You suppose you are the trouble but you are the cure. You suppose that you are the lock on the door but you are the key that opens it. It’s too bad that you want to be someone else. You don’t see your own face, your own beauty, yet no face is more beautiful than yours.
— Rumi
Dear Readers,
Please find below another wonderful post from Bulimia Help. This is Part 4 in Coaching Series and Catherine Liberty talks about bloating in recovery.
It’s hard to accept but the truth is that almost every single person recovering from bulimia will experience bloating at some point in their recovery, especially so during those first few weeks and months.
My bloating lasted for 5 weeks initially and I felt just horrible about it the entire time. It was by far the worst bloating I’d ever experienced in my life and I remember wanting to give up so many times because I just couldn’t stand how my stomach felt and looked.
Plus I was convinced that I was just getting fatter because I’d stopped purging and I was utterly terrified that the bloating would always be there even though I’d been told this was not the case. It’s just so hard be rational and patient when you’re feeling so afraid and vulnerable, you know? But once you start to understand why the recovery bloating is happening, and when you have a few practical strategies for dealing with it, it does get a little easier to deal with.
So why do we experience bloating during recovery?
Well one of the main reasons we experience this bloating, besides the fact that our bodies tend to store excess water when we first adapt to structured eating, is because our digestive systems work a lot slower than normal at the start of recovery. We’re eating more food and although our bodies may have been absorbing lots of calories while we were bulimic, they were not digesting normal quantities of food on a daily basis.
So we have to give our digestive systems time to wake up and adjust to processing food again, and this will happen, but it takes time. I’d say that the average amount of time it takes for the bloating to subside is around 4 weeks, but this can change drastically from person to person, unfortunately we can’t really say exactly how long it will take for each individual because we’re all so different. But no matter how long that initial bloating lasts for, I promise you that it is NOT a permanent change to your body, you are NOT getting fatter [although you may be gaining some needed weight if you’re underweight]and you will be able to get through it.
If you’re struggling with bloating, or preparing to begin recovery and wish that you could limit the symptoms then please don’t underestimate how helpful the super simple strategies like wearing lose fitting clothes or avoiding full length mirrors at this time can be – I know it’s not always possible to do those things, but even if you just push yourself to wear very lose clothing in the evening then you should find it really helpful.
Also keep yourself well hydrated – as it works wonders for combating any bloating that is the result of water retention.
However it’s important to understand that there is no miracle cure or remedy for the bloating we experience during recovery. While typical bloating reduction guidelines may suggest things like eating less salt, avoiding certain combinations of foods or avoiding specific foods all together, it’s important to remember that your bloating is not ‘typical’.
Your bloating happening because you are in the early stages of bulimia recovery and your digestive system is begining to heal. Your bloating is not a sign of food intolerance or anything sinister. It is a sign that you are healing and it is something that will subside as your body adjusts.
During the bloating phase you will notice the number on the scale going up but please try your best not to panic or write recovery off completely at this time. Big fluctuations are extremely common at this time but they will pass as your body continues to balance and you move towards your healthy set point weight.
I can’t speak from personal experience when it comes to how much weight we tend to gain during the bloating phase as I avoided the scale for the entire time I was bloated – I think a part of me knew I’d give up on recovery completely if I saw the numbers going up. But once your bloating does go away then you should definitely notice your weight beginning to stabilize.
The important thing to remember is that once you have gotten over the bloating phase, you’ll feel so healthy and strong. You’ll also feel really accomplished, knowing that you do have what it takes to survive the ‘impossible’ challenges recovery has thrown your way. A couple of weeks of bloating for a lifetime of freedom from bulimia is a very small price to pay.
Catherine Liberty,
Bulimia Help Recovery Coach
