Sampling of My Favorite Ana Tips & Tricks

- Water: Love it. Drink it cold, chills you down, which burns cals. Drink it warm, it fills you up and comforts a hungry stomach. Water down your food, makes it mushy and unappealing. Drink lots of it; keeps you hydrated and keeps you full. Flavor it with Crystal Light or other sugar-free drink mixes.

- Try on clothes smaller than your size. It can be frustrating but keeps you motivated.

- Eat a meal with family or friends every couple days to keep them from being suspicious or insistent on eating. Offer to make the meal to share with your family, boyfriend/girlfriend, friend, whatever. Make something that's easy to either hide and dispose of, or push around to look like you've eaten it: baked potato in aluminum foil (can unwrap, cut up, mush around then use foil to place on top to hide it so it looks like you ate from it), shrimp, crab legs, mussels, oysters--anything with a shell to peel (you can peel it then use the shell to pile up on top and leave the food hidden underneath so you don't have to eat it)...and then serve it with a salad that you actually eat from.

- Use chopsticks to eat. It's stylish and also slows you down, forces you to consider each bite.

- Use seasonings to spice up and flavor very low-cal foods like lettuce, mushrooms, broccoli. Chicken bouillion powder, onion powder, garlic, grilled chicken seasonings, lemon pepper, dried tomato & basil, etc.

-"..DESTROY your image of food. if im alone (this sounds gross) i get some food say some cake,bread, chocolates. instead of eating them get them out and just squish them up in your hands. feel how gross they feel seeping between your fingers. just find a bin and wash your hands after.

-Pamper yourself--you're beautiful! You're motivated! Keeping good hair, good nails, shaven legs, exfoliated skin, moisturized skin...keeps you feeling proud and good about yourself.

- Vitamins are very important. Take them daily.

- Sugar free jello is a great food to fill ya up and offer flavor. Sugar free candies (LifeSavers, Go Lightly, Baskin Robbins, etc.) are also tasty. Sugar free gum keeps your mouth full of flavor and occupied. Breathmints can also keep your mouth with flavor and stave off hunger.

- Flip through fantastic fashion magazines daily (or visit websites): Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle, etc. Pull out ads that have fashions or makeup that you like. Keep them in a folder or somewhere you see daily. Keep your focus positive; use the images as inspiration. You're on your way to embracing the same look for yourself! You can do it! You can do anything you truly set your mind to.

- If you are trying to look like you are eating always 'fiddle' with the food. For instance, "eat" chicken when with others. Peel off the chicken skin (and meat, too, but discretely), use your fingers to pull and pick at it, then use a towel to wipe your greasy hands...subtly putting the meat in the towel and throw away. Then you're left with chicken bones and happy company that thinks you ate! You can munch on a salad, too, to finish off the "meal" without really having to eat anything more than lettuce and veggies!

- Brush your teeth often. Keep your mouth fresh, especially if you're purging.

- Drink a load of water before and during a binge if you're going to purge. Makes it come up easier.

- Keep busy! Working, going out, shopping, chatting or surfing the web, cleaning, volunteering, spending time out with friends, pursuing a career...all keeps you focused on other things and upbeat.

- Read other ana blogs and visit websites. We're a strong, fantastic community that can be very supportive and inspiring!

Thanks to Anasgirls.com for inspiration and sharing ideas!

All things considered, not bad.

Last night's date, in which I was worried about my swollen legs/ankles/feet being noticed, came off fine after all. I wore loose-legged flare pants with a fitted waist and looked fine. We even ended up getting busy in the shower and he didn't notice...then again, men can get nicely distracted when you're having sex so I shouldn't have been so worried. :) Dinner came off fine: he made salmon and mushrooms sauteed in BUTTER and I lightly grilled fresh (no oil or butter) asparagus to go with it. I was able to cut large chunks of the the salmon/butter steak and drop into my napkin to give the impression of eating almost the entire thing. He was thrilled and excited to see me eat with "such an appetite!"Now when people say to him that I'm looking thin, he can vouch that he's eaten with me and I'm fine. Tossed the wine in my dark-colored glass for Pierre water and the evening came off very well.

So now back home.

