[fluffybunny1]

Hi

i am new to this forum. I too suffer with moderate depression. I have developed a binge eating disorder which adds to the depression as i cant seem to stick to a diet any more. I went to the doc and he gave me a rx for citolopram but i wanted to try natural things. So far i have tried SAM-E, L-Tyrosine, 5-HTP, B Vitamins and Inositol - the best of these so far has been the Inositol as it has reduced my sugar cravings a little but i still lact energy and motivation. However i am an absolute sugar addict and i am at my wits end trying to quit. I did read that a high protein diet can help with blood sugar issues but as i am about 85% vegan - the binges arent vegan - mainly choclate / biscuits, i find it difficult to eat high protein as i stay away from soy also.

Does anyone think that the sugar cravings are linked to a dopamine deficiency?? I have just ordered a herb called Mucuna which i have read great reviews on for mood and motivation, and hope this is the key to helping me get focused on things i used to love doing.

The problem is i think my husband thinks when i binge that i am just being a pig - he is very sporty and talented at everything he turns his hand too but i feel that every time i i binge and tehn say ok i am starting again - he is thinking change the record. Plus he is very slim and has to worry about not loosing too much weight due to his sports which makes me feel like cr*p. Dont get me wrong he is a lovely kind caring person and always tells me he loves me and i adore him - hes actually nearly perfect! but i feel he just wants the old me back and doesnt want to have to deal with this. I am the heaviest i have ever been - 142lbs which i know to others isnt overweight but for me i am about 17lbs more than i should be.

The reason i have posted here is that i feel no one understands what i am goin through and am tortured by food thoughts constantly. This is an awful way to live isnt it and i feel selfish when i know i have a great life in other respects.

I look forward to the support on this forum.

[krampus]

bunny,

I understand what it's like to be an average/normal weight yet suffer from uncontrollable food binges. While I've not taken medication for depression, I have definitely found myself in unpredictable cycles of binge-diet-binge-diet-starve-unholy huge binge, and it feels like it's chopping away directly at my self worth.

Is it possible at all to just cut yourself off from sugar? Sweets are basically engineered to be addictive. Focus on not binging and weight loss will come on its own. For me to get out of the binging habit, I had to sort of forget about dieting for a while. I didn't gain or lose, but I think the "break" may have been what helped me stop eating thousands of pointless candy/junk calories in one sitting.

[fluffybunny1]

thanks krampus for your advice, i do try and succeed some days but then i start over analysing and get sucked back in again - but u are right cause amazing as it sounds to me even now, i was at my thinist about 2 years ago when i thought sod it and didnt care anymore and i actually was like at 14% body fat and people were concerned about my weight lol - but then i started to think oh i wont be able to maintain this and the more i focused on not putting on weight from my lowest point that was when i started to gain weight to the point where i am now -oh the irony!!! Thanks for your post!

[berryblondeboys]

You need to make some choices. If being vegan means that you can't stay away from sugars, then maybe you should introduce some other foods into your diet so you can stay away from sugars.

I would bet my LIFE that the sugars are doing you more harm than dairy and meat proteins would. Not saying you have to jump all in, but maybe vegan isn't the answer for you.

For me to get off a sugar high, I HAVE to get off the sugar 100% and what I have found works to get off the sugars is to eat something high in fat and protein - whenever I want sugars, I grab high fat and protein and while that might mean too many calories for THAT day, it will, after a day or two result in no more sugar cravings and back to a low/no sugar diet which is the ultimate goal anyway.

My best "go to" food in that case is a bacon cheeseburger (minus the bun). Won't work for you, obviously. But what about almonds? (also high in fiber which is filling)? or mixed nuts? (skipping things like trailmix and such that add in sugars).

[tessendicott]

I was just telling someone else that when I started drinking more water and eating fruit, my sugar cravings completely went away.

What I would suggest, if possible (I know it's not for some), when you go to the store, don't buy it. You can't eat it if it's not in the house. When I go grocery shopping I make out a list of what I need for the week and I stick to it VERY strictly.

I hope everything works out for you!

[Sum38]

First of all

I was a massive sugar addict. If you do a little research you will find that some experts think sugar is more addicting than some heavy drugs.

Because I personally feel, sugar intake is addiction, it will give you heck of a time to release you from its evil claws. -- But the only way to do it is to tough it out. It will take about 4 weeks to detox and it will be HARD!

I am not talking about just sweets. I am talking about flour (esp white) that turns into sugar, almost right away after you swallow it.

I did it. It was sheer h3ll, I must say. I gave up all added sugar and wheat.

Now about 4 months later, I can not stand the taste. Pop tastes like sugar water, and it grosses me out.

I have eaten all natures fruits and veggies. I have one little sin; italian salad dressing. It has 3g of added sugar; that is the ONLY added sugar I get during my day.

Please watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

Also reading a book called Wheat Belly really opens one's eyes about this addiction.

Good luck. PM anytime!!!

