Eating Disorders Forum - Forgetting to Eat...

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Anorexia nervosa is one of several eating disorders. But what is anorexia exactly and who does it affect? Get anorexia basics and facts in this short intro....

Q: Forgetting to Eat...

asked by: Songwriter105 on May 22nd, 2006

New User

I have a myriad of issues i've been bringing up on here, but one that continually plagues me, is my bad eating habits. I have no idea if it's an actual eating disorder, but I might as well see if anyonw has any input.

If I eat first thing in the morning, I feel neaseus. I feel that no matter what I eat weighs 100 lbs in my stomach. And it affects me the rest of the day. So, I put off eating till an hour or so after I wake up...Only problem is, I forget about it. I get busy doing other stuff and next thing you know, it's nighttime and I still have yet to eat.

Then I go on the hunt for something "quick and effective" and if I can't find anything I can make in under 5 mins, I just don't eat. I can go for a good 2 days solid without eating, and not even notice.

There are other times where I constantly, constantly snack on items. For about 2-3 solid hours i'll eat whatever comes into my hands. (within reason of course) crackers, chips, sandwich, bowl of cereal, ramen noodles, whatever.

Now, I moved out at 15, i'm 25 now. I spent a few years on social assistance and got used to eating little due to my income. Then I spent a few months hitchhiking across canada for the experience, but meals were few and far between.

After which I just needed less food to function. I constantly "prepare" myself mentally to change my diet for the better...But again, I wake up...Wait...And forget.

I've even tried leaving little post-it notes around saying "eat something", or "grab a piece of fruit while you're here" and just either consciously or sub-consciously ignore them.

I'm 6', and weigh 145 lbs. I'd really like to put on 20 lbs and be in my "ideal weight" class. Now, i'm not "out of shape" or the like, I work out regularily, and have been a martial artist since childhood...But, I want to move up to a healthier weight, and...Remember to eat.

Anyone else have this issue? Or any tips or suggestions?

Replies(9)

ladyroz

replied on July 12th, 2007

New User

Re: to Songwriter105 - Forgetting to Eat

I stumbled across your posting while I was surfing the web. My issue seems to be quite similar to yours. Once I start eating, I can eat for a very long time, but more noteworthy, I forget to eat. I don't feel like eating first thing in the morning. I don't get hungry til around 11. By that time, I'm at work and have realized that I didn't even think to eat breakfast or pack a lunch. Food is usually the furthest thing from my mind, until I'm beyond starving. The only reason I even think to eat is that I notice my fingers or toes getting cold, my energy dropping, or my mental state waning -getting sad for no reason. I notice these things and wonder why I'm feeling this way; oh yeah! I should have eaten something 5 hours ago! I'm going to try writing myself post-it notes, like you have tried. That might be something that will work for me. You posted over a year ago, so if you read this and have figured out anything new, I'd love to hear back from you. Best wishes!

bibisim

replied on August 8th, 2007

Experienced User

Re: to Songwriter105 - Forgetting to Eat

ladyroz wrote:

hello ladyroz,

I got through anorexia and bulemia and am trying to learn to eat noramally now.
I used to eat nothing for one to three days believing I clean my body, but ended up with eating disorders.
I think this is great that you dont eat anything before 11. I shall remember this for my plan. I am much energised when dont eat right after wake up.
Do you drink coffee in the morning?
A tip, to secure you stomack from morning acid, drink mineral water with honey or just a glass of mineral water.

best

Daitenshi

replied on July 27th, 2008

New User

I was shocked that someone else does the same thing I do. I'm a teenager so my family has constantly accused me of being anorexic or something else similar to that but I am not. I really don't care about my weight at all personally. I am happy with the weight that I am. But it's just that I forget. Like this morning, I woke up, took a shower, got in a fight with my friends over the phone and then I walked to go hang out with my older sister for a bit. Then I came home and got on the computer. It was only until about 8:30 PM that I realized I had not ate or drank anything at all the entire day. So I went and ate something. That is hard enough as it is. I have no desire for food at all. I never really liked the taste of food and it kind of makes me sick. I mean, somedays I just snack on stuff, like when I am over at a friend's house but when I am at home or alone I totally forget. Like I will go to eat but someone will ask me to do something and I forget that I even was going to eat. I'm not even quite sure what hunger really feels like. What I assume hunger is at the moment is when I get what feels like a knawing hole in the pit of my stomach, or it seems like a stomach ache, then I just feel sick. I've gone a total of four days without eating before. It just didn't even occur to me to eat. It's like I don't view food or liquids as a thing that I need to live but in reality I do. I can't understand it. It's so strange. I'm really worried about what will happen when I don't have people to remind me to eat.

