A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:hi there. ok well for about a year now i have been going without eating lunch everyday .and eventually got use to the routine of not eating until the evening. (due to work )i moved in to a flat 4 months ago so when i get home from work i could eat what i like .( i love salads and veg rice ). so basically for the past 4 months ive just been eating salad like food just at tea times and then im full . i get really full very quick and, cant to seem to eat like i use to .! i also cant remember the most simplest things i cant even remember what i did last week let alone yesterday . but i thought that was just me being ditzy. i also get very tired during the day.i went out the other nite and someone said ive lost weight and look fantastic and that i should keep it like that . i was a size 10 .now i can fit in to size 8 clothes with them loose. overall 5 people have said ive lost a lot of weight. the more i hear it the more i want to ???sorry for rambiling just i aint got no one else to talk to . i just wanted to ask this is normal right ?i just dont want to fall in any kind of obsessive weight issue.? as i dont choose to eat like this . but i cant have lunch and then teai think im allrite on wat i eat during the day but wondering how long i can keep doing it for so its not anyway dangerous? thanks soooo sorrry for me goin on .
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female
reader, k_c100 +, writes (2 October 2009):
 If you think you are greedy for having 3 meals a day then I am afraid it is very close to an eating disorder and you really should seek help from a professional.
What you should do is have breakfast before work, something to eat once you finish work at 2.30 then your evening meal at around 7pm. That way it gives your body time to digest inbetween meals but still it is getting the nutrients you need.
You say you are not 6 stone but you are 7 stone something, therefore you are not far away from being seriously underweight. Unless you want your health to suffer then you need to admit that you have to eat more - none of this "I CANT eat more" attitude. If you think this way then yes you have an eating disorder, you either have to just try to eat 3 times a day and get on with it, or you seek professional help.
A
female
reader, HereAreMyTwoCents  +, writes (2 October 2009):
 Yes, your eating habits seem to be taking a toll on your body and mind. It may be nice to have lost weight, but not like this! The proper way to lose weight is to eat enough to give your body the nutrition it needs, and then to EXERCISE OFF the extra calories you don't want to keepe! Yes, a SMALL reduction in the number of calories eaten is ok, but not the amount you seem to have cut out in your case. I would not criticize you for cutting out say 500 calories out of a 2000 calorie diet, per day, and then combining that 500 deficit with some exercise to lose weight. But what you are doing is just cutting out an immense amount of calories, and it's harming your body's and brain's functions. There is no excuse for not getting proper nutrition unless you're living in a starving country! I would suggest packing foods with you the night before. Simple things that don't require wrapping or much attention and can literally just be thrown into your backpack, purse, or whatever it is you carry around with you during the day. Obvious examples: apples, bananas, peaches, any type of durable fruit that comes with its own covering. Granola bars, fruit cereal bars is another good one. My personal favorite way to eat during the day is to take a couple of handfuls of raw almonds, dump them in my pocket and pick at them throughout the day. Excellent for your heart and fatty acids that your brain needs so you stop forgetting things! Although very portable, Pop-tarts is not my first recommendation because they are junk food, but they are better than not eating anything at all!
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (2 October 2009): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionhey.
yea i see where your coming from . but i dont see myself as bordering an eating disorder as i dont choose not to eat lunch i cant because im at work and dont finish till 2.30. so i dont get a lunch break.
i never wanted to loose weight but because of work i have.
so my body got in that routine of not eating properly . i stand up for 6 hrs straigt being busy so its not like i need excersoise. ( cant even think to spell )
also its not like im 6 st or anything. my mum has been sayin im too skinny and that my collar bones stick out more they use to
and yea i admit when i feel full i feel like a pig and i feel like my face is fat :s. its weird. but its just coz im not use to eating the way i use to.
i find it harder to fight off infections anyway ever since i was little somethin happened to me leaving me with a low immune system.
so i dont no :s i cant have 3 meals a day i would just feel greedy. even though i know its not. or even a sandwhich 4 lunch and a cooked meal for tea. no can do.
like today i had flap jack and cup of coffee and a cup of tea to keep me going.
thanks for your advice though . dont know wat to do now lol
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A
female
reader, k_c100 +, writes (2 October 2009):
Ok yes your diet is very unhealthy and you are doing your body some serious damage. It is NOT normal to eat once a day, it is very abnormal. It sounds like you are bordering on an eating disorder if you are enjoying all the compliments about losing weight and are dieting to try and get more compliments - that is classic behaviour displayed in anorexics.
