Can i throw up to lose weight

Your body is trying to get rid of the virus, bacteria, or other germs that are making you sick. Vomiting and diarrhea are the symptoms of the illness—your body's defense against the germs. It eliminates any food and liquid in your digestive tract in an attempt to kill those germs. Once you have recovered and can return to eating as you did before, all or at least most of the weight will return because you are able to hold food and liquids down again.

The biggest risk and concern with the stomach flu for most people is dehydration. This is more likely to occur in young infants and children as well as older adults. Signs of dehydration in older children and adults include:. If you are concerned about dehydration, contact your healthcare provider or seek medical attention.

In some cases, dehydration can be managed at home if you or your child are able to keep down fluids. It's important to take it slowly if you have been vomiting, as adding too much too quickly can cause vomiting to return or worsen.

If you are unable to hold any amount of fluids down, contact your healthcare provider. There are medications you may be able to take to stop vomiting. If dehydration is severe enough, you may need IV fluids to recover. If you are ever with someone who appears to be dehydrated and loses consciousness, seek medical help immediately. Do not try to give an unconscious person anything to drink. If you have symptoms of a stomach bug that last longer than a few days or persistent vomiting for more than 24 hours , contact your healthcare provider.

Most gastroenteritis goes away on its own after a day or two. Diarrhea can last longer but it should be improving over time. If you have persistent weight loss and vomiting or diarrhea that don't resolve, especially after a week or more, go to the doctor.

You may need additional tests or treatments. There is no treatment when you get most stomach bugs other than waiting for it to go away.

Because they are most often caused by viruses, antibiotics won't work. Even most stomach illnesses that are caused by bacteria, such as salmonella , go away on their own and typically aren't treated with antibiotics. The best thing you can do is to avoid getting it in the first place. It isn't always easy, especially if someone else in your house has it, but there are steps you can take to try to limit the spread of those germs. This article does not cover weight loss from intentional vomiting due to eating disorders or weight loss due to chronic or serious illness.

These are serious issues and shouldn't be taken lightly. If you think you may be struggling with an eating disorder, please talk to someone and seek medical attention. If you need information about an eating disorder because you are concerned about yourself or someone else, there are plenty of valuable resources available online and through the medical community.

Losing weight is difficult for many people but there is no quick fix that is truly safe and effective. If you are sick with a stomach bug, focus on taking care of yourself and recovering. The numbers on the scale are not important when your health is on the line.

Gas pain? What kinds of thoughts are going through your head? Distance yourself. Realize that you are NOT your feelings. Emotions are passing events, like clouds moving across the sky. Sitting with your feelings may feel extremely uncomfortable at first. Maybe even impossible.

Even emotions that feel intolerable are only temporary. You can choose how to respond. The bingeing and purging of bulimia is often fueled by dysfunctional, self-sabotaging ways of thinking that undermine your confidence, color everything in an unrealistically negative light, and make you feel helpless, inadequate, and ashamed.

But you can learn to put a stop to these unhealthy mental habits. All-or-nothing thinking. You have a hard time seeing shades of gray, at least when it comes to yourself. Emotional reasoning. You believe if you feel a certain way, it must be true. Musts, must-nots, and have-tos. You call yourself names based on mistakes and perceived shortcomings. You jump to the worst-case scenario. Once you identify the destructive thoughts patterns that you default to, you can start to challenge them with questions such as:.

As you cross-examine your negative thoughts, you may be surprised at how quickly they crumble. If you suspect that your friend or family member has bulimia, talk to the person about your concerns. Either way, bulimia should never be ignored. Offer compassion and support. Keep in mind that the person may get defensive or angry. But if he or she does open up, listen without judgment and make sure the person knows you care. Avoid insults, scare tactics, guilt trips, and patronizing comments.

Since bulimia is often caused and exacerbated by stress, low self-esteem, and shame, negativity will only make it worse. Set a good example for healthy eating, exercising, and body image. Accept your limits. They may eat alone so others don't see how much they are eating. Unlike people with bulimia, those with binge eating disorder do not make themselves throw up, use laxatives, or exercise a lot to make up for binge eating.

If a person binge eats at least once a week for 3 months, it may be a sign of binge eating disorder. People with ARFID don't eat because they are turned off by the smell, taste, texture, or color of food. They may be afraid that they will choke or vomit. They don't have anorexia, bulimia, or another medical problem that would explain their eating behaviors.

People with anorexia may find it hard to focus and have trouble remembering things. Mood changes and emotional problems include:. ARFID may lead to health problems that stem from poor nutrition, similar to anorexia. There's no single cause for eating disorders. Genes, environment, and stressful events all play a role. Some things can increase a person's chance of having an eating disorder, such as:.

Health care providers and mental health professionals diagnose eating disorders based on history, symptoms, thought patterns, eating behaviors, and an exam. The doctor will check weight and height and compare these to previous measurements on growth charts. The doctor may order tests to see if there is another reason for the eating problems and to check for problems caused by the eating disorder. Eating disorders are best treated by a team that includes a doctor, dietitian, and therapist.

Treatment includes nutrition counseling, medical care, and talk therapy individual, group, and family therapy. The doctor might prescribe medicine to treat binge eating, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns. The details of the treatment depend on the type of eating disorder and how severe it is. Some people are hospitalized because of extreme weight loss and medical complications. Tell someone. Tell a parent, teacher, counselor, or an adult you trust.