Another former bulimic here. 23:48 is spot on, bulimia is not an effective weight management tool. Even if you ignore the (many) health consequences, you will impact your metabolic rate significantly if you engage in the binge/purge cycle. In addition, it creates this terrible physiological pattern - you eat high calories food, you purge and empty your stomach. Inevitability, you are hungry soon after and you reach for more food. What kind of food do you tend to reach for after b/p??? Salad - um, no!!! More high calorie foods and the cycle continues and you end up ingesting a significant amount of calories even after putting your body through the multiple purges.

Bulimia is NOT NOT NOT a weight loss or weight maintencace plan. It simply does NOT work and takes a terrible toll on your body, energy, mood and relationships. I would urge the PP that is locked in the b/p cycle to seek treatment. The thing that finally kicked it for me was realizing that I was modeling eating habits for DD and was putting her at high risk of developing bulimia.

Stay active, only have coffee for breakfast. I know that science says otherwise but if I start eating early I am hungry all day. If I have lunch at 11 and large snack at 2-3 I stay slim and don't overeat.

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. It's not "genetics". I get so sick of that argument. No matter what your genetic make-up, if you don't put too many calories in your body, you won't get fat. Calories don't just magically appear.

The secret to staying thin? Put down the damn fork and move your body.

This is crap, you don't think some people are naturally thinner than others? Of course it's not only that bit genetics are certainly a factor.

Oh please. It's not "genetics". I get so sick of that argument. No matter what your genetic make-up, if you don't put too many calories in your body, you won't get fat. Calories don't just magically appear.

The secret to staying thin? Put down the damn fork and move your body.

Anonymous wrote:Bulimia. Not proud of it

Bulimia slows your metabolism waaaaay down. I finally stopped and lost 10 lbs. it took 7 months of therapy, but it was the best decision if my life.

Eat less and reduce the size of each meal. Eliminate snacking. Don't keep sweets and junk food in the hous to reduce temptation. Eat more natural and fewer processed prade foods and meals. Cut back on wine consumption.

Anonymous wrote:"eat less" is easier if you are eating the right things. Some foods (most carbs) will make you hungrier, making it a lot harder to eat the right amount. Lots of produce (more veggies than fruit), high quality protein, stay away from processed food as much as possible.

Personally, I don't usually buy low fat or fat-free. If I do, I check that the item still has the right ingredients. Low-fat Philly has a very different ingredient list than store-brand low-fat cream cheese (store brand has a lot of fillers). Same with sour cream and yogurts.

Reset your "normal" quantity of food. I got really sick last year and couldn't eat for a week. When I was able to eat again, I was satisfied with much smaller portions. I've been trying to keep to those same portions. Smaller plates and more veggies help in this effort.

I also have braces. It is such a hassle to brush my teeth after eating that I have cut out snacks. I don't think I snacked a lot, but every little bit does count.

Stay hydrated. Most Americans think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty.

No artificial sweeteners. They mess with your sense of hunger and cravings.

Moderate exercise.

Have a standard, be it the scale or your favorite pair of jeans. Don't let 10 pounds sneak up on you. Some fluctuation is normal throughout a day or week, but if you are aware of when you are getting to the top range of your normal, you will know to cut back or get more exercise.

Get enough sleep. This one is almost impossible for me, but there is more and more research supporting the connection between sufficient sleep and a healthy body weight.

This has been key for me; I weigh myself every day, which means weight doesn't sneak up on me. I see and understand the daily fluctuations; if I'm more than a pound or so above my normal for a couple of days, I pay closer attention to what I'm eating.

In general, like others on here I don't snack much and try not to eat tons of bread/pasta/sweets (although I do eat them). I eat more protein (eggs, nuts) and fiber (oatmeal), which fills me up. I eat a lot of fruit and cheese and olives; in reasonable portions, it is satisfying and filling and better than bread and crackers. I enjoy meals out and watch myself much more carefully at home. I exercise a couple of times a week, but being attentive to what I eat has really been the key for me, along with weighing myself daily.

I agree with the above poster. Don't eat fake foods. Even eat high fat foods but just have a few bites. Never finish anything. Only moderate exercise...high intensity is going to make you hungry and not want to stick to it.

This is one that goes against everything you read, but it works for me (an individual). Don't eat breakfast. I have a coffee with milk. I eat an early lunch.

"eat less" is easier if you are eating the right things. Some foods (most carbs) will make you hungrier, making it a lot harder to eat the right amount. Lots of produce (more veggies than fruit), high quality protein, stay away from processed food as much as possible.

Personally, I don't usually buy low fat or fat-free. If I do, I check that the item still has the right ingredients. Low-fat Philly has a very different ingredient list than store-brand low-fat cream cheese (store brand has a lot of fillers). Same with sour cream and yogurts.

Reset your "normal" quantity of food. I got really sick last year and couldn't eat for a week. When I was able to eat again, I was satisfied with much smaller portions. I've been trying to keep to those same portions. Smaller plates and more veggies help in this effort.

I also have braces. It is such a hassle to brush my teeth after eating that I have cut out snacks. I don't think I snacked a lot, but every little bit does count.

Stay hydrated. Most Americans think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty.

No artificial sweeteners. They mess with your sense of hunger and cravings.

Moderate exercise.

Have a standard, be it the scale or your favorite pair of jeans. Don't let 10 pounds sneak up on you. Some fluctuation is normal throughout a day or week, but if you are aware of when you are getting to the top range of your normal, you will know to cut back or get more exercise.

Get enough sleep. This one is almost impossible for me, but there is more and more research supporting the connection between sufficient sleep and a healthy body weight.

Eat less. It's the only way.

The last two posts should do the job killing the thread!

Unless you have lucky genes, which I do not, the secret is eat less, like 1200 cal/day.

Adult braces

Cancer

Like a PP, genetics.

Anonymous wrote:I eat a lot of chocolate, usually dark to satisfy cravings, but it is a good amount. I avoid grains and processed food. I'll add honey and brown sugar to sweeten things. Read labels. Cheese should have 2 ingredients, not 15 I've seen on a walmart package. So much of food is crap and chemicals. I shop at whole foods for fruits and veggies, good quality and pricy, I don't waste. I don't buy a box of cookies but will let the kids get a fresh cookie or two I might split with them or not so it is not in the house. I bake desserts myself using skinny taste recipes. If I need salty or a snack pop some popcorn or eat nuts. Butter and olive oil and nuts add good fat. I often replace meals with kind or lara brand bars. Salad with egg whites fruit and nuts is a staple lunch.

Brown sugar is no healthier than white.