can you be anorexic and still eat a healthy amount of calories?

Question

some of my neighbors have hinted that i might have a problem. i am 5'8" and 133 pounds. i am only losing a couple more pounds so that i can fluctuate. i know what weight would be unhealthy for me to go down to. i eat 1400 calories on my diet, so i don't feel anorexic, but i admit i'm still not happy when i look in the mirror and i want to lose more. can you be considered anorexic if you eat 1400 calories a day, just because you are losing more weight?

thanks for the answers so far. i know i don't have a problem right now, just sometimes thoughts i have worry me- never about not eating- i can't stand feeling hungry, so that'll never be an issue. i was fat last year and have a liitle extra skin- not much, but just a tiny bit (like it's loose)that makes me feel like it's fat

ok- not fat, but i was 50 pounds overweight. most people that saw me said i needed to lose only 15, but i'm tall so i carried it well. right now, my bmi is healthy and would not be underweight unless i dipped below 125.

Answer 1

1400 calories may be enough, and you don't sound underweight. How old are you? How active are you? If you are a teenager and very active, you may need more.

But you seem to be concerned a little, so why don't you talk to a health professional. If you are a student, talk to a school counselor about access to a school nurse or someone knowledgable about nutrition; or see a doctor. It is important that you not allow unreasonable expectations about your body to make you feel bad about yourself or to hurt your health.

Answer 2

It sounds like you are in the beginning stages of being anorexic. Being anorexic is also about your body image. If you are skinny as a stick and still want to lose weight then that is a problem. You are taking in 1400 calories a day now which is really good, but with the way you are thinking you are gonna end up dropping that number to 1200 then 1000 then 900, and thats not healthy at all.
You should stay with 1400 a day, PLZ don't start to go below that #. You really should talk to a DR.
You might just have a high metabolism and thats why you are losing weight, or you might just be really active, so the losing weight part isn't the bad thing here, it is how you perceive the way you look, and the fact that you want to lose more weight when it sounds like you probably don't have much, if any, body fat to lose.

Answer 3

No, to be considered anorexic, one of the major criteria is that you are 20% below average weight for your age and height. However, it does sound that you could have EDNOS, which is Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. You have thoughts that could be considered "anorexic" thoughts. Such as feeling fat, even though you clearly are not, obsessive thoughts of your weight and counting calories. My advice would be to get some help asap before it gets worse. I have suffered from anorexia and it is a horrible path to go down. It starts with a few pounds, then a few more...It's not a path I would wish upon anyone. The one thing people don't understand (unless you have been through it) is that you either try and recover and hold a steady weight or you get so sick you die. When I was really sick, I would have rather died than gain weight or be "fat". And you know what, I am a normal weight right now, but I still have those thoughts. It's something that I will never be fully recovered from. Please get help before it's too late.

Answer 4

Dear Autumn C
First of all I feel that you dont need to lose any more weight for any reason whatsoever. Please try to understand that losing more weight might make your body weak and hence susceptible to diseases. Your body will no longer be strong enough to fight those diseases.
When you look yourself in the mirror and you feel that you need to lose more weight -- then instead of working towards losing more weight, go to the market and shop for clothes which according to you will make you look thinner.
1400 Cal diet is definetely far less that what you should be having -- being a dietician i advise you to increase your calories to a minimum 2000 Cals.
Just remember sweetheart that whats the point of losing this weight if you also lose your health in the process. Dont lose any more weight -- and even if you put on some dont bother -- you are already less than what you should be having.

Answer 5

What with the images on television/movies and mags being pushed on us every day it's no wonder most of us don't like the way we look. Plan out a healthy diet based on your age and bone frame plus your activity level. Stick to it no matter what. The amount of weight fluctuation you have given yourself is not enough. You should allow yourself a gain of four pounds without being concerned. Water weight gain can be that much. Some people panic when they see one pound. You do seem to be to preoccupied with your weight. It could be why your friends think you have anorexia. Find something to occupy your time other than how you look in the mirror. Set a goal of only looking once a day and only weighing once or twice weekly.

Answer 6

your BMI says you're at a healthy weight.. so maintain it!!DONT lose more pounds just strenght train yourself and tone up .. you'll lose every bit of fat in your body!!:D and also you will look, feel great. just dont lift heavy weights...
eat every 3 hrs
7:00 BF 400 cals
10:00 snack 200 cals
1:00 lunch 400 cals
4:00 snack 200 cals
7:00 dinner 400 cals
treat: 100 cals ( 2 kit kat sticks OR 2 hersheys kisses)

if u found that with ONLY the diet you lost weight increase the caloric intake a bit.. watch yourself carefully.. if u gain a little bit .. cut back 100 calories from ur diet ( make snacks 150 cals only) and exercise !

PEACE!!:D

Answer 7

Anorexics don't consume that many calories a day, the amount your are taking in for your height and weight would
show up in about a 1-2 lb weight loss per week.

Just be careful not to cut back too much, sounds to me that you are at a healthy weight with some room to gain some.

Ask the advice of your family doctor, they have the best advice on what is a healthy weight for you.

God Bless..

Answer 8

If you get obsessed with how you look, and that motivates you to lose weight, you may be anorexic. You have to focus on being healthy, and not on looks. Exercise is important, but don't overdo it. People can live very long and healthy lives, consuming fewer calories than most people do. But, one has to get a lot of nutrients, and enough protein. Don't overdo it, or make how you look, the focus of your life. If you feel like you are obsessed in this area, you might have to see a specialist in eating disorders.

Answer 9

Sweetheart, you are not eating a healthy number of calories. If you're looking in the mirror at not happy with your current weight, then perhaps you should talk with your doctor. You don't say what age you are, but 1500 calories is the minimum that would would be healthy, even on most weight loss programs. You may be bordering on a body dysmorphic disorder. I know lots of people will say you're fine, but it's not your weight that concerns me as much as your attitude towards it.

Answer 10

Anorexia affects a persons image of themselves. so if you "see" yourself as a person than needs to loose weight when everyone else tells you that you are find, then there is a posibility that you might develop anorexia. i would consult a doctor. if you address it early on, it is easier to deal with than later when its taken full control of you. you are eating 1400 calories a day but how much are you exercising? there is a type of anorexia where the person eats healthy but spends too much time working out. that is also not good. see a doctor, be honest and good luck.