Eating Disorders and Blessings of Dhul Hijjah

Taking Steps Towards Recovery in Dhul Hijjah

The days of Dhul-Hijjah are the most blessed ones; therefore let’s make much from this opportunity. Let us unite and embark on a journey of recovery to defeat the demon of Eating Disorder.

The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are full of virtues and great blessings.  These 10 days are a blessed gift to us from Allah, a fresh opportunity to erase our sins and cleanse ourselves.The ten nights mentioned in Soorah Al Fajr are the nights of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Allah says:

By the Dawn; By the ten Nights; (89:1-2)

Among the deeds recommended during those ten days are observing voluntary fasting, offering animal sacrifices (lamb, goat, etc.), sincere repentance, recitation of the Quran, staying up the night and finally praying the Eid prayers on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah.

For those who suffer from Eating Disorders, after Ramadan this is another challenging time of the year.

During these ten days, there is a voluntary fasting on the day of Arafah (9^th of Dhul Hijjah) and many Muslims across the world start observing the fast from 1^st of Dhul Hijjah to ninth of Dhul Hijjah.

"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwa (God consciousness)."

But do bear in mind that fasting in Islam is not like crash dieting, it is adequate in calorie intake and involves no malnutrition. All religious acts in Islam begin with a Niyyah (Intentions). First of all, behind any action or form of behavior there are certain motives.  What Islam regards as essential is that the motives behind what we say or do should always be directed towards God.  They should always be directed towards the purpose of perusing the pleasure, approval and satisfaction of God. Fasting in this month is purely voluntary and for those who are healthy and able to do so. A person suffering from Eating Disorder at times may be unaware of some of the inner motives that motivates them to fast. Whatever your motive for fasting, Don’t forget that God sees us and knows what is in our hearts.

These last few days of Dhul Hijjah are all about connecting with Allah and seeking His mercy. Don’t let the Demon of Eating Disorder take away the joy and blessings of Dhul Hijjah away from you.

You can live your life free from an eating disorder. Recovery is possible.

We should make the necessary changes to defeat the demon of Eating Disorder, and what better time to make such changes than present, during these blessed 10 days of Hajj, you never know it may change your life forever. We must internalise these changes and make a firm commitment to recovery, Inshallah.

Take these Small Steps towards Recovery



Let’s Increase in glorification & remembrance of Allah -Reciting tasbeeh, tahmeed, tahleel and takbeer abundantly to defeat the voice of Eating Disorder that constantly belittles us and controls us.



The following are some easy and very beneficial dhikr and glorification we can do throughout these blessed days and nights.-

• Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallahu Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa lillahil Hamd


• Subhanallah


• Alhamdulillah


• Allahu Akbar


• Laa ilaha ilallah


• La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah


• Asthaghfirullah


• SubhanAllahil azeem wa bihamdihi


• Subhāna-llāhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llāhi, wa lā ilāha illā-llāhu, wa-llāhu akbar. Wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi-l-aliyyi-l-azīm


• Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer


• One can also recite the durood that one recites towards the end of one’s salaah or the shortest durood: Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallim.

Tip: Have something in your environment or on your person as a reminder for dhikr. It could be a special ring that you wear or a sticker placed on your desk or car wind shield.

Increase in Good Deeds

Do more good deeds than usual- be kind, love yourself and your family, offer gratitude to Allah, help your community, visit sick and elderly, help your mother with daily chores, be kind and generous to those who are in need, smile, and show immense kindness to yourself.

Give Charity

Show an Exemplary Character

 

 We must aim to be the best in character during these blessed days and nights and continue to do so for the rest of the year. We must not argue, swear, backbite, slander or gossip.

Tip: Make an extra effort to be good to your friends, family, and neighbours, and especially those of other faiths.
Respect and honour thy parents- Make an extra effort to spend time with them during these blessed days. Recite Qur’an with them, read a book together, discuss a lecture you heard, share your plans for the future and seek their input. Call them a few more times in the day if they live far away.

Don’t Forget that Suffering purifies our humanness
When we go through difficult times, when we have a financial loss, when we lose a loved one, when we struck by bad times, it brings out the real humanness in us, and we begin to ask the very questions that are most fundamental to us, “Why are we here?”, “What is the purpose of life”, “why me”, “What happened to all my plans and dreams, etc. We learn the frailty of our humanness. The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Look at the ones who are less fortunate then you, not at the ones are more fortunate then you.”

Take an Oath to Love yourself and to Make Positive Changes in Your Life

Start a 'recovery journal'

Fill it with positive and affirming thoughts. Take excerpts from Quran, Hadith. Use Rumi’s Mathnawi, Ghazali’s work. Write about why you want to recover, how your eating disorder has impacted your life, and anything else that will help to keep you motivated to recover. It’s totally up to you to choose what you write in your journal. Write a plan in your journal for how to manage feelings that trigger the binge and purge cycle. For example: “If I’m feeling angry, I will leave the room.” “If I’m feeling fearful, I will write in my journal what I’m afraid of.” If I’m feeling guilt or shame, I will talk with a friend.”If you do make this plan, you’ll start smiling more with increased awareness. If you don’t do this plan, you’ll stay stuck in your negative feelings and keep bingeing. It’s totally up to you to choose what you write in your journal.

