Expert: Joanne - 2/19/2008

Question
QUESTION: So here's where I'm at: I'm 19 and a new college freshman. I decided to go on a "diet" back in mid-September and lost 22 pounds by mid-December. The diet became an obsession of sorts, and I realised I no longer had control over what I was doing. I've started seeing a counselor on campus once a week, and have since then gained 6 lbs. (I am 5'7 and started weighing 142. I now weigh 126.) The only reason I've gained weight is because as of recently, I've begun binging; I'll go all day restricting my food intake, but the min I find myself alone in my dorm, I'll all of a sudden feel this ridiculous compulsion to eat. Within minutes I'll find myself feeling horrible having eaten a ridiculous amount of junk/sugary food. I don't know how or why I let myself do this. I feel so out of control. I'm always in constant turmoil over it: I still have a strong desire to pursue losing weight and excessive excercising, but this recent binging has me feeling like a complete failure. I'm to the point to where I want to take up purging because I don't know what to do to get a grip on my situation. Can you please give me any advice on dealing with my anorexia/ recent binging problem?

ANSWER: Desi

I'm sorry to hear that you are having problems, but glad to hear that you have sought some help.

You may find that you are binging at night simply as you are restricting during the day.  Most of the time, your mind can control your body, and you can stop yourself eating, but there comes a point that your body will take over and will crave what it is deficient in, and it is hard to ignore that, so you eat.

The only way that you may regain control over this binging is to try to stop restricting during the day.  Try to eat a few small meals throughout the day that are balanced so that your body isn't going to crave anything, and then you should be less likely to binge.  I would recommend getting rid of all of your junk food as I believe that that feeds into an eating disorder, but think you should limit what you do have so that there isn't the temptation there.  If you don't have it, you can't binge on it!

Is your counsellor aware of the binging?  If not, tell them about it and see if they can help you with the psychological side of this.  I would also recommend asking them if they can recommend a nutritionist in the area who could help you devise a meal plan that you feel you could stick to that would stop your restricting and binging!

Joanne

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok, I thought of something else I wanted to ask, if that is alright.

So weight is a very difficult thing for me to understand. I'm obviously not underweight, being 126 at 5'7, and I don't feel I was at 120 either. So I was wondering, what is healthy? Is there a range for my height and age that would give me some idea of whether or not my weight is too high or too low? I asked my counselor, but she dismissed my question saying that one should focus more on how they feel than what they weigh, but she's the one forcing me to weigh myself once a week, so I think I should be able to know.

Hopefully this isn't a stupid question.

Thank you for answering my other one.

ANSWER: Desi

For a height of 5'7", it would be recommended that you weighed between 126 and 160lbs to be healthy, so you are definitely at the lower end of that.

I find it strange that she is encouraging you to weigh yourself, especially since she doesn't want you to focus on your weight.  Do you weigh yourself alone, or are you with her when this is done?!  If you are doing it in your own time on your own scales and you find that this is affecting your counselling, then I think that you should mention this to her and ask that she do it, possibly even not telling you the weight as well.  This way she can see how your weight is changing and make sure that you are not in immediate danger without you feeling the pressure!

I don't think that this is stupid at all.  I don't know what you are meant to be achieving by keeping track of your weight on a weekly basis though.

Joanne

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: 126-160?? My twin sister, who is exactly the same height as me, weighs 115 and she's healthy. Doesn't it also vary according to muscle mass and bone structure?

And what about BMI? Is that an accurate representation of being at a healthy weight?

Since I don't have a scale, I have to go to the nurses office to use hers. And yes, I go alone. For the longest time, I didn't weigh myself, and I was always afraid that I was gaining. But now that I know, it's hard not to focus on it. Not knowing made it easier to not obsess.

-Desi-  

Answer
Desi

Your twin sister's BMI actually works out to be in the underweight category, but only just.  Her BMI works out at 18.04, and anything under 18.5 is underweight.  To be healthy, it is recommended that your BMI be between 20 and 25.

BMI is not accurate if you have a lot of muscle, such as in body builders, etc as it does not take in to account that muscle weighs more than fat tissue, but if you do not have a lot of muscle, then BMI can be used to give an indication of your weight and whether or not it is healthy.

The ideal weight for a given height does vary slightly when taking the size of your skeletal frame into consideration, but not by huge amounts.  Muscle mass does vary it also, but tends to really only make a huge difference in those that do a lot of body building work and do have a lot of muscle tissue since muscle does weigh more than fat.  Therefore, body builders may have a BMI that would consider them to be obese, but in fact they are not unhealthy, but have heavier muscles than the average person, making them heavier than someone of similar size whose body is composed more of fat than muscle.

A low BMI doesn't always necessarily mean that you are extremely healthy either, however.  Some people may not eat a lot, but what they do eat can have huge amounts of fat in it, so although the are of a low weight, may have little muscle and quite a considerable amount of fat in their body!

If you find yourself obsessing about your weight now, is there any chance that you could talk to your counsellor and ask that you no longer weigh yourself, or that she do blind weigh-ins in that she weighs you without letting you know?

Joanne