Can you lose weight by chewing and spitting out food?

If you chew and spit out your food, what will happen? Will you lose weight?

[Kay104]

no just swallow it and eat healthy

[feroshacoutura]

Honestly?  Yeah.  But it's a gross and disgusting habit.  It's expensive.  And addicting.  And can morph into Bulimia.  How do I know?  I've done it.  Still do it.  It sucks.  Oh and also?  If you do it to much, your salivary glands get swollen and you look like a chipmunk.  Basically, you mouth thinks you getting food so you start salivating b/c you body is thinking it needs to break down the food; instead, you just spit it out.  

Sorry to gross you out and hope I didn't offend. I just am trying to fight my own battle right now and it is SO DIFFICULT to break.

[Zoegiri]

Actually what you are doing, "chew and spit," is a classic symptom/indication of an eating disorder. Many anorexics do this to satisfy their need to eat without what they perceive as the side effect of eating, "gaining weight."  I am sure many bulimics do it as well but the bottom line is, that you need to get help now, before it get's so much worse.  It is a highly addictive and expensive habit and a disgusting one as well. Speaking from personal experience, living with an eating disorder since I was in my early 20's, scream and yell, and whatever you have to do, to get the help you need to stop now, you don't want to be dealing with the issue of eating disorder 25 yrs later as I am. Please keep us up-to-date on your progress.

[Casey803]

yes you'll lose weight but not in a healthy way. doing that mind as well be not eating at all...stop b4 it gets addictive and u die from malnutrition

[dominiquea]

It's tricky. I've been doing it and at first I was in heaven- I felt like I was eating and after a few minutes I felt full, even though I didn't get almost anything in my stomach, I just drank water, and I've lost a little bit weight. THEN the problems started... I started gaining weight rapidly and couldn't understand why... NOW I know, that with all the chewing and spitting, I was actually consuming above and beyond any amount of calories that I might have needed at the time. See, when you chew and spit, your body produces certain hormones that will NOT help you lose weight, and you come to a point where physically and mentally you are stimulated to eat, and you WILL eat. In my case, it was in the middle of the night, when I'm half asleep and off guard. It will make you crazy. Don't do it.

[MaybelO]

I've struggled with my weight for years. In 2002 I gave Atkin's a try and to my amazement, lost 55 lbs in about 6 mo. EASY. I kept it off for 4 yrs then started having personal problems and craving sweets again. I started c&s with cinnimon rolls w/ cream cheese frosting. Slowly, all my weight was regained. I've also had swollen glands, inner  ear infections, and sinus problems which I'm sure are all connected to my discusting habit. A good amount of sugar must absorb in your mouth into your blood stream. Not to mention go up into your sinus cavity.

[dominiquea]

Actually, that's not quite how it happens.  While the process of breaking down food starts in the mouth, the stuff from the mouth has to get to the stomach in order to be absorbed, and to the intestine.  If you chew a piece of food and spit out all of it, AND the saliva which contains the sugars that have been broken down, then you do not absorb any energy whatsoever.  YET, it is very difficult to not let ANYTHING slide down your throat, and that is how calories creep up on you.  You cannot fool your body.

So how do you deal with your weight issues?  You eat when you're hungry.  You stop when you're full.  When you see something that you know is not good for you, do not take it, and if you have- tomorrow is a new day.  Exercise to be healthy, and look healthy.  Stop obsessing about every pound more or less. Weight fluctuates.  There are those who are genetically superior, and can eat without gainning an ounce.  The rest of us will go up and down a little bit over the years, it is natural.  As long as you stay disciplined enough and sane enough, you will be alright.  Atkins, and every other extreme diet, is not good, because you cannot count every gram of everything every day, it is just no way to live.  

[LeftCoastChick]

Actually I did that a few years after I had my stomach stapled. I was diagnosed bulemic back in '98, but by that time I was in remission, except I would still binge.I fell off the wagon in 2002 and ended up in hospital.  The oh smart me, thought that chewing food then spitting out would work, bad idea.

