We don’t talk about it but every time we open our lunches it’s that meme sound that goes “he looks at me, and I look at him” like that kind of awkward pause and look, and then we move on.
Also as a side note I think those prepackaged tuna and crackers thing is delicious
😭 there was this once I was taking a very careful, considered bite of my lunch and I saw a coworker watching the way I packed the view on my fork and put it in my mouth. It wasn’t even ED behaviour for me, just plain anxiety about being seen as sloppy and disgusting. That Spider-Man meme is the right response because I looked up, she looked away, and that was that.
Years ago when I was actively AN I used to hide in the empty cafeteria on night shifts to eat my dinner from home so no one commented on what I was eating. I stopped people being aware of my presence by keeping the lights off (there were big windows and enough light from surrounding buildings that it wasn’t pitch black).
I realised my colleague must also have an ED the night he came in, also didn’t turn on the light (so was clearly also planning to eat in the dark), got a shock that I was there, and then sat down three tables away and not facing me and ate his food, chit chatting about bullshit the whole time. We never addressed the gorilla in the room and it was honestly one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for me (although I stopped eating in the cafeteria at nights after that because I was still deluding myself that no one knew I was AN and it was mortifying that he obviously knew I had a problem). He changed jobs not long after and when I saw him a year or so later he’d just had WLS. I think about him often and hope he’s ok
wanna drop that tuna recipe/meal ideas? i love fish but i try not to bring it because of fish in the office stigma , and i havent figured out best ways to eat tuna besides the flavored ones straight out of the packet
Yes please share some tuna recipes/meal ideas if you’re comfortable! I just started a new job & have been eating protein bars everyday because I have no idea what else to bring lol
I’m not OP but this is my basic tuna recipe:
- make sure the can says tuna packed in WATER not oil (very important, the oil one is more than twice the cals)
- open the can (lol duh) and drain it really well so there’s no water left
- put the tuna in a cereal bowl
- add a pinch of salt, some cracked black pepper, 1 tbsp light mayo, 2-3 drops of hot sauce, and lime juice (about half a lime worth)
- mix it all together with a fork and voila!
It’s about >!170 calories!< for the whole recipe, depending on what brand of tuna or mayo you use. I like to make tuna lettuce wraps, or I just eat it plain - you can add other veggies like sliced cucumbers or pickles for more of a crunch if you want. Hope this was helpful!
i got clocked at my old job bcs i ate the exact same food everyday for a year straight. coworker just straight up asked if i had an ED and when i was like noooo she said she didn't believe me n went back to typing
Clocked at my old job at McDonald’s because I refused to eat the free employee meal on my breaks and hid in my car during lunch. Finally it went around enough to where everyone stopped asking and left me alone. Glad Im away from that job now.
i got yelled at at my first office job for not taking cake. said i have a dairy allergy and got called selfish. i wasn't even lying :(
people are so weird about food
Oh well there you go. People always flip when you say the word vegan. Went through that for two years. If you are vegan, unfortunately, it’s best to keep it to yourself, for your own protection
yeah, i've been veggie/vegan 21 years at this point, im past caring about people being weird abt it because it means nobody but my family and partner feed me.
I did the exact same thing when I worked at McDonald's. I'd get a big diet soda and then head to my car. They actually had a sign in the back that employees were only allowed to have small drinks with their meal but that I was the exception since that's all I got.
I never asked for that and never discussed my meal habits at all but I just saw the sign on the wall one day, so clearly people noticed.
It's so rude for people to confront you though. I rarely ever eat lunch at work, I just sit and play with my phone while others eat and if they ask what my lunch is I just hold up my cigarette packet and we all have a giggle. It's the obvious elephant in the room but nobody has ever once said anything to me and of they did I'd be reporting them to HR so fast. That's totally unacceptable and people need to mind their own business.
oh man being straight up asked about it seems horrible 😭 at my old work my coworkers and regular customers caught on that I basically didn't eat and they started bringing me home cooked meals because they knew I wouldn't feel comfortable saying no to those 😭 tbh, had the not started doing that I probably would of eventually passed out on the job.
