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Sufferers of exercise bulimia use excessive exercise to purge or compensate for eating binges or simply regular eating, often working out multiple times per day or for three or four hours at a time

Deep down, this disorder has more to do with control than it does the desire to fit into a smaller size of jeans

The scary thing about an addiction to exercise is that it creeps up gradually, usually among everyday people who start exercising, feel good afterward, revel in the calories they're burning, have a desire to get healthier or lose weight, and therefore start believing that more is better

Oftentimes, people who develop an exercise compulsion don't feel like there's anything wrong with what they do

Compulsive exercisers build their lives around working out and are genuinely distressed if they can't exercise as much as they feel they need to (or should be)

Exercise bulimia is similar, but involves eating binges. People who suffer from exercise bulimia often binge on food and then exercise obsessively to make up for it. Exercise becomes a way to control calories, justify eating, and punish oneself for eating too much or eating the "wrong" things.

In general, exercising for up to 60-90 minutes, most days of the week is reasonable and healthy for most people as long as recovery and downtime is built in.

Exercise is usually a good thing, but rest and recovery are very important, too

Excessive exercise can weaken the body and cause a host of problems, including: Fatigue Suppressed immune system Lack of menstruation (amenorrhea) in women due to a lack of body fat Reproductive problems Heart problems (such as muscle wasting and rhythm problems) Dehydration Arthritis Osteoporosis Stress fractures and sprains Kidney failure

Getting a Diagnosis

Compulsive exercise and exercise bulimia can affect both men and women of all ages, races, body types and weights.

A doctor may ask if the person is exercising and get the right answer (yes), never knowing the extent to which the patient is actually jeopardizing his or her health by taking exercise to the extreme

A physician may first suspect a problem if a woman stops menstruating due to a drop in body fat, which affects estrogen levels, but the condition may be virtually undetectable in men whose body fat levels can be much lower without creating any health problems.

Treatment Options

Studies have found that sufferers often come from families where food was used as a way of controlling behavior and battles surrounding food were common

Traditional treatments for exercise bulimia include support groups, cognitive behavior therapy, psychotherapy, and/or medication, such as anti-depressants.

This natural reaction is known as the stress response

But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly.

But stress doesn't always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly.

long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too.

can produce a lasting, low-level stress that's hard on people.

can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed

weaken the body's immune system

crammed schedules, not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go

Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause people to feel stress overload

a feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried irritability and moodiness

stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain

problems sleeping

sadness or depression

Everyone experiences stress a little differently.

Keep Stress Under Control

Take a stand against overscheduling.

Be realistic.

Get a good night's sleep.

Learn to relax.

Treat your body well.

Watch what you're thinking.

Solve the little problems.

Build Your Resilience

They're cool under pressure and able to handle problems as they come up.

Researchers have identified the qualities that make some people seem naturally resilient even when faced with high levels of stress.

Think of change as a challenging and normal part of life.

setbacks and problems as temporary and solvable.

you will succeed if you keep working toward your goals.

Take action to solve problems that crop up.

Build strong relationships

support system and ask for help

Participate regularly

The condition, which occurs when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it makes, largely as a result of excess body weight and physical inactivity, was previously seen mainly in older people .

But Indian people are less concerned about nutrition. They first focus on the spice of the food, the taste."

Overweight children with diabetes are at greater risk of developing heart disease and heart attacks, deteriorating eyesight, kidney failure, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Exercise and eat regularly

Avoid excess caffeine

Learn relaxation exercises

Learn practical coping skills

Decrease negative self talk:

Learn to feel good about doing a competent or "good enough” job

Take a break from stressful situations.

Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way

While protein-rich foods don't cause digestive problems by themselves, eating a lot of them may leave less room for high-carbohydrate foods in your diet, which tend to have a lot of dietary fiber.

More severely, taking in too much protein could raise your risk of serious diseases including cancer, heart disease, and liver or kidney problems. Partially, that is because so many protein-rich foods are also high in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, all of which can enhance risk factors for those diseases. If you choose plant-based proteins instead of animal proteins and full-fat proteins, your personal risk may not be quite as high.

Protein contains calories -- sometimes more calories than carbohydrate- or fat-rich foods. Although it can help you gain lean muscle mass, eating protein in excess of your body's needs will result in fat gain.

The question of how much protein to eat can be a tricky one because the right amount for one individual may be far too much for another. MayoClinic.com recommends getting between 10 percent and 35 percent of your daily calories from protein, or about 50 to 175 g per day.

