Bulimia

trailrunner_jules
trailrunner_jules Posts: 15
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
Is there anyone out there who is trying to recover from bulimia? I could really use some motivation from others who have been where I am as I struggle with it.

Replies

  • i was bulimic/anorexic when i was a teen...kinda what made me fat was a false recovery from it lol. i went from one extreme to another...hope your recovery is full speed and on the right road
  • agataarchangel
    agataarchangel Posts: 292 Member
    Here's to recovery :-)
  • I am some sort of mix between bulimia and anorexia...I don't want to be a trigger though. We can do this!
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    i have BED
  • hmuh
    hmuh Posts: 379 Member
    I haven't suffered with eating disorders but understand that it is extremely challenging in so many ways. Right now, I am reading Portia De Rossi's autobiography, Unberable Lightness. You might find her story relatable.

    Hugs and best wishes your way!
  • vero_1
    vero_1 Posts: 85 Member
    I was first anorexic and then bulimic as a teen... Still struggle sometimes with binge ating and the chew it and spit it out trick but it is mostly a memory of my younger years. It's a hard road to learn to accept your self as the beautiful being that you really are but try to remember that you are not alone. :flowerforyou:
  • agataarchangel
    agataarchangel Posts: 292 Member
    I just finished 'Unbearable Lightness' about a month ago and the story is definitely revealing. She tells her story well though, and the thoughts that one has when dealing with an ED are well described...
  • I struggled with Bulemia and Anorexia for years. It was the hardest addiction I ever had to get over, and I had several! It is literally a meal by meal recovery. I know how hard it is when you have food sitting in your stomach not to throw it up, go exercise or do whatever to get rid of it. I know how hard it is not to eat the whole entire cake in one sitting and then go throw it up. I really suggest taking it one meal at a time. Here is what I suggest and what works for me:

    1. Plan your meal and portion size
    2. Drink 16 oz of water about 15 minutes before your meal
    3. Chew each bite slowly, taking more time to chew
    4. Drink water in between every bite or 2
    5. When you are finished, go take a walk immediately... or if you can't, do something that takes most of your attention.

    You are trying to avoid scarfing down the meal and running to the bathroom after. Do whatever you can to distract yourself as long as possible after eating and stay away from the sinks and toilets!! I know that probably sounds gross, but it's true! You CAN do this! There are lots of people who have moved passed this issue and you have tons of support on this site!!
  • Hi sweetie. Yes, I struggled with it for around 20 years.

    For me, bulimia was about perfection and not being good enough. I would overeat to dull the pain of whatever I was going through, and then panic that I was going to gain weight, and thus the purge. The way out of both sides for me - the eating and the purging - was allowing myself to feel, or to be, whatever I needed to be at that moment. I also learned to be gentler with myself (it's ok sweetie, you just cry it on out :) and that seemed to help.

    It's a personal journey though, and you might want to consider finding a good therapist who specializes in eating disorders to help you walk through it. I found that immensely helpful. (((((hugs)))))
  • Pippi8
    Pippi8 Posts: 12
    Hi there friend. I dealt with bulimia during my college yrs through the time when I got pregnant with my first child at 24 yrs old. It is extremely mentally exhausting...nonstop shame, guilt, humiliation, regret, self-judgement, and all that goes along with that. You have plenty of support on here so please reach out to us. I've found this past few weeks of focusing on my weight and all the numbers and monitoring of everything has gotten my bulimic mindset going again, so just be cautious and keep a close watch on your mental processes if you are attempting to lose weight. We have to make sure we do it in a healthy way.

    Sophiajackson99...I was like you. It stemmed from my extreme perfectionistic personality and my defensive mechanism of internalizing things when life got intense. It comes down to self love and forgiveness and as you said, being gentle with one's self just as we would be with another human being.

