"You Look Anorexic"

I have heard the above phrase uttered countless times by people who are seeing their friends drop massive amounts of weight and starting to look thin/skinny compared to their old bodies ... I have gotten this comment a handful of times as well. I wish I could get it to stop. Even though the person probably doesn't mean harm by it - although some probably are - it isn't a phrase I like to hear thrown around.

Why you might ask?

Well if you are new to the blog, I battled - and still battle today - eating disorders. I wrote a post about it back in June 2011 with more detail, but basically I either survived on nothing but crackers for months and I just "upchucked" anything that went into my stomach the rest of the time. Not healthy. Not healthy in the least. But I was losing weight. At the time my lowest was 180, but I wasn't in a good place. But, no one knew, how I was really losing weight. I just kept hearing "you are looking great" or "keep up whatever you are doing." Well, in my twisted mind that meant keep on being completely unhealthy.

But, with the help of friends, I slowly overcame that mentality. And now I am happy to be a HEALTHY 155 lbs.

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I still have to battle that little voice each day. While I was off plan the last two weeks and overeating, my immediate thought was to hit the bathroom and get rid of the problem or maybe I will just not eat my points tomorrow and it will all balance out.

Then I remembered ... that is NOT healthy. Weight Watchers has helped to teach me that each day is a new day, each meal is a new meal. I do not have to punish myself if I "slip up" one day, one week or one month. I just take my time to work it out and get back on plan.

Continuing to keep those thoughts in my head, kept me from slipping back into those bad habits recently...

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So when someone tells me I am "looking anorexic" I take complete hurt in that. I mean not everyone knew/knows I had an eating disorder, but that is another reason why you shouldn't make an offhand comment like that. YOU don't know what that person has been through in their life that they aren't sharing.

I beg of people today! Please be mindful of the comments you make to your friends who are embarking on a weightloss journey. I would love to hear people say "You are looking strong," "You are looking lean," or "You are looking healthy." Rather than going to "You are looking skinny."

Because for me ... this whole journey has been about getting to a healthy place in my life - a healthier relationship with food - a healthier spot inside and out.

So I ask people out there to please take a quick moment to think before you tell a friend "You Look Anorexic."