Do you ever cause yourself to throw up to alleviate a feeling of fullness?

Male. No. The idea is to stop eating before you get uncomfortable.

No, never done that. I’d rather be uncomfortably full than throw up. I’ve certainly been pretty uncomfortably full before to the point where I just wanted to lie down, but the feeling passes.

@josie: Well, ideally, yes, that’s the idea. But I hope everyone has had the experience of being exposed to a meal that is too delicious to stop eating… Hasn’t almost everyone gotten too full at some point?

I have sometimes. I once did it because I was going to be sick anyhow so I might as well start sooner. It works. Would I have do it again? Probably not.

@DominicX: Thanks for your genuine answer. So you have been uncomfortably full, but you have not chosen to make yourself throw up. And you are male?

@addictionsfb: Gender, please.

@girlofscience

I’m a boy. :) And yeah, I’ve been so full that I was sure I was going to throw up anyway, but it didn’t happen. The feeling of fullness just passed after a while. If I ever get that full, I just wait it out.

I’ve never made myself throw up just because I felt overly full. Whenever I feel that way, I just lay down and take a nap. I’m female. To me, throwing up would be a lot worse than the full feeling.

Nope. I hate throwing up.

On the rare occasion (Thanksgiving) I let this happen, I’ll simply take a nap (propped up).

male

I knew a guy once who spent lots of money on tickets to a concert, and then got so screwed up, that he passed out half way through it. I never asked, but I suspect that this is what he called “having a great time”. But of course, it is not. It is merely getting wasted and missing half the show. So I think there is a vague similarity here. How can a meal be so great, that in order to enjoy it fully, you have to puke. I don’t get it.

Nope, it’s nothing I have ever done. I hate throwing up, and the only times I have is 1. drinking too much 2. Riding on a roller coaster after eating 3. being pregnant 4. having food poisoning. 5. having a very bad case of stomach flu.

No. The experience of throwing up is far far worse than the feeling of fullness.
And it would be quite a waste of food, too.

Nope I have never made myself puke because I got too full. I would rather see my food once, and not twice.
Female

Haha, wow! I cannot believe this is so uncommon (based on this sample). I probably cause myself to throw up to alleviate fullness approximately six times per year. I had no idea that other people were so opposed to this practice. Clearly, this is not something I do all the time (once every two months isn’t that often), but there are definitely times I overindulge my small stomach in a great, large meal and feel uncomfortably full afterward. It was certainly fully enjoyed, but it settles, I stick my finger down my throat if I feel too full so that I don’t have to deal with that feeling anymore! It is definitely immediate relief.

I posted this thread because my boyfriend was claiming that no males would do this and that this must be purely a female thing, but it appears to be a no one thing.

Of course, small sample size thus far. Hopefully more responses will come along.

Female. I’ve tried before to alleviate fullness or a bad stomach ache, but I was unable to throw up. I just lurched a lot and then was far more uncomfortable. A friend told me to stick the handle of my toothbrush down my throat. I’d rather not try that. I’m not generally a “pukey” person. Like my aunt and daughter can practically throw up on command. Me? I can’t remember the last time I actually vomited.

@girlofscience I respectfully suggest you discuss this with your doctor

I hate to vomit. Even when I should puke I find it really hard. I have some sort of phobia about vomiting. So I guess you know the answer to this question.

I had a room mate in college who did this. I don’t really get it. I LIKE feeling full.

Only twice have I eaten so much that I felt sickeningly full. The first time I was 10 and ate an entire jar of peanuts. I didn’t have to try to get sick that time. The second time, I was pregnant but didn’t know it yet. I ate only a slightly larger than normal portion, but suddenly felt WAY too full. Didn’t get sick then, but I felt awful.

That sounds terrible. If I think a meal is way too delicious to stop eating, I try to slow down. It takes about 20 minutes before you really feel full, so if you stuff your face you might eat too much too fast and feel uncomfortable.

Yes. I am female.

Never. I am female and I have never done that and can fairly say I probably never will. I dread throwing up more than almost anything.

