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Pro eatting disorder sites?

slyvan wanderer

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Can anyone link me to a pro-eating disorders site? I find this topic interesting and I am curious and want to look at one of these sites. Move this thread to Dark Side if necessary, I wasn't sure which one to post in.
 
I have a morbid fascination with these myself too. Not that I've ever been anywhere NEAR anorexic, or even wanted to be really... I just find it interesting in an objective, curious kind of way. It's quite obvious from those sites that it really is a mental affliction, not a physical one. It's an all consuming pastime and hobby for these people.

Imagine that being your whole life, counting the calories in a cough lolly, and flicking a rubber band on your wrist every time you feel hungry to distract yourself. It's not a life I think anyone who's got the luck of a "normal" mind/body should ever aspire to.

What does everyone think of sites like this? Should they be banned for encouraging the obsession and teaching new 'ana' tricks? Or are they the sole source of support for this often lonely group of people, who'd otherwise feel completely misunderstood and isolated?
 
Strawberry_lovemuffin said:
Imagine that being your whole life, counting the calories in a cough lolly,

Eh, I'm obsessive about counting calories but I'm not anorexic. I keep track of every calorie I consume and feel guilty if I can't at least estimate (and be sure I'm reasonably accurate) the calories I consume. BUT, I do eat, so I'm not just like them.

I find this stuff sort of interesting too. Much in the same way you desribed, SLM. I looked at the site I linked, when I clicked on it to get the URL. It's... well... I feel so bad for those girls. And I can't look at the pictures (they freak me out) but for some reason diet and weight and all that does intrigue me. Probably because I had my own struggle with it in the past, so I know how these girls feel inside.

I was bulimic/anorexic about 8 years ago but I was never *that* bad. Never got below 100lbs or anything. I was around 160 lbs (I'm 5'6") and I dieted obsessively (calorie counting worked best for me) and went to the gym for 3 hours everyday, and I mean EVERY day no matter what. I would only consume 1000 calories a day, but I would BURN 1000 calories at the gym. Therefore taking in negative 2000 a day (burning off everything I ate essentially meant I ate nothing). I got down to 110 lbs. Then, my mom AND doctor threatened to throw me into rehab, so I started eating again. And I gained back all the weight and then some.

Then when I was 19 I started doing drugs and lost weight from that. Got down to about 150 lbs and kept it there for awhile. Seeing as how I was a meth addict you'd think I would have gotten skinnier than that :p but I ate a ton on my "days off". Then, ironically, when I quit using meth, I actually LOST weight (most addicts who quit gain A LOT of weight) because I started eating healthy and exercising too.

Now I'm almost 23, and I have maintained a weight from 125-132lbs (I think everyone should set their goal weight as a range anyway, especially women because our weights fluctuate during the month from our periods :p ) for about 2 years now. Yes I count calories, because I'm afraid of being fat. But NOT so afraid of being fat that I don't eat. I also go to the gym 5 days a week (I'd probably go 7 days a week but I can't because of my work schedule), BUT I'm not obsessive about it and I do a healthy workout routine (so not 3 hours of nonstop cardio!)

Wow I wrote a lot lol :)
 
Well, I think 'whatever' - open society and all that. But looking back, my years spent on miserable pro-ana/mia sites, throwing my food up and obsessing.. I think were the most non-progressive, stupid years of my life. I'm embarassed at how tiny and self-absorbed my mind must have been to make my weight my life. I truly haven't given a toss for years now and i've achieved much better things. I dunno, maybe I've just gotten stroppy, because all I got from being thin and pretty was treated like an airhead footballer's wife (which is what I deserved). It got me nowhere .. even when I reached my miserable 'target' weight and self-indulgently admired myself. RETARDED. Nobody cares. The fashion followers can follow each other wherever they want, they are blind to the whole point of this rich, diverse life. So, I do my own independent shit now, work hard and socialise and try to develop my personality into something more lasting than 'an outfit'. And seriously, when I meet anorexic footballers wives, I feel like shaking my head.