A typical woman should be eating 2000 calories a day but depending on your height you can get away with eating between 1500 and 2500 a day, but you should never go lower than 1500 a day otherwise you will be doing some serious internal damage to your body. If you are only eating vegetables at night then I would say you are eating maybe no more than 500 calories a day, so if you carry on at this rate I would say your body will start eating into your muscle within 6 months and you could have heart failure and sorry to say this, you will die.
The heart is a muscle, and when your body does not get enough calories (ie energy) then it starts to eat the muscle for energy. So when it has gone through all the other main muscles in the body, it will start to break down your heart muscle which leads to heart failure which is fatal.
The reason why you feel full so quick and "cant" eat lunch and tea is because your body is so used to starving and not eating that it has shrunk your stomach, so not much food can fit in there. Hence why obese people can eat so much - their stomachs have stretched over time to fit more and more in.
Therefore the only way to be able to eat more (which you REALLY need to do) is to force yourself to eat even when you feel full or not hungry. This will make your stomach expand so within a few weeks your appetite will increase and you will be able to eat more.
It is good that you like veg, vegetables are very important and contain lots of vitamins and nutrients you need. But also of equal importance are other food groups - you NEED protein as a woman because it contains iron, which we lose monthly on our period. So you must start eating meat, if you are vegetarian then eat vegetarian foods which contain protein, like dairy foods (milk, eggs, cheese etc), pulses, nuts & seeds and soya.
The reason your tired is because you are eating at the wrong times of day and you are not eating enough carbohydrates. Carbs provide us with energy - veg wont give you energy, so you must eat carbs. So thats bread, potatoes, pasta, rice....you dont need to go overboard and eat loads but you really do need to eat carbs if you want energy throughout the day.
The reason you forget things and feel "ditzy" is because your brain doesnt have the energy or nutrients to operate properly, hence it is slowly shutting down. This is a clear sign you are malnurished and not eating enough - you are basically starving your brain of everything it needs and eventually it will give up, just like your heart will in time.
So what you need to do is work on a better diet where you actually eat more than veg and eat 3 times a day. So when you wake up, you need a good breakfast within half an hour of waking. It can be anything you like - cereals, porridge, eggs, toast, fruit, yoghurt.....all of those foods will help kick your metabolism off in the morning and give you some energy to start the day. It is important to try and get some carbs in the morning as you need your energy throughout the day at work, so you need to get off to the right start. A banana is a good food for energy, so is toast and cereal.
Lunch should also contain carbs, to keep you going in the afternoon. Again you can eat whatever you like - have a salad if you want but drizzle some olive oil on it (it is very important you eat some fats - the fat in olive oil is very good for you, just like the fats in fish). Have a bread-roll with your salad for energy.
For your final meal you dont need carbs so much so you can do away with them if you are feeling full, but you still need a balanced meal. So have something like fish and salad, or chicken salad etc.
You cannot continue like this otherwise you will experience some serious health problems. If you manage to avoid heart failure then you could get Osteoperosis when you are older, you may get brittle bones because they are so weak from the lack of calcium. It can affect your fertility - your periods may even stop soon if you carry on like this. You will find it harder to fight off infection as your immune system is too weak from lack of nutrients and energy to fight off any infections. Anemia is another side effect of being underweight.
Basically if you carry on like this where you are losing weight and not eating a balanced diet you WILL damage your health in the long term. It will also damage your appearance - your skin will become dull, your hair will fall out and become lank and lifeless, your nails will be brittle and break easily....is it really worth putting your health and appearance at risk just to lose more weight?
