This, that & stuff ....

[Lokime]

I had another bulimic episode last night even though all I'd eaten was a plate of fruit. I just felt slightly full and that was enough to trigger it. But as for overeating, I'm resisting the urges that pop up on a regular basis. I've been eating probably too lightly, almost starving myself, but anything more and I become bulimic once more. Yet I know in myself that eating so lightly can bring on binges/overeating. So I'm probably doing all the wrong things at the moment. I'm just in a constant struggle with food and we have no OA in my town or anywhere close by. Just rambling on, I know, but these forums are my only understanding and support right now. Thanks for listening to me. :ValB010:

[Pony]

{{{{Lokime}}}}

Sorry you are struggling so right now. I glad you can here to share with us. It does help to have someone understand. Maybe the online OA meetings can be of help to you since there are no 2f2 meetings in your area. The link is in the "Power Post" thread stickied above. Check it out. I have gone there many times myself......they're pretty good.

[Zilla]

I know this is hard! I can really relate! Instead of purging though I exercise usually (exercise bulimia). Or else just binge or even eat a normal sized meal and don't purge either way and absolutely loathe myself until I have starved for a few days and feel like I am "over it".

I am doing all the wrong things at the moment too. I know that doesn't help you, I don't have advice because I am so screwed up myself. But just know you are not alone. I hope you can find help soon.

[Jelling]

Try the OA literature, the online stuff can really help and repeating the first step over and over to myself really helps me, I don't know why but reminding myself that I am powerless over this relieves the shame and blame. I have to let it go or else the food is too powerful. That leads to the second step and on and on... I hope that helps, that is what gets me through each day. One day at a time, don't say things to yourself that you would never say to anyone else. OK? we are all proud that you are even here, posting shows you are doing something right (not wrong) Take care, God bless, Jen

[Transcend]

Hi Lokime, e-mail me if you want to exchange more info on things that might work...Or if you want -- one way I could offer support is to give you a free coaching session if you're interested. I am a certified life coach who has recovered from 16 years of bulimia -- went through a lot of what you are mentioning.

Zilla, I switched to exercise bulimia when I stopped purging...took me 4 years of getting things together before my mind, body and spirit finally felt aligned. The crazy thing is that I never realized overexercising would only make me more hungry & the cycle continued. At some point, I started to just try experimenting with taking a day off of exercise or exercising less to see what would happen to my appetite & my body. It takes a lot of trust (which is the tough part, right? but worth it in the end).

Anyway, I found an eating plan that finally fixed my digestion -- feeling too full and ill after eating was a big trigger for me. I can finally eat and feel normal. I finally know when to stop eating and have no sugar cravings. It feels like a miracle. I'd recommend The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates. She addresses alcoholism & bulimia in her book -- the diet addresses the damage we did to our bodies & helps them heal.

I want to send love & positive energy to you all!
Heather
http://TranscendBulimia.com

[law47]

Lokime, I'm really sorry to hear that you are struggling with the bulimic episodes. I have never done that, I tried but wasn't successful. Thank God.
But I can relate to the over and under eating. I just wanted to share with you something my sponsor in OA shared with me, she said two things that I ask myself often when I'm acting out with food and not feeling right. What is it that I am not accepting in my life, and what am I trying to control? That just kind of simplified it for me.
Trancend, you really have some great information. I would like to check out that book, The body ecology diet. I have a question, if I have been clean from sugar and white flour for 30 days already would it make any sense to do the diet because you said its supposed to regulate the chemicals, or however you said that. I want to stay abstinent and if I can avoid a relapse by making better changes I will do this. I just have to be careful of how much I play around with my food plan because I have done that in the past and it messed me up big time. So would this still be okay for me? Also, I have been strugging with grazing in-between meals on potato chips and triscuits,that could send me back into relapse. I eat 3 fruits a day and I'm thinking maybe that could eventually set me off, especially banana's, I think I'm going to give them up for awhile. I just want to know more about this diet to possibly prevent me from relapse rather then wait till I do relapse.

Lori

[Transcend]

Hi Lori, the thing I like about The Body Ecology Diet (BED) is that it works to get rid of Candida -- or the yeast overload that is common for people who've had alcoholism or bulimia (or taken a lot of medication). Plus, it fixes leaky gut, which causes malnutrition (creates overeating -- can either be underweight or overweight because of it). Donna Gates, the author, had studied macrobiotics & all kinds of other nutritional systems before she created this.

The guidelines allow you to balance the glycemic index of foods, fix your thyroid and cleanse your liver. It also uses principles of food combining so that you don't eat things together that cause fermentation in your body (making the yeast grow more and making digestive difficulties).

Bananas are particularly high in natural sugars, as are other fruits. The idea is that eating these fruits sets off the candida/yeast so it clamors for more & more sugar, flour & food. That's probably why you want crackers & potato chips. I can totally relate because I always craved sweets & flour products (crackers & bread especially).

What I tried before BED -- just about everything....I even went on an organic, whole foods eating plan -- which included some fruit -- and my digestion never resolved until I tried the BED (which emphasizes organic, whole foods -- but with some adjustments around eating fruit and food combining). It's like a miracle. I never thought I'd be able to give up fruit. It can take about 6 - 8 days for your body to get used to it, but by day 8 - 10, I felt like I was on top of the world. Lemons, limes, unsweetened cranberries -- all of these are included. I make a lemonade with one lemon, 6 oz. water & a pinch of stevia and it has completely satisfied my need for sweets -- I never would have imagined this was possible.

If you work with a doctor or nutritionist, perhaps talk with them? In my quest for health over the past 16 years, I was never able to find a conventional health professional who could help me with healing from bulimia. I got the most help from alternative health professionals -- and was lucky to find MDs who were also Ayurvedic doctors or MDs in Environmental Medicine, who understand Candida.

Maybe take a look at the book in the library or bookstore. Or go to the BED website for more information: http://bodyecology.com/

Maybe if you want to let me know, I could give you more specifics on what to expect with BED. I believe in it so much that I'm going to get my certification in April so I can add it to my coaching practice. At that time, I can provide more tips on this forum. I'm not sure what things you did with your diet that messed you up in the past? e-mail me if you want.

Good luck -- I can see that you are committed given you've been off sugar and flour for so long!

Hugs,
Heather
http://TranscendBulimia.com

[Nina Kay]

How are you doing, Lokime? I hope that you will be able to come back and share with us really soon. Remember that we are here for you. You don't have to do this alone.