Posts about binging and bloating - eating disorder recovery

Three of the most comment questions i get about are weight gain, bloating and binging in recovery, so i thought i would make a little post with some advice/links to posts about bloating and binging in recovery.

Bloating happens and if it doesnt go away for months it might be due to something else rather than just your body and digestive system getting used to food and eating again and beginning to work normally again.

And binging can happen, for different reasons and if it begins to happen too often, then you need to seek help for it and talk to someone about the binging so that it doesnt turn into something very serious and/or worse. However if the binging is just due to that fact that you arent eating enough then often it can help to just follow a meal plan and eat more for your meals.

You can read more posts and advie about binging  HERE and HERE

And bloating: HERE and HERE

Help! I binged! What do I do now?!

First, know your binge. What caused it? How could you have better handled it? What alternatives are there to bingeing? What KIND of binge was it?

Subjective vs. Objective Binges

• 3 Tips to Eat “Normally” Again
• Brain Over Binge: How I Stopped Acting on Urges
• Alternatives to Bingeing
• 10 Strategies for Overcoming Binge Eating
• Advantage/Disadvantage Chart for Unhealthy Behaviors Printout

Now if you is you DO binge… because it does happen from time to time in recovery… here are 20 reasons not to hate yourself after a binge [x].

And here are some other posts that may help you after a binge:

• Binge Recovery
• How to Recovery from A Food Binge: 10 Steps to Feel Better
• How to Recover from an Unplanned Binge

Bloating in recovery:

• Recovery Problem: Bloating, Indigestion and Feeling Too Full

Bloating - masterpost

Many people panic about bloating. It stops them from doing what they want to do or wearing what they want to wear. Granted when you are bloated it really isn't so tempting to go around in tight clothes, but know that bloating often feels worse to yourself as you are looking down = you can barely see your feet sometimes. But also bloating happens to everyone, and can happen for many different reason. Whether its because you ate or drank, or you consumed too much salt, you are stressed or its due to hormones or that time of the month for girls... so many reasons why you could be bloated. And if you are bloated and have lots of cramps and/or gases it could be due to fod you have eaten and intolerances or allergies, so it can be good to be aware of those things in combination. But in general, bloating is normal.... and below you see how i pretty much always looked in recovery, i.e a very bloated belly. And also some photos of me now with a bloated belly... to show you that it is normal, and even if all you see online is flat stomachs and ripped abs, people dont always look that way.

Below are a bunch of helpful links about bloating and weight gain which i hope might help you!

^(The photos are roughly 6 months into treatment i think... a little more maybe, i cant remember) Now when i see the photos the bloating isnt as bad as i thought it was... but for me... i couldnt even see my toes when i looked down. And there was no sucing it in either, my stomach was just always sticking out because of the amounts of food i had to eat, but also because i would eat lots while at Mando and then eat nothing at home and so my body just didnt know what was happening and i kept going up and down in weight which shocked my body even more. Which is why i think it took me such along time for the bloating to lessen.

And below... bloating happens  at all sizes and weights ;)

My tips.. put on loose clothes when you bloat. (and p.s the picture on the right isnt the worst... i just dont photo when i am super bloated ;) )

Bloating in recovery

Bloating, indigestion and feeling too full

How to get rid of bloating

Bloating happens to everybody

Tips for when you are bloated

Bloating - it happens to everyone

Answer - about bloating

5 second video - bloating

Bloating happens

The problem is in your head, not your stomach

Seeing your body change - eating disorder recovery

Disproportionate and rapid weight gain

I know the bloating posts are pretty much the same.. but that is because they are reminders. Many panic about bloating, but really its just something that happens and something you need to accept.

Bloating in recovery

About bloating

Bloating, a normal bodily function yet everyone seems to hate it.

If the world wasnt so obsessed with being skinny or having a perfectly flat stomach, then i dont think people would react as much to bloating. Of course some types of bloating are painful, your stomach feels tight and you dont feel so good in your stomach at all, its an uncomfortable feeling. But then there is also bloating which comes just from eating food, stress,hormones or consuming too much salt among other reasons. It is also important to note that generally you are more bloated in the evenings because you have eaten and drank throughout the day. So having a bloat or so called "food baby" by the end of the day is just normal.


