Chicks in Control Overeating? Binging? Share uplifting support and gain control!

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Old 04-13-2013, 08:12 PM   #121  
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Sigh...help...i am so frustrated. Same story as always...i manage to stick with a diet for a month or so, and then i start binging, and the binging becomes more and more frequent until the point where the diet just CLEARLY is not working, and then i figure it's time for a diet break or a new plan, even though a diet break is not warranted since i've barely lost any weight. I keep trying to just raise my calories, basically i'm at maintenance level calories right now, and i STILL can't stick with it!! If i just "stop dieting," however, i'll end up higher than my weight of 160.5 this morning, which is not acceptable. I just don't know what to do I know what will probably happen is that i'll just give up for a couple of weeks, gain another few pounds, panic, and then start on a new diet, do great for the first few weeks...and thus the cycle begins again. Well...if that happens...i guess the good news is that i'm not GAINING weight, just relosing and regaining the same 5 pounds. Better than gaining i guess
For some reason I thought I'd already responded to this post, but as I was going back through the thread I realized that I hadn't (although I meant to).

I don't have a whole lot to add to what bingefree2013 posted, and I agree with that post. I wanted to say, however, that I do have some understanding of your frustration. My situation was a bit different in that I had more weight to lose (I'm saying this based on the information in your profile), but for some reason I just could NOT motivate myself, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't even take it off for my daughter's wedding, and if that's not a motivator, I don't know what is!

I'd struggled for over a year to get the extra weight off, and being 61 years old the health benefits for me outweighed any vanity issues. Still, I couldn't do it. I would do pretty much what you are describing. I didn't really "binge" so much as just do a lot of "last supper" eating, meaning I'd eat extra food (sometimes junk food, sometimes not) in anticipation of starting over the next day, or the next Monday, or whatever.

And what I wanted to say is that all I accomplished in that time was put on more weight. I seriously started trying to diet again around August of 2011, right after my father died. I'd lost a lot of weight and reached goal in 2010, only to start putting it back on almost immediately. At August of 2011 I was at least 10 lbs heavier, probably closer to 15. And when I finally said "enough" to the dieting I had gotten to the 25 lbs overweight mark. So I put on anywhere from 10-15 lbs doing what I described above.

Had I continued, I'd probably be approaching the 30 lb overweight mark right now.

I'm not telling you what to do; in fact, I think bingefree2013 is right to state that you may not be ready to stop the dieting. You have to be ready to accept some weight gain. It may or may not happen, but you have to be prepared for it.

But I feel pretty confident in saying that if you continue the pattern you are describing, you will in all likelihood gain anyway.

Like many others, I've been "successful" with dieting. I use the quotes because what I mean is that I was able to successfully take the weight off, but not truly successful because I was never able to keep it off.

But when I finally gave up dieting for good, I knew in my heart of hearts that I absolutely could never do it again. I should have admitted that to myself when I didn't get the weight off for my daughter's wedding, but I still kept trying. Until it eventually dawned on me that I was done. Totally and completely done.

From what you're writing, I have to agree with bingefree2013; I don't think you're there yet. But I'm rooting for you, whatever path you decide to take!
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Old 04-13-2013, 09:59 PM   #122  
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Hi, I've decided to start a new thread for people who would like to stop dieting and being restrictive. I am also hoping those of you that have been successful at this will give tips on how they were able to transition from being a chronic dieter/restrictive eater to someone who no longer restricts and considers themselves recovered from disordered eating.

I am a binge eater and have considered that to be my problem for some time now, but I think my main problem is really being an obsessive dieter/restrictive eater and binging is just the symptom of that behaviour. Please any tips on how to not diet would be much appreciated. Also, just personal stories for inspiration would be so great. I have never had a weight problem and have never weighed more than 120 pounds at 5'5", yet I struggle so much with restriction followed by binging.
I only have received positive results when I stopped being restrictive. I mean I have lost weight before. I was a yo-yo dieter until about three years ago and I lost 40 pounds and kept it off. (Have another 40 to go) but I decided just to be healthy and lose the weight slower. I do the Sonoma diet mostly and just stick with Phase 2. I get to have pasta but I make sure I protein and veggies with it.

