Calorie Counting, something that needs to be gone

I've struggled with calorie counting for months now. Because with an eating disorder, gradually comes calorie counting. At my worst moments, I count every single thing that enters my mouth. One pita chip. A bite of a cupcake. Gum. Everything is added up and memorized for the end of the day total.

Now is realize, calorie counting is a load of crap. Why do we count our food? Why? Some of us are food conscious, wanting to lose or gain weight. Sometimes with me it's like an OCD thing. I used to double and triple check the "total" at the end of each day.

But in the end, was I happy with calorie counting? Of course not!! 100 calories over my desired amount, and I'm dubbed a failure.

This is why, I'm wanting to try intuitive eating. I know it's not really something other people think I should try just yet, but it feels right. Last night, I felt like eating what my mom was making for dinner (cheese filled pasta shells with a pasta sauce and a salad) then eat a coffee cup full of frozen yogurt with ff reddi whip and white chocolate chips on top. At first, Ed kept telling me- do you KNOW how many calories are in that pasta? Look on the back? I looked. So? It's not that much. Ed-well, still. Pasta is off limits! Me- Haha maybe to you, but not to me! And I ate it. It was really good! I may not like spaghetti anymore, but I still like other types of pasta. My fear of pasta is gone:D Yay olive garden! There's this breaded lasagna I've been wanting to get for months, it's my favorite thing on the menu & it's an appetizer, so now I can finally get it!

So, calorie counting only leads to bad things. It leads to me starving myself.. and my grandpa and dog telling me to eat!

See, my grandpa passed away about 4 years ago. I was really sad for a long time, but eventually I just accepted it. Then, I forgot about him. But starting about a month ago, I've been starting to smell random food. Subway, Pizza hut, stuff like that just in the air, around me. When that usually happens, I'm usually very hungry and have skipped a meal and am home alone. No one in the neighborhood is cooking something like that, so I figured it must be my grandpa! He loved food, and I think he wants me to eat. To cure my relationship with food. My dog plays a part in that too.

Yesterday, I didn't know what to have for breakfast so I got a bowl of cinnamon sugar pita chips. I knew they were high calorie, and I was home alone and worried, so I called my dog over. I was on the couch, and put some chips out for her to eat, to share them with me. I'll never forget the look she gave me. It was kinda like- this is your medicine. Eat it. Please, I can't eat that. It was so weird! It took me 5 minutes of me convincing her to eat it that she finally did.

I also did end up talking with my mom, and she said that she felt helpless in trying to help me. I never knew that! So I told her that we had to work together, and that I need her help, but I can't have her controlling everything I eat.

Everything is finally starting to look better(: I just have to keep working at this, and not give up. I think I would rather weigh a litte more and be free, then be sickly skinny and miserable anyway.

I love my dog

Last night, was probably better eating wise than Sunday because Sunday, I went to bed hungry and ate way below my usual amount.

I'm not really sure why eating was so hard on Sunday, but it just was. I couldn't stand to eat anything, and my mom didn't really help me much at all. I want her to care, but I don't want her to control me either.. if she can't find a balance then I'll have to just try to take care of myself. I'm on my way there at least!

Yesterday, was okay. For dinner we ate out like we usually do at night (we're trying to stop) and I had a baked potato w/ broccoli, herbs, and cottage cheese. It was delicious! And I had fries and a smoothie with it too. I thought for once it was pretty balanced, I was kinda proud of myself(: And that I allowed myself to have fast food fries. I haven't had those in months!

When we got home, I watched some Degrassi and then went on Facebook. But something on there triggered me.. I'm not sure, I just kept comparing myself to some of my friends. Saying they were much much thinner and prettier than me. So I felt horrible and didn't even want to go to bed.

I always get really depressed at bedtime anyway, so with this hanging over my head I felt awful. I really wanted to talk to my mom and try to feel better, but she just kept saying go to bed over and over again, so I just went and cried by myself.

After she finally came to find me 20 minutes later, I was still really sad. But, my dog made me feel so much better! She kept trying to lick me and sit by me, and she wouldn't stop licking me until I felt better and stopped crying. If I stopped crying and then started again, she tried again too! There's no way feeling sad around her, she just doesn't let you!

