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Anytime Shari--I know what it's like, as I said, and it's not easy to calm down and risk losing control. But u can do it, it takes time and effort but it's worth it...you're worth it.
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SaraLou
#82455 - 06/23/04 02:27 PM
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ibsgrl
Reged: 04/18/04
Posts: 1060
Loc: Canada
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Wow, what a deep post. I felt like I was reading my own story! I too battled with an eating disorder, mine was mild and reached the conclusion that it was a MAJOR factor in my IBS - aggravating it and making it much worse than it would have ever been if I hadn't done that to myself in the first place.
Unfortunately its so bad that I hardly feel like working out anymore so I have started to ride my bike outside instead. Just wondering, are you IBS C or D and how old are you?
I totally agree with your post and how difficult it is these days for many of us to accept the way they are. It can really be a struggle. It was actually interesting that this topic came up because there seem to be quite a few that have had this problem, and now have IBS. Just yesterday I read that Mary Kate Olsen, one of the Olsen twins, is in a treatment facility now for anorexia. It makes me sad because she's in the public eye and has already been critcized for being too thin and now she's going to have to deal with all the questions and media frenzy afterwards. Sometimes society can be so cruel!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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Quote:
Fishnets,
I think I may have been alittle confusing in my previous post! I don't eat one meal a day, I eat about two normal size and one small one, with many snacks. Since I am hypoglycemic I have found eating frequently helps keep my energy and well being up. SInce I am getting used to the diet and have stabilized, I am just making sure that I don't eat too much without realizing. Since I am still figuring out the diet and always have food on my mind, I don't want to eat just for the sake of eating. I am trying to fill the food pryamid requirements, though.
You say that I am really underweight, but I was at one time almost twenty pounds lighter at the same height. I was also dangerously thin and having a bout of anorexia.
So, I make sure I limit how much I weight myself, because I seem to get too fixated on the number and not how I look.
I don't really have food issues anymore, but I did as an adolescent. As much as she denies it, part of this is my mother's fault. Anytime, even when I was stick thin, I ate something fattening, she would make sure she pointed it out. SHe even felt the need to tell me as an early teen that bread was fattening! Potatoes also. She was a low carb to lose weight fan before the fad began.
I actually got in a screaming match with her about two weeks ago when I visited (I live on my own now), it started out as a disagreement over the effectiveness of the Atkins diet. She said that my argument was my opinion, but it was all based on fact! Whatever. Funny thing is that my mom's love of Atkins brought me here! I told her that no matter how much I excercised, and cutting out junk foods, I could not get rid of my little gut. She handed me Atkins book, and I pointed out how the major foods were too time consuming to prepare (red meats- this was still during the school year and I work full time) or I couldn't handle because of my tummy (dairy). She suggested I do a search for diets that mention IBS- the next day I did- and Voila! eatingforibs.com!
Another funny but sad thing is that after putting me through all of this, she has babied my little bro (just turned sixteen), and he is the only one in the family that is not stick thin, in fact he has gotten quite obese and I feel really worried about the probable future health problems he will have.
To sum everything up- if I try to gain weight it will go to my tummy and butt, everything else will stay small. I want abs of steel and a non- jiggly butt. I do realize I have less work to do than I though, some of my belly was from being bloated- I never realized I was! (I'm a D)
I apologize for such a long post and being so long-winded. If you read this, that means you took the time to listen, so if you need to get anything of your chest (even off topic), feel free, I will extend the same courtesy!
Thank you for your concern also!
-Sheri
Hi! I know how you feel, I too had an eating disorder, which is actually the reason I got IBS. That sucks that your mom did that, seems like parents can take their fears of themselves and put them on their kids (my dad still "blames" me for eating foods, I try to ignore it). Sorry I misunderstood what you said, for some reason I thought you meant you ate only one meal a day! Anyway, I just hope you realize you still may have a skewed vision of what you look like, I'm sure you don't have a jiggly butt! But it's good to be fit and exercise, just make sure you don't get triggered, and make sure you eat enough. Just making sure you're ok!  (I always get worried when people diet!)
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IBS-C
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Hey Sheri and Jules,
I'm a big fan of fitday.com - I count calories too, not to lose weight but just to make sure I'm getting a healthy amount to maintain my weight. Also I can check to make sure I'm not getting too much fat, that I am getting enough fiber, and that I'm getting all the required nutrients. It's a pretty cool site and really easy to use! 750 is definitely way too low. You probably need at VERY LEAST 1350 cals a day.
