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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by WorryGirl on April 28, 2007, at 12:00:20
I've been bulimic for over 23 years now; have been on different meds - even though some curbed my appetite a bit (others made me hungrier than ever), I never lost weight. I have only continuously gained. In my twenties I weighed anywhere from 115-125 and I'm 5'6". In my early thirties I weighed anywhere from 125 to 135. I am now 40. In the last two years, taking no medication, I have gone from about 140 to almost 170. What gives? I exercise 4 times a week, burning a minimum of 400-500 calories during each workout. I purge a minimum of once a day, usually at the end of the day (my largest meal is dinner). I eat moderately for breakfast and lunch. I haven't been on any meds now for about three years. Why will the weight not come off? I don't want to be skinny; I've given up on that at this stage of my life. I would just be happy to not look so chunky, like I don't even work out. Many people assume I'm exaggerating when I tell them how hard I work out (45 minutes of RUNNING on the treadmill, along with weight-lifting). When they see for themselves that I do actually run about 4-4 1/2 miles in that period of time they seem flabbergasted. I have this layer of fat that will not come off. I learned way back not to tell doctors about my bulimia, because when I do, they seem more concerned about prescribing something to make me GAIN weight, not curb my appetite. Any suggestions or encouragement welcome, please! I am getting very discouraged.
Posted by Racer on April 28, 2007, at 21:19:27
In reply to Long-time Bulimic, posted by WorryGirl on April 28, 2007, at 12:00:20
So, purging isn't going to make you lose weight, and may even lead to weight gain. For one thing, you're still absorbing some of that food. I will virtually guarantee you're not getting all of it back up.
Secondly, the purging is going to mess with your metabolism, to try to help keep you from starving -- which your body is thinking might be a danger, since you're not keeping a lot of food down. All the exercise in the world isn't going to undo that.
How about discussing with a doctor that you want treatment for the bulimia, but you need to lose weight, not gain it? Might be a good starting point. What's more, working with a nutritionist -- a registered dietitian with a specialty in eating disordes is best -- is likely ot be very helpful, both for losing weight and treating the bulimia.
Are you seeing a therapist? That's also awfully helpful.
Good luck.
Posted by Poet on April 30, 2007, at 17:56:13
In reply to Long-time Bulimic, posted by WorryGirl on April 28, 2007, at 12:00:20
Hi Worrygirl,
I'm a long-time bulimic, too, and purging just does not do the weight loss trick anymore. Like you, when I was in my 20s I was thin,and able to stay that way. Now at 49, the pounds are creeping on even though I exercise more now then I did when I was younger.
Lately my bingeing/purging has been out of control (triggered by anxiety) and I started on Suprex two weeks ago. So far no binges/purges and no weight gain, though no weight loss either. I'm hoping that not bingeing will help me lose weight. I know easy to say, right?
Keep me posted on how you're doing. I'm here for moral support.
Poet
Posted by WorryGirl on May 1, 2007, at 21:31:17
In reply to Re: Long-time Bulimic, posted by Racer on April 28, 2007, at 21:19:27
I probably am digesting more food than I realize. I guess at my age, my caloric intake should be pretty low. Plus, I'm sure I've wreaked havoc with my metabolism after years of starving myself.
I was seeing a therapist. They seemed to think I should be comfortable with myself at the weight I am. I'm not, though. If I could lose 20-25 lbs. and keep it off I would be ecstatic. But even 5-10 at this point would give me some hope. I will take your advice and see a doctor about some med that will help curb my appetite (but not completely supress it).
At this point I feel that I have two options (besides completely giving up and getting fatter and fatter). 1) Go back to consuming hardly any calories (maybe a max of 500 a day) by either an appetite supressant, starving myself, or more purging. THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT TO DO, THOUGH
2) Continue to work out, really pay attention to what I'm eating (seeing a nutritionist, doctor, etc. and doing a lot of reading). Maybe it will take a while, but some of the pounds might eventually roll off. Being that I am approaching menopause, and probably am already in perimenopause, when the body wants to hold on to fat, I think I have a long road ahead of me.
Thanks for the post.
> So, purging isn't going to make you lose weight, and may even lead to weight gain. For one thing, you're still absorbing some of that food. I will virtually guarantee you're not getting all of it back up.
>
> Secondly, the purging is going to mess with your metabolism, to try to help keep you from starving -- which your body is thinking might be a danger, since you're not keeping a lot of food down. All the exercise in the world isn't going to undo that.
>
> How about discussing with a doctor that you want treatment for the bulimia, but you need to lose weight, not gain it? Might be a good starting point. What's more, working with a nutritionist -- a registered dietitian with a specialty in eating disordes is best -- is likely ot be very helpful, both for losing weight and treating the bulimia.
>
> Are you seeing a therapist? That's also awfully helpful.
>
> Good luck.
Posted by WorryGirl on May 1, 2007, at 21:36:26
In reply to Re: Long-time Bulimic » WorryGirl, posted by Poet on April 30, 2007, at 17:56:13
From a fellow middle-aged bulimic - it's good to hear from you. Maybe we one day will find our golden ticket out of this flabby mess!
