my mate wants to try milkshake supplement to food|?

[smiley1590]

my mate wants to lose weight fast as got a family function coming up soon what to people think of her seriously thinking of trying milkshake supplement instead of food itself or eating very little???!!! or thinking of taking laxs? has she got a problem or not?

 

XKLX

[justine1]

She may not have a problem but she will have she does that!One of my aunts was addicted,for 13 years,on Laxatives,and she did other things to keep skinny,she ended up in hospital three times with stomach problems she also eventually became infirtile!The problem is she may see it as a quick fix but it has long term complications and if she sees herself "losing weight" she will definatley become addicted.

 

The milkshake thing may not cause long term damage but it is silly as she will just put the weight back on if she stops taking it.She may also faint and have no energy if she doesnt eat.Try and see if she can exercise with you give her motivation!

[Lynden]

The shake supplement diets can be effective if used properly (I've done it in the past) but they need to be part of a longer term maintenance plan - you shouldn't just do them and stop - you can lose weight quickly, but you should really follow the maintenance programmes too where you reintroduce food and undertake some form of counselling about how you deal with food. They shouldn't be used as a short term fix.

 

Laxatives should be avoided at all costs as a form of weight loss.

 

Lynne x

[Tally]

Yes, I think "your friend" really needs to talk to a doctor about her feelings toward diet and weight loss as soon as possible.

 

You have already lost a lot of weight recently and are very close to a healthy weight. Your family are going to be really proud of how well you've done already. Please, please get help before you end up addicted to laxitives!

[smiley1590]

my mate be fine won't she ??? X

[Tally]

I think your friend has an eating disorder. Left untreated, people can die as a result of eating disorders. But with the right support, people can recover from them. It all depends whether your friend seeks treatment or not.

[smiley1590]

eating disorder why you say that for?

[Tally]

With someone who is considering starving themselves or risking the damage that laxitives can cause, there are usually other symptoms like an obsession with weight, diet and exercise. People with eating disorders often believe they are larger than they are, and worry excessively about what others think of their size. I think your friend has an eating disorder, because a person without an eating disorder would never consider the things your friend is considering.

 

If your friend is already a healthy weight, or is already working toward a healthy weight, then she doesn't need to anything more that what she is already doing. If your friend is overweight and doing nothing about it, then this would be a very unhealthy way to lose weight.

 

What does your friend's doctor say about her plans?

[smiley1590]

that's it nothing to worry about! X what ED would it be? X

[Tally]

Your friend has been open and honest about her feelings about her weight and the lengths she is willing to go to in order to lose weight, and her doctor says it's nothing to worry about? Either your friend needs a second opinion from another doctor, or she is not being entirely truthful about what she has told the doctor.

 

I don't know what type of eating disorder this would be, but it sounds like a combination of the purging associated with bulimia, and thought of starving herself associated with anorexia. I can't say what the diagnosis might be, but it does sound like a complex problem which needs specialist medical intervention.

 

I would suggest your friend sees her doctor to discuss her feelings about her weight and her plans to lose it as soon as possible after the Easter break. The doctor can assess how much weight your friend really needs to lose in order to be healthy, and healthy and sustainable ways to go about it. If your friend starves herself or takes laxitives in order to lose weight for the family gathering, she will probably be unwell for the gathering.

[smiley1590]

she has been to the docs yet she says it nothing to worry about though!

[smiley1590]

my mate tried to make herself sick before putting fingers down her throat she keeps saying she wants to be sick after she eaten starve n supplement together .....

[Tally]

I think you realise this is something to be worried about, because otherwise you would not be posting about it. If the doctor isn't helpful, try a different one. Maybe take a friend or parent to the appointment as well, to get across quite how serious this has become. If there is any other mental health professional already involved, they would also be a good person to tell.

 

Here are some website about laxative abuse, which explain why you should be concerned about these kind of thoughts:

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ned...ts/Laxative.pdf

http://www.bulimia.com/client/client_pages/laxativeabuse.cfm

http://www.bulimiahelp.org/book/laxatives-...-laxative-abuse

http://www.tummytrouble.co.uk/risks-laxative-abuse.html

 

These websites also have some information on eating disorders generally:

http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/pr..._disorder.html#

http://www.swedauk.org/disorders/medical.htm

[cmuir]

Hi

 

My weight can yo-yo, most up though! I recall losing 2.5 stone by going to a gym twice a week. It was a fantastic feeling. I recall as the weight came off, having feelings of revulsion everytime I looked at myself in the mirror and could pinch an inch. I think it's very easy to want to keep going and keep going because people notice the weight coming off. It's a great feeling walking into a shop and know for sure that you can come out with something in your size off the peg. It's also nice to hear other people comment. However, the key thing is to be able to maintain your own natural bodyweight (people tend to hit a plateau) without starving yourself. I think when it goes beyond that, is when it become unhealthy and could become problematic. I can understand wanting to lose a few pounds in order to fit comfortably into a garment for a special occasions, but when there's uncertaintly as to whether it'll stop there is a problem. Also, shakes, etc are all well and good for the short term, but certainly not long term. I think a lot of it is about acceptance.

