i am 19, and since february, i have lost about 45 lbs. i lost a little (5 or so lbs) on purpose, but then in march i was diagnosed with narcolepsy, and the weight started to slide a little, then plateau, then slide again. i was really sick from my narcolepsy meds at first, and my stomach was always sour or i had a headache (neuromeds screw you up bad until your body gets used to them)and i just didn't eat a whole lot. i went from 145 in feb. to 100 now. i'm only 5'1" though, so i was a little chubby then and am a little on the thin side now. i wasn't fat before, but i did want to lose a little weight. (i have always weighed about 120 until i went away to college, and i felt fat)now, i know a lot of people smaller than me, and a lot of girls in the dorm are my size, but my doctors act like i'm dying. i have never had this kind of energy, or felt so good, and my narcolepsy is totally under control. i don't binge and purge, but i only eat when i want to and then only until i'm full, which doesn't take very long. the thing is, my doctor says i need to gain back at least ten pounds and i don't want to at all. i'd do almost anything to just stay where i am. i don't want to lose anymore, because my shape is hard to find clothes for now (short but curvy- women's clothes are baggy and long, and kids clothes are right length but they bag and are tight in the wrong places.) i have noticed myself passing up food even when i am a little hungry, though, and i think i'm starting to slide again. any advice/help/direction? anne

Hi Anne,
Only a medical professional, after appropriate evaluation, can determine the presence of a true eating disorder.

I am also 5'1" and very curvy. For me, 100# is a bit too thin to be healthy, I do better between 105 and 110 (though, I gotta admit, at this "old age" I'm at now, I've shifted more towards the too heavy than too thin http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wink.gif)

A word of caution here: skipping meals CAN make you gain weight! Weird, huh? It is true, though. When you skip meals, your body freaks out and thinks you're starving it, so it STORES (as fat) alot of the calories it receives instead of burning it off. The QUANTITY of food you are eating daily may or may not be adequate (check your caloric intake), but you will maintain and/or lose more readily if you break it up into smaller meals every few (2-4) hours. That way, your body is satisfied that you're not going to starve it, and will burn calories more efficiently.

hope this helps,

------------------
Copper
Let Miracles Replace all Grievances

hey anne, i agree with copper, only a qualified professonail can diagnose a eating disorder, why dont you see a doctor about your weight?

Skipping meals slows down your metoblism which is not genrally a good thing. Try and eat throughout the day, just small meals but lots of them, if you wanted to be thin then skipping meals is not the right way to go, eat healthy food and exercise dont starve yourself because as copper said that makes you gain weight, if the doctor said that you should gain weight, then have you thought that maybe he is right, he is a professional, he obviously thinks that you are underweight.

I wish you the best of luck and if you ever need to talk you can e-mail me on neversayneveruk@yahoo.com

Bset wishes CAZ

p.s sorry if i sounded harsh

My brother also has narcolepsy and I don't know what meds you are on, but most meds for narcolepsy are amphetamines and that's a surefire way to lose weight. My brother has lost a ton of weight in the last year, but finally stablized. I wouldn't worry too much.