Skinny Love

1) Make sure you drink enough..At least two liters a day. Water, coffee, green tea, sugar free energy drinks, etc. Ice water with a mint flavor is my personal favorite.

2) Eat chewing gum, strong mint flavors are the best. All food is disgusting with mint taste in your mouth, and you are chewing something..

3) Distraction

When you have craving, or feel you are going to, make sure you can distract yourself from it.

You have to find something that takes your focus completely away of food. For me it can be singing, writing, drawing, dancing or playing piano or flute. Just something you really love.

4)Don't be alone

Doing something with someone else, so you're not alone can be even more helpfull. Binging is not a thing we do in front of other people. So, go to a friend, family, church, the park. Any place where you can find people. If you don't have anyone to hang around with, go to a public place like a park, or go to the movies. People will see you, and they will notice when you binge.

5) When you have a lot of problems with binging, it's better to eat little things six times a day. It will level your blood sugar, so you won't crave as much. It seems awkward, since most of us really don't want to eat at all. But eating six times a day will actually be much better. It helps against binging, and your metabolism will be more active.

The reason you get cravings for food is because your body doesn't have energy anymore, so it needs fuel, meaning food. If you don't give it, your body will go on 'stand by'. Your metabolism slows down, and you'll burn less calories. Meanwhile your body keeps screaming for food, when it finally gets it, it will be supercheap with it. Preparing for the next hunger strike. So eating six times a day is a better and healthier way.

You can eat fruit, some kinds of nuts, vegetables, and for the best eat at least two times something with carbs.

6) Don't buy things that trigger a binge.

This one is kind a obvious. When you are in charge of the groceries, make a list before shopping, and stick to it. Don't get food in your house that is not in your regular diet.

7) Food plan and journal

Make a structured list of what and when you are going to eat.

Write down exactly what, when, at what time you are going to eat, and try to stick to that plan. Make sure you set goals that are realistic. When you make a plan to not eat, and crave and binge, you will hate yourself. Better make a plan to eat a little more and prevent binges than fail. Stick to the list at least one week, and then see if you can make some changes.

Also keep a journal, where you keep track of what you ate, at what time, but also the times and places and triggers of your cravings and binges.

8) Structure

This is going to be a little bit lame again. You have probably thought of it yourself, or others have told you this over and over again.

But, it is important, healthy, and very helpful to have a daily structure. Even though this may not be the first time you've heard this, when you ask yourself about it, and answer really honest. Is there need to improve your structure? Are there too many moments in a day when you don't know what to do with yourself? Those moments are ideal for the binge monster to strike.

Now, I am not suggesting you should work and keep yourself busy 24/7. But you do have do get off your auto-pilot, and make sure that you are always fully aware of what you are doing.

It has a lot of benefits. First of all, for those, who just like me, don't have a job, it is important to get out of your house, do things, socialize, do some volunteering, or whatever that makes you feel like you tribute to society. Spend time developing your talents, anything. Avoid the situation where you're going to be a couch potato. It's very easy to get there, so don't!

Then, for everybody. Whether you have a job, go to school, live alone, with your parents, boyfriend, or your husband and kids.

We are all human, and we are human beings who are obsessed with food. Which means that we most likely live every other part of our life on (semi)auto-pilot.

 You may not even notice right now. Then you probably think I'm high while writing this. If so, I hope you will look back one day, cause you'll see eventually.

Anyway; benefits of a structured life, and therefor, or by, being aware of what you are doing.

- You have a safety in your structure, plan day by day. Or, as I like to do it, I plan bigger things to at most  month ahead (festivals, birthday, other party's, doctors appointments etc), so I can prepare for big things, like a festival. But I plan my days in detail one day ahead. And I always have a back up plan where needed. So I won't be faced with surprises which can lead to destructive behavior.

- Giving more attention to the things you are actually doing is distracting you of the food. Instead of obsessively thinking about food, you are paying attention to something else. Well, this is a simple calculation, not thinking about food, makes the urge to binge less stronger.

- Paying more attention to the things you are actually doing, might make you feel better. Assuming you are doing something you like. It might even help to get to know yourself better.

- When you have a structured life, and manage to keep a food journal, it's easier to find out what and when your weak spots are. When you know your enemy, it's easier to battle it!

