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Old Oct 16, 2004, 09:07 PM
Genevieve Genevieve is offline
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Member Since: Sep 2004
Posts: 312
Well, I can't tell you how to eat like a normal person, but I can tell you what I have learned about eating to control my weight -- when the anorexia has been in remission.

First of all, DO NOT restrict all day -- or you will binge. (Been there, done that...) Eat a sensible breakfast, maybe a couple of poached eggs and oatmeal or Malt-O-Meal. The mix of protein and carbohydrates will fill you up, give you energy for the first part of the day, and you won't feel deprived. For lunch, eat a balanced meal, something with protein, carbs, and a bit of fat. (Frankly, for maintaining a semi normal weight at my last job, I ate anything I wanted for lunch. Taco Bell was too much of a part of my life then, but I do love it.) A good sandwich, with a piece of fruit should do it.

Dinner is where you cut back -- a little. When I was trying to keep my weight down at my last job -- on antidepressants, which caused a huge amount of weight gain if I didn't cut way down on what I ate -- I just ate a biggish salad for dinner. Filled me up, and wasn't all that fattening.

As for your weight now, bulimics are actually known for being normal or above normal weight: when you purge, you don't get rid of all the calories you consume. I've read that the average bulimic actually retains about 1200 calories from the average binge after purging. That's a full day's supply of calories for a restricted diet for healthy weight loss! And laxatives do even less. All the calories have been absorbed by the time the laxatives do their thing.

Your family sounds a good deal like mine, by the way. "Emotions? Not around here, dear." "You say that you feel bad? Why? If you can't explain it in words so that we can all understand it, then you don't really feel that way." And after my stepfather molested me, "If you can't tell me how it caused any lasting damage, then it didn't." (I was 11 at the time.)

I wish there was something I could tell you that might help you. I guess all I can say -- besides get to that therapist ASAP -- is that you can do it. It takes baby steps, and they're all hard, but it is possible. One suggestion is to choose something each day to eat and keep down. Even something like tomato juice.

OH! I just thought of something! I've got a fair number of links that might help you. There are some groups, including 12 step type programs, that might help you. I know that Overeaters Anonymous has been said to be eating disorder friendly, and weight watchers might be another option. Check the site for the National Eating Disorders Association, they've got good information, and a lot of resources. A self-help type group might help you, as a stepping stone to therapy, or just as something to help you get started on recovery until you find a therapist. At least you'd find yourself around a group of people who understand what you're going through, and that helps a lot. Something Fishy is another website, specific to eating disorders, that has a forum. You might find more support there, since they have a bulimia specific board. But if you go there, don't abandon this place, either. Lots of caring folks here. Good luck to you, and be well.

http://www.beyondhunger.org/
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.o...WebPage_ID=337
http://www.aabainc.org/
http://www.edreferral.com/
http://www.somethingfishy.org/
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