Eating Disorder or Diet?

When I first started my weight loss journey, I was excited to change my life.  I was ready to do just about anything. I contacted a coach, decided to do Keto and worked out every day.  Sounds great, right?  My mindset changed into conquering this task.  My body changed drastically in a short time. People noticed, I noticed and I was pleased.

But after 4 months, my health became affected.  I started losing my hair. My hairdresser noticed it.  My hair has always been my crown, my beauty.  According to my Doctor’s scale, I was obesed, but healthy.  She could not figure it out.  She decided it was my diet!  Devastating!  I talked to my coach who suggested a low carb diet. I was still working out every day consistently.  I ate this diet for 10 months, but craved bread and fruit.  Things that were frowned upon if you are following your macros, calories, carbs, etc.

After I had enough of that, I decided to follow Weight Watchers.  I joined and love it.  I could eat all kinds of stuff, but still had to watch my points.  I ate a lot of sugar-free foods and fruits so I could eat more stuff. I figured out how to manipulate my mindset into believing this was the way to get healthy. I still worked out consistently every day.

I never would describe what I was doing as an eating disorder, just getting healthy.  But my body was telling a different story.  My mind would fight with itself, going back and forth about giving up, continuing or becoming extreme. The line is so thin between only dieting and having an eating disorder. I’ve been there several times.  But here are the facts:

Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions and your ability to function in important areas of life.

Be alert for eating patterns and beliefs that may signal unhealthy behavior, as well as peer pressure that may trigger eating disorders. Red flags that may indicate an eating disorder include:

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  Skipping meals or making excuses for not eating
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  Adopting an overly restrictive vegetarian diet
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  Excessive focus on healthy eating
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  Making own meals rather than eating what the family eats
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  Withdrawing from normal social activities
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  Persistent worry or complaining about being fat and talk of losing weight
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  Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
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  Repeatedly eating large amounts of sweets or high-fat foods
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  Use of dietary supplements, laxatives or herbal products for weight loss
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  Excessive exercise
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  Calluses on the knuckles from inducing vomiting
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  Problems with loss of tooth enamel that may be a sign of repeated vomiting
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  Leaving during meals to use the toilet
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  Eating much more food in a meal or snack than is considered normal
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  Expressing depression, disgust, shame or guilt about eating habits
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  Eating in secret

(Mayo Clinic.org, February 18, 2018)

I can honestly say,  I have experienced 12 items from this list of symptoms of an eating disorder.  Just when you think you are doing the right thing in your life by making it better, you find out you’re making it worse.  It was time for a change.

My coach started Diet Recovery.  He had been doing it himself for a year.  He stopped dieting and working out excessively.  He eats whatever he wants, when he wants and what he wants.  He did gain a little weight back, but lost more due to not having any cravings anymore.  He only eats when he is hungry and is back to his ideal weight.  He doesn’t have to worry about overeating at parties, he can go out and eat whatever he wants, he can attend functions and live freely without restrictions because of Diet Recovery.  I wanted that, too.

I started Diet Recovery about 6 months ago.  Diet Recovery is hard for me, honestly.  It sounds easy, but after being on so many diets and doing so many workouts, my mindset is making it harder for me to adjust.  I have to remind myself that I can have that or I can eat that. I try my best not to look at how many calories, carbs, etc. items have in them.  I look in the mirror and see myself gain weight that no one else sees. 

 I find myself happier though.  Learning to love me again without worrying about eating and working out.  I don’t beat myself up if I miss a workout.  I enjoy a cupcake or party at school where I used to not participate. I feel like I’m back to the old me without the old body.  I look at pictures in my memories on FB and wonder if I was at my ideal weight then.  I know I was at some point.

Now I’m living a healthy, knowledgeable life.  These past 3 years with my coach have taught me that nothing stays the same.  We are always evolving, changing.  We have to know ourselves enough to know when to change. Our minds play tricks on us. Our eyes see what it wants to.  But our bodies tell us if we are taking care of our health or not because it will fall apart if we don’t give it what it needs.  It stops working properly.

Think about your own life.  Have you been me?  Are you me now?  Diet Recovery is a process that may take years for some of us.  I am willing to become the healthier version of myself so that I can live the rest of my life happy and free!  What about you?

Find out more about Diet Recovery at www.dfittransformation.com