Heal Yourself By Honey

Honey can be the new antibiotic for the 21^st century! Thousands of studies and experiments proved this. The Holy Qur’an, however, proved it 14 centuries back.

Honey cures the following diseases:

                     Anxiety and lack of sleep can be treated by drinking a class of water that has a spoon of honey dissolved in it (honey drink). Scientists found that drinking water with honey has a very calming impact on people.

One spoon of honey everyday can protect you from a deadly heart attack.  This has been proven by new studies made on honey where scientists noticed that honey helps to regulate the work of the heart.

Honey has a wonderful energy in regulating and reducing the symptoms of anxiety, polyneuritis, and other disorders that can be found in the body, in addition to its calming effects.

Work on your Impulsivity

If you feel compelled to binge or purge and feel you cannot control it, begin by trying to delay the binge or purge for 10 minutes by listening to music, calling a friend, or writing in your journal. If you cannot control your impulsivity, you will have a lifetime of regret ahead of you.

One of the  complaint made by recovering anorexics and bulimics is about the size of their stomachs and The Dreaded Bloat. Are you ready to address solutions to the Dreaded Bloat?

“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.”

Spend time around supportive people

Try to find people who are comfortable with their bodies and don’t spend all their time talking about dieting and food. These might be people who have qualities that you admire and want to develop within yourself.

Talk to other people who are recovering/recovered 

Mutual support can be motivating, and seeing someone else make progress or enjoying life might help to keep you inspired, too. Support groups can be a really great way of seeking support from people going through similar things. . Stay away from people who are emotionally abusive to you. If they even walk in the room, leave as soon as you can. Spending time with positive people is the way to grow your self-esteem and begin to heal. Negative people will just drag you down and leave you wondering if they’re right when they say, “You will never be all right.”

Read recovery-oriented books

These can help inspire and keep you motivated.

Make Dua

Dua/Prayer is a solution of all problems. Allah the Almighty, loves his creation more then seventy mothers. How can HE not listen to us when e are asking for from protection from Anxiety and depression.‘

‘O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being over powered by men.’

It is related that when someone fell ill, the Prophet would recite one of these du'as for them.

Allahuma rabbi-nas adhhabal ba'sa, ashfi wa entashafi, la shifa' illa shifa'uka shifa' la yughadiru saqama.

Oh Allah! The Sustainer of Mankind! Remove the illness, cure the disease. You are the One Who cures. There is no cure except Your cure. Grant us a cure that leaves no illness. (Recommended to touch the area of pain with the right hand while reciting this supplication.)

'As'alu Allah al 'azim rabbil 'arshil azim an yashifika.

I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure you. (Recommended to repeat seven times.)

 

Help Others

When “you give happiness, you get happiness”. This is very simple formula to be happy. Giving one’s time to provide happiness to others by engaging in social causes have an  effect on a person’s mood, countenance and disposition.

It can be any act that you can do to make others happy and helping them. Helping someone else will bring and internal feelings of satisfaction and this will help you not to feel low of your self esteem. When  you start to put a smile on others faces, in sha Allah you will  feel happy.

Stay Busy

If someone suffering from ED stays idle, while isolating himself from the world, then there is a greater chance of one being more depressed as it is said that “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”. Starting a new hobby can act as solution for your ED anxiety by making you busy. Hobbies bird watching, knitting, reciting the Qur’an, learning, reading books, painting, and writing  are all productive hobbies.

Remember that your responsibility is limited

While we need to carry out our duty to the best of our abilities, always remember that you don't control the outcome of events. Even the Prophets did not control the outcome of their efforts. Some were successful, others were not. Once you have done your duty to your health, mind and body, leave the results to Allah. Regardless of the results of your efforts, you will be rewarded for the part you have played.

However, never underestimate your abilities. Understand the concept of Barakah (blessings from Allah) and remember that Allah can and Insha Allah will expand them if you are sincerely exerting your energies for the right path.

Leave the demands of ED behind you five times a day

Use the five daily prayers as a means to become more connected with Allah and less attached to the demon of Eating Disorder. Start distancing yourself from the demands of Eating Disorder as soon as you hear Adhan, the call to prayer.  When you perform Wudu, keep repeating Shahada, the declaration of faith, as water drops slip down your face, hands, arms, and hair. When you stand ready to pray, mentally prepare yourself to leave your ED and all of its worries and stresses behind you.

Of course, your ED will try to distract you during prayer. But whenever this happens, go back and remember Allah. The more you return, the more Allah will reward you for it.

Please Seek Help!

If you are suffering from an eating disorder, it’s important first and foremost that you seek some professional support. You are not alone. Remember you are not suffering in silence. There are millions of people world-wide who are suffering from this dreadful illness and many worst ailments. Help is out there, all you have to do is reach for it. Through our connections, we will break the chain of eating disorder that leads to depression and anxiety.

Excuse Me the Demon of Eating Disorder! You do not control the world, Allah does. Leave me Alone!

Control has been attributed as a key motivator behind eating disorders. Eating disorders can provide a sense of control and escape, allowing sufferers to temporarily forget depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and guilt. Ironically, the ability for one to exert control over food, accompanies their loss of control in relation to food. It is important to remind ourselves that we don’t control all the variables in the world. God does. He is the Wise, the All-Knowing. Sometimes our limited human faculties are not able to comprehend His wisdom behind what happens to us and to others, but knowing that He is in control and that as human beings we submit to His Will, enriches our humanity and enhances our obedience towards him. It is suggested that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can potentially assist a person's need for control and help adjust maladaptive ways of thinking and behaving.

