WELL
In my case, it is a fear and obsession of not gaining weight and of losing more. Many exercise, sometimes excessively. They try and eat based on their want to lose weight which pretty much always ends up being an unhealthily low amount. But it is not just about losing more and more weight until there is nothing more to take. It is also a coping mechanism. Just the same as self-isolation, self h*rm, or any other unhealthy means of coping. Many with anorexia have triggered the eating disorder based on something going on in their life. It could be a death, dep*ession, pressure from school or parents, or even something as simple as moving somewhere new. In my case, I already had dep*ession, so when I developed an e.d. [eating disorder], it was most likely my way of coping with that and everything else going on in my life. So although my outward intention was to lose weight, it was also to get some sort of control and cope with my life. It is the same for many.
Basically, a day in the life of one anorexic example [me] would probably include waking up, using the bathroom, and stopping to look at my body in the mirror for 1-15 minutes (usually about 10). Weighing myself. Skipping breakfast. Doing homework. Cleaning. Skipping lunch. 30+ minute exercise. Probably fake eating something if my parents are home. Mirror check. Maybe another weigh-in. Probably a lot of fidgeting and shaking throughout the day to burn more calories at all times. Thinking about food, calories, and my weight almost all day. Skipping dinner if possible or hiding/throwing away my dinner without anyone knowing. If I have too, I would eat it and then secretly inflict vomit. [I would probably lose control and binge and purge on a day like this about once a month, due to the extreme hunger. And cry about it once I'm in my right mind.] At the end of the day, I would record everything in a notebook or my computer.
But that is just me and my experience.
I hope that this helps give you a better idea.
Also, here are the side effects:Side effects are different for everyone and it widely varies which ones you do or don't have
Hair loss [falling out]
Loss of period (if are female)
Increased chance of infertility
Fainting/dizziness
Severe mood swings
Depr*ssion
Anorexia often can lead to other eating disorders, such as bulimia and binge eating disorder
Weight loss (minor-severe)
Social withdraw
heart problems and failure
Brittle bones and nails
Colder than average on a regular basis due to the lack of fat keeping your body warm
These are all of the ones that I could think of and I hope this helps. Stay safe everyone and please try your best to eat [im such a hypocrite, lol]
