recovery help

Question
hi there. i've been recovering from anorexia/bulimia for a good 3 years now, and my weight is healthy... at 5'2" i am 103 pounds and i exercise 4-5 days a week... but last night i BINGED and same with the night before. i did not purge thankfully... but now i am SO bloated and each binge was 2000 calories and 3ooo calories. what should i do to prevent "damage control" in the healthiest way?? I do not want to fall back into purging. my exercise is usually 1 hour of cardio type activities *running or the eliptical or the bike or a combination* and a few arm toning exercises. is this enough or should i do more these next few days? i am bloated and swollen from the high-sodium binge. what do you recommend? please let me know.  it's strange how that all works, but i know that i already gained 2 pounds from it all. i can see it all over, and it's not just body image distortion. i ate mostly pre-packaged carbs, like cereal, a 1/4 bag of mini pretzels, non fat pringles, a string cheese stick, 5 ritz crackers, a non fat fudge pop and 4 slices of bread and the list goes on... bites of a birthday cake, an oatmeal cream cookie, sugar free pudding, etc.  i really want to have a slim belly again by saturday since i have a dance to go to... but i dont know if thats possible now.  what do you recommend to help myself over the next few days? should i eat normally, or will that solidify that weight gain? and i guess i should drink lots of water to reduce swelling, right? thank you,

shannon

Answer
Shannon - it'll pass. You're right that it's just bloat - with your activities and otherwise good control, there's no way this binge will cause permanent weight gain (which would take 3,500 calories MORE than your body needs to support itself in order to gain one lb).
 What you're seeing in weight gain is fluid - probably from the sugary/salty intake. If you increase your water intake for a couple days (yes, increase it) it should go away. What's important is that you eat normally and well.

When it comes to controlling the future binges (and you know they'll happen) - there's a couple things to try.

First - most obvious - don't have these things in your home! Not until you break the habit and re-direct your cravings.
 When we crave salty, sour and crunchy things it's generally because we're angry, frustrated or not expressing feelings.
 When we crave soft, sweet, 'comfort foods' it's because we're feeling, well, the need for comfort (love, understanding, calm).

 If you're going to have these things in your home, the moment you bring it in, re-package it in single serving sizes. Then, when you crave it, convince yourself that the 1 package you're having is the ONLY package. When we get to the end of anything we're eating, what do we do?  We stop. Right?

 To find out more about how to eat right in-between (and seriously, help curb the binges) I have it outlined at my page (not enough room here).  Check it and let me know ok?

Have fun at your dance! You'll be fine ;)

www.GetTheReal.info  

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