Bulimia Help

haven't found a good one yet. smoking or chewing gum i guess. but don't start smoking if. it's such a bad habit.. any other suggestions? i need all the help i can get in the binge busting department

Hi, Have you tried any of our binge busting tools. There are a few visualization and relaxation ones in there. The binge analyzer is good! http://www.bulimiahelp.org/tools/binge-busting/binge-analyzer Some say it's good to get out of the house if you feel a binge urge ... come on guys we need more suggestions!

How do you avoid chocolate cravings?
carbs. are okay, you've got a lot of options- whole wheat bread/cereal/noodles, but chocolate is a hit or miss... who can stay to just one portion size, really :s

I try not to be alone. Having people around me tends to help... So I try to make plans for the days my roommate is gone. And I chew a lot of chewing gum and drink water. Good luck!

I like getting out of the house and working out. Also, if you really have down time you need to fill, try cleaning out your closet or bedroom...things like that always end up making me become consumed in reorganizing everything for hours. Reorganize pictures and go through old school papers and stuff...sometimes I stumble across things that give me more motivation to recover, like a picture from my non-ED days

I find being occupied makes it a little easier for me... When i am not sitting there thinking about it its a little easier, but i do have to say I do plan on what i am going to eat and purge.. is that abnormal???

I do that to, especially when I'm at work.

Before serving the meal, arrange a certain amount of healthy food on the plate, it always differs either it is meat with salad; grains; or diary products. Eat what you have in your plate and not more. The fruit you can have an hour after the meal, of course don't forget the water. Eat as healthy as you possible can and you'll achieve!

Remember deprivation leads to binging.

If your body is calling out for something in particular and you are not eating that something because you are trying to be healthy - then the chances of binging on that food type become high! No mater how hard you try to avoid eating it... it will lure you in. Our bodies are clever that way. Eating three meals and at least two snacks a day is the best binge buster... if you don't feel the need to binge you are dramatically cutting down the need to purge.

A structured eating plan is essential. When I starve myself and get hungry,I fantisize about binging and purging. It is difficult to make the transition from bulimia/anorexia to recovery. I've been so void of nutrients for so long that I feel like my body needs so much. Being bulimic, however, I can't allow myself to eat too much because I will want to throw it up. I can't exist now without a structured eating plan. Left to myself, food completely baffles me.

I'm on the same page with Alison. I definitely have to have structure to my eating. That's where I failed with trying to do intuitive eating on my own - I couldn't figure out how to eat by just listening to my body. I need the structure at least for now. If I know I'll get to eat again in another couple of hours and get to eat whatever I want, that seems to be helping me keep away thoughts of bingeing and starving myself.

I do think the binge buster tool is very helpful - I've used that with success :)

Structured eating was my key to recovery. I had to stick it out, get over the bloat and wait patiently for my body to repair the many years of abuse!! After this time I was ready to move on to intuitive eating. I would not recommend even starting this before structured eating. Intuitive eating involves listening to your body instead of your dieting mind and really getting back in touch with your body once again.

Do you ever watch normal eaters and wonder how they can stop eating?? Or wonder how they only eat a little bite of there cake and save the rest until later or even the next day? When the body has repaired itself it will start normalizing. Intuitive eating is practicing normality until it's second nature again... remember when you were a child or before your dieting and eating disorder days??

Coming soon to the site is tons more information especially on intuitive eating. For just now stick with structured eating... it's the best bulimia remedy out there!!

Good luck!

Ali

Thank you Aimsee, I am very pleased that you are finding the site useful.

It is set to go through an upgrade in the next coming months... so hopefully it will be even better with more helpful info!

Keep with recovery - you are doing a fab job!

Ali

The best way I know to bust a binge is to tell someone that I am thinking about it. When I hear myself saying it out loud I realize that I really don't want to do that, and it also holds me more accountable. I usually tell my husband, and now that I have this tool I will say it here as well. For me, making the choice to say I am not going to do it is a very healthy step. When the thought is in only in my head binging is still an option-when I've said it out loud suddenly it is not so easy to choose to binge.

I would have to agree. One of the best ways to stop or avoid a bing is tell someone or make sure you aren't alone. Find someone that will hang with you until the binge feeing passes. This could be an hour up to a day.

