I'm Scared...

Sorry i'm going to rant again :)

But i've decided to stop my purging! I want to stop purging but i'm also afraid that i'm going to gain weight after stopping...will that happen? i'm a teen and i heard teen's bodies can adapt easier, i dont know. I've only been purging for 2 weeks but do you think i completely screwed up my metabolism yet? i'm just so scared and hate myself for what i did to my body. i just want it to get back to normal.

i'm no expert, but i don't think 2 weeks will do any permanent damage to your body. you definitely have a problem though, is there an adult you trust that you could talk to about this?

thanks for replying...not really, i'm trying to get over all of this by myself.

You might find it helpful to talk to your school counselor, a school nurse, or even your own doctor -- if you don't want to discuss it with your parents.  There are also some very helpful websites out there that you might check out ....

Here are a couple of good links on recovery strategy: 

http://www.anred.com/relpr.html 
http://www.joyproject.org/overcoming/relapse. html

and for good support: 

Something-Fishy.org (information about and support for eating disorders) 

=^..^= MOLLY

Stopping now will have an immediate and beneficial impact on your health.  The sooner you stop, the better it is for your body.  Not only stopping the immediate damage but also allowing your body to heal from what's happened so far.

I strongly encourage you to contact someone for help. Do you know why you started purging in the first place?

There are resources available:

from the Calorie Count Library Eating Disorder Guide 

You may or may not have an eating disorder, but you are exhibiting symptoms of one.  Do I have an Eating Disorder? can help you determine where you're at. 

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
Hotline, Counseling and Referrals
847-831-3438

I agree with everything smwhipple and mollymouser said.

Stop sooner, purging is so harmful to your system, and the longer you continue, the worse it gets.

Like you teeth? Don't purge. The acid from your stomach eats away at the enamel on your teeth. It also eats away at your esophagus and can cause all kinds of problems with your throat.

Control yourself and every time you have the urge to purge, go for a walk instead. That will burn calories, and keep you occupied and away from places where you can purge.

Don't worry, we're here for you :)

Baby, be so happy you've realized what's going on so soon!  I let things get far out of my control, by believing that it was all under control.  Don't think about gaining weight -- if you eat when you're hungry, and reasonable portions, you don't have to worry.  Be good to yourself, and know that we're all here for you if you need help.  Just keep taking the mental and physical steps to steer yourself clear of the path of bulimia.

thank you guys so muuch for the replies! you guys in a way really want me to make myself be better. you are truly the people i can only talk to so thank you!

ps. since i've stopped binging and purging (about 3 days now!) i've been getting alot hungry every hour, is it because my body is used to having alot of food in my system or am i growing? lol. i hope i didn't slow down my metabolism.

I don't want to make you think you can do whatever you want, but I don't think 2 weeks of any kind of diet can do too much permanent damage, physically. Mental damage, however, may be a different story...

After not getting enough calories for 2 weeks, I'd assume that you would be hungry. :) Eat 5-6 smaller meals instead of 2-3 big ones to keep you fuller throughout the day so you don't have the urge to binge again.

You're smart to stop this problem early. I'm very proud of you, hun.

I agree with muttlover, you should definitley span out your daily intake of food so that you dont have the urge. If I were you I would aim for 5-6small meals a day and try focusing on the right fats,proteins,carbs because you could be overly hungry because your not feeding your body what it needs and it is searching for me. Props to you for getting out of the bad habit...

i'm really excited because i'm joining the track team next week so that will keep my mind off of binging. i think counting calories causes me to binge as well.. i decided to stop my bad habits because i'm beginning to start auditioning for broadway shows and i heard that bulimia can harm your voice. thank you guys so much for your help!

Ooh, that's awesome, good luck!  When I have series of good days, I most definitely feel hungrier -- I think it's my body getting tuned back in to what it really needs.  It never causes me to go crazy on calories... it seems to me that it's my stomach functioning without my interference.

Congratulations on stopping!  This is really the best thing you could have done for yourself, ever.  If you're hungry every hour, then prepare some small snacks, ~50 calories and have one every hour.  Your body will start getting used to your eating properly and you can shift the snacks around to be normal meals and snacks as you continue eating.  There are some days where I constantly nibble a bit and other days when I have 3 meals, it just depends on my activities and work load for the day. Normal varies from person to person and day to day.

I think that eating a small amount as you are a bit hungry or slightly before you are hungry will help you to eat more normally and avoid those binges.  Also try to keep a glass or bottle of water nearby so you can sip periodically.  Getting enough water will help keep you from feeling hungry.

I'm in the same boat! I have had anorexia for years now, but at the beginning of the summer I started to purge, something I had never really done before. And it got really bad, for about 3-4 months I was purging up to 3-4 times a day, and not even necessarily after binging, often after just eating regular amounts of food. But so far I have made it...2 weeks and 6 days I think, since I last purged :D I am really pleased as that was a road I really didn't want to go down. I was worried I wouldn't be able to stop, but so far so good...