Have I got an eating disorder? Is it anorexia or just an eating disorder?

We deal with difficult events, periods, etc in our lives in very different ways and it's important to have a think about what it might be which is causing you to feel like you are. My eating disorder was a result of struggling to be accepted at school, and the response of having a womanly body when I started secondary school. Whilst there was an obvious trigger - a boy I fancied calling me fat - the seeds were there beforehand. It's important to identify why you might be responding in this way, so that you can work to find new solutions to cope with this.

I've noticed that you've written about your "weight" (this is in inverted commas for a reason, which I'll explain shortly), changing by 4 pounds. I'm sorry, that I work in kg, but that's 1kg.

There are a couple of reasons for your weight changes. Firstly, I'm not sure what you were or were not eating previously, but it's extremely likely that the 10llb weightloss was the result that most people see when they start a crash diet. It's not loss of weight but loss of fluid. Had you continued in this pattern for longer, your metabolism would have slowed down to conserve energy and you would have seen your weight loss decrease to a standstill. This is very normal.

Focussing my attention away from the weight loss, you weight gain of 4llbs or 1kg, which is actually nothing at all, is expected. Firstly, as soon as you start eating your body over compensates to replenish the fluid lost (see above), but also replaces the lost tissue.

If I use my own weight as an easier example to talk about. I have been eating 3 meals a day, all with carbohydrates, and especially breakfast. I also include snacks. My weight is below what is healthy for a person of my age, and below the band that has been set for me, so physiologically, I know that I will experience binge episodes as my body tries to restore itself.

Regardless of whether my weight was at target, or is at its current weight, 1-3kg fluctuations over the month are normal. My weight increases by around 2kg when I'm menstruating. This week it's gone up 1kg, although today it went down 0.5kg.

So you get the picture, it is an inconsistent pattern and so judging it on a day by day basis is completely inaccurate.

I put weight in commas, because it's actually measuring a change of fluid. If you weigh yourself, then drink a bottle of water, then weigh yourself, your weight will increase by the contents of the water. Then when you go to the toilet, your weight will drop back down again. Don't try and measure this, because your bowels open at different times, although it's an interesting exercise.

So my point about my weight increasing at my time of the month is false...I actually retain more fluid at my time of the month, which is seen on the scales as an increase of around 2kg. Make sense?

I appreciate this is all a lot to digest...haha

I am doing my best not to condense a year's worth of dietitic therapy into an email...which is not the best idea as it wouldn't do it justice, but you mentioned that you were restricting your intake to under 1000 calories. I empathise, because I've been there, but I will also say that you are setting yourself up to binge and having been in this boat your mind starts beating you up even more for "failing".

I don't want to advise you of a weight LOSS diet, but I actually lost weight eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and adding in a snack to replace my binges - with all these meals containing carbs. The reason, because my body wasn't being tricked constantly into starvation mode, and slowing down, then craving energy (which is the result) and so going into overdrive when trying to make up for it.

I wouldn't advocate for losing weight in your position, but if you want to help yourself, regular meals with carbs will help you so much, and there's nothing wrong with taking small steps. You don't have to do it all at once

Finally, there's a lot to deal with. Getting support around you can never come soon enough. I put off getting help for years, and in the end was hospitalised at the worst possible time. I hated hospital because it was affecting my life plan, and tried to get out as soon as possible. I relapsed several times after, and had to pay for treatment after this - my most recent bout over the last year, when it seems I was finally ready to get better. Speak to your GP. Speak with your family, if you can. Talk to a trusted a teacher. Phone a beat helpline, sign up to the big white wall for help. 

There are loads of things you can do, but not addressing it is not an option...

There are three main types of eating disorders; anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is the least common of all eating disorders but is the one we most identify with because it receives so much media attention.

The most common is eating disorders not otherwise specified, which is a group where people tend to display some symptoms of one disorder, but not all, or aspects of multiple disorders.

There are multiple other eating disorders such as selective eating disorder, othorexia, body dysmorphia and others.

The important thing to realise is that all eating disorders are extremely serious, disabling, mental illnesses.