Please find some quiet time with God today and take the following steps:

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify all the methods

2. Let go of the denial and admit these to yourself

3. Repent of sinning against God and your own body

4. Forgive yourself (See the above video)

5. Make a heart decision to give up these dangerous methods.

6. Put it into action – Start giving up these methods that hurt you and can kill you – This is not easy, please get help with this if you need to, you can get out of this!

What can you expect when you let go of Diet Pills?

• You can expect an increase in appetite and a loss of energy when you give up DIET PILLS. This will only last a few weeks, but in the meantime you want to build up your body with lots of healthy food.

• Eat three healthy meals a day, even if you don’t feel like and even if you binged on unhealthy snacks earlier. Skipping meals is part of the problem, and if you skip a meal you will just make up for it in an hour or so with more unhealthy snacks. Give your body what it needs. Even if you don’t feel like salad and don’t care much for fruit, eat it anyway consistently with every meal. You will start to get an appetite for it. Your body is literally starved for nutrition and care, yet it is used to abuse and addicted to junk food, so you will have to give it what it needs instead of what it asks for right now. Almost like a young child who keeps on asking for candy, yet you as the parent know better, and will keep introducing healthy food so that he can build and appetite for it.

• You might feel sick, shaky, exhausted and have headaches as your body withdraw from the pills for the first two weeks. Keep at it though. It is so worth it in the end. I always remind myself of people who have to go through withdrawal of heavy drugs and alcohol. If they can survive that, then surely I can survive feeling miserable and having headaches when withdrawing from this or addictive foods.

• Make sure to use a multivitamin and some vitamin enriched shakes with your meals from day one.

• Incorporate the list of food that boost you energy into your diet and activities that gives you energy into your life (see Day 5 below).

• Sleep enough and take naps until you start to feel less tired. The superficial energy high that your body was on for so long would have left you sleep deprived, so you need all the sleep you can get to bring your body back into balance.

• Exercise moderately even though you might feel too tired. Just go for a walk, the fresh air and exercise will help you feel less tired and it will also relieve possible depression. If you used diet pills for a long time, chances are that you might suffer from pretty severe depression, due to the lack of sleep over a period of time. You will have to speak to your doctor about medication to help you sleep better and relief your depression. Depression can stop your recovery process in it’s tracks!

• Talk daily to God about your fear of gaining weight. You will gain weight initially, but if you build your body back up and keep to a healthy eating program your weight will stabilize and you will LIVE and not die. You will be aware of your surroundings again, and remember the things you used to love before food addiction and diet pills. You will not have the irritability, depression, nervousness and moodiness that were brought on by the diet pills. You will discover the real you again.

If you don’t take this necessary steps towards better health, you will not be able to break free from these dangerous methods or from eating disorders for that matter.

What can you expect when you let go of Purging?

• You too will experience anxiety and fear of gaining weight. So please get support from your friends and family, especially to get you through the first three weeks. You will have to break through the fear, because you will not be able to stop the cycle at the binge. The only way out for now is to stop the cycle at the purge. So you have to commit to not purge again (keep committing as many times as you have to – you will most likely fall a few times before you overcome)

• You were used to plan everything so that you can purge easily, now plan it so that it is difficult for you to purge: No bathroom close by, food you hate to purge, throw away all your laxatives, diuretics, and ipecac and give your husband your car keys.

• You will experience your normal craving to binge, partly because of a totally depleted body that is crying out for nutrition.

• The fear of gaining weight will hit you like a ton of bricks, so immediately start building up your body so the cravings can subside:

• 3 Healthy meals and 3 snacks every day. Make menus and stick to it. Don’t let binging interfere with you eating healthy, just ignore the binge and stick to your menu. It’s about rebuilding your body. You have to force yourself to take your attention off the weight issue for now, and focus on health.

• Your digestive system will most likely be out of balance, because of the purging.  You might experience a lot of bloating, gas and yeast infections as a result of this. You will need to daily eat yoghurt with acidophiles to get this balance back naturally or speak to your doctor about medication.

