Giving Up is Not an Option

Hi.

Giving up is not an option.

Fear of gaining weight and not being in control of body size translates into a phobia about certain kinds of foods and that translates into eating things that are not satisfying and that translates into binges on things that do satisfy and that causes panic and fear of gaining weight so purges are the result.

Now the crazy thing is that bulimia is not a weight control device. It is true that lots of bulimics are overweight or at normal weight. The thinking that bulimics are thin is not in proportion with the statistics.

Fear and anxiety are the two driving forces.

So we ask well what are we going to do about this seemingly impossible task of abstinence?

Well, there are a few things.

Don't ever go to bed hungry. If purging was part of your evening do not try to sleep on an empty stomach. Protein drinks, fruit, cereal, or broth, what ever you can eat. You stomach will be manufacturing chemical and electrolytes that help your brain run, your body work, and your moods remain stable. If there is nothing in your stomach this will be a lame process at best.

Structured eating. I don't really think it's so important how you do this as much as you do it. I talk to people all the time who never eat breakfast. Talk about a setup. By the middle of the morning it's all over with. It is so crucial to eat in the morning. Try to eat a protein and carbohydrate each meal. Eat several times per day. Never  let your blood sugar drop. Never. If you follow this you will never be able to claim "hunger" drove you to over eat.

The hard part is trying to decide how much to eat. The only comfortable place anyone has to compare too is a place of post purge. That's not going to give anyone a good idea of how much is too much. At first everything that stays down is going to feel like way too much. Its going to take some time and patience to get used to the way you feel. It is a process and will "normalize" itself. A big part will be committing to being uncomfortable.

Fear and anxiety are going to ramp up. You will be confronting some big issues, Weight, feelings, issues around socializing, and adjusting to new body processes.

Commit to having those feelings. Having those feelings is going to be the only way to normalize them. If you let the feelings drive your behavior it's just going to get worse not better.

Get connected. Always. Don't try to do it by yourself. Connect to people who can support you within the entire process. Be honest about feelings and how it feels. Honesty can take you where you want to go.

If you have any ideas or suggestions I would love to hear from you.

Keep going and stay the course.

Bryan