I'm really glad I found this community. It is the most open and welcoming online forum I have ever found.
I'm a 3rd year medical student but I would love to become the unofficial doctor of this wonderful community, a place where people can turn to for questions about dieting, nutrition and exercise, from a fellow ANA, not someone who will quote you chapter and verse from the DSM5 and hand you info packets from the CDC.
In fact I am surprised that so many ANAs subscribe to the idea that ana is an eating disorder at all.
Disorder means unhealthy and getting in the way of your life goals. If learning supreme self control to achieve a goal to get one's weight down to a BMI of 16-18, then that is not necessarily a disorder.
ANA diets, things like fasting are not a sustainable way of life, in the sense that no once can eat 500 calories forever and live. But if you use restriction and fasting to get to your goal weight and then gradually begin eating more, then you'll swing below your UGW and then require it. With proper nutrition, there is no reason that an ANA at her UGW can't have a long healthy happy life.
The following is pure speculation on my part, forgive me if it sounds ignorant or offensive.
I worry that many wonderful ANAs feel a self hatred about themselves when they fail to meet their immense goals. For example one girl on this forum attempted to a water fast for 20 days, 240 hrs, but broke after 140. She was upset with her self for only lasting 10 days. The day she broke her fast she jumped on a new fast right away and is going strong even as I write this.
I am overjoyed at the self control, the extreme will power shown by the people on this site. You truly are all heroes and inspirations to me and I truly love you for your dedication to maintaining the bodies you want or working towards them.
But, I'd like to act as the unofficial cheerleader as well, someone to remind you how amazing you are.
I have an outsiders perspective, being morbidly obese myself but eager to live the ANA lifestyle, so my unique perspective, (plus that of a future doctor) allows me to see the glory in your "failures". When I see a person who works so hard to achieving physical perfection, fall off the horse, but then get right back on it. That is true beauty, inner strength and inspirational courage.
If you'll have me, I'd like to be someone who is here for medical advice and support, but mainly in the form of complements, richly earned and love deeply needed to be felt.
HW 430lbs
SW 330lbs (52% body fat)
CW 306.6lbs became an ANA
CW 298.4lbs
CW 294.6lbs (37.8% body fat)
GW1 (by mid june 2013) 290lbs (June 7)
CW: 288.4lbs
GW2 (by august 2013) 270 lbs
GW3 (by new year) 225 lbs
GW4 (easter 2014) 200 lbs
GW5 (mid year 2014) 175 lbs
UGW 150-155 lbs, (end of 2014, BMI 18.3) max muscle definition, minimal body fat
Competitions:
Hunger Games Week 1: -12.0lbs, -3.91%, survived
Hunger Games Week 2: -4 lbs -1.36%, survived
Hunger Games Week 3: -5 lbs -1.7% survived
Hunger Games Week 4: pending
June 14 lbs challenge
25 lbs (or lighter!) by September
June Fasting Challenge
June Junk Food Challenge
Knockout Challenge
3 Month Biggest Loser Challenge
Fasts since becoming ANA:
#1: 24hrs
#2: 1 day 21hrs
#3: 6 days 5 hrs 31 min
#4 2 days 11 hrs
#5 5 days 3 hrs
#6 2 days
#7 2 days 3 hrs
#8 1 day 6 hrs 30 min
#9 28.5 hrs
#10 34 hrs