I've always known I'm a binge eater. I can check every box on that one.

I found a research study for binge-eating disorder (in Cincinnati, let me know if you want the details) and signed up. When I spoke with the research coordinator by phone this morning, she said I did not qualify for the study because I am actually bulimic, rather than just a binge-eater. She based this off the fact that after a large binge, I wouldn't eat for most of the next day (as a ways of trying to balance out the calories, I guess). And this has happened more than twice a week, some weeks.

Now, I KNOW I have disordered thinking toward food. But, do you think I'm bulimic? Does no one else "pay" for their binges the next day?

(BTW: I have never made myself throw up; I've tried, but can't make myself do it. So, perhaps I've wanted to be bulimic, but does that mean I am?)

Well guess that makes me one too. I punish myself all sorts of ways...more food, no food,tons of exercise.But no I don't throw up!

I'm not a medical professional, and don't have the qualifications to diagnose anyone else, particularly based on a message board post, but I can tell you what my therapist told me, years ago, when I was officially diagnosed as bulimic because I purged after my binges by overexercising.

You don't have to throw up to purge, though vomiting is the method that is most well-known in the popular conception of bulimia.

Severely restricting intake of food or fasting, laxatives, colon cleanses and overexercising are other unhealthy purging methods that bulimics use. Sometimes they go through the whole repertoire at different times.

WOW! That is so interesting, I also restrict for days after a binge but never in a million years thought it would be considered a bullimic tendency.
I guess we all deal with things the same way. Makes me feel a little better in a strange way knowing that I am not alone.

As a former bulimic (can anyone ever be a former bulimic, really?), I can say that yeah, you would be bulimic. Like saef said - just because you aren't throwing up doesn't mean you aren't purging.
From wikipedia:

Honestly, restricting the day after a binge just makes intuitive sense to me. Like, say you're a calorie counter and have a certain weekly allowance. And then you go out to a nice dinner and have dessert. Won't most dieting calorie counters adjust the rest of their week's eating so they're not completely off track?

Now, magnify the whole thing times 1000. Instead of dessert, we may binge on 3000 calories in one night. Not to ruin the rest of the week, we may restrict the next day or two to try to get back even.

*sigh* I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks like this, but it really was a personal paradigm shift. Definitely something I'm thinking about.

I think the difference is how excessive it is - are you fasting excessively or just making sure you eat properly? Are you eating enough the following days - or are you dipping down into dangerously low calorie levels?

Well I should say I already exercise 2 hours or more a day to begin with sooo it may be I just add an extra dvd in and No I do not Fast BUT yes I most likely fall in to the bulimic catagory....but I do know what I do do is BIGING...I think the non stop eating once I start the trail to the kitchen and cupboad eating anything and everything until I think I will pop! Feeling hORRID seems like binging to me!3 clean days

WOW - I never looked at it like that. This has me thinking now too. I don't think I over-restrict after bingeing, but I'm definitely taking a closer look at my actions.

As a recovering bulimic who has gone through periods of both compensating by restricting and exercising (which i know consider myself allergic to) and purging, I can honestly tell you that eating disorders are like a freaking plague among women and men of all weights and sizes
The basic deal is that if your binge eating, the trick to regularizing your mind and body to a set schedule is to continue on with your day like you would have without the binge.
Obviously you don't want to physically harm yourself by doing this, and even setting up the meal you were going to have and then portioning it to a lesser extent will still help you keep you body on track.

This site is basically for weight loss support right, hopefully with the support of peers online and supportive peers in your home-life you can deal with your binging and compensating just remember that if at any point you feel like something more might be necessary there are free or low/sliding scale resources for the treatment of eating disorders.

If you ever want to talk or want more information feel free to p.m. me anytime.

Cassidy

Wow, this is interesting. The day after I have a huge binge(4000 calories) I am naturally not hungry, sometimes for two days. It just happens, I have no hunger. I think my body knows I have eaten enough calories to last me a while. I still make sure I get at least 1000 calories. Am I bulimic? if I don't eat that much for one or two days after?

If you're perhaps wondering whether you're bulimic, you need to explore online resources and message boards to educate yourself a little more about bulimia, or if you strongly suspect you might be, make an appointment with a counselor who specializes in eating disorders.

As for me, I know the behavior & the feelings when I experience them myself. This hasn't happened in a while. But it's extremely vivid in my memory, and I would know immediately if it happened again. For me, there is nothing natural or intuitive about restricting what I eat or working out harder afterward. It is not the body self-regulating. It is me **consciously** making it harder for myself -- yes, the word "punishing" is appropriate, as well as the idea of "atonement" -- to compensate for a binge over which I feel deep remorse & depression. This is why we emphasize not beating yourself up emotionally after a binge & picking back up with your regular life. Because the next step after beating yourself up emotionally is beating yourself up **physically** -- denying or starving yourself, or pushing yourself extremely hard to work it all off.

But I don't think that the difference between bulimia and pure binge eating disorder lies strictly in one's level of consciousness regarding one's intentions. I suspect people can exhibit bulimic behavior without admitting to themselves that what they are doing is moving back & forth between extremes -- just as people can be alcoholics, but be in denial about how much & how often they drink.

Again, I want to emphasize I'm not a professional in this area, just a fellow sufferer -- and your next step, if this behavior resonates with you, is to look at sites that focus strictly on eating disorders. They can help you understand your condition better. 3FC overlaps in subject matter a bit, by hosting a forum that deals with binge eating (yes, that's an eating disorder), but its primary emphasis is on healthy weight loss.

You know it seems eating disorders, or our understanding of EDs are getting more and more complicated each day! Fatmac, I thought I was bulimic, however recently, I've been told I'm not by a therapist! While I am a purger I do not go through binging behavior, I just purged regular sized meals, which apparently made me Eating Disorder Not otherwise Specified; or EDNOS.

So maybe the words aren't so important, maybe you just don't qualify for this particular research!!! I wonldn't get upset over the bulimic label either tho ;-)....

(one of us, one of us, one of us ;-) JK

I've been thinking about calling about that study myself. I live in Dayton. But I would have to wean my son, as I am sure they would want to use meds.

I am also not a medical professional, but to my understanding, if you "pay" for your binge, with fasting, super restricted calories later, excessive exercise, etc. It's bulimia.

Like I am 'just' a binger, after I binge, I feel bad, but I don't do anything about it. It's like once the food is in, it's gone. Also why I binge, it's like if I can eat it really fast before I think better of it, it "doesn't count" I just shut my brains off and eat until I feel sick and literally can't eat any more. Sometimes because I'm literally sick, sometimes because there is no more food. It's heartbreaking to talk about it, but talking about it makes it real to me. I pretend it doesn't happen a lot. Like an alcoholic or addict. You will never get me to admit a binge while I am binging, like an addict.

I never knew it was a real thing until I found 3fc, I thought I just had no self control, which is a huge part of it.

I don't see anything wrong with eating a lot one day and then exercising for like 3 hours the next day. I do that often actually. It's either exercise those calories off or gain weight, and I choose exercise.