| THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND...PAGE 2 |
| HOW TO AVIOD A BINGE (continued)... Keep a private journal so that when you feel the need to binge and purge, you can "purge on paper" instead. Write down how you are feeling and what caused you to feel that way. Boredom, loneliness, and stress are some examples of negative feelings that can lead to a binge/purge episode, which leads to the next thing to keep in mind... BINGE ON PEOPLE instead of food! This is an extremely important thing to keep in mind, since most of us tend to b/p when nobody is around to see us. If you surround yourself with a group of friends who are supportive of your recovery, you will be less likely to b/p and more likely to talk about your feelings with a close friend. Of course, this means you may have to go out of your way to make friends or to be a friend yourself. When I was deep into my ed, I'd shoved all of my friends so far out of my life that I was sure they wouldn't want to hear from me anymore...but as I found out later on, that wasn't true. And believe me, it helps SOOOOOOOOOO much just to be able to talk about things! If anything, there are many, many sites on the web where you can connect with others who suffer from ed's, this will be one of them (my site is, unfortunately, STILL under construction but I hope to have a chat room or bulletin board soon) and WE can give you tons and tons of support! :) Tell yourself: " The urge to binge and/or purge is strong now, but I know it will go away soon. What is making me want to b/p?" " The desire to eat (binge) right now is not a physical one because I have nourished my body today with healthy foods." " I know that my hunger and full "cues" are confusing to me, so I need to eat "mechanically" instead of how I feel I should eat." If you have eaten a normal sized meal and still feel the urge to keep eating, it may be due in part to your stomach, if it still hasnn't signaled to you that you are full. Soon, though, your body will get re-adjusted to sending out these hungry and full "signals". While it is still readjusting, it may take longer than average for you to feel satisfied with a normal sized meal. To distract yourself from bingeing, see the above...read a book, watch a movie, call a friend, etc... |
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| WHAT ELSE CAN HELP YOU... Get rid of clothes that are too small for you, and if some of your tighter-fitting clothing gets too small, try to see this as a sign that YOU ARE GETTING WELL! :) Join a support or self-help group that deals with eating disorders. In the town I live in, there is a group for bulimia and anorexia, as well as binge-eating, and they are all run by Overeaters Anonymous. Learn how to exercise for PLEASURE, NOT to burn calories. For example, if you hate jogging and only do it to burn calories, then you shouldn't be jogging. Find something that you ENJOY doing: rollerblading, playing tennis, hiking, skiing, bicycling...there are so many activites that are FUN, AND help keep you HEALTHY! It may be easier for you to eat five to six small meals a day when you are first starting recovery...this will help your stomach to gradually get used to digesting a bigger amount of food. Then when your tummy no longer feels "uncomfortable" after you eat, you can eat larger meals three times a day, OR you can just stick w/5-6 meals a day...as long as you are eating healthfully, either way works! Stop labeling certain foods as "good" foods and others as "bad" food. In moderation, ANY food is good for you! EVEN chocolate! Don't look at the nutrition labels on foods when you are first recovering. Instead, try to pay more attention to the food itself...its texture, and how it tastes. This will help you to enjoy your food much, much more. Think of your body as a car...it has to have fuel to run on! Sure, when your car is on empty, it can still run FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. But eventually your car, just like your body, will DIE if you don't REFILL IT!! It's the honest truth.. |
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