Confessions of member struggling page 2

[Tribal Rob]

Hey, I was stuggling with sweet cravings, and massive appite at the start of the year - I tried eating more carbs, in the form of fruit, more roots and sweet potatoes - that didn't work for me. So I tried a leptin reset. So far that is working for me.

Some people can eat primal and everything falls into place, others have to tweek and can gain weight even while eating strict primal and working out. I fall into the second catergory - don't mean this isn't the best way to eat, I just have to tweek till I find what works for me, which I seem to have done for now untill something changes.

[Lilith]

Thanks all, I feel so daft because it's like it is staring me in the face, and I even posted a thread before this one about my stress levels! You don't really know until people point it out to you

The stresses I have in my life right now are:

My job
I don't enjoy it and I have a lot of responsibility which I am bearing the brunt of.

Home
We want to move out of our rented house and need to do this by April (the contract runs out then). I like to be proactive, but I am searching for rented houses now when we can't move until April, at which point they'll probably be gone!

Wedding - OH and I aren't even engaged yet but I'm really excited about us getting married and have started looking around at venues etc - the only thing holding it all up is that we're waiting for OH's divorce to be finalised. Therefore, we can't book a registrar, nor a venue, therefore can't do much of anything so why am I trawling through the internet and getting stressed out because I can't find a dress I like?! We're trying to do a wedding on a budget so I am searching the internet for good deals to get an idea of prices, but I seem to have gone all obsessed

My 'problem' is that I get worked up about things, whereas I need to sit back and be patient and trust that things will fall into place when they need to. Instead however, I end up getting stressed out and trying to plan for things when there really is no point. Plus, my sleep has been all over the place this week and it's been taking me an hour or so to fall asleep.

I stopped drinking alcohol late-December last year, and alcohol was the thing I turned to when I was stressed. So perhaps these binges might be a potential new coping-mechanism if I don't get them under control.

[Knifegill]

I used to do that, too, but worse. I'd eat a whole Hot n Ready pizza or three bags of gummi worms, etc. But whatever I was craving, I'm getting it now! As you've heard me say before, liver covers most of your bases. Between liver, seaweed, eggs, etc. there's not much missing.

But I second the magnesium! It's only good for you, so there's no harm in adding it for awhile to see if it helps. The three things I supplement - mag, phos and D3, all work together to build bone, lower blood pressure and more.

You aren't me, and we don't eat the exact same foods. Just for kicks, plug all your food into a food calculator a few times, just to see the micronutrient content. You might be low in something unexpected.

[Lilith]

Thanks Knifegill,

I love liver but haven't thought to buy any since going primal - duh! Our food shop is coming next week so I have put it on the list

Will get onto iherb as I ordered some Omega 369 from there before.

[TheFastCat]

I think your body is craving nutrients. Additionally it sounds like you haven't gotten through the carb lust stage of your primal transformation. I would recommend eating as many nutritional super foods (sardines, raw carrots, kale, egg yolks, liver, blue berries etc) as possible and THROWING AWAY EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOUSE THAT YOU WILL FEEL BAD FOR EATING LATER. Honestly this is the simplest thing to do and reaps tremendous rewards. I highly doubt without sweet things in your house you will feel the need to drive somewhere to get junk food or dark chocolate.

[Lilith]

You don't know me FastCat lol

I would love to be at the stage where I CAN have some dark chocolate in the house and just eat one square a day - I did this a couple of weeks ago and it was no problem

I guess I want to find the optimum place (for me) of treating myself and enjoying it, without guilt, and avoiding the 'bingeing' place where I feel rubbish afterwards and there's been no satisfaction in it.

[Knifegill]

There's nothing wrong with eating a bar of chocolate at once. I don't know where this idea came from. I do it probably twice a week and have leaned out nicely.

[Lilith]

What size bar was it though?

My Lindt one was 10 squares and the other one was 15. It's not your 'usual' size bar of 6-7 squares.

[YogaBare]

I don't mean to cause a fight, but Lilith said she used to have an eating disorder. Magnesium supplementation is not going to help. Nor is encouraging her to eat full bars of chocolate to help her "lean out". Seriously... face palm.

[Lilith]

Hi YogaBare, so do you think these binges are less about a lack of nutrients (i.e. no need to buy magnesium) and more about the way I am dealing with my stress? Because that is what I was thinking.

Paradoxically, I am much calmer now that I have recognised the stresses that are going on right now and this has made me less edgy, which is when I start concerning myself with eating even when I'm not hungry.