Losing weight is surprisingly easy compared to maintaining!
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Old 04-14-2013, 07:43 AM   #123  
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All that to say, how does a person with that background develop a normal relationship with food? I was clearly out of touch with my hunger/fullness signals long before I started dieting, and any kind of change in my eating habits would have felt like "restriction."

...

Please know that I don't ask to be snarky - I ask because I wonder how I could have done it differently, and how we can help those around us in the same boat, both here in 3FC and in real life.
I don't think you're being snarky at all. I question methods of non dieting myself because I perceive it to mean that we have to snap our fingers and become a different person. We all know people who are naturally thin/fit, who don't worry about food or calories, who intrinsically eat the right amount of food at the right time and don't get led around by their cravings. I want to be like those people, I want to "not diet too" we want to be "naturally thin" but the truth is I am not. I've tried pretending to be like them hoping that the fake-it-till-you-make-it-method works. But I can't do it.

Disordered eating is a real concept, not something you can just wish away. I strive to reach the happy balance between binging and restrictive dieting but like you say, even one little tiny change feels restrictive! Even if I decide that instead of eating a whole bag of cheetos I'll have a large bowl instead even that feels like a noose, like I'm policing myself. And then that restrictive behavior leads to binging. I love the concept of not dieting but I love the concept of losing weight more. Those 2 will never reconcile in my life, for others yes, for me I can't imagine it.
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Old 04-14-2013, 08:27 AM   #124  
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I strive to reach the happy balance between binging and restrictive dieting but like you say, even one little tiny change feels restrictive! Even if I decide that instead of eating a whole bag of cheetos I'll have a large bowl instead even that feels like a noose, like I'm policing myself. And then that restrictive behavior leads to binging. I love the concept of not dieting but I love the concept of losing weight more. Those 2 will never reconcile in my life, for others yes, for me I can't imagine it.

Love the honesty! I suspect it's the same for me -- that I'll always have to choose between eating freely and staying slim, because my idea of eating freely will never become "normal."

F.
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Old 04-14-2013, 03:59 PM   #125  
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I don't think you're being snarky at all. I question methods of non dieting myself because I perceive it to mean that we have to snap our fingers and become a different person. We all know people who are naturally thin/fit, who don't worry about food or calories, who intrinsically eat the right amount of food at the right time and don't get led around by their cravings. I want to be like those people, I want to "not diet too" we want to be "naturally thin" but the truth is I am not. I've tried pretending to be like them hoping that the fake-it-till-you-make-it-method works. But I can't do it.

Disordered eating is a real concept, not something you can just wish away. I strive to reach the happy balance between binging and restrictive dieting but like you say, even one little tiny change feels restrictive! Even if I decide that instead of eating a whole bag of cheetos I'll have a large bowl instead even that feels like a noose, like I'm policing myself. And then that restrictive behavior leads to binging. I love the concept of not dieting but I love the concept of losing weight more. Those 2 will never reconcile in my life, for others yes, for me I can't imagine it.

You have perfectly expressed the main conflict I have when I read a thread like this one. In fact, for some reason---and I'm not proud to admit this---I tend to get a little angry reading posts from those who have "stopped dieting." For those who posted such---Southern Maven, bingefree, et al---please don't hate me for being honest. It's really nothing personal. Perhaps I'm envious because you've reached some Nirvana that I would love to get to but can't. I keep asking myself, "But how???" Just knowing is not the same as doing. I can tell myself ad nauseam to "Eat like a normal person. Don't diet" but I when I do that, I know all along that I'm faking it. In reality, like Wannabe noted, I want to eat half or a WHOLE loaf of that crusty Italian bread---and with butter.
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Old 04-14-2013, 05:16 PM   #126  
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You have perfectly expressed the main conflict I have when I read a thread like this one. In fact, for some reason---and I'm not proud to admit this---I tend to get a little angry reading posts from those who have "stopped dieting." For those who posted such---Southern Maven, bingefree, et al---please don't hate me for being honest. It's really nothing personal. Perhaps I'm envious because you've reached some Nirvana that I would love to get to but can't. I keep asking myself, "But how???" Just knowing is not the same as doing. I can tell myself ad nauseam to "Eat like a normal person. Don't diet" but I when I do that, I know all along that I'm faking it. In reality, like Wannabe noted, I want to eat half or a WHOLE loaf of that crusty Italian bread---and with butter.
Oh lin43, no offense taken! I totally understand where you're coming from.