Begin the Day on a Positive Note

Get up early. Get up thanking God that He has given you another day. Alhamdu lillahil lazi ahyana bada ma amatana, wa ilaihin Nushoor (Praise be to Allah Who gave us life after death and unto Him will be the return). Invest in an audio tape driven alarm clock so you can get up to the melody of the Quran. Develop your to do list for the day if you didn't do it the night before. Begin with the name of Allah, with Whose name nothing in the heavens or the earth can hurt you. He is the Highest and the Greatest. (Bismillahillazi la yazurru maa ismihi shaiun fil arze wa la fis samae, wahuwal Alee ul Azeem). The Prophet used to say this after every Fajr and Maghrib prayers.

Avoid Media Overexposure, Fashion Tabloids: Switch to Books

Don't spend too much time checking out the latest fashions on television or internet and catching up with celeb gossips. Spend more time reading good books and journals. Cut down media time to reduce your stress and anxiety.

Pray for Others to Heal Yourself

The Prophet was always concerned about other people, Muslims and non-Muslims, and would regularly pray for them. Praying for others connects you with them and helps you understand their suffering. This in itself has a healing component to it. The Prophet has said that praying for someone who is not present increases love.

Make the Quran your Partner

Reading and listening to the Quran will help refresh our hearts and our minds. Recite it out loud or in a low voice. Listen to it in the car. Connecting to the Quran means connecting to God. Let it be a means to heal your heart of stress and worries.

"O humanity! There has come to you a direction from your Lord and a cure for all [the ills] in men’s hearts - and for those who believe, a Guidance and a Mercy" (Quran 10:57).

Recite Al-Mu’awwidhatayn ; Surah E falaq and Surah e naas

Eating Disorders are internal  feeling of self-doubt and thinking one’s self  extremely low in esteem. Mainly depression that comes with Eating Disorder is nothing but the deceptive whisperings from the Demon of ED.  If one peruses through the meaning of Suratul Nas, it is  noticed that it is a  best prayer for protection from the whispering of the demon of ED.

The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:

“Do you not see that there have been Ayat revealed to me tonight the like of which has not been seen before. They are “Say: “I seek refuge with, the Lord of Al-Falaq.” (Surah Al-Falaq 113:1) and “Say: “I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.’‘

(Surah An-Naas 114:1))

[Muslim]

Reciting Surah tul Nas will safeguard one from depression and uplift the mood whenever feelings of self-doubts surface; of one who suffers from depression.

Sleep the way the Prophet slept- This helps trust me...

End your day on a positive note. Make Wudu, then think of your day. Thank Allah for all the good things you accomplished, like Zikr and Salat. Ask yourself what you did today to bring smile to someone’s faceJ. For everything positive, say Alhamdu lillah (Praise be to Allah). For everything negative say Astaghfirullah wa atoobo ilayk (I seek Allah's forgiveness and I turn to You [Allah]). Recite the last two chapters of the Quran, thinking and praying as you turn on your right side with your hand below your right cheek, the way the Prophet used to sleep. Then close your day with the name of Allah on your tongue. Insha Allah, you will have a good, restful night.

Be Thankful to Allah

"If you are grateful, I will give you more" (Quran 14:7).

Counting our blessings helps us not only be grateful for what we have, but it also reminds us that we are so much better off than millions of others, whether that is in terms of our health, family, financial situation, or other aspects of our life. And being grateful for all we have helps us maintain a positive attitude in the face of worries and challenges we are facing almost daily.

Ideals: One step at a time

Ideals are wonderful things to pursue. But do that gradually. Think, prioritize, plan, and move forward. One step at a time.

Efforts not Results Count in the Eyes of Allah

Our success depends on our sincere efforts to the best of our abilities. Unlike our disorder that demands results and is never satisfied, It is the mercy of Allah that He does not demand results, Alhamdu lillah. He is happy if He finds us making our best sincere effort. Thank you Allah! Just do what you can do and leave rest to Allah.

Eating Disorder Thoughts

Accepting and Embracing Thoughts

What are Eating Disorder thoughts? According to Michael Roizen, MD Eating disorders in their extreme form seem to burrow into the brains of their victims, take over their thoughts and grow stronger every day. People with eating disorders build a “fat box,” where every comment, every situation, is filtered through the box and distorted, so that it comes out as a criticism or demand. “You look great today” becomes “You usually look fat.” “You look so healthy” becomes “You’re eating too much.” “I love your hair” becomes “I can’t find anything nice to say about the rest of you.”

EDs also take over their victims’ self-perceptions. People become unable to see the “real” image of themselves in the mirror, seeing someone much larger or  with a distorted body shape. People with severe eating disorders often go to sleep thinking about food and wake up thinking about food. Every bite is an internal struggle. The “eating disorder voice” grows to be much louder than the individual’s true voice, and constantly berates and threatens. “You are a fat pig with no control!” “If you eat that cookie, you’re going to be totally disgusting!”

Read Below an article by Richard Kerr from Bulimia Help on how to challenge, accept and embrace your ED thoughts.

