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| Vegetarian | Low Carb Vegetarian? | Jul 18 2009 12:41 (UTC) |
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i'm a lacto-veggie low-carber i don't bother with the atkins archetype though....it's total **** for veggies, imo. basically what i do is have as many veggies as i want, moderate fruit(i watch the sugars, whether natural or not), for meals i have some kinda protein(cheese, beans or veggie meat substitute) and veggies, usually stirfried in whatever sauce i want(i dont bother worrying about the carb content so long as the sauce isn't too sugary or anything) or a salad in whatever dressing i want, sprinkled with parmesan or nutritional yeast. although i'm lacto-veggie i still keep the milk products at bay and i think it helps, for me at least. i remember atkins recommended foods like heavy cream, cream cheese, etc... this upsets my stomach, way too hard to digest, so i basically just have the occasional cheesestring or parmesan cheese...sometimes yogurt. send me a message if you ever want support/advice! ~J2H |
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| Vegetarian | almond milk drinkers...quick question | Jul 18 2009 12:31 (UTC) |
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i most certainly keep my almond milk for longer than a week. i live alone and use almond milk exclusively as my milk alternative, so the container kicks around for about 1.5 to 2 weeks sometimes... :/ Never goes bad though. It helps to keep it extra cold if possible.....I've never gotten sick from it or anything. As for soy products, I'm much more careful. Certain things I keep longer than suggested because they just tend to keep really well. But be real careful with the soy cheese. From my experience they get funky..Fast. |
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| Health & Support | I'm leaving CC... | Mar 26 2008 02:26 (UTC) |
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Original Post by perhaps: THANK you. I agree 100%. And yay for Kat!!! She come such a long way and deserves everybody's support. |
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| Weight Loss | Broke plateau but gained inches?? *help* | Mar 26 2008 02:13 (UTC) |
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I agree with the above post, there really is just no way that's possible! What I'm wondering is perhaaaaaps going-on is that maybe, possibly, there is loose skin from all the weightloss???? I've heard that it can cause some measurement-confusion(especially on the arms). In short: you're on the right track! And your clothes fitting better is really the surest sign that your measurements are off somehow - You couldn't have gained inches if your clothes are fitting better! So don't fret. Just keep doing what you're doing! And congratulations on your success so far! Take care + be well... ~jaya |
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| Health & Support | problems with candida? | Feb 29 2008 04:24 (UTC) |
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I know this post might be a day late + a dollar short....But after finding it I simply had to reply!!!!!!!! Your symptoms are reallllly common for people who suffer with candida overgrowth in the digestive tract and I have experienced the very same thing!!!! The bloating of the gut and the losing of the period and whatnot.... Sorry to tell you the cold truth but....Although the diet may be impractical, if you don't do it, the symptoms get worse and worse and worse and WORSE til you can't stand life anymore! Supplements help, but they're really not much use to you if you don't change your diet....You're still feeding the yeast and it can become something really debilitating. Probiotics and supplements like olive leaf, oil of oregano, caprylic acid, garlic extract, and grapefruit seed extract are excellent for treating candida overgrowth, but they're just a waste if you're feeding the yeast! And I don't understand why you're so worried about losing weight and going to the gym but not concerned about doing what you have to do to get the candida overgrowth in check. Simply put: You will not be able to lose weight if you don't take care of the candida overgrowth! Candida, if left untreated, will make it virtually IMPOSSIBLE for you to lose weight. Not just because of the extreme sugar/carb cravings it causes, but because of the digestive problems, water retention and lethargy it causes...It can also cause you to develop insensitivities to foods(which happened to me) and cause you to gain weight. TRUST ME....If you think it's hard to deal with the symptoms now, they'll only get MUCH worse. The Candida Diet may sound difficult, but you'll find it easier after some time...The reason it's so difficult at the beginning is because the yeast inside you gives you massive sugar + carb cravings. The only way to stop the cravings and make weightloss easier is to STARVE THE YEAST, otherwise the cravings will become much more violent and frequent! And honestly...It can get to a point where you avoid the sugar and carbs and whatnot, and exercise a lot(which happened to me), but the scale won't budge because of the mess in your digestive system...And that my friend, is a HORRIBLE state to put yourself in. My advice is to swear-off the sugary and processed foods!!! Start embracing VEGETABLES and eating WHOLE FOODS. Start treating the candida with supplements and clean-up your diet, and start healing from the inside....You'll be much happier in the long-run. |
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| Foods | indian... | Feb 23 2008 00:21 (UTC) |