So, I'm really thankful for my dog. Even if I have to fight by myself, this is one battle that I'll win.

Christmas

Christmas, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My normally crazy family, was actually somewhat normal this time(: My aunt is getting a divorce and she usually starts drama, but this time she was very happy! And she wasn't pretending either. And my grandma! She was soo happy:D Usually she complains a lot and talks to people about her health problems but she didn't say a word about them all night! I was so happy for her(: I missed that grandma, I feel like I haven't seen that side of her in a long time.

Eating at my uncles house, actually went okay. I did skip breakfast that day which helped relieve my anxiety a bit, and I ate pretty balanced there too. I did drink an awful lot of diet coke and powerrade zero, but I didn't feel guilty about food the whole night.

The only problem that night was, I didn't want to open my presents along with everyone else. We went in order from youngest to oldest, each person being on display and 5 different people taking pictures of that person. Everyone kept bugging me to open them, but I just ended up opening them up when everyone was playing games. It's not that I was being snotty or anything, I just didn't want to be on display for everyone. I'm not sure why I'm okay with that with my dads side of the family.. maybe because I feel more comfortable with them. On my moms side I almost don't feel as accepted. Like I have to watch what I do or say.. I feel kinda judged with them. Oh well. It was all okay in the end(: I spend most of my time there playing games & playing with the dog.

Christmas day, actually went okay too(: I spent most of the day opening presents, but my favorite part was when my dog opened her presents! She's so funny(: After that, I curled my hair & got ready to go out, and me and my mom went searching for restaurants (my dad was too lazy to get off the couch..). We ended up going to Denny's and I was so happy because they actually have a veggie burger on the menu now!:D Yayy! It was okay, but I was still happy that they had something different. After that we saw Little Fockers(: It was soo funny!

The only bad part about Christmas this year was that I wasn't very excited. I was mostly worried about food and weight and such. But I'm getting two more people added to my treatment team on Wednesday & Thursday so I will get more help(: My family will get help with finding a balance of help and control. I can't have them not caring what I eat (like today!) but I also can't have them control every thing that enters my mouth & not giving me any encouragement about eating.

It will all get better eventually. God is on my side, he will help me out of this<3(:

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This is my aunts dog that I was taking care of last Monday(: She's soo cute! She never really leaves your side which can get kind of annoying, but she's still fun.

This is me in my Express Christmas outfit(: I was kinda afraid to post pictures of myself at first because I didn't want to trigger anyone or anything like that but I want to finallyy post pictures. I'm not really afraid anymore.


My cute Christmas tree:D



My backyard! Look at all the snow!



I finally curled my hair with my new no clip curling iron(:



I think this is my new favorite song, I listen to it whenever I'm sad and it always cheers me up.



Have a great night everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas!(:

Everything always works out in the end

Rawrrr. I was so freaking angry today. I think today was one of the worst days ever.

See, I told you all that the maudsley approach was the treatment that I was doing (not by choice) well today, my mom decided to stay home with me since I usually get pretty lonely and sad and depressed.

Yesterday, we got in another fight, and I was really sad so she decided to stay home with me half the day today. I felt like such a failure from the night before because I'd skipped lunch, ate dinner, then eaten a few sweets after dinner. I was at my usual amount of cals at the end of the day, so I'm not sure why I felt like such a failure. Probably because I'd not listened to the ED when I was apparently supposed to. or maybe because I felt out of control? I was supposed to restrict because of the holidays, but I'm slowly realizing that I don't really want to.

Anyway, when I woke up today I felt so bad, so.. fat. So when my mom asked me what I want for breakfast, I said nothing. So she made me something she thought I liked, but I really hated. I did not want to eat what she made me at all. So I picked it apart, and threw the main parts of the meal away and ate very little. She got kinda mad, and said that we would not leave until I ate the breakfast.