The more I experience "non-dieting" and the more I read about others who are doing it, or who have attempted it without success, the more I'm convinced that each person has to come to it on their own. You know how when you reach a point with your weight that you say "Okay, I've had enough? I just HAVE to lose this weight, and NOW!"? And then you go on to do just that?

I think entering the "non-dieting state of mind" (apologies to Billy Joel) is very much the same. It certainly was for me. And the jury's still out for me - will I continue to be able to be comfortable in my current body and my current way of eating? Right now I believe so....but if for some reason I should lose all control and blow up like a Pufferfish then my attitude may change. But it's hard for me to really describe how totally and completely disgusted I had become with the obsession over losing weight, counting calories, and agonizing over every doggone thing I put into my mouth. I couldn't enjoy ANYTHING any longer, and I was finished worrying about it.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I have two things (well, maybe three) going that probably make it easier.

#1. I'm not that much overweight - I've yo-yo'ed with 20-25 lbs, but I've never gotten into the obese category. I'm probably no more than 20 lbs overweight right now, maybe a bit less.

#2. I've had a significant portion of my life where my eating was not disordered and I maintained a normal weight without effort. This last phase of yo-yo dieting has only been going on about 12 years.

#3. (which is tied in to #2) - I'm 61 years old. I'm tired of this ap-cray. Really, truly sick and tired of it. I don't want to spend my last years on this earth dealing with it. My age is a huge factor in all of this.

So I think it's very wise of you to realize that you just aren't there yet. And you may never be. It's really not enough to WANT to do it. You have to be at a point that you know you have no other choice.
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Old 04-14-2013, 05:42 PM   #127  
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Oh lin43, no offense taken! I totally understand where you're coming from.
Again, thank you everyone for having such a safe place to discuss these ideas and struggles! This issue, when I've discussed it in the past, does seem to bring out strong feelings, but I feel very unjudged here as I ask questions and ponder.

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You have perfectly expressed the main conflict I have when I read a thread like this one. In fact, for some reason---and I'm not proud to admit this---I tend to get a little angry reading posts from those who have "stopped dieting." For those who posted such---Southern Maven, bingefree, et al---please don't hate me for being honest. It's really nothing personal. Perhaps I'm envious because you've reached some Nirvana that I would love to get to but can't. I keep asking myself, "But how???" Just knowing is not the same as doing. I can tell myself ad nauseam to "Eat like a normal person. Don't diet" but I when I do that, I know all along that I'm faking it. In reality, like Wannabe noted, I want to eat half or a WHOLE loaf of that crusty Italian bread---and with butter.
YES!! And again, YES!! This is me in many ways. And I know for a fact there's a huge element of envy on my part. I see "normal" eaters and am astounded. I want that for myself. And I want it to be easy. But, here's the thing. I've never been a normal eater. I've always had some sort of issue with food. At least now I'm thin (and fit) with food issues, instead of obese (and unhealthy) with food issues. And, for me, that's a type of progress.

To go back a few posts, I will say that I think my own current issues with occasional binging are a combination of habit, as has been mentioned, and my broken relationship with sugar. I think habit is a huge part of it. Which is so interesting when we think about all the negative feedback our bodies and minds get from binging - but still, there must be enough positives that I keep on doing it from time to time.
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Old 04-14-2013, 06:45 PM   #128  
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I really think that one of the keys to all this is to really try and let go of the guilt that we often feel about the things we eat. Regardless of what kind of plan one is on (or no plan at all) we've all no doubt been conditioned into classifying foods as "good" or "bad," so when we eat a "bad" food - particularly if it takes us off a food plan - the inevitable guilt creeps in.

