hi Candice,
I had a look in your journal, and see that you haven't been feeling well for some time, appetite dwindling and aversion to food. The last post from a week ago you express worries that you're not losing weight fast enough, and that somebody (??) had told you you're not eating right unless you're losing 3 - 4 lbs a week.
First, I just want to say that 3 - 4 lbs a week on an ongoing basis is just about impossible for most women. The dramatic losses are typically in persons who have a large amount of weight to lose in the first place, and is usually only seen in the initial weeks of low-carbing. For most women, it's realistic to lose 1½ - 2 lbs of fat in a week, no more. Weight lost over that amount is water and/or muscle tissue.
Like BarB, I am concerned that you may be headed down the unhappy road of Eating Disorders. Have you felt this way before about food? Razzle has posted some
links to ED self-assessments which might be revealing for you.
Do you suffer from depression?? Loss of appetite can be a symptom, as well as the "coming down with something" blahs, tired all the time, no joy in life .. etc.
You don't have to feel this way.
If you're worried you might be headed for an eating disorder, do check out these websites:
- Something Fishy is an excellent site on Eating Disorders. There are links to non-profit organisations and a questionnaire. It's very gentle, and non-threatening.
- Mirror-Mirror is a personal site by an ED survivor named Colleen. Very well-laid out, with lots of links, and lots of personal insights. She's also posted some tips on how to do Normal Eating, especially when you have fears about eating certain foods and getting fat.
If you think you may be depressed, then maybe you might find it helpful to take an antidepressant for a period of time; you won't need to take it forever.
Either way, it would be a good idea to see your doctor to have things checked out. It may be an infection or bug of some kind as the others have suggested. Or, if there's some emotional trouble, she/he can help with that too. You don't have to struggle alone. You're body is crying out for nourishment, and you should feed it. If you choose whole natural foods like real meat, eggs, butter, olive oil and fiber-rich vegetables you won't need to worry about "too much fat".Those good foods will be turned into the building blocks for repairing and building a healthy body.
Take good care of yourself. And keep us posted how you're doing
Doreen