If you crave something, go for it, have a lil bit but ask yourself am I full of this and wanting more cuz it taste good.. if so then stop eating the item but it away out of sight out of mind! not in all cases but it may help.

Washing dishes with hot water is a great binge buster for me. Also, any kind of computer or video game where you can get completely absorbed in some other reality is great. (If you have time to kill...it helps me to remind myself that ANYTHING is more productive than bingeing and purging. I find that sometimes I feel unable to get things done so I b/p...resulting in still not getting things done AND harming myself.)

I like to get out of the house. I live alone and spend most of the days and nights at home. This gives me waaay to many chances to b/p and i find it is very hard to talk myself out of it. I find tho if i go to a coffee shop with a book and have a cappuccino (which makes me feel satisfied not full) and stay there for like 2hrs...the feeling is gone. I also notice that it is hard for me to make a proper meal for myself and keep it down but if i go out ..epecially with friends..i am not as guilty and 99% more likely to keep it down...ew public restrooms!!

This site has helped me not to B/P, I came across this site only last night but today it has helped me and I feel like I have defeated it today. All of your encouraging words and not being alone and judged is amazing after 5 years of feeling you are the only one.

how long does it take for the bloating and the body to return to its normal state?

It is very difficult to put a time next to how long it takes for the body to return to its normal state. Everyone is different. Personally it took me around 3 months to see great improvements. It's work in progress, recovery can take up to a year or more for some.

Don't let this discourage you. Take baby steps all the way soon this adds up to one giant leap.

Keep up the good work,

Ali
:)

i think that is what i find the hardest. that it takes so long. if i have a good few days, or even manage to go for a week, i actually sort of feel worse. i don't feel so distressed and so exhausted, but now i have to just face what i've done to my body, how bloated and 'fatty' (i.e. storing in lumps!) it has become. i know that it's due to b/p that this has happened, but at least binging distracts me from having to really face it! i managed four days b/p free last week, but then dropped back into it big time for three days. because i guess it just became unbearable to keep facing it all. facing the size of my new body. and not having a distraction, or an 'excuse'....i think that's the hardest thing.
x

it definitely helps to be courageous and honest with a loved one when you are feeling vulnerable to a binge. so talking to someone helps,and asking for some help to get out of the trap, maybe do something with a loved one. drinking a glass of water or chewing gum can help. sometimes its a simple matter of waiting out the urge, and it wil pass. taking a long walk and looking at the stars and clouds puts it in perspective for me.

learning mindfull eating can help so that you learn when you eat to observe the bites you take, to savor the bites. which kind of brings us to the dbt skills. learning mindfullness is one of the skills dbt (dialectical and behavioral therapy) teaches. through learning these skills ive learned to be less judgemental, to have a new way of thinking, learned new ways of asking for things, learned how to put a control on emotions, etcetera. it really is a great program that i would encourage everyone to look into or at least consider learning more about on their own!

being alone is the biggest trigger. the sound of the door slamming "byee"...that would be the trigger. i agree avoid being alone.
i have also been to a few exercise classes at the gym this has helped me a lot, it reduces my appetite, and makes me appreciate each mouthful knowing i worked hard to burn calories, it makes you feel happier, and its such a better option than vomiting and great for your body. if you don't use exercise as a form of purging id advise trying it. especially with the trainer, being in the group, the dance moves are fun and it feels good to really work up a sweat. its much more motivating than jogging or the tredmill!(though a short jog in the morning(when its sunny!) with music feels good too)

now i feel i can go to bed, sleep very well!,guilt free, and satisfied with my healthy meal, usually i'd crave chocolate or something in the evening, not today :). i plan to join the gym in a couple of months.

since my relapse a couple of months ago i have been binging and purging mostly on specific foods. so all i have to do is... just don't buy it! easier said than done but today on my way home from town i drove by 3 places where i buy my favorite binge foods. my stomach clenched, i got so stressed, almost turned in several times, but instead i just kept driving. i think i will be ok for the day now. so simple, so effective... just don't buy it.

i think the best binge buster is to take medication or essentil vitamins RIGHT before your about to eat. because when i do that i dont wanna throw my vitamins up or medications so it prevents me from purging episodes. or try calling a friend or take a shower before u feel a binge coming on maybe even walk out of the house and enjoy the summer weather

working out on a regular basis has helped a lot.

i dont work out in an obsessive way, but i definitely know that if i plan on going to the gym that day i need food for fuel or else my workout is going to be crap. also, b/p'ing at any point before a workout makes me fatigue quicker, not to mention scary lightheaded feelings. post-workout meals are just as important as pre-workout meals, so i usually let myself have those as well.

the whole going-to-the-gym process sucks a few hours out of my day..so there's less time for binging.

it's the late nights i have a problem with. :/

I agree...regular workouts are the best! :)

YOGA. I definitely agree with everyone about working out, but as a former "overexerciser" I have found yoga to be the best way to satisfy my need to be active without doing anything too strenuous.