I was able to get rid of the guilt right now. Dropped it like it was on fire!!! That has really helped. I urge others, if they do suffer from that, to really work on that first. I know that a lot of people have gotten beyond that, so if I'm not talking to you (generic you), just ignore me.

And I don't classify any food as *bad* any longer. Perhaps less nutritional, but not bad.
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Old 04-14-2013, 08:53 PM   #129  
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"Starving" is an interesting and elusive concept. For many the joy of seeing the scale move to a lower number outweighs the urgency of gnawing hunger, and for others a caloric deficit that is manageable and even enjoyable for others feels like the end of the world. I think attitude plays a big factor in starvation.

When I experienced reactive binge eating and was calorie counting, I probably ate 1300 calories on my lowest calorie days - on average I'd go a little over, to 1600-1700. My macros were less than ideal - nowhere near enough protein or fats but lots of people eat that way. I think for me the "starving" sensation was less physical than psychological - I wrote down what I ate every day, tallied up calorie counts, and constantly felt like I was just counting down the seconds to the next meal. I would make all these hopeful posts every day saying "tomorrow will be better" and built it up to crumble and "fail" day after day. I regained about 15 pounds from my lowest weight.

After a global move and a couple different living situations, I started going to the gym and lifting weights and eating right again. I didn't count calories because it was too much work - and I had a boyfriend who cooked me delicious meals and I moved so I wanted to try new places to eat. The weight I had regained fell off and I haven't grossly overeaten or binged (with the exception of inebriated munchies which don't count ^__^) because I always feel like "if I NEEEEED XYZ I can have it" and regularly eat things like ice cream and steak. Sometimes I wake up feeling "gross" but never guilty or ashamed, and I just end up having a light lunch or something not to compensate for caloric excess, but because I just don't feel like eating a heavier lunch if I had a bunch of ice cream the night before.

However, I know my age and weightlifting play a huge role and I probably won't "get" to eat this much and stay in my current weight range forever...

Last edited by krampus; 04-14-2013 at 08:54 PM.
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Old 04-14-2013, 10:44 PM   #130  
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You guys have all said so much stuff I can relate to so much. Wannabeskinny, totally feel the same way alot of the time. I have always felt like I needed a plan or some kind of diet philosophy otherwise I'd be out of control, but with being so restricted I end up bingeing too. I also have felt (and still do) that it is easier for me to just say no to some things rather than try to have a small amount, kind of like the feeling you explained with the bowl of cheetos still seeming restrictive. I have argued about this whole philosophy with my sister for god knows how many years. I am only willing to try something different now because I am still a binger. In the last few years I have kind of just accepted that is who I am and try to manage it. But I can't help but be jealous of my sister who is so much less restricted and relaxed about food than I am and has completely stopped bingeing. So I have just decided to try it "her way" to see what happens.

However, I think in my desperation at wanting "non dieting" to be the answer, I was hoping bingefree's and southernmaven's approach was the answer because it just seemed the easiest, but I know it is not the answer for me. Bingefrees assessment that my restriction must mean a low calorie diet therefore starving myself is incorrect and I do feel a little frustrated with this asumption. My restriction and obsession (I suppose I'll reveal it now because I know people must be wondering how on earth I have an eating disorder when I am not conerned with weight) is that I am completely obsessed with "the perfect way of eating" or the "perfect diet with perfect nutrition". Where some people classify foods as good or bad based on their effect on weight, I classify food as good or bad based on their nutritional profile. My obsession with counting calories and entering it into a food log is not just about calories, I am much more obsessed with meeting all my "recommended daily intake" of vitamins and minerals. And where some people are only concerned with not going over a certain number of calories, I am equally concerned with being under. both situations are extremely stressful and can result in a binge if I don't meet that "perfect, optimal number for Perfect health". This is how my mind works. When I see a donut at work, I do not think what most people concerned with their weight think and say "that will make me gain weight, or that will make me go above my calories", what I say is " that will contaminate my body, it's not nutrient dense, it has trans fat which will hurt my arteries, if I consume those calories in donuts it will be difficult to meet my daily nutrient requirement, that food is unnatural and not meant for human consumption". So do you see how I am very restrictive, but not in the same way as someone who is obsessed with their weight is? Just like someone on a weightloss plan, I feel alot of guilt when I diverge from things, and the guilt and anxiety cause me to binge on the very things I try so hard not to have. I know for a fact my body is not suffering from malnutrition. My body is the picture of health. It's my mind that is very sick.