• If you are letting go of laxatives you will have to add a lot of water and fiber to your diet through supplements as well as fresh fruit and vegetables to bring your elimination system back to normal.

• Vitamins are very important. Make sure that you take especially potassium and zinc, as purging depletes the body totally of these and it can lead to cardiac arrest.

• Exercise mildly. Do not use exercise as a form of purging, but as a way to care for your body. A low impact walk will do it, because your body will also benefit from the fresh air.

• Sleep and naps are crucial. Your body will be sleep deprived because of getting up at night for the binging and purging.

• Depression is very likely, also due to lack of sleep over a long period of time and vitamin deficiency. So see a doctor and make sure to get the right medication for you to get out of this cycle of sleepless nights and days filled with lethargy and depression.

• You might have to be hospitalized, depending on how far along your bulimia is. This can actually be very beneficial for you, especially if you don’t have any care at home, so don’t fight it: Getting your vitamins through an IV can help you recover faster. Don’t see this as bad, use every hand that is extended to you.

• Also make an appointment to see your dentist to discuss ways to treat your teeth’s deterioration due to the purging. All of this can be very humbling, but it is very necessary to regain your care and love for your own body.

• Lots of water, fruit and vegetables will bring your hydration back and will help with your dry skin and other problems. For some rashes you might have to see your doctor or dermatologist so you can get prescribed treatment.

• Make time for God. He wants to talk to you about how valuable you are to Him. Keep calling out to Him even when you have just purged and you feel totally disgusted in yourself. He doesn’t see you that way. He sees only sin that can be washed away by the blood of his son, and he see you as you can be: Clean, free, and healed from the pain that drives you.

What can you expect when you let go of Starvation?

• Almost all of the things mentioned in bulimia will apply to you. Chances are that you might be dealing with both  disorders anyway.

• As far as meals; fear of loosing control will be prevalent for you. Start with small portions, just hands full, eight times a day. Be sure to opt for soft bland food that is rich in vitamins, but low in calories, so that you won’t panic, but your body would get nourished.

• Shakes that are full of nutritional value, at least three times a day will be very helpful to build up your body.

• You really need to be under the care of a physician, especially if your anorexia has been going on for a while. Your life depends on it!  Many things can go wrong in your body when you don’t feed it, and only a physician can tell you what the physical ramifications are and what can be done about it. Again, to go to a doctor is humbling, but crucial.

• You might very well need hospitalization or might have to be enrolled in a program where you can receive care around the clock.

• Time with God is also crucial for you. Learning to trust Him and to give control over to Him, can change your whole life. Your relationships and home life might have been traumatic and painful and you might have sold out your heart to eating disorders during this time. It is time to take back your life from this eating disorder and find other ways to deal with relationships and receive healing from the past. God and other caring people can help you with all of this, but you must take the first very scary step to give up the control and start to take care of your body, one bite at a time.

IMPORTANT: I don’t mean to oversimplify this whole process. Some ladies will not be able to break free from this very deep pit without the proper care from a team of specialists. If this is you, please don’t hesitate to get the help. Tomorrow might be too late! Please email me if you need more information on centers for eating disorders.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CREATING MENUS

1. CONSIDER THE WHOLE FAMILY’S NEEDS AND AGES

2. KEEP YOUR SCHEDULE IN MIND AND PLAN YOUR ‘BIG MEALS’ ACCORDINGLY.

3. BE REALISTIC. Don’t put meals on that no one will eat or that will make you feel deprived, this will only end in binge eating. Rather think of healthier ways to still eat the favorites. For instance: Burgers made with salmon patties on the grill, toasted whole grain bread, low fat cheese, low fat mayo and all the veggies you can think of.

4. KEEP YOUR BUDGET IN MIND AND SHOP AT APPROPRIATE STORES.

5. KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU HAVE AT LEAST 5 DIFFERENT MENUS AND MIX THEM UP.

6. INCORPORATE MEALS THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY CAN PREPARE – GIVE EVERYONE A NIGHT TO COOK.