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oooh...chica you've been misinformed. palak paneer is definitely not the healthiest dish, in fact it's often really unhealthy. "paneer" is a type of cheese, not tofu, although it does look like tofu. it's actually cheese, which i think is fried... the spinach is often cooked in tons of oil too. the thing to watch out for health-wise in an indian restaurant(especially if you're not too familiar with it) is the type of oils/ingredients they use....oh and the quality of the meat they use too(ALWAYS ask for white meat chicken). if you like indian food, try to talk to the owners and ask them questions. like kishmish said, don't be afraid to ask questions about the dish and ask them to use less oil. also avoid chapattis(fried), anything that says "paneer", and i always opt for extra salad/veggies in place of naan which is made of lots of white flour, which i avoid. indian food is AMAZING, and i love trying everything, i really can't help myself sometimes(prolly cuz im half indian heh) but if you don't know the place too well, keep your choices simple. your best bet is usually tandoori chicken or chicken tikka - ask for white meat. these are chicken dishes cooked in a tandoor with spices. it's got a red colour to it, very yummy and dry-baked so a lot less oil than anything else. there's also chicken tikka masala, but the masalas usually have a lot more oil and other stuff you may not want. get a salad on the side and you're good to go! also - if you like indian food, get to know the terminology, it'll help you decide what to get and what's healthiest. ie: "paneer" is cheese, "aloo" is potato, "daal" is lentil(another healthy choice), "channa" is chick pea.....i can't remember any others right now but they'll come to me.... Bon Appetit! ~Jaya |
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| Health & Support | I'm leaving CC... | Feb 21 2008 17:26 (UTC) |
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I feel ya, and it wasn't particularly directed at you, I just can't believe the lack of empathy and misunderstanding that has seemed to result from this post - I'm appalled at how everybody's coming-down on kat, implying she isn't "strong enough" to "handle the truth about calories". She's showing incredible courage and strength in her decision and I've absolutely never ever seen her like this!!! I tell you...I never expected this from her, but I'm pleasantly surprised! I've definitely noticed that it's a bit of a haven for people with EDs, which is to be expected on a calorie-counting site....Sometimes i find the disordered/unhealthy dieters "encourage" one another towards unhealthy lifestyles and that really worries me... And then others will chime-in and tell them how messed-up and moronic they are for living this way. It's a terrible way to live, but i mean nothing can be done if people don't want to be helped, and there isn't much you can do...Insults don't help but encourage this behaviour! If you're going to be any sort of voice of reason, it should be supportive, inspiring and above all: WELL MEANING. Otherwise the only words of encouragement would be from other people with EDs who can sometimes tend give the wrong type of encouragement. You're absolutely right, advice and support is what it's all about!! And if somebody's resolved to quit harming themselves and sincerely WANT to be helped...They deserve all the support you can possibly give. What's amazing about kat is she's done a total 180, even though people have repeatedly insulted her for her posts. This is the most rational-sounding I've seen her, and she still gets barraged with insults...And that's just a shame. Maybe she worded herself the wrong way, but who can blame her?? She's frustrated and dealing with an ED. The point is, she'll be happier once she drops this site. Let's all show her a little empathy. |
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| Health & Support | I'm leaving CC... | Feb 21 2008 13:57 (UTC) |
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I'd have to agree with the last two(anndjoe + pgeorgian). Whether or not calorie-counting WORKS wasn't anything she was trying to prove - If she was trying to prove it doesn't work for weightloss, then she wouldn't be talking about trying to get over her ED, now would she? I think she is strong, and finally beginning to realize it. It takes a lot of strength to disable yourself from fostering ana-tendencies when you're so deeply mired in an eating disorder. Nobody could possibly understand this unless they've been through it themselves. And about telling her to not let the door hit her "teensy tinsey bum on the way out"....I'd have to say, that response displays a whole lot more immaturity than kat's post. |
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| Health & Support | I'm leaving CC... | Feb 20 2008 05:37 (UTC) |
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I think I'm gonna have to take the renegade standpoint here....But I think you guys are being really hard on Kat, and I'm pretty shocked that you'd all say such things to her. This girl has had a total breakthrough, and she deserves encouragement. What is with the posts defending calorie-counting talking about how much you like it and blah blah blah.....GOOD FOR YOU if it works for you, but you do it so that you can lose weight...Right???? This girl does NOT need to lose weight. She's got an addiction to weight loss. There's a BIG DIFFERENCE. Why the heck do you want to tell Kat about the many reasons why you think "the numbers don't lie"?? She's doing something beneficial for herself and for her health. She doesn't need to pay attention to the numbers right now, and she's FINALLY realized that. And all you guys are worried about is defending your precious method of tabulating calories??? Come on! And hgielrehataeh: Speaking from a strict scientific viewpoint myself - Calorie-counting is NOT the "only thing that works". Sure calories play a role in weightloss, but it's most definitely not what weightloss is ALL about. It's about what you eat and finding a nutritional balance that works for YOUR body. Plain and simple. A person can be eating a certain amount of calories and the wrong types of food and not lose a pound...And once they switch their diet, containing the same amount(or more) calories, and lose MUCH more weight. That is scientific fact and numerous doctors and scientists can attest to that. |
