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Hi im 19 and im 5'9 and at one point i weighed 229 i always got told i did not look fat just chunky but i was so uncomfortable with the way i look naked. Every diet i tried and no matter how much i excercised i never could lose weight. One day i decided to just stop eating. I eat at most about three hundred calories a day and only drink water,cut soda and sugars out of my life completely. I lost twenty pounds in two weeks and people keep commenting on how much skinnier i look.And i want to stop and lose weight the right way but im so scared cuz i have never felt so good about myself. Now i go to sleep when im hungry,i drink lots of water so i wont be hungry and when i do eat ,if i eat what i think is too much i feel so bad so i punish myself by not eating the next day. If i dnt eat for a whole day i lose around two pounds a day and if i do eat i lose like one pound but if i dont lose at least a pound a day i get so mad!!! I just want to be skinny i weigh 210 now and it has only been two weeks and two days. My goal is too lose forty more pounds and after that i want to stop eating so little and going to like 1200 calories a day if i do that will i gain weight as soon as i start eating more? Or will i just maintain my weight. And also i believe i have a thyroid problem and thats why i have so much trouble losing weight cuz i never ate that much before plus i was in soccer and still weighed like 200 pounds.
Dear Leslie,
I'm so glad that you wrote me! A couple of things came to mind as I was reading your note. The first place you need to go is to your doctor's office and get a complete physical. Discuss with him/her the possibility of a thyroid condition.
What you're doing right now is so damaging for your body and your metabolism!! Very dangerous!! See if you can find a therapist who specializes in eating disorders as well as a good nutritionist who can work with you to give you the perfect food plan fore t you! You'll lose weight properly without getting into a very dangerous area!
Please let me know how you do! I have seen so many people switch eating disorders, particularly going from being compulsive overeaters to anorexics! Let's not have that happen to you!
Warmly,
Jeannie Rust, PhD
CEO/Founder
Mirasol
www.mirasol.net
www.edrecovery.com
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Answers by Expert:
Jeanne Rust, PhD
Expertise
I have been treating eating disorders for over 25 years and I have a doctorate in clinical psychology. I am an expert in anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders and in co-occurring disorders as well -- depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc. I was the official eating disorder therapist for the University of Arizona athletic department and love working with girls and women of all ages! 12 years ago I started my own treatment centers in Arizona where we treat adolescents and adults. I love working with people and have been helping people online since 1994. My hearts go out to the people out there who are unable to find help, who aren't sure whether they need help, and who don't have much of an understanding of the terrible consequences, emotionally and physically, that go hand in hand with the eating disorder. I view eating disorders as coping mechanisms that people use when they are under stress. I believe that eating disorders most times have many similarities whether it is anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. The good news is that people can heal from an eating disorder and learn to create the lives they would like to live.
Experience
I have 25 years of experience in treating eating disorders of all kinds. I also do consultations for people who are starting treatment centers.
Education/Credentials
Northwestern University -- BA
Masters in Counseling
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology -- Saybrook institute
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