Looks like the binge free thread has moved to weekly rather than monthly
. I like that idea, actually - taking it one week at a time seems less overwhelming than taking in the whole month.
I'm working on staying binge free for June and go from there. So far I've been doing well. I had a weird "ah-hah" kind of moment in May when I was watching a program on PBS about depression and it was like, hmmm, these symptoms sound familiar. I did more research on it, some online tests, and I think I've been going through a mild level of depression for the past two years. I feel like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. All the pieces seemed to fit - I was jumping around from place to place, not happy anywhere I was at, didn't feel any kind of joy for stuff that made me joyous before, all the headaches, and the binge eating which, I think, came back as a way to try and self-medicate (i.e., loading on the sugar and refined carbs to lift my mood).
In a strange way, knowing this has made things a lot easier for me. I was relieved a little, especially about the binge eating. I know it wasn't a failing of willpower on my part or even necessarily all stress (although that's certainly part of it) but my own (however screwed up) way of trying to get myself out of the dumps.
So since June I've been trying to be much easier on myself. Eating whole healthy foods, lots of fruit and veggies (which has been easy with 100+ degrees nearly every day in Texas
), keeping consistent with my exercise (walking, added some pilates and abs on alternative days - man, those abs are a great way to release tension
), and doing yoga every single day. I've also been reading up on amino acids and started taking some that are supposed to help depression (5-HTP, L-Carnitine, etc.) and I think that's helped as well. I'm feeling much better, more upbeat, less anxious, and definitely less junk food cravings.
So I'm hoping this is going to go on and I can do some work on how I handle stress (because it is stressful for me right now!) and not turn to food.
Tam