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| Health & Support | I'm leaving CC... | Feb 19 2008 23:11 (UTC) |
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Original Post by phord:Original Post by journeying2healthy:
When I say calorie-counting isn't a healthy practise, which is just my own opinion, what I mean by that is people can't keep that up for life, because it's not a natural, normal way to live. Period. After having gotten-over my eating disorders and studying the body and dietetics for years, it's my personal conclusion that it really isn't "just math" and that a calorie is never just a calorie...It's about the nutrition behind those calories. Understanding this not only helped me get over my eating disorder, but helped me become an incredibly healthy person, inside and out! Now, I agree, cutting calories can help some people lose weight, but I don't think it's the best way, and is a pretty blind way to lose weight. I know I'll probably get flack for writing this on a site called "calorie-count" but people who do this are also likelier to gain it back, because they ignore a lot of nutritional factors involved in their day's "calorie count". I know many people who simply changed what they ate, added fat and thereby literally doubled their calorie-intake and lost weight through mediterranean style diets....So how does math explain that???? For individuals who have or have had eating disorders like myself and like Kat who are much more susceptible to becoming completely ruled by calorie-counting, it's the thinking that "it's just math" and "numbers are truth" that eventually led us into unhealthy practises to begin with. It may work for you. But it doesn't work for me. |
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| Health & Support | I'm leaving CC... | Feb 19 2008 06:19 (UTC) |
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*Applauds!!!!* Kat, this is the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself right now, and this is probably the most rational-sounding post I've ever seen written by you(I've read a quite a number of your posts) and I'm not happy to see you go, but I'm incredibly happy that you've realized that it's important to DISABLE yourself from fostering your bad habits!!!! Calorie counting is one of them. No, calorie-counting isn't healthy...And if you ask me, no matter who you are or how much you weigh...Calorie counting isn't healthy for anybody! Because it screws with your mind. You and I both know this. It's not nice to be in your own personal prison and ruled by numbers and calculations. So go on girl...Liberate yourself! Life is to be lived, not tabulated, not feared and not ruled by food... Go on and help yourself. This is the first step. I respect you for being so strong! I believe you can do this...!! Good Luck & Blessings to You(And come back just for chats when you're feeling up to it) ~Jaya |
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| Health & Support | URGANT: how should I approach my mom? | Feb 18 2008 20:42 (UTC) |
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Man....It really must be hard to approach your mom if she says THAT. Wow... If it was me, I'd tell her, with severe urgency in my tone, that I'm at a point where I cannot live this way anymore and *I* know that I want and need help, that it is more than necessary for me, and that I am through with trying to convince her of the fact that my life is in danger because of my problem...Because I still value my own life. Then I'd say that I'm gonna ask her one more time if she'd help me, because I need her guidance as my parent to help me through...But that if need be, I'll seek out the help alone, because I don't want to keep suffering anymore. That's probably how I'd put it, if I was in your place. I know it sounds ultimatum-y, but she sounds like she might need a bit of a wake-up call as to how serious your problem is, and how she is alienating you!!!! |
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| Health & Support | HELP | Feb 13 2008 19:42 (UTC) |
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Sounds like you're having a really tough time with the ice cream! I agree....Sometimes it's best just to throw it out. I mean, it's not the healthiest practise to throw-out anything you crave, but until you have your urges in-check, while you're working on your habits, it's best to keep those crave-foods away from you - So long as you work on mental training!!!!! Because you should be able to have indulgent food around without wanting to keep eating it. But it takes work! I used to wrap-up food(with elastic bands, cling-wrap, foil) that I knew I'd want to go back for later so that it would require extra effort to open it back up when I went back for more...The more layers you have to unwrap, the better. While unwrapping the food, it would remind me of while I wrapped it up to begin with, and often, I'd catch myself a lot easier before I even started eating, and I'd just put it back. It's also some added encouragement to think, "the food'll stay fresher if it's nicely wrapped up like that" haha...We often overeat without thinking, and it happens really fast because when we eat crave-foods impulsively, we eat quickly and don't have much time to think about it til it's GONE and are left with those feelings of defeat. So the "wrapping" technique kinda forces you to slow down and think a little more before preparing food to be eaten. It also helps to pre-portion your food and store them for future use so that you know when to stop. You can look at it and know for certain that it's one serving and it's all premeasured for you so it's easier to say to yourself, "this is mine, i'm going to enjoy it, and stop when it's finished". Hope this helps! ~J |