1) your body needs food.
2) you are going to cause more stomach acid, then you will get reflux disease.
3) the more you do that, the worse your disordered eating with get. It's a nasty cycle.
4) It rarely stays at that stage.
5) You will become a full blown bulemic, which can cause you to burst blood vessels in your throat and stomach. (I blew some vessels in my throat)
6) the acid wears at your teeth, I spent a TON of money on my teeth and I've had to have several pulled out.
7) You start getting bone loss and thinning. I've had that since I was 38 and they are considering putting me on osteoporisis medications.
8) I'm now overweight because disordered eating shows up in many forms. (though I am on a mood stabiliser and losing weight because the drug works on compulsions and depression)

Stop while you can, eat decently, small doses of treats won't hurt as long as you eat 3 good meals a day, or at least try. Snacks of junk food don't constitute a meal.

This misconception is that if we withhold, we'll lose weight, but our bodies are genetically set up for leaner months the others so it will shut down.

[laurapeaches]

I have suffered with this disorder on and off for a couple years now, I was anorexic before, but this seemed to help and give me the satisfaction of food again.
I never eat the right amount of calories a day, 500-700 per day if not less. Chew and Spit, well, I realised the other day after making myself sick after, that infact, you do swallow quite alot of the food depending on how big the binge is and what the sort of thing you're binging on. I had cereal, and loads of it I swallowed and I didn't realise. I agree that chew and spit gives you a swollen face, it does, but it goes quickly soon after if you stop, it's just your glands.
When I first starting doing this, it was a great way to satisfy my urge for good tasting food, and second to stay at a low weight, BUT, it didn't really make me looze it alot, just maintain it.
You do actually eat when you chew and spit you don't really realise it, the more you binge the more the calories are going down. Then.. you end up worrying and making yourself sick.... so, it results in bulimia, which generally never results in someone being thin.

My eating disorder goes up and down like a yo yo depending on what's going on in my life. i've been dine for months but recently,I've not been.
please don't judge my message-eating disorders are horrible, here we can chat about them

[becca411]

are there any positives to chewing and spitting your food?

[ali5on]

hi, i have been chewing and spitting for a while because basicly i can not resist cravings. if i dont then i actually swallow which makes me gain weight. i no that you get some calories eventhough you spit but surely its not as many as eating the whole entire item. right?
how bad is the stomach acid thing?
i no both is unhealthy, but which would be better....? eating nothing or chewing and spitting? please dont say neither cause thats just not an option for me right now. thanks.

[Zoelula]

This is not a pro-eating disorder website. Sillist asked the question here, I would assume because she wants help with an eating disorder. But her disease asked it for a different reason: to learn new methods of restricting. They don't work! None of it works. Oh, some methods do work to get limited weight loss or prevent weight gain from bingeing, but in the long run you will gain the weight back. And you will pay a severe price in physical and emotional damage. That is the bottom line of an eating disorder.

It is not about the weight. It is about the insanity of what we do to try and control our weight. There is a saying, "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." That is what we do when we have an eating disorder. There is only one way to stop the damage and pain of an ED and that is to get off the merrygoround of binge and purge and restrict. I disagree with the last poster who feels there is no option but to binge and gain weight or find ways to restrict or compensate. I disagree but I felt exactly the same way fifteen years ago, as if I had no other options. Now I know differently because after about 30 years of suffering from an eating disorder I have been in recovery for fifteen years. Recovery is possible. There is a lot of good advice on this thread. It boils down to getting help to get off the merry go round. Talk to your doctor, see a therapist (one experienced in working with eating disorders) or attend OA. Or do all three. You can recover.

[alldway]

Okay now why are all these questions being answered only by skinny people with ED instead of big people who are just looking for a way to cheat by tasting what they want or WOULD HAVE eating if they weren't dieting? Just an escape every now and then to eat something bad and spit it out and along with eating something good and swallowing it. And to address some of the other responses, it isn't wasting food if you were going to eat it in the first place? You just didn't swallow it. Bad food is cheap. Good food is expensive. It's cheap to gain weight. It's expensive to lose it. For example... You can buy 10 taco's for 5 bucks or one grassy wrap for 5 bucks. GIVE ME THE 10 TACOS. Or just get the one nasty grassy wrap and 4 GOOD TASTING tacos, eat and swallow the grassy wrap and chew and spit out the GOOD TASTING TACOS. 7 bucks spent.  Question is... is it bad for you and will it work. Don't leave no stupid comments about wasting food, cause the fact is that there are tons more food wasted on just fat people eating 4 times more than skinny people so pass on those comments. And when you are already over 250 lbs an ED to lose weight is more than welcomed.

