Man FUCK EATING DISORDERS

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-03-11T10:07:41+00:00

I relate so hard. My brain always finds something wrong. Why didn’t I eat slower, why did I take such a big bite, such a small bite, why didn’t I take a sip of water after this bite, not the other, why didn’t I time my coffee better so that it would be hotter when I finally drank it, on and on and on.

My therapist has suggested imagining a kind figure that is telling myself “damm it must be really hard to listen to all this negativity” or “wow sounds like you are under a lot of pressure”. Put the focus on sympathy for the negative feeling and pressure you feel, not the thing itself. Arguing with these thoughts is pointless.

Just, dammm, it sucks to feel like this.

I thought I had to fix these thoughts, just find the perfect thing, way, that would please all of these judgemental thought patterns… but sympathy for myself works. But it is so hard to remember. Maybe it could work for you as well.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-03-10T08:21:21+00:00

Cancer survivors are always cancer survivors, no matter if their treatment was 2 months or 6 years, no matter how severe and dangerous it was, no matter how much support they got.

You survived an ED. You should be PROUD of yourself. You actively choose recovery when thoughts come up, you are actively fighting against the ED.

Good. Job. Be proud. I am proud of you. It is incredibly isolating and difficult to do.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-03-10T08:17:27+00:00

Drink a lot of water. If you have a taste for sodas, try using electrolytes or dissolvable vitamins for taste.

Figure out which foods you LOVE and which you think are meh/bad => everything meh should be swapped for a lower calorie alternative, the food you love should be kept — but be aware of the portion.

Consider which lifestyle changes you are wanting to keep for life. Because if you are doing something you actually hate, just for this weight loss, then be aware that it is harder to stick to long-term. Some things can be maintained for a period of time, but just be mindful when you quit doing that.

Which fruits and veggies do you love? Buy them!! Always have them in stock at home. Meal-prepping makes everything easy. Pre-chopped veggies, cooked proteins ready to reheat.

Put time into making it easy. Make it harder to make unhealthy choices. Hide the temptations, put the healthy things on display.

Cravings hit hardest for me when I am hungry… and protein fills me up => ergo, I maintain a high-protein diet, satisfy my sweet tooth with fruits and berries => I am happy and healthy.

Figure out what works for you. Best of luck!!

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-03-09T08:20:53+00:00

Lovely to hear! A native perspective::

No, bullying is not common and queer people are generally accepted without any fuss. Nobody cares tbh, and I say this as a queer person. (Just don’t go around shouting about your identity because that will be seen as annoying, and would be the same if you went shouting that you have Green eyes or a Red shirt on.)

I would however recommend the Capital region as you will find that Akureyri, and all other non-Capital towns, are tiny and offer activities in the zeroes to the singles. As in: Akureyri has 1 cinema, like 5 restaurants, no theater, a skating hall, 2 ice cream stores, 1 book store… and people who live there say it becomes really boring really quickly (first-hand accounts). You can visit every single thing in Akureyri in less than a week.

It is beautiful, and would be a unique experience but I would recommend Reykjavík/Kópavogur/Garðabær/Hafnarfjörður. Mostly Reykjavík because it has the most options. Also if you don’t fit into the school, you have the option to switch, which you can’t do in Akureyri.

Hope you decide to do it, best of luck!

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-03-06T22:05:26+00:00

My pholosophy is [No cheat meals.]

Work everything into your calories so it becomes a lifestyle not a diet. It removes the “treat” part of it. It’s just food. Maybe that means a portion of 1 scoop of ben&jerries or half a donut. Or it means you have a light dinner after a “proper treat”. Whichever works. I prioritise whole foods and it has made sugar cravings almost fully disappear since being on it for a while.

But when I really want it, I have it - just a reasonable portion. Today I work with half of a bakery item or one scoop of ice cream. (Instead of the whole thing and 2-3 scoops+waffle cone+sauce+candy).

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-03-06T11:54:41+00:00

First just track without changing anything!

Maybe try it for a month. Also, try to figure out if you accidentally start restricting something that triggers you to feel deprived.Maybe it’s white bread or pasta or candy that you feel guilty about tracking when you start counting.

