Guilty eating (altered)?

Question

I find i'm becoming a more increasingly guilty eater. Is that normal? Yesterday I had 2 pieces of toast and a bagel then burned off 1000 calories throughout the day.


I mean, I'm trying to lose 20 lbs...but I really don't find I'm that hungry now, and when I do eat, I feel really guilty about it. But it's weird, everyone keeps telling me I'm not fat, but I've got this image in my head and its so different from the image I see. I see someone who's inshape, but in my mind, i see this enormous girl.

Last night I had a bagel because I missed supper, and I felt like I was gonna cry so I stayed up till 2 am working it off and more (hence the 1000 calories burned in cardio).

I don't have an eating disorder, not only do I have more control then that, but I'm a healthy weight (145) and I'm active (hockey 6 times a week).

Is it normal to feel that guilty about eating?

I'm 5'4, 5'5 at tallest

i don't drink pop, i don't eat high sugar foods, i was eating 3 healthy meals a day and it didn't do a thing

Answer 1

Your bmi is a good indicator of your healthy weight (you didn't say your height, so 145 lbs tells us nothing).
Women in general tend to obsess about food. I am almost underweight, but still tend to feel guilty if I eat more than I feel is good for me, especially junk.
Don't fall into the trap of worrying about worrying!

Answer 2

YOU DO HAVE AN EATING DISORDER. You need to take what you have written here and show it to a doctor: they will tell you the same thing. Your symptoms are absolutely classic and the fact that you can't recognise what they are only indicates further that you have a disorder. Your symptoms will escalate at some point if not treated. If you don't believe me then you will have no problem taking your un-edited question and showing it to a qualified health professional, and your parents.

You are obsessing about food; make no mistake about this. What you have written - the fact that you have written at all - is NOT normal.

You feel guilty about eating when you are in fact only eating very, very little and doing a large amount of exercise. Feeling guilty to the point of tears when you have had only a bagel for supper is a major sign you have anorexia. Extreme exercising to compensate is also a major, classic sign. Ask yourself: if it's not anorexia what is it? Your ideas about food intake and exercise are SEVERELY distorted, as is your own body image. You say you are a healthy weight but you are aiming to lose 20lbs: this an admission that you want to be less than a healthy weight, i.e. light and skinny. Just because you are not skinny does not mean you do not have an eating disorder.

Your comment about control is very interesting. Anorexia is about control, even more so than being thin. An anorexic person thinks they are in control: they actually pride themselves on it. Controlling food intake, exercise and ultimately weight is what anorexia is all about. The fact that you seem to almost look down on those whom you think don't have control is another sign of an anorexic personality. I think if you truly look inside yourself you will find that you are actually out of control, hence the question that you have written here. You are COMPELLED to exercise through the night when it is absolutely irrational. That is because you are being controlled by a disease.

Playing hockey six times a week does not mean you do not have an eating disorder. Hockey six times a week on it's own is quite a lot of exercise. Feeling compelled to exercise more than this, to excessive amounts, is NOT rational or balanced.

It is normal, when one has eaten so much they feel very full, or when one has eaten a lot of calories (I mean MORE than the daily recommended amount, which is 2000 for females) to feel a bit 'guilty' and regretful. However it is NOT normal for this feeling to be so strong it makes you tearful; NOT normal to dwell on it for more than a few minutes; and definitely NOT normal to exercise through the night when your body should be resting and repairing itself.

I hope your confessions here today are a cry for help and I hope you will reach out to your loved ones and to the medical profession sooner rather than later.

If you find this letter annoying, hurtful or painful to read, take it as a sign that it is true.

All the best x

Just saw your 360 pics and you are beautiful looking as you are.

Answer 3

Most people with eating disorders deny that they have them - plus, they usually start from little habits that you begin. That doesn't mean you have one, regardless. When you're dieting or trying to lose weight, not eating is the sure fire way to keep the weight on. It's common knowledge that the body will store fat if it is not receiving any fat to burn, thus causing weight gain or stability. If you want to lose weight, try having three meals a day, with small (healthy) snacks in between. Every woman goes through a phase of insecurity at least once in their life, this may be yours. Once you realize you are fine the way you are, you'll get over it - not to mention you'll take the pressure off yourself to lose the weight, which will make it easier. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Aw, man.

I'm sorry you are feeling like that. If you honestly feel you have to work that hard..

145 pounds is not a lot. How tall are you? I'm sure you are in a very healthy weight stage.

This could be the start of an eating disorder. I've known people who started like this and just progressively got worse and now have to seek professional help.

Perhaps try going to a counselor about this? It can only do good.

Answer 5

I think your brain is trying to trick you into eating more high glycemic foods (ones that turn into glucose faster) by making you feel you are the wrong shape or feel guilty about what you eat. This just may be because you are burning off more glucose than you are making or it could be because you are inadvertently producing more insulin than is necessary. Check your meals and make sure you are getting about 4-5 ounces of protein at breakfast lunch and dinner, and about 2-3 ounces of protein before you play hockey and maybe 1-2 within an hour after the game/session is over. If your blood sugars are balanced, your mind won't have to play anxiety/guilt trips with you to get the sugar/glucose it needs to function optimally.

Answer 6

That sounds a lot like an eating disorder to me. That you have an image of what you look like that doesn't match what you actually look like is so very common with anorexics. And your behavior, eating very little and over compensating for what you ate. At the very least these are unhealthy things. If you can't overcome these issues, you should probably get some help before you cause damage or get out of control.

Answer 7

Honestly , your best bet is just keep active and drink water. I play hockey myself and that is one of the best workouts that I do, and no you shouldn't feel guility about eating.. Just about what kinda of stuff you eat, If you really want to lose weight drink water which helps metabolism and stay away from pop, which is probably one of biggest thing of weight gain. Other then that as long as your active it doesn't matter what you eat you should lose weight , especially playing hockey, it just takes awhile to notice.. The worst thing you can do is focus on it because if you do , then no matter what weight gain goal you set and achieve it will never be enough , as far as im concerned your fine as is

Answer 8

I consider you should talk with a physiologist that specializes in diet and eating disorders. Even though you feel as though you do not have an eating disorder, I feel that if this pattern on guilt continues you may be developing one. So nip it in the but before it gets worse.

Answer 9

JUST LEARN THIS:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Answer 10

ok #1 love u r going to put your self in a hole.. you will over owrk your self in to a sick ness it is good to work out but do not i repeat do not over do it like u did last night...eat normaly a ggod meal...meat patotos.....work out once or twice a day...but not till 2 am...please do not work your self in to a hole...i dont want you to hurt your self....n my dr did tell me the best work out is walking...yes that is wright walking in 2 months time i lost that 20 pounds u r tring to get off just by walking my kids to the bus stop not driving them...n i also like to be up on my feet at work always doing some thing it helps to...but dont kill your self over missing dinner if u miss it go back n eat not just some bagel but what u want....sweets r ok at times as well it's not going to kill you to do it the right way but it will if you do it the wrong way..rember what i said..

sonja k