 

Caroline.

[smiley1590]

i havn't taken my friend to the docs yet ive tried to explain to her ....!!!

[smiley1590]

she hasn't had a period in ages ....??? and she goes the gym and exercises alot!!!

[Tally]

she hasn't had a period in ages ....???

Do you still think this is normal and a sign of good health?

[smiley1590]

not not for my mate nope! X

[smiley1590]

what loss of periods too? as she eats dinner but just bit fruit or youghurt for breakfast sometimes a lunch then dinner then yoghurt or fruit again??? is this down to exercising too much? X

[Tally]

So we've established there is a problem.

 

There's not a lot anyone can do down the internet.

 

You really need to make a doctor's appointment for as soon as you can after the Easter break.

[baranigirl]

periods will stop if someone is underweight (usually under 7 stone ish) and for other reasons too, but from what you have said she isn't eating sensibly and is also exercising too much

 

deffo a GP appointment, but that will only help if she is willing to admit she has a problem xx

[smiley1590]

she isn't under 7 stone!!!

[Lynden]

Your periods will stop if your body is at a weight that is too low for you. There isn't a magic number. If I look at weight loss charts for my height I should be between 8 and 9 and a half stone. When I was 8 stones 4lbs I had no periods at all for 5-6 months. When I gained some weight and was around 9 and a half stones they came back. My 'comfortable' weight is actually about a stone heavier than what the weight loss charts say. I'm a size 10 at that weight though so not overweight in my opinion (though I'm much bigger than that at the moment lol).

 

But yes, if your friends periods have stopped she really needs to see someone as that can result in all sorts of problems long term. I'd suggest a visit to your practice nurse even if your friend doesn't want to see her GP - nurses can be very helpful in weight matters.

 

Lynne

[justine1]

Your periods will stop if your body is at a weight that is too low for you. There isn't a magic number. If I look at weight loss charts for my height I should be between 8 and 9 and a half stone. When I was 8 stones 4lbs I had no periods at all for 5-6 months. When I gained some weight and was around 9 and a half stones they came back. My 'comfortable' weight is actually about a stone heavier than what the weight loss charts say. I'm a size 10 at that weight though so not overweight in my opinion (though I'm much bigger than that at the moment lol).

 

But yes, if your friends periods have stopped she really needs to see someone as that can result in all sorts of problems long term. I'd suggest a visit to your practice nurse even if your friend doesn't want to see her GP - nurses can be very helpful in weight matters.

 

Lynne

Yes,the above is true.If you lose weight too quickly and are not taking certain vitamins this can cause periods to stop,so there is no exact weight you will be when this happens as everyone differs.As I mentioned I had one aunt(on my fathers side) that suffered builimia,took supplements and laxatives,her periods stopped and she just thought it was age then discovered later she could not have children.

 

I have another aunt(on my mothers side) that had anorixia most of her life and still battles with how she sees herself.She also stopped menstruating but she got help early and she now has two kids.

 

So it is vital to get help now,both my aunts were/are good/healthy weight neither of them have ever been overweight,neither have ever been more than 9-10 stone, but they felt as though they were.One suffered a breavement and broke up with her fiancee thats what started the problem.The other one is extremely intelligent started not eating in her finalo scholl year and battled the problem while at Uni,she is an OT now but still has food issues.So it is a lifelong problem.

[JsMum]

my mate tried to make herself sick before putting fingers down her throat she keeps saying she wants to be sick after she eaten starve n supplement together .....

How long have you known your friend? there is a big chance she could be still doing this.

 

Milkshakes will not satisfy her for long, she will more likely purge and be sick in this situation, she needs to see a Dietition or Nutrisitionist, so she can assess her diet to see where and how she can loose weight, ideally to loose weight for good its around 1lb a week, done with moderate exercise, if she is exercising on little calories then she will again purge feel terribly guilty and be sick and take laxatives until its a vicous circle.

 

The body will then start to store up fat thinking the body is going into starvation mode, hense she cant resist the purges.

 

It is far more successful to loose weight gradually with a moderate exercise programme where the body can recover and then replenish, the way your friend wants to do it with milkshakes and lax wont be healthy, it could leave her dehydrated, lacking in energy to the point even getting up will be hard never mind attempting the gym and a 6k run.

 

I would agree with Tally that your friend has a Eating Disorder and you dont need to be a match stick to have an eating disorder because an eating disorder is more about how you feel and think about food, if your always preoccupied with the thought of loosing weight and over excercising, eating very little and then going to the toilet to get rid then that is an Eating Disorder, she is clearly in denial, she wont ever get to a stage to really worry because by the time she is worried she could be in serious physcial health by then.

 

It would not be wise to let your friend go down the road of Milkshakes or Lax given that she has issues with loosing weight by been sick and over exercising even at this stage.

 

JsMumxxx