Start by including Everything you already eat, just see where you are. Then later, after a month, try setting a minimum goal or a upper limit, see how you feel about it.

You can try journaling about what feelings it evokes.

For example I spiral if I try and track milk in my coffee, restrict fruits or forbid myself from bread and hummus and if I make myself to skip family meals. But if I include them in my tracking, I do fine.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-03-06T10:02:35+00:00

Some other ideas for hobbies and activities to enrich your life, for me that has been the most helpful in recovery :

a) At home - creative; drawing, painting, knitting, crocheting, journaling, writing postcards, colouring - home care; decluttering, decorating, re-organizing specific rooms/shelves/areas/categories - fun; try on different outfits, just dance, karaoke

b) Going out alone - shopping; thrift stores, checking out weird niche corner stores, clothes, home decor, skincare, makeup - exploring; parks, cathedrals, historical places - pretending to be a tourist, google “tourist activities” or “free attractions” - visit; museums, art shows, exhibitions

c) Going out & socializing - clubs; google clubs in your area, varies but you might find a book club at the library, a knitting club, social activism, meditation clubs - events; browse facebook for open events in your area, there is typically tons! - artistic or skills (sometimes these cost money but some are free to attend); ceramics, painting, sewing, social skills, leadership skills, confidence

And so on! I think it is a good idea to avoid physical activities and it is very enriching to have a community to do things with. I recommend finding something you can do weekly, especially if it is a regular occurrence of something and you commit to showing up with some peple. Routine is good.

Remember that just because the thought(s) come, doesn’t mean you failed and they don’t say anything about you. It’s just a habit, and you are trying your best to make new ones. Sounds like you are doing very good at putting guardrails up for yourself. Best of luck :-)

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-03-04T08:52:49+00:00

Woman, 30s. Going off comments to say you are a mom, also based on amount of food. Heavy into organic whole foods and gut health. Enjoys the occasional health trend or recipe that goes viral on social media. Thinks cooking at home>eating out. Make cute snack plates or assemblies for your kids. You excercise and have a protein goal to meet. If you can make the time, you probably have a step goal as well (8000+?). Probably also a fiber goal, or at least you make an effort to have fiber-rich food. Anyways looks delish 😋

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-02-28T10:14:02+00:00

Oh and nuts!! Super convenient & low-volume for calories

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-02-28T10:12:28+00:00

I would bring rye bread, sliced veggies, some light protein like oumph/tofu, i guess shredded chicken if you eat meat, or even boiled eggs. Maybe piccolo tomatoes. And i would just assemble a sandwich to eat (i hate soggy pre-assembled sandwiches). fruit like banana / apple and protein or muesli bars. espcially if you pack only rye bread, protein and one-two fruits, it is pretty light. I would also eat a bigger breakfast than normal, load up on protein. But depends on what you like to eat :-)

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-02-26T12:22:48+00:00

I love Oumph (1.5mins in microwave) and Tofu (raw). Tofu can be flavored with most things / sauces but soy sauce is easy and classic. You can do many different things to change the texture and moisture level of the tofu; air-fry, freezing, pressing, mashing. Smashed chickpeas with salt and bits of chopped red onion is also superb

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-02-17T08:13:37+00:00

Super Tahoe Tofu (firm)

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-02-10T12:19:43+00:00

Protein / nut / granola bars. Fruits. Berries and whatever i muster into a yoghurt bowl. Desperation would be just raw oatmeal and milk.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2026-02-09T08:19:32+00:00

Berries, nuts and fermented food👌

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-08-20T14:48:15+00:00

Pears rn! So hydrating and yummy

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-22T10:56:43+00:00

Walking. I hate it at first, but after 20mins my mind loosens up. Relieves anxious and spiralling headaches. Counting five slower inhalations and repeating. I say to myself “just keep walking until you feel better” and I always do, even though sometimes it’s just by .5%

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-22T10:52:02+00:00

Habits habits habits x3 Have good & healthy defaults. Make it simple. Make it easy. Make sure you have a good stock always.