[Warped_Reflections]

wow alldway, where should I begin? First of all, have you ever even had an eating disorder? You sound very naive about eating disorders. I dont think you understand what they are about and not everyone with an eating disorder is skinny.
The thing that bothered me most is your comment of "And when you are already over 250 lbs an ED to lose weight is more than welcomed. " I can not believe you would support someone having an eating disorder! It does NOT matter how much someone weighs because an eating disorder is NEVER a welcomed thing! An eating disorder is a mental disease that destroys people and makes them very sick. Please dont post in this forum if your responses to people are going to be so unhelpful and negative. And let me repeat an eating disorder is NEVER a welcomed thing!

[cassy_beth]

sry but thats a crazy way to lose weight....take it from me you dont want to start doing things like that

[hoovla78]

I know quite a few people said that c&s causes your cheeks to blow up.... Why does this happen?

[DAL05]

I use to do that wen I would fast and have crazy cravings, yes its not healthy because most become addictited to it. But theres a trick to it(well this is what i did and it worked for me) Id chew the food, spit out most and swallow some...that why u ont confuse your body and u'll get some of the cals....and I'd just do some cardio and wok it off...As I said this may not be good avice for everyone...cuz Its not an addiction for me. I only do it when i fast and not always...

[whiteman12]

im a guy and food is my worse enemy..i was aneroxic but overpowered it to bulemia since it was less noticable..i am also an alcoholic..i drink anywhere from 8-12 beers a day but barely eat because im afriad of extra calories. For all u out there that are looking forward to this c&s its not gonna work. I tried it and if anything it made me more hungry to the point i went on a binge and had to get rid of it. Chew and spitting is a gateway ED. Its like marijuana to drugs. Im trying my best to get over this, But it is extremely hard

[Anthony1974]

Chewing and spitting may sound like a good idea if you've not tried it before, but its easier said than done. I tried this method when trying to lose weight, using chocolate bars, and I stayed the same. It is natural that you swallow food you chew, so it can be quite tricky to do this, especially with something you enjoy and crave for, so the temptation to give in to the last bite like I did is very hard to resist, and thinking it would not matter, and it does not fully satisfy like if you swallow it, so you may go for a second bar.
Also some of the sugar will be getting absorbed through the mouth into the blood stream, and so you will be consuming more calories than you think.
This can also get quite challenging and stimulate the appetite more.
I often have thought if this method was a successful, then surgeons would fit overweight people with bags to their foodpipe that they turn on when they get a craving to overeat, but that may never be possible.

[csi76]

you will gain weight. you become complacent. i'll just swallow a bit,it won't hurt. it will. c/s dictates my whole life. I can't do the things I want to cus i'm always bloated from the c/s the night before. going out with my wife and kid has beCome almost non-existent. I know I should  take control. its been 14 yrs now. still overweight and no confidence. but there is hope for us. we can change it. we have to.

[Silo222000]

I'm a guy.  I'm 30 and I've been bulemic for 10 years with no help to get out of this hell.  My heart is all messed up now.  Had no idea that Bulemia messes up the electrolyte balance in your stomach, slowly killing your heart.  Several years ago, I told a few people closest in the world to me about my ED, but I guess they just didn't care.  To this day, they pretend I've never told them and they don't know about it.  I recently started C/S and it seems to help.  Bulemia is almost gone now.  I eat healthy food and spit out junk.  I don't use it everyday and I don't use it as an excuse to go get extra stuff to eat.  I only spit out stuff I was gonna have anyway.  So I end up eating a chicken sandwich instead of what I WOULD HAVE EATEN; a chicken sandwich, 2 cheeseburgers, and fries.  I never do this with sweets.  I eat sweets normally.  My body needs a little over 2600 calories a day to maintain my heavy weight.  With C/S, I don't binge/purge and I intake around 2100 cal/day.  I've lost 15 pounds of BODY FAT, not muscle.  I get all the nutrients I need in food and multivitamins.  

