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bulimiaz-bitch · 4 years

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Reasons to Recover from Your Eating Disorder

You won’t have to go through life worrying about every single calorie and every single meal.

You can enjoy dinner with your family without panicking about it.

You can live life without it revolving around food.

You won’t have to lie to the people you care about anymore.

You can actually have fun on your birthday.

Fighting with people you care about over whether or not you’ve eaten is boring and painful.

Because there is more to life than food.

Because losing friends is not fun.

You can enjoy social occasions without worrying about food.

You won’t feel so constantly exhausted and drained all the time.

Thinking and dreaming about and being consumed by food is no way to live.

Feeling dizzy and cold and tired keeps you from living a happy, fulfilling life.

Recovery will give you the chance to LIVE and to be alive, rather than just existing.

Because you deserve to have happy thoughts in your head, instead of numbers.

Your recovery can inspire and aid the recovery of others. Instead of passing on disordered behavior, you can pass on health and support and encouragement.

Your skin will improve, as will your mental clarity. Eating right (and enough) can greatly help symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Because you don’t deserve to cry yourself to sleep anymore.

You deserve to be able to genuinely smile again.

You deserve to be able to go outside and enjoy your day without worrying about what you’re wearing and whether or not you look okay.

You won’t have to waste money on food to binge on anymore.

Your feet and legs will stop falling asleep and going numb when you sit down.

Your hair will stop falling out.

Your skin will finally be able to heal itself. You deserve to be glowing.

It’s nice to not feel like death anymore.

It’s nice to not smell like vomit anymore.

It’s nice to be able to go out and actually enjoy yourself again.

Your general health will improve and you’ll be less susceptible to colds and viruses.

You won’t have to feel guilty about breaking your promises.

You won’t have to lie to everyone around you.

You’ll be able to go out and dance at parties/bars/clubs without feeling weak and dizzy.

If you’re fortunate enough to still have healthy teeth, recovery will prevent them from rotting.

You are worth so much more than just a number on a scale.

It’s nice to not be constantly cold and nauseous all the time.

Because crying in your room is never a good way to spend a Friday night.

You can finally live without guilt. Guilt that you ate when you didn’t think you deserved to eat. Guilt that you haven’t eaten and you’re letting loved ones down. Guilt that you binged. Guilt that you purged. Guilt that deep down you’ve forgotten how to love yourself.

Your bones won’t be brittle and easy to break anymore.

You’ll be able to sleep at night without hunger pains keeping you awake.

Be confident again.

So you don’t feel like a complete & utter hypocrite when trying to help someone that is in the same position as you.

So you can enjoy “family time” & not worry about eating “bad food”

So that you don’t spit up after eating because your esophagus is so fucked up from purging.

So you don’t miss out on life.

Because it’s nice waking up and thinking about what art you can create, what places you can explore, what books you can read, what people you can meet, what songs you can sing, what sports you can play, instead of thinking about what you’re going to eat and not eat that day.

Watching Netflix is a lot more fun than watching “thinspiration” videos.

It’s nice to wake up in the morning with energy, instead of waking up tired from not eating, or sick from binging.

So that you can get up in the morning and see clearly, instead of seeing spots or having black vision as you try to sit up.

You deserve to love yourself again.

You deserve to accept love from those around you again.

You deserve to be able to go shopping without having panic attacks and breakdowns in the changing room.

You can eat your favorite foods without guilt and anxiety.

You’ll have enough energy to do the things you enjoy.

You can be active, and run or play sports for the fun of it, not for weight loss.

You can have a life again.

You’ll be able to sleep at night.

Aren’t you tired of feeling worthless and guilty?

You’ll be able to go out without thinking that everyone is staring at you.

Go into a grocery store feeling safe.

You won’t have to be scared of going to the doctor anymore.

You won’t have to excuse yourself from work or social events to purge.

Recover so you don’t have to see the scared, heartbroken look on your mother’s face when she hears you purging.

Recover so you can go on a date and feel happy and not worry.

Recover so that you can share your story and help others recover.

You won’t have to waste any more money on laxatives.

Your eating disorder won’t be feeding your anxiety and depression anymore.

ALL of us deserve a better life than ED hell.

You’ll be able to have children someday if you want to.

So you can make spontaneous plans to go out, and not have to check or worry if they’ll “fit in” with the eating disorder.

So you can spend time having interesting conversations with people, without your mind wandering off to do calorie counts.

You don’t have to feel guilty when people buy you food, because you won’t have to waste it anymore.

So you can live a happy, free, fulfilled life.

So you can feel unafraid for the first time in a long time.

So you can have and actually sustain healthy relationships with people (family, friends, significant other) without the eating disorder causing fights and pushing them away.

You can walk around town with a friend or go to events without worrying about passing out.

You don’t have to lie awake at night worrying about the damage you’re doing to yourself.

When you give your body the fuel it needs, your physical AND mental health will improve. Your self-confidence will improve.

You can get your natural skin tone back, and not look gray and sickly pale all the time.

Your blood pressure and heart rate will go back to normal.