ETA: Once I went off sugar; I started losing weight; nearly 20 pounds how

[fluffybunny1]

Yes i get what you are saying about my veganism - as much as i hate to admit it, buy i feel my diet is too carby and like u say it is triggering my binging. I have been trying to be vegan over a year now and stressing about trying to be perfect has made things worse. i feel i have failed the animals in part also. I know the sugar is harmful but i could never go back to eatin meat - have been veggie for 12 years now but i could maybe add in some quorn products for protein which contain small amounts of egg and milk and cut back on the large amounts of fruit i am eating as well and up the greens. I will give this a try from tomorrow morning and see how i get on, but just a note, i hate the farming practices involved in the meat and dairy production, breaks my heart how they are exploited in cruel unnessary ways. Yes i will defo try and keep at the forefront of my mind that sugar is the white devil as i know deep down it is.

thanks for tips x

[BananaMontana]

You don't have to eat animal products to eat high protein. Do you have vegan cookbooks at all? There's a book called Appetite for Reduction full of very healthy vegan recipes and it gives all of the nutrition information right in the book. You can also snack on nuts, like almonds or something.

It sounds like you're eating vegan but you're not eating healthy vegan. Loading up on carbs and chocolate is not the way to maintain that lifestyle. If you eat healthier vegan meals it will help you to feel fuller and give you more energy, which in turn may make you a bit less depressed.

[Sum38]

I actually love my vegetarian days. -- I do three veggie and fruit days per week. -- I add flax seed (ground) to my bfast smoothie. ( I do use yogurt, I don't know if you avoid that). I eat avocados for fat on those days.... No bread products. Sometimes I toss tofu in my salad and I am stuffed

I eat cheese, usually feta, meat once per week and chicken and fish the other two days. But I understand how hard it can be to eat that stuff!

I am a nut for nuts.... LOL

[Brooklynn]

you have to be happy with you and though I would give my right arm to only have 17 more lbs to lose if it bothers you thats all that matters. Now what I think is you should take advantage of that sporty hubby of yours and ask him to help you stay on track. Have him tell you when your binging and try not to get upset or offended by it. I realize that is easier said than done but it works well when my hubby helps me stay in line. He sounds like a nice guy and if he understands women even a little he must know that we all go through times in our lives were we eat one candy bar to many, but you are aware of the issue just don't let it eat at you. Start slow and do what feels right to you! Good luck!

[astrophe]

I haven't read the other replies... I know 17 lbs is 17 lbs, but I think your depression is coloring it way darker than it is or has to be.

I try to teach my kid emotional price tagging. If you stub your toe you yell "Ouch! My toe!" and that's enough of an emotional price tag for that. You don't react to that the same to a toe as you do when your lose your cel phone. And I hope you don't react the same to the phone being lost as the death of a loved one! Each thing has the appropriate emotional price tag, right? Not too much, not too little.

17 lbs is work to get off, definitely. But you are beating on yourself way too much. You spouse loves you, I'm sure. But he might be tired of you giving 17 lbs a larger emotional price tag than it is worth when you have other health issues like depression that are far more serious that aren't getting any budget at all. Are you spending your emotional budget wisely?

Review your stuff.

First, take your citolpram! You went to the doc and you were given this for a reason. Make the commitment to take it while you research other options. You will feel better, and then perhaps can take that feeling better time to set up an appt with an herbalist and whatever else you have to do.

Natural supplements have their place, certainly. But so do pharmaceuticals.

Next, learn some recipes that are more balanced. Get checked for insulin resistance too.

You don't sound vegan to me. You sound like you might be "grain-a-tarian. "

It's a common mistake vegetarians and vegans get into -- going too hard and heavy on the grains and grain flour products. Pick it up on the , plant oils, legumes, nuts, seeds, VEGETABLES, and ease up on the grains. Go light on the fruits -- that can spike. Learn portion sizes.

Get a hold of "The Vegetarian Way" by Virginia Messina and Mark Messina. Pay attention to the protein chapter and the diabetic chapter.

http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Way...9935095&sr=8-1

You know those grains cause blood sugar spikes, right? It doesn't have to actually TASTE sweet for it to do that. Even "healthier brown rice" spikes it -- it's the glycemic index. Bread, crackers, pretzels -- all of it.

Take it one thing at a time.

GL!

A.

[berryblondeboys]

Originally Posted by astrophe

I haven't read the other replies... I know 17 lbs is 17 lbs, but I think your depression is coloring it way darker than it is or has to be.

I try to teach my kid emotional price tagging. If you stub your toe you yell "Ouch! My toe!" and that's enough of an emotional price tag for that. You don't react to that the same to a toe as you do when your lose your cel phone. And I hope you don't react the same to the phone being lost as the death of a loved one! Each thing has the appropriate emotional price tag, right? Not too much, not too little.

17 lbs is work to get off, definitely. But you are beating on yourself way too much. You spouse loves you, I'm sure. But he might be tired of you bemoaning 17 lbs with a larger price tag than it is worth when you have other health issues like depression that are far more serious!

