Welcome to chapter One of Ednos, Ana, Binge, or Mia... The choice is yours...

[ladylar87]

Here is why I believe Orthorexia depending on the individual is just the beginning of an ED.http://www.casapalmera.com/articles/orthorexia-nervosa/. The symptoms and the risks are not harmful to your body but are simular to minor ones we at first experience with Mia, EDNOS and Ana all especially. Some of you may remember some of these signs from the early days of your ED. Check it out and let me know what u think please... Enjoy your weekend. Its a long one in Canada. Labour day coming...

[ladylar87]

I'll add that this could be prolly one of the factors that threw me into ED mode. To hit some personal goals, I went on a strict diet that I still hold myself too. I would spend a bit of time doing research, discussing it with body builder friends, giving ppl advice as they look up to me (I dunno why I feel like a constant failure) and ensuring I only eat proteins, fruits and veggies. But it's definitly not the only factor that made me go through my bp spells. Depression too. Prolly overtraining at times. And just being tired as well as hungover often. Bp takes away mad hang overs... Still no more excuses... lol.

[domenique]

I've been diagnosed with EDNOS. Upon an attempt to recover I have developed the majority of the characteristics described. Although many of those characteristics lead me to EDNOS, I've found that I'm more obsessed with' eating right' now, as before I was more focused on eating nothing.

[Matthewww]

I'll add that this could be prolly one of the factors that threw me into ED mode. To hit some personal goals, I went on a strict diet that I still hold myself too. I would spend a bit of time doing research, discussing it with body builder friends, giving ppl advice as they look up to me (I dunno why I feel like a constant failure) and ensuring I only eat proteins, fruits and veggies. But it's definitly not the only factor that made me go through my bp spells. Depression too. Prolly overtraining at times. And just being tired as well as hungover often. Bp takes away mad hang overs... Still no more excuses... lol.

This is exactly the same thing that happened to me. Minus the hangover stuff. Lol
I believe that Orthorexia was probably my 'gateway' eating disorder.
And what's worse, is I hear all these people in the supermarkets comparing their eating habits with others and saying things that start with "did you know..." and ending with "and that's why I don't eat_____"
These people are digging their own graves and they don't even know it.

[ladylar87]

That is so true, Mathewww. I never actually thought of it before. I mean really thought of it. But lately it seems that the vast majority of society is focussing highly on keeping up with today's latest dieting fads. Even ppl who arent really commited to losing weight (and certainly not those that depend on maintaining weight to keep their job haha meaning me). It really does all start with regular potatoes versus sweet potatoes (less starch) stevia vs. splenda lol. I think what happens for some ppl with ED's is u start off following trends in hopes of losing, maintaining weight, or just having a healthier lifestyle. Then u fall in the dangerous trap of dieting where u get greedy and want more and more results. Then the plateau happens. Then you go to even more drastic measures to accomplish ure goal. It really sux. I'm in the "Are u ok" era presently. Ppl wont stop asking me if Im ok lol. I dnt act any different so I dont get why. And I dont look sick and I pride myself on how well I hide my playdtes with Mia and my excuses to plat hooky with Ana. I'll close with I truly believe ED is just about as much of an addiction as real drugs and alcohol is with some ppl.

[ladylar87]

O and the scale is my worst enemy. I found out today that u should only weigh ureself once every two days at the very most. If you do it more than that u are setting ureself up to fail. As its normal to gain two pounds in one day if u happen to drink a lot of water or something. I think part of my problem right now with my struggle with Mia is that I'm trying to maintain that number on the scale. Instead I should have a goal that I need to get to and a plan. A plan that revolves around more than that number. I trin so I can plan more interesting routines where I aim to try a different class or increase weights that I lift...

[liveforyourself]

I agree 100%, it's definately what sparked off my ED.

[Ice Queen]

I agree it can definitely be the "gateway disorder." it didn't happen to me personally (I dove right into anorexic behaviors...woohoo.) but rather the opposite. When I was trying to be healthier but not necessarily recover, my behaviors were still very obsessive and I leaned more towards orthorexia. I wasn't recovering but I was improving. I found it much more comfortable.

It may be the disorder that leads to anorexia and bulimia for many people, but I think it could potentially help a person "ease out" of them too. Going straight from anorexia into recovery is terrifying. Telling someone obsessed with weight and calories that they can no longer count calories or weigh themselves is often way too much for them to handle. For some people it might work better to just try to focus on health rather than weight loss and calories...transitioning from one obsession to another. Eating more but still getting to be obsessive...baby steps, you know? If their anorexia morphs into orthorexia, it might be easier to recover entirely from that point. And even if they don't pursue recovery from there, living with orthorexia is still healthier than living with anorexia. For some people, that might be as good as it gets. *just my personal opinion*

[insight]

I pretty much totally agree with Ice Queen.

I have EDNOS, but mine didn't start with orthorexic behaviours, I do see how that can spiral into becoming an ED, though.

[Lichen]

It may be the disorder that leads to anorexia and bulimia for many people, but I think it could potentially help a person "ease out" of them too.

A thousand times yes! Sometimes we are too quick to label transitional eating habits as pathologies. I was horrified during my time on a PHP our snack time included food like Cheez Its (though it was not a residential eating disorders facility), then reading Thin by Lauren Greenfield and seeing exposure therapy, the girls forced to eat Pop Tarts. What's the nutritional value of cheap carbs and sugar, preservatives, additives, colorings, etc? We're unlucky that compared to the rest of Western society, eating normally is not the same as eating healthy. How is it any different than old high calorie refeeding programs setting girls up for immediate relapse? Processed food isn't food anymore. Better to cook with real butter than eat a cupcake with white flour refined of its minerals and white sugar bleached with animal bone ash.

Then again, it's not as if a lot of people with eating disorders don't already put too much trust in artificial sweetener and other low cal chemicals. But if coloring and other ingredients contribute to ADD/ADHD and allergies, and deficiencies especially of B vitamins cause cognitive impairment, is it wrong to recover with the thought that making the right choices, not just regaining the ability to eat, is important?