Is Thin another ED website? I've heard people talking about it and I'd be interested to check it out but I can't seem to find it.
I'm a member on PrettyThin but honestly I can't stand it. Most of the girls on there are teenage "anorexics" with a BMI of 25. They're all posting "thinspo for summer!" and talking about how mom made them eat a "whole bucket of KFC last night." I understand a lot of these girls are just confused- they think being "ana" is the same thing as dieting. Or if not dieting, they think it is the same thing as trying to eat 800 calories a day, then breaking down because they're hungry, eating a slightly large dinner and calling it a binge.
I know I sound somewhat condescending, and normally I do try to refrain from passing judgement on people I have never met. But there's something hugely disturbing and off about young women trying to pass their dieting off as anorexia. The girls that are overweight could easily find "support" on diet sites like myfitnesspal to effectively lose weight and keep it off. Crash dieting and taking hydroxycut is not going to get you "bikini ready" for summer. If anything it will slow your metabolism, change your body composition and make it hard for you to recognize your body's natural hunger cues.
I'm really coming to appreciate blogger, everyone on here is so incredibly kind. Reading everyone's blog is sometimes upsetting and depressing, but it's all very real. I can connect to the stories and lives of every person who follows me and vice versa. No matter where you live and what stage of your life you're in, when I read what you guys write I feel it because it's the truth.
THIN is another ED site. Luna from PT started is and a lot of people have moved over there, if you look you'll see a lot of poeple you recognize. Also, Forever...A Scone is a site that Vivo, one of the PT mods started. I tried them both and came back to PT, I didn't feel as "accepted" or maybe just didn't try very hard, it took me a long time to feel like I could chat on PT. and a lot of people use THIN and PT. I love blogger people people seem more real, less people asking for tips and such.
ReplyDeleteI agree about people coming in with the "pro ana" mentality but sadly that's todays world. I hate when people complain about how someone "made them eat like a whole plate of sphagetti and then ice cream and pizza" no, you did it on your own and own up to it. I call myself EDNOS because well, I know I'm not anorexic, and I jsut don't feel right saying I'm bulimic. Yeah, I'm a higher weight and I'll admit it, and calling myself what I truely am doesn't make me less of a person or have less of an issue you know? It took me forever to realise I do have a problem and that I'm not just a dieter, and even here on blogger I probably come off as a dieter since I don't post my daily hell. I just wish people could see what these disorders do to people instead of just assuming it's going to make you thin and pretty.
Sorry for the rant, I just lvoe that you posted this.
Samzi- everything I've ever read that you have written has been incredibly thoughtful and honest. I don't think you come off as a dieter at all. I'm in a similar situation- I'm not anorexic by a long shot and I'm no longer technically bulimic. I've never been diagnosed EDNOS but I'm sure if I went back to my doctor that's exactly what she would say. It's not our label, or our weight that makes us disordered. It's our behavior and our thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason why I relate to people so much more on blogger is because it's much smaller and much more personal. People tend to have real conversations, and you learn much more about them than you would on a site like PT. I have talked to some awesome people on PT and found some great blogs through there, but because it's such a popular site it gets flooded with new members who ask for tips, post thins and then disappear after a week.
I'm going to check out those other sites- do you have a link? If you haven't checked out WhyEat I would really encourage you too. It's a much smaller site and it's a true ED support site. You still get the random tweens trying to diet, but much less.
If you don't mind me asking, why don't you start writing a blog? I would fucking love to read it!!!!!