7. KEEP THE TIME OF YEAR AND WEATHER IN MIND.

8. YOU CAN PLAN SPECIAL MENUS FOR SPECIAL HOLIDAYS.

9. FIND NEW RECIPES (LOW IN FAT AND TASTY) ONLINE, AT THE LIBRARY, OR FROM FRIENDS:  www.allrecipies.com

10. IT IS HARD WORK TO PLAN IT, BUT IT IS SO WORTH THE EFFORT.

11. IF YOU ARE SINGLE, CONSIDER COOKING BIG MEALS AND FREEZING THE LEFT OVERS. INCORPORATE THESE INTO YOUR MENUS.

BE AWARE OF HIDDEN FATS WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER A MENU – You want menus that correspond with your eating plan, this will benefit everyone in your family. Avoid these:

1. Gravy and special sauces

2. Salad dressings that is high in fat

3. Fried foods

4. Vegetable or any food cooked with butter or oil.

5. Tuna /Chicken /Potato /Egg /Macaroni salads

6. Sausage, hot dogs, bacon, pork

7. Desserts high in fat and sugar (Don’t cry… there is still low fat pudding, Jell-O, sorbet cups, angel food cake with strawberries, and fruit salad with low fat vanilla ice cream. You will find many desserts out there when you start looking at ways to help your whole family cut down on all the sugar and fat. If this is an addictive food for you, you will be wise to slowly replace it with fruit.
The more natural sugar you body gets, the less sugar cravings you will have!

8. Too much salt

9. Too much sugar

10. Too much fat

11. Alcohol: Any addictive substance poses danger. People with addiction tends to trade addictions, so there is always a chance that you might switch from table wine to alcohol abuse.

12. Caffeine is lots of times part of the whole eating disorder cycle. People with eating disorders tend to skip meals and drink only a caffeinated beverage such as coffee, soda or an energy drink. They also use it to pick up their energy levels after a drop in blood sugar due to binging and purging. So caffeine is a substance that they use to cope and keep their eating disorders going. It can also cause a vitamin B deficiency, so it can make you tired and depressed in the long run, if you use too much.

GUIDELINES FOR PULLING UP A CUSTOMIZED FOOD PLAN

1. If you are suffering from compulsive overeating or bulimia, you want to write down 3 healthy meals and 3 healthy snacks for you food plan in your journal and ask God’s help to stick to only that (eliminate in- between eating or drinking other than water).Your body needs time to rest and repair itself. You especially need to let it take a break during the night. If you are prone to night time eating, your body never gets a time to rest. A body without rest is a sick body that can not help but be depressed, lethargic and have cravings.
2. If you are anorexic you want to write down 6-8 small meals. Introduce handful meals to keep the anxiety under control. Start with easy to digest food such as applesauce or mash potatoes.
3. Introducing a VARIETY OF FOOD is very important. People suffering from anorexia usually have obsessive behavior patterns when it comes to meals, such as only 10 beans or ¼ cup of cottage cheese for months. In the same way, the compulsive overeater could have eaten mainly products high in fat or sugar for years, virtually cutting fresh produce out of their lives, except for the “diet periods”.
   IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO “DE-LABEL” FOOD IN YOUR MIND. God did not create good and bad food, it is the way we use them that make them bad or good.
   SO WHAT ARE YOU TO DO? The fact is that your body needs a variety of food to function properly, so you want to make sure to incorporate the following into every meal:
   • PROTEIN
   • GRAIN
   • FRUIT
   • VEGETABLES
   • DAIRY
   • FAT (such as olive oil, avocados, nuts etc)
4. IMPORTANT: Be sure to incorporate food that you enjoy and go out of your way to make it enjoyable and presentable. You can’t fool yourself by putting salad on the menu for every meal, if you can’t stand salad. Also if you always wolf things down straight out of the refrigerator, you are telling yourself that you are not worthy of a decent sit down meal. Take out the nicest plate and cup for you. Fill your plate with all the colors and flavors, even for just a quick lunch. Pour a healthy beverage with a slice of lemon and ice. Sit down and taste the food. Talk to the people around you or listen to some music. Be aware of your surroundings. You are worthy of a decent meal!
5. On the other hand: It is time to rediscover types of vegetables and fruit that you might not have eaten for years, and didn’t even know you liked. If we think we have no value, we abuse our body by just grabbing anything to eat (even things that we don’t even like, for instance our child’s left-over cereal).
6. Incorporate snacks at times of day that are especially difficult for you; times you always seem to start binging.
7. Be realistic about your body’s needs: If you crave protein in the morning, don’t just eat fruit, rather combine it by having a scrambled egg on whole wheat toast and a glass of orange juice. Or if your blood sugar drops at 4pm in the afternoon, don’t put pretzels down for a snack, but rather go for yoghurt and granola with a few nuts to give you some added energy.
8. Get away from the diet foods: Years of eating rice cakes, broth, lettuce, and grapefruit left our bodies depleted and hungry for everything under the sun. Those strict eating regimes just fuel your food obsession. Focus on foods that are healthy and beneficial for your overall well being. Think NORMAL AND HEALTHY.

