A Good List of Ground Rules

1. Never eat something just because you want to finish it. Only eat until you are satisfied. Those extra bites add up.
2. Don't let emotions take over. Only eat out of hunger. Stop yourself once you start eating if you know it's for the wrong reasons.
3. If you catch yourself in a binge, stop as soon as you regain control. Don't convince yourself that you only screwed up, so you should just screw up some more.
4. Every calorie counts. Remove calories in recipe every chance you get. Choose the diet or low cal version when given the choice. Drink water instead of other beverages. Use zero-cal sweetener.
5. Get rid of the fear of wasting food. The sooner you change yourself, the better. Leave a bite at first and pretty soon you will throw away food without any thought.
6. Eat slow. It makes you think  and appreciate each bite. Savor the flavors. Also, when everyone is finished and your half done, you can leave the table with everyone else, eating half the food.
7. Drink water during meals. It curbs hunger, fills you up, aids in digestion, and keeps you hydrated. The best part? Zero calories, no matter where you are.
8. Chew your food more. 30 bites for every mouthful. This helps digestion and also slows your pace of eating.
9. Cut your food into smaller pieces. It slows your eating, makes you feel like you are eating more, and makes other people think you ate more, too.
10. Associate food with something else. For example, associate ice cream with saturated fat, bread with carbs, and juice with sugar. You can also use more concrete things like cake is fat in your thighs.
11. Learn from other people eating. There are always things to learn. Watch skinny people and apply their principles to your own diet. Watch fat people with disgust and basically do the opposite.
12. Decide beforehand how much you are going to eat. It helps to cook for one serving, so you can't eat anymore.
13. Always remind yourself of your goals and rewards. Delay any eating. Tell yourself you can eat after, for example, exercising for 30 minutes. Then, reassess.
14. Don't eat after 7 pm or before 7 am. Chances are, your choices will be very unhealthy like carbs and sugary food. Also, it isn't good to eat within 3 hours of going to sleep at night.

Suggested Supplements

• Multivitamins: 0 calories and essential for every ana.
• Potassium Supplement: the most common nutrient-related cause of death from anorexia is potassium deficiency.
• Other supplements to consider are calcium, zinc, Omega-3 oil, magnesium, B-vitamins, iron, Vitamins A, C, and D, and biotin.
• Laxatives or laxative tea: Fast-acting laxatives are the harshest and most dangerous, overnight laxatives are somewhat less harsh, laxatives intended for frequent or daily use such as Miralax or milk of magnesia are the gentlest and safest. Laxative tea is also gentle and safe and uses natural herbs.
• Caffeine pills: to decrease appetite and increase energy and metabolism. Caffeinated mints or gum also work.
• Antacids: hunger causes buildup of stomach acid; antacids will reduce hunger and stop your stomach from growling. Try to look for one with vitamins or calcium in it.
• Kelp pills: Increase metabolism
• Green tea pills: increase metabolism, are thought to flush out fat.
• Cayenne pepper or garlic capsules: Increase metabolism, are good for your heart.
• You may consider appetite suppressants such as hoodia, but this detracts from your capability for willpower. If you get too used to using them, trying to go without them would likely become very difficult.

