Expert: Susan - 7/1/2006

Question
gathering from your information i can see that i have nearly every symptom of anorexia and i am so adement on weight loss and basically willing to do anything to get to 46kg  i am so fat and can't stand to look at myself ie. fat thighs and legs and humungous stomach and yuck fat everything i hate it so much and just want to lose weight so bad and don't wnat to put on any weight because it literally scares me!and only need to lose 3 kg and feel like i would be happier! do laxatives work? is medamucil a laxative? how much weight can you lose in conjunction with starvation, exercise and chewing and spitting?  do medamucil work because that is the only one that i know of that you can buy from the supermarket!
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Followup To

Question -
hi, sorry to bother you i have got a question which i don't want to ask anyone else about! i was just wondering when you starve yourself for say 10 days do you lose weight or gain it? because i was looking to lose 4 kg and this would be quick to do i also do around 4 hours of exercise per day! how much could i lose i am 170cm tall and weigh around 49-50 also i am contemplating laxatives can they add to the weight loss i was thinking of medamucil does that work as a laxative>? i haven't eaten anything for about 2 weeks apart from chewing and spitting mainly on crusts of bread and licking biscuits and chewing and spittting on sultanas and literally gaging out the last bit so i don't gain weight i am so scared that if i eat i will gain weight i use to weigh less and eat more with less exercise can i get down to that weight please help me! please tell me the truth as to how much i can lose!!!

Answer -
Dear Jenn,
I am available to anyone who wants to talk, no one ever bothers me. Keep that in mind, I love to help people so it's no problem.
If you starve yourself for 10 days, you will probably lose weight but, probably only 5 pouns at the maximum.
Doing exercise for four hours a day is over doing it especially if you barely eat anything all day. It would be wise to cut your exercise time in half. By you working out so much, your body will gain weight. Your body will gain weight because you are developing muscles. Muscles weigh more than fat so even if you lose fat, you'll still be gaining muscle.
The weight range for a female 18 year old is between 53.41 to 65.23 kilograms. You are already under this range. If you are younger than 18, you can weigh a little less than this range because your body would still be growing.
Symptoms of being anorexic include:
Dressing to hide body shape (e.g. baggy clothes, layers)
Obsession with weight, calories and/or fat.
Frequent and long trips to the bathroom, often with running water, after meals.
Food rituals such as shifting food around, cutting food into tiny pieces, or keeping utensils from touching lips; hiding food.
Hair loss.
Pale or “gray” skin.
Frequent complaints of feeling cold.
Loss of menstrual cycle.
Bruised knuckles, bleeding in eyes, bruising under eyes or on cheeks.
Insomnia.
Being perfectionist.
Reading books or visiting websites on anorexia and or weight loss.
Visible food restriction, use of diet pills, laxatives, enemas or Ipecac, or dramatic weight loss.
Dizziness, headaches, or frequent sore throats.
Statements putting self down about being fat, eating, or about being worthless or stupid
Notice how laxatives are included in this. Chewing and spitting is also an eating disorder. Gaging is also part of an eating disorder.
I am not going to encourage your eating disorder. The best way to lose weight is to exercise and that's what you're doing. You are already thin enough. Even if you lose 4 kg, what next? Will you want to lose another 4 kg or will it be 6 kg instead? Will you ever be happy with your weight? Probably not.
Eating disorder are a coping mechanism and whatever problem you have, you need to talk about with someone. Talk about it with someone on this site or to someone you trust. There are other cateogories on this site that help people with their problems. Don't let this get out of control before it's too late and there's no turning back. Stand up for yourself and take control of your life instead of obsessing over food and weight.
Susan

Answer
Dear Jenm,
If you came to this site thinking that people, like me who have suffered the consequences of eating disorders, are going to help you continue down this destructive path, you're VERY wrong. The volunteers in the category for eating disorders are hear to listen to people's concerns about their eating habits and what they can do to CHANGE. These volunteers want to help others because they know how it feels to be so depressed because of your weight.
I want to help you. You have so much motivation to lose weight when you don't need to. Why don't you motivate yourself to do something else such as a hobby, sport, volunteering? Losing weight does NOT equal happiness. What you are saying is that the only thing that matters in life is appearances. How superficial are you? Do you even see yourself? Time to face reality, people die from eating disorders. Your body starts to shut down because you're not eating. If you think that by being realy really skinny, you'll get the guy of your dreams, you are wrong again. If you think that by being really skinny will get you the coolest and best friends, you are wrong again. If people only notice you for your weight then, they aren't worth your time. You need to find people who want you for you and not some fake barbie doll.
If you want to eat healthy and stay fit, talk to a nutritionist. That's what all the famous people do. They don't stop eating. They tone their bodies and watch what they eat.
Did you think about what I said about eating disorders being a coping mechanism? What's bothering you? Write it down or talk to someone or else you are always going to feel disgusted with your body.
Susan