Ok, Ok, Ok, I don't do "it" often. Only in emergencies. Like eating popcorn at the movies plus licorice plus... or going out to eat. Maybe once a month, ok twice if that. More lately since I've been trying to lose weight. I'm not obsessive or bulemic or anything. But I'm keeping a journal, so if I throw it all up do I count anything at all and how quickly do I need to puke before?

As a longterm sufferer of eating disorders, I just HAVE to say that this is a terrible, slippery slope you are on. I don't say that in a condemning way, but I promise you, this is how eating disorders start..please consider getting some help, or taking some time to think about why you feel the need to throw up food

To answer your actual question, your body will absorb about a third to a half of the calories if you throw up within a couple of hours. I think thats what I read from an "official" source somewhere. But that isn't the issue here - the issue is destructive behaviours.

PLEASE look after yourself. Purging is dangerous.

An "emergency" that would necessitate purging (and only under a medical professionals' orders and guidance) would be just having been poisoned, NOT having eaten popcorn and licorice!!!

If you eat then purge, that is indeed a textbook definition of bulimia.

Asking how many calories to count (when you didn't tell us how much or what exactly you ate then purged) is very "obsessive" and in this case, it looks like a cry for help.

You need to see a professional (or better yet a TEAM of professionals such as a therapist, a counselor, a doctor, a nutritionist) NOW.

Best of luck.

I have to agree with the other posters, horsey. Throwing up is not a weight loss strategy--it's abnormal behavior. Please talk to a professional. Lots of therapists specialize in problems with food! You can find help with this. And, the Chicks in Control forum is a good place to post!

Jay

Once or twice a month quickly turns into once or twice a week and then once or twice a day, and so on. Right now, you have the ability to quit before it spirals out of control, which I gurantee it will do. Bulimia only causes severe weight fluctuations, decayed teeth, possible organ damage, and looking and feeling like you've been hit by a train. It IS NOT a forn of weight management. The majority of bulimics NEVER GET THIN. They are mostly overweight, because purging never gets rid of ALL the calories. Never.

Like you, I do not think I have a problem. If I cannot get my willpower to kick in and I have a couple donuts after dinner I think, "don't worry, I can just throw it up in 20 minutes." I've even gone as far as to make sure I drink some water or soda to help me when it's time to erradicate the "poisonous" foods.

Thing is, as much as I think it's just an occasional thing, I know it's wrong and it has to be stopped. I have to live with the guilt of having eating the "bad" things. That is the only way I'll teach myself to start avoiding it in the future all together. Throwing up is just a quick easy fix. In the end the problem is still there even if the pounds aren't, but what also is there aside from acute bulimia is bad teeth, violated tummy muscles and potentiallyl worse problems if you persist.

I hate being one of those naysayer goodie goodies, but I'm exactly where you are, only maybe a bit further down the road. I throw up at least 10 times a week, and I know now it's a problem.

horsey , go to the blacboard and write 100times.....bulimia,bulimia,bulimia,bulimia...... ................

This is why I think we need to get the "guilt" out of dieting. No single food, no single meal, not even a single binge is bad or can make us bad. Purging, even a couple times a month can damage the teeth, mouth, and esophagus in ways that can't be undone. Instead of punishing yourself to get/stay thin, you need to learn to love yourself exactly as you are. Exercise and healthy eating should be ways we reward ourselves, not punish ourselves. Please get help now, these things spiral quickly and the deeper in you get, the harder it is to pull yourself out of.

I do think enough has been said that Horsey understands what we mean for her. An emergency plan of action should be implemented before we eat the whole tub of popcorn and the candy. Afterward all we can do healthfully is accept that we goofed and move on. Even a tub of popcorn will average out over the week if we practice some restraint for the next few days.

But I'm rambling Here's what I really came here to say. In another thread I was reading, Horsey has shown herself to be an intelligent woman, sensible ... If she thinks it's OK to purge once in a while and/or emergency situations ... there are others who think the same. Knowledge is power in the health business. Never underestimate the power of your post. This thread may have helped many more folks than you can imagine.

You won't lose weight by throwing up.
Don't do it at all.
There are physical reasons not to that the other women have already mentioned and there are also mental reasons. Eating disorders are insidious and difficult to treat.
It's not a short term 'fix'.
But if weight loss is your only concern; the bottom line is that it just doesn't work. Eating less and moving more does.