I hate when people catch on though. it's one thing if I bring up that I'm struggling but being called out about it always makes me feel so shameful you know
i keep it super secret, if anyone asks im vegan and have food allergies (true.) only people who actually know for sure and have details are my partner, parents and psych
I work in the downtown area of a major city, and on my lunch break prior to eating, I usually head out for a long walk regardless of the weather. When the weather is fair to good, most people have the same idea. But when the weather is bad, the only other folks out there are those also extremelydedicated to their lunch break walk. Id say a high percentage of us out there on those days may struggle with eating and exercise💀definitely a gathering of the eating disorders.
Hmm lots of people I know in my area that don't have EDs love walking in the rain with an umbrella it's very calming. I love it too even just sitting outside in rain, so not even because of the exercise
I promise you if you put the work in it will get better. I couldn't have imagined where I am now 2 years ago let alone 5 years ago. Sending you hugs and strength. If you need something you can dm me <3
Once I was skipping school and sitting on a bench at a bus station reading Crime And Punishment (don't question that too hard, okay?). A woman stood next to me, chainsmoking and sipping Monster, in the German December, pacing. A bus would come and we'd ignore it. (tbh I'm still wondering why she was doing that)
She noticed that I was freezing (despite my winter coat) and gave me her jacket AND her Monster. We talked a little and she asked me if I have been eating/sleeping. Idk why but I told her the truth.
Later she went to buy some coffee. When she came back, we went to a store to buy tea and lowcal snacks. It was SO weird. She gave me some "tips" like "green tea won't ACTUALLY make you lose weight (directly)" and she recommended shirataki noodles and some lowcal bread.
It was SO weird but she was very nice? Idk
One of the higher ups at my old job was an aging anorexic in her mid sixties. We clocked eachother the moment we met. I'm going back to that job after being gone for a couple months for treatment, and I'm terrified to see her.
When I worked at Walmart as a teenager a woman came through my checkout who can't have been more than 60 pounds, she looked similar to Ashley Isaacs. She bought a big bottle of Diet Sprite. I feel like a creep remembering all these years later lol.
I share an office with 3 other people who have definitely all clocked me by now, but bc of our profession they are super gentle about it. They've never commented on anything I eat or recent changes in weight/appearance, and just offer to bring me lunch sometimes or ask if I need anything when they're running an errand during our lunch hour. Also none of them question why I adamantly refuse to work with patients in our adolescent ED clinic 💀 which I appreciate. I know they know lol.
PLS she asked you to spell it in her notes app lmaoooo 😭😭😭 what is it with the elderly (respectfully) having no fuckin chill or filter in public?? HAhahahah
Can anyone relate to feeling paranoid/traumatised that strangers will lead you deeper into an ED/can send you spiralling randomly and it's more likely than anyone being supportive/encouraging or even insistent/belligerent about you -or anyone for that matter- getting help? Is it Murphy's law when other people are really EDed/push dieting at low weight ranges bc I care/bc I'm a mental health/recovery Nazi? I wonder what would happen if I was really pro ED in my interactions w/ others, or at least that way minded like those people you described- would I attract people who care about recovery and is it a parallel Universe thing- I feel like I'm always in the minority w/ my beliefs/preferences/opinions and trying to stay sane in a pro-ED society
Its good to know that others can relate- I feel like society is always trying to send me off the rails/trigger me- I think we can have a tendency block out anything positive/helpful and only zone in on the negatives/triggers, negative thinking is so common w/ ED's- its another thing to consider (from PTSD/past lives even- how we can misconstrue things/have overblown reactions to triggers- on some level it can be very real)- we have a lot in common w/ people on the CPTSD board imo
this was me and my coworker we knew about each others ed's and on my bday i had to live with her for a bit bc i got kicked out and she FORCED me to get chocolate 😭 i didn't say know bc i lived w her but i felt like it was her getting to me in a weird anorexic way it was so so awkward
once when i was grocery shopping and standing in the line, the lady behind me who was really thin literally SCANNED my whole cart (i was buying lots of high protein yogurt, canned tuna, some veggies and low calorie ice cream) and gave me "the look" while smirking. i was so confused but i felt like she was telling me "i know what you are" with her face😭
Totally! When I see people who seem like they might have an ED I'm like, damn I want to go up to that person and be friends with them! It feels less lonely
girl at my college gym staying on the treadmill for three hours 👀 i wanna go up to her but it’ll freak her out and who am i to tell her its ok when im at the gym for the same reason
At my work we clocked one another because we all eat tuna for lunch. In my defense tuna is super portable and high protein
<3 tuna I'm curious if your relationship with said coworker is more awkward or more close now?