Accepting and Embracing Thoughts

 

Bulimia can make you malnourished, stressed, anxious, emotionally drained, chronically tired and obsessive. In this state it is no wonder that you are much more prone to experiencing negative thoughts and feelings.

Sometimes bingeing can help you to MOMENTARILY escape from those uncomfortable thoughts and feelings but you'll probably find that they always seem to come back just as strong after not much time at all.

This has a little to do with how having bulimia effects your brain and a lot to do with how you think about those thoughts!

With restriction (remember bulimia is a form of restriction) the activity of the brain shrinks. When this happens your natural brain chemistry becomes disrupted causing you to experience anxiety, depression, irritability, obsessiveness and low self esteem which can increase those dreaded negative thoughts!

But it is important to acknowledge that even people who are fully healthy and have never had bulimia still experience negative thoughts. That is because it is normal to experience negative thoughts from time to time.

It is how we REACT to those negative thoughts that makes the real difference!

In fact any attempt we make to control these feelings will ultimately fail.

Why?

Because we have very little control over how we think and feel. Thought suppression studies have proven that the more you try to suppress a thought, the more the unwanted thought keeps popping up.

Having unwanted thoughts and feelings IS VERY NORMAL. These thoughts and feelings are a normal part of everyday life.

The best method of managing negative thoughts and feelings is to acknowledge their presence and let them be, without having to analyse or judge them.

REMEMBER they are just thoughts, you do NOT have to act on them!

Practice opening up and making room for difficult feelings, urges and sensations. Allow them to ‘flow’ without a struggle. You don’t have to like or want these feelings all you have to do is  make room for them and accept them to be there even though they are unpleasant.

Try following these 4 simple steps:

1. Let your thoughts in.

From now on if you have an unpleasant thought or feeling, you are NOT going to tell it to “Go away”. You are NOT going to try to suppress it. The more comfortable you can become with accepting negative thoughts the better.

2. Befriend your thoughts

Rather thank thinking of those thoughts and feelings as the enemy you should embrace them. This may be hard at first because you are so used to trying to shut them out but with practice you will learn that you can comfortably sit with those negative thoughts without having to become defensive towards them.

3. Watch your thoughts

Observe them as they pass by with no judgment.  Understand that those thoughts may be present but you never have to act on them.

4. Move your attention

Once the negative thought passes try and get back to what you were doing and get on with the rest of your day.

Understandably this does take practice but very soon you will find yourself in a unique position of control. You are no longer a victim of fearful thinking, but a decision maker in what you will or will not be concerned about.

SUGGESTION: Keep practicing! Once you learn to accept negative thoughts they will lose the 'special power' that they have over you because you no longer fear them.

2) Challenging negative ways of thinking...

Sometimes you should challenge negative ways of thinking because this will help you to break away from self destructive thought patterns.

This does not always have to mean putting a 'positive spin' on negative thoughts, and it NEVER MEANS trying to cover up those negative thoughts with good ones.

When you challenge negative ways of thinking you try to look at things for what they really are. This can be important because a lot of people with bulimia and other eating disorders tend to use 'all or nothing' ways of thinking.

What is 'all or nothing' thinking?

QUESTION: Do you ever find yourself saying the words ‘always’, ‘failure’, ‘hopeless’, ‘never’, ‘impossible’ or ‘ruined’ when you have a less than perfect day?

QUESTION: If you binge or purge early on does it automatically mean the rest of your day is ruined?

If you answered yes to either of these questions then the chances are that you are using 'all or nothing' ways of thinking. People sometimes call this 'black and white thinking'.

The truth is bulimia often causes us to think only in absolutes, when the reality is very few things in life are absolute.

Sticking rigidly to the confounds of 'all or nothing' thinking can make recovery much harder. You can never enjoy the small victories and skip through the unpleasant pitfalls if you are always seeking out a ‘perfect recovery’ because it simply does not exist.

How do you break free from 'all or nothing' thinking?

1. Looking out for ‘warning words’ in your own thinking'


2. Make a list of the most popular words that trap you in all or nothing thinking


3. Challenge yourself to look at the whole picture next time these 'all or nothing' thoughts arise.

REMEMBER: Challenging thoughts is never about trying to change or suppress them. It is about accepting them and letting them flow but also sometimes about allowing other thoughts to join them to form a more realistic picture.

An example of 'all or nothing' thinking could be:

I relapsed after five days, it was terrible, recovery is impossible, I will always be that person who never gets better.

An example of challenging 'all or nothing' thinking could be:

I relapsed after five days, it was terrible, recovery seems impossible, I feel like I will never get better. I must have made progress too though because I lasted for an entire five days without bingeing.

Task for today

The next time you experience negative thoughts and feelings try not to run away from them - instead practice accepting and embracing them by following the 'four simple steps' that have been outlined here.

Source: www.bulimiahelpmethod.org

Try this simple step for one week to bring balance to your body...

Structured Eating for One Week- A Step Towards ED Recovery-what to eat, when to eat, how to eat

By Richard Kerr-

www.bulimiahelp.org

We can talk about recovery all day, but unless we take real action towards it nothing is going to change.

Your body has forgotten what normal hunger feels like or how to feel satisfied with a normal portion of food. In a way you have forgotten how to respond normally to food and because of this we are prone to massive body binge urges.

It’s your job to retrain your body to respond to, process and be satisfied with normal portions of food. This simple step is all about the importance of rebalancing your body by establishing a pattern of regular eating.  

