Am I Anorexic? What do I do about it?

[Anonymous]

When I was 18 I moved to college. I weighed 117 lbs on my first day of school. I was really excited to go to school and workout at the free on-campus gym. I didn't want to lose weight, but I wanted to get in shape. I was 5'5 so my weight wasn't anywhere near overweight, but I was 30% body fat so I wasn't exactly healthy, either.

All that year I worked out and when I left to return home at the end of freshman year I was 110 and 25% body fat.

Except now, at 110 I thought I could be better. 22% body fat is the "ideal" percentage for women, after all.

So the next year I entered college at 110 lbs and worked out all year and when I left in the spring I was 107 and 18% body fat.

I remember being really excited at my progress. I didn't care that 107 and 20% technically made me underweight. I thought I looked good.

This behavior has continued and as I have gotten lighter it has been harder and harder to lose weight.

Over the summer I got to 102.9 lbs and I loved how I looked. For the first time in my life I was genuinely happy with my figure. And then I went back to school and gained it back real fast even though I was working out and eating right.

Fast forward to now. The Fall of my senior year. I am 21 and I got myself down to 102.5 and 17% body fat and even though that was my goal weight all along... I feel fat again. Now my goal is 100 lbs.

Part of me is screaming inside that I don't need to lose weight. It won't help me. It's getting dangerously low for my height. If I just lose weight and nothing else I won't look fit I'll still look the same but weigh less. To look fit you need to build muscle and that involves gaining weight. I know that.

But it's like I can't control it. I'm on autopilot to get thin.

My friends all tell me I'm thin. My boyfriend has started, since last summer, to talk to me about my weight. I know he's concerned. He asks i

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he asks if I am eating enough and encourages me to skip workouts.

But that makes me feel terrible and bloated.

I'm of two minds. Part of me knows I'm unhealthy and part of me is on autopilot. Part of me tries to stop this downward spiral but part of me is like full speed ahead.

I don't know what to do anymore.

Am I anorexic? And what can I do about it?

I've tried to logic myself into eating and I just can't seem to get hold of myself.

[Anonymous]

You're going down a slippy road my sweet. I have worked in Eating Disorders and woul advise you to speak to your college counseling team or college family practitioner. Signs of worry would include physical and mental changes such as 1. a loss of your period, feeling cold all the time, feeling lethargic all the time, chest pains on exercising, to name a few. Mental changes include increased irritability with those around you, feeling low, losing interest in social activities you once loved, body dissatisfaction, feelng fat all the time, a critical voice in your head making you feel guilty and in extreme cases suicidal.
I would stress the importance of meeting with a health professional even if none of the above is of concern for you. Hope this helps.

[Asker]

I'm cold all the time.

[Opinion Owner]

Please go to a health professional. This is a dangerous sign as you could become hypothermic and see your body go into shock. Please arrange an appointment as soon as possible.

[Opinion Owner]

by the way tee bloated feeling is because you have not been eating as much... this too is a sign...

[AzureGirl]

It sounds like it if you're obsessing over your body weight and you're that low :/ do you eat? (By the way your question cut off so if you wanted to finish it add an update!)

[Asker]

I do eat. But I know it's not enough, logically. But I still can't make myself eat more. My stomach is used to eating about 700 calories a day. :/ it's an issue, I think. But again, the part of me that knows it's a problem isn't as strong as the part of me that wants to continue doing it.

[AzureGirl]

For your size you may want to try eating more calories, but start small and gradually work your way up, and try lessening your exercising. So it's still there but it's not as much. See how that helps.

[Gunit247]

if u wanna lose weight then do it and don't let anyone else stop u. especially don't let ur buyfriend try to make fatter by trying to make u eat more and skip workouts. the more he tries to make u eat and skip workouts the less u should eat and more u should work out. i know u deff look so much better since losing the weight, but i think 102.5 is still too much for ur height. u deff will look so much better if u get even skinnier like closer to 90, 80, or even less if possible. great weight loss progress so far, though hope to see u lose much more!

[MarkTwain]

No matter what you need to eat properly, if not your body steals the nourishment out of your bones. Us ballet dancers have the same problem with nourishing our bodies, but it can be managed. A lot of my dance partners are around the same weight and height as you. At 5'5" and 100 lbs 17% body fat; does not seem anorexic to me. I have 13-10% body fat, weigh 170 lbs, am 6'2" and I still need to lose a little weight myself. I would say post a pic so we can see of you are missing muscle, but I think you are fine

[Asker]

Female abody fat is different

[Zendrya]

I think you should go see a doctor. This isn't healthy or normal.

[MissIndependent111]

Yes you are Anorexic. You need to start eating properly.