Hello.
so i have been battling depression since i was 11 and over eating becuz of it since i was 20.

there are times when the demon will make me overeat and i have absolutely no control and i cant stop.(im like a puppet with strings)
BUT there are times when i realize that i can make a choice 2 not over eat and do something else.that "SOMETHING ELSE" would be 2 exercise twice a day!

and i think im going 2 have 2 start doing that.ill probably have 2 do it 3 times a day so the urge wont hit me!

my question is 2 the people who do compulsively eat:are there times when u feel u can choose another way 2 cope w/your problems but u choose 2 over eat?
or is your over eating problem one where u cant take another route,even if u tried?

When I find myself on a compulsive eating binge; it is like I am out of my body and I can't control myself. I find I do this when I am exhausted after work but have to stay up (like I am eating to stay awake). I am aware I am doing it but I am helpless to stop it. It is weird, I know, but I am getting better at being able to stop myself. Gorgeous picture by the way .

You do have a choice, but the choice can be an easier one to be made if you make other good decisions earlier - before the compulsive demons hit. I regained ALL my first weight loss plus 40 more (90 pounds) in two years - all to compulsive eating. I felt like I had lost complete control.

Well, since then I've learned some things about my body and figured out its main triggers.

1. Lack of sleep. If I don't sleep well, I don't make good food decisions and then for quick boost energy, I eat high carb foods.

2. I've since learned that eating high carb foods (with or without a lot of fat) make me want to eat more high carb foods. I feel hungry when I'm not and I swear the carby thing is screaming to me from across the room. If I can just stay away from them for a couple days, I usually can bust the sugar craving. I will even allow myself to have high calorie days on those days, but to be lower carb foods - a steak, peanut butter, nuts, etc.

Do I eat low carb? Not really or maybe yes. I don't eat rice, pasta, sweet potatoes, bread and I try to stay away from sugar sweets. I still eat fruit and any veggies I want. Most starches are just fillers anyway. I'll have a chicken breast with a huge plate of green beans instead. Or a humongous salad with hard boiled eggs.

If I get good sleep and stay away from sugar (and the sleep one is the MUCH BIGGER TRIGGER), I will most like have control over my eating.

Last thing that helps me with better food decisions is:

3. Exercise. It's a natural antidepressant. If I exercise, especially if I exercise hard, I get a natural mood boost and then I'm not drawn to junk either. I think if more people exercised, we would have far fewer anti-depressant prescriptions being filled out.

i so know what youre talking about feeling like youre out of your body.
at times its like im eating so much and im so in the zone,i can see myself eating but im on the other side of the room looking at myself.thats when it gets scary.
i do realize that i overeat when im stressed or anxious and just sad.
its good that youre getting better becuz having no control over your body or food is a LIVING

thanks 4 the compliment on the pic.
its actually a picture of the singer RIHANNA.
lately shes lost some weight and has gotten skinnier and she been a "THINSPO" 2 me which is weird becuz im more into wanting a muscular body type like JANET JACKSONS.

thanks 4 the advice
i think when i quickly choose 2 binge i guess its becuz its what im used 2 and its the "EASY' way 4 me 2 cope.
i do think about all of the times i could have chosen 2 workout and i kind of get upset with myself.
i do battle depression which is the main culprit of my overeating so i have 2 get that in check.
but i def have 2 get my body back 2 exercising,i know thats the most important thing. 2 keep my emotions in check.

I did actually replace compulsive eating with compulsive exercise for awhile, and I got all the way down to 150. It was great! But I couldn't keep up the intensity, and after some work stress and a heartbreak I slowly went back to compulsive eating and regained most (but not all) of my weight.

This time around I am trying to find the balance, because I know I can't spend the rest of my life engaging in compulsive behaviors and expect to be healthy and happy. Obviously I haven't figured it out yet, but I'm working on it.

Choose the right food to eat. Usually natural foods are low in calories. Drink plenty of water and exercise! You can eat what you like (Be wise in choosing food) and life healthy, happily!

There are times (like today) that I get frustrated with things and go straight for the junk. I swear Little Debbie is my worst enemy I always say I won't buy it so it's not here but there are times that I'll "need" it so bad I make a trip to the store and then binge on it. Afterwards I feel guilty so I eat more :/ The bad thing is I have plenty of healthy stuff here but my mind refuses to acknowledge any of it. I am trying to find a different outlet but rarely have any free time to do anything outside the house.

I do this exactly!! When I have to stay up late to study which is almost every night I compulsively eat. When really I should just go to bed.

Everything in life is a choice.

I spent a lot of time thinking I didn't have control over certain aspects of my life. My weight. My happiness....

I was sure giving a lot of power to negative thinking!!! it's your life. You have every right to take control of it and control behaviors that aren't getting you anywhere!

I have to be really strict with myself. There is NO off limits food in my house. No garbage food. I know myself well enough to know that if it's here, it will cause me problems. There is no reason for it to be here. I have control over my choices and part of that is making sure I only bring health into my home.

I think there are some things we are pretty powerless over and compulsive behaviour IN THE MOMENT is one of them. We are sick. Whether it's drugs, food, alcohol, inappropriate relationships,etc. But we do have control over whether or not we do something about and get back in control. So for people who are compulsive eaters/ dieters - a conventional diet approach may not work. Maybe you need to change your whole way of thinking and behaving around food.

Everyone has a choice not to over eat not everyone has a choice when it comes to depression but the food is just a way of coping which can be changed but its takes a long time, but for people who are very deep into a food issue they may not be ready to make the choice not to over eat, the choices at the early stages of recovery may be choosing to talk to a professional, start a plan, identity triggers or pattern, choose to change something but you've already chosen to question the over eating which is one of the first steps to overcoming it is as if we do not want to admit the issue then we are powerless but once we know its happening we can work to change it.

That being said once you cross the line into the over eating mindset its very easy to feel powerless so the work must be done outside of those zones and the goal right now is not to stop but to reduce at first.

I have traded compulsive eating for other compulsive behaviors before also. Exercise was the most helpful for my weight...but not necessarily for my wellness. I can get compulsive about cleaning, organizing, crafting and even counting calories. Like thistoo...I am trying to find balance without turning my food addiction into any other addiction.

I have had binges where I experienced that out of body feeling some of you mentioned. It is a scary, out of control experience. It can be (for me) like being in a trance. While I understand some people thinking you are always in control of you...well, there have been times when I certainly felt powerless.

In time you can begin to find your triggers and find some control by making changes. You have to identify the things that set you off and the things you can to minimize their effect. It has been a long time since I have had the type of binge described above because I have really worked to limit or eliminate white rice, mashed potatoes, flour, sugar and sodas. Exercise and a lower carb diet help me. Your best chance for recovery is learning what situations and foods set you off and send you to that place where you lose control.

By telling myself "I have no choice" I am taking away my power, which is the worst thing I can possibly do. Yes, I have a choice. I will not DIE if I do not binge. The world will not crumble. No one has a gun pointed at my head. Of course, it is a difficult choice - probably the hardest thing I do on a daily basis - but it's still a choice. Even when I'm feeling totally out of control (especially in the middle of a binge) - I still have a choice to stop. It doesn't matter what the addiction is; it is always a choice to continue or to stop. I do not believe that addiction is a "disease" - I believe it is a neurosis and all neurosis can be healed, some just take longer and more work.

I believe there are very few things in life totally without choice. My binges are not one of them. The binging is my fault, my problem and ultimately, as painful and as much as I hate to "own" it - my choice.

I totally agree.

F.