If you overeat and it makes you purge (not on purpose), do y

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KimberSt
KimberSt Posts: 62 Member
in Food and Nutrition
do you still count the calories?

I know it sounds weird, even sick. However, it's a real question. I have abused my body in the past and have not had any problems for many years. Today, the family went to a pizza place and I guess I over-indulged. I go sick to my stomach and headed straight to the restroom where I proceded to lose my cookies....so to speak. I had no idea it would happen, but it did. I feel so awful. I barely ate any dinner this evening.

Must I count the calories even though I only kept it down for maybe.....five minutes after eating?

Replies

  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
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    No, I wouldn't count it. But that should be a lesson to ya, lol
  • tmarie1213
    tmarie1213 Posts: 43 Member
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    You still absorb a lot of the calories, so I would... that is the reason why bulimics are usually normal weight or even still over weight. Even though you throw up, your body still absorbs the calories.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Arguable, though the purging part will incite replies for you to see a professional regarding it...even if it was unintentional this statement alone: "I have abused my body in the past and have not had any problems for many years..." will cause a stir.

    That said, personally, I don't think there was enough digestion taking place to accurately assume most, if any, of the calories were absorbed. Though, I'm not experienced in this area of nutritional regurgitation, and will allow the nature of the thread to take its course...
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    You still absorb a lot of the calories, so I would... that is the reason why bulimics are usually normal weight or even still over weight. Even though you throw up, your body still absorbs the calories.

    Really?...I suppose that sounds plausible.... "The more you know," I guess.
  • b00b0084
    b00b0084 Posts: 729 Member
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    Arguable, though the purging part will incite replies for you to see a professional regarding it...even if it was unintentional this statement alone: "I have abused my body in the past and have not had any problems for many years..." will cause a stir.

    That said, personally, I don't think there was enough digestion taking place to accurately assume most, if any, of the calories were absorbed. Though, I'm not experienced in this area of nutritional regurgitation, and will allow the nature of the thread to take its course...

    agreed. your body takes time to absorb what is needed. it does not happen instantatious.
  • KimberSt
    KimberSt Posts: 62 Member
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    Oh, I've had help for my past illness and yes, it IS an illness. I was both bulimic and anorexic. I did alot of damage to my body, but was lucky enough that I was able to see what I was doing to myself and sought help before it was too late. HOWEVER, when you abuse your body for so long, it never really goes away. Just like an alcoholic. You have to be careful not to allow yourself the opportunity to follow that path again. That being said, I was extremely surprised that this happened. I'm hoping it was a bug rather than a slip. I am still feeling "under the weather." We shall see what the morning brings.

    Thank you, though, for the concern. Much appreciated.
  • DancingYogini
    DancingYogini Posts: 377
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    Arguable, though the purging part will incite replies for you to see a professional regarding it...even if it was unintentional this statement alone: "I have abused my body in the past and have not had any problems for many years..." will cause a stir.

    That said, personally, I don't think there was enough digestion taking place to accurately assume most, if any, of the calories were absorbed. Though, I'm not experienced in this area of nutritional regurgitation, and will allow the nature of the thread to take its course...

    ^^^^that...
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
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    glad someone else asked this, although i expect everyones going to go all mental at it.

    depends how efficient i feel the purge has been
  • sue26
    sue26 Posts: 412
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    i personally would count it, just because i had eaten it. Dont worry overmuch about it, it was only the once and probably wont happen again:smile:
  • FL_Nettie
    FL_Nettie Posts: 265 Member
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    I try to track everything that eat. That way if I put weight back on, it's easier to see why. Also, I can detect patterns such as do I make bad choices on the weekends, etc. But if you aren't sure, what about counting half of the calories? That way if you have absorbed some of them, you have it recorded.
  • cupotee
    cupotee Posts: 181 Member
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    No. Digestion and absorption r two different things. You only absorb calories in your small intestine. Food has to travel thru the esophagus and stomach first, which takes a minimum of 30 minutes. If you had it in you for five minutes, no calories were abaorbed.
  • Jspiffy
    Jspiffy Posts: 15
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    Today I was reading about digestion and how long it takes for food to leave the body totally through urine and feces. For the most part it takes around 24 hours for the average person to digest fully and it's done in the intestines. There was probably some absorption although I really am just speculating since I have no real knowledge. Just a thought.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    It won't make any difference if you count them or not - if you felt sick for the rest of the day and didn't eat much anyway then I would just write it off as a miserable day and start fresh tomorrow.
  • AnnieeR
    AnnieeR Posts: 229
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    As someone who's suffered from compulsive eating disorder in the past I'd say that you should track it - if I have a particularly big meal (not just a bit too much, but like enough to make me feel sick) it's usually a pretty good sign that I need to think about why I'm eating, so tracking keeps me accountable....
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
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    i think its probably worth tracking, from a psychological point of view, because if you binge purge and dont log it, youre pretending it never happened - kind of an even greater extension of the bulimia IYSWIM. If you log it, youre making yourself accountable. Showing people, and its incentive to not binge next time, and less binging means less purging of course.
  • ebony__
    ebony__ Posts: 519 Member
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    No. Digestion and absorption r two different things. You only absorb calories in your small intestine. Food has to travel thru the esophagus and stomach first, which takes a minimum of 30 minutes. If you had it in you for five minutes, no calories were abaorbed.
    This is not entirely correct .
  • ebony__
    ebony__ Posts: 519 Member
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    But definitely an interesting thread. I have a reflux problem I've had since I was a child, and my stomach can get upset very easily and result in me loosing my food. ( no its not intentional, it's horrible )
    It's difficult to know what to log. I would say that almost never all of what you eat actually come back up but at the same time for all those people saying you still absorb the calories, how can it be possible to absorb all of them if the majority of the actual food had gone down the drain.
    If you've thrown up a lot but still recorded the total calories and are trying not to go over a certain amount your diary might say you've eaten 1200 cals when in reality you may have only eaten about 800 (obviously hese are just example figures) which might not be as much as your body needs for one day...

    Having said that I don't think one day out of a whole lifestyle change really matters to much..
    Also this is just my thoughts ... Not pushing it on to anyone like its fact or anything :)

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