Compulsive Overeating
 

Hi there everyone. I am hoping that someone who has "BTDT" can help me. I have struggled with weight all my life, but only became significantly overweight 4 years ago. As I struggled with some personal issues, food - carbs in particular - became my go-to "drug" to feel better.

Once my situation stabilized, I tried, counting calories, Weight Watchers and simply "conscious" or intuitive eating. With each, I have really struggled with nighttime carb cravings and overeating. I seem to be frequently hungry and obsessed with food. I have considered a low carb diet, but there is a part of my that worries that the restrictiveness will make my binge eating even worse.

I am in counseling for anxiety and we do address the food issue in an indirect way (focus more on stress management).

For anyone who has "been there" and has their compulsive eating under control, I would love some suggestions or to hear about what worked for you.

Thanks in advance.

Daisy

Hi :)

I also suffer with depression&anxiety, and I completely understand compulsions to binge relating to your emotions etc.
I haven't yet got my binge eating under control, but all I can say is don't go down the path of restricting, your intuition is right it will make binge eating worse.

I have found myself stuck in a cycle where I obsess about food, I don't eat around people, I restrict and exercise to burn a certain number of calories etc, then I binge, feel guilty and fast/restrict greatly to compensate. But this just fuels the cycle and makes binging worse! For me food is associated with feelings of shame, guilt, self-hatred and fear, and it shouldn't be that way.

The best advice I have is to follow a healthy eating meal plan with 3 set meals and snacks if you want. Then your body won't feel the need to binge as much as it won't feel starved, undernourished or lacking in anything.

Thanks, Lea. It's very hard, isn't it?

BTDT.

Everyone is going to be chemically different but I too had a night time eating problem that was exacerbated by carbs eaten earlier in the day/week. I found low carb to be extremely helpful in this regard. It's a case of sugars and carbs begetting cravings for more sugar and carbs.

Again everyone will be different but I don't seem to have problems with fruit. Whole grains I do find that they trigger cravings so I don't eat those very much. Of course in the throes of night time binges did I want fruit? No. I wanted chips, cookies, crackers, bread, cake, yadda, yadda.

It can't hurt to try low carb. I believe you might be pleasantly surprised however you may have withdrawals from sugars and carbs at first. Try following an Atkins type of plan, possibly starting with their maintenance plan and see if that helps. I'd suggest that first and then when your carb tooth calms down, possibly going to a Paleo type of plan which adds fruits and nuts.

I'd encourage you to clear your house of simple carbs, snack foods and the like if at all possible. Buy fresh non-starchy vegetables, dairy and protein sources. Once you get started eating what God made as it comes from the animal, ground or tree and make it a habit instead of eating primarily human constructs of divided and extracted foods, the cravings at least for me melted away.

t's extremely rare that I get night time munchies and if I do, I eat a boiled egg or a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter which cuts it immediately. I find that in rare instances I can eat cake or a big cookie and then let it go, not needing or wanting more which is a miracle.

I'm a recovering (recovered) binge eater (I had it bad) Type 2 diabetic following a low carb, low glycemic modified intuitive eating plan. My patterns are such (one main meal) that I'm considering adding intermittent fasting to the mix to knock me off of this plateau. No white knuckling yet...and I don't expect it.

Best of luck to you. I could have written your post two years ago.

Cat

Hi Daisy,
I started a new plan 4 1/2 weeks ago. Went cold turkey on bread, fruit, sugar and alcohol. I am eating the Personal Trainer food. It is quite good. I have a problem with portion control, and PTF is a no brainer, no measuring. The idea is to get off of processed foods and food that is or turns into sugar in our system. The first week was tough, I wanted pizza and my cocktail real bad. But not eating carbs automatically stops the continued cravings for food and pretty soon I stopped wanting to eat as much. I have lost 20 lbs so far and feel really good. I know low carb is not for ever, but hoping I can get used to proper portion sizes and lose my taste for bread and sugar. This is the only plan that has worked for me even a little bit, last 3 years I gained alot of weight due to stress and then quiting smoking. Tried all the other diets and nothing happened. I am fighting hard to stick to this, but it is a one day at a time thing. Good luck to you and all of us!!

Thanks, everyone. Cat, we sound very similar. I'm pre-diabetic myself. I don't believe my entire issue is emotional and/or lack of "willpower."

I am a serious food addict and binger and all around overeater. I am not perfectly recovered. I still have hard times. The last couple of months has been really hard for some reason. I seem to only manage to stay on my plan for four or five days in a row and then take a day or part of a day off. BUT this is so much improved over what I used to be like. I also have managed to maintain my weight these last couple of months, though I'd like to be losing. When I do go off plan, I eat crap, but no where near as much as I used to and I am having an easier time getting back on plan than I used to. Not perfect at all, but so much improved.

I attribute this to a few things -- low carb (cravings will go way down w/in about three days and you have so much energy!), high fat (never hungry!), and intermittent fasting (eating is not so much of a habit as it used to be).

If you are pre-diabetic, low carb is so good for you!