[Lesley1233]

Hi all - new here and looking for some support and advice!

In spring 2014, I tried Paleo with a ton of success - I lost almost 20 pounds, felt more energetic and had fewer digestive issues. It turned out not to be a very sustainable diet plan for me long term, but I felt in control of my eating and had developed some really positive habits - I ate lean meats, mostly vegetables and fruit, nuts and eggs for protein, etc. I worked whole grains back in and maintained my exercise routine - either walking or running most days of the week.

By spring 2015, my eating habits began to change. I found myself thinking about food much more than I had before - when I was going to eat next (even while enjoying a meal!), looking at tons of recipes and food blogs online, and filling my plate more than once (sometimes more than twice) at every meal.

Now, things seem to have gotten even worse. I find myself, at least 2 times a week, eating until I'm wayyyyy past full. I eat things that I know for a fact hurt my stomach, like fried foods, with abandon. I get an almost tunnel-vision-esque mindset during a binge; I don't think about anything, all of my focus is on the food in front of me and putting as much in my mouth as humanly possible. Even if I don't end up feeling physically ill afterward, I feel emotionally drained - ashamed, angry, depressed.

I've started to see the weight come back and that is further depressing me. I've decided to take control of what's happening, recognize the triggers and patterns that go along with my binging, and actively try to avoid giving in to the desire to binge.

I would love to hear advice from anyone who has found themselves in a similar situation. Best practices for combating the desire to binge?

Thanks in advance for all the help

[theox]

Hi, Lesley1233! I'm sorry you've been having such a rough time. I don't have any advice, but do wish you good luck!

[Photosphere]

Hey Leslie!
I know exactly what you mean, I'm a binger myself but trying very hard to control it now.

I recognize it exactly when you say you're always thinking of the next meal. I used to spend ages planning and reading about food, watching food tv-shows and look for tasty things in the grocery shop ads. I would make extravagant meals with tons of side dishes, so even if I only had a normal plate of the main dish, I still had to have every side and would end up eating way past my limit.
It escalated during a period of very high stress levels. Every day on my way home in the afternoon I would stop at a supermarket or kiosk and buy cookies, snacks or candy, and I would eat it very fast on the train ride home, without even considering the taste too much! And I was ashamed. I hid my eating, threw the empty papers before i got into the house, put the leftover candy in the bottom of my purse... I'd sometimes wake up a bit earlier than my partner in my days off just to sit and eat my candies on my own.

One thing that I realized is that I during this period put all my focus on food. If I was going on a date I would plan what I'd eat in the restaurant before I even thought of how the date would be. If I was going to the cinema I thought more of popcorn than the movie.

I decided to try to not make food my focus. It's hard, I'm still struggling. I try to not plan too much or make too big or tasty dinners. I want to try to take things as they come. I have also forbidden myself from checking the menus of restaurants beforehand, in an attempt to make me think more of other things.

My candy and snack binging is still very inviting. This is definitely the hardest thing for me to get over. To not get sucked in to buying things on my way home from work anymore I try to always keep a healthy and not very tasty snack in my purse. Something I can just chew on for a bit to make me full and make me feel like candy isn't necessary. I also try to not buy any snacks or candy to keep in the house. If there is anything, I'll probably eat it.

I don't binge much anymore, but I do sometimes. My last binge was just a few days ago. I ate until I felt sick and then I felt ashamed. It's a horrible feeling.

I don't know what advice to give, but I think you should try to look into yourself, see why you binge, what you get out of it and what drives you to do it. You can also try to remove the hype around food, maybe try to find another hobby. I also recommend the not so tasty snacks in your purse, if you get a craving on the go. For me it's always worse if I'm hungry.
More than advice I gove you my support! It's absolutely not easy and it can feel shameful to talk about, I know! If you ever wanna talk, I'm here!

[Palestrina]

Welcome Lesley, you're not alone. In fact recent research shows that dieting actually causes binging and paleo is one of the sneakiest diets to do this because it claims to be so wholesome philosophically and physically. The problem with the human body is that restrictive behaviors usually end in doing the opposite. Eating is primal and I don't mean paleo. Regularly forbidding oneself to not eat this or that may modify our behaviors but does nothing to modify our instincts to eat. You're fighting against nature. That's why intuitive eating has been so helpful to countless people. Think about the thin people you know, the ones that eat cookies but don't have weight problems. The ones that seem to navigate food easily without gaining weight. These are intuitive eaters, allowing their bodies to govern their food choices. They are not wallowing in guilt or patting themselves on the back for eating salads. They have a neutral relationship with food that allows them to eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full.

Doing paleo (or any diet) for an extended amount of time can make someone's relationship with food very tricky. If your food choices have more to do with being good and being moral then eventually when you eat something "bad" your guilt will become a very cumbersome companion. When you eat you should be experiencing hunger, satiety, fullness and content. Eating should not involved moral superiority, shame, guilt, smugness, or anything like that. Food should fuel your body and mind, but not your ego.

Binging is caused by restriction, be it physical or mental.