So many of us on this site are so very fragile in so many ways.
There are those of us who join this site to lose 5-30 lbs. I applaud these people who nip the weight in the bud before it becomes a serious health issue. There are those of us who join because we are truly obese. And then there are those who join because they are anorexic or bulimic and, hopefully, trying to overcome this disease.
Last night I came home to find this message on one of my journals.
"1. this uis very insulting to the people which DO in fact SUFFER from eating disorders. Having an eating disorder is not anything like "going on a diet" and if you knew anyone that does live their life with one of those horrid diseases, you would not wish to have one as well. 2. you're not technically starving."
I apologized to this young woman, then went to look at her profile and food journal and found that it looks like she is, indeed, anorexic. I'm so sorry for that. It can, indeed, be deadly and is extremely difficult to overcome. I have a foster daughter who has fought extreme anorexia her whole life. Her weight has been as low as 85 lbs.
I went to bed at midnight. I couldn't sleep. I was up by 4:30. I realized I was very angry.
I had made the comment that when I eat, I get hungrier and that it is easier to not eat. I used the word anorexia, but said I knew better. I didn't "wish" to be anorexic. What I want to know is, for those of us who have difficulty not over eating, is this not an "eating disorder"? Is this not potentially as deadly as anorexia and bulimia? I realized that I found the the phrase, "Having an eating disorder is not anything like "going on a diet"", very offensive. For most of us, this is not "a diet". It's our very life. And, "2. you're not technically starving," in my case, that's exactly what was happening. I'm a celiac. We are not absorbing nutrients from our food, so even though we may be eating huge amounts of food, we are "technically" starving. I was living on transfusions. I almost didn't survive childhood and many don't. I wasn't diagnosed and lived my life with so many horrid side effects of the disease including chronic bronchial asthma, severe anemia, weird female issues and pregnancies, teeth growing in with very thin enamel so they had pits in the surface and just snapped off, IBS, colitis, severe reflux, etc., etc., etc.
We didn't figure out what was wrong until I was 65. My health issues, because of celiacs, stunted my life. I did permanent physical damage that can never be repaired. With all that, I'm so thankful that we did, finally, figure it out. I'm now no longer spending 50% of my life in and out of hospitals.
We are not "going on a diet." We all have "eating disorders", some worse than others. For any of us to belittle another's journey or to assume ours is more important or harder than theirs is egotistical and self centered. We are all fighting our demons and, hopefully, striving for a healthier life. It's so much harder for some than for others but all are equally valid.
Be careful when you go on the attack, whether it is politics, religion, weight loss or weight gain. We all deserve respect and most of us don't purposely set out to offend. This is supposed to be a safe forum to get our feelings and struggles out there so they are not destructively eating at our souls.
I'm off for a camping weekend. I hope everyone has a great one.
View Diet Calendar, 11 September 2015:
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1360 kcal
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Fat: 68.27g | Prot: 66.93g | Carbs: 114.78g.
Breakfast: Egg, Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Truvia Calorie Free Sweetener, Coffee. Lunch: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Birds Eye California Blend, Chicken Thigh, Uncle Ben's Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice. Dinner: Birds Eye California Blend, Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Chicken Thigh, Uncle Ben's Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice. Snacks/Other: NOW Organic Acacia Fiber, Hard-Boiled Egg, Hard-Boiled Egg, Applesauce Unsweetened. more...
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