Stay strong! xoxox

How to Prevent Binges

1. Whenever you eat (normal eating), stop throughout the meal and count to 100 or set the food down and do something else for at least a minute. This will help you practice stopping eating and will make it easier to stop yourself when you start to binge.
2. If you live alone, do not keep "bad" foods in your house. If there are things you'd be tempted to binge on cover the box with a thinspo/reverse thinspo picture or cover it so only the nutrition facts are visible.
3. If you catch yourself binging, immediately throw the rest of the food in the toilet and flush it. The trash can will work but the toilet is better because there's no way you can go back and get another bite.  You will feel very powerful and in control. It's not wasting food either because no matter how you look at it it all ends up in the toilet anyway! However, if it's food that you can safely donate, immediately driving it to a donation facility is empowering as well. 
4. Try to get away from all or nothing thinking. One mistake doesn't ruin your whole day and no matter what you've already eaten it is still better than more and half a box is a HUGE difference than a whole box. Every calorie counts! Instead of just giving in try to salvage the rest of the day with negative calories and exercise so you end it on a good note.
5. Never say, I'll do better tomorrow. Say, I'm doing better NOW!
6. If you find yourself binging all the time or constantly feeling the urge to binge try increasing your daily calorie intake, but not by too much!. a daily intake of 600 calories that you can maintain is better than a daily intake of 400 with a couple 1,000-calorie binges thrown in.
7. Try thinking about other foods if a particular craving is too intense, you will switch to wanting the other food you thought about and then you can distract yourself from that. It's not just filling time though you have to get your mind off it completely (but only for less than a minute!) and you won't want it.
8. If you don't want to increase calories, try increasing the frequency of meals without increasing calorie intake. If you're less hungry you will think more rationally about what you eat even if you are still consuming very few calories. 
9. An occasional sudden jump in calorie or food intake can actually help you overcome plateaus (when weight loss stops for no apparent reason) by increasing metabolism and digestion and helping bring your body out of famine mode. However, keep it controlled, decide what and how much you will eat in advance, and choose foods with nutritional value. Be careful with this if you are prone to compulsive eating. Also this method is not always predictable and you can still gain weight, especially if the calorie increase is too dramatic or if your metabolism is damaged or slowed.
10. If you binge do not dwell on it, just immediately start thinking proactively and distract yourself with positive thinking and activities. Negative thinking, especially guilt feelings, can become a cycle of thought and behavior. Do something that will get you back in the thin mindset and just focus on what you are doing now and in the near future.
11. Emotional eating is a leading cause of weight gain. Emotional eating happens when you subconsciously associate the food with an emotion, such as love, comfort, security, etc. If you suspect you eat emotionally keep a log of your emotions along with your food, focusing especially on those occurring before, during, and after eating. Identifying the feelings leading to a binge can help you identify what the food represents to you and find something to replace it.
12.  Buy a couple bags of raw mixed veggies. Before you binge, you must eat either one or both of the bags. You also must eat 1 serving of brown rice. By now you should either be too full to binge, or if you are still craving, only be able to eat a little bit of the bad food.
13. Whenever you make food, arrange it carefully so it looks beautiful. This will help you pay more attention to your food and how much you're eating. It also gives you time to reconsider eating it.
14. Eat in the same place every day. At the table is best, not in your room or in front of the TV or computer. Focus especially on the first three bites; after that any pleasure from eating subsides. Chew each bite carefully, 10-30 times, and count. These are good habits to get into that will help you stop binging, or at least slow you down.
15.  Allow yourself to have ONE SERVING of a crave food. Plan in advance when you will have it and how frequently you're allowed to have them (once a week, once a day, etc). Even pastries or high-calorie treats will probably be under 400 calories. You can adjust the rest of the day's food around the craving food. This will keep you from deprivation-induced binging, and teach you to indulge in a non-binging, pre-planned, controlled way.
16. Keep your hair, nails, and makeup done. Dress well and make sure you always look your best. Keeping a perfect image will motivate you to eat perfectly, and remove suspicion that anything is wrong with you. Waking up early to get ready burns calories too.

Updated Layout!

Now that I've written/collected enough diets, the Starter Diets/Food Discouragement page is no more. It's split into two new pages: Diets, and DON'T EAT. Yep! More possible layout changes to follow.
 ~ Stay strong xoxox

New Thinspiration!

Kasia Struss and Anabela Belikova remind you not to skip your leg workout! Flawless thighs abound in the newest addition to our thinspo page.

Exams are coming up! 10 Helpful Tips

For those of you who live in the States, the AP exams are only a few weeks away! *gasps* I know, I know. The pervasive feeling of doom that these gruesome assessments bring is enough to drop a heavy blanket of panic across schools nationwide. So, here are a few tips to keep you slim, trim, healthy, and motivated so that you're ready when test day rolls around!

