How is IF different then anorexia?

[Anonymous]

Yea- that’s the question. They seem kinda similar. Restricting when/what you eat based on an inflexible standard & rigid rules. As someone who has struggled with eating disorders, the similarities are glaring.

[Anonymous]

I have no food issues and do IF. Allows me to maintain my weight in my 40s without thinking too much about it. I also have concerns about type 2 diabetes (many family members have it) and I’ve found it helps regulate my blood sugar. So all positives for me. I’m not denying myself, simply telling myself “wait until later”. If I’m on vacation I have no problem skipping for the day. Seems like a healthy relationship for me.
What exactly do you see as similarities? Anorexics deny themselves permanently, not just eat it later. IF has no restrictions on what you eat. Yes I guess there is some restriction on when - but let’s face it - most of us can’t eat unlimited.

[Anonymous]

IF is just an eating schedule and anorexia is an actual condition. saying IF and anorexia is the same is like saying working a four day compressed schedule is the same as not working at all.

You can still overeat and gain weight while on IF but anorexia, by definition, means you are under-eating/not absorbing.

[Anonymous]

I have struggled with mild anorexia/food restriction for my whole adult life.

Let me tell you -- we don't just deny ourselves permanently (we would die if we literally ate nothing). There's a wide variety of ways anorexics restrict food, but part of it is trying to delay eating for as long as possible.

I never eat breakfast. I weigh myself every day. If my weight comes out as something I consider unacceptable (like today I was 127.4 lbs, which I consider too much) I'll restrict my food. Today I will have a iced skinny latte (130 calories), a container of baby carrots, and a small container of leftover pasta. That's all I'll eat until dinner. Then for dinner I'll probably make a cream cheese and jelly sandwich. Right now I'm hungry but I won't eat because my weight is too high.

This is actually an improvement from when I was in college and would only eat cold cuts, vegetables, and fruit.

My point is just that I agree with OP. IF is what a lot of anorexics do.

[Anonymous]

All diets can lead to food issues. It’s your approach and attitudes. Are you afraid of/disgusted by food? Do you consider food as being either “good” or “bad”? Is your motivation to be as skinny as possible? Do you enjoy hunger and feel ashamed of feeling full and satisfied? Do you judge others for their eating habits?

If not, you don’t have an eating disorder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IF is just an eating schedule and anorexia is an actual condition. saying IF and anorexia is the same is like saying working a four day compressed schedule is the same as not working at all.

You can still overeat and gain weight while on IF but anorexia, by definition, means you are under-eating/not absorbing.

Ugh- I’m not saying, I’m asking.
Both seem highly restrictive & based on compulsions. It’s not that big of a leap.

[Anonymous]

It's a venn diagram - just like with any other diet (keto, vegan, paleo, etc). Not all people who do these things have eating disorders, but many people use these systems to fuel their disorder with "rules."

There ARE people who do IF, vegan, etc who do so for real health and ethical reasons, but others will co-opt it to align with their control issues.

[Anonymous]

What does IF stand for?

[Anonymous]

Main difference? I can IF for a week or two and then stop without issue. An anorexic CAN’T stop.

[Anonymous]

While a lot of anorexics may do IF, not everyone who does IF is anorexic. I am 40 lbs over the high end for my height. I am also pre-diabetic and pre-hypertensive. IF was recommended by my primary care physician as a way of managing my calorie intake.

[Anonymous]

Ask a doctor. It’s frankly not surprising that someone prone to eating disorders can’t discern the difference between a healthy way of eating and anorexia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have struggled with mild anorexia/food restriction for my whole adult life.

Let me tell you -- we don't just deny ourselves permanently (we would die if we literally ate nothing). There's a wide variety of ways anorexics restrict food, but part of it is trying to delay eating for as long as possible.

I never eat breakfast. I weigh myself every day. If my weight comes out as something I consider unacceptable (like today I was 127.4 lbs, which I consider too much) I'll restrict my food. Today I will have a iced skinny latte (130 calories), a container of baby carrots, and a small container of leftover pasta. That's all I'll eat until dinner. Then for dinner I'll probably make a cream cheese and jelly sandwich. Right now I'm hungry but I won't eat because my weight is too high.

This is actually an improvement from when I was in college and would only eat cold cuts, vegetables, and fruit.

My point is just that I agree with OP. IF is what a lot of anorexics do.

I completely agree, although thankfully I only struggled with mild anorexia and food restriction for a few years in adolescence (body image was a longer battle).

The Venn diagram comment is spot on, although I would be there's a great deal of overlap with IF and anorexia (or least Eating Disorder NOS, if that's still a thing). It's telling that in so many of these recent threads on IF, the only choices presented appear to be control or completely out of control with respect to eating. Either you're IF or you're gorging yourself on junk food all day. For people with those control issues, the concept that someone can feel hungry, eat to satiety, and then move on with their day is almost unfathomable.

[Anonymous]

IF is about WHEN to eat, not what to eat or how much to eat. IF is not inherently a diet or weight loss regimen. For a fact, I still do IF when I am trying to GAIN weight by building muscle. Also, I never feel hungry when I do IF and there is no sensation that I am "starving myself".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does IF stand for?

Intermitent fasting.

[Anonymous]

IF does not restrict calories.

I eat the exact same food but at 11, 2 and 6 instead of 9, 12 and 7.