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| Weight Loss | This is RIDUCULOUS, help please | Feb 13 2008 18:19 (UTC) |
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Awww hun.... I've totally been there!!! It sucks doesn't it...But there's definitely a way to fix it!!! Trust me, once you change the foods you eat, you'll be feeling like a totally different person and it'll surely give you a fighting chance in your recovery!!!! The above posts are totally correct - Too many carbs. Too many carbs = blood sugar spikes = drastic drops in blood sugar = FALSE SIGNALS OF HUNGER! It's all about the types of foods you eat, when you eat them and how you combine them. In recovery, I went through the exact same thing. Things changed a lot for me when I upped my protein, totally reduced carbs(only got carbs from fruits/veggies/nuts/seeds) and upped my intake of good-fats. Cutting out breads + cereals(of which I ate the extremely high-fiber variety) seemed to help me a LOT. The result was total satiety and I felt so in control of my hunger. Foods like avocado, seeds, nuts, eggs, meats, and some cheese and yogurt will help you in this endeavour! And you can get your carbs + fibre from berries and veggies like carrots, broccoli....All veggies are good though...Seeds like flax and pumpkin seeds and nuts like cashews and almonds are awesome... I totally swear by the glycemic index, and agree with the above post the satiety index will help quite a lot. Trust me, once you start eating this way...You'll feel 100 times better. If you need any support don't hesitate to send me a message!!!! Take Care + Be Well! ~Jaya |
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| Motivation | getting started...again | Feb 12 2008 02:06 (UTC) |
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You go girl :) And my apologies too if I went off on a bit of a rant. It's just that EDs start out so simply like that...And end-up pretty out of control. I swear, every dieting article or website should have a disclaimer, "MAY WARP YOUR MIND" or "MAY BE ADDICTIVE". I've just had such a tumultuous health journey, and when I see those warning signs, I just want to tell people not to be so hard on themselves, and to love themselves...Because when you're in the fog of an ED, you wish you COULD let yourself just live normally......And you can't. It's pure hell. I'm glad you're focusing on healthful living! And we say skipping in Canada too :) If you need any tips on fitness or nutrition, give me a shout!!! The long journey in weightloss has made me something of a "pro", or so I'm told, and I always love helping people out! Take care + Be Well! ~Jaya |
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| Health & Support | Breaking the binge cycle! | Feb 12 2008 01:59 (UTC) |
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*Applauds again* This thread fills me with inspiration!!!!!! It makes me so happy to see everybody being encouraged and gaining insight from the support and understanding of one another :) :) |
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| Health & Support | A question for anybody who deals with amenorrhea | Feb 12 2008 01:55 (UTC) |
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Hey-hey!! Oh I totally empathize with you, doctors and nutritionists can be FRUSTRATING and I'm known to voice my anger with the way doctors and some nutritionists deal with people with EDs. They often have no idea what they're doing. But, you may be glad to know that seeing an OB/GYN will help you quite a lot!!!!!! Yes the doctors and nutritionists are of little help when it comes to amenorrhea, but on the contrary, gynaecologists WILL help you with amenorrhea!! Just find a good one. They'll help, even though you're 15. I started seeing my gynaecologist when I was about the same age! I was scared too at first, because you always associate gynos with adult-women and pregnant moms-to-be. But you don't have to get a pap test or anything if you've never been sexually active, and there's blood tests they can do to determine which hormones you're low on, and give hormone therapy to treat it(ie: progesterone pills to "induce" periods in people low in progesterone). When it comes to hormones, menstrual cycles or any "lady-issues"(lol...i can't believe i just wrote that) a gyno is your BEST FRIEND, so find one you can trust and feel comfortable talking to about all your issues. I started getting irregular periods again as I started making progress, almost right away really. I was on a "refeeding" type of program, so it was like...I was overfeeding myself and boom...I got my period. Then I didn't get it....Then I got it....It was bizarre, and still IS bizarre. Speaking of gynos, I'm getting an ultrasound and blood-test to have sent to him this week...And yes it's a male gyno. And YES I'm totally comfortable with him! He's the best doctor I could ever ask for!!! He absolutely knows what he's doing, and he doesn't make me feel at all uncomfortable whatsoever....And I'm pretttty sure he's into dudes too haha...So yeah. Just puttin that out there. Find a gyno you can trust, and make regular visits!!!!! |
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| Health & Support | Girls with/used to have ED's, does/did this happen to you? | Feb 11 2008 19:55 (UTC) |