Back from the overseas galavanting, I am so freaking grateful to report that things were fabulous. I also learned that it's not working out obsessively for 90-120 mins a day that makes me thin...it's simply restricting cals. I wasn't able to keep up my gym routine in Italy, obviously, and that intially had me really stressed. But then I adapted by running around the streets of where I was staying for 40-50 mins in the mornings, and walking everywhere. And I lost weight! I was surprised! I was only jogging 45 mins/day and then walking around and still losing weight? And here at home I've been working out hard for over an hour daily and thinking that would make it come off faster. But simply restricting and hardly consuming calories made the most difference.

So, that was a nice surprise. I return thinner and everyone's been commenting on me being too thin and losing weight while vacationing in Italy with the world-famous cuisine. Which is wonderful, it's so so so amazing when you finally get to the point of being on the "too thin" side. You work so long and so hard to get to that point, you have to just simply savor it for a bit.

My only issue is this horrid swelling of my legs, ankles and feet every evening. Like really swollen. I've been reading online about "edema" with people with EDs. I'm not sure exactly what nutrient it is that my body needs to make things circulate better again. I'll take it in a heartbeat when I find out. I read about protein difficiencies, so last night I ate a half can of tuna and I drink about 2-3 cups of milk and have about 1-2 cups of yogurt a day to keep going. I guess I need more protein? The swelling is awful and very very embarrassing. I can't go out without big-legged pants on because it's so noticeable! I have a date tomorrow night and I'm hoping to death that I can sit on the floor, lounge on the couch with my legs propped up, and keep moving around to keep the circulation going so that my legs won't get so swollen. It's ridiculous. I'm hoping if I eat a bit of protein each day (i.e. tuna, egg whites, steamed pollack, salmon) that it will start to ease up...eeesh. Anyone else ever deal with this??

Over the weekend my legs were really ache-y, like to the point I could hardly lift my legs because my thighs were so achey with muscle soreness. That's when I really started to get alarmed and sat down to research what I can find on the internet. Hence eating the tuna last night, and a half cup of blueberries and a head of lettuce for the day. And a head of lettuce the day before, along with the milk and the yogurt as usual.

If anyone's heard of this, knows any suggestions or has any thoughts...I am def all ears!

As always, thanks SO much for listening/reading.

ThinspoThinspo

Me, finishing sprint triathlon 2 years ago

Preparing Meals When You Have to Eat With Others

When I'm in a situation where I have to eat with others, like on a date, with family or with a friend, I like to handle part or all of the meal preparation so I know what's in stuff (as many of us do). One dish I like to make that keeps the others satisfied and full--and let's me squeak by with as little cals as possible--is my "Protein Power Salad". I've made this for guys--brawny, football-type guys--and they love it, saying how amazed they are at how full it makes them. I love it because I can stuff their salad bowls with all the goodies and then have a layer of lettuce, raw mushrooms, and some slivers of veggies on both bowls. My bowl, however, is full of mostly just lettuce. So the bowls look the same--but one is full of lettuce and one is full of nuts, seeds, croutons, raisins, tomatoes, peppers, etc. to make a solid dish. By putting a lettuce layer on top and then sprinkling slivers of vegetables and seasonings, the bowlfuls look colorful and fancy. Keep all the "calories" on top of your bowl--i.e. slivers of tomatoes, onions, peppers, whatever--so it looks like they're in the whole salad (but really, they're just on the top). You can sprinkle cheese on the other person's salad for more flavor for them, as well as seasonings. You can stick to just seasonings for yours to avoid the fat and cals but keep it looking very colorful.


"Power Salad" Recipe:
Both Bowls:
- Lettuce (particularly different kinds, because looks better)

Other Person's Bowl:
- Tomatoes
- Croutons
- Walnuts
- Peanuts
- Raisins
- Red & Green Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Parmesean Cheese
- Snap Peas
- Seaseme Seeds
- broccoli

All tossed together with some lettuce. Fill your bowl with lettuce and a few bits of raw mushrooms and broccoli florets. On top, layer lettuce with slices of mushrooms, one or two tomato chunks, and seasonings. Sprinkle other person's with cheese and seasonings on top of their top layer. Now, they'll be full and have a crunchy, satisfying salad and you'll slip by with little calories and still be able to enjoy a meal with them.