Right. There are so many other possible stressors, and I’m pretty sure we have pointed this out to her before. The eating disorder is one stressor, but, like many people, Anna has more of them. The difference is that while her body proves that they are unmanageable, she denies the signs. It doesn’t matter because change does not fit Anna’s agenda to stay at an unhealthy bodyfat percentage.
This is like what Steven said on the podcast. He looked back on old photos of himself and couldn’t believe how he looked and, more importantly, felt at that time. Once in a while I stumble upon such photos of myself and say the same things. I can only hope Anna can one day know what that feels like.
This whole log is filled with your cherrypicked “reasons” as to why you somehow defy human biology. I find it interesting you, as someone who values logic so much, can have these “nuh-uh” responses on a topic for which you seem to care so little. If you truly wanted to acknowledge what is at play, you would not say something like this. It’s your eating disorder talking – not logic.
People change. My current body composition differs from that of when I had a consistent period in high school. This isn’t how life works.
Excuse my language, but what the fuck? Anna, I don’t want to have kids either. I’m not a fence-sitter. But at this point it is entirely about your life rather than any hypothetical life. There are plenty of childfree women out there, and I assure you that none of them are using your current strategy to avoid having children. There are different methods for that. You’re not doing this because you don’t want to have kids. You are doing this because you want to rationalize your crippling eating disorder.
Is having a period fun? No. I don’t know any woman who would willingly have one. But it’s nice to know that my body doesn’t think I am killing it. Maybe you had painful periods when you were younger, which, though common, are not normal. I know you’re going to say that you’re some kind of anomaly, though, as if manageable periods are impossible for you. It’s not unlikely that the reason is your eating disorder.
@Koestrizer, I appreciate your perspective on this topic. Your last several posts leave no doubt in my mind that if a female friend or family member of yours were struggling, you would not be afraid to speak up and say the right thing.
Anna, don’t you think it’s a little silly that a man can speak more intelligently about women’s health topics than you? Something is clearly not right. I don’t recommend running away from that any longer.
I think this is one of the first things you should share with a professional if you ever choose to take that route seriously.
Yep, Anna would have to go all in if she were to fix anything. It’s heartbreaking to read stories of women who try for so, so long to get their periods back yet still cannot. It’s a different kind of heartbreaking to read the anecdotes of someone like Anna who is so entrenched in her ways that she tosses all of the logic aside, in one ear and out the other, in favor of an eating disorder.
While she remains fixated on a bodyfat percentage, I think something else nags her on a deeper level. Something damaged her at some point and fuels her eating disorder, and that is something for Anna to explore with someone offline.