Now I have a lot of psychological inside stuff about this one, but I won't bore you with that.. For now ;) I'll move one.

9) Write!

A lot of binges are caused by emotions. You can feel lonely, angry, sad, depressed. Or, what I mostly feel when I don't know what to do anymore, is just this horrible emptiness, like a wormhole that has such great power that it sucks everything inside. And unfortunately we do not have the science yet to tell us where everything goes. And that stupid thing, it takes every bit of life force out of me, but no matter how hard I bed, it won't take me...jack-ass.

No, just kidding, but I guess you do know that awful lonely, empty feeling. I find it very hard to deal with too, still, after twelve years of therapy. It makes me want to hurt myself, use drugs, or just do something stupid to get rid of the feeling.

And having a binge, even though you did not wanted it, is an other way to cope. It is litterally trying to fill the empty space.

And here I go again; another cheesy line. You don't feel better after a binge.

So, when you sense yourself feeling even a little out of balance, try to write about it. Get a diary, a blog, use poetry, or art. But try to get your emotions of your chest before they pile up and you are going to explode.

10. HALT

Remember this word, and check yourself..

HALT means:

Hungry

Angry

Lonely

Tired

Experience has learned that when we are in one, or more of those states, we are more agitated. We are vulnerable. And more likely to react in self destructive behavior that is in our comfort zone. There will not be much needed to set us off, just a stink eye from a strange lady in the subway, that was not meant for us, but we decided it was. And off we go.

* Go on a walk

* Search for health/nutrition info on the net

* Turn up the music and dance

* Clean your house until everything looks untouched

* Read a book or magazine

* Find out about finances and investing

* Find out enough about a national issue to form a strong opinion

* Do that that you were meaning to do for so long

* Rent and follow a yoga or pilates video

* Express yourself creatively

* Wander and browse trough the library

* Read about the toxins and food that build up in the digestive system

* Start writing in a journal about things besides calories

* Make your own, original, unique website

* Have a movie fest

* Volunteer somewhere

* Get a job

* Master your self description

* Play with your pet, they'll love you!

* Call your grandparents

* Go to howstuffworks.com and find out!

* Exfoliate your entire body

* Think about your life goals and how you'll reach them

* Make someone a bracelet or neckless

* Read the newspaper, every word of it!

* Stop procrastinating

* Do some extra credit

RULES, RULES, RULES. This is important. You need to set rules for yourself, and if you are truly ana, you will have no problem sticking to them because you are STRONG! Rules are everything. Examples: Don't eat anything white. Do not, under any circumstances, eat after 6:00. Don't eat before 3:00. Cut each bite into x amount of pieces, chew x amount of times. Do not eat anything that has over 3 grams of fat. Make your own and keep adding to them.

Ana must be the center of your life.

Drink a full glass of water before you eat and then sip a full glass between bites, you'll get full much faster. Remember it takes 20 minutes for the brain to realize the stomach is full.

Eat denser food because it feels like more. Light and fluffy foods compact in your digestive tract and you will feel hungry soon after.

Take out only the amount of food you plan to eat and don't allow seconds.

Think before you eat. Don't eat while distracted (TV, etc). Stop and consider if you really want to eat that then consciously give yourself permission.

4 100-calorie meals is better than one 400-calorie meal.

Never eat anything bigger than about a cup, your stomach will expand and you'll get hungry more. If you need to, eat more frequently, not bigger amounts.

Slim-Fast and other "healthy" bars and shakes have more carbs and calories than in the meal they're intended to replace. Stay away.

Drink at least a glass of water every hour. It's better for weight loss to sip throughout the day than to chug a full glass (except before eating, in which case it can make you eat less, or make you slightly nauseous so you don't want to eat at all). Try keeping a water bottle somewhere you'll see it a lot, like every 10-20 minutes, and take a drink from it every time you see it/notice it.

Drink up to a shot of apple cider vinegar before eating, it's supposed to minimize fat absorption. Also speeds metabolism and can help curb cravings. Drinking more than a shot causes a vague nausea which helps suppress appetite.

Ice or gum are good food substitutes. Celery works too if you're really hungry.

Use small, dark colored plates. Dark blue or black makes you eat less, and smaller plates and utensils cause you to take smaller portions from the start.

Make a list of "bad" foods. Periodically, cross one of the list and pledge to never, ever eat it again. Eventually there will be none left.