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Hi Sheri,
No bother with the length. I know mine was a bit long too but this issue along with IBS are very near and dear to me right now in my life so I tend to let my info spill. It seems like you certainly have had issues in your life that would lead you to your current feelings regarding your looks, weight, etc. and with IBS and the diet focus that only makes those issues worse. It is hard to deal with both issues at the same time but it is even harder to deal with one and not take into account the other. Our society and the unrealistic standards it makes us women feel we need to live up to can be overwhelming at times. I'll try to get you some good links to websites with good info on body fueling. Definitely don't get caught up with a number on the scale. If you take care of yourself (proper diet, exercise, low-stress, etc) you'll be doing yourself good in the long run and your appearance, feelings, etc. should reflect that. Try not to worry about what others say because their is so much information out there in the world today (and much of it incurrate and misleading) that people often form incorrect conclusions. It seems like your family has placed quite a burden on you through the years regarding your appearance even though you've likely been too thin. Please try not to hold yourself to these unrealistic standards and realize all the good things about yourself. In the grand scheme of life how important is a number on a scale or a few pounds here or there. The important thing is to feel good. I can relate to your story of growing up with your thinner sister though it sounds like you really were not that far from her and she may just have been too skinny as a child.....a bony look is never a healthy one. I have an older sister and she was always the thin (though a healthy thin not too skinny), pretty, girly cheerleading type where as a child I was the chubby, tom boy. Through hard work that I continue to this day (and struggles with eating disorders) I am no longing that chubby child but I live in fear of that on a daily basis (my healthy appetite doesn't help!). The IBS only adds to these issues though and makes eating more of a focus when I was trying to take the focus off of that in my life. Well I don't want to ramble on too much but just wanted to let you know that I could relate to what you had written. I'm sure we'll have more to communicate in the future and I look forward to it. Hope some of this is helpful or at least comforting to hear.
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Mandy
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Hi Fishnets,
I too had (and still deal with some issues) and eating disorder and I noticed you said that is what caused your IBS. Do you mind me asking how that is? Just wondering if that is likely the cause of my issues now. Any tips, advice, insight, etc. would be much appreciated.
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Mandy
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Thanks. I wasn't sure if I was giving too much info or rambling on but I have so much information on proper nutrition, exercise, etc. in my head and worry so much about women and eating issues/disorders in our society that sometimes it all comes out. If just one person got something out of it then it was well worth it.
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Mandy
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Hello,
It definitely seems like many of us can relate to one another since we've all had and likely still deal with eating and body issues. Saralou thanks for your post. I agree with much of what you have said and have been through it. I just get worried about the talk of body weight. I'm about 5' 7 3/4" and weigh about 130. While I tend to feel "fat" on certain days I attribute a lot of it to the bloating and general abdominal distentation that I have as symptoms of my IBS. I did some searching and for a SMALL framed person (not sure your frame size or Sheri01's but I'm a medium frame with an athletic build I am proud of) a healthy weight range is 123 to 136 and for a medium framed person it is 133 to 147. Just some info I found interesting. I would just urge anyone not to get too caught up on a number. Scales can are not 100% accurate so you a few pound differential built it. Then you can weigh more or less (generally more as the day progresses) depending on the time of day, weight you ate/drank, what you are wearing, and with IBS....what is sitting in your colon. I definitely agree that getting more involved in other activities to divert your attention from food issues 24/7 is critical I just find that hard at times in dealing with the anti-social times that IBS brings. I'm glad we have each to share this with.
Thanks everyone!
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Mandy
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Hi ibsgrl
#82687 - 06/24/04 07:51 AM
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Saralou
Reged: 10/18/03
Posts: 62
Loc: Maryland
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You are absolutely right; it does seem to be nearly impossible to fit a perfect mold, and y should we? Even those who we deem perfect (Olsen twins, for eg) have skeletons in their closet and are unhappy about something or another. To me it always made sense that IBS patients would be very succeptible to eating disorders because much like IBS, it can often underlie a control issue. The egg and the chicken question then arises. As individuals dealing with IBS, we constantly are dealing with food, monitoring, stress, inflexibility, depression, low self-esteem, etc...all give way to a plethora of problems.
It is sad that so much focus is put on aesthetics, particularly in Western Society (and the US being top on the list). But we all perpetuate it in some fashion or another, unknowingly most generally. I too want to look great and have that perfect body...but, we must ask ourselves, at what cost? And does the perfect figure and weight make us happy? Perhaps momentarily...but most definitely not forever.
The eating disorder exacerbated my IBS big time and if for no other reason, giving that up to avoid the pain was more than enough.
It's hard being a woman in today's society, we are constantly confronted with men's ideas of the perfect woman and very often shun by other women for fear of competition...but here we are, coming together on this site and for a moment, not bothering with whether or not ur a size 2...
In answer to your question, I am 23 and I have IBS C.
I see that you are in Ontario. I lived in Canada for 5 yrs (Montreal and frequent visits to TO...loved it!)
Saralou
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