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How to cope on my DofE Expedition whilst having anorexia.

I don't really eat at all - perhaps a piece of fruit or something per day, and lots of chewing gum :/ Thing is, I have a DofE expedition soon and I don't know how I am going to manage. You apparently need around 4000 calories a day during the hiking, and I can't eat that. That's so much :frown:

What should I do?

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Eat or die.

Well how long do you have until your expedition?
I took some boys out on their bronze practice at the start of the holiday, and bearing in mind how much they were eating and still being ill (always notice what others eat more than myself) if you don't eat you will pass out / faint and not finish the expo.
Even if you now adhere to the stupid new rules saying you only have to walk 10k that's still gonna take about 500cal more than you would normally use in a day.
Could you perhaps cope with eating sweets instead of chewing gum? Tbh though if the leaders notice you're gonna get absolutely SLAMMED. It's virtually impossible to pass without at least bringing and cooking the food, so you'll have problems in that area too.

Reply 3

natty_d

This happened to a girl at school. She had to agree to eat properly on the trip, if not she would pass out, if not a whole meal just little bits more often to keep her energy up, or she would not be allowed on the trip. She did agree to this, and she enjoyed the trip, she eventually got help with her eating problems, because she enjoyed walking so much and couldn't go it the condition was in. :smile:

Do you have anorexia or do you just eat very little?

Reply 4

sindyyy!

get someone to make you eat and not let you go until you do...you will get really ill and/or not be able to go on if you don't...trust me there's a lot more stuff to be worrying about...

and you don't have to eat 4000 calories...like it's not measured or anything...just make sure someone in your group is making sure you eat enough to keep you going...

and good luck :biggrin:

ps: is it bronze/silver/gold?

Reply 5

username170468

I wouldn't say you need 4000, especially if it's only a 2 day Bronze expedition. Although if you're quite skinny, you might not have enough energy stores to keep you going...best to over-estimate and put on a little weight (which you can then burn off if you feel you need to) than to under-estimate and collapse from exhaustion.

Why don't you try, instead of chewing gum, having some chewy sweets like wine gums? Then you'll get a few extra calories and some quick-release energy, but it won't seem too weird because it'll be like gum.

At mealtimes, make sure you eat as much as everyone else. On our Gold practise hike, we had these pasta+sauce sachets, which you just add to boiling water and cook for a few minutes. They're all measured out in portions, so you know how much you have to eat and it'll be harder for you to only take a small amount.

Cereal bars are really good, although not if you're in a cold place because they freeze rock-solid! So cereal bars for warmer places, chocolate bars for colder places. Try and have chocolate that has biscuit or something in it, because the biscuit will have some slower-release energy. Also, Kendal Mint Cake is pure sugar, so is really dense in calories without having to eat much, and it'll give you the minty taste that you'd normally get from your gum :smile:

Not directly related, but make sure you drink plenty of water!

Reply 6

linguistochka

When I did my DofE Gold expedition, anyone who was thought to be unwell was not allowed to take part for their own health. This meant one person was disqualified and had to wait another year to complete the qualifying expedition.
I really would have assumed that your teachers and group leader and assessor would have not given you permission or do they not know you are anorexic?
Even very fit people get ill and struggle on the expedition, and whilst you dont need to eat masses, you get hungry easily and should eat throughout the day to keep up your energy levels.
Take pasta, rice, couscous for the evening meal and nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit where possible, cereal bars etc for the day.
Good Luck!

Reply 7

Anonymous #1

Do you have anorexia or do you just eat very little?

The former I think. My family/friends/school don't know, I just chuck all the food away :/

ps: is it bronze/silver/gold?

Silver

especially if it's only a 2 day Bronze expedition

It is 3 days and Silver.

Reply 8

TheConfuddledOne

That is going to be impossible to do unless you find a way to eat much much more.

Reply 9

neomilan

eat the food
eat more food that you would in a month
otherwise you'll collapse

Reply 10

linguistochka

Anonymous

The former I think. My family/friends/school don't know, I just chuck all the food away :/
Silver
It is 3 days and Silver.

Dont go! Or else make sure you eat lots! You might get seriously ill if you continue not to eat throughout DofE, like seriously, maybe even collapsing on the mountain side and getting fatally wounded. :thumbsdown:

Reply 11

starss86

You won't be able to do it if you can't get yourself to eat anything at all.