Right now the idea of eating regularly probably sounds both scary and impossible, but don’t worry, we’re going to start off very slowly, building up our confidence around food gradually. 

So read over this information a couple of times, let it all sink in and then see if you can challenge yourself to try out this step for one week to begin with...

Do you find yourself restricting your food intake on a regular basis? If so then you’re certainly not alone. 

A lot of bulimics tend to have a chaotic, disordered eating schedule like this.

They skip meals, they fast for hours, the end of every meal or snack becomes the beginning of an undetermined period of deprivation.

Physiologically, this encourages a powerful urge to overeat at every opportunity possible.

We need to retrain our mind and body to expect food often and regularly. To do this we need to feed ourselves at least every three hours.

By doing this you are telling your body:
“You don’t have to force me to binge on large amounts of food now, because I will provide you with more food later”.

 

It will take time for your body to TRUST that it can have more food later. But if you continue to eat something at least every three hours your body will become biologically reconditioned to know that it will always have access to food.

 

If you are worried that eating often will lead to weight gain:

Keep in mind that eating regularly is one of the BEST things you can do to maintain a healthy weight, as it provides a massive boost to your metabolism.

Studies show that people who skip meals during the day and then eat lots in the evening, tend to be more overweight than those who eat regularly throughout the day.

Eating regularly also helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels which will automatically suppress your appetite.

And best of all, by eating every three hours you can expect a MASSIVE reduction in your body binge urges.

Binging and purging on food plays havoc with your blood sugar levels.

A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that purging tends to lead to sub-normal levels of blood sugar in the body.

When blood sugar levels are low, your body will crave carbohydrate foods. This can lead to a binge/ purge cycle fueled by highs and lows of blood sugar.

A powerful way counter-balance this is to start eating food regularly.

The basic format of eating at least every 3 hours

The basic format for this is to eat three meals and three snacks every day, ensuring you eat at least every three hours within your day.It can help to set your times prior to starting.
An example of this would be:

Breakfast time: 8:00am
A snack for morning tea time: 10:30am
Lunch time: 1:00pm
A snack in the afternoon time: 3:30pm
Dinner time: 6:00pm
A snack after dinner time: 8:30pm

Please note that the meals do not need to be exactly 3 hours apart. We just need to ensure that there is NO MORE THAN 3 hours between meals

I would suggest you start this immediately...
Whatever time of day it is, it doesn’t matter - from this moment onwards; you will eat something at least every three hours.

 “How rigid should I be with the preset times?”

It is important to stick to your scheduled times, but it is OK to be a little flexible.
Some people prefer to eat exactly at their preset time, while others prefer a little flexibility and perhaps eat half an hour either side of their preset times.
Why not try out both options and find what works best for you.

 “But, what will I eat?”

At this stage don’t feel pressured to eat something that will cause anxiety or something you know you will have trouble keeping down.
Don't worry about eating normally.
Don't worry if your food choices look crazy.
In time, it will all be okay, but for now, stay safe and stick to foods you feel comfortable with. If you know certain foods can trigger a binge then avoid them for now.
Many people are used to skipping meals, so eating at least every 3 hours might seem like a big enough challenge at first, without also worrying about what to eat.

 “What if I am not hungry?”

It doesn’t matter.
Even if you do not feel hungry, when it is time to eat then you should eat.
At this stage you simply cannot trust your hunger signals. Bulimia has made your internal food regulatory system unreliable. Eating in a mechanical way like this is important until you are able to trust your own hunger and satiety cues.

 “What if I don’t feel satisfied after eating?”

In the beginning, expect to have some difficultly feeling satisfied after eating. This is because it takes time for your body to experience and understand feelings of satiety again. Realise that this is very normal and continue with your meal plan as is.

 What if I am hungry between meals?

If you find yourself hungry between meals then the first thing to address is whether you are eating enough food. Most people find the urge to eat between meals reduces dramatically once they increase their portion sizes and begin eating foods from all of the major food groups.
Another thing to bear in mind, is that in the early stages of recovery it’s normal to feel false hunger or emotional hunger, which makes you want to graze in-between meals. But this kind of grazing will only help to keep your bulimia alive, so do aim to stick to those set meal and snack times as much as you can.
Of course if you feel you can’t quite make it 3 hours between meals and snacks that’s okay too. Try reducing the gap slightly and see if it helps.

 “Should I ever listen to my own hunger cues at this stage?”

It can be very hard to know when to start trusting your body to tell you when it is hungry again. Generally at the start of recovery you need to focus on eating at least every 3 hours regardless of how hungry you feel. Don't worry too much about relying on those natural hunger cues just yet; you can learn to be more intuitive as time goes on. Remember it can take 3-6 months and sometimes longer for your natural hunger cues to really start working again. Until then it is important to start giving your body the nutrition it needs.

 “I can’t eat that amount of food, what should I do?”

You decide the portion size.
For now stick to the portion size that you feel comfortable with in order to reduce your anxiety and the temptation to purge. You must take your time as your body learns to digest food again.
The goal at this stage is to start getting used to feelings of food in your stomach. If you are struggling to keep the food down, make the portions smaller. In time, when your body adjusts to regular food, you can increase the amount.

 “I find 3 large meals a day too difficult. I'm not used to having that much food in my stomach.”