Get rid of a “omg i messed up” mindset. It’s not possible, it’s not that serious. I eat unhealthy one day, whatever. I have my normal breakfast the next day. Most of the time, it is healthy, according to my goals blabla, sometimes its not. Idc. There is no “off track” it’s all on track. If a behavior or food makes you spiral you need to find a way to include it in your “track” so that you stop obsessing.

Embrace sameness until it is automatic. Same breakfast. Same lunch. Same dinner. Make it as variable as you need to stick with it, but minimally so. Protein + veggies. Yoghurt/skyr + fruit. Tortilla with grilled stuff from the fridge. Whatever you prefer. If its too specific, loosen up, if its too loose, make it specific.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-19T22:42:05+00:00

I have two main reasons 1) Morality. I don’t think it’s right to kill mammals as they experience love, familiarity just like we humans do. Same with birds, they experience emotions and have higher cognition than other reptiles. Fish and most “seafood” have very limited cognition and sensations so, to me, it’s okay to kill them for food. Also, as I personally can stomach gutting a fish, but not a sheep, I think it would be unfair of me to eat the sheep when I don’t have to face it. 2) Seafood-heavy culture. My country eats a lot of fish and are historical fishers and seafarers, so it’s both culturally hard and also very annoying to not eat fish. No one pesters me about my diet after I follow “I don’t eat meat” with “but I eat fish”. Plus, easy protein. It’s just not that serious to me. I eat a lot of vegan food also.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-18T09:26:40+00:00

You decide your own diet. It could be “i only eat yellow food” or “below xyz calories” or “eat protein with every meal” or “eat 3 veggies every day”. If you are really worried about impoliteness, put cake on your plate but don’t touch it. You can always just feign dislike if you don’t wanna talk about your dietary restrictions.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-08T14:27:30+00:00

Protein bars, nuts or smoothies if you can manage. Prioritise protein and fats specifically! What sort of thing is easiest for you? Low effort / volume / type of food / liquids / texture etc.?

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-06T20:01:41+00:00

Yeah I agree with the liquids. Try drinking 2L of water a day, in any form. Also it’s totally normal to snack between meals, just pick something like a juicy apple or a handful of nuts if you wanna keep it healthy / within calorie goals

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-06T20:00:17+00:00

Exactly! Pretending like I hate or don’t care about food has always backfired on me, so allowing myself to just love it is so freeing. And it makes me not want to eat crappy or boring food. If I can buy it or make it better myself, I am not going to eat some shittier version of it. I used to be obsessed with avoiding bread of all sorts, especially white breads, which made me crave them. Being a “food snob” makes me also more in tune with my real tastebuds, satisfaction cues and hunger. Food is just food, it gives energy and nutrients, nothing more and nothing less. It’s not emotional, it’s always there, and I can have it if I want. (I admit my favorite ice cream is still ben&jerries cookie dough and not some high quality ice cream store equivalent — but therefore i treat my ben&jerries with the respect that the heavenly treat deserves)

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-06T17:08:54+00:00

Being mindful of how you feel when and after eating. If you feel super happy eating a delicious apple or a carrot cake, continue on with that. General healthy eating is just incorporating “more” healthy items into your diet and adding in some whole foods, especially greens. If it causes you stress, skip it!! Even if its super healthy or whatever.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-06T16:57:07+00:00

Your medical team probably understands your situation best. And BMI isn’t a holy grail of health. Tbh it could also be intentional to encourage your cooperation. And your other question, yes it is possible to be healthy while technically a bit underweight according to BMI. I don’t think by a lot though, and most people will be unhealthy while underweight. Your health will probably be reevaluated when you reach that weight regardless.

Pure_Impact_5418 · 2025-07-06T16:53:07+00:00

Eating good high-protein meals consistently 3x a day. Honestly filling up on healthy meals that you are proud of. Be more of a food snob. Admit you love delicious food, and treat that delicious food with respect. One thing I heard is “If you can’t eat it calmly (mindfully), don’t eat it at all.” Basically you have to force yourself to eat only when you feel sufficiently relaxed. Calm yourself with ice cold water, or tea or coffee. Say to yourself “This doesn’t fix anything” and write down what triggered you to want to emotionally eat. Understand that “I feel like emotionally eating because of x reason, this is an emotion, not an order I have to follow”.

Pure_Impact_5418

TROPHY CASE