Thread: Bulimia

I am nervous as well! And yes, I have a problem. I hope I behave..I know I can do P2...am afraid of P3 and terrified of P4! I am so worried I will mess it up big time when P4 comes into the picture. I tried to read about hcg and bulimias bit nothing much out there. I am sure there are people with the problem in this forum and it would be great to hear how they cope.

I see that you, like me, have just started hcg-ing. Good luck to the both of us!!!

I'd love to be able to give both of you answers to your questions/concerns, but I have no experience with bulimia so I can't give any advice -- maybe there are some others on the forums that can help you out with this issue. I just know that this is the first "diet" where I have lost my cravings, and lost my desire to eat 5 or 6 cookies at one sitting -- I am able to eat ONE dessert, or ONE helping of something instead of half the container -- I am 54 years old, so that is a lifetime of habits unlearned in about 6 months --

If you can, try and follow the hcg protocol and trust the process. It works! I was bulimic as a teenager, but kicked it eons ago (I'm 54 this year). Good luck ladies!

I have had issues with food, but more along the lines of binge eating, no purging.

I think the key will be to not think this will cure the urge to purge or binge, although it may very well help. Make the most of P2 in this way: know that if you go off the diet, the hcg will boomerang on you, and you had better be a very fast purger if you think you can outsmart it.

Instead, use the restriction of P2 to "sit" with the feelings that lead you to binge. Believe me, they will surface quickly and repeatedly. But notice how they change as you go through the round. Use the time and self discovery to plan for P3.

Sugar and other comfort foods have always been my "go-tos". This diet really helped ease the sugar cravings. In fact, when I did go to food for comfort during some of the greatest stress I have ever undergone early in P4, eating those foods was clearly a habit. I could physically feel the difference...it was no longer a compulsion..it was just a habit, which is just the shell of the compulsion. As a result, the quantities of foods I ate was much smaller than when I turned to it before.

Good luck to both of you, and try to think of this as learning a new tool to use...almost like anti-bulimia software.

the thing that should help you the most...is the boomerang effect of hcg. I had to take my son on an overnight during my first round, and not even bingeing, just having dinner out (fish cooked in oil and not much of it, broccoli and a little fudge)...was 4 pounds. That knowledge and experience made Halloween a non-event. Plus I had a few weeks under my belt by that time to experience the not relying on food for comfort. I just knew what would happen.

If you look at this as an opportunity, it can really help, likely because of the hypothalamus resetting. But, it was better than Prozac in terms of shutting off cravings. Once they're gone, you're only left with yourself and it lays bare what you're doing. Then it's a choice.

Originally Posted by MelusineBEAUTY

Yes, susan,... it is anti Bulimia software and I like the way you described a habbit is a "Shell" of compulsion. I am going to take your advice and during phase 2 I will have to really "sit" and fight the urge to eat compulsively. I am sure it will get easier but that feels like its going to be a long time from now. I will also journal about the feelings and how strong and often they.

Lisa, I am glad to hear you aren't bulimic anymore. Its a scary thing you know. Thank you for the support and I am glad to read you are doing will on your second phase.

I've always had a weird relationship with food. While I've always tended to eat fairly healthy, I do binge. And it comes in cycles. I'll go months being just fine, and then months eating everything in sight and feeling so upset with myself. I did have a bought of anorexia when I was in junior high. As unfortunate as it is to admit, there have been times that I tried to purge but physically just couldn't. And I have a feeling that if I could have, it would have been a big problem for me. So I'm thankful that I just can't! But P2 and the week I did a P3 interruption was really a window into a lot of things.

First of all, P2 has taught be about self control, and how much of it I actually have. Knowing that cheating while on HCG is all kinds of bad really keeps me in check, and has given my body a chance to detox from all the chemicals and sugars I craved. My relationship with food has begun to change. I am extremely proud of myself for this.

Second, when I did an interruption I ate to such a full capacity it was disgusting. I made myself feel so bad! I knew in my head to listen to my body and when it's full, but I just didn't. And I pigged out on peanut butter and cool whip. And I gained weight.

Back onto P2, I already feel so much better and understand how crappy I feel when I go in feet first eating like a banshee. I'm hoping that when I really do get into P3, with this previous experience, I can listen to my body and not stuff it to capacity! This diet, more than any other, has helped me view food differently. And I love food. Obviously, or I wouldn't be where I am. But knowing how good my body feels and functions when it's clean and pure and "light" makes me not want to be where I was. Sluggish, broken out skin, feeling bloated a lot. That's my motivation. How GOOD I feel. How GOOD it feels to be in control! And control in a healthy way!

I hope HCG helps you find healthy control, too. And I understand that relationships with food and binging desires is hard. It will probably ALWAYS be hard. But remember how good it feels to resist! And that your mind is so much stronger than the carton of ice cream or sixth bagel with cream cheese. We can overcome it! We can be successful! And we can be mentally and physically healthy! Isn't that what everyone wants? HCG is proving to be a great catalyst for that.

Great advice:

use the restriction of P2 to "sit" with the feelings that lead you to binge. Believe me, they will surface quickly and repeatedly. But notice how they change as you go through the round. Use the time and self discovery to plan for P3.

Self discovery seems to be built into this diet. It's one of the better benefits, and probably the reason why so many people are able to maintain afterwards.