(nicolefromltown) wrote in proanorexia, @ 2007-05-10 12:20:00 Original Post with Comments It's long but please read it. This is my first post although I've been watching the community for some time. I personally do not have an eating disorder, (not a diagnosable one anyway) but I am constantly thinking about the irony of eating disorders in societies as wealthy as ours. Where no one should starve, millions do. And they do it for their religion: Beauty. The westernized ideal of beaty. Our gods are inhuman, the way they deny sustanance. To be petite and graceful, smaller than the boys, the envy of the girls, to get to the purest aspect of the physical body- the bones, is our goal. I want to share with you a few things I've learned over the years as an Eating Disorder obssessist. 1. This is hard on your body and if you insist on doing it, there are many things to keep in mind. vitamins water calcium And I know the name of our devil, and I'll dare to speak it aloud: "Calories" But you're a human. Your body is a machine and to keep that machine running, it needs calories. It's easy to get lost in the support of groups like this and forget that the average person eats well over 2000 calories per day. I work in a resturant and I'm horrified at the amount of food people can cram into their bodies during one sitting. This is not glamorous, nor is it healthy. Which brings me to my next point: 2. What to eat when you have to (and yes, you do have to) The obvious BFFs of the typical Anorectic or restricter are black coffee, diet coke, and lemon water. Now I hardly believe this myself but I read in Psychology Today a few years back about a test preformed on rats. 3 groups obviously 1 control 1 was given sugar water 1 was given calorie-free sweetened water The result was that the last group of rats gained more weight. The only thing the researchers could think of was that the brain was overcompensating for being tricked. So just watch your diet soda intake as it might increase your cravings for food. Let's look back to the thinnest people in history and if not the thinnest, the people who never, ever, ever, ever had obesity problems. The Amish (have you ever seen a fat amish?) and those who live simply like nuns and what not. I think the problem is that we have become so desensitied to sugar and flavor in general that we require all of these super tasting foods to appease us. Imagine how much weight the average person would lose if they cut out: salts dressings sugary drinks sweets (the occasional bit of candy is fine. I'm talking little debbie crap) condements (mayo, ketchup, etc) butter Ok, of course you need some of these things for cooking but I've seen people drink more dressing on their salad than the leaves in the bowl. Learn to like egg white omlettes with broccoli, unsweetened tea, black coffee, plain toast, plain oatmeal (good fiber), and all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Not only will you maintain a very thin frame, eventually, your urges to binge on these horrible foods will diminish completely and you'll understand just how sweet carrot sticks are and how good a single washed grape feels rolling around on your tongue. 3. Diet Pills, Laxatives, and other "weight loss" supplements: Avoid these. There is no need. I've taken diet pills and realized that they simply made me more concious about food and want to eat more even if I didn't feel that hungry. They'll just take a major toll on your body, they're expensive, and unnecessary. Trust me, if you do this drug free, you'll be even more proud of yourself. 4. Portions: Jesus, please, at the steakhouse I work at people happily finish off 20 oz prime ribs, only cutting off some of the fat. No, no, no. The average adult should have the KIDS PORTION at resturants. If you eat out, order off the kids or senior menu. Most places will let you get away with it. If not, order a half order of something. Tip well though as they're much cheaper and your waiter might be mad. If the people you're with ask just say, "I don't want to waste any food. I can always order dessert." lol like you're going to. Just don't overeat. Your stomach will soon get used to smaller amounts of food and your body will too. This is a much better alternative than starving. 5. You and Food: Don't make enemies with food. That's not the most successful way to lose weight because eventually, you will eat. Eventually, you will give in and you might binge or you might just have a little of something you "hate" and you'll end up feeling so ashamed and guilty, only reinforcing your negative body image. Here's the plan, make enemies with modern food. Be friends with natural food! This is the sustanence that our earth gives us to eat. The earth is a lovely thing and she does not want us to be fat. She wants us to obtain energy from her soil and from her animals. So feel free to be friends with mother earth and feel free to eat the most natural, beautiful things because they will never make you fat. They contain such a low amount of calories and sugars compared to the foods we eat but after just a few days of eating them, you'll realize just how good they taste. Have you ever seen a fat vegan? Check out some vegan recepies! Trust me. So new friends, I hope you take my advice because it will not only help you drop those pounds, it will help you regain your sanity and happiness(which many of you have seem to lost) and you can admit your pleasure of food and still lose mad weight. I want to suggest some literature that I have read on the subject. If you enjoy books and you find eating disorders all around you, you will love these ones. Most of them you can skip the endings because they're just these sob stories about how "I'm better now and I thank god every day" blah blah bullshit none of us want to hear. The most classic Eating Disorder book of them all : The Golden Cage: The Enigma of Anorexia Nervosa Stick Figure by Lori Gottlieb Wasted (this girl is kind of stuck up and annoying but you can learn a lot if you can bear her) And my all time favorite: The Best Little Girl in The World Good luck!