Wellness Tuesday—Domestic Violence and Weight Loss Don’t Go Hand in Hand
After suffering from a back injury, I’d not endured enough pain.
I met a man who I thought was Mr. Right. All too soon, I discovered how wrong I was and before I knew it was in an abusive relationship.
I quickly discovered that weight loss and domestic violence do not mesh. I wanted to lose weight and even tried at times but there were 
many factors that derailed them.
- Anytime Duncan was finished eating, he strongly encourage me to finish his meal along with the rest of mine.
- There were many times I went to work or walked out after an argument with no money. This meant that I had no way to eat lunch and led to severe migraine headaches.
- I often had to make $5 stretch over 5 meals, which led to unhealthy choices such as the dollar menu at a local fast food restaurant.
- Any time I discussed losing weight, Duncan would act supportive and then we would go to an all you can eat buffet.
- If Duncan were mad at me, he would withhold a meal as retaliation.
- Duncan often had a habit of starting major arguments while we were eating. One day, I walked to the grocery store next door, just to cool down. While there I took my BP which was 197/150 {that is a level most people are hospitalized at}.
- Duncan would insist on ordering for me at times, often ordering the most fattening and unhealthy choices.
All of these factors and other experiences in my life, led to a serious eating disorder. Not a disorder such as bulimia or anorexia, but a disorder where I obsessed about my next meal and where it would come from. This also led to me feeling that I had to finish every bite on my plate.
These are issues that I have struggled to retrain my thinking and habits. This has been a huge struggle and I’ve worked hard to retrain myself. I’ll admit that while I have come a long way, I still struggle with these issues at times. One of the biggest factors I’ve been working on in the last year or two, is recognizing my triggers and determining ways to deal with these issues and factors in a healthy manner. But…it’s still a struggle.
Have you ever struggled with an eating disorder?
Tweetables:
How domestic abuse derailed my weight loss journey
Domestic Violence and Weight Loss Don’t Go Hand in Hand
Struggling with eating disorders, brought on by domestic violence