I isolated myself and tried to calm down while she was making lunch. I got to the table at lunch time, and she had made a huge lunch. I had no idea why she did that because I had struggled so much at breakfast, and just seeing it made me sick. So I ate almost everything she made, except the sandwich. I'll admit, the sandwich was scary. It had two of my fear foods on it, avocado and oatmeal bread. I ate 1/4 of it, and she said I had to finish the whole sandwich. We got in another fight.

My dad got home and my mom told him what happened, and she left for work. Then, me and my dad got in another fight about eating. I was so worn out about fighting and crying, I took a 3 hour nap.

Then dinner came around, and me and my dad got into another fight. I locked myself in my room and actually started packing my bags. I was so tired of crying and I just wanted to go to my grandmas house because she doesn't even really know I have an ED. And I never fight with her.

So, my dad broke in my room and he actually started crying too. After actually seeing my dad cry, we got things straightened out about 2 hours later when my mom got home. Well.. after more fighting and tears on my end.

We decided to make a meal plan, to write down what I eat the day before. I can mostly decide what to eat for breakfast & lunch (but they supervise) and they decide what to eat for dinner. I like that plan, that way they aren't making things I don't really like. And when we write it down, we can make sure I have all the food groups that I need.

So in the end, everything does truly work out. I got the support that I needed, I got everything fixed with my nutritionist, & I'm getting two more people added to my treatment team. A physical therapist to figure out exercise and a psychiatrist to help me deal with the weight gain and not feeling fat when I get to a normal weight and stuff like that. And, I'm baking a tonn tomorrow, so that was for sure be fun(: Everything will be okay. I have to work hard to beat this, but everything will work out in the end.

Holidays and Eating Disorders

The holidays are always a really hard time for me. I'm a natural people pleaser, so I always care a lot what people think of me. This, is usually how it's gone the past year.

I'm dangerously underweight in the summer, no one says anything except a little cousin. Then comes winter and there's a 25 lb difference. Still, no one says anything. Do they notice? Well, probably. But even if they still don't say anything, seeing people I haven't seen in a long time makes me so nervous. I feel like I have to restrict days prior to almost like, cope with it.

I guess I almost got lucky this year, because it's going to be mostly kids at Christmas eve this year. Mostly because of family drama, which I guess isn't that lucky, but still.

I'm trying to shake the feeling that I don't have to restrict because no one will probably be commenting on my weight, but I'm still really worried. I know I can't get "fat" from the amount I'm eating (but it's still right for me. I eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full) but the worry just keeps on coming. There are so many times when I say- I wish I never had an eating disorder but how will that help anything?

I really want to get off this stupid roller coaster. One day I'm so positive and happy, and the next day the eating disorder is really hard and I'm depressed once again.

Another thing I'm worried about, is eating at the clinic today. I wasn't worried at first, but now I kinda am. We're having spaghetti and I haven't had that in months (not counting the smart ones spaghetti). It's a huge fear food for me. And, I honestly don't crave it very much. I guess, I don't crave food right now. I know that's the ED doing that, but the only thing I usually want is breakfast. That's the easiest meal of the day.

Ugh, sorry this was such a downer post. I should look on the positive side of things now. I got presents wrapped, my aunts dog is leaving soon (I had to watch her for the day yesterday.. she's just.. I'll write about her later), Christmas is on Saturday, and I'm baking all day Thursday with C and hopefully I'll get to make truffles. And my mom has most of next week off, so hopefully we can volunteer somewhere.

It will get better. Maybe if I keep saying that, it will actually start to happen.

It's beginning to feel a lott like Christmass(:

It's FINALLY starting to feel like Christmas. I'm so glad. And I'm so happy(: for now anyway, I really hope that it lasts. This may be a quick post but who knows, I talk a lot(;

I think I'm starting to feel happier because I'm getting out a lot more. If I just stay locked up in the house for days, of course I'm going to get depressed. I'm not talking to anyone or really doing anything.

I have been going for a few walks lately. They're so much fun(: I usually don't go for very long, and I have to bundle up a lot, but they're still fun. I usually go with my dad and my dog and have a latte afterwards. The chai tea latte from Dunn bros is my new favorite.

