I have a major binge eating problem. Well, I used to binge a lot more, and now it is more mental and "mini" binges scattered here and there but not too often. But I am still obsessed with food... thinking about food, imagining food, planning to eat food (even stuff I know I won't be eating because I am still trying to lose weight). I think ten million times a day about Kettle chips. It is insane.
I've been able to stop the behavior, for the most part. Oh I flip out and binge (on a smaller scale) once in awhile, but I can go weeks, even months without doing it.
What I need help with is how to change the thinking patterns of obsession with food. I am sick to death of every waking minute being "oh I wish I could eat this" or "maybe I should go off plan and eat that" or "wouldn't it be great to eat such and such?" It's like they are such well-worn paths in my brain that I automatically go down them ALL.THE.TIME.
Has anyone made progress with this or overcome it? I would love to hear some insights. So far what I have come up with is that when those thoughts start, to redirect myself into thinking about something NOT food related, or just get up and focus on anything else. A hobby, cleaning, whatever.
Lyn, you are so on the right track with even KNOWING and WANTING to change your behavior!
First things first, congratulate yourself on knowing you are obsessing about food and wanting to overcome that. Secondly, find a hobby that is non-food related and or un-workout related. If you could get into something like Bikram yoga, I STRONGLY suggest it. You will lose weight, but more importantly, it's really a practice of the mind and learning how to control it. It's been 6 months for me and I have seen MAJOR changes in my focus and how I use my energy.
Hmmmm, also a quick easy way is to read books that are FUN! Not books about health, not books about how to lose weight or self-help *unless you have fun reading those, which I do* Sometimes just laughing is cure enough.
As a society I don't think we laugh enough. A lot of therapists recommend funny movies, funny articles, comics or funny books to be added to a routine. Even 5 minutes a day to take the time out to laugh sends signals to the brain to relax. It's also showing that in even 5 minutes a day you are changing your patterns...
As far as binge eating, it's a hard thing to overcome, but can TOTALLY be done! I have a few friends that are overcoming this right now. It takes patience, forgiveness, support and the willingness to move on.
I am in no way saying you specifically need therapy, but i will say that I believe most binge eating has to do with mental struggles, self esteem and probably a situation or many situations that took place early in your life or recently (Depending on when it started.)
We, as humans, tend to hold on to emotions. We hold on to guilt and we do not forgive ourselves. We do not love ourselves enough and we don't live each day like it's our last. We don't give enough and we don't smile enough...
You have done so well on your weight loss journey! Be proud and take it one day at a time. I would say to try and focus on WHY/WHAT got you to the weight you were at and try to deal with that aspect. If you are find happiness and peace within whatever happened, it will be easier for you to focus your mind.
Jillian Michaels has it right about needing to attack the mind body and spirit all together. I totally agree, and while I take more a psychological approach, it's really all one!
Good old will power. It takes about 30 days (Give or take) to make a habit a practice (or to break patterns". Do something for 30 days. If that means wearing a rubber band and snapping it every time you think about food, then do it. It's about the action of being aware of your thoughts!
Toning down my stress level helped a lot -- walks, yoga, reading, journaling, saying "NO!" to extra work, getting back to church, etc. So did starting the declutter process -- I'm not done, but there's patches of light at the end of the tunnel in certain rooms. It's hard to feel serene living in a wreck of a house. At first it was hard, but then I boxed stuff up, put it in the garage and it was there for a year and nobody wanted anything bad enough to get it back out so it taught me that YES... we can and did live without it. So lettings stuff go gets easier.
The second thing was changing my eating patterns once I was dx'd IR. That helped -- more protein, whole whole foods, less processed foods. I was able to get off the Metformin and manage my insulin resistance via diet alone. Now I can stop at a cookie. I don't inhale the whole bag.
So if you have undiagnosed blood sugar problems like IR -- get yourself checked out.
Check the obvious too -- maybe your calorie level you are aiming for is too low?
It's a diet. I know. We're going to be hungry cutting back. But coping with
kinda hungry but will deal
is easier than coping with
Huuuuuuuuuunnnnnnggggggrrrryyyyy!!!!! Will kill for cookies! Hunnnnngggrrryyy!
