Learning healthy habits

Body checking. I think we all do it. Well, anyone with an eating disorder anyway.

I never realized I did this, until I talked with the family therapist yesterday. I walk into the bathroom, and there's a huge mirror. I look at my thighs, they're huge, a size eight at least, I feel so disgusting. So I check in the mirror in the other room, suddenly I'm thinner. Then I check in a different mirror in the same room, I'm thinner again. Then I go back into the bathroom, yuck look at those thighs.

I didn't change sizes from walking one room to the next! Body checking is also trying on clothes to figure out how each one fits. And its also feeling certain places of the body to see which place is thinner, stuff like that.

Now that I'm more aware of this, I realize I "body check" a lot! And it really bugs me. But I am really glad that I've realized this, so I can finally stop it. My parents are going to take down the mirrors in their room so I can't examine myself in them anymore, and we're going to block off a part of the mirror in the bathroom. It will take a while to get rid of this body checking habit, but I'm determined to do it. It doesn't make me happy, it only makes me feel fat and miserable.

I'm also trying to learn healthy exercise, and so far its going great! I'm doing strength training (only with 2 lb weights) and pilates. And I'm going to the dog park once a week with my dog. And I'm not exercising to burn calories, I exercise to be happy, and because I actually want to. I will no longer be slaving away on the treadmill. I don't really even like treadmills that much!

I have made progress, and that really really scares me. I haven't been at this weight in almost 3 months. I almost feel like I'm doing something very wrong. But I'm not! I'm still thin, and people are still worried about me. Hopefully being thin will no longer matter to me when I'm recovered. I just want to be healthy now.

One step forward, two steps back

I've realized that I've made so many strides in recovery. I'm not obsessed with working out anymore, I actually like my body now, and I'm not counting calories anymore. That huge! But all of a sudden, I feel different.

I'm not quite sure what happened, but suddenly, I almost feel like I'm falling back into my old patterns. Calories seem to matter more, I feel like I've gained weight again, and i don't want to gain weight. But why is it all of a sudden different? I don't understand. I've been doing the same thing I've been doing. It's strange. Recovery is so confusing, but I wish it wasn't this confusing.

Another good thing was, i did get my period back! I shouldn't be excited about that, but i am because it means I'm getting healthier again. I can't let myself fall back into my old patterns. I really can't. I want good health but i also still have a strong desire to be skinny. I'm suddenly afraid of gaining weight again and i hate that. I'm still not at the healthiest weight. But i really like my body right now. I'm afraid that if i gain weight, i won't like myself anymore.

I know this is stupid to think this way. The number on the scale shouldn't matter and the size of clothes I'm wearing shouldn't matter. But it does. To the eating disorder and to me. But to let go of this eating disorder, i have to learn to love myself. No matter how much I weigh or what size I am.

New Surprises

When I woke up this morning, i just thought it was going to be a regular boring day. Until my mom surprised me again. The fashion coordinator emailed her and said she needed another model in the runway show! So i pretty much get to model! I don't think I'll get paid but still, it's such a great opportunity. At first i wasn't that excited, but I'm kind of weird like that. I have a really slow reaction to things and usually get excited an hour or two later.

The best part about it is I'll probably still be able to help out with behind the scenes stuff an hour or two before i model. The only thing that I'm really worries about is the sizes. She said i had to be a size two but i think i am? I'm not sure. My sizes are kinda weird right now because I'm in transition. My size zero jeans still fit so i should be able to be a size two.

But why am i obsessing about this? I shouldn't be obsessing about this but i can't help it. I've been worried about sizes and what I'm going to look like later. But i know in my conscious mind, I'll look good if i just eat healthy and exercise. I look like a stick now, and for some reason i like that.

Yesterday i put on an outfit and it made me look really skinny. And i liked it. But i shouldn't! I really shouldn't because I'm still not at the healthiest weight i can be at and I'm not supposed to look this way. I shouldn't be thinking up ways i can stay this way or planning when not to eat.

But I'm sure these are just the feelings that are supposed to be part of recovery. I cant just automatically be cured. It takes time and patience for me to get better. I just need to stop listening to these thoughts. I'll recover if i just stop listening to them.

Crazy thoughts

The other night, i was looking at some old pictures of myself. These are pictures of before i got really sick and restricting and they were taken in April. As i looked at them I thought: am i crazy?! I even looked super skinny there! Why oh why did i start destroying my body?! what's wrong with me? Why didn't i see that? Why do i see that now? why am i so stupid?

I probably weighed 20 pounds more there. And i did look good! But I hate that i didn't see that. That i was so selfish that i wanted to look even thinner when in reality, i didn't need to lose any weight at all.

But one thing that really scares me is what if i don't look like that when i gain all the weight back? What if i gain even more weight and become fat because they'll never let me work out? This I know is the ED thoughts. The What if? thoughts.

The worst part is, i can't seem to get rid of them. No matter how hard i try. They're always in the back of my mind. They're always saying: eat less. please eat less. recovery is stupid. it doesn't matter. give up. I know you're going to.

Stupid ED. I really wish this disease didn't exist. At least I know that when I overcome this, I'll be much stronger. There's nothing stopping me now.

Breaking barriers

Everyone with an eating disorder has a specific set of rules that they strictly follow. If they break any of these rules, it's the end of the world. Never ending guilt and pain for hours.

My rules used to be the following: no eating after 7 pm, when you eat, eat slowly, drink water before each meal, drink __ amount of water each day, never eat over ___ calories each day, etc. Since starting recovery, I've been trying to break those rules as much as i possibly can.

Today, i broke all of those rules. And i hope i'll continue to do so! Including counting calories. I talked with my therapist today and she said since i'm so hung up on counting calories, then buy foods/frozen meals that I've never bought before and have my mom black out the calories on the back. So far, it's giving me a lot of anxiety not know how many calories are in this food or that food but in the long run, i think it will help a lot. I mean, what normal person really does count calories? I didn't used to count them. Sure, i ate pretty unhealthy but i wasn't fat and i have to keep remembering that.

One thing that i'm really struggling with is body image. I have a really distorted body image. And it's weird, i don't think that i'm "fat" all the time. It comes and goes depending on the clothes i'm wearing at the time. My worst areas? my arms. I don't know why but my arms have always been hard for me. It's like they're always there, exposed. But another thing i have to realize is that I've probably only gained less than 5 pounds so far and my arms aren't going to magically get fat. They weren't fat before when all i ate was junk so why would they be fat now? They aren't fat. I'm not fat. I'll just have to start believing that.

-But on a side note, thanks to everyone for all the encouraging comments! Whenever i feel like a failure or i'm about to give up i read your comments and they keep me continuing recovery and avoiding relapse. Thank you :)