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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by runner01girl on June 30, 2006, at 18:17:58
Thanks for all of your advice. It truly is helpful for me to be able to talk to this about someone. I didn't mean to sound harsh in my last post, but I was so mad that I didn't get to see the doctor after I had worked up the nerve to talk about my problem. I had scheduled an appointment with both the nurse pratitioner and the doctor, but the office must have messed up my appointment. Anyway, I have a plan of what I'm going to do. Poet, you said that you can sometimes control your ED. I'm going to have a one week trial starting tomorrow where I'll write down everyting that I eat in a journal and give all that I've got to not binge-no matter how strong the urge. I'll occupy myself by reading, listening to music, or whatever. Here comes the big part. I want you all to hold me accountable to being binge-free. I'll post how I'm doing and it'll be the truth. I promise that if I binge within the next week that I'll go see a therapist or nutritionist. If I make it through the week, I'll take it from there. I think that if I can get this binging mentality and sugar fixation out of my system that I'll be able to follow a normal eating pattern. This is my senior year in high school and I really want to be doing great in running this year. I hope that by the time school starts in the second week of August that I'll be almost back to my old weight. I need to lose about 15 pounds of which I gained during binging and not running much. I think that if I keep exercising and eating normally that the weight will come off on its own. I might even see a nutritionist anyway to get down a good diet so that I'll have as much energy as possible during cross country this year.
Thanks again and please hold me strictly accountable.Runner01girl
Posted by ElaineM on June 30, 2006, at 22:07:28
In reply to binge eating, posted by runner01girl on June 30, 2006, at 18:17:58
Runner, you sound like such a sweetie. It didn't sound like you were being harsh to me. I thought you sounded like a mixture of scared, dejected, and brave. Eating disorders are such horrible things to go through. I know I haven't introduced myself yet (you can read one of my posts above to get the gist if you want), but I can identify very much with how a physical injury triggered stress eating, and a weight increase. It must be very hard for you to now, to not only have to fight the disordered eating, but also to lose your running. It sounds like that was a big part of your life before. It would be nice if you could talk to someone about what losing that means to you too, along with the bingeing. (When I was in treatment I found that alot of the things in my life fed into my ED more than I was aware of)
I'm really proud of you for trying to think of "strategies". Distraction is one. Tracking binges is a good idea, record even the urges too. I believe you will try your best. And I don't want to discourage you at all, but if a slip happens please don't beat yourself up about it. A week is a long time when you're starting from scratch. In treatment, the first thing they taught us (A, B, and BE) was to learn to even Delay symptoms. That's a huge, huge deal in the beginning. Like if you have a really strong urge, you'd "contract" with yourself to wait 15min. And do anything else in the world to avoid acting on that urge for 15min. Afterwhich, you'd try to wait another 15min. If you couldn't do it, and gave in, then you made it 15mins! Which is amazing! Which is something to build on. They always told us to work on seperating the urge(feeling you must binge) and the symptom (doing). Sometimes they seem like they are the same thing. Begin to teach yourself that there is a moment in between wanting to binge, and doing it.
I know I'm blabbing on, but I just don't want you to get down on yourself if you can't manage a whole week yet. I admire your initiative and courage though. You sound like you really want to fight this. And that's so commendable - especially since you don't have a support team (in the real world) behind you yet.
The thing with sugar too is that when you binge, your blood sugar spikes, and then plummets, which causes you to want more. This is also why it's so important that you not skip regular meals while you're trying to control the binges. I know it's probably frightening - but restricting will only make the urges to seek out food even stronger. (A good idea is to leave the house as soon as you finish a regular meal)
I have no doubt you will run again. Don't be too hard on your body though, I wouldn't want you to get injured again. Seeing a dietician is always a good idea - she'll help you meet the goals you've set of eating for performace energy and nutrition.
Honestly, I'm so proud of how willing you are to start battling this. Keep posting whatever the outcome. I'm sure you'll always get support here.
Take care, Elaine
(sorry if I sounded like I'm lecturing. I'm infact still learning and fighting myself. I'm just so passionate about helping another avoid the h*ll of chronic eating problems. I can't help but care for anyone going through the same) :)
This is the end of the thread.
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