I'm not sure if there are others here that rid their food other ways than laxitives or throwing up.I'm older and crash diet or compulsive exercise after huge binges.They call that a form of bulima.Can anyone relate to my behavior.Also anyone over 50 here.
I definitely understand- I would compulsively run after binge-eating and restrict my diet. It is definitely a form of bulimia- you are 'purging' the food from your system, just in a different way. I'm sorry for what you're going through, but know that it is possible to recover, no matter what age you are. I myself found my nutritionist to be a lifesaver and finally extract myself from the restricting-bingeing cycle. It's hard not to feel like you need to 'make up' for binge eating by exercising or restricting your diet, but this only sets you up for another binge because our bodies are built to deal with starvation and famine- and will get the food it needs no matter what. I try to just focus on one meal at a time and remember that the thoughts that tell me not to eat are my eating disorder thoughts and to try to detach from them and not give them power over me. All this is easier said than done and it took me time to be able to get to that place. I also now still do go running, but I have to be very mindful about it. I have to think about why I am running- there is nothing wrong with exercising to be healthy, but exercising to purge the food you ate is never a good idea-it sets up that cycle again. Now when I feel myself going out to run for that purpose, I decide not to (even if I also just want to run for pleasure) because keeping on track and not being triggered into the restricting-bingeing cycle is very important to me. But I would highly suggest reaching out to a nutritionist who has dealt with eating disorders-they can help set up a meal plan or at least a basic idea of how to get back on track with a healthy eating regimen. Just know that you can recover from this and that you're not alone in this- we're here to help you and support you in any way we can! Best wishes