You’ll be able to enjoy hot baths and showers again.

You won’t have so much gas or bloating or stomach pains anymore. Your intestinal and digestive health will slowly heal itself.

You can stop punishing yourself for eating.

You can sit up for more than 10 minutes without your stomach hurting.

You won’t have to debate for an hour before eating an apple.

Your room won’t smell like vomit and moldy food.

So you don’t get up in the middle of the night feeling as though you need to do 300 sit-ups before you can sleep and then spend all day feeling tired, and ill.

You won’t trigger others anymore.

So you dont end up in hospital at 3am because your bowels are bleeding due to your ED

You won’t be constantly dehydrated anymore.

When you look back on your life, you’ll have happy memories too, not just empty memories of anorexia / bulimia

You won’t have constant headaches anymore.

You won’t have to isolate yourself anymore.

Because life can, and should be, so much more.

Please feel free to add onto this list, and share your own stories and reasons for recovery. I love you guys and my inbox is always open.

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bulimiaz-bitch · 5 years

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binge eating is awful. it’s stressful, extremely upsetting, and it can make you feel out of control. but overcoming binge eating is possible. there was a time when i thought i would never beat the binge cycle that i was trapped in, but with hard work and dedication i was able to fully recover. i’ve grown so much through my experience, and i picked up a lot of useful tips and tricks along the way. so i put together a bunch of resources that will hopefully help you get through this too. it’s a long post, so buckle up. let’s get into it…

beat cravings:

drink water

or peppermint tea

chew mint gum

gargle mouthwash

suck on ice cubes

brush your teeth

find healthier alternatives to the foods that you crave. fruit instead of candy, miracle noodles instead of pasta, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, popcorn instead of chips… etc.

distract yourself:

study or do homework

meditate

exercise!

clean your room

paint your nails

do your makeup

take a shower or long bath

shave your legs

do a face mask

write a story or in your journal

work on an art project

read a book

make cute diy gifts for your loved ones

organize your closet

go for a walk or run

try on/plan outfits

take a nap

go shopping

run errands

just get out of the house and away from the kitchen

call up a friend

volunteer

binge prevention tips:

tell someone! having a support system can do wonders for your recovery. they can hold you accountable and encourage you.

get rid of all trigger foods. seriously, go through your kitchen and throw out everything you have the tendency to binge on. i used to binge on ice cream every single day until i tossed it out. chocolate, cereal, peanut butter, whatever your vice is… say goodbye. “if it’s there, you’ll eat it.”

tip #1 can be tough if you don’t live alone. opening up to your roommates about your problem can really help them understand the seriousness of it. one thing you can do is keep all of your food in a separate area, and train yourself to eat only from your own stash. in binge eating disorder recovery, i kept my food in an entirely different room from the kitchen (thanks, minifridge) and it helped me so much!

also, don’t buy food products you’ve binged on before. never go to the grocery store hungry, because you’ll be more likely to fill your cart with things that aren’t great for you (or your binging).

crash dieting often results in the development of binge eating. don’t restrict your calories too much if your goal is sustainable fat loss. furthermore, you’re gonna need energy to get through your workouts!

if the urge to eat is strong, make food that requires cooking/baking. i usually toss a sweet potato or some into the oven because it’ll take an hour or so to be ready to eat. by then, the urge to binge has often subsided.

always stock up on high volume foods, like vegetables. one of my favorite binge prevention techniques is to buy giant bags of veggies that i can just throw in the microwave. they’re huge- for a very small amount of calories, so if i eat a lot, it’s totally okay. (i like the ones from greengiant.)

meal prep meal prep meal prep! make your meals beforehand (in cute lil containers if you like) and this can help you stay on track. if you want to take it a step further, you can even buy the ingredients you need day-by-day to completely eliminate any chance of binging. (although this means going to the grocery store every day.)

set alarms for when you eat your meals. i just use an app on my phone for this. it helps because when i get a craving i am able to tell myself, just a little while longer until the next alarm and then i can eat.

include plenty of protein and fiber in your diet. they help keep you full! but it’s also important that your diet includes carbs and fats as well. a lack of any nutrient can cause your brain to send signals to your body that you need to eat. besides, you need all of these things to function!

don’t completely deprive yourself of any food you love. moderation is key.

get proper sleep! you should aim for around 9 hours of sleep per night. not getting enough sleep is linked to overeating, a slowed metabolism, and an increase in appetite.

never skip breakfast! every time i skip breakfast i always end up eating way too much later in the day.

and of course… stay hydrated. 💧

how to make an anti-binge box:

it’s a good idea to keep a stash of helpful items somewhere in the house. i keep mine in my room because i tend to binge at night. here’s some ideas for what to put in your anti-binge box.

gum/mints

bottled water

flavored sparkling water (good for soda cravings).

tea bags

jump rope, dumbbells, or other exercise equipment that you can grab and go

motivational quotes/pictures

journal

low calorie snacks like rice cakes, applesauce, jello, etc. (sometimes the act of chewing/eating will help ease the urge to binge.)