That's no problem, a lot of people find eating 3 large meals too difficult at first, so instead of 3 main meals and 3 snacks have 6 small meals.
Many find this approach a lot easier and it’s just as effective. So if you feel you’d be more comfortable eating 6 smaller meals then please do so.

 “Why am I MORE hungry after eating?”

Unfortunately at this stage in recovery your hunger might not make logical sense. Sometimes eating a meal can make you MORE hungry than before.
Accept that this is another part of your recovery and in time your body will adjust and respond normally to food.

 “What if I binge?”

Firstly don’t panic; you haven’t blown it!
At this early stage in recovery you are not expected to just stop bingeing.
If you do binge, continue your meal plan for the rest of the day.
Yes I know this is challenging but the BEST WAY to prevent further loss of control is to continue to eat at least every 3 hours.
Remember if you decide to restrict and skip a meal you will only encourage more binge eating.
It can help to break the day up into 6 portions to represent each meal. If you do binge on one of these portions don’t look at it as if the day has been ruined. It hasn’t, you still have 5 more opportunities to continue to eat every 3 hours.

 “What if I miss a meal?”

Many people become extremely anxious if they miss a meal but missing one meal isn’t going to be an issue. There are plenty of reasons why you might miss a meal. A late bus, an office meeting, or you simply forgot. If it’s now dinner time and you haven’t eaten since lunch, eat your dinner and be wary that you may need to increase your portion size to make up for the missed food.
This will be very challenging at first, but it WILL get easier.
Please try hard not to miss any meals (although, don’t beat yourself up if you do).

“I found that, after adopting structured eating, I tend to get very anxious when I have to miss a snack or meal. The solution for me was to make sure I always have a small snack at hand e.g. an apple. This definitely takes away some of the stress and not to mention it calms binge urges dramatically!”

"When I first began structured eating in January, it was very tough and for the first 4-5 weeks of it, all I thought about was what am I going to have at my next meal? After about 5 weeks of structured eating, it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I just didn’t think about the next meal! Trust me on this; I’ve been bulimic for 16 years so I did not think this would happen. If you keep going strong though, and don’t give up, even if you have little slip ups, your body will adapt and given a few weeks, your brain will automatically stop thinking like this. I didn’t think it would happen either, but it did!”

 

Take it slow

• Only eat what you feel comfortable with at this early stage, there is no need to put yourself under unneccesary presurre.

If you do not eat much then please don't feel forced to eat more than you are used to. Your stomach might need a while to re-adjust and this can take time.

 Remember take baby steps and make small gradual changes.

 

 In Summary

• Eat something at least every three hours during the day.


• Choose foods that you are comfortable with and you enjoy.


• Even if you are not hungry, when it is time to eat you should eat. Don't worry about trusting your own hunger cues at this stage. Start with portion sizes you are comfortable with.


• Understand that it takes time to re-balance your body.


• If you have a slip up or relapse keep going!


• This can seem like a massive challenge at first but you will adapt!

 
Source: www.bulimiahelp.org

Does Purging Really Work?

The Truth is Purging Doesn't Really Work......

The main reason people purge is to reduce weight gain after a binge.

By Richard Kerr- Bulimia Help.org

The main reason people purge is to reduce weight gain after a binge.

Let’s just burst that bubble right now.

Many people are amazed to realise that even after purging a lot of calories can still be left in the body. One study found that around 1200 calories remained in the body despite the size of the binge.

Recent scientific studies have also suggested that food absorption can begin much earlier on in the digestive system of a bulimic than in a non-bulimic. Generally even if you vomit immediate after a binge and try and empty all contents of your stomach research has shown that your body goes on to absorb around 40% to 75% of the calories.

So, for all the pain and suffering, shame and disgust that you go through, a large portion of calories will always remain. No matter how hard you try your body will retain calories. This makes sense because most people with bulimia tend to be of average to slightly above average weight. If purging really worked then the majority of people with bulimia would be seriously underweight.

REMEMBER:

• BY BINGEING AND PURGING YOU ARE CONSUMING MORE CALORIES THAN YOU WOULD IF YOU ATE NORMALLY.


• By PURGING you are ensuring your body is staying in a distressed hunger state and distressed hunger  state ALWAYS leads to more bingeing.


• If you stop purging NOW, over time the desire to binge will be GREATLY REDUCED.

What about laxatives?

For weight loss, very few things work as ineffectively as laxatives. In fact I’m surprised it’s not common knowledge how unsuccessful they are.
By the time food passes through our small intestine most nutrients are already
absorbed. It was shown that laxatives ONLY decrease caloric consumption by about 12%.
Any weight loss is actually due to water loss which can be very dangerous. This water loss will rapidly return once you become rehydrated. Due to constant dehydration, your body starts to horde water which can make you feel bloated and uncomfortable.

In fact confusing thirst for hunger is one of the most common reasons for overeating. By being constantly dehydrated, you are much more likely to believe you are hungry when you are not and therefore eat more.

What about diuretics?

DIURETICS 100% JUST DO NOT WORK
They have NO EFFECT whatsoever on caloric consumption. The only thing they do is make you lose
water, which is quickly returned when you drink again.

What about driven exercise?

Exercise is good for you, right?
So that should mean that more exercise must be better for you?
Wrong!