How can this be damaging???

Oh yeah, and C/S is gross, but what I came from, Bulemia, was SOOOOOOO much worse!

[Annamd]

Hi,  I am not sure about the CS but, how do you go out in public and do this?  I am a recoving Bulimic and once in a while I fall off the wagon but, at least it is in private.  It is very scary to think about this disease and the damage it can do.  I am seeking help and hopefully you may consider that as well.

I lost my gag reflex and I am not sure if it will come back.  I hope it does but not sure.

Good luck

[Silo222000]

oh, yeah, not something you can do in public.  it's as private as Bulimia is.  CS is obviously a disorder, just the lesser of 2 evils for me is all.  

i hope you are able to defeat your struggle.  really do.

[cassylynn]

I just started chewing and spitting but I feel like my habit is unique from what the norm seems to be. I don't binge when I chew and spit. I chew and spit around 500 calories a day. The only calories I actually consume come from a 200 calorie meal replacement chake in the middle of the day.
What will happen to me if i continue this?

[Silo222000]

are you saying you're only intaking 200 cal/day?  is the meal replacement shake once a day all you're eating?

[Loveyoga26]

Hi

I was diagnosed with Anorexia in 2008 and have been in recovery since 2009 and I am now back at a healthy weight (I still think I am a gigantic whale!) Some days are brutal and I CANNOT stop eating in my sleep. I feel good when I don't eat all day and then I go to sleep and I physically can't stop myself from binging on ice cream and peanut butter in my sleep. I am so scared to get fat, so I started chewing and spitting, and after reading this forum, I feel like I gained another 5 pounds. This is really making me go crazy! Does anyone have any advice for night binges, and any ideas of what I can do slowly quit it? I know some people are going to respond with, eat more during the day, but it's not that easy! I get so anxious when I eat more during the day. If someone has advice, I'd be so thankful!

Thanks :)

[Libby2999]

Ew! Not really, If you like to just chew get some gum to chew.

[kbsydney]

I have suffered from disordered eating since I was a teenager, never diagnosed with a full-blown ED.  Then I started chewing and spitting last year.  Started with doing it occassionally with not much food.  

It has now taken over my life and has become an addicition.  Hate to think how much money it has cost me, but since I would easily go through almost $50 worth of food a night doing this, it's not hard to work out.  

It has taken control of my life.  I don't want to go out with friends at night because as soon as I finish work all I want to do is go home and have  a C&S binge.  I had a friend stay with me for a few days and was getting so irritated because I couldn't engage in this behaviour.

It doesn't help you lose weight because you do end up swallowing some of it, and if you are like me it is all high calorie foods you are binging on, so now I have started purging as well.  

I have to travel for work sometimes and all I can think about is whether I will be able to C&S where I am going.    '

Seriously, it may not be considered as "serious" as anorexia or bulimia, but honestly, it is an eating disorder.  

Oh, and in terms of medical complications, I have low iron and low vitamin B because i never eat proper meals any more (and yet I don't lose weight as I noted above).  It is also causing dental problems.  

It is a disgusting habit/addiction/illness, whatever you want to call it.  I'm an intelligent person (actually am a university lecturer), and I feel so disgusted with my self everytime I do it .... every time will be the "last time".... yeah right.  

[abigirl20]

I HATE this ed it consumes me, i use to workout every day and was anorexic but now all i can think about is c&S since i discovered it its been a year now its expensive its ruining my teeth ive had 3 cavaties in one year. it bloats me and i get the swollen glands too. this habit isolates you from the outside world so when my family comes to visit i cant hide it and i get irritable so then i have to eat. Ive tried to stop then i crave the food i would usually c&s so i allow myself to eat then i gain weight. im now depressed because for 4 months i ate instead of c&s and i gained 25 pounds and gained 5 pounds prevesiouly from the c&s episodes. for a total of 30 whoppen pounds in one year. im 5.3' was 107 and now im 137lbs. ive struggled with anorexia my whole life now i struggle with anorexia, c&s, and binging. i am 137 pounds with ed how can this be? so disgusted with my self i cant even leave my house except to go to college and come back home i have no friends and no social life since i isolated my self and let the ed take over my life. :( i want help but am emberessed to get it especially since i dont look like someone who has ed. Ive recently went back to my anorexic ways to lose the 30 pounds. i have one to two protein shakes a day with lots of ice to feel me up but the c&s keeps haunting me cause i get stressed from college or my kids or my ex and i start c&s binging to cope. im in nursing school and know how horrible this is but at the same time i  body issues and i have anxiety attacks  when i see myself at this weight. i hope anyone who is thinking about doing this doesnt start becuase its addictive and consumes your life. And to those people who already have this ed i can relate and i wish you luck becuase i know i need it. (thanks for letting me vent i cried the whole time i typed this)      

