I'm currently recovering from an ED, so I know of multiple symptoms, including calorie-counting, which my sister has seemed to be very interested in lately. I am very concerned about her, and I am cooking dinner tonight, but she claims she will not eat the meal unless she knows what I am cooking (which I believe to be an attempt at finding out how much she should eat to lose weight). Should I give her the information or just deal with her cooking her own meal if she doesn't eat mine because she doesn't know its contents?
Dear Livrose,
Yes, it's hard to know what perspective to take on this. But here's what I would suggest.
Are you going to pay attention to what to do about these sorts of requests regarding food details, or be looking at the bigger picture ?
I know it can feel like you are being complicit with a developing ED if you answer her calorie questions. And perhaps you are, so if it were me, I'd do what you can to not let yourself be drawn into them. I'd be more likely to take the bigger perspective, and ask her why she finds it so important to know.
Like it's so important to her that she might not even take the risk to eat what you are preparing ? That would be a little extreme, don't you think ?
So yeah, I'd be more interested in seeing if she can state why she seems to be taking that level of interest.
If then it turns into some kind of big fight…then that would be a telling thing too. Something that she might want to pay attention to herself ?
I mean really, I suspect she knows that you understand where this sort stuff can be coming from, so just blowing you off is not really going to cut the mustard. None of this "You just don't understand" stuff is going to work with you.
In any case, as I suspect you know, getting to the heart of the matter early is going to be the best thing. If she'll allow that I mean.
I'm so sorry for the really belated response, but I just wanted to let you know how truly helpful your advice was. Thank you so much.
I'm so sorry for the really belated response, but I just wanted to let you know how truly helpful your advice was. Thank you so much.
Hey, thanks for sharing your concerns about your sister's interest in calorie-counting. It's tough to navigate situations like these, but I believe taking a bigger perspective might be helpful. Instead of giving her specific calorie information, you should have tried to understand why she was so focused on it. Was there a deeper reason behind her behavior that you needed to know?
I just stumbled across your post. As for me, it does seem extreme that your sister won't eat your meal unless she knows its contents. Encourage her to communicate her concerns openly, and if it turns into a big fight, it could be a sign for her to reflect on her own behavior. Remember, you're aware of the complexities surrounding EDs, so don't let her dismiss your understanding. Early intervention and open communication are crucial here. If she's willing, try to get to the heart of the matter and support her in finding healthier perspectives. By the way, I recently came across some helpful information about product shelf life that you might find interesting. You can check it out at https://americasrestaurant.com/shelf-life/. It's always good to stay informed, right?