Have i got COE?

[lovetodance]

hi, ok im new on here so for some reason this feels kinda scary!! i need some advice as to wether you think i have COE? i have always loved food n often ended up eatin a little bit more than i needed but it was all ok coz i did LOADS of exercise so stayed skinny. however once i moved skools i didnt have time for all the swimming, dancing etc so gradually i piled on the pounds on getting to over 8 stone (im about 5,2) i decided to do somethin about it n lost a stone BUT....................now i keep bingein which neva happened bfor i started dietin, this has bin hapnin for like over a month now n i have purged quite a few times (even tho i hate doin it) it has got really really bad over the last week, all i want to do is eat n i nearly always give in. i want control and to be thin so bad but it seems the harder i try the more i eat. do u rekn this is COE? xxx

[LUVPink]

I dont think you have COE since its only been happening for a month. I think maybe you're suffering from side effects of restricting, which lead to obsessive thoughts about food = binging.
You might be headed towards the path of bulimia though with the binge/purge thing...
hang in there

[lovetodance]

hey thanks for that - i hope it is just the effects of restricting!! today has been good eating wise - no overeating at all - in fact iv just made up my mind to try really hard to eat normally. i'll hav to see wot happens at dinner aaaah scary thought. loves xxx

[desirable dream]

This happened to me. I lost alot of weight in a short period of time through restricting and then started binge eating. The binges have been going on for two years now. I lost 4 stone and have gained about a stone and a half back on.

I'm continually stuck in a cycle of restricting and bingeing and thats probably the only reason I haven't gained more weight than I have.

So try not to fall in this trap too honey

[lovetodance]

i no ur completely right that i shud not fall into the trap but i am starting to see a pattern with the binge restrict thing - i dunno how to get out of it...........i try so hard for a few days just to eat normally and then i end up bingeing again..feeling guilty....makin myself sik or eating very little for a day or so and then BINGE again dammit! do u no how i can stop this? i dont want to make myself sik anymore coz i red some scary stuff on the web about it. it says somethin about the upper part of ur digestive system bein ruined. has anyone had this happen? xxx

[gonnamakeit76]

oh, mine's probably been ruined for years, I just don't give a $#%& anymore.

it's all mental, the binge is mental, not physical... what they say about starving for a few days and then binging, is not a physical need, it's a mental need.... throw a rubber band on your wrist and snap it when you start to eat as a reminder to not to binge... just eat what you need, and I promise you, what you actually "NEED" is VERY LITTLE.

[desirable dream]

Bingeing and restricting is one thing, but purging is another. Please try not to let yourself go too far down this road. It is definately medical fact that the acid from your stomach will wear away your teeth enamel and ruin your oesophagus (upper digestive tract). It's also possible you will end up tearing yourself, which is serious.

So if you do binge, try and fight the urge to purge. I know it's hard as you feel bloated and fat and disgusting. But just try and remember that tomorow is a new day and you can start afresh. Making yourself vomit seems like a great plan when you first start out but believe me, it's not a great long term solution.

Ideally the best thing to stop a binge - starve cycle would be too start allowing yourself to eat more healthily. Let yourself eat a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner - strive for normality.

Easier said than done, I should know. The tempation to keep trying to restrict is too great. It's just a shame that I can't seem to stick at it long enough to see results at the moment

[Comic Book Looks]

I have this exact same problem. I'm actually fairly lean, because I have alot of muscle from exercise, but I often binge when I think too much about my diet, and gain weight. Since it sounds like this hasn't been going on for very long, I know you can get back into normal eating habits, if you just set your mind to it. And try to fit in some exercise--every little bit helps!

Go you!!

[lovetodance]

thanks comic book looks for ur encouragement. i am trying hard to eat normally and exercise, i still try and diet tho! however i am going to make myself not cut down too much because i know eventually it will cause me to binge

[katblack]

I'm new here too, but I've had A LOT of experience with diff types of ED, and I can tell you that the route your going is absolute heII, and if you don't stop now, you might never be able to go back to "normalcy" (whatev that is!). Everyone else's advice is right on target; if you involuntarily binge, it's much better to NOT purge. Purging encourages bingeing, and digesting that much food will actually make you significantly less likely to binge because you have to deal with the consequences of your actions immediately (ie feeling bloated and uncomfortable, and maybe even gaining a bit). By not purging after you binge you might be able to ease yourself out of the bingeing cycle. Good luck.