Everyone bloats, it is as simple as that. Some people might bloat less and others more.But it is a normal thing that the body does.

The reason why you hate it - aside from the pain and cramps if those are involved - is because you look "bigger" and different.Your most likely obsessed with having a flat stomach so then when your stomach bloats you feel like your whole day is ruined, when in fact it isnt. You can still wear whatever you want to wear and do whatever you want to do. The bloating will pass but that doesnt mean you wont experience it again, you will. Throughout your whole life you will have times when you bloat. Sometimes you go a whole month without bloating and othertimes you are constantly bloated for 3 days. Dont panic if you wake up bloated either that will pass as well. I have times where i wake up bloated and sometimes i am bloated for a full 3 or 4 days and other times im not bloated at all.

The extreme bloating you might experience in recovery, that will also pass. But that can take a few weeks or months to pass and the best thing you can do is to eat regularly and give your body the energy it needs, that will help the bloating to pass as your body will feel safe.

Also remember, the problem is not your stomach, the problem is your head (unless you are bloating due to allergies or intolerances!)!

Below are some posts about bloating which might be helpful:

Bloating in recovery
How to get rid of bloating


Below you see my bloat from a few days ago.. this was around lunch time.

WHen i bloat i just put on loose jumpers to cover the bloat - as i usually wear tight tops/skirts etc so then its more comfortable to just let my stomach expand and bloat and cover it with a loose jumper!! :)

Tips for when you are bloated

Remember to still drink enough water. When you are bloated you think that less liquid = less bloat, but that is not necessarily the case, and more water can help with less bloat!

Also frequent and regular meals are good, dont restrict or deprive yourself just because you are blated. Your body still needs the same amount of energy as usual.

Peppermint tea can be helpful against bloating.

Limiting sodium intake - though you of course still need sodium!!

Putting something warm around your stomach can help if you get pains in your stomach from the bloat.

Wear loose and comfy clothing. Nothing too tight as that is never comfortable, but you dont need to walk around in just grey sweatpants either. I personally think loose dresses are great when you are bloated :)

Avoid mirrors and social media sites which might be triggering.

Do something which will distract you and something which you enjoy.

Do some meditation or spend some time outside, both of those are good for when you are bloated. To just clear your mind, to breathe.

Not stress, panic or feel guilty. Stressing = more bloat, and also bloating is nothing to panic or feel guilty over. Its what the body does and it happens to everyone.


And the most important step: To remember that bloating passes and dont let it dictate your mood or how your day goes.

There are times i wake up bloated several days in a row and for those days the bloat doesnt go away. It isn't so fun, especially not when you have a tight feeling around your abdomen but it passes.Everyone bloats, especially after eating or drinking it is normal. And when you are in recovery you might have extreme bloating which is uncomfortable and can be upsetting, but as long as you keep eating and drinking it will pass.

Do not let your body control you and whenever you do bloat remind yourself that it is ok. Your body is always changing and you cant stop the bloat from happening. Dont live in a world where you think that people always have a super flat stomach or that it is normal to always have a super flat stomach. Because just like with stomach rolls when you bend over/sit down, that is normal, that is how the body functions. And panicing about those things just adds to stress and unneeded anxiety and worry in your life. You are more than your body and life goes on even when you are bloated, and remember no one really cares about it apart from the person themselves!!!

Why is it seen as wrong to love yourself

Ok.... as i see it, the negative comments have begun streaming in because someone or some people think it's wrong of me to take photos of myself? Or to workout often?  Or because I look a certain way.
  I could be wrong, but what I think is weird in society is that it's wrong for people to love themselves and think they look good? I am very happy in my body, that's why I take photos.  If I decide to post them, that's my business. This is the way I look. And yes my body has changed due to exercise I have never and won't deny that. Has my goal been to  change my body? No it hasn't.  If that was my goal I would be working out in a complete different way. But I like my body the way it is and I want to feel and be strong, but also to run fast and be flexible.  Those are my goals. But I'm not going to deny the fact that when I notice progress, whether it's strength, speed, endurance or a physical change... its nice to notice it. To see myself progress.
 