You can also calculate recommendations based on your body weight. Dr. Melina Jampolis, physician nutrition specialist for CNN.com, suggests getting about 0.8 g of protein per day per kg of your body weight.

Unless you're following a diet that is very unbalanced, you're likely not at risk for eating too much protein. It's also important to realize that some protein is essential for health, since protein-rich foods build and repair muscle and bone tissue, satiate hunger and provide energy. If you have concerns about the protein amounts in your diet, talk them over with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Secondly, it is persistent, so an exercise addict exercises too much and for too long without giving the body a chance to recover

exercise addicts exercise for hours every day, regardless of fatigue or illness

Exercise addiction is probably the most contradictory of all the addictions

Exercise is even promoted as part of a complete program of recovery from other addictions

exercise addiction is a controversial idea. Many experts balk at the idea that excessive exercise can constitute an addiction, believing that there has to be a psychoactive substance that produces symptoms -- such as withdrawal -- for an activity to be a true addiction

exercise releases endorphins (opioids produced within the body), and excessive exercise causes tolerance to the hormones and neurotransmitters released, these physiological processes are often not considered comparable to other substance addictions.

Exercise addiction is not currently included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the gold standard for psychological diagnoses, although several authors have suggested diagnostic criteria

Weight Management.

Better Skin Tone.

Increased Energy.

Individuals that eat the wrong foods or eat at the wrong times are always complaining of tiredness.

you will feel more energetic and in due course your rate of metabolism increases as well.

Protection from Diet-Related Disease.

effect of a healthy diet in the protection from diseases may not be immediately apparent.

In fact, you may never realize what health problems you may have developed had you not followed a healthy diet

useful in the management of adult onset diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as other health issues.

Better Sleep Patterns.

If you eat the right size portions of healthy foods at the right time

find that you tend to sleep better in the night since the body is not busy trying to digest and excrete toxins found in junk foods.

You will begin to feel much healthier in no time!

How does a lack of sleep affect the body?

having lost the ability to maintain body heat and develop a fever to stave off infection

will generally be irritable and clumsy

will have problems concentrating and will begin to make mistakes on normal tasks.

Other short-term consequences include: Decreased daytime alertness. Loss of just one and half hours sleep can result in a 32% reduction in daytime alertness. Impaired memory and cognitive ability, the ability to think and process information. More than double the risk of sustaining an occupational injury.

Long-term consequences can include the following:

High blood pressure

Stroke

Mental impairment

Increased mortality risk

Sleep Debt Can Be Dangerous

Sleep deprivation in children

Nearly half of teens reported at least occasional difficulty in falling or staying asleep and almost 13% experiencing chronic and severe insomnia.

affects mood, behavior, and academic performance.

Insufficient sleep has also been associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Vegetable group

unbalanced diet can cause problems with maintenance

Growth and development

balanced diet that is low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol

Balance your calorie intake with exercise.

Eat 2 cups (4 servings) of fruit

Eat 3 ounces or more of whole-grain products per day.

Avoid trans fatty acids,

Adolescents should obtain 13 percent to 14 percent of their entire calorie intake from protein. If an adolescent weightlifter's diet contains 3,000 calories, 14 percent of the total calories would be 428 cal.

diet containing protein-rich foods such as eggs, lean meats, beans, nuts and low fat cheese and milk easily fulfills the young weightlifter's requirements.

The National Kidney Association cites studies showing accelerated kidney damage in diabetics on high protein diets.

However, Body Building For You suggests that athletes regularly exceed protein requirements with no adverse effects, and that no study ever scientifically proved that high protein diets are dangerous to healthy individuals.

n 1998, "Journal of Nutrition" reported excessive protein metabolism encouraging calcium loss through excretion, yet in 2003 the same journal suggested that calcium is not always lost, possibly because phosphorous helps to enable calcium re-uptake by the kidneys -- at least in people with no prior health problems.

hus, protein supplements may not harm the young weightlifter, even if those supplements contribute to protein intake beyond recommended levels.

Still, two concerns remain: one is financial loss at the expense of weight gain. Expensive protein supplements are unnecessary if the young weightlifter includes protein-rich foods in every meal.

Another danger is hidden ingredients. Some of the most respected Olympian weightlifters have tested positive for banned drugs or steroids hidden in nutritional supplements that they believed to be protein or energy supplements.