If just by slowing it down to 30 MPH guarantees you will make it to the end, screw going at it 60 MPH all herky jerky and fighting binges every step of the way!
First of all, congrats on losing over 100 lbs! That is quite an accomplishment! I think it is especially hard for me to not think about food when I am bored---if I am not busy doing something, especially on the weekends, I think about food constantly. I think it sounds like you already have a lot of great ideas like hobbies, cleaning, and the person above mentioned deep breathing. Journaling might be helpful too. The fact that you don't give into your thoughts and cravings is the major accomplishments, so congrats! I'm sure a lot of us would want to know where you found the strength to consistently say no to yourself and lose 100 pounds
Hey Lyn--
I read your blog all the time, and love it!!! I think you've done a lot of the "self-reflection" and journaling by blogging.
Was wondering if you are open to seeing a therapist--someone as a specialist for those with binge-eating disorders.
I'm wondering too, if maybe you've thought, "If I'm not Lyn, the person who fixates on food and focuses on losing weight, then who am I???"
I also think about the Buddhist saying "only when you let go and give up on your desires are you truly free"--Not to say give up on your goals, but give up on the fact that you can change your internal wiring. For instance--my DH was at 210 and 5'9" when we started out. I am the same height and was about 270. Now he is in the 188 range and I'm 206. We've lost weight together. However, we did not gain from the same behaviors. He has no desire for chocolate. Doesn't like it. Put him in a room filled with sweets, he could care less. I'd crack. I love chocolate with all my heart and soul. That will never change. Now reverse the situation and put my DH in a room with bacon, red meat, cheese, bread, and wine. Guy would go NUTSO!!! I can resist these foods. I don't this this will ever change for either of us. We are still going to have these preferences when we hit goal.
Now I could be totally off, but I want to help, cause you've helped me so much!!!
Has anyone made progress with this or overcome it? I would love to hear some insights. So far what I have come up with is that when those thoughts start, to redirect myself into thinking about something NOT food related, or just get up and focus on anything else. A hobby, cleaning, whatever.
Yes, distracting myself with other activities does help. I rarely think about food while in a class at the gym....But when I get back in the car.... When I read a really good book, I can be so engrossed in it that I am not thinking about food....But shortly after I put that book down....And TV is not a distractor from food!
Seriously, I do think about food constantly. So much of what I do is related to food: menu planning, grocery shopping, research recipes, preparing, eating and cleaning up from three meals and three snacks a day, a little 3FC browsing, logging my food into WW, read newspapers, magazines, newsletters, grocery store fliers (or what have you) that always involve health/food.
It is all-consuming, it is obsessive. How can it not be? I know that I do mostly think about eating what I should eat... but...I still have food fantasies. I still drift into that thought pattern. I don't think I can ever not have these thoughts because I have tasted chocolate and steak and other full fat foods and I LIKED IT.
I don't always act on my food fantasies but when I do it comes from an emotional response to a situation (usually anxiety)...when I am not able to identify that I am responding to an emotional situation. I can only hope that I get better at recognizing an emotion invoking situation. KimWin is right: knowing and wanting to change is a big part of it. Just like finding the right way for you to eat and exercise, you must discover the source of the thoughts.
I wish you the best in your progress to deal with this.
What helps me is to stay in the moment, explore the thought and ask myself questions as to why I am thinking the thought. Seriously, making myself aware and not making a judgment about it or about me, but exploring it makes it less powerful and urgent.
I also make myself think carefully about the last binge I had, or a particularly bad one. How did I move from the moment I was in control to the moment I abandoned it? What were my thoughts? How did the first bite taste? How did it feel as I continued to eat? Did it still taste good? How did I feel when I finally stopped? How did I feel when I woke up the next day with a binge hangover?
Sometimes thinking it through and remembering how it really felt, how it turned out just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I think very positive thoughts about how I feel now, with weight off, with the foods I eat and how absolutely delightful it feels to be feeling so healthy and vibrant compared to the food coma I use to live in!
Insights? Changing thinking patterns
kinda hungry but will deal
Huuuuuuuuuunnnnnnggggggrrrryyyyy!!!!! Will kill for cookies! Hunnnnngggrrryyy! 