books

important phone numbers in case you need to call someone to help

intermittent fasting for binge prevention:

ah, intermittent fasting… it’s all the rage these days. normally i would roll my eyes at such diet trends, but this is what finally helped me get over my binge cycle!

i use the 16:8 fasting method, which in my opinion is the most effective for binge prevention. you have an 8-hour eating window in which you have all of your meals, and then you don’t eat for 16 hours.

my eating window is from 8am to 4pm, because i am more likely to binge in the evenings. even if i start to compulsively overeat during the day, i am able to stop at 4pm because it’s become a habit to do so.

your personal eating window can be whenever you want it to be, but i highly recommend the majority of your fasting to be during sleep.

intermittent fasting has several other benefits, but it can also cause health issues for some individuals. you should do your own research before determining whether or not intermittent fasting is for you.

what to do after a binge:

don’t panic. it takes 3500 calories over your basal metabolic rate to gain one pound. most people burn around 2000 each day, so if you binged on 4000 calories today, you won’t gain even half a pound! remember this if you step on the scale and it says you’ve gained several pounds overnight. i promise that you have not- the weight gain comes from water retention, food, and waste.

step away from the kitchen. go to a room where you can calm down and recuperate. your bedroom, a cozy den perhaps. just get away from the source of your distress.

find some way to relax. take a shower or soothing bath, watch an episode of your favorite tv show, curl up with a good book, exercise if you feel up to it.

if you are having a panic attack, move to a space where you will be less likely to hurt yourself. make sure there are no sharp things around. then just float along with the panic attack until it subsides; recognize that you are not dying and that this panic attack cannot hurt you, and just roll with it. ride the wave until it’s over instead of fighting it. (and call someone to be with you if you can.)

don’t try to starve yourself the next day, as this will likely only lead to another binge. trust me when i say that binge-starve cycles are the worst. besides, one single binge will barely impact your weight. just accept that it happened and move on.

dealing with the physical pain:

binge eating can be painful and very uncomfortable. it may feel like you’re about to burst. here are a few of my tips, researched and learned from experience, to help with the bloating and other physical symptoms that might occur after a binge.

drink tea. peppermint tea is excellent for soothing a bloated belly, but all teas have benefits. though i would suggest that you avoid caffeine right now, as it can make your anxiety worse.

try a heating pad. this can help with the pain.

sit still, close your eyes. lie down and allow your body to recover from the shock it has just received.

take a hot bath or a warm shower. relax, baby.

drink water. but don’t drink too much too quickly, or you might get nauseated.

do not force yourself to throw up (purge) because binging is already a shock to your body. vomiting is even more of a shock. you can do a lot of damage by purging, and it can be really hard to stop once you start. just don’t do it.

try to do some light yoga/stretching if you can, but don’t do strenuous exercise yet. allow your body to digest the food.

go to sleep. hit the reset button and start fresh tomorrow. sleeping is great for settling your stomach and healing your body.

treatment options:

often times, binge eating is triggered by an emotion or stress. consider talking to a therapist who can give you strategies to combat this. therapy can help you get down to the root of the problem and find out what’s causing that stress. compulsive eating can also be helped with therapy.

work with a dietician or nutritionist. sometimes when another person plans out your foods and meals, it can help you stay on top of things. it can be good motivation too.

if things are really bad, consider seeing a psychiatrist who will prescribe you meds to help you stop binging. some meds can help with impulse control and appetite. it’s totally ok if you need prescriptions to help you out… there’s no shame in taking medicine!

list of international suicide hotlines

binge eating disorder association

national eating disorders association

eating disorder hope

national eating disorders hotline (1-800-931-2237)

national suicide prevention hotline (1-800-273-8255)

chat with a crisis counselor (Text 741-741)

ask me anything | my answered asks

if you’re in eating disorder recovery, you may find that you’ve started binging. relax, breathe, and go with the flow. i know that it’s not fun and it’s emotionally stressful, but your body is very smart and will do anything it takes to keep you alive. it needs nourishment. it needs fuel. and chances are, you need to gain some weight before you’re healthy. your body will know when it’s time to stop eating so much. right now it’s trying to get as much food as it can, because it doesn’t know when it’ll be starved again. when you reach a healthy weight/replenish nutrients you’ve been lacking, you will stop binging. trust me… i’ve been through it myself. it is not forever.

and if you’re in recovery, try to keep in mind how much your body is healing right now. (if you’re not recovering, you’re dying.) also, your metabolism is returning to normal- which is pretty cool!

binge eating is not your fault. it’s an actual disorder and that means that it’s an illness. you are not a failure or a loser, you are suffering and your pain is very real. what you’re going through is valid. you are such a badass for getting out of bed each day.

i remember feeling so hopeless during the worst of my binge eating. i thought that it would never end and i would never stop gaining weight. i didn’t want to live anymore. fast forward six months later and i’ve never been happier. please stick around kiddo, cuz’ life really does get so much better.

it doesn’t matter if you don’t think you’re sick enough. you deserve treatment, you deserve help and a beautiful life. you’ve got this! stay strong my lil warrior. ❤

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