Eating problems...

[Simalacrum]

Right, generally speaking I'll nag at the Publisher's Club forums about personal issues and whatnot for help, buuut since there's a specified forum dedicated to this now, I decided I might as well bother you fine people instead XD

So, basically, I've had an issue with food for a long time. However, it isn't really a regular issue...

Firstly, I'm not overweight. Far from it, I am pretty significantly underweight. However, I'm not anorexic either - I don't feel depressed about my weight, and I'm very much aware that I am underweight (rather than thinking that I am overweight), and I know I need to eat more. Nor am I incredibly picky about what I eat (other than really REALLY weird things like deer testicles, I'll eat pretty much everything except mushrooms, which I absolutely hate and am adamant that they should all be exterminated from this planet ).

I'm pretty sure my problem is related to my Asperger Syndrome more than anything. You see, I simply forget to eat; consumption of food simply doesn't seem to register as a priority in my brain (even though I consciously recognise it as something important, my sub-consciounce doesn't) - this is particularly true if I am doing something important and/or something I enjoy, such as doing an essay or playing video games. Furthermore, if I feel as though I'm in a stressful situation (for example, I find myself reluctant to use the kitchen when other students are 'chilling' in there) or I am feeling depressed/sad, then I'm generally reluctant to go off and make myself something decent to eat.

Putting reminder notes and whatnot for myself doesn't really seem to work - I generally find myself ignoring them. Having people remind me does seem to work, but a) it needs to be multiple times, so more like nagging me rather than a gentle reminder, and b) I'm not close enough friends with my flat mates to ask them to remind me, truthfully speaking.

Also, I honestly don't really have a viable solution to the whole "reluctant to use kitchen under certain circumstances" thing. Sometimes I just need to seclude myself in my own room, which I don't really know what I can do about really =\

So, yeah! TL;DR (whatever that means ):

I forget to eat, or I feel reluctant to enter the kitchen under certain circumstances due to Asperger Syndrome

Notes don't seem to help, don't have close friend's close at hand to remind me to eat

Don't have any idea what to do about not wanting to use kitchen!

Any advice would be appreciated

Have a juggling video! (since, you know, I'm the 'Resident Juggler'... ):

 

[Megalodon]

Keep food in your room? I keep all kinds of snacks in my room becasue I can't be arsed to go downstairs.
Is the not going into the kitchen a major problem even when you're actually hungry? If it gets that bad, you could just order takeaway.
If you get to know your flatmates better, then you could get them to remind you. Or at least get you feeling less uncomfortable about using the kitchen while other poeple are using it. I guess that might be hard with Aspergers (how bad do you have it?), but if your problem is bothering you enough to create a thread about it, I'd say it was worth a try.

 

[Imp Poster]

Not sure how old you are, but when I stopped growing at about the age of 18. From 18 to about 29 years old, I was the same weight and waist size the whole time. Like you, I was underweight. I am 175cm(5'9") and was about 59 Kg(130 pounds). I was self conscious about it because I would have girls tell me that they wish they were skinny as me which didn't make me feel good for some reason as a guy. Like you, I forgot to eat or sometimes I would stop eating because I would get tired of chewing and lose my appetite or eating seemed like a chore.
I have tried everything to gain weight. From weight gainers to smoking pot, the only problem is that these things stretch your stomach to eat more but what's the use if you don't eat more. Funny thing is, now that I am past the age of thirty, my metabolism has slowed down significantly, and I eat double of what I used to eat. I have gained weight to where I am normal weight now and all the beer and McDonald's I ate is now haunting me around my stomach.

So either eat more or wait till your older? *shrug*

 

[Amnestic]

Three suggestions I can think of:

1) Buy/acquire a mini-fridge and keep it stocked in your room with simple items, maybe a loaf of bread on top if you don't mind the crumbs. That way you won't have to get into the kitchen to get at food. Even just a loaf of bread plus a few easy sandwich fillings (ham, sliced cheese, whatever) would probably go a long way.

2) A really loud alarm clock. One of those old-style ones with the bells on top. Put it in the kitchen, and make sure it's loud enough that you can hear it from your room. Either you or your flatmates will be forced to turn it off, provoking them to nag you to eat or you to enter the kitchen.

3) Talk to your physician! Being underweight can be just as unhealthy as being overweight (if not moreso). A professional opinion - or a referral to another professional opinion - is going to carry much more weight than the Escapist. Sorry guys and gals Explain your problem to them, make sure they understand *exactly* where you're coming from so they don't misunderstand and I'm pretty sure they can find a way to help.

And if nothing else, it's good to pop in to the doctor's every now and again for a checkup.

Edit: Fourth suggestion-
I don't know how your flatmates are or how you feel about it, but perhaps you should look into making a "Cook dinner" rota so that someone else cooks dinner for the flat every day/every other day. That way they can force you to eat their food and you'll be forced to make something for them and yourself.

Plus it helps you become a better chef, and there is no way for that to be a bad thing.

 

[beniki]

Make cooking fun? Instead of boring stuff, try to do impressive dishes. Curries are fun, easy and impressive. Buy a load of ingredients and chuck it all in a pan, and you get something with smells and tastes faaaaaantastic.

