sick

TIPS I GOT FROM BEING IN AN EATING DISORDER CLINIC FOR THREE YEARS:

1. don't avoid foods that you are craving. by depriving yourself of something that your mind is telling you that you want, you are making it ten times more likely that you will binge eat later. curb your cravings in small doses. want that cake? take a small piece and eat it slowly, so it lasts you as long as it would if you were eating a large piece. that way, your mind is tricked into feeling satisfied.

2. anorexia does not always involve food. if you are exercising excessively without giving your body the means with which to exert this type of energy, you are essentially depriving your body in the same way you would be if you refused to eat. if you really want to get in shape or lose weight, do it right. find a balance between diet and exercise. one without the other is pointless.

3. be consistent. going to the gym once in a blue moon and working yourself into a fit is more likely to hurt you than help you. you need to exercise consistently in order to achieve results - otherwise, all you're doing is making yourself sore and potentially damaging your muscles. they need to adjust and get used to the strain, and this takes days of slow building in your routine. if you don't work out for a month and then go on a work-out blitz (or binge), you're likely to cause muscle trauma.

4. snack throughout the day on healthy foods like almonds. i never do this because almonds are disgusting, but that's besides the point. letting yourself starve between meals will trigger binge eating - and that cake you've been avoiding? you're more likely to allow yourself to eat "bad foods" if you feel as though you've been suffering. it's your mind's natural way of making it up to yourself. don't let it get to that.

5. eat until you're NOT HUNGRY, not until you're FULL. hello, north america. we've all been raised to eat until we're full. hell, we even say "i'm full" to signal that we're finished eating. however, eating until you're actually full stretches your stomach, and it will make you want to eat more later. snacking throughout the day, as mentioned earlier, helps curb your appetite so that you don't feel the need to keep eating once you're not hungry anymore. also, not being "full" means not being bloated. bonus.

6. balance your meal. yeah, i know, some of us don't like eating fish or salad. so substitute with other things. you don't necessarily have to think food groups - although it's easy that way. you can also think of color groups. got some green leaves on your plate? get some white rice and red meat. not only does this help you get a fairly balanced meal, it usually makes your plate look a whole lot nicer than if it was just piled up with one color.

7. drink lots of water. flavored liquids are more likely to make you want to eat something to go with it. water is tasteless and actually more satisfying for your body when it comes to quenching thirst. it also works as a great custodian in your body, flushing out toxins and clearing your system. if you're hungry or bored and you don't have a good snack to munch on, sip from a glass of water to help occupy you. no harm done there.

8. SAY ONLY POSITIVE THINGS ALOUD. i don't care if you think your thighs are huge or your ribs stick out too much - keep that to yourself. saying things aloud usually helps solidify the idea as more of a fact than a thought, so by admitting out loud that you think your boobs are too small, you're subconsciously accepting it as fact. if you like your arms and your stomach is nice - SAY SO! talk yourself up in the mirror. it'll help make these statements true in your mind.

9. be aware of your eating and exercising habits and the motivation behind them. are you trying to lose weight or get in shape? why? are you training to be somebody else or to be a BETTER YOU? you will never have kim kardashian's body unless you are kim kardashian. working out will not make your legs longer. it will not make your hips thinner. it will not change the basic structure of your body. wanting to tone what you've got is good - but wanting to change it altogether is not only destructive, but also impossible. know why you do what you do, and be reasonable about it.

10. if you hear about someone being concerned with your eating or exercising habits, take a moment and think about why. so much of eating disorders and general health and fitness are all in the mind, so instead of getting on the defensive about it, stop and think about why they might say that. maybe they're jealous because you're dating their ex, or maybe they're worried because they're your friend. no matter the case, think about any sort of patterns or clues you might have been accidentally giving out to make a person think that way about you. it might suck to admit it, but they might be right. don't be ignorant to opportunities for change.
hint: this tip works for just about everything in life.





I AM SO SICK OF HEARING MY PERFECTLY HEALTHY FRIENDS BITCH ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY WISH THEIR BODIES WERE DIFFERENT FROM HOW THEY ARE. YOU CANNOT CHANGE WHAT IS. EVERYTHING THAT IS, JUST IS. LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT AND LOVE IT IF YOU'RE LUCKY.
fuck.