1. To study properly, your fuel must be flawless. You'll feel happier and more energized if you know you've done all you can to eschew stress-gain. Stress-eating is aptly named, but not for the reasons that most claim: eating is stressful, not relaxing. Eating makes you stressed; because it fuels fat, it gives you a reason to be worried. So, stick to super-healthy foods that spark brain function, like arugula, fish, cucumber, watermelon, celery, and others. 
2. Hydrate! if you're feeling sluggish, it's likely because you're dehydrated! No need for a calorific snack- simply sip a 16-oz glass of water when you feel down. One as soon as you wake up will kick-start your metabolism and leave you energized with none of the crash that caffeine provides. 
3. ... But, don't turn your nose up at caffeine. A little caffeine is certainly not a bad thing if it keeps you away from food. However, for your memory it's best that you not exceed 2 cups of coffee a day. Use it wisely and it can be your best friend, but don't let it cut into your sleep time.
4. Sleeeeep. Sleep as much as you possibly can. If you can snag 8-9 hours a night, good for you! However, for most of us, that's simply not possible. Be EFFICIENT during the day so that you have enough time to rest at night.
5. EXERCISE has never been more important. It's absolutely vital that you work out every day during exam season. It will take away stress related to all aspects of your life, from frustration over school to anxiety over weight. It helps you sleep, and most importantly, lose weight. 
6. Study, study, study. Eliminate distractions by studying screen-less: choose a study spot from which you cannot see any screens. Out of sight, out of mind. But, for things that you must use a computer for, install a browser extension like StayFocusd to help your willpower.
7. Wasted time? Nah... Completely block all but one time waster site on your browser, and time-block that one as well. Use an extension such as StayFocusd if your willpower needs a boost. Get away from your screen on your study breaks! Go for a walk, contact a friend, play an instrument, draw, you name it, as long as it's not screen-powered.
8. PLAN. Planing is the most important factor in acing your exams. Make a scedule and block out time for studying and workouts every day to mitigate stress and keep you on top of your game. But, a schedule won't do you any good if you don't STICK TO IT. You MUST stick to your schedule otherwise you will lose your self-legitimacy and than paf! willpower's gone, motivation's gone, ana's gone, you're worthless. DO EET.
9. Motivate. If you can't help feeling apathetic, then bribe yourself with a non-food treat if you score A's (or 5's on the AP's, or 800's on the SAT subject tests...). Got a 100 on your English exam? BAM! New bikini! If the score itself isn't great enough, you've also got a cross-motivator to help promote your weight loss!
10. Don't despair. Don't panic. Don't despair. Don't get caught in a self-pity loop. Why? BECAUSE THAT SHITE NEVER HELPED ANYONE DO ANYTHING WORTHWHILE. Think, how can I make this situation better while advancing myself toward my long-term goals? And if you follow thorough with your proposed solution, then heyo! You've solved your problem!

I wrote a new diet because, well, I really need to lose some weight.

Find it in Starter Diets/Food Discouragement.

7 Ways to Get Rid of Uneaten Food

Seeing as I'm at home today, I had to avail myself of #1 on this list. Just like old times! Anyway, here's a few ways to avoid destroying your diet. Stay strong!

1. Flush food down the toilet. This is one of the best and easiest ways to dispose of food as it’s quick, and you have easy access to one most of the time. Avoid foods which will expand in water, such as rice and cereal, as these could block your drains.
2. Give your lunch to someone else. This works especially well if you’re at school. Give your lunch to someone else, and your parents will think it was you who ate it.
3. Throw it in a bush. Any bush will do, but make sure it’s out of the way of the house so no one finds it.
4. Feed it to the dogs. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a dog! If you have a greedy cat or other pet, feed it to them. Dogs, however, tend to be the most helpful because they will generally eat anything you give them.
5. Throw it in the bin. This one is risky. As everyone in the household will use the bin, it’ll be easy for anyone to find it. Wrap your food up so you can’t tell what’s in it, and if possible, use an outside wheelie bin.
6. Recycle it. Check with your local recycling to see if you can recycle food waste. If you can, then great! Take your food there regularly to dispose of it.
7. Keep a bin bag of all the food you don’t eat and throw it out when it’s full/starts to smell. Because it’s a bin bag no one will suspect it’s full of food. However, this one is still one of the riskier options because the food, especially if it's hidden in a place that's associated with you, could be found and you could easily be caught. If your parents are anything like mine were, the ONLY reason they come in to your room is to find potentially incriminating evidence of an ed, and a bin bag full of food, hidden under the bed, is certainly questionable.