I don't mean to sound bossy, I just know where you are at and where it will lead. No one can make you stop, until you want to do it for yourself. But, having suffered from bulemia for my childhood up until I was about 21 or so -- I'll tell you it's no weight loss strategy -- I was more overweight then than I am now. Your body will think you are starving if you constantly take away the food you've just offered it. Would you feel worse if you didn't allow yourself the whole bucket of popcorn and licorice or do you feel worse after you purge?? My teeth are messed up, the skin on my chin will never match the rest of my face from the acids out of my own body that damaged it every time I purged. It's not even a "quick fix"

I bet you can eventually develop more control when you learn you can say no to your trigger foods and make healthy choices. You really need to find something you can live with for a lifetime. There are 100's of "quick fix diets" and pills, drinks, etc. Purging is one of those things -- you can't live with it. If you want to take it off -- why not take it off once and for good!! Good luck to you.

I agree with everybody here and I wish you the best of luck and urge you to seek medical and psychological attention.

Although it might be tempting, it's not worth it. After 6 years of not purging, something in me snapped last night and i attempted to " get rid of " a pb&j sandwich. BAD IDEA. i got this sharp pain in my temple like something was going to break, tiny bits of blood were coming up, and i was nauseaus the rest of the night. It was sooo not worth it and i will not be doing it again. Better to just skip the peanut butter than to cause my body damage.

throwing up doesn't mean you throw up the calories, you begin absorbing nutrients and calories as soon as you're chewing. I read about a study when I was in my nutrition class where they studied how many calories where consumed between 2 groups of people. The first group chewed and swallowed their food like normal, the second group chewed their food and then spit it out without swallowing anything. The group that did not swallow still consumed almost 2/3 of the calories from the food. So even if you throw it up later you're still consuming those calories, maybe not all of them but definitely a lot of them.

On another subject I agree with the others here, just because you may not throw up as often as other people doesn't mean you don't have the disorder. I would say that anyone who ever purges has a disorder, regardless of how often they do it.

I had a feeling if I barfed I wasn't really throwing up all of the calories anyways. I think I remember back in a nutrition class that even chewing we absorb calories, especially sugar. I went to the movies last night, had the urge to go barf and didn't do it. Honestly I've only done this in emergencies after movies or maybe just rediculously pigging out at a buffet, or eating too much order out pizza. I'm well aware that it could be progressive and I'm not going down that road. Remember how Princess Diana used to do this? She also exercised and was a perfectionist. But I bet in the end she still did this in emergencies. However I'm going to quit that too. I'm going to put a little 100 cal popcorn bag in my purse for future movies plus a few other low cal snacks to munch on. Seems like this has been a movie tradition for me to eat and puke within a half hour of doing it at a theatre. I've been keeping a food journal and actually there are other high calorie habits that I need to cut, eating out, fast food, etc. I've lost a few pounds here the past month and it's been from exercise and eating right not THIS subject. It's true, I'm quite intelligent and I know better. Actually one day I met a guy at a coffee shop about a year ago, his mom had the worst surgery, her esophagus was cut and sewed up - similar to the awful surgery they suggested for my dad's esophagal cancer two years ago - and it was because she had been bulemic for years and years. The son said she was so thin and sad, isn't that a horrible story? After I heard it I quit this for the most part - and for some reason I still had my movie habit that I'll cut as well as that's scary stuff. The guy said women have a hard time aging - and I'll admit it's true for me, I'm almost 40 and I wish I could get my bikini figure back as I was so tall and thin, could wear anything, and eat anything - had a good run until I was 30 or so then it started to catch up with me as I was skinny fat and not exercising. But I have books, dvd's and I'm gradually working my way back to thin and fit. I'll get there, and it won't be because of this, it really won't. I believe I posted this one night after a few glasses of wine - and without the wine I wouldn't have. And wine I'm cutting down to a half glass too. I don't think it's just puking - addictions can be anything - drinking, whatever. This winter I drank and gained weight over those calories too (divorce, death in family, and other issues got the best of me I suppose).... I can guarantee this eating right and exercising is the best high there is. I feel so much better after getting my act together again.