Some cause physical and sexual characteristics to alter, and some hasten cancer. In short, young weightlifters aspiring to world-class competition must exercise the utmost responsibility regarding nutrition. It is never too early to start such discipline.

Exercising in the morning energizes you for the day—not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you’ve done something disciplined and good for you

Studies have shown that exercise significantly increases mental acuity—a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it while you’re snoozing.

Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it shouldn’t be a major problem to get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier—especially since regular exercise generally means a higher quality of sleep, which in turn means you’ll probably require less sleep.

When you exercise at about the same time every morning—especially if you wake up regularly at about the same time—you’re regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several hours before you actually open your eyes. That’s beneficial because:  Your body’s not “confused” by wildly changing wake-up times, which means waking up is much less painful. (You may even find that you don’t need an alarm clock most days.) Hormones prepare your body for exercise by regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to muscles, etc. Your metabolism, along with all the hormones involved in activity and exercise, begin to elevate while you're sleeping. As a result, you’ll feel more alert, energized, and ready to exercise when you do wake up.  Many people find that morning exercise has a tendency to regulate their appetite for the rest of the day. Not only do they eat less (since activity causes the release of endorphins, which in turn diminishes appetite), they also choose healthier portions of healthier foods.  People who consistently exercise find, sometimes to their great surprise, that the appointed time every morning evolves into something they look forward to. Besides the satisfaction of taking care of themselves, they find it’s a great time to plan their day, pray, or just think more clearly—things most of us often don’t get to do otherwise.  Exercising first thing in the morning is the most foolproof way to ensure that other things don’t overtake your fitness commitment, particularly if you have a hectic family life. (It’s so easy to wimp out in the evening, when we’re tired or faced with such tasks as rustling up dinner and helping with homework.)  More than 90% of those who exercise consistently have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise on a regular basis, the odds are in your favor if you squeeze your workout into the a.m.  Non-morning people can always trick themselves in the a.m. Having trouble psyching yourself up for a sunrise jog? Do what I did—tell yourself that you’ll still be so fast asleep that you won’t even remember—much less mind!  

Naturally Thin People Eat the Foods Their Bodies Love

Naturally Thin People Are Aware of the Effect Food Is Having On Their Bodies

Naturally Thin People Deal with Their Emotions in a Number of Ways

Naturally Thin People Know Exactly When to Eat

Naturally Thin People Know When to Stop Eating

90% of naturally thin people have no understanding how a hot dog could help when they are feeling bored, or how a cheeseburger could help when they are feeling sad. Why would food help them with non-food problems? They find it entirely illogical to connect food with emotions.

Doing your grocery when your stomach is empty would definitely tempt you to buy anything that catches your fancy.

It is best to do your grocery shopping after you have eaten your breakfast in the morning or your dinner in the evening.

Choose Canned or Bottled Products Carefully

do not buy those that are packed with oil.

Do not buy products that are labeled “hydrogenated”

This is one way to make sure that you only end up with healthy food choices.

avoid products with high fructose or glucose content

This is why it is very important that you first check product labels before you buy anything.

Buy Organic Meat and Poultry

it is better to buy them locally.

additional bonus you get from making healthy food choices.

Make Wise Grocery Product Choices

opt for low sodium prepackaged foods.

Making these simple healthy food choices will ensure that you will avoid various illnesses like hypertension or cardiac problems.

opt for food alternatives like broccoli.

When buying breads and cereals, you should opt for whole grain foods.

You need to make sure that every food that gets into your grocery basket is healthy for you

best way to treat and prevent these problems is a combination of healthy diet and exercise.

positive eating patterns fostered during the teen years are very likely to last a lifetime.

Improving eating habits among teens is crucially important for two reasons (among others): building strong bones and preventing obesity

From the early high school years teens start to hear about the importance of grades to get into the college of their choice and to be constantly vigilant about succeeding.

teens work jobs after school to either pay for gas or to help parents who may be struggling financially

teen years are a time when many emotional and physical changes are occurring.

teens experience significant psychological, academic and behavioral problems before, during and after their parents' divorce

Some teens, however, experience conflict, arguments, and pressure from their friends and acquaintances

The pressure to conform and fit in can be overwhelming

Many times, teens place undue stress on themselves.

The American Academy of Pediatrics points out that often teens tell themselves that they need to lose weight, get better grades, score more points in the game and prove themselves to their parents

Many teens feel different from their peers and never feel good enough. Self esteem can suffer another blow if they are made to feel inferior, different or are made fun of by others.