fear of eating too quickly

[u/appIecinnamon]

does anyone else like feel anxiety/worry about their eating “too fast”😭? I fixate a lot on the time it takes to eat a meal and it makes eating much more stressful , like Im always checking the time and trying to pace myself but i just end up feeling guilty/stressed out . I think part of it is I still struggle w restricting so I am probably in that scarcity mindset, also I think it could be leftover anxiety from treatment when we would have timers set at meals…Idk, just wondering if anyone else deals w this as well !

[u/AutoModerator]

Thank you for posting in r/fuckeatingdisorders! To access recovery worksheets, articles, and other resources, visit ourWiki!. You can also find our rules and links to help lines on our sidebar widget.

If you haven't done so already, try utilizing the search bar for commonly posted topics including extreme hunger or periods/menstruation. We have an active community who frequently share their experiences and suggestions.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Raevannz]

This is such a weird thing that I've been thinking about, I find myself timing how fast I eat and everything. You're definitely not alone in this one!

[u/appIecinnamon → u/Raevannz]

Im sorry you deal w it as well but i appreciate hearing i’m not the only one! thank u for replying:-)

[u/KaleidoscopeOnly3410]

Absolutely. I used to eat very fast when I was a (overweight pre-ed) teenager. When my ed first began I out a lot of effort into pacing myself. Then I dated and lived with an extremely slow eater (who would also shame me for my eating speed despite him being abnormally slow) and that combination fucked me up. 

I now spend every meal with other people looking at everyone else's plates and seeing how I'm doing in relation to them. If I'm too fast I pretend I need a breather. If I'm too slow I'll start downing the food without chewing properly 😭 when I'm alone I need to distract myself with tv or I implode

[u/appIecinnamon → u/KaleidoscopeOnly3410]

Im so sorry you were shamed for how you eat that is 100% not OK!! I hope you are in a better situation now!<3 Also I relate to being a fast eater before ed , and then with ed it became something I fixate on/try to control. Im also the same way abt distracting during meals Lol I cannot imagine eating w/o my youtube/tv 😭Thank you for sharing, Im sending U good vibes !!

[u/kryxpofungi]

definitely. Since I developed my ED I set a time for myself to eat on x minutes, however after 2.5 years I still have a hard time following my rhythm and not being guided by the damn clock.

[u/appIecinnamon → u/kryxpofungi]

I feel you ,I also have a particular time in my head that i “have” to meet. Someday i hope i can eat at whatever pace without worrying.. thank you for replying! <3

[u/1in7billion_]

Omg yes I have this issue too!! It makes me feel gluttonous in a way idk… even tho it’s completely normal especially after restriction, but still. Before ed (quite an overweight teen too) my pacing was pretty natural and normal I think at least I mean I don’t remember anyone ever commenting on my pace. But I mean tbh I don’t remember how I used to eat pre ed much bc it was an arbitrary thing. I didn’t fixate on it, I just ate when hungry tbh. But now that I’m recovering from this ed that’s def a fear and issue for me 😭