obsessively rigid eating routine - Eating Disorder Recovery Message Board

PurpleCat2 · 07-14-2005, 10:23 AM

Hi guys, how you doin

For those of you who don't know me, I've been trying to recover from bulimia for the past 6 months. With the support of the OA Fellowship (overeaters anonymous), I've been able to stick to a 3 meals a day eating plan and am being freed from my obsession with food.
However...
I'm now having to deal with a new situation, whereby I'm still loosing the weight and am becoming underweight. My meal plan is very low in calories because it's what had given me a sense of security, and I eat more or less the same thing at specific times each day. It's very rigid, basically!! But because it's given me freedom from binging, I hang on to my routine like a precious stone, and am just too afraid to change it in any way in case it will make me gain weight. It's not that I want to lose weight, but I don't want to gain! I know it's not logical, cos say last week I was happy with staying at my weight then, but now that this week I way 1 kg less, I still freak out about putting on weight, even if it means going back to last week's weight. It's not logical I know, but I can't reason myself out of it!
Can anyone here relate or offer any suggestions? I don't want to go the anorexia route, but I feel like I'm getting caught into a vicious circle

jade112 · 07-14-2005, 11:10 AM

Hey purplecat-

I hear what your saying. I am not bulimic but I am tring to be in recovery from ana. It is SOOOO tuff. I know what you mean by eating by routine and being to afraid to change it. I eat bascially the same foods ALL the time, I call them my "safety foods"

Anyway to try and answer your question, I would try to start out by makeing VERY small changes. For example if you eat oatmeal every morn try something equal in calories like cottage cheese with some fruit or ww toast with jam or lite cream cheese. Just make the switches small and pretty equal in calories and you should be ok.
Maybe try substituting different veggies, fruits, sauces, or even ways of cooking or preparing your meals just to change the flavor or look of your rigid diet foods with out shocking or scaring your self too much. Then gradually you can completly vary all of your meals and still be just fine.

Congrats on all of your progress, it is an inspiration to hear when one of yall are doing so well!!!!! It real is you can do this - KEEP it up - your doing GREAT!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
- Jade

Jonistyle1 · 07-14-2005, 11:37 AM

i don't really have any advice, but i just wanted to tell you that i'm going through the exact same thing right now. i'm doing habitual, planned, day in day out EXACTLY the same meals, and (since i'm just starting to get over the binging) i'm still hoping to lose a little weight. but then i'm worried i'll lose too much and want to stay too skinny. or else i'll never be able to break from the same breakfasts and lunches ever! i don't have anything good to suggest, but I'm here for you!

zeroprophecy9 · 07-14-2005, 02:30 PM

I am so with you on this one. I am trying to recover from anorexia and have the same security wiht the routine as you do. I am trying to make small changes everyday. For instance, I eat will eat something that is equivalent to what I usually eat or I will switch my lunch and dinner meals. It's small, and it's still the same food, but it at least gets me out of same exact routine. Good luck
-morgan

sha~sha · 07-14-2005, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleCat2

Hi guys, how you doin

For those of you who don't know me, I've been trying to recover from bulimia for the past 6 months. With the support of the OA Fellowship (overeaters anonymous), I've been able to stick to a 3 meals a day eating plan and am being freed from my obsession with food.
However...
I'm now having to deal with a new situation, whereby I'm still loosing the weight and am becoming underweight. My meal plan is very low in calories because it's what had given me a sense of security, and I eat more or less the same thing at specific times each day. It's very rigid, basically!! But because it's given me freedom from binging, I hang on to my routine like a precious stone, and am just too afraid to change it in any way in case it will make me gain weight. It's not that I want to lose weight, but I don't want to gain! I know it's not logical, cos say last week I was happy with staying at my weight then, but now that this week I way 1 kg less, I still freak out about putting on weight, even if it means going back to last week's weight. It's not logical I know, but I can't reason myself out of it!
Can anyone here relate or offer any suggestions? I don't want to go the anorexia route, but I feel like I'm getting caught into a vicious circle

hey i have the same problem! while i was ''sick'' i am/was diagnosed or called borderline anorexic well anyway i developed specific times to eat-like i'll eat breakfast at 8:30 then lunch at 2:00 a snack before i run at 4:30 and then eat dinner at 8:00 it kinda drives me crazy because used to i never really had a routine-i would just eat when i was hungry and i guess its a blessing and a curse because i can get kinda stressed if i have to go off of my routine-i am trying to become less strict but your right-its like a security blanket! no you don't want to be anorexic! try to not go that route for YOUR own good!