Signs of anorexia?

Since I keep seeing all these threads popping up about dieting, binge eating, and the whole mess of health issues caused by being either way too heavy or way too thin, I figured I’d just start this thread myself.

Basically, how can you actually tell when "watching your calories" crosses the line into losing total control? Like, at what point does a strict diet turn into full-blown anorexia?

I’m speaking from experience here, obviously. I used to be, let's say, a bit on the larger side, so I finally decided to get my act together and go on a diet. I slowly cut back on the food and worked my way down to my current weight. And look, I’m honestly really happy with how I look, but every single time I show up to a party or hang out with my family—especially my grandma—it triggers a total freaking meltdown!!😲
Everyone starts grilling me, asking if I'm sick or why I've gotten *so* skinny, and then there's all that nasty whispering about anorexia...

So, how do you spot it when anorexia has completely taken over?
Does it actually show up on a blood test, or is it something a regular doctor at a clinic would catch, or is the whole thing just purely mental?🙄

I honestly can’t tell what your deal is... but it’s just standard behavior: the moment someone starts losing weight, everyone immediately jumps in to start their little crusade. That’s just how people work.
They jump straight to diagnoses—anorexia, bulimia, you name it. They just invent illnesses to fit their narrative.

If you actually know how much you're eating, and if you have the self-control to stay grounded despite their unsolicited advice and constant comments, then you should just tune them out entirely.

However, if you find yourself genuinely doubting whether you're sliding toward an eating disorder, it would be wise to seek professional help on your own terms before things get out of hand.

From what I can see, you seem happy with where you are right now. Typically, someone struggling with anorexia has a distorted body image, constantly perceiving themselves as overweight or at their heaviest when they aren't.

The truth is, nothing in this world is "perfect." Being overweight isn't ideal, but neither is being underweight. There is always a healthy middle ground that every individual needs to recognize for themselves.

I’m right there with you.😉

It’s honestly ridiculous—the exact same people who used to constantly nag me about being "chubby" are now all over me saying I look way too thin.
It seriously gets under my skin... especially since I’m basically a total sponge when it comes to comments, soaking everything up, when I really should be like a brick wall that just lets all that nonsense bounce right off.☕

🤔 Just my two cents here—it doesn't strike me that you possess the typical mindset of someone struggling with anorexia, given that those individuals rarely feel thin enough regardless of their actual weight, but perhaps you are simply underweight... People generally perceive us quite differently than how we view ourselves 😉

Have you considered asking someone close to you—an adult with a bit of maturity, ideally—for an honest assessment of your physique?
Frankly, you might actually look better with a few more curves; there are plenty of women who carry a little extra weight much more gracefully 🤷

Laura Ramirez10, I truly feel for you..
I went through a similar thing myself—though calling it a "diet" isn't quite accurate; it was more of a complete dietary overhaul because I’ve developed this deep fascination with nutrition science and all those nuances of what one should or shouldn't be consuming. Naturally, the results were visible, and I lost a significant amount of weight, though certainly not to the point of being near anorexia or any other extreme health concern. Honestly, I’m perfectly content now because I don't have that excess bloating or the stubborn fat on my legs that used to cling to me, which makes it so much "easier to breathe," if you know what I mean. But yet, everyone around me—from my closest friends to my own parents—constantly invents these ridiculous narratives about how I'm "not acting normal" or how I'm "doing this to myself," and so on and so forth. My mother even went as far as threatening to bar me from attending my high school prom this year unless I gain five pounds (heaven knows what the "normal" amount is supposed to be!), but good grief, now that I am finally happy with my weight—and mind you, I am not malnourished, my BMI is perfectly ideal—suddenly they are all out to make me gain weight again... 😢
so, believe me when I say I know exactly how this feels.

Rebecca Ramos3 said:Laura Ramirez10, I totally feel you on this..
I was doing this diet too—well, it wasn't even really a diet, just my new way of eating because I've been getting super into nutrition and all that stuff about what to eat versus what to avoid. The results definitely showed up and I lost quite a bit of weight, but nothing crazy, I'm nowhere near being anorexic or whatever else people claim. Honestly, I’m happy right now because I don't have that belly anymore or all that extra fat on my legs that used to be there, so I can actually "breathe easier," but everyone around me—from my friends to my parents—won't stop making up stories about how I'm not acting normal or what I'm doing to myself and blah blah blah. My mom even threatened to ban me from going to prom this year unless I gain five pounds (I don't even know what's considered "normal"), but oh my god, now that I'm finally happy with my weight (I'm not undernourished, my BMI is perfect), they suddenly want me to bulk back up... 😢
so yeah, I get exactly how you feel.

Hey Rebecca Ramos3, ugh, see, THIS is exactly what I'm talking about!
I'll admit, I started out following the UN guidelines and felt healthier than I ever have, just tons of fruit, veggies, water... but then life happened, the whole college-to-work grind kicked in, and I was barely eating anything at all, so naturally, the pounds dropped off.

Look, I'm happy with how I look, but they've shoved so much crap into my head that I'm basically on the edge. I'm not even celebrating being thin like I thought I would back in the day. ☕

I'm thin, okay, I get it, but I don't necessarily want to be "stronger," yet I definitely don't want to end up sick either.

I'm heading to the clinic today to get some blood work done just to see what the results show.🤷

The first red flag of an eating disorder is being unable to answer one simple question: Why do I actually want to be thin? Write your answers down on paper.
Be brutally honest with yourself. And believe me if you're doing it to impress a boyfriend, to fit in with your clique, to mimic some influencer, or just because the sizes in those trendy boutiques are impossibly small... or maybe it’s so your grandma, your aunts, or those judgmental neighbors will finally stop commenting on how "great" you look or asking if you've lost weight when you know you haven't. If any of those are your motivators, take my word for it: none of them actually care. None of them are you. Not one. Everyone else is too busy drowning in their own frustrations to give a damn about your waistline. Does someone else's weight have a direct impact on your life? Think about it. It doesn't. The only time it matters is if that person is ill and you have a responsibility to care for them. Aim for balance. In everything. People would much rather be around someone who radiates confidence and self-assurance than someone obsessed with a single, repetitive fixation. Especially men! Believe me, I see the evidence everywhere. (You can claim you don't care about what guys think, but that's usually the last thing people realize when looking at the big picture.) They aren't buying Cosmo! They aren't looking at models with eating disorders. They buy Click and Playboy because... well, let's just say the imagery is everywhere, regardless of how artificial it is. Here’s a case in point: a girl, 5'9", 125 lbs—constantly insecure and neurotic—is dating a total catch, but the relationship implodes. Why? He’s now with a woman who is about 20 pounds heavier than her "ideal" weight, but she has confidence, she’s happy, she loves life, and she lights up the room. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE THIN OR HEAVY; WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU ARE HAPPY AND RADIANT!

To put on a single pound, you have to consume an extra 7,000 calories beyond what your body actually burns. It isn't usually because people are eating massive feasts; it’s because they aren't moving enough. Nutrition is essentially a math problem. Your biology operates almost entirely on mathematical principles.
The "yo-yo effect" kicks in when we mess up those equations. If you starve yourself and then try to return to a regular diet, your body doesn't just process the food—it hoards it. It acts out of pure survival instinct, stockpiling fat reserves because it’s terrified that another period of famine is right around the corner.
Don't let your entire existence revolve around this. You'll end up missing out on incredible moments in life because you're too preoccupied wondering if you're "fit" enough. Obesity is a nutritional imbalance, and disorders like anorexia and bulimia stem from the same root: an obsessive, crushing fixation on what we ate and what we’re about to eat.