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The above post is absolutely correct. Eating more CAN help you lose weight and help your body functions work better. Fat moves the bowels, and oils are the natural lubrication that makes you go. The more you depend on any kind of laxative(even if it's "natural" or "herbal") will cause your body to hang-on to body water, salt and other electrolytes, and fat to normalize everything. You're totally confusing your system. It may feel good when you use those laxatives, but it makes the condition worse every time you use it. And I've been in your position...I was anorexic/bulimic and have IBS. And it really is difficult. But I noticed you said in regard to eating more, "I'm not ready for that yet". Hun, I know you do not want to hear this, but NOBODY with an ED is ever "ready" for it when they recover. You'll never be "ready"! "Readiness" is a sense of assuredness and a feeling that you can do it, right?? For people with EDs, that ONLY happens once you start healing, because the mind-body connection needs to be ameliorated first, because you gotta stop your brain from playing tricks on you through nourishment...Break the vicious cycle, and you'll start seeing things clearly. And once you start doing that, you'll "feel ready". But your body's gonna start telling you, in many ways, that what you're doing to it is wrong, and it WILL get much more difficult, and become more and more of a battle....You've got to just let go and trust that health is a much better road - And if it helps any, remind yourself that nourishment helps you control your weight in a much EASIER way, because your body isn't fighting you back while you try to do it! TRUST ME ON THAT!!!!!!!!!! I've read medical journals, and studies show that people with EDs' colons start to act really strangely and these problems can be ongoing even AFTER you start eating again if you don't fix it soon enough. I believe the term they used was "impacted colon" or the slowing of the emptying of the colon in individuals with EDs. Countering this by using laxatives can cause the colon becomes a flacid sac-like thing(sorry for the mental image i'm creating here but it's all fact) and work even less efficiently because the muscles don't need to work for themselves, and becomes weak. The more impacted it in a weakened state, the liklier it is that colon damage will happen(cracks in the colon), and the less efficiently your colon works, meaning you'll have to use a laxative each and every time you need to make a bowel movement for the rest of your life. My aunt was anorexic and she now depends on laxatives every single day, and will probably be taking them for the rest of her life. She can't go anywhere, to any restaurant, to anybody's house, anywhere where she might eat, without bringing some milk of magnesia with her. She hates it. Another thing to keep in mind: Digestion problems mean problems with vitamin/mineral absorbtion... So if you're not making good bowel movements, it's highly likely that your body won't absorb important vitamins and nutrients, regardless of whether you take a supplement or even if you do eat. This will give you skin problems, breakouts and also effects your hair, nails, eyes, everything... So make friends with your body. And let yourself be nourished. You may not feel ready, you may feel like absolute **** when you start...But once you're nourishing your body AND brain, things will become much clearer, and you'll start to see that life does NOT have to be this difficult hun!!!!!!!!!! Take care + Be well! ~Jaya |
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| Motivation | getting started...again | Feb 10 2008 21:10 (UTC) |
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It helps to make a lifestyle change out of it, rather than just thinking of it as something temporary you're doing to drop some pounds. Because if you do that, once you lose some weight, the motivation can disappear, replaced by complacency. Commitment is important, but commitment to what? A goal weight??? In my opinion, it doesn't give anybody lasting success. Besides, weight has so little to do with real fitness or health. If you can bring yourself to a point of fitness where you you have a higher "tolerance" for your work-outs and develop better eating habits, that's the first and most important step! From there it's a whole lot easier because you've "primed" yourself in a journey towards healthy, lasting weightloss. Celebrate your small successes, while at the same time coming-up with plans on how to get to "the next level" and how you'll do that. I know exactly how you feel because I used to do the same thing with using pictures of models and whatnot to deter me from nibbling on food... I'd journal my thoughts and if I failed I'd ridicule and belittle myself for it...But eventually I realized that it gave me an "all-or-nothing" kind of mentality, and I suffered with eating disorders for years(including anorexia, bulimia & binge eating disorder) which took me a LONG time to work-out, including lots of therapy. But it's soooo important to acknowledge the mind-body connection, and respect it. Because if you disrespect your body, it'll disrespect you back. You really CAN do it though... But don't feel down if it doesn't happen quickly, I know how that feels too(I used to be 250 lbs. and am now 130), but it really is true when they say "slow and steady wins the race"!!! If you need any advice or motivation, I'm here for ya!!!! Take care & Stay well! ~Jaya |
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| Young Calorie Counters | How old were you when you had your first kiss? | Feb 10 2008 20:56 (UTC) |
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I had my first kiss when I was 18 with this guy who was a buddy of mine, I initiated it. I think I was tired of waiting for the right guy(I was really picky about guys up until then lol) but I totally wish I'd just kept on waiting. I figured, why not he's really cute..But it was just terrible. First off, he was a terrible kisser, secondly we both really didn't care about each other, and we didn't even really stay friends. It was just this random blip in time, and wasn't as special as I think it should have been :( But there have been many kisses since then and my first kiss always served as an example that it's always better to kiss when you really mean it :) Kissing is a language, like a conversation. Forced conversation is uncomfortable, and you can't wait til it's over...But a conversation that occurs naturally...One of those where there's just so much to talk about and you wish it'll never end...By the end of it you feel a whole lot closer with the person. A kiss should be like that...Natural, not forced...And genuinely enjoyable! In short: Don't kiss somebody cause you feel like you "should" or you're at the age where you "should" have had your first kiss! Go with how you feel. If you're not feeling it, you'll regret it! |