Self pride and self confidence.. looking after yourself, loving yourself is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING.

werd

(shall I go and audition for Destiny's Child or something)
 
I've read some of the site like this out of curiosity in the same sort of way slm was talking about. I've never come close to being like that, and couldn't ever see it happening, and don't understand how they are thinking, but it's just like watching a bad car wreck when you drive by...
 
the ana friends forum is full of girls. pink text, huge HUGS and smilies animations, lots of "!!!!"

if those avatars are the actual pictures of the girls, they could be really pretty if they werent so skinny
 
I think that sites like that are sick. But then again there are loads of sick peopel out there. Look at those sites that are dedicated to 'bug chasers' HIV - men that are looking to hook up with HIV + men so that they can get infected.
 
blonde said:
Well, I think 'whatever' - open society and all that. But looking back, my years spent on miserable pro-ana/mia sites, throwing my food up and obsessing.. I think were the most non-progressive, stupid years of my life. I'm embarassed at how tiny and self-absorbed my mind must have been to make my weight my life. I truly haven't given a toss for years now and i've achieved much better things. I dunno, maybe I've just gotten stroppy, because all I got from being thin and pretty was treated like an airhead footballer's wife (which is what I deserved). It got me nowhere .. even when I reached my miserable 'target' weight and self-indulgently admired myself. RETARDED. Nobody cares. The fashion followers can follow each other wherever they want, they are blind to the whole point of this rich, diverse life. So, I do my own independent shit now, work hard and socialise and try to develop my personality into something more lasting than 'an outfit'. And seriously, when I meet anorexic footballers wives, I feel like shaking my head.

Self pride and self confidence.. looking after yourself, loving yourself is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING.

werd

(shall I go and audition for Destiny's Child or something)

Top post, blonde. That's exactly how I feel about the whole thing.

As I wrote here http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?postid=3080641#post3080641, I am a far happier person now than back in the days when I was desperately trying to be a size 8 (that's probably a 2 for you Americans).

When I got there - whoo hoo! - yeah I spent many self indulgent moments looking at myself in the mirror, this way and that... wearing those clothes I thought only "other people" could wear, admiring my little arms and tiny wrists...

But when I went out, all it did was make me into a slut. I wore the revealing clothes I never could wear, and strutted around. So surprise! I got attention from guys who were as shallow as I was, and who treated me like crap.

And because I was enamoured with the fact I could now *get* guys as good looking as that, i allowed them to treat me like a little slurry, and did a lot of things I'm not proud of. AND, I went home lonely and alone in many cabs, hugging my skinny legs to my body. Being skinny didn't make them want me as a girlfriend, or want to know what was in my mind or heart. It didn't do a darn thing really, except make trying on clothes fun.

I get my self esteem else where now; in fact, I'm pretty chuffed with my body most of the time now even 3 dress sizes larger. I get just as many loooks, compliments and wild sexual experiences now too ;) Perhaps more so.
 
slyvan wanderer said:
sorry, I thought obscure one's would be listed

It's perfectly ok :)

I just took a minute to type it into Google and give you some results :) And I feel this topic does have discussion value which is why I left it open but moved it from the Second Opinion forum to Healthy Living. :)
 
fizzygirl said:
I've read some of the site like this out of curiosity in the same sort of way slm was talking about. I've never come close to being like that, and couldn't ever see it happening, and don't understand how they are thinking, but it's just like watching a bad car wreck when you drive by...

i feel the same way, except there is some small (lol) part of me that wants to "express" myself this way... i definitely keep it under control, and part of that means that i can't have a scale in my house, or else i get obsessed with checking it everyday. this may seem normal to some people, but to me it's more self-absorbed than i want to get...
 
Top post, blonde. That's exactly how I feel about the whole thing.

I was going to say the same thing. I just taught an English lesson about this exact thing- body image and attractiveness in males vs females. Good to see `chicks` are realising body image is meaningless.
 
Yeah, and its really taking a toll on guys.
SO many guys have distorted body image now.
And its not just about being skinny.
It's about being muscular, lean, and ripped, which is a lot harder to achieve than just not eating or chundering up meals.
 
Yeah even before the metrosexual thing there were lesser known stories regarding young boys/men and eating or (possibly more common)working out issues. Most people have seen one of the analyses where they talk about if Barbie was a real woman she would have these insane proportions...well they've done the same sort of thing with g.i. joe dolls and the like. They just aren't realistic standards for men either. I've also seen pictures of the original dolls (from the 80s?) vs. those that they reissued today and the ones today are all crazy bulked up and so huge in comparison.
 
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