I would do almost anything to avoid vomiting. There is no feeling I know that I dislike more that.
I would never do it on purpose except to save my life.

I am a guy. My wife tells me so.

No. I have never in my life forced myself to throw up. I don’t like throwing up, as a matter of fact, I can’t stand it. The only times I have been glad I have thrown up is when I have been ill and the nausea was more unpleasant and overpowering than my aversion to throwing up. And it’s really not a good idea to eat so much that you feel the need to throw up in order to relieve your discomfort.

@girlofscience Do you do it only to relieve the full feeling, or also because you regret the calories?

Male, and no. I find vomiting for any reason to be extremely unpleasant and I wouldn’t voluntarily cause it for any reason.

Female. I’m a vegetarian and I rarely reach my fullness state while eating. I won’t vomit if I really feel that full,I would rather sleep the reduce the feeling of ‘fullness’(it would be gone about one or two hours after your consumption).

Male : I stop eating when I am full, I have a refrigerator.

I don’t eat if I am not hungry. I’m not hungry right now. You could put a pizza next to me and I wouldn’t eat it. I’m not hungry. And I love pizza.

6’ and 140 pound male.

Female, no. The only time I’ve induced vomiting is when it was necessary for medical tests. Although I had the flu once and got tired of the nausea so I cut out the two hour middle man.

I haven’t done it, but I’ve wanted to. Female.

Female. While I have experienced all too often the experience of being too full, I have never made myself vomit from it. I hate throwing up – it feels awful. The overly full feeling will go away after a while, so I let it.

I have never done this. Sexed female. Gender: non conforming.

Female. Never. I sit and burp a few times then get up and do something. It must be good food if so much was eaten, why waste it?

@JLeslie: Only to alleviate the full feeling.

Male who loves being full.

@YARNLADY: I really don’t see why I would possibly need to “see a doctor about this.” It reflects no medical problem and requires no treatment. People get full. This is not a medical issue. I happen to dislike the fullness feeling so greatly that I choose to alleviate this feeling by inducing vomit. Seeing as this only happens once every couple of months or so, I don’t see this causing any sort of health issue.

So, the reason to see a doctor about this would be…?

@girlofscience I don’t think most people would consider this normal behavior. Repeated episodes of binge eating followed by purging is one of the classic signs of bulimia.
However, having done what you do, I know I’m not bulimic. I have a very sensitive stomach, and I don’t even necessarily have to overeat to feel really ill. Sometimes I have to make myself throw up to feel better. It isn’t about weight loss, and I get the impression from you that it isn’t about that, either. If you are genuinely feeling ill and just want that sensation to go away, I can relate to that. If you are thinking about the calories or potential weight gain from having eaten so much – then that would definitely be bad. I can see everyone’s cause for alarm though, it’s kind of an unusual habit to admit to.

@girlofscience Who gave you the idea? Who suggested to you that if you are too full just put your finger down your throat?

@TheOnlyNeffie: Yeah, it isn’t about weightloss at all. And it’s not like I purposely cause binge-eating episodes. This only happens when I go out to eat at a delicious restaurant whose portions are far larger than any meal I’d normally eat.

@girlofscience: No one gave me this idea. I’m smart enough to realize on my own that inducing vomiting will relieve a full feeling in my stomach.

@girlofscience It would never occur to me. I am pretty intelligent, I don’t think it has to do with smarts. I guess you don’t hate throwing up as much as I do. I believe you by the way, that it is not about calories.

@girlofscience A few burps, a walk around the neighborhood and a little patience can also relieve the full feeling. It doesn’t take long for the feeling to go away. There’s just something about this that doesn’t sit right with me. All I can think about is the poor in this situation. How disgusted they would feel to know that a person gets so full at least six times a year that they need to induce vomit.

@jonsblond: I guess I just don’t hate vomiting enough to be patient. It’s an immediate fix.

And oh come on, about that poor comment. It’s hardly unusual for common folk to indulge themselves with great meals at restaurants. I’m just a small girl and so the portions may sometimes feel too large for my stomach.