But the reason - what I think anyway - why people have a problem with me posting pictures is because of my past. You might think I shouldn't look the way I do or I shouldn't post pictures of myself because that is too egoistic. Too focused on my body. But you know what... I post pictures of myself because I think I look good. And what is so wrong with that? If my pictures trigger someone, then it's not my problem or fault. Then you need to work with your triggers. Work with loving yourself and not comparing yourself to others. Because there will ALWAYS  be someone skinnier or bigger than you. If you are the skinniest person then you are in a grave or almost there anyway.
   So instead of hating on others because they have the confidence to smile in a photo and show off their body. It's a person's choice to post pictures, and whether they want to take pictures of them selves in just pants and post it or of themselves in a bikini... that's their business. If the person trigger you, either work on your trigger or stop following them.

   You won't love yourself or.your body by hating others.

If you think I am hypocritical for posting a picture of myself in a bikini or flexing... well then that's not my business. If yo u are confident enough to do that, then go for it. And those of you think I try to make myself look skinner... no I don't.  Do I deny that u post the best picture?  No I don't.  When I have thousands of readers each day then I would prefer to not post a super ugly photo of me.... but for now I decided I would. 

So you get to see how I look when I'm not posing ;) Yes im human.... its just that i choose to post the best picture... not all of these :)

^^My lovely bloat on Saturday evening :)

^^Flattering... hahahah XD

^^Yes... that face ;) Just to add to the creepy!

In the next photos - i was still at Mando - an inpatient. So still underweight, but had my lovely bloated belly most of the time.

But that summer was the first time in 4 years thati had worn a bikini and actually been ok wearing it... even if i didnt like what i saw most days.

¨

Anyway... hopefully you can laugh at these pictures and realise that YES I AM ONLY HUMAN. AND YES, I CHOOSE TO POST THE BEST PICTURES BECAUSE I CAN. But i am also not -so.- afraid to show you that no, im not perfect. Nobody is!!!

So... anyway, with this post i mean to say. Stop hating me because you think i am egoistic or because you dont like how i look or whatever reason it is!!!

Bloating - it happens to everyone

As i mentioned in my previous post i have had the worst stomach pain and bloating today - all day. From the moment i woke up.... not a nice feeling at all. Also it doesnt help that Sunday night i was craving salt so ate lots of salt and drank water = body retaining water.
   
Today i have walked around with a HUGE bloat, infact when i showed my sister she joked and said i looked like i was pregnant... my mum got angry at her for making that comment. But it didnt bother me at all, i know how i looked, but i know that this isnt how i normall look anyway!! Its quite a contrast, haha!

But i wanted to show you that yes... i bloat as well. Many people panic about it, i get it. Its not a nice feeling... but i just put on comfy clothes, kept eating and drinking like normal and hoping that it will pass in a few days. (Though i am suspecting that i might be intolerant to something that i am eating as this has happened before... i think it might be lactose :(:( Ive said about 101 times that im going to stop eating dairy but i just cant seem to give it up :( So i guess i have to take the consequences if im going to eat it.)

^^Sunday afternoon

^^Monday morning (and all Monday)

p.s im straightening my hair in the picture hence the funny hair do ;);)

Please DONT panic about bloating. Trust me, its not worth it. Thats how the body behaves.

And everyone bloats... you can see the contrast between the 2 pictures... i dont always look like the first pictures and thats ok. Im a human, i have a body. The body isnt made to always have a super flat stomach.

When you bloat, instead of restricting, feeling bad, wanting to not eat or wanting to overexercise or whatever other thoughts you have.

Just take a deep breathe... remember that everyone bloats. Instead, drink some tea, stay awy from fizzy drinks, dont chew gum, wear comfy clothes and know it will pass!

Bloating in recovery

One of the most frequently asked questions i get via comments or email is about bloating. I understand your panic!!!
  Bloating is one of those dreaded things which we all hate... but in recovery, its part of the process. Bloating is basically your body holding onto water whether its due to stress, hormones, excess salt or protection. In recovery when you first begin eating again your body bloats and it can take weeks to months for it to pass, I wish i could give you a miracle cure and tell you that drinking peppermint tea would help, but from what i have experienced and what ive heard, it doesnt work that way. Not with bloating in recovery (Though of course, its different from person to person!!!)

