUT if it continues to make my condition worsen what is the point?