When I work out too hard I start to get obsessive about my body image and what I should or shouldn't eat to maintain muscle tone and reduce fat percentage and blah blah blah. Yoga doesn't do that for me-- in fact, it's quite the opposite. It's the body and mind connection that keeps these harmful obsessions at bay... instead, I feel more at peace inside and I have a greater appreciation for my body and health and I have less of an urge to damage it with binging and purging.

Taking a class is great because you're surrounded by other healthy, motivated people of all shapes and sizes. At the end of a class, I feel very relaxed and my mood is lifted, and I notice myself having more patience for others and for my own self.

yoga really helps, also recently i started training for a marathon and i really love the experience it also made me realise i probably wont have the energy to do it if im binding and purging and i really dont want to give up training.

Also I avoid trying to freak out about my body, wearing too tight clothes etc as now that im eating 'normally' im scared about weight etc. BUT i know from previous experience that the only way i can really get out of thie cycle is with NOT depriving and having a food journal, also i have a timer on my phone which alarms evertime i need to eat so i make sure i have snacks and if i start feeling really hungry i make sure i eat something immediately.

structured eating and having things you really love doing helps.

so, when i havent had a structured eating plan etc, my 'begginer binge busting' was...

knitting (hell yes, old lady time!)
painting
and my bath with lavender oil and candles.

the knitting kept my hands busy, so kind released tension a bit,
and obviously painting helps let out emotions,
and then i did a lot of meditation in the bath tup with my candles, its a safe place of mine!

so, when i havent had a structured eating plan etc, my 'begginer binge busting' was...

knitting (hell yes, old lady time!)
painting
and my bath with lavender oil and candles.

the knitting kept my hands busy, so kind released tension a bit,
and obviously painting helps let out emotions,
and then i did a lot of meditation in the bath tup with my candles, its a safe place of mine!

The best method is to go somewhere, out of the house, play pool, go bowling. It's important for me to be around people, because when I'm dressed up and feeling pretty, I am not thinking about eating. Especially if there are cute boys around. :)

First step for me: LEAVE THE KITCHEN. Once out of the kitchen I find it helps a great deal to listen to my Ipod, one of my favourite tunes. I find it also helps to play the piano, or read my bible. One of my worst binge times is in the mornings when I first get up. I immediately go for handfulls of random sugary cereals. I think it has to do with my thinking that I have the whole day to burn it off. I find it helps that if you begin to binge before a meal. Stop what your doing and prepare your actual meal. Focus on that.

Painting, dancing, yoga, walking, brushing teeth, taking a shower, napping, texting, listening to music, writing poetry, calling someone, writing a letter, rearranging furniture/pictures, cleaning closet/dresser, going for a walk, reading a book/magazine, renting a movie, going somewhere outside the house, give myself a pedicure/manicure, do a facial, dye my hair, sit outside, drink water, drawing, RELAX!
Trying the deep breathing techniques.

Painting, dancing, yoga, walking, brushing teeth, taking a shower, napping, texting, listening to music, writing poetry, calling someone, writing a letter, rearranging furniture/pictures, cleaning closet/dresser, going for a walk, reading a book/magazine, renting a movie, going somewhere outside the house, give myself a pedicure/manicure, do a facial, dye my hair, sit outside, drink water, drawing, RELAX!
Try the deep breathing techniques

When I really want to binge, I have to do something. Sitting around doesnt help at all. I know if I do binge its gonna cost me a lot, so what I do is I grab a handful of pumpkin seeds or some other protien and a coffee and head to like Marshalls and TJ Maxx. The money I wouldve spent on food I spend on clothes and perfumes, stuff that makes me feel good. Things that will always make me feel good, not like binge where you feel good for a minute and then almost instantly sink to a new low right after.
I could spend a good 2 or 3 hours in those stores, its like my own personal ME time, just wandering around with my cart and coffee. By the time I leave, the craving to binge is way past, and the protien was not only good for me, it kept me full so I didnt ignore an actual HUNGER craving.