Excessive and obsessive exercise does not burn off all the calories from a binge. Excessive exercise actually lowers your metabolism, helping your body retain more calories from any food consumed.

It also does not burn off fat, but in fact actually breaks down muscle fiber. Muscle is the best natural fat burner we have and helps regulate your metabolism.

Excessive Exercise is only going to make you hungrier which often results in more bingeing and purging.

Periods of fasting will only set you back in recovery. It was restrictive eating that got us here in the first place. How can it possibly help us recover?
If you are part of the problem, then you are not part of the solution. Periods of fasting only heighten a distressed hunger state and increase binge urges.

Task for today...

The next time you get the urge to purge remember that Purging does NOT work. The sooner you are able to take those initial brave steps and stop purging the sooner your urges to binge will reduce!

Remember to scroll right down to the bottom of this page to read some amazing success stories written by our members.

 Source: www.bulimiahelp.org

 

Three Reasons You Feel Compelled to Binge

By Richard Kerr- Bulimia Help Method

What’s the difference between a bulimic and a non-bulimic?

Well, obviously one binges and purges and the other doesn't, right?

Would mean that you are NOT a bulimic ‘in-between’ bingeing and purging?

Do you FEEL like a non-bulimic in between binges?

For many the answer is certainly no.

So what’s the real difference?

The difference is: A NON-BULIMIC no longer CRAVES, DESIRES or WANTS to binge.
IN FACT A NON BULIMIC is completely FREE from the URGE to binge.

Another way of saying it is:

TO BE CURED FROM BULIMIA YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE URGE TO BINGE.  IF THE URGE STILL EXISTS YOU HAVE NOT FULLY RECOVERED.

So why do we have an URGE to binge?
That’s the big question!

Once we understand why we have an URGE to binge, then we can do something about it.

Once we understand a problem, it’s much easier to overcome it.

So, pay attention here… 

Below are the three types of binge urges (try to remember them; they play a big part in your recovery).

3 types of binge urges:

1. Physical deprivation

This is brought about by restricting your food intake. When your body is lacking certain nutrients you will feel the urge to binge as a result. Your body has to restore what has been lost.

It is important to note that even though you may be binging on large amounts of food, due to purging your body may still be starving nutritionally.

2. Emotional discomfort

This is binging to control or numb unpleasant moods or feelings. An example of an emotional binge would either chronic (a family member is ill) or acute (you failed an exam). Your body is cranking out adrenaline and cortisol. Cortisol increases your appetite for fatty and sugary foods. So, if you are depressed, your body will also use the food as a way to temporarily increase endorphins in your brain.

3. Mental deprivation

This is a result of avoiding certain foods, these may be the foods you really want to eat. An example of a mental deprivation would be feeling like you are denying yourself foods that you are craving, even though your diet may be 100% healthy.

In summary you could say:

To remove the binge URGE we need to stop restricting our food intake, stop depriving ourselves of food we enjoy and learn to feel emotions without panicking and bingeing. 

That’s it in a nutshell… the secret to recovery!

Ok, so now we know the three types of binges

Once we eliminate these three reasons we will no longer crave, desire or want to binge.

If we don’t binge we won’t purge. 

If we don't binge and purge, we stop being bulimic. 

 

Task for today

Whenever you feel the urge to binge, ask yourself:

Is it a physical binge urge?

Is it a mental binge urge?

Is it an emotional binge urge?

Perhaps its a combination of all three.

This may be difficult starting out, but in time, with practise you will be able to distinguish between the different types of binge urges.  

Source: http://www.bulimiahelp.org

The Number 1 Reason You Have Bulimia

By Brilliant Richard Kerr-

I really like self-help methods by Bulimia Help. Richard Kerr and His team are fabulous in their approach to help those who suffer from Bulimia. If you suffer from an eating disorder, then please do check out his community.

www.bulimiahelp.org/

Why do you have bulimia?
 

I’m sure you’ve heard the usual explanation,
“Biological, environmental and psychological
factors are associated with the development
of bulimia nervosa.”  
 

But what if your bulimia was not the result of
a genetic predisposition?

What if it had nothing to do with your childhood,
your personality, your upbringing or your
self-esteem?
 

What if the reason you became bulimic is
actually very simple to explain?

Today I’m going to challenge everything you
thought you knew about bulimia by revealing the
number one reason people develop bulimia.
 

It might be hard to accept at first, but this

knowledge could change your life!

 

It's time to start embracing the facts: Read below.....

Why do you have bulimia?

Is it a mental Illness?
Is it genetic?
Is it a result of how you were brought up or maybe something to do with having low self-esteem?

What if it was none of those reasons?
What if it was actually something very simple indeed?

What if it you were simply malnourished?

This can sound a bit crazy considering bulimics tend to eat a LOT of food. But it's true.

As a bulimic you purge either through fasting, excessive exercise, laxatives, or vomiting which is certain to ensure that your body remains malnourished.

In this state, the hormones leptin and ghrelin (associated with fullness and hunger) are not functioning properly due to starvation. The resulting "strive to survive" makes you want to binge... which shouldn't really come as a surprise.

When you are hungry, you experience gentle hunger pangs, and when you are excessively hungry and malnourished you experience MASSIVE hunger pangs or urges to binge. This is quite natural. There is nothing strange about it. Your body thinks that you are in the middle of a famine and it is doing everything it can to ensure you are eating enough food.

