HOW DO I EAT LIKE A NORMAL PERSON?

Recovering from bulimia means you need to begin to relearn how to eat like a normal person. At this stage of recovery, many of my clients have no idea what to eat or where to begin. So, I’m going to teach you how to do this with a structured eating program.

In this crucial change you’re about to make, you’re going to learn why it’s soooo darn important not to skip this step. It’s time to take your whole past negative thinking and chuck it out the window! Begin a fresh new page on how you’re going to move forward free from your old pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

“LET’S TAKE YOUR RECOVERY ONE BITE AT A TIME”

HOW WILL I COPE WITH FOOD IN MY STOMACH?

Let’s talk about how it will feel to have food in your stomach when you begin the positive pattern of eating again. There’s a possibility you could get stomach sensitivities. I’m reluctant to mention these, but just so you’re aware, these could be diarrhea, constipation, pain, nausea, and bloating. Therefore, you may gain weight, but this is usually due to the “bulimia bloat,” which is a common symptom of recovery as your body adjusts and balances. (See more information on weight gain and the bulimia bloat in Step 6.)

So, it may not be a very comfortable feeling, to begin with, and it may take time for your body to return to its normal physical process. But your body will adjust to this.

Your body has been working hard without the right nutrients to take care of you. But once it understands there’s regular intake of food, this will speed up your metabolism, moving the foods through your body more efficiently. But if you decrease the meals, it will then slow it down again. So, one vital key to learn is not to reduce the amount of food you eat.

Right now, you may be feeling overwhelmed with the huge step you’re about to take, but your bulimia didn’t suddenly happen. It was a pattern that took a while to develop, and your body will take time to adjust, level out, and heal itself.

I know this can sound all too overwhelming, but your body needs to have regular nutrients to balance out its natural chemistry. It will eventually stop sending those craving messages to your brain that send you into the downward spiral of binges.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RESTRICT YOUR FOODS OR INCREASE YOUR LAXATIVES OR DIURETICS?…(Oh yes, I’m allowed to repeat myself in this step, as it’s all about learning to eat like all those “normal” people!)

Apart from the fact that your body needs the food to work healthily, restricting your food intake or an increase in your laxatives or diuretics will cause:

Physical hunger:

·        Your energy levels will plummet.

·        You’ll become dehydrated.

·        Your heart rate decreases.

·        Your metabolism slows and you quickly convert the calories you do absorb into fat stores, and the list goes on.

Emotional hunger:

• Increase your obsession with foods and eating.
• You’ll forever worry about what you should and shouldn’t eat.
• You’ll become sensitive even to smell food.
• Your triggers will be heightened, and therefore more likely to give in and binge and purge, which could make you feel like a failure or depressed, irritable, and this list goes on and on!

Therefore, it’s important to begin eating healthily again relearn how to eat normally.

I know how this may sound so scary to you right now. But beginning to eat again is the number one key.

THE BENEFITS OF YOUR STRUCTURED EATING

One of the most important steps you can take to break through your urges to binge is to introduce your structured eating program. By following your plan, you can expect a vast 50-80% reduction in your urges to binge. Wahooooo! We like that.

The main benefits of a structured eating program are to:

• Provide your body with the wonderful nutrients it needs.
• Undo the damage of malnutrition.
• Reduce your urges to binge on food.
• Relearn how to eat like a normal person again.
• Rebalance your blood sugar levels, which will automatically control your appetite.
• Get your digestive system working for you correctly.
• Learning to stop restricting foods.
• Increase your metabolism; therefore, you’ll feel full of energy.

OTHER PHYSICAL CHANGES

• Over time, bloating and water retention will reduce, and your weight will stabilize.
• Your throat won’t be sore.
• No more swollen cheeks, puffy eyes, etc.
• You’ll start to have regular bowel movements.
• Your menstrual cycle will gradually return.
• Bones will become stronger and healthier.
• Your heart, kidneys, blood pressure will all return to normal.

EMOTIONAL CHANGES

• Feel less anxious.
• Your self-esteem will improve.
• Feel so much calmer.
• Your confidence will flourish as your social life improves.
• Your emotions will stabilize.

The list is never-ending full of so many incredible positives; you’ll be like a new you with so much energy.