I find that if I can delay the binge by about half an hour (really really really hard to do, I know) the urge can pass.

I found eating a golfball size of chocolate and pecans did the trick. I just took the time to eat each one. That snack took me six minutes to finish. I tasted everything and I didn't look back.

Believe me, I was very stressed, though. When I popped them into my mouth waiting for them to melt. I had this incredible euphoria exploding, tickling my tastebuds, but then the panick about I was going to gain weight and then I thought I was going to find the nearest sweet shop and go crazy. I mean really I didn't binge, I just tasted normally. I did go for a long walk and not a bulimic walk, just my normal routine. After the walk, my head felt light and dizzy so I had an apple. That's when I knew my actual physical hunger.

Understanding myself more:
-Wake up eat breakfest
-crave = BINGE!!!
-purge
-couter with normal eating Lunch
-crave+ BINGE
-purge
-couter with normal eating dinner

Today:
-wake up eat breakfest (20 minute ordeal)
-crave+ satisfied cravings (six minutes)
-couter with a healthy item (apple)
-eat lunch
-snack
-dinner

From what I see I was going through things the wrong way. The body does crave sweets and crap, everywhere I go there's surgar. I cannot deny it. I don't have a all or nothing mindset because I just experienced that today. I learned to enjoy that good chocolate.

I guess now I need to practice normal eating, even if it is a binge. No more calorie counting, no more erratic thinking, no more scales, no more measuring tapes. Damn it, I'm begining to enjoy food!

How about you guys?

i chew gum like anything to avoid a binge and also smoke. However eating every 3 hours and keeping busy helps the most, Oh and drinking options hot choc just to satisfy a craving

I like the idea about trying to not spend time alone, you can only overeat so much without friends noticing, but my when my friends and family have other things to do and I find myself alone is when the unstoppable urge to go eat comes about and I go out of control :[ I guess it's time to see a doctor. Bulimia only makes me bloated and sad. I was thinking maybe weight watchers could be helpful... If I can learn to eat without binging then I would never think about purging.

I like the idea about trying to not spend time alone, you can only overeat so much without friends noticing, but my when my friends and family have other things to do and I find myself alone is when the unstoppable urge to go eat comes about and I go out of control :[ I guess it's time to see a doctor. Bulimia only makes me bloated and sad. I was thinking maybe weight watchers could be helpful... If I can learn to eat without binging then I would never think about purging.

I find if I take off all my clothes and stand in front of the mirror, I don't want to binge. It just forces me to get in touch with my body. I'm not religious, but I do try to imagine whilst standing there, that my body is the proverbial temple. I think of a cute little Buddha-like character living in my abdomen, and whenever I put horrible amounts/types of things down there- it rains on his home and he gets cranky and doesn't help me be 'happy'. But when I respect that little Buddha in my belly, and give him pure wholesome foods and water, and don't disturb him with big storms of junk or purging... then he watches over everything I do, and helps me find happiness each day.

I must sound silly. But thought I'd put it out there. I have written across my mirror, 'Remember Buddha is in your belly!" You can even rub your tummy and think of him in there, and try to respect him by not bingeing.

Anyone else use their imagination to help overcome binges?

I usually crave chocolate its my biggest weakest and during a binge I can go through loads and I mean loads of it but since iv started the structured eating I find that if I get a craving for chocolate a small cup of good quality hot chocolate really does the trick. I would recommend a good quality hot chocolate because it will be stronger and your craving will be satisfied quicker therefore you dont need as much of it! really works for me

Music - loud and upbeat & energising.

If you're really down & can't quite stand the thought of some dancy music, listen to fast, energetic dark music =/

It distracts me, and stops me binging for some reason. If I'm home alone I'll often put radio/tv/music on so that there's at least one or two things audible in each room.

Sometimes I find if I start doing something I really enjoy for 5 mins. such as Gardening (but can be anything) I can put it off for a while, but I just cant find anything that lasts. If I have something that involves someone else, and I know I have to do it I'm OK. Days at home on my own are a disaster