@girlofscience It was just a thought. Maybe it would never cross your mind, but it did mine. Maybe you’ve never lived paycheck to paycheck and had to resort to getting food from a food pantry. I have, so the thought crossed my mind.

And oh come on, about the small girl comment. I know many small girls. and none of them vomit because they are full. ;)

@girlofscience Making yourself vomit isn’t actually healthy. I believe the suggestion to talk to your doctor about it was because of the risks and because you have said that you just can’t stop eating sometimes. When our body makes us vomit, it’s a defense mechanism. When you vomit, your stomach acid goes up into your esophagus and it can cause damage. The acid can also lead to erosion of teeth and cavities. Doing it a few times a year might not be that big of a deal at this point, but it’s definitely something to really think about and keep an eye on.

The portions in restaurants are far too large. That’s why I always save half the portion of the meal before I even start eating. Then I can take it home and enjoy it a second time. We’re not dogs, you know. We don’t HAVE to eat everything in front of us, just because it’s there.

If you have so little control over your eating that you have to eat everything in front of you, you can ask to have the portion wrapped up before you start. I do that so I won’t forget about it or have to wait forever to get stuff. If I couldn’t control my binge style eating, it would probably help too.

I’m wondering if this person is a troll. This person is a little too enthusiastic sounding about the whole thing.

@girlofscience If you know you’re not bulimic, I don’t see the problem. Like I said, I’ve thought about it after I’ve eaten too much because it’s uncomfortable to be that full.

no. i am female. i have considered doing this about twice in my life but don’t have the skills or the courage.

once when i was about 12 my mom made pot roast and it was so good i ate two platefulls and i threw up but that was not voluntary – that was from having eaten too much.

I really don’t mind throwing up. I know many people feel wholeheartedly that throwing up is at the top of the list of “worst feelings ever”... but it really isn’t that bad (for me.) I would much rather throw up than have that lingering sicky feeling.

This is an unhealthy practice. You don’t seem particularly unintelligent, but I’m left wondering about your ability to see cause and effect? You can’t judge when enough is enough and it’s time to put the fork down? This is truly puzzling behavior.

I’m female and no, I never have although I wish it were that easy. Gah, having a too full tummy is misery.

@Seaofclouds: Haha, I didn’t mean to imply that I just “can’t stop eating” sometimes. Seriously, this isn’t a problem. SOMETIMES, AT A GOOD RESTAURANT, I MAY FINISH A LARGE PORTION OF FOOD THAT IS DELICIOUS AND THEN FEEL TOO FULL. THIS IS NOT ABNORMAL.

Jesus Christ. There is no need for this. I am entirely aware of the effects of vomiting on the body, and doing so every few months is really, really not an issue.

This thread was intended to find whether others who have practiced this full-feeling relief method are male or female. I am comfortable with my use of this method, and my use of this method is not the subject of debate.

@girlofscience No need to yell. You’re intelligent. You had to know some people might be concerned with your method since it isn’t very common. This is the social section. If you feel the need to restrict the type of answers you receive, you may have better luck using the general section next time. just sayin :)

@jonsblond: I haven’t been using Fluther all that much since the general/social sections divide. Any time I post, I feel like, “Oh no, this must not be a serious enough question for general!!!” So am I wrong? Would this question be ok for general?

This somehow reminds me of the fact that “911 is only for absolute emergencies!!!” was drilled into me so thoroughly as a child that when I was mugged at 19, I stood on the street debating for 10 minutes whether this was enough of an emergency for a 911 call.

@girlofscience I’m sorry that you are upset by what I said. My point was simply that you need to keep an eye on it. I’m a nurse, I can’t idly sit by without alerting someone to something that could potentially harm them. Feeling full after eating a large meal is not abnormal, making yourself vomit to get rid of that feeling is. Sorry. I’ll keep my advice to myself from now on…

@girlofscience This question would be fine for general. I don’t think the general section was created for certain types of questions, it was put into place so you can get the type of answers you are looking for. btw, I felt the same as you when the changes were first made. Sorry to derail here. If this was in general, you could flag my answer for being off topic. ;)

Having offered @girlofscience our concerns and the reasons behind them, I urge everyone to get off her case.