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| Health & Support | Breaking the binge cycle! | Feb 10 2008 19:14 (UTC) |
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*Applauds bahamamama* You've got the right attitude!!!!!!!!! It's all about shifting your mentality!!!!!! In this world of calorie-counting and diet-obsession, it's so difficult to set your sights on achieving a truly balanced state...But trust me, once you're there, you'll feel 100% better & be much more in control of your own life! A dedication to harmony of the body & mind is what will get you there! And yeah I'd be more than happy to share more information!! Send me a message and tell me more about the way you eat, and we can take it from there. Tell me what your diet consists of, what normally sets you off on a binge, when you eat, etc. Oh, and also, could you tell me what you do to ameliorate the binges?? Like, do you starve yourself to fix it, overexercise, etc...? In the meantime, give my(only) journal-entry a read, I write a bit about food and G.I. in there as well as my personal "journey". Yes, it really is difficult to get straightforward G.I. information that isn't patterned with scientific lingo, which is why I've spent so much time reading books and doing research on it(it also helps that my dad knows a lot about it too), but it really has paid off. In my opinion, everybody should pay attention to their blood sugar and take the glycemic index approach when it comes to dieting or just being healthy. Honestly...It's not all about calories for weight-loss OR weight-gain. It's about nutrition, plain and simple. It's about nutritional science and understanding the way YOUR body works(because every BODY is different). You give your body what it needs, and it will thank you. You confuse it, and it will confuse you back... And that's what I realized I was doing...I realized that cravings and urges to binge are your body's way of telling you that you're not giving it what it needs. Trust me hun, it won't be a struggle for too long, I got faith in ya! :) Take care & be well! ~Jaya |
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| Health & Support | A question for anybody who deals with amenorrhea | Feb 10 2008 17:25 (UTC) |
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It is theee most annoying thing in the world!! I wondered about the estrogen thing too. I also ponder though... That if I get the PMS symptoms, could it mean that the estrogen's working but only at a lower level or something?? Because when I was anorexic, I wouldn't get any PMS symptoms. But now it's as if it's struggling to start, but it can't. I hate it. |
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| Health & Support | Breaking the binge cycle! | Feb 10 2008 17:15 (UTC) |
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I've definitely gone through what you're going through!!! I've been anorexic, bulimic, binge-eater, undereater/overexerciser...I'm still dealing with it, but I really feel like I've got the eating thing under control for the first time in years(been dealing with EDs since I was 12)....I'm still working on the overexercising thing. But it's been helping me to begin the healing of that since I gained control of my eating habits. Oh, and I should also add that I did the whole multiple laxatives thing and the ephedera thing too. It was terrible, and the best thing I ever did was to just stop them, cold-turkey! Although it was scary, I got up all my courage and stopped and I'm realllllly glad I did. I too was put in a refeeding program, but it messed me up too and after that I felt like I'd never recover mentally. For me, what helped was journaling very intensely...Every thought after every "episode" and genuinely attempting to find true BALANCE. I really worked hard to try to figure-out how the binges would begin, and learn from each time it happened. For me, it was a combination of mindfulness/awareness and getting to know and understand myself and my habits, as well as eating not simply to lose weight but to keep my hunger in check. The all-or-nothing mentality is something you gotta break out of and it's realllllly difficult....SO very difficult! Because extended periods of starvation causes your mind to play tricks on you and your body...And you think you're hungry when you're not. What helped me a lot was understanding the science behind it...Understanding how eating affected my blood-sugar, and how that would effect my hunger and urges to binge. It has a lot to do with WHAT you eat and WHEN you eat it... Paying specific attention to how certain foods make you FEEL can help you find the right combination for you, and when you get it right, ridding yourself of the urge to binge becomes a whole lot easier. Reading-up on the glycemic-index helped me quite a lot! If you need any information or any help or support at all, send me a message any time!!!!!! I totally empathize hun, but trust me...There's a way out of the constant cycle. Believe me... If I can do it, you surely can!! :) Take care + be well... ~Jaya |
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| Foods | Are these good snacks for weight gain? | Feb 10 2008 00:42 (UTC) |