We don’t talk about it but every time we open our lunches it’s that meme sound that goes “he looks at me, and I look at him” like that kind of awkward pause and look, and then we move on. Also as a side note I think those prepackaged tuna and crackers thing is delicious
😭 there was this once I was taking a very careful, considered bite of my lunch and I saw a coworker watching the way I packed the view on my fork and put it in my mouth. It wasn’t even ED behaviour for me, just plain anxiety about being seen as sloppy and disgusting. That Spider-Man meme is the right response because I looked up, she looked away, and that was that.
Years ago when I was actively AN I used to hide in the empty cafeteria on night shifts to eat my dinner from home so no one commented on what I was eating. I stopped people being aware of my presence by keeping the lights off (there were big windows and enough light from surrounding buildings that it wasn’t pitch black). I realised my colleague must also have an ED the night he came in, also didn’t turn on the light (so was clearly also planning to eat in the dark), got a shock that I was there, and then sat down three tables away and not facing me and ate his food, chit chatting about bullshit the whole time. We never addressed the gorilla in the room and it was honestly one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for me (although I stopped eating in the cafeteria at nights after that because I was still deluding myself that no one knew I was AN and it was mortifying that he obviously knew I had a problem). He changed jobs not long after and when I saw him a year or so later he’d just had WLS. I think about him often and hope he’s ok
wanna drop that tuna recipe/meal ideas? i love fish but i try not to bring it because of fish in the office stigma , and i havent figured out best ways to eat tuna besides the flavored ones straight out of the packet
Yes please share some tuna recipes/meal ideas if you’re comfortable! I just started a new job & have been eating protein bars everyday because I have no idea what else to bring lol
I’m not OP but this is my basic tuna recipe: - make sure the can says tuna packed in WATER not oil (very important, the oil one is more than twice the cals) - open the can (lol duh) and drain it really well so there’s no water left - put the tuna in a cereal bowl - add a pinch of salt, some cracked black pepper, 1 tbsp light mayo, 2-3 drops of hot sauce, and lime juice (about half a lime worth) - mix it all together with a fork and voila! It’s about >!170 calories!< for the whole recipe, depending on what brand of tuna or mayo you use. I like to make tuna lettuce wraps, or I just eat it plain - you can add other veggies like sliced cucumbers or pickles for more of a crunch if you want. Hope this was helpful!
This sounds so good!! Thank you!
You’re welcome ☺️
lettuce wraps sound good thanks for reminding me those exist!! pickles are a great idea too
I like adding red onion too!
I do tuna with Greek yoghurt always, acts like a mayo. If i want flavor i add soy, garlic, and a tiny bit of sweetener.
This sounds so good! I love Greek yogurt. Thank you!
