I believe that I am a normal 22 year old woman. I am five-foot-two [removed]. I am average weight; however, I find myself thinking I am FAT. I am afraid to eat the things that I want to eat because I don't want to gain weight. I eat a fairly balanced diet, but find myself stressing NON STOP about what I am eating. I constantly check the labels on the food I am going to eat. I will feel guilty all day if I eat anything with more than 4 grams of saturated fat (which doesnt happen very often.) When I go out to eat, I think of all the things that i want to order, but opt for a salad or something with very few calories. I sometimes daydream about the things I would love to eat [removed] but know that I cannot have these types of foods. I drive past fast food places and imagine what foods I would order if I was eating there...but never actually stop there. I have a scale in my bathroom that I step on anywhere between 3 and 10 times a day. I will weigh myself before and after I go to the bathroom, after I take my clothes off...hoping that the scale will be less. I sometimes look at skinny celebrities on the internet as "inspiration" to eat less. I often try to promise myself that I won't eat for a week just so i can shed some pounds...but after a day or so, I get so hungry that I cannot take it. I am not sure if this is something that people who are trying to diet struggle with, or if this is a more serious health issue. anyone have anything similar going on?!? am i crazy? please help...

Please call your attention to the sticky post at the top of this Board: "Avoiding Triggers".

these are obsessive thought patterns that do occur with eating disorders...anxiety around food and restricting are all habits of eating disorders also...my advice to you if you are wanting to loose weight or at least maintain dont restrict!! like you said you promise yourself you wont for a week to shed some weight but that wont work, short term maybe yes but your body then goes into starvation mood so that when you do begin to eat normally you will very quickly regain the weight as your body shall snatch up and store whatever it can...please just try and relax and plan out good healthy meals, if your body is well nurished you will find your cravings for fast food shall subside..i beg you to try and set up a healthy eating plan for yourself one that if you must loose weight only allows a 0.5kg lose per week as anything more than that and its to fast and will quickly regain...i wish i had stopped myself when i first noticed obsessive thoughts like your experiencing as im now full on bulimic and i restrict and have been stuck in this vicious cycle for 12months now and im telling you it is the hardest fight of my life...please take care xo

Malnutrition causes a lot of the obsessive thoughts about food and weight.

I'm not a doctor or therapist, but it sounds like you have some of the characteristics of an ED. I can relate, especially when it comes to not eating and then obsessing about food.

I can relate too, with eating and then obsessing about food. also, you might consider getting rid of the scale for the time being. Weighing yourself so frequently is not healthy and it will also contribute to your anxiety, especially if the numbers fluctuate.