# Not eating out of stress?



## shelovescliche (Dec 17, 2006)

I'm two weeks into my freshman year of college, and so far I love it. I like the freedom, and the being away from home. My housemates (for the most part) are all really down-to-earth and fun, and my school (though full of cliques) is really nice, too. But I haven't been able to eat. I don't know exactly when it started, because I didn't even realize it was happening until a few days ago when I saw how little I was eating.

It's not a conscious thing; I've been trying to FORCE myself to eat more, but it just doesn't happen. I get hungry; no problems there. It's just, when I start to eat, I can't ever eat much of it before I'm really full. I know that I can't possibly be full, really, because I haven't eaten enough, but when I try to make myself eat more I just end up feeling sick. One of my friends is really worried; she told me yesterday she felt like she was eating with an anoretic or something, because I was barely eating anything.

I'm pretty sure it's from stress, but honestly I didn't even know I was stressed until I realized I was losing weight. I've lost almost 6 lbs in two weeks. It's making me sick--I'm tired constantly, I can't sleep, I'm completely scatterbrained (which resulted in several humiliating episodes where I lost my keys, or left them in my room).

This not eating **** is making me physically sick, but I don't know what I can do about it. I want to get back to normal; I've been stressed before, but I've never not been able to eat. Honestly, I'd be surprised most days if I've been getting the minimal calorie requirements for someone on a really strict diet.

It's really got me worried. I don't know what to do, I don't know if this is kind of a common thing with college freshmen--I've only heard of freshman 15, not freshman _loses_ 15. Has anyone had this sort of trouble? And found a solution (and please don't say meds, because I've been there, done that, and they don't work well for me).


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## kikachuck (Nov 10, 2003)

shelovescliche said:


> It's really got me worried. I don't know what to do, I don't know if this is kind of a common thing with college freshmen--I've only heard of freshman 15, not freshman _loses_ 15. Has anyone had this sort of trouble? And found a solution (and please don't say meds, because I've been there, done that, and they don't work well for me).


There's actually a running gag in about this in my family because that is what happened to me; I lost the freshman 15. It certainly could be stress because going to college is a huge lifestyle change and sometimes you don't even notice how much it hits you until you see something like this.

Since big meals are probably out of the question, have you tried eating smaller meals more frequently (5-6 times a day)?


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## shelovescliche (Dec 17, 2006)

kikachuck said:


> Since big meals are probably out of the question, have you tried eating smaller meals more frequently (5-6 times a day)?


I've tried, but I still can't eat much, and my schedule is ridiculous. I'm so busy most days, I barely have time to get to the dining hall. (And I've tried bringing snacks along with me. It doesn't make a difference.)


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