While it took me a few minutes to rationalize how unplanned pregnancies could be MORE common in those with an ED history, I did eventually come up with a few theories…

I have been extra tired lately.  VERY extra-tired.  I go through spells of this and am always fairly convinced that there’s something wrong with me.  It’s not normal for someone to get eight hours of sleep and need one – two naps during the day.  I end up having conversations with my fiance like this:
grey: I think that I’m anemic.
fiance: oh?
grey: I have all the symptoms — fatigue, headache, difficulty concentrating, pale skin, leg cramps…
fiance: Funny, those sound like the same symptoms of anorexia.
Then, the next month…
grey: I think I …

I stumbled upon this article last week:  Metabolic Assessment of Menstruating and Nonmenstruating Normal Weight Adolescents This is something that I have always been curious about — is amenorrhea associated with a low metabolic rate?  I always assumed yes, at least a little bit.  However, I didn’t really base this conclusion on any hard science.  Let’s say that I used “Grey Science,” which goes something like this:
Your body requires a certain number of calories to function at full-capacity.  When you chronically deprive your body of these calories, it has to …

Cammy wrote a post about an experience that I (and probably many individuals with eating disorders) have been able to relate to on many occasions–an appointment with an ED-ignorant physician.  It happens all the time, and sometimes the professionals are VERY nice… they just don’t know anything about eating disorders.  So, rather than commandeer her comments with my own experiences, I thought I’d dedicate a post to some of the more frustrating remarks that I’ve received from doctors (and nurses–not dietitians, therapists, psychiatrists, etc.  I’ll save those for another day).

The …

The relationship between ghrelin, amenorrhea, and eating disorders has been examined time and time again. The consensus seems to be that persistent amenorrhea is likely attributed to disordered eating rather than low body weight. I’ll admit that I am particularly interested in this subject because I do have hypothalamic amenorrhea. This finding is interesting for a few reasons:
1. Return of menses is often a benchmark of physical recovery. Goal weights are subject upon your menstrual cycle… if you’re still not getting your period, then you still don’t …