I also went Christmas shopping alll day today. I got my mom these yummy truffles from See's candy, and some fuzzy socks. They're soo soft!

I got my dog a tonn. I love my dog(: She makes me happy so I got her a lot. I got her a cute pink coat, 2 toys, some new chewies, and some gourmet treats that she loves. I'll post pictures of her in the coat later(:

I think it's starting to feel like Christmas again because my mom put up a cute Christmas tree in the living room and put presents under it. I already opened one, it was an outfit from express:D I love express, I already know the shoes I'm going to wear with it also. I'll post pictures of the Christmas tree & my Christmas express outfit sometime later.

So this weekend has been really fun. I saw the movie how do you know yesterday at like 9:30 pm and it kinda sucked, but I liked going out late. I also ate at this cute buffet style restaurant called Q.cumbers and it was so good! My fear of eating out no longer exists. I don't want to limit myself, so I've ate out a lot lately. And surprisingly, every time I go out my portions aren't huge, they're pretty normal sized. I'm glad that I'm able to eat out without worrying again(: I missed eating out and not restricting the day after.

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I almost forget these this week! Good thing I remembered(:

I lovee frozen yogurt(: I really like the soft serve kind, but this is the next best thing.

This tastes amazing with white chocolate chips or yogurt chips

My mom made this salad for me a few days ago(: It's soo good! It's basically just cheddar cheese, apples, and lettuce. I haven't found a dressing I like yet. I kinda like french, so maybe I'll try that next time.



This was the cutest movie ever. I know that I say that a lot, but it really is. The guy is like, totally perfect(: People called him a nerd throughout the movie, but he's soo not. Another great John Hughes movie.

This is probably my favorite naked juice. It's fruit andd vegetables. I love it.

And lastly, my favorite quote of the week(:



Have a great night everyone!

I will never be as bad as I used to be

I've had so many thoughts about my past lately. Maybe because I'm really depressed all the time, but I just keep remembering them.

I used to always think about my old friends, but now that I talked to them again and know that it may not work out between them, I don't think about that at all anymore because I no longer miss them.

I've really been thinking about one time in particular.

I was at my cabin, it was July. It was deep in my eating disorder. I was only eating less than 500 calories a day. My body looked like a 10 year olds. But, I remember that I wanted to recover, but something was pulling me back. I now know that was my eating disorder, but I was so torn and lost at the moment, I had no idea.

I decided to bake at the cabin, and when I always bake, I eat. I baked sugar cookie bars and these s'mores bars. I decided to only eat one of each, but that didn't happen.

What happened was, I baked the sugar cookie bars, and ate a ton of mini chocolate cookies along the way, along with some frosting, and 1 sugar cookie bar when they were done. To a normal person, they probably wouldn't feel that full, but to me I felt awful. So I did what I always do when I feel bad about what I ate, I drank tons of water. I was even more full after that, and I still felt awful so I took a nap.

The rest of the day, only kept getting worse. I kept eating more and more and cooking, and I felt so bad about it. I vowed not the eat the next day.

After dinner that day, I was still extremely guilty, so I jumped in the lake by our cabin and started swimming, to burn calories. I was still really full too, so I didn't swim much. But it felt good to exercise, I almost got a high from it in a way.

The next day came around, and all the food was still there. I was so tempted by it. So I drank water and skipped breakfast. But I started getting hungry, so I started eating. I couldn't stop, so I came up with a "plan".

I took a lot of sweets downstairs into the bathroom, and started chewing and spitting. I was eating some too, which I felt bad about so I tried to throw up. It didn't work. So I begged my mom to go swimming, and I started swimming again, even more than before. That was probably the worst weekend of my life.

I'm not sure why I keep remembering that. I always think about it almost every day. Maybe I was close to happy then, but I don't think so. I just remember that being one of the worst times of my eating disorder. I remember another really bad time, but I'll write about that later.

I have been trying to find ways to make me happy, but I'll write about that later too. This post was mainly to vent. Maybe I'll finally start to forget that bad weekend now.

But we always have to remember, we can't be jealous of those thinner than us. Because in reality, we're jealous of their illness, not of them.