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whoa...i'm so sorry you had to go through that. what a horrible way to attempt to "help" somebody get over disordered eating and their fear of food!!!!! who the heck hires these people?!?!?!?! and do they actually think they're helping?!? i don't understand where their logic comes from....to take sombody from one extreme to another, as if that makes any sense or leads to any sort of real healing???? insane, absolutely ridiculous........ and you should be able to have some baby carrots if you want to damn it! lol... i personally think nobody can really treat somebody with an eating disorder unless they themselves have recovered from the same disorder successfully themselves. doctors, psychologists, counsellors...are often so full of crap. |
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| Weight Loss | I need Help!!! | Feb 08 2008 04:53 (UTC) |
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Okay, this is just my advice from my own experience and research...And people may bash me, people may agree with me. But one thing I know for sure...Especially for those in a plateau: IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT NUMBERS AND CALORIES MEAN NOTHING. Fitness/nutrition experts have even told me this: It's about the nutrients BEHIND those calories. They also have suggested changing your macro-nutrient intake and play with different levels of fats, sugars, carbs and protein...If it's the same all the time, your body will get used to it. And low-fat isn't necessarily good for weight-loss, especially when you're very close to your goal. Upping the good-fats will help you burn fat, and have a very positive effect on your body-fat level...Not to mention have a positive impact on your mood! So increase those calories, and do it with foods that will help you burn fat. More food CAN help you lose weight if you do it the right way. Your body adjusts itself once it's used to a certain amount of calories + exercise. To break out of that funk, you gotta change things up. Exercise: Try doing a different type of workout instead of running(try biking, aerobics, kickboxing), and if you are used to working-out at a certain time of day, change that too. Also try changing your workout schedule, say for example, you do 3 hours a week - 1 hour sessions 3 times a week. Try changing that to 2 half-hour sessions twice a week and 2 one-hour sessions every week. In short: Keeping things the same everyday perpetuates a plateau, and not getting enough nutritionally significant calories causes your body to think it's starving - Hence the term, "starvation mode". I hope the information helps you...I also hope you're keeping a healthy mindset throughout all of this. I noticed you said you didn't want to gain anymore muscle, now...You may not wanna hear this...But that doesn't sound very healthy or realistic. If you're gonna work-out, you WILL gain muscle and that's GOOD for your metabolism. There's no way you can stop that unless you wanna not eat anything and just lay there all day, starving(I wouldn't recommend doing that!) If you're working-out simply to burn calories so that the numbers on the scale are smaller, maybe you need to re-evaluate your goals.....Because yeah muscle weighs more than fat, but jeeez.....Pounds aren't everything. I wish every bathroom-scale was a body-composition scale(which shows body fat percentage and muscle). People are way too focused on POUNDS and this drives me nuts!!! |
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| Foods | Are these good snacks for weight gain? | Feb 08 2008 04:23 (UTC) |
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Original Post by mocha2008: Who had instructed you to do this? Your doctor? I'm asking because I have a huge problem with this approach to recovery, I was instructed to do the same thing. I have a lot of angst towards the doctors who treated me...I'm also told that where I am(Canada) we haven't got the best facilities to aid those with EDs and my experience with it has proven that to me...haha...But my point is, doctors often approach anorexia-recovery the wrong way by forcing patients to eat indulgent foods every single day in order to gain weight. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should continue to fear certain "bad" foods. It really isn't normal to continue fearing certain foods and it is entirely beneficial for a recovering anorexic to "force" themselves to eat those feared foods and to "push" themselves out of their detrimental comfort-zone. But I think a person should be trained gently to do this in a way that promotes healthful living and good habits...Because with the forcing of dessert-food thing, the result is always some kind of brain-glitch or mental trauma...I've seen it time and time again, and felt it myself....You never feel like you've quite gotten past it...I think you'd agree with that too, mocha, since you say you keep away from that stuff now that nobody's monitoring you. Now that I've recovered and over the years have done a lot of reserach and study in nutrition/eating disorders + recovery, I wonder why no doctors ever told me to load-up on healthy fats and sugars and have, say, 1 indulgent fear-food every 3 days or something...Or a smaller amount, instead of making me have french fries or a huge slice of cake or chocolate bars everyday...Pushing me the way they did simply confused me, and reverted me back to discounting everything they told me in recovery. Because I'd always say to myself: "This simply isn't a normal way to eat." Yes, eating nothing isn't normal either, but indulging everyday felt so unnatural that it just encouraged me to revert back to my old ways. Pushing anybody to that extent only knocks that person off-balance, and the improvements made through such drastic means aren't lasting ones.... And to me I guess that's what recovery is all about. Being comfortable with nourishment and arriving at a balanced state & feeling independently recovered....Even when nobody's monitoring you. |
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| Foods | Are these good snacks for weight gain? | Feb 08 2008 01:15 (UTC) |
