Exercise Bulimia

[mari27]

Hi Everyone,
I recently read a very interesting article on exercise bulimia and the article states that some of the signs of this disorder are:

guilty feelings when you don't exercise
Exercising more when you overeat a little
exercising despite a injury
That's just to name a few
My ? is I have very guilty feelings when I don't exercise and also I do add a extra 20min. if I feel I ate a bit too much I know I don't have this disorder because I definately will not workout if my body is telling me otherwise.

But I would like to know how do my fellow exercise lovers deal with guilty feelings or setbacks?
I personally have a hard time accepting it and moving on.
Interested in knowing what you think.

 

[hlj]

I have recovered from bulimia and anorexia and find exercise to be the key to my success. Especially working out at home with videos where I don't have to face the gym scale 6x/week. (I only measure....weigh only a few times/year).

Exercise bulimia has everything to do with control. When I did this, I only focused on aerobics to control my weight. Now, I focus on strength and endurance. In the past, I couldn't have done this with my unhealthy diet.

I still feel bummed out if I don't workout consistently. But I think that is ok. It is healthy and normal to want to succeed at your workout goals. As long as those goals are attainable and appropriate. I always feel a bit worried about fitness enthusiasts who want to "look like Cathe." It is important that we celebrate our own bodies and accomplisments.
One of the keys to avoiding exercise bulimia is to realize that eating too much once in a while or missing workouts is ok. In the big picture, it will not be that important.

Being in control means accepting the fact that there are days we can't workout and days we will eat too much. Control does not mean beating yourself up about a slip or working out when your body says no.

I still struggle with waiting months to see changes in my body (by doing it right). And I hate trying to get past my plateaus.....but I don't miss starving myself and being on the stairmaster for hours.
How I get past any guilty feelings is realizing how much more healthier I am than anyone I know and how much better I look at 30 than at 20......even though I weigh 5 pounds more.

Heather

 

[Jul]

Wonderful answer!

Wow! I felt like I was reading a published book or column when I read your response. It was great. You make many excellent points. I also had some eating problems in college and every now and then they try to creep back into my life (and I resist as hard as I can!!

) I remind myself that I make my own rules (as far as working out) and I can change them when I need to. I keep telling myself over & over. I rarely miss a day because I hate the guilt. I also feel cruddy when I need to modify moves because I feel like I'm cheating. I love it during Interval Max when Cathe makes the point that we should be proud of ourselves because we're there making the effort. That's much more than most people do!
YEAH FOR US!!!

 

[LB]

Wow Heather, you said it all

Very excellent advice.
I hope everyone reads your post because I think many women do not know how to use fitness to enhance their lives without letting it be a measure of their worth.
Laura

 

[hlj]

Thanks!

Thanks Jul and Laura for the nice words.

Heather