Eat in front of a mirror, naked or in underwear if possible. If you can't, carry a picture of yourself in a revealing outfit and look at it when you want to eat. When you have cravings pinch your fat and look at your problem areas, don't add to them!

Eat a lot of fiber for digestive health and low calories.

Create a methodical routine for eating. Cut food into tiny pieces, count your bites and the number of times you chew, set your utensils down between bites, and sip water between bites. Add other rules or rituals of your own.

Eat higher-calorie items earlier in the day so you have more time to burn them off; if you eat late eat light or it will be more likely to be stored as fat due to inactivity. Try not to eat too late, sleep burns calories and is a good opportunity to burn fat with little effort. The body must burn through all digesting food before taking energy from stored food (fat).

When you go out, take very little money or only enough to buy whatever non-food item you plan on buying. This will make it harder to buy food on impulse.

Don't take bites, either from others' food or while cooking, as the calories add up surprisingly fast and you may not realize how much extra you're taking in.

Write down everything you eat and its calories. This will make you think before eating and also make you more aware of how much food and calories you are actually consuming. You can also write down other things such as how you're feeling, who you're with, place, time, and why you chose to eat it, this will help you track patterns in your eating behavior.

Wear a rubber band around your wrist and snap it when you want to eat. Food = pain.

Set a time you cannot eat past. 6:00 or 7:00pm are good choices. This is especially helpful if you are prone to night binging. Then make a rule that you cannot eat before 6:00 or 7:00AM, this is like having a 12-hr fast every day.

You shouldn't eat for at least 3 hours before going to bed. The extra hours will help burn off the calories. If you eat soon before sleeping, you absorb more calories due to inactivity and you put on weight.

Have a peppermint or peppermint tea. Peppermint decreases hunger.

Brush your teeth when you want to eat. The clean feeling and mint aftertaste will put you off food.

Press on your stomach when it grumbles. TUMS also stop stomach growling and have calcium.(5 calories a piece so be careful!)

Carry a list of all the reasons you want to be thin and avoid food. Look at it when you want to eat to remind yourself why you won't. Or, write a new list every time you want to eat. It'll distract you, postpone eating, and thinking of the reasons will inspire you.

Cut a ribbon the size you want your waist to be. wrap and tie it around your wrist like a bracelet. Every time you look at it you'll be reminded of your goals. When you're tempted, take it off and wrap it around your waist. See how close you are, or how far you have to go, and resist the temptation.

Always leave at least one bite of food on your plate. This will help you to be able to stop eating and prevent binges. It will also stop you from compulsively finishing portions even when you have eaten enough.eaten enough.

Istenem, de szeretnék ilyen alakot.... Egyszer talán elérem. Ehhez viszont vissza kéne szokni a rendszeres edzéshez, mert kb 4 hónapja teljesen ellustultam és annyit eszek, mint egy disznó..

Lassan már nagyon érte, hogy írjak egy blogot, mert ez legalább lefoglal és eltereli a gondolataimat az evésről. Minél jobban próbálkozom, minél elszántabb vagyok, annál többet eszek. Az utóbbi időben nagyon meghíztam, undorodom magamtól.. Februárban olyan vékonyra le tudtam fogyni, annyira imádtam pehelysúlyúnak lenni. Olyan szabadnak éreztem magam, mintha bármire képes lehetnék. Nagyon jó érzés volt, de sajnos elmúlt.

Mostanában sokat hallottam vissza magamról, hogy nekem semmi nem áll jól, kövér vagyok stb. Ez igaz is. De ezek után senki ne mondja azt, hogy nem érti, miért lesz valaki étkezési zavaros. Egy normális pasi nem nézett rám mostanában. Az tény, hogy felszedtem pár kilót az utóbbi fél évben és úgy gondolom itt az ideje, hogy komolyan összeszedjem magam, mert így csak egyre mélyebbre sodródok a depressziómban. It's time to start a new life. 

Nem érdekel ki mit mond, az éhezésben van valami, ami úgy gondolom csodálatos... az az akaraterő, ami szükséges hozzá... talán azért éreztem akkor, hogy mindent meg tudok csinálni, mert ha annyi akaraterőm volt, hogy a kedvenc sütimet sütötték itthon és egy falatot sem ettem, akkor az nem semmi. (legalábbis nálam)