Ok, so we have a lot of eating dosordered people on here, and I am a little concerned with how some of the threads just become talking points for triggers and cycles.  I know I get in the cycle of starving, attempting recovery, b/ping, starving again, etc.  Stopping that cycle at ‘recovery’ is the ideal here, so let’s talk about things to do besides starve- and things to do besides b/p.  It would be really great if we could try and help one another out to recovery.

Things to do besides starve:
1.  Actually have energy to go hang out with friends
2.  Actually do the things you used to be interested in- for me this is knitting, sewing, designing, and art
3.  EAT WITH PEOPLE, even if this means having to eat out a lot, it helps.  I realized the other day that to other people, eating mustard with a spoon and salt from the shaker while drinking 4 diet cokes appears a TAD strange.  I ordered food.
4. Also helpful: do not try on clothes in the stores.
5. Go grocery shopping with others (also helps for bulimics)
6.  Don’t spend any more time than needed reading cookbooks, watching cooking shows, or generally food obsessing. (also helps for bulimics)

Things to do besides binge/purge

Figure out when you b/p the most (late at night? 4:00?) and actually schedual something in that time, even if ‘something’ is just taking a walk or petting your dog.  If it's out doing something, bring a buddy.

1. Take a shower
2.  Knit
3. Call a friend
4. GET OUT of the kitchen, or your apartment, or anywhere triggering for you
5.  Read an engrossing book
6.  Make salt dough ‘cookies’ with cookie cutters, salt dough (1/2 c salt, 1 c flour, ½ c water) and add a hole with a straw to make them into ornaments for Christmas.  This is helpful for when you cannot remove yourself from the kitchen and want something to work your hands with.
7. Make play dough and knead it around
8.  Turn on an engrossing program- I prefer trashy, true crime forensic evidence shows.  Too engaging to leave to throw up.
9.  Keep a tab on your binging expenses, and figure out something else you’ll buy with all that money.
10.  Do your makeup, especially eye makeup, that would be ruined otherwise
11.  Talk to others.  Keep yourself sanity checked. 
12.  Love yourself!! 

What else can you think of?