{ Tips & Tricks }

*Drink water! This is the #1 rule for both ana and mia. It fills you up when you are hungry and makes purging easier.
The general rule is also that hot water fills you up more and ice cold water helps you to burn more calories since it
lowers your body temperature so your body has to work harder to stay warm.

*Chew sugar free gum or mints constantly. I am never without one or the other in my mouth. The benefits are endless: it
kills cravings, keeps your mouth full so you can't binge, burns calories by chewing, peppermint flavors suppress
appetites, and prevents bad breath if you are in ketosis.

*Tea of Coffee are an Ana’s best friend. Drink with NO CREAM OR MILK and artificial sweetener ONLY. Tea is especially
great because it comes in so many different flavors and is calorie free, as opposed to black coffee which has an albeit
small amount. The caffeine is also great for raising metabolism.

*Cut food into tiny pieces. Put your fork down between bites. Chew everything a certain number of times. Eat in patterns.
Develop systems of eating. All of this helps to make food a mere object rather than the devil itself.

*Take a sip of water or other calorie-free liquid between each bite. You feel full much faster, partially because the body
often mistakes thirst for hunger, so by drinking, one actually reduces the amount of food their body needs to eat.

*If you are really craving something specific and are on the verge of a binge, go into the kitchen, prepare it, and then
eat it-but do not swallow! Chew it slowly, enjoy it, and then spit it out. Immediately after that rinse your mouth with water
at least three times before swallowing a sip so you do not accidentally ingest any calories.

*If you are about to binge, pick a safe food, preferably negative calorie (pickles, celery, blueberries, etc.) and eat it non-
stop for up to half an hour, taking a sip of water with each bite. Often you will not be able to even get up to half an hour,
and you will be full so the desire to binge will be gone, but you haven't eaten anything "bad."

*No Sugar Added, Fat-Free Fudge Pops. These are the reason I am alive. They have 40 calories in one and taste
exactly like chocolate ice cream. If you must binge, try eating a whole box of these. There are 560 calories in a box of
14, and they are easy to purge.

*Do not ever eat anything you do not know the exact amount of calories in. Sometimes you can fool yourself into thinking
you've eaten less than you have. Remember, numbers do not lie.

*Track progress by measurements and not the scale alone. Scales are affected by everything from the weather to the
time of day, but the numbers on a measuring tape are affected by nothing except the actual size of your body.

*Keep a food diary. Start your own pro-ana page. Make an ed scrapbook. Anything that keeps your mind on not eating
is a good thing.

*When you want to eat, exercise for at least 15 minutes first. I like to put on inspirational ana music and do bare work. It not only distracts you from eating but burns calories and benefits your body as
well.

*Buy a pair of expensive jeans at least one size too small. Try them on right before you eat. You will either not want to
eat or will eat less. When you lose enough weight to fit into them properly, reward yourself by buying another pair, again
one or two sizes too small.

*Eat low-calorie foods with very intense flavors. Often times you just crave taste. Chili peppers, anything pickled,
peppermints, and very concentrated bullion (make it with half the water recommended) are all good options.

*Make a list of foods that you are absolutely never ever allowed to eat. Write it down and keep it somewhere accessible.
On this list should be things like doughnuts, cake, cream, soda, fatty meats like duck, and any dairy product not made
with skim milk. If you really like any of these things and find it hard to resist, prepare it, but then put something disgusting
all over it (like pouring vinegar on a cream-filled doughnut). Take a bite. You will find you have totally lost your taste for
the food.

*If you must go out to eat, go to the restaurant’s web page before hand, and find something safe to eat. Do not eat
bread or appetizers. Order a salad with dressing on the side if everyone else is having appetizers. If there is nothing
safe on the menu most places will make you a plain piece of grilled chicken or fish if you ask.

*Never drink soda. There is absolutely no reason to. Even diet soda will actually make you look bloated and weigh a little
more.