how long before i have to eat?

[Shauk]

I guess if you look at my post in the sexuality forum, you might see a recent post by me.

I'm incredibly stressed and driven to pull off some last minute repairs to my relationship.

I let myself get out of shape and i've been unable to find an appetite.

i've lost 5 lbs in 3 days, i've literally had about 3 bites to eat in the last 4 days,, and by bites, i mean bites, not meals.

I'm feeling weak and non energetic, stressed, and i'm pretty sure I'm putting myself through hell over this because i'm emotionally strung out.

but, I don't know how long this goes on for, how long become this becomes dangerous.


I guess I'll just ask.

[Plaid13]

2 days will weaken your immune system pretty bad 3 days you will start feeling pretty weak 4 days it gets to be a real health problem and starts burning off whatever it can for energy. not just fat but muscle and everything 5-7 days and you pretty much drop dead.

Even if you dont have a appitite you should eat. Not eating is just going to make things worse no matter how stressed out/depressed and misrable you are.

[Shauk]

I had a pretzel today, it's all i could manage.

I hope I can't get control of myself again soon.

[Tamerlain]

I'm not a nutritionist by any stretch of the imagination, so take from this what you will.

I eat a meal every 3-4 hours. A meal for me is whatever you can fit in two hands, which is generally what I need to stay active throughout the day. So a banana and an apple for a snack in the afternoon. Or a couple of wraps for dinner.

Eating small meals often keeps your metabolism and energy level up, as opposed to eating a giant meal whenever you get hungry. And I know you've probably heard this before, but starving yourself to lose weight does nothing in the long run. If you really want to lose weight you've got to change how you eat and start exercising.

I've read a bit of the thread you posted in the Sexuality Forum and honestly, I don't think you should take on too much at once. You seem committed to getting your relationship back on track, so maybe focus on that first. If you try to do too much at once you're going to burn yourself out and from the sounds of things you're already stressed enough as it is.

-Tamerlain

[Aro23]

you gotta eat no matter what or that's the kind of results you'll get

[Blackthorn]

The ironic thing is that if you want to lose weight you actually have to eat smaller portions more frequently throughout the day. The content of what you eat is more important - high quality protiens that are low in fat and a good selection of complex carbs both in fist sized portions for 6 meals a day. Drink lots of water and equally as important ... get some exercise. Your energy level will pick up pretty dramatically after the first week and you'll find yourself sleeping better.

I've read your other post regarding your relationship. That combined with this thread makes me hope you are a-okay. Don't hesitate to ask for help in the physical world if you need it....

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by Plaid13

2 days will weaken your immune system pretty bad 3 days you will start feeling pretty weak 4 days it gets to be a real health problem and starts burning off whatever it can for energy. not just fat but muscle and everything 5-7 days and you pretty much drop dead.

Even if you dont have a appitite you should eat. Not eating is just going to make things worse no matter how stressed out/depressed and misrable you are.

You die without water in 4-5 days. You can live without food for 30+ days.

[jth]

you're going to need to force yourself to eat. Once you start to get into this cycle then you'll just start to watch your health degrade which might compound your depression. Even if it is 1 meal a day you are going to to need to at least do that.

[Toaster126]

You need to be working on yourself, not your relationship, and you can't do that without fuel in your body. Eat regardless of whether you are hungry or not.

[Shauk]

I'm not doing this to lose weight.

I don't CARE about my weight.

I just can't hold down any food because I"m emotionally ruined right now.

day 6

still just a pretzel and half a rice and bean burrito.

[Daniel_]

In the first couple of months after I found out about my ex-W's infidelity I lost about 20lb simply because I lost my sense of wanting to enjoy anything.

In the end I forced myself into a routine of eating at particular times - I have never really been a breakfast person so I skipped that - but made sure I had water or juice.

I found that preparing food nauseated me, but that I craved company - I solved both problems by walking out with workmates to get lunch made by someone else.

I tended not to eat in the evenings, unless I had my daughter at home (50% of the time) so I made food for her and doubled up.

Just look at food as fuel for a time.

Also - this may sound totally counter intuitive - burn lots of calories.

Take a run, or go for a swim, whatever - it ( a ) occupies time in focussed activity, ( b ) gets you meeting people, and ( c ) produces endorphins - which will raise your mood and may bring back your sense of hunger.

It's a shitty time for you, but if you keep yourself well, you will weather it better.

[Sultana]

At least grab some of those nutrition drinks, like Ensure. Gulp it down without thinking about it. Just do that a couple times a day, it will help.