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I would have suggested eggs, but I see you wanna go vegan, so no-go on that one. In my experience in recovery, high-sugar foods did me absolutely no good, and made me feel like absolute crap because although they do taste nice, they give you blood-sugar spikes(especially if you're in recovery and have developed a sensitivity to sugars). In general, it's better to make sure your sugars come from natural sources. I agree with the above post NUTS are awesome, especially for those in recovery. Seeds as well. They're small, so they won't give you a stomach-ache if you have a small capacity for food, and they give you a good amount of calories and loads of nutrients!!!!!! So they're the perfect recovery food. I'd also add lentils and beans!!! Soy nuts are amazing as well, and avocados are awesome for you(GOOD fats!!!) I found yogurt and milk to make me feel bloated and gave that too-full, sick feeling, so I kept away from them at the beginning, although I did eat a little cheese here and there. |
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| Weight Loss | Chocolate | Feb 02 2008 17:06 (UTC) |
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| What about cocoa powder??? It's high in fibre and protein, but I have no idea if it has any antioxidant properties... | |||
| Health & Support | Can you lose weight with Crohn's Disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome?? | Jan 25 2008 22:35 (UTC) |
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Me too!! It's great to be able to compare notes and share helpful tips! I mean, doctors and meds help, sure... But I find that a customized approach is best, and let's face it: doctor's go by the book. And no body is exactly the same!!! You gotta find-out what works for you. Avocados rock! I found further info that supports that it aids in digestion(besides the fact that it works like a charm for me!) but also supporting evidence that the combination of food eaten has a huge impact on how it'll digest. Of course every online article should be taken with a grain of salt, but this article seems to agree with everything that has worked for me, so maybe there's something to it...It's an article about foods causing constipation: http://www.youngerthanyourage.com/13/constipa tion.htm Hope this helps!!! ~Jaya
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| Health & Support | Anorexia Athletica???? Over exercising | Jan 25 2008 04:37 (UTC) |
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Hey Janelle! I'm so glad that I could be of some help to you!!! And you surely will get through this, girl! Sounds like you're making some good progress!!!! Recovery can be scary & daunting, but I can honestly now look at myself and say...This is the way I'm supposed to look & feel. Hydrated. Energetic. Full of LIFE. Yes, I was outside my comfort zone for awhile... And it sucked. And the doctor tells you, "Start eating more. Eat x-amount of calories and you'll be better", and I would do it and I'd bloat and gain weight. I think this is the problem with many girls that have EDs. They panic and go back to their old ways... But the thing is, if you eat the right foods in recovery, you won't gain a whole lot of weight!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll just feel + look BETTER! No doctors ever took the time to explain that to me...I had to do research. Don't listen to the weight-gain horror stories, because it doesn't have to be all that bad. So many girls are told in recovery to eat a certain amount of calories, and let's face it, once you're eating again you want to have all those "forbidden" foods that you couldn't have - It's only natural. Your brain is also in starvation-mode and triggers cravings. And you feel free to listen to them because your doctor said you should fulfill a calorie requirement. What they SHOULD be telling you is: You need to eat the right foods in order to recover properly, as well as restore your nutrients and HEAL from the inside out. It's simple: Give your body what it needs, and it won't get confused in recovery!!!!!! And my personal formula for good recovery was to embrace GOOD FATS. Nuts, seeds, avocados, whole eggs - These things fill your calorie requirements, are full of nutritious vitamins and omega fatty acids...And they satisfy your hunger and keep your blood-sugar level, so for binge-eaters, these foods won't give that urge to binge from having starved for so long. And if your capacity for food is too small and you can't handle too much food, nuts/seeds/avocados/eggs,etc. don't make you feel like you're gonna puke, because they're so small. You just need a small handful of each, each day. And if you're too scared, go ahead and check the scale after eating these foods - They don't stuff you up and you'd have to have a LOT to make your weight go up at all. And if you need more supporting evidence, so many studies show that ALA and CLA(fatty acids) help you LOSE weight and are found in all kinds of weightloss pill formulas. But yeah, in conclusion after my big nutrition-talk(lol): Eating good fats, and eating CLEAN as well as steering clear from things like too much milk or refined sugar helped me lose the bloat-weight and I didn't really gain a lot of weight in recovery, and let's face it - recovery feels a lot better when you're not gaining 5 pounds a day.
Question: Do you not think that there isn't enough research/books/general literature available on anorexia-athletica???? I'm very very bothered by this and I'm trying to take action on the whole thing...Because I mean...It obviously effects people in a massive, life-changing way... But yeah, girl, don't fear recovery...You're strong and you CAN do this. Just keep on with what you're doing :) And again, I'm here if you ever need support! Take care!! ~Jaya |
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