Bloating happens because when you restrict and your body goes into starvation mode your metabolism slows down. For people who have gone very long periods with little to no food they find that they cant actually begin eating food in the beginning of recovery because their digestive system is so messed up. So they need to drink supplement drinks and juice/milk etc
   Your body first goes into shock, doesnt quite know what to do with the food and so accumilates water, mainly in the stomach area. This is also a form of protection for your organs. You can find that you can gain anywhere from 1-5kg just in the first week from all the water retention, but slowly the water will go away.

The bloating also happens because your digestive system works so hard as you need to eat so frequently and its not used to it. Its trying to figure out how to work again.... over time you will have to increase your calories as your body gets used to the amount you eat and no longer gains weight. Its reccommended to be up to about 2500+ some stage in recovery, this is because if you are continuously gaining weight eating say 1500kcal, then what happens when you reach a normal weight but still eat so few calories. So you need to keep increasing until you eat quite a large amount as this means you can then eat a normal amount when you are maintaining your weight.
   The amount you gain on all depends on metabolism, height, weight, age, activity etc

You might find that you are very disproportionate... your arms are skinny but your stomach sticks out. Almost like the starving children you see in poorer countries. This is due to malnourishment and it will go away when you begin eating more and more frequently.

When your body becomes safer, gets enough energy and begins functioning properly you will see that the bloating will go away, or not be as much. However bloating is common at the end of the day.
  Some bloat after gluten or lactose as they are slightly intolerant or if you have eaten alot of salt. But drinking lots of water can help to get rid of bloating.

When you are stressed, have your period, dehydrated or under eating your body also bloats. For me, i know when i undereat or am very stressed or about to get my period because then my body goes into major bloating for 3-5 days.... And no amount of peppermint tea, water, little salt helps. Though exercise can help get rid of bloating, as you sweat. But that is normal bloating and not recovery bloating.

The most important thing is to NOT panic and start eating less. That will make the bloating worse in the long run because then you just cause more damage to your metabolism and can cause irreversable damage.
  Keep eating frequently, normally and enough. That is my best advice!!!

If you have pain then lying and resting and putting something warm on your belly can help. Also know that exercising excessively in recovery or beginning to exercise too much too early can cause bloating!!

Your body needs rest and to not stress!!

^^Sticking out my stomach/bloating vs. normal

^^Dont believe everything you see

HERE is a video you might want to see

This post will now be the post i refer anyone to if they ask about bloating :) :)

Rememer! Bloating happens.

Bloating is one of those things which most people hate.. it can be uncomfortable, you feel bigger than what you are, your belly sticks out, your body can hold onto water. You can feel tired and looking in the mirror or getting dressed sucks!
    I wish i could say there was a magical cure for it, that bloating would never happen to you or me. But thats not the case... i havent heard of some magical pill that works. Though there are some diets such as raw food? and lchf? i think that claim they dont bloat... whether thats true or not i dont know. Because naturally after eating or drinking your belly gets bigger.  How long, when and why you bloat all depends on different factors. For the past few weeks i have barely bloated at all, not even after eating and ive pretty much eaten the same things/amount but now suddenly ive been bloated for the past few days. Why.... i dont really know.

Why you can bloat: stress, hormones, not enough water, eating too little, lots of food, drinking &eating, intolerante/allergic to something, some foods make it easier to bloat (i think) etc And even when you workout often your body holds onto water as a sort of 'protection'.

Most people wake up looking like thier normal self and by the time they go to bed their stomach is sticking out and thats ok... thats normal. Thats how most people feel - though not everyone bloats all the time. And sometimes you might wake up with the same bloat from yesterday evening and it feels like it will never pass - sort of like im feeling now.  But it will!!! Bloating is simply a sort of protection for your inner organs, something is working inside there. So give it time... whether it takes 3 days or a whole week, sooner or later you will be back to your normal shape. But DONT restrict just because you are bloated, that doesnt make it better, that can make the bloating last longer as then your body holds onto what you do eat instead of using it as energy and your metabolism slows down.... so you just bloat even longer.
  Keep eating like normal, normal portions and every 2-4 hours. Drink plenty of water. Wear comfortable clothes and if you are allowed exercise can help. If you have pain due to bloating then lying down and putting something warm on your belly can help :)

Also remember, in recovery bloating is common and normal. Not for everyone but most people recovering. And it can take days to weeks for it to pass. Its your body trying to kick start the metabolism, trying to function properly again.... so just bare with it and know it will pass sometime!!!