Also, I don't believe I "must gain weight during recovery". I am willing to gain some weight if that means not bingeing, but I think why some people gain weight in recovery is because they are 1. Underweight to begin with which I am not (I also don't believe I am under my "set" weight because if you look at my family I fit right in and am in fact heavier than most), or 2. Because it takes awhile to figure things out, going from all or nothing to moderation. Number 2 is what my sister experienced. She gained some weight because when she initially stopped "dieting" she did not just easily go from bingeing and purging daily to moderation. It took trial and error where she still experienced some binges due to the guilt of trying to incorporate previously banned foods. Once she learned it didn't have to be all or nothing and practiced moderation, she started losing weight. But moderation was very tough for her to learn. It took practice. It did not happen overnight. It was hard to deal with the guilt. She still exercises restraint with certain foods (junk foods) much like how krampus described with the girl guide cookies. She tells herself she can always have more tomorrow or another time, and that's what prevents her from going crazy and eating it all. And sometimes she does overeat, but has learned not to feel guilty and let it turn into a binge. She tells herself "it's okay to overeat sometimes, normal people overeat sometimes" So as you can see her experience is not very much like bingefrees experience. My sister still wants junk food when she is not hungry sometimes, simply for pleasure. My sister overeats sometimes. My sister tries to keep her home surroundings free from foods she feels she overindulges in (avoidance) and always has healthy foods she likes around. These are all things that seem different than what bingefrees experience has been. But my sister doesn't have any diet rules or foods she cannot have. She doesn't count calories, and she will never turn down foods she wants even if she knows she is not hungry and wants it just for pleasure. She does try to moderate those foods though. So maybe that's not really "not dieting". To me it doesn't seem like she is dieting, but she certainly doesn't see everything as a free for all. She cares about her heath. She tries to eat healthy food when she can. She just doesn't expect herself to be perfect. And to me that sounds alot like krampus. And it seems like kittykatfan has had an attitude similar to this too and has gone an impressive 4 months without bingeing using these strategies.

Krampus I loved how you talked about restriction and to you it was psychological starvation. That is how I feel. I don't feel physically starved and I know I am not. JenMusic, I think there is alot to be said about habbit. I am finding CBT techniqus to be helping me with this. I also read something about challenging your own beliefs to break habbits. For example, my bingeing frequeny is about once a week or once every two weeks. Once I get past a week, I almost just expect a binge to happen anytime so sometimes I feel I just do it because I am expecting to. Like a self fulfilling prophecy if that makes any sense. Not all my binges happen like this but some do.

Southernmaven - I am so glad you shared your experience and am very happy intuitive eating is working so nicely for you. After trying the intuitive eating thing, I think it is a nice alternative to calorie counting, but only works for healthy foods with me. This absolutely does not and I doubt will ever work on processed junk foods for me. This is probably an individual thing, but certain foods are just so pleasurable, hunger doesn't matter. I still want them. Also southernmaven, I should point out you've never had an eating disorder so I think it's very hard to understand for someone who has never experiened this. Overeating doesn't even come close to bingeing. I'm not saying you are not saying good things, but it's just not from someone who has dealt with the same problem.

lin43, totally feel some of your same frustration.

