Christmas time for Eating Disorder sufferers.

I usually cook dinner and after 4 or 5 hours of being in front of a hot stove, the last thing I want to do is eat. I usually just graze after every thing has been placed on the table and people have helped themselves to what they want. Or I just sit nursing appetizers, crisps and desserts and the like...

 

You could always help out around the kitchen and use that as your excuse?

 

I love food, but making huge meals wears me out to the point I just cant eat it then. However on boxing day, I will piling my plate high with leftovers.. Yum.

Boxing day is in a way better than Xmas day! Leftovers both entice and repulse me with their buffet style yumminess Helping out is a good idea-plus I've offered to sort out my own main as the only veggie so it's one less then for my mum to do-so I have the "control" I need to enjoy it. If I plate up, and help to cook I shouldn't realy have a problem as I know exactly WHAT I'm eating. I'm such a weirdo.... Thanks for your post

I wish you could see you the way we see you sometimes

 

As for Christmas lunch, just because people expect to be full and bloated, doesn't mean we all have to be. As has been mentioned, help in the kitchen and make sure not too much food even gets cooked. It's such a waste that a lot of food has to be thrown away because people are over-faced.

 

Can you not sit them down (as you say they're not sure how to act around you) and just explain, that you'll eat as much as you feel comfortable eating, and just because you may not have as much on your plate as they do theirs, doesn't mean you're not enjoying it.

 

Do you have a Wii? You could always plan some fun and games for after the meal and, once you've taken that gorgeous dog for a post-Christmas meal walk, work off some of the calories from the plate full of sprouts you've had? BTW, I could soooo just have a plate full of those for Christmas lunch

 

I'm no expert, I've got my own issues with food and am working on trying to better them, but doing some calorie burning after the meal may make you feel a little better about feeling you've eaten too much?

You're so kind! I think a talk to my family is in order-of course they want to help, and I do not blame them for not really knowing what to do-even Andy sometimes admits that he has no idea how to be helpful sometimes (although he's v. good in the supermarket and stuff with regards to what we buy etc.) My main worry is being a worry to them-but I think if I explain, perhaps with backup from some articles from the internet, that conversely, by not eating loads I am actually BREAKING my destructive binge/purge cycle as opposed to perpetuating it then it may make them (and me!) feel less worried, them about me and me about worrying them

Calorie burning is a good idea-Jet is useful in that way And what's nicer than a post-dinner stroll in the woods on a lovely winter's day? We do it every Sunday after dinner and it's lovely. I'm quite lucky, sprouts and cauli covered in gravy are my favourite part of the meal (pigs in blankets don't work well with quorn )

If you need someone who understands to talk about your issues to you know where I am-I'm v. good at knowing what other people should do, I need to apply the psychology to myself clearly!

Despite this I cannot wait for Xmas though-although I should probably get shopping I have bought precisely nothing so far eeeeek!

Boxing day is in a way better than Xmas day! Leftovers both entice and repulse me with their buffet style yumminess Helping out is a good idea-plus I've offered to sort out my own main as the only veggie so it's one less then for my mum to do-so I have the "control" I need to enjoy it. If I plate up, and help to cook I shouldn't realy have a problem as I know exactly WHAT I'm eating. I'm such a weirdo.... Thanks for your post

Ive not suffered from an eating disorder, but have battled depression and other issues. I know its not easy and recovery is one baby step at a time. You shouldn't have to explain your actions to others (who dont know you or your situation very well) either.

Enjoy the holidays

I have thrown up my crimbo dinner before now but thankfully no longer feel that bad.... Still can't eat nice things without worrying/feeling guilty about it though. When I go for xmas at my mums I always worry because I hate the whole being fed millions of times a day thing.

This year we're not really doing xmas so thank god I can just have a normal sized meal with no one trying to feed me turkey butties two hours later