Help with exercise and anorexia

[wisegai]

Hi,

This is my first post here having just come out of inpatient treatment. It went unbelievably well and I really felt like I had turned a corner but when I got home my obsession with exercise started again, as did my restriction and binge/purging. Not badly but enough to really scare me. I've sorted out the bulimia aspect as that was the easiest thing for me to stop but the exercise is scaring me - I'm not and have never been scared of putting on weight but rather scared of being unfit.

Before treatment I used to exercise obsessively in my room for hours and now I don't do that but I find myself power-walking everywhere or obsessively running on the spot and I don't know what to do. I've also lost weight which is a bugger because I really can't afford to lose anymore. My parents are worried, I'm worried and the most annoying thing is that my head is so much better than it was before! But that compulsion is still there and I need a bit of advice as to how to really whack it on the head for good

Thanks

[crazycrossstitcher]

Exercise was also a challenge for me - I used to walk an hour everyday - and stopping it was really hard - a bargain with eating ie I had to earn my food no exercise my head said I couldn't need to eat. I then made the decision that if I couldn't/wouldn't eat more to balance the exercise I had to exercise less and I started by cutting 5 mins a day for a week - then another 5 mins etc - now down to max of 20 mins a day - and not power walking - just a gentle walk. It also helped me to walk with an "older" friend as she walked slower anyway - and gradually I've got to the point now when 20 mins is fine - and a healthy amount too. Hope this helps. Good luck - don't let go of the good work you've done.

[wisegai in reply to crazycrossstitcher]

Thank you for your reply! That is very helpful and something that I'm trying to do - walking with people is very helpful, especially if they know the struggle x