Posted by Racer on May 2, 2007, at 15:01:01
In reply to Re: Long-time Bulimic, posted by WorryGirl on May 1, 2007, at 21:31:17
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> I was seeing a therapist. They seemed to think I should be comfortable with myself at the weight I am. I'm not, though.Did your therapist specialize in eating disorders and body image issues? That really makes a difference -- I mean, it *really* makes a difference! My ED has gotten worse with therapists who don't know about EDs. I know that's only one of me, and not statistically significant, but any time a therapist tells you that you "should be comfortable with yourself," I have to ask what that therapist has done to help you work through the issues? It's worth talking to another therapist with more experience in these areas, to see whether it can help you.
The bad news is that it might be a question of helping you learn to be more comfortable at a higher weight. It's still worth it, though.
> I will take your advice and see a doctor about some med that will help curb my appetite (but not completely supress it).
Actually, I wasn't thinking about a drug to curb your appetite. I was thinking about a medication which might help with the anxiety that sets off binging, or one that helps reduce the urge to purge. But, talk to your doctor -- maybe curbing your appetite is the right answer for you.
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> 1) Go back to consuming hardly any calories (maybe a max of 500 a day) by either an appetite supressant, starving myself, or more purging.That's a good way to binge more and to gain more weight. If you only eat that many calories per day, your metabolism will slow to a snail's pace, and you will gain weight on barely any food at all. It's your body's way to survive the famine. In fact, a few months ago, when my doctor said I'd need to gain weight in order to try to get pregnant, I actually lost weight the first week, when I was eating much more. Body's are funny things, and starving them doesn't work real well for losing weight.
At any age, caloric intake has to be above a bare minimum of 1200 calories per day -- under no circumstances should intake drop below that. And even that is considered starvation rations. If you really want to work on healthy eating and weight loss, keep a diary of everything you eat for about a month. Just write it all down, including any binges (note any purges). Then work out the calories involved, and the food exchanges. Then go through and check for where you can cut out calories, sugar, and fats without noticing. But make sure you're not going any more than 500 caloires per day under your average. And that you never get below 1200 calories per day. 1500 calories per day is better.
See a dietitian, though, for better advice than that. For what it's worth, making that food diary before your first visit is probably a good idea, and make sure you're seeing someone who is both a Registered Dietitian, *and* a specialist in eating disorders. If you see someone with a specialty in, say, Type I diabetes, you won't get as much out of it.
Good luck.
poster:Racer
thread:754165
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/eating/20061124/msgs/755220.html