Honeycomb

replied on July 28th, 2008

Experienced User

RE: Daitenshi

Just wanted to mention that our desire to eat (or not) is controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain, and the hormones leptin and grehlin (one to make us hungry, and the other to turn off hunger and let us know when we've had enough to eat. Maybe, because of hormonal changes, or endocrine disruption of some kind, some people have too much of one hormone or not enough of the other. If it's a serious problem, a neurologist or endocrinologist may be able to help. If eating early in the morning causes nausea it could be from low cortisol. However, I can't eat early morning or I upset my stomach, and I don't think I have low morning cortisol. My son does though. javascript:emoticon(' nurse

ginasaharudin

replied on March 5th, 2009

New User

Forgetting to eat

i am a teenager now but ever since i was a yooung kid untill about when i was around 15, i hated eating. My parents and nanny used to think i was always on a diet or was anorexic but that was seriously not the case. I used to look at eating as miserable as i usually get scolded for not finishing whats on my plate or for eating too slow or eating too little, so everytime a meal came by i knew i was in for alot of scolding. Thats why i used to hate eating. sometimes i dont eat at all. i never snacked too. But of course i was a kid, and like every kid, there came a time where i would occasionally snack on anything sugary. Infact, i could eat a lot of sweet things but my mum wasnt the type of person who would stock our kitchen with junkfood.I used to not know what being hungry feels like, but i did get stomach aches all the time!! but i never knew it was linked to my eating habits.
Sometimes i would come home from school and go straight to studying , forgetting to eat.
But of course once i turned 15 the internet and friends helped me realize what a big mistake i was making.

jonandme

replied on March 24th, 2009

New User

Forgetting to eat

I have always had trouble remembering to eat. Honestly, I love food and I love eating, but if it isn't placed in front of me or if there isn't a designated time in which I am supposed to eat and food is readily accessible, I just don't think about it. And sometimes this goes on for a very long time. Once in college a friend stopped me and casually asked when I had eaten last as an invitation to join her. I had to think about it, and concluded that my last meal was three days earlier. I didn't feel hungry at all. I'm usually ok at work because I plan for lunch breaks andusually the anticipation of a luch break in and of itself can produce in me an appetite. But Saturdays or other days off when there is no set definition of time in my day to do specific things I usually don't think about food at all until I get really really sick. I get awful headaches, nausea, light headedness, hot flashes, and gitters. At that point the last thing I feel like doing is eating, but I try to force a little something down, try to sleep (or at least lay down to prevent passing out if I feel too sick to sleep) until some of it has digested and I feel a little better and then I can try to eat a regular meal. Other times nothing sounds good. Once when I was a teenager I had a craving for macaroni and cheese during my summer break from school. We didn't have any in the house and rarely went shopping because we lived in the country. Nothing else sounded good to me so I had no appetite. I barely ate anything for nearly a week until we went to the store and got some mac and cheese.
I just never feel hungry unless I have mental plans to eat something. But once I am conscious of the presence of food I can eat plenty of it!

Ghostshell999

replied on April 22nd, 2009

New User

Wow, pills are the answer

I also just don't really enjoy eating and often simply forget for up to two days. I am actively trying to eat healthy (vitamins, minerals, nutrition etc. - not weight loss foods) as i want to try and put on a couple of kilos of as i'm quite fit but not overly so, i also do quite a lot of martial arts. Wouldn't it be great if people just didnt have to go through the "bother" of food? I have always dreamed of just taking a couple of pills each day when you wake up that give you all the nutrition and vitamins etc. you need for a whole day and then you could just forget about it completely and get on with your life - food free but healthy to boot! Obviously still go to restaurants occasionally and enjoy fine foods, but it wouldn't dominate your life! Everyone disagrees with me and says they really enjoy food and that they wouldn't take the food pill, i reckon you guys would understand though.

NariLomiel

replied on July 21st, 2009

New User

Forget to eat

I'm a teen as well, and definately have the same problem. When I'm out with friends, or at dinner with my family, I have no problem eating. But if there's no designated meal times, there's no meals. I just. Don't remember. I realized about 30 min ago that I have eaten one meal in two days, and I'm slightly worried about myself. Just weighed myself, and I've dropped 8 lbs from skipping meals in the past 7 days. I feel frail when I sit down and notice it, and I need the extra weight (I work out, hard, nearly every day for ROTC, and dont want to start burning muscle). But I can't figure out how to remember. I like the post-its, but my rents would see, and they're already worried about me. Maybe set reminders on my phone? I'll also try having snack food in my room

kelloy

replied on November 14th, 2009

New User

eating disorter?

My mom and I constantly forget to eat when we are busy. This happens more often when I am home alone and don't have anyone to eat with or cook for. The hw keeps me distracted of my hunger until I get cravings for lays chips or I start to hiccup. These are some ways I've learned to tell when I'm hungry. But usually I don't feel hungry, that is unless I am at school. During this time my stomach hurts like crazy, I feel like I am starving. I always have snacks with me. My mom has raised me like this since she also has a similar problem. She believes its better to anything than not to anything at all.
When I was a child, I hated eating in fact, I would take about 1-2 hours eating a meal. To this day I am still a slow eater especially when I don't like the meal, but my time is now around 30 min-1hour.
I was hoping to find out why we do this and use this information to do a research paper. Some of your information is useful. Thank you. If u have anymore information please let me know.

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