Back in June, I decided that I wanted to lose weight, so I started keeping track of my weight loss and counting calories. However, it since seems to have evolved into trying to eat as few calories a day as possible. Thus, during this entire day, I have only had a bag of chips, and it’s afternoon. My family are worried about me. I’m not sure what I should do. I still want to lose weight, but I know that eating disorders can be very dangerous.
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Hi Rowan.
Thanks for posting. I am afraid you might be right. I think you are developing an eating disorder. Even when you are trying to lose weight it is not normal to eat a bag of chips and nothing else. It is not healthy for you to eat so little. Try asking your family for help. If they are worried they should help you with your problem. If you dont feel safe telling them try to reach out for support. there are places you can call and ask for help.
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Hi. Shortly after I posted this, my dad came into my room to ask what I had eaten today. I told him that I had a bag of chips and he was shocked that I haven’t eaten anything else. He keeps telling me that I have to eat, but, the thing is, I’m not even that hungry. Like, I could probably make it to dinner time without having to eat…
Update: My mom made me some mac and cheese as a late lunch. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until there was food in front of me.
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Your dad is right. Try to make a diet plan for your days. Something like a yogurt for breakfast, burger for lunch atc. and try to stick to it.
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I’ll try, but it’s difficult because I’m a picky eater. Additionally, I have an irregular sleep schedule, so I often sleep through at least one meal.
Speaking of which, I had some mac and cheese and then tried to take a nap, but I was too hungry, so I ate some cookies, and whaddya know? I actually feel more awake now!
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Well food gives you energy. It is possible that you are feeling more tired and sleepy because of the lack of energy. When you will start eating more you will see that you are much more energetic and stable.
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Okay. I’ll try to eat 3 meals a day again and see what happens.
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Hey there,
I know how you’re feeling. I used to count calories when I was in dance classes, and it never benefitted my mental health.
I’m really sorry you’re going through this right now, but know that we’re here for you. 
Something that helps my significant other is intermittent fasting.
This helps maintain a good weight and also allows you to eat the things you love. There are lots of options for the schedule and you can set it yourself, so even if you have a strange sleep schedule, you can set it up so you just count X number of hours after you wake up before you eat, and then X hours before you eat again.
My s/o only eats one large meal a day, but he’s able to eat fast food and junk and he doesn’t gain any weight.
I highly recommend this article to get started: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634
There is a downloadable PDF and it’s a peer reviewed article from Google Scholar that helps outline the benefits of fasting and different regimens that are followed.
But do some research and see if it’s right for you - counting calories is the worst, and it has never felt fun for me, and I can understand how doing something like that would lead to an eating disorder.
Know that we’re here for you and you are loved 
If all else fails, maybe you can ask your parents to take you to a nutritionist or a dietician of sorts, and they can help you figure out the best food plan for you based on a professional opinion.
Either way, I’m glad you have family that cares deeply about you, and recognizes that something is not right. I hope you find the resources you need are within closer reach than you might believe.
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Thank you for your support! You are very kind!
This is pretty much what I’m doing. I eat cookies and chips throughout the day and then have a large dinner with lots of protein. The problem is that that dinner is takeout and, usually, my family only gets takeout every other day. In between, I usually just eat mac and cheese for lunch and bacon for dinner.
The takeout day was yesterday, but my dad made an exception today. I’m worried that it’s my fault since he noticed that I wasn’t eating. I think he’s been trying to get me to eat more by offering me my favorite foods. Yesterday, he even offered to take me out for ice cream after I had skipped both breakfast and lunch, but I just opted for bacon instead.
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Awh, I understand the struggle
You’re not at fault for anything, your dad is just trying to help you heal and make sure that you are properly fed as well as he can manage.
I wish I could offer more help. Just hang in there and keep trying your best - make sure to eat something at least once a day, and just take it one step at a time. Maybe a multivitamin would be a good thing to consider taking if you’re not getting all the nutrition you need. I recently started taking one, and it has worked wonders. They have some pretty tasty gummy ones nowadays.
I really hope things work out and you are able to feel more comfortable with your eating habits.
You got this and we’re always here to talk
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Once again, thank you.
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