It has never entered my mind to do it . I just feel full for half an hour or less; no biggie.
I did know a man who told me he did it on Thanksgiving so he could eat all over again.

@Aster LOL, that’s the spirit! How funny.

@girlofscience By the way the reason I asked how you thought to make yourself throw up to relieve the very full feeling is I was wondering if you have friends who do the same? You started the Q because your boyfriend said no males would do this, but I am thinking maybe you know other females who do? Otherwise you would not be so surprised that most people answering never do it Or, maybe you just have never had the topic come up before, and just assumed other people do it, which of course is possible.

I wonder if you’re hungry again after you vomit? Fascinating way to deal with discomfort.
A good question might be, “do you ever pig out too much on sweets and then vomit?” The answer to that might be revealing.

Hell no. :) I’ve been so full sometimes that i feel like i’m going to explode and it’s actually quite terrible, but doing this has never crossed my mind. I just ride it out and wait for it to pass. It rarely happens that i eat SO much that i feel so full anyway.

Not specifically, no. However, if I am extremely nauseous (for any reason), I sometimes do speed up the process. The sooner I get sick, the sooner I’ll feel better.

Edit: Female

@augustlan I do that too. My husband doesn’t understand how a person could do that. Sooner the better is right!

And how is this different? You feel sick, you alleviate yourself.

@Facade I don’t feel sick when I’m full. If I have a stomach flu or I’m going to vomit because I drank too much, I’m going to puke….it’s a given. The feeling of being full from eating too much does not make me nauseous like the others do.

@jonsblond Other people may feel differently than you.

@Facade I get that. Just my opinion. Making yourself vomit at least 6 times a year because you ate too much is not that common. I’m not here to debate any longer. Ben there, done that. Just agreed with Auggie. I’ve got bigger issues to deal with. I’m out.:)

When I was younger eating too much made me nauseous, so I guess I can understand that. I did not eat one morsel more of food when I was full for fear of throwing up. Too bad that problem is no longer with me, I might still be very thin. Anyway, I have always been terrified to throw up, it was the worst thing that could happen to me. Kept me from overeating, drinking, and doing drugs when I was a kid. So, I can kind of now understand both things, not wanting to feel sick to my stomach anymore, and if you don’t dread throwing up, you might hasten the process. But, I never would, NEVER. I could be nauseas for hours and never would do it. I think maybe I still don’t believe it works I think.

I’m like @Facade, there are definitely times where I have wanted to..but I could never really go through with it. If I were sick, and really wanted to throw up, I might try to make myself. Also if I were drunk (but, I usually don’t need any help in that department.)
If I overeat, I lay on my side. I would take a nap..but can’t really do that lately.
-Female.

Also, my husband would NEVER do this. He finds throwing up and vomit itself to be too gross (and he’s a gross dude). He holds himself back from throwing up, even when sick.

I know I am a bit late to the party, but I am a female, and yes, I do this. A lot more than it sounds like you do, actually, and it has nothing to do with weight issues or even actually eating too much. I guess my stomach is sensitive and I do this sort of gross produce-too-much-saliva bit, and that gets me gaggy and I don’t have to vomit, but if I can I will, otherwise I know a half hour of dry heaving is in store for me if I decide to keep it down. Doesn’t always happen, but I hate when it does. It also makes me unable to enjoy a buffet like others. =[ Oh well. I should see a doc I guess. Also, I know a lot of people hate throwing up, but I have never had an issue with it, actually that’s the first thing I do when I get a stomach ache, and I usually get better faster than everyone else with the same bug.

This is a really old question but I just wanted to share that I have had 2 boyfriends who did this not with food but with BEER. Your boyfriend may not find it that uncommon in that respect…. guys are probably more likely to share that they induce vomiting due to fullness from drinking so that they can continue drinking lol….