Hey everyone, this is my first time posting here so forgive me if I mess anything up.
I've struggled with eating for basically my entire life, and so over the course my eating disorder has changed a lot into many different forms. In high school and parts of college, it often manifested through long periods of not eating anything in order to lose weight, as I've always been overweight, and occasional bulimic tendencies.
Now, my eating disorder has changed into binge-eating without purging. I hate this more than not eating honestly, it's really damaged my self image because I have gained so much weight recently and my body has changed so much. I have to stop for so many reasons, but I'm really worried about if pausing my binge eating will force me back into these earlier patterns of not eating at all.
Any helpful advice or tips would be really amazing. Thanks!
Hi Noah123, welcome to the forums. We’re glad you’re here. If you ever feel like you want to talk to someone or need support, NEDA is here. You can call 800-931- 2237 or chat, https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/helplinechat to discuss resources and support options. Helpline phone hours are Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm ET, Friday 11am-5pm ET. Helpline chat hours are Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm ET, Friday 9am-5pm ET. Please don’t hesitate to reach out, and keep posting.
Most people would have a hard time believing this, but as you've said, it's easy to lose track of what normal eating is.
So some people will turn to a nutritionist, and have them help with making up meal plans. That can sound kind of silly too, I know, but if a person has a set plan they can trust in, one of the other up-sides is that it can free a person up from constantly having to make food decisions throughout the day.
There can be a lot of psychological aspects too, so there's that, but having a meal plan can provide some practical help.
Plus, it counts as "taking a step" and sometimes that part counts for a lot too.