atkins helps me!

[be good]

hi everyone! i'm new to this forum but i swear i know a lot about atkins and also believe that it can help us.

here's my story:
i'm 22 years old. 5'4'' tall.
two years ago, i was 140lb. i felt the need to lose some weight and that was my first time that i really determined to stick on a weight-lost diet. i was using the cabbage soup diet and for the first few days, life was difficult... the soup was tasteless and i was starving most of the time. but then after a few days, my body kinda got used to it. and after a few weeks, i didn't even have any appetite at all, especially since i could see the huge result--lost about 40 pounds. i didn't want to eat, so scared of gaining weight. but then of course i still needed some calories to sustain my life. so i would eat a tiny bit of veggie whenever i felt like shaking or when i night sweat. oh my god i lost so much weight. my hair was thinning and at the same time, baby-like hair was growing on the arms and thighs...
i also stopped menstruating. i knew what was happening to me, trust me, i read a lot about human body and physiology. but i couldn't control myself, and i actually felt good about being so skinny.
then the problem was--my boyfriend. yes i was living with my boyfriend and he was very upset my diet pattern.
and that lead to the real problem--whenever he wanted me to eat, i pretended to eat just to satisfy him. then i'd go to the bathroom and throw them all up. yes, disgusting. it made your teeth and fingers bad. it made your eyes and cheeks swollen. and it hurt your stomach and such... well, again, i couldn't control myself. so i built up this habit, and even when he didn't force me to eat, i binged and throw them all up. i especially binged on carbs because i restricted myself from eating them so much that i'd then binge and purge carbs.
it continued for a year and a half.
you know what was getting me the most was thinking that i can't control myself and have to lie to people around me, and the fact that i sneak and eat and throw up is so killing me...

i've already gained back all my weight. but still i'm in the binge and purge cycle. i'm SO ready for a change. i need to be in control of myself!

i'll start atkins as of today, please everyone wish me luck!!!

[sallyseachange]

Re: atkins helps me!

Welcome Be Good and thanks for posting and telling us your story. I'm sure it must be hard to get back on the right track, but I'm sure you'll do it.

You say you're still in the binge purge cycle. I'm not an expert on eating disorders by a long chalk, but my instinct is to urge you to seek professional advice as to how you should be eating now, to ease you back into a more regular pattern of eating, with no more purging.

[sallyann]

Re: atkins helps me!

Hi honey

It is a nasty cycle, purging can mess your life up for sure and markes it hard for you to trust in food again, always thinking you will get fat. The truth is purging makes you gain weight. As your body will rapidly start to digest the food and you will never eliminate all of the carby foods eaten during a binge and purge session.

When I did my medical training, I spent alot of time researching this topic and spent much time with anorexics, a few had the condition for up to 20 years. It ruins lives and families and they never fuctioned to their best ability.

The purge cycle makes you crave more carbs, the process starts again, You firstly need to curb this hunger/carb craving behaviour, atkins can help you do this. The challenge will be getting into ketosis - 3 days of low carb eating by following the induction rules with no purging. You will then begin to trust in the way you are eating and feel better about yourself and the ability to control the purging.

What weight are you and when did you last purge? You would be wise to get some expert support as the routine you have got into is highly addictive.

You will feel happier about yourself, your relationship will improve and your weight will be easily managed.

S
xx

[SunnySmile501]

Re: atkins helps me!

Let me add to the suggestion to get support for your eating disorder. You sound so much like a young girl in my family. She never could get it under control and she finally died from the damage she did to her esophagus and stomach. A good support group can help you see things clearly. What you see in the mirror is not what you really look like.

Your boyfriend's worry is commendable, but we all know another person cannot control what we eat or don't eat. We have to take control and responsibility of our own eating. You will feel better about control if you are with other people who are struggling through the same problems as you are. The best person to give advice is another person that has been in your shoes and had success.

Starting Atkins by the book is the first step in recovering your health, self-control and self-esteem. Please allow yourself to eat the healthy fats and protein that is needed to get into ketosis.

Keep coming here for support. We all have "issues" with food and body image, or we wouldn't be here.

I wish you success!

Sunny!