And there is more...

Whenever you restrict your food intake you suffer from a host of mental side effects too. Large-scale studies from reputable Universities such as Harvard and Oxford have noted that people on diets can significantly deplete their serotonin levels within three weeks of dieting.

Regardless of your life circumstances or accomplishments, when your serotonin levels drop so do your feelings of self-esteem. As the brain continues to be starved it deteriorates further and becomes even more self-critical.

This leads to outbreaks of unpleasant psychological problems such as obsessive and compulsive behavior, depression, anxiety, cravings, general moodiness and poor motivation. Restrictive eating (i.e. bingeing and purging on food) has caused: Your brain chemistry to change. The way you think to change. Your personality to become altered.

Simply put... food restriction makes you miserable.

Here are a few more interesting facts about food restriction.

Dieting is a primary trigger of the downward spiral into an eating disorder (Thompson & Sherman, 1993).

Severe dieters have already begun the process to an eating disorder (BMJ 1999;318:765-768, 20 March).

Girls who severely dieted were 18 times more likely to develop an eating disorder within 6 months than those who did not diet (BMJ 1999; 318:765-768, 20 March).

It doesn't even have to be a severe diet - 2/3 of new cases of an eating disorder came from those who dieted moderately (BMJ 1999; 318:765-768, 20 March).

This leads us to the simple conclusion that:

Food restriction or dieting is the number one cause of eating disorders.
This is not my interpretation.
This is not a best guess.
It's a clean and simple fact.

Dieting causes bulimia.

And the important things to keep in mind are:
This has NOTHING to do with the way your brain works.
It has NOTHING to do with your personality, your history or your self-esteem.
These things don't matter.
If you restrict your food intake you are susceptible to becoming bulimic.

If the healthiest happiest person on the planet restricted their food intake they would make themselves susceptible to becoming bulimic.

Chances are, if you had never restricted your food intake, you would never have felt compelled to binge on food and you would never have purged.

It's REALLY that simple.

The best news ever...

The most likely reason you have bulimia is because in the past you restricted your food intake and this triggered an extremely powerful biological survival mechanism resulting in an insatiable appetite, uncontrollable hunger, strong feelings of obsession, low self-worth, mood swings, depression and anxiety.

For many this can be the best news ever.

Chances are you are NOT "mad" and you are NOT "crazy." Bulimia is not your fault and it is not your parents fault.

You are just very hungry!

And it gets better...

By learning how to eat normally, every single side-effect of bulimia can be reversed.

By learning how to eat normally you can go on to make a FULL lifelong recovery.

Bulimia Help Method

http://www.bulimiahelp.org/

 

10 Tips for Bulimia Recovery

 



By Polly Mertens

http://www.inspiring-bulimia-recovery.com/10-tips-bulimia-recovery/



There are many good things that you can do today and every day to release your eating disorder. You can overcome and avoid the long-term health risks of bulimia if you are committed to recovery. I’d like to share a few tips from my bulimia recovery that I hope helps give you inspiration.

1. Find New Coping Mechanisms – develop new ways of coping with stresses in your life such as taking deep breaths, going for a walk, talking with a friend or writing your feelings in a journal.

2. Tell Someone – share about your situation with someone who cares for you to get the negative feelings out of your body.

3. Make a Food Journal or Structured Eating Plan – adopt a structured eating program or create your own daily food journal.

4. Develop Self Awareness – become aware of the present moments of your life as well as your inner thoughts and feelings. This becomes especially important when you sense a binge coming on. Start to notice your emotional patterns.

5. Avoid Triggers – say “no” when the situation calls for something that would make you uncomfortable or merely avoid the people, places and food that usually lead to a binge.

6. Reward Yourself –  Start being generous to yourself and rewarding yourself for your recovery milestones.

7. Being Kind to Yourself – there’s no better way to speed up your recovery than to learn to love yourself. Everyone I know who’s recovered fully from bulimia said it was when they finally learned to love themselves that they found they could really live a full and healthy life.

8. Do What You Enjoy Most – life is meant to be enjoyed. I know a lot of people would have us believe life is supposed to be hard and suffering is normal. Your life will become what you think about most. If you think about being happy every day, that’s what your life will become. Do more each day of whatever makes you happiest.

9. Positive Affirmations – start to affirm positive statements to yourself. We all talk to ourselves every day in every moment. Notice what you’re telling yourself and release any negative stories you tell yourself with empowering, happy thoughts (especially about yourself).

10. Practice Love – I call this “practice love” and you may call it prayer, spiritual practice, meditation or anything else that suits you. Essentially you are connecting in a loving way to your higher self, God, or the universe. When you practice connecting like this each day you will know a greater love than you know now. Love of self. Love of others. Love for all kind.

11. Start Some New Habits – thought I’d throw in a bonus bulimia tip here and that’s creating new habits. It takes 21 days according to experts to develop a new habit. Bulimia is a negative, non-supportive habit you’ve created over time. Replace this habit with a more supportive habit that makes you feel good. It can be something as tactical as a meal plan where you write down your food every day or it can be something more intuitive like practicing becoming aware of your thoughts – or the practice of living in the now. Pick something that supports you and try it on for 21 – 30 days.

These tips for bulimia recovery are designed to help you feel positive about yourself and empowered to start or keep on your recovery path.