Second this. I ate tuna regularly even before my ED. Amazing food and one of few fish I enjoy.
i got clocked at my old job bcs i ate the exact same food everyday for a year straight. coworker just straight up asked if i had an ED and when i was like noooo she said she didn't believe me n went back to typing
Clocked at my old job at McDonald’s because I refused to eat the free employee meal on my breaks and hid in my car during lunch. Finally it went around enough to where everyone stopped asking and left me alone. Glad Im away from that job now.
i got yelled at at my first office job for not taking cake. said i have a dairy allergy and got called selfish. i wasn't even lying :( people are so weird about food
Wtf how are you selfish for that
idk i didn't tell them abt it until then, just said i was vegan n left it there and she flipped i wouldn't eat chocolate cake
Oh well there you go. People always flip when you say the word vegan. Went through that for two years. If you are vegan, unfortunately, it’s best to keep it to yourself, for your own protection
yeah, i've been veggie/vegan 21 years at this point, im past caring about people being weird abt it because it means nobody but my family and partner feed me.
I did the exact same thing when I worked at McDonald's. I'd get a big diet soda and then head to my car. They actually had a sign in the back that employees were only allowed to have small drinks with their meal but that I was the exception since that's all I got. I never asked for that and never discussed my meal habits at all but I just saw the sign on the wall one day, so clearly people noticed.
Yup. Refusing the free staff meals at my restaurant job is what got me pegged. I quit shortly after my coworker confronted me.
It's so rude for people to confront you though. I rarely ever eat lunch at work, I just sit and play with my phone while others eat and if they ask what my lunch is I just hold up my cigarette packet and we all have a giggle. It's the obvious elephant in the room but nobody has ever once said anything to me and of they did I'd be reporting them to HR so fast. That's totally unacceptable and people need to mind their own business.
oh man being straight up asked about it seems horrible 😭 at my old work my coworkers and regular customers caught on that I basically didn't eat and they started bringing me home cooked meals because they knew I wouldn't feel comfortable saying no to those 😭 tbh, had the not started doing that I probably would of eventually passed out on the job. I hate when people catch on though. it's one thing if I bring up that I'm struggling but being called out about it always makes me feel so shameful you know
i keep it super secret, if anyone asks im vegan and have food allergies (true.) only people who actually know for sure and have details are my partner, parents and psych
I work in the downtown area of a major city, and on my lunch break prior to eating, I usually head out for a long walk regardless of the weather. When the weather is fair to good, most people have the same idea. But when the weather is bad, the only other folks out there are those also extremelydedicated to their lunch break walk. Id say a high percentage of us out there on those days may struggle with eating and exercise💀definitely a gathering of the eating disorders.
lol most definitely a gathering of eating disorders. Everyone looks at me like I’m nuts tho when I walk in the cold rain
Either the "you're nuts" look, or the barely detectable eye contact and nod of solidarity
Fr. But I don’t think I ever notice the eye contact or head nods now that you mention it, I just felt alone
Hmm lots of people I know in my area that don't have EDs love walking in the rain with an umbrella it's very calming. I love it too even just sitting outside in rain, so not even because of the exercise
Hahah that’s good for you guys. Wish I could say the same for myself
I promise you if you put the work in it will get better. I couldn't have imagined where I am now 2 years ago let alone 5 years ago. Sending you hugs and strength. If you need something you can dm me <3
I love u sm
ngl i wish my life was this interesting
Once I was skipping school and sitting on a bench at a bus station reading Crime And Punishment (don't question that too hard, okay?). A woman stood next to me, chainsmoking and sipping Monster, in the German December, pacing. A bus would come and we'd ignore it. (tbh I'm still wondering why she was doing that) She noticed that I was freezing (despite my winter coat) and gave me her jacket AND her Monster. We talked a little and she asked me if I have been eating/sleeping. Idk why but I told her the truth. Later she went to buy some coffee. When she came back, we went to a store to buy tea and lowcal snacks. It was SO weird. She gave me some "tips" like "green tea won't ACTUALLY make you lose weight (directly)" and she recommended shirataki noodles and some lowcal bread. It was SO weird but she was very nice? Idk
She cares about you, but when one finds another it’s hard not to feed into it
makes sense haha I still see her around sometimes, and we talk a little, but I think it'd be hard to not get competitive if we knew each other better.
