Intermittent Fasting?
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi folks.
Just looking for some advice on fasting if your suffering bulimia..
Let me explain
I have noticed that whenever i wake up i have zero urges to binge & purge.. The urge only becomes apparent after i eat food. Yesterday i woke and had no breakfast and had zero urges.. I fasted until 1 oclock and had a large lunch then a snack 1 hour later.. I noticed thats when the urges hit me very strong.
In the past when i wasn't purging i did do intermittent fasting everyday. I have done 24 hour fasts in ther past and in this period i never binge'd and felt like my Bulimia was under control.
Comparing the 2 is the 24 fasting worth it if it stops me from giving into this urge? I have woke this morning and feel *normal* no crazy urges & cravings.. Feels free of my mind! But once i have any form of food those urges will appear.
My plan today is to fast until my dinner tonight and have my calorie intake (3000 calories) over 1 meal. I will feel satiated and also i hopefully wont binge/purge.
Is this worth it if your trying to recover? Might still seem like an eating disorder but i know that purging is awful on the body so cutting that part out and still having large meals. Good idea for now or not?
I am waiting on going to an eating disorder clinic (I have been referred) but itsa waiting game im just wanting to break this awful cycle. I dont want to have this everyday. I want to feel normal.
Thanks
1 like, 1 reply
katlouise1989 lee72886
Posted
Hi Lee,
Sorry to hear about your struggles, but great to hear that you have a referral to services. I'm not a qualified medical professional but have had a lot of treatment over the years. I would say that fasting is the worst thing you can do, especially with bulimia and binge eating. Fasting wreaks havoc with your metabolism which can take years and years to get back to normal. Mine isn't perfect now, I eat a LOT less than a normal person of my age and activity but if I eat a normal range I put on weight when I shouldn't/don't need to (my weight is right in my target range). The other thing to bear in mind is that bingeing can occur when your body is starved of energy. This is a fundamental element to survival. If you hold your breath for a while, when you try and breathe normally again you have short, fast breaths because the body instinctively tries to get oxygen to your brain. It's the same with energy. So don't turn to fasting.
I don't want to interpret your situation, but it does sound like the eating disorder voice is chattering away, trying to get some "control" back from the binge/purge cycle by justifying restriction as the solution. It is most likely that which is stopping your urges rather than anything biological.
Sorry this isn't what you want to hear, if you need any immediate support whilst waiting for treatment, Beat - the UK's eating disorder charity - run free, confidential helplines, open 7 days a week from 3pm-10pm. They also offer online support groups, 1-2-1 chat, and email support (if phoning someone isn't your thing).
Stay strong.