So finally I will say I am still doing well. I started my work week again which is always challenging. There were apple danishes in the lunchroom today. I asked myself did I want them. I said no because they looked old and stale. But after I said no I still felt so much anxiety. I realized it wasn't about whether or not the danishes looked good, it was about feeling deprived no matter what it was. So I took one and ate it. Could I have eaten the whole container? yes. Did I? no. I did what krampus did with the girl guide cookies. If I had used intuitive eating I would have been screwed. I said I could have another one tomorrow or whenever if I wanted. This seemed to satisfy me. The guilt wasn't so bad but there was a little. But the anxiety went away. I thought it would be much harder to have "some" rather than "none". But today it seemed to work out okay. I felt relieved. I did not binge. My "health" still seems okay and not damaged I'm going to keep pushing forward. Not sure if everyone cares for me to keep everyone updated on my progress. It does help me though. I feel in a way I am doing an experiment not just for me but for others who are curious. In some ways it helps me not to chicken out and revert back to my old ways.

*also, my preoccupation with food is lessening.

And just one more thing. I don't think diets or dieting is bad. Many people, even on this thread like amarantha2, and Patlib (who just commented above about enjoying the sanoma diet) are enjoying these activities and obviously find the benefits outweigh any negatives, and they can still enjoy their lives. I think dieting is bad only when it goes toooooooo far like in my case and ends in an eating disorder. If you have an eating disorder that preceded any diet, then diets are probably okay for these people too. I only wish I could be someone who could diet(be restrictive) and not have an eating disorder. I would love that.
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Old 04-14-2013, 11:46 PM   #131  
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Veggiedaze, it sounds like you have a bit of an OCD mindset when it comes to healthy eating. I hope you're able to let that go. I eat so-called unhealthy things every single day, but figure that if I eat MOSTLY healthy foods and get a reasonable balance of nutrients from week to week (not day to day), I'm doing fine. I encourage you to look at the big picture.

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Old 04-14-2013, 11:57 PM   #132  
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Freelance - ha ha "a bit of an OCD mindset" may be an understatement. I agree, I hope I can let that go just as how everyone with an eating disorder hopes they can let it go. If only it were so simple. My favourite saying is "cannot see the forest for the trees". I am really trying freelance, thank you for the encouragement.
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Old 04-15-2013, 06:45 AM   #133  
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However, I think in my desperation at wanting "non dieting" to be the answer, I was hoping bingefree's and southernmaven's approach was the answer because it just seemed the easiest, but I know it is not the answer for me.

veggiedaze - After reading your post, I agree with this assessment. We are coming from two different places entirely.


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My restriction and obsession (I suppose I'll reveal it now because I know people must be wondering how on earth I have an eating disorder when I am not conerned with weight) is that I am completely obsessed with "the perfect way of eating" or the "perfect diet with perfect nutrition". Where some people classify foods as good or bad based on their effect on weight, I classify food as good or bad based on their nutritional profile. My obsession with counting calories and entering it into a food log is not just about calories, I am much more obsessed with meeting all my "recommended daily intake" of vitamins and minerals. And where some people are only concerned with not going over a certain number of calories, I am equally concerned with being under. both situations are extremely stressful and can result in a binge if I don't meet that "perfect, optimal number for Perfect health". This is how my mind works.

I'm hearing what you're saying. I don't believe intuitive eating is your answer either. What you're describing is definitely an eating disorder, and you are wise to recognize it for what it is. I have a lot of sympathy for you in your struggle, veggiedaze.


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So do you see how I am very restrictive, but not in the same way as someone who is obsessed with their weight is? Just like someone on a weightloss plan, I feel alot of guilt when I diverge from things, and the guilt and anxiety cause me to binge on the very things I try so hard not to have.

Yes, I understand exactly what you're saying. The guilt, restriction and obsession is the same for both, but the focus is not. Yours is nutrition; mine was lbs gained or lost. Completely different.


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Southernmaven - I am so glad you shared your experience and am very happy intuitive eating is working so nicely for you. After trying the intuitive eating thing, I think it is a nice alternative to calorie counting, but only works for healthy foods with me. This absolutely does not and I doubt will ever work on processed junk foods for me. This is probably an individual thing, but certain foods are just so pleasurable, hunger doesn't matter. I still want them. Also southernmaven, I should point out you've never had an eating disorder so I think it's very hard to understand for someone who has never experiened this. Overeating doesn't even come close to bingeing. I'm not saying you are not saying good things, but it's just not from someone who has dealt with the same problem.

