Posted by Racer on September 10, 2005, at 1:03:12
In reply to 10 der,, posted by crazy teresa on September 9, 2005, at 18:27:39
After working with a nutritional counselor for my anorexia, I have experienced different things with food.
While I'm in a restricting phase, I'm always afraid that I'll be out of control if I let myself eat -- that I'll be downing ice cream all day, or potato chips all night, since those are the things I tend to reach for when I'm restricting. (Yeah, I know, doesn't sound so anorexic. I use a cookie scoop for my ice cream -- I think it's the one tablespoon size.) Anyway, when I'm following my meal plan, the empty feeling of needing to fill myself up goes away and I don't have the cravings for those things anymore. Basically, my meal plan boils down to eating every two to three hours, and three fruit exchanges (from the diabetes exchange lists) per day. That fruit, I think, really helps.
More important, though -- for me, and maybe for both of you, too -- is body image and all that goes with it. There's a book that my therapist "assigned" me called "The Body Image Workbook" and it's been helpful for me. Maybe if you start the exercises in it, you could take it to your therapists and maybe say that you really need help with the mirror exercises in it. (OK, you might not, but I can't do the mirror exercises, and am even afraid to try them with my therapist! One of these days, though, and I may make a double appointment, so that I'll have an hour to quiver on her sofa before I havve to drive home.) I'd bet that learning to accept and like your bodies would help a lot when you're thinking of turning to that hated best friend.
Also, could your medications be causing some of the weight gain? I know that the meds I've been on have been terrible for that.
Another thing that might help you is exercise -- I know, but I also know that I love my body more when I've just sweated it up. (Hm... Maybe sweating up the sheets counts as exercise? Gotta talk to my hubby about that idea...) Even if you don't love gyms, going for a walk might do enough to help -- we have a municiple rose garden that makes for nice walking, and I'll bet you've got a nice park nearby?
Funny thing is, I could have written that post myself -- even though you'd think that anorexia would be different. I find myself wishing like anything that I could just take a pill in the morning, or just once a week, and that would be it -- no more eating, no more thinking about food, no more trying to find excuses to avoid it, etc. And at the same time, there's something about getting that bowl of ice cream...
I'm sorry you're both going through this. I hope that you find help with it -- and that I do, too.
poster:Racer
thread:552715
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/eating/20050314/msgs/553077.html