Weight Loss during a breakup?

[love&otherdrugs]

So, I've known that I've been emotionally and psychologically compromised and weak during this whole breakup. BUT, I didn't notice my loss of appetite until my roommate mentioned something.

I didn't eat for the first 1.5 weeks after the initial breakup. It wasn't because I was purposely starving myself or mad at myself or anything of the sort. I would TRY to eat, but nothing would stay down. My appetite had vanished and my stomach was violently sick anytime I tried.

I weened myself to eventually eat small meals. I now eat, but it's in half portions, and I skip breakfast quite often, but never get very "hungry."

I'm worried only because I've had so many tell me that they experienced "binge eating" during breakups, and after receiving bad news about their exes moving on or doing something low, they'd turn to a bowl of mac n' cheese or a pint of ice cream. I can't even touch the stuff.

I went from being 128 lbs to 119 lbs in a matter of 3 weeks. (Which, when I do the math, isn't really too bad, right?)
So I need your suggestions, experience, and advice. Is this normal? I'm actually eating now, but I still seem to be shedding weight and getting nauseous randomly or losing my appetite altogether at other times. has anyone else experienced this during a breakup?

[basilandthyme]

Normal is many things. I'm like you - if I'm stressed, I don't eat. AND my metabolism increases which makes me lose even more weight.

Don't worry about it.

[haxan]

I tend to lose my appetite when I'm stressed too. It's normal, it'll gradually return.

[VincenzoG91]

This always happened to me in the past. I would lose a pound a day for about a week before getting back my normal appetite.

[Boisdevie]

I went from being 128 lbs to 119 lbs in a matter of 3 weeks. (Which, when I do the math, isn't really too bad, right?)

Depends if you're two feet tall or seven feet tall. But since so many of your fellow Americans seem a bit on the obese side why not be grateful for the weight loss?

[basilandthyme]

Boisdevie, I wish! I got stressed about something a couple of months ago and lost 2kg. It was back within the week

[Boisdevie]

Boisdevie, I wish! I got stressed about something a couple of months ago and lost 2kg. It was back within the week

Just close that fridge door and go out for a jog.

[IndiReloaded]

aka the Divorce Diet, Heartbreak Diet, etc. If you exercise, your appetite will return but you will continue to drop excess weight in a healthy way.

Don't let this go on too long, tho. If you are over 5'4", its probably time to rethink your behaviour.

[love&otherdrugs]

aka the Divorce Diet, Heartbreak Diet, etc. If you exercise, your appetite will return but you will continue to drop excess weight in a healthy way.

Don't let this go on too long, tho. If you are over 5'4", its probably time to rethink your behaviour.

I am 5'2", so I haven't allowed it to bother me yet. Especially because I AM eating, just not as much. For instance, my family went out for burgers and fries today. I had about half of my burger, and let my brother have the rest later that night. I also only finished half of my fries. I just can't seem to finish meals lately, and get full quite fast. Maybe it really is a good thing like Boisdevie said? Maybe my stomach got so used to not eating for a week that it doesn't want to take in SO much food anymore?

But, I've tried to be less obsessive about it, so maybe that will help, too. A friend asked me how I knew I lost so much, and I told her I usually weigh myself weekly, sometimes more often if I'm having a "looking good in my skinny jeans" kind of day and I'm curious if it's because of weight loss. That friend suggested that I might be having a "controlling" battle subconsciously about my weight. In other words, she threw out the idea that because my breakup left my relationship in shambles and everything feels so out of place and unstable in my life, I may have clung onto weight and my eating habits as the only "constant" that I truly had control of. I'm not sure if I agree with this, but I have started to not weigh myself as frequently, just in case.

[basilandthyme]

I think your friend is overthinking it. It will sort itself out in a few weeks.

[IndiReloaded]

Way overanalyzing. I agree about not weighing your self. Even weekly is too much, unless you are actively trying to gain or lose (say for a competition).

[love&otherdrugs]

She tends to do that as a studying grief counselor. Haha sometimes I just want to shake her and be like "Be my friend, NOT my counselor!"

I ate a cookie yesterday, and that's the first time my sweet tooth has been active in over a month, so there's hope, right? :-)

[monty23]

This is me too. Back in June last year I went through a horrible time of 6 weeks where my online relationship broke down and I was just unable to eat much at all. I still ate, but only to avoid fainting. I had ZERO appetite and could only manage about a 5th of my regular sized dinner, didn't eat all day and didn't even notice. At the beginning of June 2012, I weighed 130lbs. By the end of June I weighed 116lbs. (I'm 5'7" by the way) My partner in real life noticed I was looking too thin and was worried. I tried to be casual about it, saying I wasn't very hungry, maybe had a stomach bug or something.

After things with my relationship got back on track, I was eating again (and it felt GREAT since I've always enjoyed food) and put on a bit of weight but not that much, as my stomach had shrunk after becoming used to not eating much.

Then a month ago, the online relationship went bad again. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep very well either...and now I am down to 108lbs. Wow. I haven't been this light since I was 15 years old (I'm 34 now).

I look emaciated and I hate it. I used to have a really good body. Now I'm just too thin. Part of me almost wants to stay this thin even if my appetite returns (it is very slowly returning now) just in case he ever talks to me again and I can say LOOK WHAT YOU DID! (I know, total victim mentality)

I find it helps if when you have to eat, to just blank out your mind completely. Forget somehow your thoughts and just go mindless...zombie eating. Watch your favourite TV show or movie while you eat. Don't be alone with your thoughts while eating or it's even harder.

[john101]

I am agree with you all. Yeah it happens when you are stressed or in some other tensions you take less food and thats why your metabolism not work properly and in case you loss your weight. But according to me it is not the right way to weight loss. Because it have many side effects. You just take a proper meal, no fat and carbs. Just eat fruits vegetables and also take green tea for weight loss.

[sayaka]

This is pretty normal I think in times of stress. When I have normal stress (work-related or something similar that is less earth-shattering for me), I will sometimes eat a bit more or eat more treats. In times of more extreme stress (like heartbreak and loss and the pain associated with it), I lose my appetite and find it hard to eat. I actually forget to eat most days until late in the afternoon or early evening. Then I can't eat much either. Seeing this thread reminded me to weigh myself. I hadn't weighed since December and I've lost almost 12 lbs. That is a little scary to me since I'm a little underweight to begin with. People were telling me I was looking like a skeleton and I ignored them but I don't want to lose any more weight. My face looks awful.