Can't seem to accept that my lack of eating is potentially why I am losing weight

[pulisa]

I agree, Phil. That's great advice and you have done so well to regain the weight.

Weight loss also adds to anxiety. It makes you jittery and panicky because your brain isn't getting enough nourishment to think straight.

[ankietyjoe]

You will feel full easily, because you haven't been eating, I had exactly the same, but that stops in time too.

Try not to make a big deal of it, and just eat. If you can't finish a meal, then so what? Try again a bit later.

[LittleLionMan]

I agree, Phil. That's great advice and you have done so well to regain the weight.

Weight loss also adds to anxiety. It makes you jittery and panicky because your brain isn't getting enough nourishment to think straight.

Cheers Pulisa,

It's actually something I'm very pleased to of overcome. I have a goal weight of 12st 10lbs I set myself ages ago (as a minimum), and am up to 11st 6lbs now I think. Maybe a bit more after the huge Chinese I've just had! Ha.

As soon as I started, it became easier rather quickly too actually.

[ankietyjoe]

Just to clarify the reaction to low calories.

Your brain has more than enough nourishment to think straight, but in times of restricted food your CNS produces a lot more cortisol to then create adrenaline. Most people actually think MORE clearly when they eat less or fast, but the anxious mind reacts badly to increased cortisol. The effects of a blood sugar crash are short lived. The body compensates quickly.

[pulisa]

Just wanted to say that fasting is NOT recommended for anyone reading this thread with an eating disorder.

[ankietyjoe]

Just wanted to say that fasting is NOT recommended for anyone reading this thread with an eating disorder.

100% for sure.

[Scissel]

My physician and therapist would prefer me to eat 3 square meals a day, but there just is no way I could possibly do that. I try to eat 1 good meal and pick the rest of the day ... I try to avoid eating complete junk all the time ... sometimes its hard though. For most of my life my overall weigh was 170 pounds (5'7") and I was more muscular. Now, I can't get over 155 pounds and I'm weak ta boot and I'm told I lost muscle weight.

Enough about me.

I say eat when you're hungry and try to eat nutritious food choices.

[ankietyjoe]

My physician and therapist would prefer me to eat 3 square meals a day, but there just is no way I could possibly do that. I try to eat 1 good meal and pick the rest of the day ... I try to avoid eating complete junk all the time ... sometimes its hard though. For most of my life my overall weigh was 170 pounds (5'7") and I was more muscular. Now, I can't get over 155 pounds and I'm weak ta boot and I'm told I lost muscle weight.

Enough about me.

I say eat when you're hungry and try to eat nutritious food choices.

Assuming you get enough food in on a daily basis (overall) this is absolutely spot on. The 3 meal a day thing is a myth, but I can see why it has merit if you have any kind of eating disorder. There is no way that anybody regularly ate 3 meals a day historically, it's a very recent phenomenon. Your metabolism actually works a lot better if you're flexible with your eating. For example some days you might only 'feel' like 1000 calories, especially if you're ill. Others you might eat 5000 calories. That's how our ancestors DID eat. Also based on what was actually available too.

[LittleLionMan]

It's also difficult to say only 'eat when you're hungry', when you are struggling with loss of appetite from anxiety. If I had adopted that, I would never of eaten anything because I was never hungry... very rarely am now if I'm honest. I eat because I should. I do find however that when I start eating, I get hungry, and sometimes manage to eat more than I intended to, which is fine for me at the minute.

There is unfortunately a bit of a spell where you have to just try and get some sort of pattern back. Not necessarily 3 square meals, but noticing when you haven't eaten enough, and just get something down, regardless of if you feel like it or not.

[Anxietysufferer92]

Unfortunately despite upping my calories to almost 3000 a day, I am still losing weight. I have ordered a full thyroid panel to be done to see whether that is overactive as I am also experiencing palpitations as well. My GP will not refer me for a colonoscopy for some reason so that is making me worry. My bowel habits still keep changing and I am getting really uncomfortable about it. At the moment I am quite calm, because I can't change whatever the outcome is. I'm sure I will be breaking down soon though because this is the longest I've relapsed with health anxiety. I am an absolute mess. I'm absolutely exhausted as well but cannot sleep which is not helping.