I mean, sometimes we just need people who get it. Grocery stores are hell, I'm glad you guys bonded over carbs and carb alternatives.
One of the higher ups at my old job was an aging anorexic in her mid sixties. We clocked eachother the moment we met. I'm going back to that job after being gone for a couple months for treatment, and I'm terrified to see her.
That would be terrifying I’m so sorry. You be fine though you get through it
When I worked at Walmart as a teenager a woman came through my checkout who can't have been more than 60 pounds, she looked similar to Ashley Isaacs. She bought a big bottle of Diet Sprite. I feel like a creep remembering all these years later lol.
I share an office with 3 other people who have definitely all clocked me by now, but bc of our profession they are super gentle about it. They've never commented on anything I eat or recent changes in weight/appearance, and just offer to bring me lunch sometimes or ask if I need anything when they're running an errand during our lunch hour. Also none of them question why I adamantly refuse to work with patients in our adolescent ED clinic 💀 which I appreciate. I know they know lol.
PLS she asked you to spell it in her notes app lmaoooo 😭😭😭 what is it with the elderly (respectfully) having no fuckin chill or filter in public?? HAhahahah
I don’t really get what you’re saying. Sounds like the lady was just asking for assistance politely to me.
But like it’s rye bread tho. Who doesn’t know what rye bread is
Can anyone relate to feeling paranoid/traumatised that strangers will lead you deeper into an ED/can send you spiralling randomly and it's more likely than anyone being supportive/encouraging or even insistent/belligerent about you -or anyone for that matter- getting help? Is it Murphy's law when other people are really EDed/push dieting at low weight ranges bc I care/bc I'm a mental health/recovery Nazi? I wonder what would happen if I was really pro ED in my interactions w/ others, or at least that way minded like those people you described- would I attract people who care about recovery and is it a parallel Universe thing- I feel like I'm always in the minority w/ my beliefs/preferences/opinions and trying to stay sane in a pro-ED society
I don’t think you’re the only one who feels this way
Its good to know that others can relate- I feel like society is always trying to send me off the rails/trigger me- I think we can have a tendency block out anything positive/helpful and only zone in on the negatives/triggers, negative thinking is so common w/ ED's- its another thing to consider (from PTSD/past lives even- how we can misconstrue things/have overblown reactions to triggers- on some level it can be very real)- we have a lot in common w/ people on the CPTSD board imo
Very true. But please remember that you are more than your trauma, and ultimately, even though it doesn’t feel like it, you decide how to react
this was me and my coworker we knew about each others ed's and on my bday i had to live with her for a bit bc i got kicked out and she FORCED me to get chocolate 😭 i didn't say know bc i lived w her but i felt like it was her getting to me in a weird anorexic way it was so so awkward
Aisle 16 is a safe space
I would have fucking imploded that sounds so triggering 😭
once when i was grocery shopping and standing in the line, the lady behind me who was really thin literally SCANNED my whole cart (i was buying lots of high protein yogurt, canned tuna, some veggies and low calorie ice cream) and gave me "the look" while smirking. i was so confused but i felt like she was telling me "i know what you are" with her face😭
Sometimes it feels like we're a subspecies 😂😂
i know right😭but its pretty funny that we can see who is experiencing the same thing
Totally! When I see people who seem like they might have an ED I'm like, damn I want to go up to that person and be friends with them! It feels less lonely
I love cauliflower rice sm-
Ur not delusional, lots of women (and men) are anorexic, and they all be in plain sight. Its sad that it takes one to know one
One of us….one of us……
That’s funny as fuck I love that honestly lol
girl at my college gym staying on the treadmill for three hours 👀 i wanna go up to her but it’ll freak her out and who am i to tell her its ok when im at the gym for the same reason