And I agree (with the bolded statement). When I say that I've had "disordered eating" in my lifetime I'm generally speaking of the obsessive calorie counting along with my last supper eating when I would blow my calorie count for the day and overeat to make up for the FUTURE restriction I was going to place on myself. But binging as described by many here at 3FC I can't say I ever really experienced. I can eat a moderate amount of processed foods and then stop. And at the risk of having rotten tomatoes thrown at me here, I don't even particularly like donuts. Well, that's not really true...a better way of saying it is that I don't have a strong attraction to donuts. (I like that concept, freelance!) My YMCA is directly across from my grocery store and there's a Dunkin' Donuts on the corner. The only time I ever even go in there is if I have my car in the Goodyear shop adjacent to it and I'll get a cup of coffee and probably a donut if I haven't had breakfast. That was even before I started practicing IE. I can take them or leave them.


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So finally I will say I am still doing well. I started my work week again which is always challenging. There were apple danishes in the lunchroom today. I asked myself did I want them. I said no because they looked old and stale. But after I said no I still felt so much anxiety. I realized it wasn't about whether or not the danishes looked good, it was about feeling deprived no matter what it was. So I took one and ate it. Could I have eaten the whole container? yes. Did I? no. I did what krampus did with the girl guide cookies. If I had used intuitive eating I would have been screwed. I said I could have another one tomorrow or whenever if I wanted. This seemed to satisfy me.

Actually, veggiedaze, I use this (bolded) technique all the time in IE. The knowledge that now I can have any food at any time removes the need to overindulge in it in anticipation of future restriction. It's really a central part of intuitive eating and helps me a lot if I'm tempted to eat something just because I want to enjoy the taste of it and not because I'm hungry. For example, yesterday I ate two meals - breakfast at 10:30 am and supper at 5:30 pm. Two solid meals, with absolutely nothing in between. About two hours after supper I had what I now absolutely know is mouth hunger. No way was I physically hungry. Sometimes I have an urge for just a little something to eat (sometimes sweet, sometimes crunchy) about that length of time after a meal. Yesterday it was sweet. I had a variety of things from which to choose, both nutritious and not-so-nutritious. In the past I'd have gotten something to eat and plopped in front of the TV to eat it. Totally and completely mindless eating. IE has completely stopped this behavior. Last night I would have liked a few yogurt covered pretzels. But I was not hungry. So what I said to myself last night was "you can have some tomorrow if you want them."


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*also, my preoccupation with food is lessening.

That is great to hear! And I, for one, am very interested in hearing of your progress. You started a wonderful thread that I want to see continue. Please do keep us updated!

Last edited by SouthernMaven; 04-15-2013 at 06:50 AM.
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Old 04-15-2013, 09:03 AM   #134  
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Originally Posted by SouthernMaven View Post
a better way of saying it is that I don't have a strong attraction to donuts. (I like that concept, freelance!) ... I can take them or leave them.
That makes two of us. I have virtually no attraction to donuts and had none as a child, either. Same goes for French fries, chips, and fast-food pizza. I grew up in a European household with lots of fine foods, and for better or worse that shaped my likes and dislikes. I knew the names of a dozen French cheeses by age 3, and my binges have always been focused on gourmet foods. So binging and disordered eating don't necessarily mean inhaling burgers, fries and donuts.

F.
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Old 04-15-2013, 12:20 PM   #135  
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Thanks for the support, everyone. I have decided once again to stop dieting. I did this for about 6 months late last year and initially lost a couple of pounds, then gained those back plus a couple more. I'm stopping the dieting not so much by choice, but by default...i've just been binging so much, i'm off the diet more often than i'm on it, so it just doesn't make any sense to continue this disordered eating anymore. Sigh...i'll probably be back here in another couple of months, with renewed energy to start my new dieting plan, once again.
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