Binge eating and the munchies...

[saralh]

Hey! Well I am a recoered anorexic/orthorexic and am striving for a healthy balance with food and exercise. I have gone through nutrition therapy to overcome my eating disorder and went on to what I thought was a healthy diet only to find myself bingeing every few weeks. Well, I am past the binge stage. I no longer feel panicky and frantic in times of weakness and like I have to eat everything at once... instead, tonight, I was bored and feeling creative... and decided to munch away. I ate, and ate, and ate some more. My diet is usually mostly fruits and veggies, lean protein, and lots of soy and stuff like that, but tonight after dinner I just wanted to munch on less healthful fare... so I did. I am now feeling really uncomfortable and wish I hadn't eaten so much. I am lucky enough to have a nutritionist to work with, but I wanted some other women to tell me about their eating weaknesses and binges... I am not sad or mad and don't normally turn to food to fill emotional needs.. maybe I was just bored? Just wanted you all's opinions and suggestions and advice. I am lucky that I am not overweight and work out regularly despite these eating sprees. They are not as bad as they used to be, since I've realized I can eat anything anytime and that no food is off limits... but tonight I just felt like eating and I wonder what I could do to stop myself next time I get that same feeling. Thanks!
Sara

 

[prfitness]

I use sugar free popsicles to monitor when and why I resort to boredom eating. They are low in cals, last a long time and I actually love the taste of them. I think all of us indulge in a bit of recreational or emotional eating occasionally so its difficult to completely put a stop to it. I also don't cook as a hobby anymore - I tend to want to eat everything I've cooked. I've realised that I love the creativity that goes into cooking. So I paint, decorate a room, do some gardening, write etc.- anything that involves a bit of creativity and the use of my hands. I also try to avoid movie nights in front of the telly. For some reason that makes me want to snack. I try to keep the pantry empty of stuff that will cause me regret - I keep a few goodies though like a little bit of dark chocolate, WW popcorn, sugar free jello pudding etc. Nothing that will do me too much harm. Oh, and I brush and floss immediately after dinner. If you are as lazy as me, that should also help you hesitate before snacking at night. Hope that helps. Congratulations on regaining such a balanced view towards your health and food. It sounds like you are doing great.

 

[saralh]

Oh, thanks for your help! Well, I am a 22-year old college student still living at home with my mom and siblings... as the oldest of 6 kids, it's tough b/c they eat a lot of junk food. SO there's always cakes and cookies and ice cream and a ton of other stuff on hand. I do my own grocery shopping and have my healthy stash of lots of good, wholesome, healthful foods that I eat regularly, but at times like last night... moments of weakness and boredom... it's tough! But anyway, I appreciate your advice... brushing immediately after dinner is becoming second nature to me now! And I should get involved in some other sort of hobby, like writing or something, to keep myself busy when I am tired and need something to do. Anyway, healthy regards to you... :0)
Sara

 

[mogambo]

It helps if you brush your teeth, get involved in something else, go for a walk. Just break the cycle.

 

[nancy324]

IMHO there is no such thing as eating out of boredom. Sometimes your body just wants more food. When it does, you should feed it. Try to stay away from empty calories to the extent possible, but trust your body as to what it wants. And forget about it! Sounds like you've overcome a lot in your life, and you should give yourself lots of credit for it.(Do you mind if I ask: what is orthorexic?)
-Nancy

 

[mogambo]

Orthorexic is when you have very strict rules about what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, to the point that it is irrational.