Expert: Gerri Helms - 8/8/2009

Question
I've been bulimic for about a year, and for the past two weeks I have only thrown up once. This is suppose to be good, but ever since last winter my life has been terrible. I'm really dependent on people, i hate to be alone. I'm in tenth grade now and I feel like I'm not a looser and much closer to the people I considered popular. When i started being bulimic everything was perfect, I looked gorgeous, guys liked me, I made a ton of new friends and I got really good grades. Then, when my fall sport ended things went downhill. I told my parents about my bulimia and saw therapists but it didn't help. As long as am gaining wait I didn't want to stop throwing up. Right now I am 5 foot 5 inches and weigh 153 pounds. When i was bulimic I weighed 115 pounds. I just can't believe how huge I've become. Now I don't want to go out or buy new clothes because I don't want people to see me like this. If I'm fat the friends I made won't like me. I know that means they aren't my real friends and I don't care. I have my real friends, even they seem to not want to be around me. School starts in a couple of weeks and my sport tryouts start in a couple of days. I don't want to go tryout looking huge. I feel trapped and disgusting and like no one can help, I don't want to talk to my parents they just get mad. I don't know what to do, please help. How can i loose 40 pounds without throwing up? What if I gain it all back?

Answer
Dear Rianin,
Bulimia distorts the thinking. 5'5: and 153 lbs is not huge; it is a healthy body weight. Bulimia is not a weight control aide - it is a disease and can be fatal. Can you talk to a counselor at school or your family doctor, if you feel that you cannot talk with your parents?

Please consider seeing a therapist again. You might also try overeaters anonymous, for support (www.oa.org) There is also anorexics bulimics anonymous, just google that for their website.

People who don't like you because of what you look like, are not friends, they are judges.

Gerri Helms
Life and Health Coach
www.lifecoachgerri.com
lifecoachgerri@aol.com