TIPS ON PORTION CONTROL (ONE SERVING)

Overeating is a huge problem especially for those suffering from Binge Eating Disorder. The enemy attacks us with greed and tells us that we need more than we really do.

If you suffer from Binge Eating Disorder you might know the familiar feeling of anxiety that there might not be enough food to fill you up. So you load up on food at the dinner table or order extra items at a restaurant.
Start reminding yourself every time you eat: I am not on a diet anymore. I can eat anything I want, and I can always eat the rest of this food later. Worse case scenario: I can go and buy some food if I am really still hungry. But I will probably be okay, because I am eating for energy, not for love anymore. I can get love from humans and God.

Here are some examples of what ONE PORTION of the following food look like:

• Cereal, popcorn, berries, cut up fruit:  1cup / size of a baseball

• Meat, poultry, fish : 3oz / size of 1 deck of cards

• Peanut butter : 2tbsp / size of a walnut in the shell

• Rice cooked, pasta cooked, tomato sauce: ½ cup / the size of ½ baseball

• Fleshy white fish such as flounder: 3oz / size of a checkbook

• Olive oil or salad dressing : 1tsp / the size of a standard cap on a 16oz water bottle

• Hard cheese : 1oz / 4dice

• Cheese slice/ sandwich meat: 1oz / diameter of a CD

• Pancakes/waffles: 4-in.diameter / diameter of a CD

• Bread (1oz): 1 slice / CD case

• Pretzels (1oz): ¾ cup / tennis ball

• Butter or margarine: 1tsp / standard postage stamp

• Vegetables: 1 cup

• Small apple /orange /peach

• ½ banana

DON’T FORGET THE NIGHTS NO ONE COOKS: TIPS FOR TAKE OUT MEALS

• Eat out as seldom as possible

• Sushi is a healthy meal, just be aware that the sauces contains a lot of sodium, so go easy on those

• When eating Chinese food, order steamed rice/noodles/pot stickers/fish. Avoid all deep fried and breaded items. Asked how it was prepared

• Sub sandwiches are a good choice, but check your portion – choose an item that is low in fat. Also beware of all the unnecessary sides. Tell yourself that you will buy the soup/apples etc. later, then first sit and eat the sandwich slowly and see if it might not be enough for you.

• Serving sizes at restaurants are huge, so you can almost always cut your meal in half to eat later, or share with someone else. Also ask for salad dressing on the side if you’re ordering something like a Chicken Caesar Salad – this way you can take control of the amount of dressing you’re adding.

FOOD THAT ENERGIZE:
Oatmeal
Nuts
Red meat
Beans
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Mango
Spinach
Salmon
Tea
Tomatoes
Low fat dairy
Whole grains
Citrus fruit
Peppers
Sweet potatoes

Boost your energy:

• Exercise

• Take power naps

• Connect with God

• Drink lots of water

• Avoid energy draining people

• Take vitamins/vitamin shakes

• Laugh and keep a positive attitude

• Feed your brain (study or learn something new)

• Incorporate energizing food into your daily diet (see above)