If you're nervous around the kitchen, invite some friends over to help you make it. Some of the best times I had at uni were in the kitchen.

Make it a big part of your day, instead of just another thing you have to do in between games.

 

[Simalacrum]

Nick, my advice is, find a reminder.

Do you have a cell phone alarm? Maybe even a reminder on your iPod if you can find an app or something for it. Anything that can buzz and tell you it's time to eat should you forget is what I would aim for, especially if sometimes it just slips your mind. A friendly reminder of this sort may do just the trick for your problem. And if that fails, I will PM you once a day telling you to eat, or more if that helps.

Haha, thanks Ayla, although, considering you seem to be busy pretty much 24/7, I don't think I could ever have you bother with another nuance like reminding a guy on the other side of the planet to eat might try the first idea though ^_^

Make cooking fun? Instead of boring stuff, try to do impressive dishes. Curries are fun, easy and impressive. Buy a load of ingredients and chuck it all in a pan, and you get something with smells and tastes faaaaaantastic.

If you're nervous around the kitchen, invite some friends over to help you make it. Some of the best times I had at uni were in the kitchen.

Make it a big part of your day, instead of just another thing you have to do in between games.

I do enjoy cooking ^_^ and, erm... curry is what I make... like, all the time infact, simple curry and simple bolognese are pretty much the only proper meals I know how to make xD

Thanks for the suggestions though, I might have a cooking social or something one day

 

[dmase]

I have the insane ability to never keep weight on aside from eating four meals a day and working out an hour and a half every other day. The only way that i am able to get all 4 meals then is if i run. You run for a little while you most likely won't feel like eating right away but about an hour later you'll want whatever you can get your hands on. Waking up early always make me starving by 9 if i had just woken up at 12 i wouldn't be hungry till like 1. That or weed, thats actually how some people with eating disorders like bulimia get themselves straight.

Anyways this is assuming that extremely painful hunger with earth shattering stomach grumbling will get you attention.

 

[Zaik]

To make a long story short, I don't get hungry, so maybe i can help.

A: Make huge dinners that are way more than you can eat in one night. tends to be cost effective if done right and the feeling of not wanting to waste it might help remind you to eat the leftovers.

B: while soda is bad for people who do eat normally, if you're constantly forgetting to eat, it can help you maintain weight or put on a little. Same thing with whole milk(though i can't stand it myself, tastes dirty to me). Obviously don't overdo it, but a glass or two is fine between lots of water.

C: buy totally different food often. Obviously matters less if you have a favorite something, but often i walk into my kitchen and can't be bothered to eat anything i have because i'm bored with it. Change it up occasionally so you actually feel like eating.

 

[zombiesinc]

Don't have any idea what to do about not wanting to use kitchen!

Any advice would be appreciated

As others have already mentioned, getting a mini-fridge in your room would be a good start. At least then you could have a small amount of decent and filling food at your disposal. Especially if you're easily discouraged or turned off from using the kitchen. There are tons of filling things you can quite easily make in your bedroom, or store in or around your fridge. The more convenient it is to get your hands on something to munch on, the more likely you are to doing so. Granola bars, fruits, crackers, bread/buns, pizza pretzels, chips (preferably veggie sticks, yum), tuna sandwich ingredients (or any other ingredients for sandwiches), etc.

By having this food easily accessible, you're far more likely to eat it. Not only would it be in the same room as you (assuming you spend most of your time in your room while in the dorm), but you're more likely to eat it, especially if there are people in the kitchen, or you're not in the mood to be around people.

Though, being underweight, and not having a lot of desire to eat as often as you should, I'd say you should really try to force yourself to follow your own reminders, or listen to your friends without them having to nag. Literally force yourself. Perhaps coming up with some sort of reward system, that may encourage you to just get it over with, so you can do something else. It's a little tougher to do when it comes to yourself, but it's still possible to do so.

 

[Zacharine]

Three suggestions I can think of:

1) Buy/acquire a mini-fridge and keep it stocked in your room with simple items,

2) A really loud alarm clock.

3) Talk to your physician!

Edit: Fourth suggestion-
I don't know how your flatmates are or how you feel about it, but perhaps you should look into making a "Cook dinner" rota

I wholeheartedly support these ideas! Having ease-of-access to food along with a loud reminder to eat something should help you normalize your weight.

I'll add one of mine.

5. Stay away from the scales. Check your weight every second week or once a month or whatever your phycisian tells you. This way, there is no staring at the numbers day by day and stressing over why they don't show instant and significant change.

Honestly, What Amnestic said should work, but do not forget recommendation #3! Having a healthcare professional in on it helps you achieve results in a consistent and healthy manner.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

What you need is a bag of Beef Jerky, its spicy deliciousness will encourage you to eat!

Or, for a slightly more serious option, try an alarm method.

 

[Naheal]

I have a similar issue. What I do is that I make sure that I have something nearby to eat. It helps keep something there so that I'm not interrupting whatever I'm doing (typically, I'm writing or doing some sort of equation). Otherwise, the idea "I'm hungry, I should make something to eat" pops into my head followed shortly by "I'll do it once I'm done here." A few hours pass and I still haven't made anything.

Solved by having food right there is a good thing.