Bulemia for Smart People?

[RRR]

From Wikipedia: Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterised by recurrent binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors, referred to as "purging".[1] The most common form—practiced more than 75% of people with bulimia nervosa—is self-induced vomiting; fasting, the use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics, and overexercising are also common.[2]

The word bulimia derives from the Latin (būlīmia) from the Greek βουλῑμια (boulīmia; ravenous hunger), a compound of βους (bous), ox + λῑμος (līmos), hunger.[3]

Risks of Bulemia from Wikipedia: These cycles often involve rapid and out-of-control eating, which may stop when the bulimic is interrupted by another person or the stomach hurts from overextension, followed by self-induced vomiting or other forms of purging. This cycle may be repeated several times a week or, in more serious cases, several times a day[15], and may directly cause:

Perimolysis, or the erosion of tooth enamel by gastric acids.
Oral trauma, where habitual insertion by fingers or other objects cause lacerations to the lining of the mouth and throat.
Chronic gastric reflux after eating.
Esophagitis, or irritation of the esophagus by frequent contact with gastric acids.
Dehydration and hypokalemia due to loss of fluids and potassium depletion.
Swollen salivary glands.[16]
Electrolyte imbalance.


Now I ask you. What is the rational reaction to irrational eating? Is the problem the purging or the binging? Is the binging caused by the addictive nature of cooked food?

My story prompting this post(AKA: skip if you don't care)I had been on my raw trial five days and decided to cram myself full of junk last night. I personally feel like I have a greasy brick in my stomach. I am nasueas, and have a headache after eating the junk 12 hours ago. I did not vomit..its not really a pleasant experience so I chose not to. But in the future I will consider it over this feeling, after being raw for 5 days a junk binge (mine was personally half a large bag of potato chips, chocolate, and pizza), I feel pretty awful the day afterwards. I can't imagine trying to exercise, I'd have no energy, vomit, and mess my pants all at the same time


The best idea is to learn to avoid cramming junk into your system and avoid overeating: essentially eat food to promote health, which I believe eating fruits and vegetables accomplishes, but after a binge is vomiting not a very intelligent and natural choice?

To avoid the negative side effects of vomiting, a few basic steps would need to be followed:

1. Reduce the amount of vomiting necessary. Work on willpower and stick to eating fruits and vegetables to obtain health, vitality, and strength. Work on the emotional attachment to food, only eat when it promotes health, not when it promotes feelings of security or ceases boredom. Work hard on other areas of your life, don't make your life revolve around your diet. Only vomit after eating junk.


2. Reduce the damage caused by vomiting. Brush your teeth immediately after. I have not figured out a good system to reduce the damage gastric acid causes to the esophagus yet, I am unsure if water will do the job. Take steps to rehydrate yourself and rebalance your electrolytes.

If cooked food is truly addictive then there is no reason to allow it to pass through your system: baring the exception that if vomiting it up causes more damage.

Also the idea of tasting has come to mind. If you find yourself on the verge of a binge why not try tasting? Similar to wine tasting where the goal is to enjoy the complex taste of wine, food tasting is meant to enjoy the taste of food but not partake in its toxic nature. Spit it out! If you swallow the food, consider the consequences of vomiting and weigh the pros and cons.

This is not meant as advice for bulemics..and is potentially a damaging idea for people of certain mindsets. But I believe it can be appreciated in this mature audience. Is a binge purge mindset appropriate? Is it a better option than excepting the consequences of eating junk if the option was made in emotional haste? Will vomiting up junk food help push towards a positive healthy eating habit, or is it a misdirection towards an unhealthy choice? Are the negatives of vomiting (unpleasant, and potential damage which may be avoided) worth accepting over the negatives of not vomiting (low energy, junk for fuel).

[InterfaceLeader]

Binging and purging is not, in any way, shape or form, a move towards a healthy mind-set.

Most people become bulimic due to intense emotional problems, that means they cannot 'rationally' impose a new regime over the top until they have dealt with the underlying issue. It is NOT caused by addictive cooked food, since lots of people eat too much junk without being bulimic.

Like most eating disorders, it is born from low self-esteem, sexual abuse, incorrect body image, loss of control in other areas of their life, and physical abuse. Without dealing with these problems, they will not be able to stop binging and purging, or will simply direct the emotional malfunction to something else.

Is a binge purge mindset appropriate? Is it a better option than excepting the consequences of eating junk if the option was made in emotional haste?

No. Forcing yourself to vomit habitually will cause major problems for your digestive system. The body knows when it's better to 'process' poison or to 'reject' poison. That's why the liver deals with a certain amount of alcohol, and once the limit has been reached, you vomit. The body knows that 'line' better than you do. Eat four chocolate bars, and you'll feel bad. Eat ten, and you'll be sick. The body isn't stupid, and forcing yourself to vomit simply disconnects you from it even more.

[Adelina]

No. You have the urge to binge because your body is missing something.

Find out what it is- either macro or micro nutrients, or total calories.

Binging is not normal or natural, and purging is very unhealthy.

A truly harmonious way of eating is balanced and normal, and healthy for the body. Which is probably the point of your healthy diet in the first place.


I also suggest that Steve add a disclaimer to all of his diet posts, because every body is different. Some people need protein, fat, even carbs, etc. Point to proper parameters, and personal testing, and guidelines for this.

[ilovetoday]

Maybe your body ismissing something- try half an apple for sugar or if you need something else try something small- maybe a hashbrown. Wait for half an hour and see if you forget about it. Usually to satisfy hunger/cravings it takes 15minutes for the food to hit the spot. This should prevent the binging in the first place. Vomiting regularly is very bad for you- my dance teacher at school was bulemic and she is still very young and has some serious health problems now, the repeated acidity of the stomach acid basically burnt her throat-stomach pipes.

[ilovetoday]

I forgot to mention that perhaps it could be a mental problem also- your subconsious is "knows" that you eat this amount of junk. Now you are not eating this amount of junk so you subconscious tells you you need 4 days worth now! Stuart Zadel talks about this mental block when achieving success. His frist business was personal coaching and gyms. He said that most people start out woking well on their goals but they come to a block (some a week, others a year). The subconsious is saying this not right- I am fat, I am lazy, I eat junk, I am going no where.

Maybe ontop of your diet you should try out affirmations and mind movies- check out some on YouTube. I have my own success mind movie and I have gotten past the barriers I once hit and returned back to where I was. Sometimes I still hit these barriers but I have to keep telling myself that I am capable and successful.