    It's a long process to untangle....it sort of always lingers in there even when dormant, but rest assured that with time and soul searching to find what your triggers are, you can overcome. Many of our issues are fear based and when we realize we have nothing to be afraid of, the issue takes care of themselves. Good luck!
  • Im an 18 year old bulimic/anorexic boy confused in life.. My parents split up around a year ago and i lost my appetite, the only thing i would eat was 3 pb and j sandwiches a day and i only drank diet pepsi because i donno ive always drank it.. but before you know it i was diagnosed with an eating disorder because i went from about 210 pounds down to 135 pounds in 1-2 months max... after awhile i started to get my appetite back and this was great but everytime i ate my food it wouldnt agree with me and id feel bloated right away off the simplest foods and thats when i started my bulimia also.. so now ok great i have 2 eating disorders now? and i didnt even have one before.. i always hated my appearance before when i weighed 210 but i never thought this would happen.. And now the worst part is i absolutely love the way i look im not too skinny i just look good i mean yeah id like to be a little bit bigger but i cant just do that... im now a "scene kid" as they say with my black straightened hair and skinny jeans.. Now heres the thing that bothers me the most! I have this amazing girlfriend who i love so soo much but if i were to recover i know i would gain weight back and that would cause me to lose her and it just breaks my heart... i know she wouldnt stay if i recovered and gained all my weight back and i dont blame her for it because she only knows me as how i look and am now... I just wanna know if i were to try to recover how much weight would i gain back i just dont wanna be obese again but i love eating like ugh.. i donno what to do someone please help me :,( i just wanna be able to go out and get a meal with her and not know that hey its coming right back up later :\ i wanna be able to enjoy everything with her to the fullest and sadly i cant because im just a fake.. ive always been so nice to everyone around me and still am i got picked on in school all my life but never did anything about it even tho i was much more toned and bigger than the people who continuously tortured me.. i just dont get how life treats some people like what did we do to deserve all this pain and suffering.. anyways i had to get this off my chest ive never told anyone or said anything before and ill tell u its a friggin load off my shoulders but still i feel empty..
  • chilipeppers
    chilipeppers Posts: 119
    I was bulimic for 2 years, and I still have relapses here and there. You are not alone and this is not your fault! I know it is a dark secret that is hard to cope with but feel free to message me/add me if you want.
  • AnnieeR
    AnnieeR Posts: 229
    Yep. In my 20s. Only I couldn't make myself throw up so I turned to ridiculously obsessive exercise and laxatives. You are so not alone and you CAN get better.
    if i were to recover i know i would gain weight back and that would cause me to lose her and it just breaks my heart... i know she wouldnt stay if i recovered and gained all my weight back and i dont blame her for it because she only knows me as how i look and am now... I just wanna know if i were to try to recover how much weight would i gain back i just dont wanna be obese again but i love eating like ugh.

    Sowntogether I'm SO GLAD you posted - keeping stuff like this a secret is what keeps it going - you need to reach out to people who won't judge you and this is a safe place.... I just want to say first that recovery doesn't mean you have to go back to obesity - I've been recovered for probably around 15 years now and I only started struggling with my weight again in the last five or so - when I got therapy for my bulimia I gained to a healthy weight, re-learned how to exercise properly, etc. and I was thin enough to keep up with the fashion I was into without being sickly skinny. You definitely can do it.

    ETA: I also wonder if you might not be giving your girlfriend enough credit - surely she would rather have a healthy and open boyfriend than one who is secretly harming himself so that he looks the way she wants him to? I know image is really important at your age - trust me as someone who grew up as an indie kid in the 80s/90s, but even when I would only date guys who looked like Robert Smith ( :wink: ) I'd have been devastated if they thought I'd rather have the image than them.
  • Abigailblue39
    Abigailblue39 Posts: 212 Member
    Is there anyone out there who is trying to recover from bulimia? I could really use some motivation from others who have been where I am as I struggle with it.
    Me too. There is a more or sometimes less helpful thread that is called "Eating Issues support group". Check it out. Good luck!
  • sinclare
    sinclare Posts: 369 Member
    Is there anyone out there who is trying to recover from bulimia? I could really use some motivation from others who have been where I am as I struggle with it.
    Me too. There is a more or sometimes less helpful thread that is called "Eating Issues support group". Check it out. Good luck!


    yes if you can find Abigailblue39's post on that Eating Issues support group, (i think page 8) she has an amazing advice :)

    there are some on that site that are pro-ana, just FYI.

    I am right there with you, having recovered, then replasping, for years. like 20 years! It is like a genie in a bottle, once it gets out it is VERY hard to get back in.

    Friend me if you like ;)
  • sinclare
    sinclare Posts: 369 Member

    I've found this past few weeks of focusing on my weight and all the numbers and monitoring of everything has gotten my bulimic mindset going again, so just be cautious and keep a close watch on your mental processes if you are attempting to lose weight. We have to make sure we do it in a healthy way.

    oh my! I had exactly the same experience. Been on here about 3 weeks and becoming obsessive about counting calories. Like that part of myself that was ana/mia is trying to take over the part of me that wants to be healthy and strong. Trying to stick with the MFP program and see if it works ( lol my old way didn't work so great ). It is great to know there are other people in the same boat!
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