[Toaster126]

Originally Posted by Shauk

I'm not doing this to lose weight.

I don't CARE about my weight.

I just can't hold down any food because I"m emotionally ruined right now.

day 6

still just a pretzel and half a rice and bean burrito.

Yes, yes... we all know you are in a bad place right now. Go eat. I'm a person that rarely feels hunger. If I went around eating only when I was hungry, I'd eat every 3 days. You just have to suck it up and eat when you don't really feel like it.

[Shauk]

eh, i had some sweet and sour chicken with some rice yesterday.

the results weren't pretty, I was at a gas station when all of a sudden I had to bolt for the door.

I had to pick either a clean stall, with no toilet paper, or a dirty stall with toilet paper.


I obviously had to choose the one with toilet paper.

of course, it wouldn't flush.

I just got the hell out of there though.


kinda funny in hindsight, but man, it felt so dramatic at the time.

[DaElf]

Make sure you're 100% then worry about other things. People are attracted to confidence and health. Having those two things are building blocks where as self pity and depresssion are a slippery incline.

[Carno]

Originally Posted by Shauk

eh, i had some sweet and sour chicken with some rice yesterday.

the results weren't pretty, I was at a gas station when all of a sudden I had to bolt for the door.

I had to pick either a clean stall, with no toilet paper, or a dirty stall with toilet paper.


I obviously had to choose the one with toilet paper.

of course, it wouldn't flush.

I just got the hell out of there though.


kinda funny in hindsight, but man, it felt so dramatic at the time.

Haha, nice.

But on subject, try working out to build your appetite. If working out doesn't make you hungry, you'll at least be in better shape when you die.

[Aro23]

Originally Posted by Shauk

eh, i had some sweet and sour chicken with some rice yesterday.

the results weren't pretty, I was at a gas station when all of a sudden I had to bolt for the door.

I had to pick either a clean stall, with no toilet paper, or a dirty stall with toilet paper.


I obviously had to choose the one with toilet paper.

of course, it wouldn't flush.

I just got the hell out of there though.


kinda funny in hindsight, but man, it felt so dramatic at the time.

lol! had to make a quick decision hahhh

[Gilda]

It would probably be a good idea to get yourself to a doctor soon. No appetite and an inability to keep food down is not healthy.

Gilda

[la petite moi]

I went through this for a week- granted, it was because I have an eating disorder, but it was the same general idea. I couldn't hold down food.

You NEED to make yourself eat. The way I did this was, although not legal, by smoking marijuana. It increases your appetite. Also, you could try taking a couple sleep aid pills, like Tylenol PM or Excedrin PM so you will feel kinda floaty and relaxed. Like many have suggested, try exercise. Or get a massage to relax. Whatever you do, don't eat spicy or heavy foods like what you've been doing- have toast with butter, bagels with cream cheese, fruits, veggies, etc. Or yeah, try a Carnation Instant Breakfast/Ensure.

At any rate, you MUST see a therapist about this. You may get over the non-eating, but if you are this emotionally disturbed over this, you need to be given the tools on how to cope.

[Kali]

i've lost 5 lbs in 3 days, i've literally had about 3 bites to eat in the last 4 days,, and by bites, i mean bites, not meals.

if you could just bottle that up and sell it, you'd make millions...

[Zeraph]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

You die without water in 4-5 days. You can live without food for 30+ days.

That depends on a lot of factors. Some malnutrition situations can cause diarhea which can kill you within a week (which is more dehydration, but still, even if you have access to water you can still die). It also heavily depends on how active you are, if youre very active while not eating you could be dead in two weeks.

[Yakk]

If you don't eat, you slowly sicken and die.

You can not eat for a pretty long time before you finally collapse, but every day you don't eat, you get sicker and less healthy.

Not eating is suicide.

To boot strap yourself back to a normal diet, eat small amounts of food, and eat often.

Drink fluids with small amounts of salts and sugars. Protien shakes if you can keep them down.

Build yourself up to a normal eating pattern. Do it now, don't put it off because your feelings are hurt, or in order to make people pay attention to you.


After a period without eating, your metabolism switches over to starvation mode -- it canabalizes your muscles in order to reduce the rate at which you use energy, and it hordes your fat in order to survive longer.

This muscle canabalization includes your heart, and can lead to long term serious health issues.

[Kali]

Get yourself busy doing other things. Get your mind off of your relationship. (is that what's causing the problem?)You sound obsessed. You are just going to get weaker and weaker and be unable to walk and such. You'll feel lifeless. And that's a serious condition.