You can be a healthy weight, look good and still eat. Food is vital for us - we need a balanced diet containing every food group in order to survive. When you start skipping food groups problems WILL occur. If you are worried about eating and gaining too much weight then do a little exercise - but please only exercise if you are eating properly. If you exercise on the diet you have now you will speed up the adverse effects your diet will be having on your body and you could end up having serious health problems sooner because of it. Exercise puts a lot of strain on the heart so you need to be strong and healthy in order to exercise without doing more harm than good. So if you are going to exercise you need to massively increase your carb and protein consumption.
I hope this helps and please see a doctor if you need to discuss nutrition further.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (2 October 2009): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionhiya. (responding to devastated 2008)
i dont eat breakfast very rarely if i do !
i dont eat meat apart from chicken time to time i do eat applea and oranges , i dont like whole grain food .
im 5 ft 4 .. and i haven weighed my self since last year but when i didi i was just 8 stone. but i dont know how much i would way now. (obviously less)
and yer people are always telling me i look tired and i could have a full nite sleep and still feel tired in the morning
thanks everyone
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (2 October 2009): I got in to a eatting routine like that for about 8 years.
And it does cause problems, you need to maybe talk to your GP about your diet. My suggestion would be to maybe snack on health things like fruit and nuts if you can't have lunch.
I know it probably seems great you get all these lovely comments about your weight loss but if it continues you might become obsessed with your weight and maybe start to lose too much weight.
I don't suggest doing this as long term eatting routine.
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A
female
reader, devastated2008 +, writes (2 October 2009):
 Really not enough information...
Do you eat breakfast? if so what?
Any protein? Any fruit? Dairy? Whole grains?
How tall are you and how much do you weigh?
With the memory issues there might be some nutritional deficits... start taking multi-vitamins and omega3 oil supplements and make sure you are getting protein too plus the other groups. You can still keep small portions which is great and the salads, but probably need to quit losing weight and just maintain.
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (2 October 2009): hmm
Well the fact that you are tired could imply you are not getting enough iron?
IMO As long as you are getting a good variety of food eg
Meat, fish, chicken, fruit , vegetables
Then your diet should be fine. However if you are just eating one of those meals, its quit possible you are not getting all nutrients you need..
Could be worth getting a blood test to see your iron levels.
My ex gf, she had a stage where she was forgetfull, forgot simplest things, was always tired (m talking she could sleep for 12 hours and still be tired!!!!!, record I think was she slept for 16 hours lol). She also had trouble breathing sometimes (nothing serious).
She went to the doctor a few months ago and he said she was fine (he did blood test), however after a while of me insisiting, she finally agreed to go to another doctor, who did the blood test. This time they told her she was severly anemic so now she is on iron suppliment. If that doesnt work I think they have another step. She is starting to feel better now :D
Mega B is another good vitimim IMO. It helps deal with fatigue.
Hope I helped...
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (2 October 2009): I don't think it's unhealthy that you don't eat at lunchtime. However I feel that your body has become accustomed to the change and has adjusted to it well. I use to binge on snacks at night but once I start to cut back I hardley eat them. At long as you are eating I think you're fine. Be proud that you have lost weight you shoule be!!! But remember to be healthy and don't starve yourself. If you;'re hungry eat if not then don't force yourself. :)
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A
female
reader, compuzzled_chick  +, writes (2 October 2009):
 You're not going on. I know this sounds strange coming from a teenager, but I was always a fitness finatic. I've recently taken up fitness lessons in my high school and a few things to keep in mind is that you should always eat the right amount of calories in a day. Don't be obsessive about it, either, to know the proper calorie intake for your body, multiply your weight by 10. then add your actual weight to it. So say you weigh 130 pounds, your calorie intake would be 1430 calories a day. (1300+130) Secondly, watch your macronutriends. 30% of your daily calorie intake should be fats, 12% should be protein, and 58% carbohydrates... I believe. Keep this as a base along with a daily workout, even if it's just a quick walk on your break, and you should be healthy, and look great too!
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