Review your stuff.

First, take your citolpram! You went to the doc and you were given this for a reason. Make the commitment to take it while you research other options. You will feel better, and then perhaps can take that feeling better time to set up an appt with an herbalist and whatever else you have to do.

Natural supplements have their place, certainly. But so do pharmaceuticals.

Next, learn some recipes that are more balanced. Get checked for Insuling resistance too.

You don't sound vegan to me. You sound like you might be "grain-a-tarian. "

It's a common mistake vegetarians and vegans get into -- going too hard and heavy on the grains and grain flour products. Pick it up on the , plant oils, legumes, nuts, seeds, VEGETABLES, and ease up on the grains. Go light on the fruits -- that can spike. Learn portion sizes.

Get a hold of "The Vegetarian Way" by Virginia Messina and Mark Messina. Pay attention to the protein chapter and the diabetic chapter.

http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Way...9935095&sr=8-1

You know those grain carbs cause blood sugar spikes, right? It doesn't have to actually TASTE sweet for it to do that. Even "healthier brown rice" spikes it -- it's the glycemic index. Bread, crackers, pretzels -- all of it.

Take it one thing at a time.

GL!

A.

This is a great post.

And I second the grains are sugars too mantra. I was taking my blood sugars when I was pregnant for awhile (Gestational diabetes) and for awhile while I got things back in control and guess what? My body doesn't care if it's brown rice, white rice, whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, white pasta or a chocolate chip cookie - EACH of those things raise my blood sugar the same. THe only grain that didn't was quinoa. And for some strange reason Potatoes don't spike me (but do for most people).

So, eating lots of grains and fruits is the same for your blood sugar as eating refined sugars. Sure, there are other health benefits, but your body still gets too much sugar - period.

Instead I picked up more greens, more nots, more dairy, more beans and more meats. Voila - my blood sugars are now perfect and I feel so much better. I don't know if I could do it going vegan.

I'm not knocking vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, but if you are going to do it, it's a lot more work to find a healthy balance - seems you haven't found it.

[Sum38]

Berry, you sound like me. -- Well I have Celiac and I simply can not have any wheat....but I react to rice as well. I can handle potatoes as well. Sugar...omg... just the smell or presence of it make me gain weight

I think so many of these grains are genetically modified that they are not even real food any more....when you think about why all these allergies? We did not have all food intolerance problems, let's day, even 30 years ago.

Obesity has increased...coincidence? I fear not.

I fear carbs (sugar and starch kind).... My DD wanted to go gluten free, out of her own will, and so many things improved in her life; her skin; psoriasis, menstrual cramps, HER MOOD . She says she will never go back. Same with my husband. He says he feels incredibly good.

Funny thing; my husband ate a sandwich and he got sick. His stomach was a mess for two days...someone pointed out that we can go without, let's say bananas, for 3 months and if we eat one, we don't get sick. But if we go without grain for 3 months; some of us get really sick upon returning back to carb eating.... like my hubby.

Sorry everyone, I am a bit passionate about gluten free diet

[Natasha22]

I have trouble controlling my sugar cravings as well, it's what I'm struggling with the most. I agree that some fruits should be avoided, because they can make you crave sugar even more. Kidney beans, black beans, lentils are legumes that not only are low in fat, but they also contain protein and fibers that help in suppressing your appetite. They are digested slowly and do not cause any spikes in your blood sugar level. Oatmeal also helps in naturally suppressing your appetite and lowers your cholesterol level. Because it is contains fibers, complex carbohydrates and essential fatty acids, having a cup of oatmeal for breakfast keeps you fuller and maintains your blood sugar levels for a longer period of time.

I feel sorry that you have these feelings about your husband, I can relate to what you're feeling, but I'm sure you have all his support and affection and you shouldn't be too hard on yourself.

good luck!

[Huzzahforska]

Originally Posted by tessendicott

I was just telling someone else that when I started drinking more water and eating fruit, my sugar cravings completely went away.

What I would suggest, if possible (I know it's not for some), when you go to the store, don't buy it. You can't eat it if it's not in the house. When I go grocery shopping I make out a list of what I need for the week and I stick to it VERY strictly.

This^^

I've noticed that when I don't drink enough water and am not getting a decent amount of natural sugars that all I want is candy. I mean, I still get those almost uncontrollable urges, but they're less frequent and a lot less intense if I eat more fruit and drink more water.

I buy my food for the week off a list.. because if I don't have a strict list of what to buy I just kinda go crazy in the grocery store and buy whatever I feel like, which isn't usually good stuff. Unfortunately I live with my in-laws and they don't exactly buy the healthiest foods.. well.. they don't really buy anything healthy, but I try to just eat what I've bought for myself. If It's not there, or I don't know it's there, I don't even think about it most of the time, and when I do it's kind of fleeting (since I live out in the country and 35 miles is a LONG drive for junk food).