"You're an eating disorder waiting to happen"

[McDreidel09]

So, I posted on facebook that I felt I wasn't losing weight fast enough. I had that moment of insecurity and felt the need to talk about that.

Someone said "You're an eating disorder waiting to happen."

Just because I express a moment of insecurity, doesn't mean I am going to starve myself, binge and purge, laxatives, etc.

Yes, I am pretty angry that after being raped, I allowed myself to gain 50 pounds. I am doing something to lose the weight. I'm eating less junk and consuming more fruits and veggies, drinking water and milk, and taking long ways to my classes. Like any person who has been trying to lose weight, sometimes it feels like it isn't going as fast as it should with all the work you are doing. I know it takes time, but that's just how it feels.

I am not trying to set an ungodly weight goal for myself. My Junior year of high school, I was at my lowest weight (teen years) at 140. I just want to lose the 50 pounds I gained and go back to that 140. At that weight, I felt great about myself and felt confident and less self conscious.

I do not want to go back to having an eating disorder. I was anorexic at one point, but a friend helped me see how stupid I was and my grades were slipping because I couldn't focus on the lesson. I was so consumed by how much weight I was losing and the hunger I felt. I am not going to allow myself to do that again.

So when someone says during that moment of insecurity that I'm an eating disorder waiting to happen, it hurts.

[blas87]

People are fucking idiots, plain and simple.

I posted on FB a couple weeks ago about being sick, and one of my idiot acquaintanes responded "Sounds like someone is pregnant!"

I flipped. My MOTHER is on Facebook, you ignorant piece of trash, how could you joke about something like that and think it'd be funny?!

You take your time, Goddess. It's more important to be at a HEALTHY weight than to look perfect. You and your doctor can find an ideal weight for your body type and your height, and just focus on that. Be the best you that you can be.

[violetyoshi]

Blas87, you should check this topic out:

http://www.fratching.com/showthread.php?t=1734

It's about people who ignorantly assume others are pregnant.

[Cat]

Dang, just when I said I wasn't gonna post at work anymore.....

I effin HATE people who just do not think before saying something, esp if they know the person either had an ED or insecurity and just blurt the dumbest thing they could say.

Just this past weekend I went to dinner with friends....one of them said, "You're wasting away, don't lose any more weight." The other told me to "go eat a buritto."

I had eating issues through college and afterward...I have gotten control and am very healthy (so sayeth my doc) and I feel good.

McD....ignore the idiot(s) who said such foolish words....you will achieve your goal at your own pace, and I understand that sometimes it doesn't feel as if things are going as fast as you want them too. *hugs*

[McDreidel09]

This morning made me feel a heck of a lot better. Here's what went down:

I realized that I didn't have enough pants to get through til Thursday (my laundry day), so I figured why not give that pair of pants that were too tight on me when I got here a try.

So, I put them on, buttoned, and zipped them.

They FIT!!!

The pants I have been wearing were size 14/15. They started getting big on me. The pants I tried on this morning: size 12.

I'm getting there!

[Crescent Cat]

What annoys me most about people throwing ED comments around like that is that they don't seem to realize how serious of a problem it is.

It's more than shallow teenage girls fretting about being skinny.* It consumes your life. It's all you think about from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed. You don't even realize or care about how it's affecting your friends, job, school and life. It has the ability to completely destroy your life - assuming it doesn't kill you first.

The appeal of anorexia nervosa is not the weight loss but the feeling of control. You are in complete control of what you eat. It may not seem like much, but it's very empowering. It makes you feel like part of the elite, especially in a society that struggles with obesity. Losing weight makes you feel powerful and in charge.

I've had brushes with anorexia nervosa and purging disorder (like bulimia but without the binging). It really sucks, seriously. What's even more frustrating is that even though I'm more or less recovered, I miss the feeling I had when I was anorexic. I don't want to go back because I want to be healthy, enjoy life and do well in school but at the same time I really do because I want that feeling of power and control back. I was never more disciplined than when I was actively anorexic and that really bothers me.

Pardon my French, but fuck eating disorders. Seriously. Fuck. Them.

I apologize for the tangent. Just had to get that off my chest.

Anyway, as stated above, people are idiots. Just because one has a moment of insecurity or is frustrated doesn't mean he or she is at risk for engaging in self-destructive behavior. Likewise, just because someone is skinny doesn't mean he or she has an ED. I've always been pretty thin and comments such as -

"You're so skinny!"
"Do you just NEVER eat!?"
"Are you anorexic?"

- are really, really annoying. I don't know how much merit my frustration for those comments hold seeing as I was anorexic at one point or another, but I know plenty of women my age that are just naturally skinny and love to eat and have to put up with those comments as well. Now I'm going to be honest, ED or not, I'm thankful that I've always been on the thin side and I'm assuming the same is true for my friends, but that doesn't make the comments any less annoying.

Yes, we eat. If we didn't, we'd be in the hospital or dead, now wouldn't we? And quite frankly, no one appreciates the tone of disgust that is used when people comment on how thin we are. I understand and appreciate the frustration that comes from people trying to lose weight but hating those that are thin doesn't do anyone any good.

Same goes for those who are overweight but trying to get in shape. I commend you for doing so. You're taking responsibility for your health and doing so in a smart, safe way. So what if you're frustrated that the weight's not coming off as quickly as you like? You're frustrated because you're human. Everyone gets angry and that's okay.

So you know what? Screw those idiots. Screw anyone who makes an ignorant comment like that. They don't know you and they don't know what they're talking about. So let them be presumptuous douche-bags. When all is said and done you'll be at your target weight and they'll still be miserable.

PS: Congrats on fitting into those size 12 jeans! Keep up the great work!

* Yes, I'm aware that there are a good percentage of ED sufferers who are middle aged and there are men with EDs as well, but the common misconception is that it only (or mostly) affects teenage girls.

[gremcint]

Just reply back that they are a black eye waiting to happen.