[laynee07]

Can you explain how it bloats your cheeks or ruin your teeth? I just started. I gained a rapid 10 lbs recently and sometimes I get bored and want to eat almonds or a piece of bread. However, once I start chewing, I don't want to swallow it so I spit it out.

is that dangerous? I'm still eating regular meals and exercising.

[Lila_Hyde]

Honestly, I do it. I used to have chewing gums all day so I'd feel like I was actually eating, but in the end it wasn't enough, always the same taste. Then I had this idea to spit the food when I was done chewing. Thing is, I've been struggling with food since I was 14 and I'm 20 now, so I've learntto know myself and my reactions towards food. I know for a fact that if I'm binging, I won't be able to just spit it out, cause I eat too fast for that. I only c&s when it's a specific craving, just so I get the taste off my mind. And then I drink coffee to make it go away. It sort of helps me feel less frustrated about my cravings, cause what I miss the most when I'm fasting is actually chewing on food and tasting it. But all in all, I'd rather be not doing it and I wish I could have a normal diet. C&s helps me reduce my binging (plus I don't know about you girls, but I purge after every meal - or at the end of the day when I didn't get the chance to purge straight after) and calms me down cause I don't feel that guilty after spitting out the food.

But honestly, I wouldn't recommend this sort of dieting to anyone. It can only lead to something much worse. When I started my first diet at 14, I was far from knowing where it would get me. I'm 5ft9 and my peak weight was 98lbs. I was so happy when I finally was under 100, but being that weight for my height has consequences and I ended up in hospital for three months. I've gained weight and today I am 125lbs and I feel really embarassed to write that down. I'd like to go down to 120.
Today I'm still not over the whole eating thing. My diet is really unhealthy and consists in fasting for 4 days and having dinner at the end of the fourth day (dinner = soup + an apple or a low fat yogurt. all of which must equal 150 calories or less).
I wouldn't say I have an ED though, and I hate it when people say I'm sick, it's just the way I am, it's part of me now and I can't picture myself not being like that.
It's pretty sad and I wish I could be normal and not give a damn about my weight, but I can't.

[techwarryor]

I eat my normal healthy food that's in my diet 6x a day. 350 - 400 cals per meal. My problem is that there are dishes of candy full of Kitkats, hershey bars around the office. Then there are trays of treats at home like christmas cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, rice krispie treats and m&ms. So after I eat my egg whites, broccoli and brown rice, I want to end with that dessert taste in my mouth. So Instead of swallowing the M&M's like I shouldn't be (not in my diet), I chew them thoroughly then spit them out. I make sure that I don't swallow any saliva and then I rinse and spit with water. So I've got a full stomach ( full of healthy stuff) and a pleasant aftertaste. What's more, I seem to get the same sugar-buzz that I would get if I swallowed - not sure how that works. By the way, I don't think much sugar is absorbing directly through the tissues of your mouth. If any, it is negligible. So I might do this with a couple of mouthfuls of sweet stuff after 2 or 3 meals of the day. For me, if I am definitely consuming 2000-2500 calories a day, I don't see the harm in chewing and spitting out 300 to 400 more calories of desserts/snacks if that is where it stays. This practice seems relatively harmless compared to say gastric bypass surgery and the accompanying risks. Perhaps there is some effect that doing this as I've described causes that I'm not aware of? If so, I'm all ears.

[lily_girl409]

I have recently undergone bariatric surgery-gastric plication. My mother and sister both had to have bariatric surgery as well--it's our family heritage...

