My friend has started going on about it for ages now,she thinks that im anorexic.

I dont think im that fat but I have a really fat face and my hips are really disgusting. I used to be thinner and i would like to go back to that. I do worry about putting on weight and not being as thin as I used to be but I thought that was normal for a teenager (im 16)

Surely I would know if I had anorexia coz I would think about all the calories I was eating,but I dont. I still eat chocolate and sweets.

When I have eaten a sandwich at college I feel so full,bloated and fat,but isnt that just like feeling full?

The other day she forced me to eat my whole sandwich, I found it hard to force myself,it took about half an hour,I felt ill after eating half of it and I thought I was going to be sick.

I do try to avoid eating sometimes,but I dont think, 'Im so fat im going to starve myself' I just feel sick when I think of eating sometimes and cant bring myself to do it. I eat when I feel hungry but a lot of the time I feel full and sick. Thats when I cant bring myself to eat anything.

Sorry about the long post!

Its normal to grow big hips as a teenager. And boobs. And thighs and butts. Just a part of puberty.



As for an ED? Its not my area of expertise.

Eating a whole sandwhich shouldn't make you feel fat and gross. And no, feeling full doesn't mean "fat". Sounds like by not eating enough you've shrunk your stomach. I mean taking that long to eat a sandwhich shows there is a problem there. I'm not going to say you definitly do or don't have an ED, but you could be well on your way there if you get grossed out eating half a sandwhich. You need to look at it as taking care of your body. Your body needs enough fuel/protein/vitamins/ect. in order to function properly. If you're not eating enough, you're not getting enough vitamins, and you're going to get malnutritioned. What's more important to you, being healthy, or being unhealthy and losing weight? I think your answer to that question shows if your attitude is healthy or not.

It definitely sounds as if you've got some issues with food that you should address before they get any worse. There's no need for you to go around and feel uncomfortable about food and the way that you look. Feeling insecure about the way you look may be a part of growing up for a lot of people (though it surely does not have to be that way), but it should not get to the point where it's something you're constantly anxious about it, or have it lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.

It's the kind of thing that should be nipped in the bud. Once your relationship with food can no longer be considered healthy, or your view on food is skewed, it can be very hard to get back to a more relaxed modus.



Take care of yourself

for a while try eating smaller meals more often. like if you get breaks between classes have half a sandwich, or a granola bar and a piece of fruit. make sure you eat a decent breakfast in the morning but it doesn't have be a huge meal, bowl of oatmeal and a glass of juice. then between classes a snack, and at lunch a small meal, like a small dish of leftovers or whatever. have a small snack when you get home and a normal sized dinner. within a few days you'll see that your appetite increases and you won't feel full as quickly and soon will be able to eat "normal" sized lunches.

plus a bonus: your friend won't bother you so much about eating small lunches if she sees you always eating something on your way to classes.



i agree i doubt it's a full-on ED but you definately need to work out your food issues, and yeah it's probably that you've shrunk your stomach and possibly have your body in starvation mode unintentionally which can cause you to not feel hungry



don't worry about weight gain, if what you're eating is healthy and you're eating enough and are active you should get to your normal healthy weight and stay there, right now you're going to fluctuate because you're still growing and hormones are changing etc. by the time you're 20 your hormones will be balanced out and your weight will stay pretty stable if you continue to eat healthy and stay active.



and anyway if you starve yourself, even unintentionally, your body will hold onto all the fat you eat and will actually make you gain weight at first, so don't think that by eating less you'll lose your hips and thighs

A common misconception is that somebody has to be anorexic, bulimic, or a compulsive overeater to have an eating disorder. This is not true; that's like saying that you'd have to be flinching if you had a severe headache - it's common, but you can control your outward symptoms. From the way that you place an emphasis on weight, my love, I would suggest that you consider seeing somebody to help. I don't know whether you're in high school, college, or have graduated; if you're in high school, I suggest talking to your parents about you seeing a psychologist - before a psychiatrist, because the latter deals more in brain chemistry than emotional composition. If you're in college, I'd go to the health center and talk to a psychologist; or, if you're an adult, book an appointment on your own. I think it's really good that you came to us to talk about it. And your friend sounds like she really cares about you, but just remember - NEVER let anyone force you to do anything, even if it's just eating a sandwich. An eating disorder is a disease which can have symptoms such as starving, purging, and binging; but the reason somebody has the disease is because they are unhealthy - they have some unhealthy emotions that they don't exactly know how to express. That's where friends and psychologists come in.



ALWAYS feel free to e-mail me, and give your friend my e-mail too if she has any questions!



*hugs* I promise that things will improve if you try to love yourself.

you are a wonderful person, CoS...

*blushes* Aww thanks! I just <3 all of you guys too much and I hate to see people suffer!

Wow,thanks everyone