Calling any recovered EDs - I need som help with binge-fast-binge cycle page 11

[jimhensen]

The strangest thing. Or maybe not so strange if Mark Sisson, Gary Taubes and a lot of people on this forum are right - I have eaten three, large, primal meals a day with a much larger caloric and fat intake than usual, no snacks or binges....and I've lost weight. A kilo, but I am astounded. I had myself weighing as gargantuan this week.

So this really does work. My body is energetic, I don't feel starving or deprived and I know I'm nourished. As for the binges, day 8, still using OA program as my way out of this illness.

I have a feeling that you might have underestimated your snacking and are actually eating less calories now.

[BestBetter]

I can really relate to all this...

This may sound like a strange question, but have any of you tried switching your binges to primal foods? I haven't stopped the pattern yet (it's probably like being an alcoholic...!), but if I binge it's only on primal foods, and it makes a huge difference. I get the weight gain (though definitely not as much), but don't get the sugar crash the next day, and as a result I don't get the guilt, depression and loathing that comes with it. I can justify the binge because at least I know I'm not harming my body by putting good food (like macadamia nuts) into it.

It's not a strange question at all - In fact, in the times when I'm tempted to binge and can't redirect, I make sure it's something like fruit (used to be dried fruit, but eating too much of that gives m terrible abdominal pain), or something I can make with good ingredients like coconut oil, raw honey, and raw cocoa powder (makes a really great chocolate 'icing'). I find those binges less emotionally satisfying, and ultimately I don't want binges to be satisfying, so I see this as a positive thing.

I have actually recently realized that one reason why I binge is my desire to do something forbidden and secretive; it's not always about punishment or food cravings. I'm now trying to figure out how to feed this need to do secretive things in a healthy, non-food way, like going to new places on my own. I think that unhealthy behavior is always filling some kind of need. For me, it's both a need to feel instant stress/depression relief, and a need to feed my rebellious side. If I can figure out how to fill those needs in healthier ways, then binging isn't necessary (add in some of my reprogramming, and then my brain doesn't keep wanting to do it on autopilot, either.)

For me, binging has never been about blood sugar levels - it's all psychological.

[JackieKessler]

The strangest thing. Or maybe not so strange if Mark Sisson, Gary Taubes and a lot of people on this forum are right - I have eaten three, large, primal meals a day with a much larger caloric and fat intake than usual, no snacks or binges....and I've lost weight. A kilo, but I am astounded. I had myself weighing as gargantuan this week.

So this really does work. My body is energetic, I don't feel starving or deprived and I know I'm nourished. As for the binges, day 8, still using OA program as my way out of this illness.

Hmm. Maybe next week I'll give the three large meals/no snacking a shot. (This is a tough week - one son's birthday is tomorrow; the other son's is Sunday. I sense some non-primal indulgences coming up...)

[YogaBare]

Hey guys,

I think I've stumbled upon something...

I felt myself going on another downward spiral. I keep hearing that I should eat more fat when I feel like this, so I usually go for nuts (big mistake lol), but today I tried eating avocado, greek yogurt... but the craving was still there. I feel disgusted to say it, but in desperation, I decided to eat butter by itself. I ate two small pieces, and my urge to binge totally disappeared. I'm completely shocked.

Every time I binge is like an itch I can't scratch. No food will satiate the craving, but I keep going until I feel sick... and even then, the craving is still there.

This is literally the first time ever that I have eaten something mid-binge and it has knocked me out of the feeding frenzy.

[jimhensen]

Hey guys,

I think I've stumbled upon something...

I felt myself going on another downward spiral. I keep hearing that I should eat more fat when I feel like this, so I usually go for nuts (big mistake lol), but today I tried eating avocado, greek yogurt... but the craving was still there. I feel disgusted to say it, but in desperation, I decided to eat butter by itself. I ate two small pieces, and my urge to binge totally disappeared. I'm completely shocked.

Every time I binge is like an itch I can't scratch. No food will satiate the craving, but I keep going until I feel sick... and even then, the craving is still there.

This is literally the first time ever that I have eaten something mid-binge and it has knocked me out of the feeding frenzy.

You know what stopped a binge in its tracks for me? 2 scoops of whey protein and some water. I had already eaten a meal and was about to start picking at everything around (and I did a little, on my way to a binge) and then I had protein and water and I got full...almost uncomfortably full. It was like the whey somehow made everything else that I ate register in my brain.

[VacillateWildly]

You know what stopped a binge in its tracks for me? 2 scoops of whey protein and some water. I had already eaten a meal and was about to start picking at everything around (and I did a little, on my way to a binge) and then I had protein and water and I got full...almost uncomfortably full. It was like the whey somehow made everything else that I ate register in my brain.

That's good, but it's too sweet for me and would set of a sugar craving I think. Far too much like a milkshake! I have been eating meat if I'm hungry. But haven't needed to for last few days as I'm eating enough at meals. It's goo to know you can drink the whey again if you need to isn't it?

[VacillateWildly]

Hey guys,

I think I've stumbled upon something...

I felt myself going on another downward spiral. I keep hearing that I should eat more fat when I feel like this, so I usually go for nuts (big mistake lol), but today I tried eating avocado, greek yogurt... but the craving was still there. I feel disgusted to say it, but in desperation, I decided to eat butter by itself. I ate two small pieces, and my urge to binge totally disappeared. I'm completely shocked.

Every time I binge is like an itch I can't scratch. No food will satiate the craving, but I keep going until I feel sick... and even then, the craving is still there.

This is literally the first time ever that I have eaten something mid-binge and it has knocked me out of the feeding frenzy.

Wow. I don't think I could eat straight butter, but I did find myself licking the bacon grease out of the fying pan the other day

Nuts = danger zone for me too. I had some chicken breast and mayonaise the other night and as if by a miracle it hit the spot too. I would never binge on meat, so I'm guessing if I'm hungry then meat will hit the spot. If I'm not hungry enough to eat meat then it's limbic hunger.

Good work YogaBare - it's all about the fat I think.