Maybe Suprex could help me, too. I will ask about it when I see my doctor. I do have a problem with overeating, and yes, mine is usually anxiety-related, too (and sometimes from boredom). But I still feel that if I am binging, and throw it up, shouldn't it be like I never ate it? I probably am still absorbing too much food. And I confess that I often don't throw up soon enough.
There are days that go by when I feel fulfilled and don't want to binge. My most difficult time is after 4:00 p.m. through 8:00 or 9:00 p.m.
> Hi Worrygirl,
>
> I'm a long-time bulimic, too, and purging just does not do the weight loss trick anymore. Like you, when I was in my 20s I was thin,and able to stay that way. Now at 49, the pounds are creeping on even though I exercise more now then I did when I was younger.
>
> Lately my bingeing/purging has been out of control (triggered by anxiety) and I started on Suprex two weeks ago. So far no binges/purges and no weight gain, though no weight loss either. I'm hoping that not bingeing will help me lose weight. I know easy to say, right?
>
> Keep me posted on how you're doing. I'm here for moral support.
>
> Poet
Posted by Racer on May 2, 2007, at 15:01:01
In reply to Re: Long-time Bulimic, posted by WorryGirl on May 1, 2007, at 21:31:17
>
> I was seeing a therapist. They seemed to think I should be comfortable with myself at the weight I am. I'm not, though.Did your therapist specialize in eating disorders and body image issues? That really makes a difference -- I mean, it *really* makes a difference! My ED has gotten worse with therapists who don't know about EDs. I know that's only one of me, and not statistically significant, but any time a therapist tells you that you "should be comfortable with yourself," I have to ask what that therapist has done to help you work through the issues? It's worth talking to another therapist with more experience in these areas, to see whether it can help you.
The bad news is that it might be a question of helping you learn to be more comfortable at a higher weight. It's still worth it, though.
> I will take your advice and see a doctor about some med that will help curb my appetite (but not completely supress it).
Actually, I wasn't thinking about a drug to curb your appetite. I was thinking about a medication which might help with the anxiety that sets off binging, or one that helps reduce the urge to purge. But, talk to your doctor -- maybe curbing your appetite is the right answer for you.
>
> 1) Go back to consuming hardly any calories (maybe a max of 500 a day) by either an appetite supressant, starving myself, or more purging.That's a good way to binge more and to gain more weight. If you only eat that many calories per day, your metabolism will slow to a snail's pace, and you will gain weight on barely any food at all. It's your body's way to survive the famine. In fact, a few months ago, when my doctor said I'd need to gain weight in order to try to get pregnant, I actually lost weight the first week, when I was eating much more. Body's are funny things, and starving them doesn't work real well for losing weight.
At any age, caloric intake has to be above a bare minimum of 1200 calories per day -- under no circumstances should intake drop below that. And even that is considered starvation rations. If you really want to work on healthy eating and weight loss, keep a diary of everything you eat for about a month. Just write it all down, including any binges (note any purges). Then work out the calories involved, and the food exchanges. Then go through and check for where you can cut out calories, sugar, and fats without noticing. But make sure you're not going any more than 500 caloires per day under your average. And that you never get below 1200 calories per day. 1500 calories per day is better.
See a dietitian, though, for better advice than that. For what it's worth, making that food diary before your first visit is probably a good idea, and make sure you're seeing someone who is both a Registered Dietitian, *and* a specialist in eating disorders. If you see someone with a specialty in, say, Type I diabetes, you won't get as much out of it.
Good luck.
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on May 7, 2007, at 10:18:00
In reply to Re: Long-time Bulimic » WorryGirl, posted by Racer on May 2, 2007, at 15:01:01
Racer has some really good suggestions.
Some thoughts crossed my mind when I read your posts.
You seem to have very extreme forms of thinking - you don't need to resort to drastic measures (pills, purging, extreme calorie restriction) in order to lose weight. If you simply burn more energy than you eat in a day, you will lose weight with as little as 200 calories less eaten (if that makes sense). And as long you don't go below the 1200 cal mark.
And have you thought about exercise?
This is good for you on so many levels. It'll curb your apetite naturally, tone you up, get you fitter, reduce your anxiety etc etc.
The reason why I mentioned this is because since I've started cycling everywhere I've lost tons of weight AND I'm not even watching what I eat!
Kind regards
Miss Meri
Posted by WorryGirl on May 10, 2007, at 6:54:08
In reply to Re: Long-time Bulimic » WorryGirl, posted by Racer on May 2, 2007, at 15:01:01
I understand what you're saying and I know that this is what I need to do. I just have one problem and one question: I don't know that I CAN accept my higher weight. I am working out faithfully, I do pretty well eating a nutritious 400-500 calorie breakfast and lunch (calories for each meal). It's from about mid-afternoon and beyond that I lose it. I eat a HUGE dinner and snack before and after. Since I throw it up I assume that most of it has been eliminated, even when it is 2-3 hours after dinner (I can still see remains from lunch sometimes!)
My question is, how did my bulimic formula work for so long in my 20s and early 30s? I ate a ton then and threw most of it up. Why is my body determined to hold on to the weight now, after all those years when it worked?
I hate being this weight. I hate when people see old photos and "can't believe" how different I looked (the unspoken thinner).
This is the end of the thread.
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