Compulsive eating disorder/ Binge eating

Dear SearchForme,

Except for one point where you ate lot of food when the lights went out my answer is YES to all the points above.

1.

The smell and sight of food tempts me. So, if I am on my binge streak believe me I can eat a whole medium pizza.

In my old days, I used to cook lots of instant noodles and enjoy them in the middle of the night. My favorite was boiling 2 packets and adding lots of butter to it. This I used to have after having a heavy dinner.

When I lost weight I thought I could correct this so I bought back instant noodles in my house and Viola I was back to this habit. So, stocking packets of instant noodles is banned in my house. At the most we get 2 packets once or twice a month and me and my husband make it for a meal and eat it. No noodles to turn to in the middle of the night .

2.

When I am low and depressed I still turn to food.

When I read your post I could relate to it. Sitting in front of the TV alone, watching a really nice serial and eating comfort food for hours on end. My favorite is to watch cookery shows and eat.

I realized that I was addicted to food 2 years back and all I did was switch my options.

Like in middle of night instead of instant noodles, I make a spicy bhel with onions and green chillies and eat it.

I do not store any junk food in my house, if I am low and depressed and in that eating mood then I would toast 2 bread and make eggs OR vermicelli with veggies.

And then when the guilt hits I exercise on my ET (though I make sure that I do it after 2 hours).

I try to channelize my negative energy in choosing as best options as I can. Most times I try to be strict with myself and remind myself in my low time that its not worth piling more kilos because this mood will pass and the guilt will hit soon, when I do break, I really do not have much things in my house to binge eat.

Thing that worked for me

I bulk up my food. This gives that killing full feeling in the stomach. I was always a daal rice person. So, I fill my bowl with little rice/daliya, add lots of daal, sabji and raita to it. The quantity of rice and daliya is just 2 tsp and I can go for a second helping of this bowl.

This has been my weight loss secret all along. It worked for me because it gave me the feeling of stuffing myself but I end up consuming less calories. SO even if I am not physically hungry this is one hunger killer.

I have never gulped food down when the lights went out BUT I remember that overwhelming feeling of seeing really tasty food and eating as if there is not tomorrow. Whenever I went to parties or eating out, I felt this weakness in me and I felt that I just cannot control myself in front of food.

My plate was always stuffed and 2 -3 helpings were a must. If the party was in my house and we ordered from outside then late night I would fill my plate and enjoy the food all by myself.

I corrected this when I first walked away from junk food, I told myself I am not going to die and I will eat it when I lose weight BUT not right now. My husband was enjoying the junk food and I loved it too but I told him I really want to do this and I will wait for you outside and I walked away. In that moment I really felt powerful. After that one incident it was clear to me that I can do it and I started experimenting with my will power. I have wrote all about it in my blog.

Believe me they are not going to vanish soon. I still have them. The only change is, I force myself to exercise for 45 minutes even if I am depressed. When I am really really low I just do a low impact exercise for 45 -50 minutes but pushing oneself is a must. It sends a message to your brain that you are still in control.

I still struggle with this. But in the end we have to accept ourselves, we can run from everyone but not ourselves.

I used to be like this in past the only difference is now the body weight is not there. I do not eat more in public but alone I eat lots of food but its low calorie. In past I would grab a burger on my way back from party OR a packet of instant noodle OR cheese sandwich NOW a bowl of 2 tsp daliya +thin daal + sabji (this is always in my fridge).

I was unable to change my habits so I changed my options. I started making choices.

The best part is that you recognize the pattern. Accepting that we have food addiction is the first major step, which you have already taken. I was/am addicted to food but no one recognized it as major threat but it is an addiction and it needs to be corrected. We can overcome any addiction like smoking, alcoholism etc, then why not food addiction.

So don't beat yourself up. What happened, happened. Now that you know your weak points work towards correcting them.

Have a great day ahead.

regards

 

Uhmm,

I kind of disagree with Shiva over this not needing help and you not beating yourself over it.

What you have is an uncontrollable urge to eat and my honest opinion is for you to get some professional help. This forum can only point out to you that yes, you have your faults. But to really get to the bottom of this, reasons for why you have this type of an over-eating disorder requires help, much like the opposite condition of being anorexic.

Please get to a therapist before you end up making the situation worse for yourself, especially if there's depression involved.

 

Hi Searchforme,

On the face of it, you seem to be having an eating disorder. But these things are very difficult for lay people like us to really analyze or to diagnose. It could be emotional overeating, it could be bulimia - we would not be in a position to differentiate.

The best part of the problem is that you have realized that you have a problem. The realization and acceptance are the first and biggest steps in solving them. Now it is essential for you to go to a professional and to seek help. He/She would be best suited to guide you and to help you.

So please do that as early as possible. Wishing you all the best.

 

Dear Chinni86,

Just wanted to clarify

If you read my post I only asked OP not to beat herself up for overeating.

I did not mention anywhere in my post that she should NOT take professional or any other kind of help.

regards

 

Shiva - I apologise. I probably misread your intentions in a hurry

And as for counselling, ofcourse there is. If I am not mistaken, you live in Bangalore right? Heard of NIMHANS? They have some of the world's best counsellors. I understand that there are other issues that come in the way, but what is important to you shouldn't bother you about what others think.


But since you are uncomfortable at the thought of seeing one, definitely try alternative methods. My recomenndation would be to atleast confide in someone close to you - your mothr/father/sister/brother/wife/husband. Sharing your concerns with your closest friends will indeed help you.