It would suck if you missed out because of anorexia, don't let it hold you back. You could try to eat some stuff, then maybe energy drinks, small sweets - to keep your energy up without making you feel too full.

Reply 12

tabbycat1

In the long run this might turn out to be a good thing - if you're not eating properly the rest of your group will notice and the sooner someone knows the better so you can get some help. I hope it works out for you. X

Reply 13

Crushy

When your on long walks it's more eating because you're tired and very hungry than because it's the right thing to do. You'll find yourself with a big appetite once you've burned some energy.

Reply 14

natty_d

Anonymous

The former I think. My family/friends/school don't know, I just chuck all the food away :/
Silver
It is 3 days and Silver.

OK.

You need to eat whilst on D of E however. Don't worry about calories, you will probably burn them up, but its better to try and eat more than collapse and not enjoy the trip :yep:

Soapy Dish's advice is pretty good. :yy:

Reply 15

username170468

Anonymous

The former I think. My family/friends/school don't know, I just chuck all the food away :/
Silver
It is 3 days and Silver.

If you think you'll be able to force yourself to eat more, not necessarily 4000 calories but more than fruit and gum, then try to. Take lots of little snacks as it'll be easier to eat little and often than a couple of large meals. If you don't think you can make yourself eat more, do you think it might be worth telling a friend you're not sure you'll be able to eat enough, "can you make sure I eat plenty and finish my meals?"? You don't have to say the word anorexia, but just so someone knows you're not used to eating that much...

If not, it's probably best for your health that you don't go.

Reply 16

No Future

Anonymous

What should I do?

You may not need 4000 esp as you are probably small anyway.

If you can cope with eating small meals, maybe have a smaller version of whatever anyone else has?

Cereal bars?

Sweets and energy drinks may not be nutritious, but may help stop you blacking out, for times when you feel you really cannot eat.

Drink enough fluids too.

If you really feel you cannot eat, you might reconsider whether it would be safe for you to go on the expedition.

Reply 17

spasmos

Firstly, something that really alarmed me was that you think you just eat very little, and yet no one knows, and you chuck food away, which makes you anorexic in my mind.

Don't try and do DofE whilst anorexic, you won't manage it (Bear in mind, I know what you're going through, was anorexic myself whilst wanting to do my DofE)

Trust me, by the time you get to the second day of the expedition, you're usually starving, even if you are eating! So please make the effort. Start eating again now, be really disciplined with yourself and build up your claories each day to the recommended resting 2000/2500. The 4000 calories you are reccomened to eat should then come easier and your expedition will be a success.
Good Luck.

Reply 18

Lehu

TheConfuddledOne

That is going to be impossible to do unless you find a way to eat much much more.

I'm sorry but this is totally unhelpful and negative for the OP. Anorexia is a medical illness; I doubt you would have the guts to say something like that if the OP had cancer for instance and was weak.

OP - it will be difficult, but it is possible if you train your mind to listen to your body. In the run up to the trip, instead of having just fruit try having brown pasta (healthy and low cal!) so your stomach is used to proper food. Also when you are on the mountains and hiking etc, have energy drinks like lucozade and energy glucose tablets.

I have been in a similar situation when my ED was spiralling my life out of control and had to go on a hiking expedition, so I essentially went down the cereal bar and dried fruit road, knowing that it would give me energy and still be healthy and low cal. I know this is bad but what also fuelled me was the thought of all the exercise I was doing, and all the calories I was burning. Just think, your body is essentially going to be burning off 4000 calories, so it doesn't matter if you have a chocolate bar because by the evening it would be exorcised through exercise by your walking alone :smile:

I hope this helps :smile:

good luck, you can do it!! mind over matter darling

Reply 19

Anonymous #2

There was a girl with anorexia on my duke of edinburgh expedition.
She was sensible and did eat but still not as much as we did and it showed, she lagged behind and we often had to wait.
She also starved herself when we got back which led to her being off school for 3 months despite being 2 months from our Alevels.
If it will make things worse for you in the long run then don't do it.
You also need to think of others in that people will worry about you. you say that nobody knows, but my friends thinks that nobody knows and we all do and we all worry.
Another thing, on our first night on the expedition she caught hypothermia because she simply didnt have the body fat or energy to keep herself warm.
I dont say this to chastise. Just to warn.
D of E can be fun but its not to be undertaken lightly.
good luck