Long Term Bulimics?

Are there any people out there that have had problems with bulimia for many years, but also have gone for long periods of time apparently better? Like when I was pregnant, I stopped throwing up. There are other times when I felt better about myself that I didn't do it. But eventually it always comes back. I've been really bad for a few months now after not doing it at all for several years. I'm now 37 yrs old, and started doing it when I was 14. Is it common to stop and start again like this?

One of the things that seems to be helping me a lot right now is Atkins. If I'm on Atkins and go on an eating binge, it's not so bad. So recently when I'm on Atkins, I can actually keep from throwing up, and also I don't binge as frequently. As soon as I'm off though, I go on huge eating binges and throw up again. It's getting really old and I'm worried that my kids are suspicious.

Please share your thoughts

I'm someone who ...about 5 years ago now....lost 50lbs. in just under 2months because of bulimia. I also dealt w/ it here and there in highschool.

Now I'm not thin at all....gained all that weight back while pregnant w/ my daughter and since I'd gotten better before that w/ counseling....well...now I'm in a place where I wasn't using bulimia to loose weight. But w/ in the last few months things have been hard for me and I found myself turning to it again.

So yes, it can be a back and forth struggle w/ periods of recovery (or remission if you want to look at it that way) and periods of being caught up in it again.

i have had it for ten years and depending on the time of my life it is more or less present and the severity definitely differs...good luck!
~SantBritt

I've been Bulimic now for 17 years, which equates to half my life, which I know sounds crazy, but that's the reality. In those 17years, my weight has fluctuated from 58kgs down to 42kgs at my lowest. My weight gain usually is accompanied by a period of co-habitation with boyfriends; it's nearly impossible to hide the eating patterns of a seasoned Bulimic.

So I chose to live alone these days.

The throwing up has diminished over the years -- I no longer puke up after every meal, but I do relapse from time to time. I am also very particular about what foods I eat. For instance I still have psycological difficulties eating potatos, pasta, and rice, and I refuse to eat carbohydrates at night unless I have done at least 2hrs of heavy excersise. I still need to take laxatives every day, and I weigh myself every morning -- this has become part of my daily ritual.

I'm not sure if the Bulimic in me will ever recover, for I know that I am to this day still exhibiting "Bulimic" behaviours to compensate for the puking that started 17years ago. Although I no longer have the calluses on my hands, or the "blushed look" from the burst blood vessles on my face, I am still unable to go on a date and eat most of what is on the menu without the feeling of guilt, shame, or the need to excuse myself to the bathroom after the entree.

So is there hope for someone like me? I think so. Or at least I have noticed the difference; today I am no longer like the 17year old Miz who was desparately trying to control her weight to please someone else. She can keep her meals down (although she still mentally calculates calories), she can openly admit to close friends that she has an eating disorder, and therefore will not be able to eat certain foods, and she can openly share her story with strangers without shedding a tear of self-pity because she feels that her life is so miserable.

I'm doing OK. I've been Bulimic for half my life, and even if I live with it for another 17, well, I think I have the tools to cope better than before.