I have always struggled with my weight since puberty. I never was a girl that could fit into clothes bought from places like Abercrombie & Fitch or even the GAP. I was, and am, EXTREMELY self-conscious about my weight. In 2008, I was diagnosed with type 2 bi-polar disorder. In 2009, I gave up on myself and ballooned to the size I am now. At my peek weight before the surgery, I weighed 302 lbs. I am 5'3"... I do have an ED, it is over-eating. However, I have been on a liquid diet for 3 weeks now due to the surgery. I have resorted to c&s because frankly, the thought of another cup of boullion makes me want to hurl. I literally CANNOT put any food into my new stomach pouch as of yet b/c my stomach is still healing. Am I going to continue this behavior after I am put on full liquids and soft foods? No, probably not. Am I doing it several times a day or everyday? No, I'm not. Only when I'm having an undeniable craving. When done temporarily, other than some indigestion from my "stomach" preparing for the food it's never going to have, I don't see the problem in it. It's giving me the taste without giving me the digested particles my stomach can't handle right now. It fulfills a temporary need, thus it is useful for the present.

You can flame all you want about the c&s but please don't flame on my weight. I have taken DRASTIC steps to literally get a new lease on life and do not need any discouragement at this stage. thank you.

[whoiam0951234]

actually no. If your thinking about food ( including eating, and putting the food in your mouth, seeing , and possibly just smelling it ), you actually gain weight. Crazy right? Yes, but also true. If you don't believe me i'll explain how its possible..: Its as simple as any time you are in an act of any5 senses by food.  Once you've absorbed food, the glucose goes into your blood stream, which eventually travels into the insulin receptors . The insulin receptors open when it senses food. Once, the "food" has entered the Insulin receptor, it allows it to travel in the cells and body tissue. However, when the food has bad fat or sugar, you gain weight. Think about it now; if fat or sugar (which just turns into more fat) travels into cells and creates more fat cells, and absorbs into your body tissue. Which make you fat. There you go :) good luck , and BTW thats why its hard to lose weight lol.. its easier just to not gain it in the first place lol

[five5kids]

It seems like a lazy way to try to lose weight, but in the same sense a lot of work as well.  Wouldn't it be a smarter, wiser choice  to research healthy eating options.  If you have enough will power to spit out everything you eat then you have enough to be making the right choices.  Remember it's not the quantity of food to focus on but the quality. What was our bodies orginally designed to eat?  Burgers, fries, pizza, cake, icecream, or whatever is out there.  Or was our bodies made to eat fruit, vegies, whole grains, etc. All I'm saying is that we all know what we are supposed to be eating to a certain extent.  We shouldn't be telling ourselves "oh, I don't know what are the good healthy foods"  If you stick to the basics and out of the center Isles of the grocery stores and fast food you should do great.   Stick with simple things :  an apple, some grapes, carrots, spinach, chicken, lamb, whole grains.  Keep it simple and your body will be able to keep up with what you are putting in it and you won't need to spit your food out.  Drink lots of water to flush all the bad stuff out.  Check into organic and raw products.  Research and decide this is your life.  You only get one don't waste it spitting all the wrong foods out.  Live it healthy and right by making the right choices.  No weight watcher points, no pre packaged meals,  eat what God intended you to.  Good luck!  Hope this advice helps.  :)

[hemakesmesmile]

First, I really hope that you come around and learn that it is important to take care of yourself.  If not for you, do it for the people who love you....thats what I do.  I am 5'7" and weigh 130. I feel fat and I work hard to not gain weight.  I was bulimic when i was younger but I have made it past that and YOU CAN TOO.  I struggle to this day and some days I just can't help myself but I just think of my son and my family who would be so disappointed if they knew this was going on....... to answer your question, what if you just didn't buy the junk food and ice cream..... (peanut butter is not bad for you) Maybe if you find yourself binging on healthier foods, you will not feel so much guilt in the morning.  It may actually be a good thing and ake you feel better.  If your body is telling you to eat and you are eating only when you are not able to control it, force yourself to eat something that will help your body get through the abuse (sorry for the honesty) that it has to go through during the day.  I wish you the best of luck and I would love to hear how you are doing.

Jessica