Please help! Frustrated with myself concerning eating habits

[meteorstorm]

@krae991 I’m not going to armchair diagnose but is it possible to see a medical professional or therapist? I feel like this binging of so much food like 5 slices of cake in one sitting, 4 bags of potato chips, 6 donuts is a bit off and might signal underlying problem elsewhere. It’s an unhealthy relationship with food.

The last time my husband did this was because he was too lean for over a year. He was severely restricting because he wanted to be ripped and after that he went on a big binge.

For me this happens when I’m stressed and I needed food to cope. That was about the same time I realized I have PCOS. I went to see a doctor and dietician who helped me.

 

[krae991]

@meteorstorm Someone else had mentioned that there ADHD makes them do this and I was diagnosed a couple years ago and had forgotten lol. No I think ur right half of this is not tracking correctly but also the other half I agree is mental/psych. And beliefs that were ingrained in childhood like someone else had mentioned. Thank you for bringing light to this for me.

 

[judyc]

@krae991 I like salty crunchy acidic yumminess. Started making spring rolls (non-fried variety) with a salty fish sauce chile lime garlic dipping sauce. Crunchy fresh veg in the spring roll, some rice noodles to make it a little more springy and substantial, and whatever meat you desire - shrimp is awesome, I've really loved them with nice thin slices of rare steak too! The veg is actually amazing - carrots and lettuce are crunchy, cucumber and mint or cilantro make a nice aromatic flavor.

I got addicted to making these for a few weeks because they really satisfied the snacking urges, taste fucking delicious, and they fill you up with a lot of good stuff. The sauce is essential though, pretty bland if you don't have a nice salty (or sweet!) sauce to dip them in.

 

[krae991]

@judyc Ok I read this comment yesterday I think and got lost googling all the different ways I could make this recipe cause omg this sounds SO SO SO good??! THANK YOU for this comment I love this idea it sounds delicious!!

 

[judyc]

@krae991 Oh heck yes, so glad that you decided to check it out!!! I watch videos on YouTube for ideas too. They can be tricky to roll but you get the hang of it fast, especially if you watch videos. I hope you try and enjoy!!!

 

[gorightgirl]

@judyc girl this sounds BOMB. do you have a rough recipe for the sauce??

 

[judyc]

@gorightgirl Heck yes! So this is easy to adjust to your own tastes, but here's what I basically do:

• mince 2 cloves garlic
• thinly slice 2 or 3 Thai chiles (you can omit if you don't like spicy or sub with serranos)
• about 2 Tbs chile garlic sauce (there's a ton of varieties, I got a Thai version at an Asian grocery store that was a chile garlic sauce in oil; also made it with a chili garlic sauce I just got at Walmart)
• thinly slice 2 or 3 green onions
• 2 Tbs fish sauce
• 1 Tbs sugar
• Juice from 1 lime

Basically just mix all that together and adjust tastes accordingly! I've thrown in Thai soy sauce as well, for anyone who isn't big on fish sauce (although I love it).

 

[judyc]

@gorightgirl Here's a video that does something similar to what I do!

 

[wilbanks]

@krae991 At the beginning of my journey I tried intermittent fasting, but I hated it. There’s honestly no need for it as long as you track you calories, because as long as you’re in a deficit, you will lose weight! I found that planning and tracking my meals in advance for the day works the best, and within my calorie range, I’ll leave room for sweet stuff so that I can enjoy it without going over my limit. I was able to lose 40 lbs mainly by tracking my calories, and it wasn’t miserable for me since I included foods I enjoyed (such as sweets) in my daily meal plan

 

[krae991]

@wilbanks 40 pounds?! Congratulations that is amazing!!! U give me hope!!! I counted calories today a little just to see where I was at and on paper its not good. It doesn't seem like u restrict urself at all thank u I will try this

 

[wilbanks]

@krae991 Yess before I started counting I thought I was on target and it kinda gave me a reality check lol. Definitely important not to restrict, since I attribute that aspect to why I was able to stay in a deficit for so long. That way I can make room for a donut or a dessert after dinner and still stay within my daily goal

 

[sonofabba7390]

@krae991 I recommend seeing a doctor because sometimes binge eating isn’t a lack of control but more psychological in the sense that maybe something else is going on. I myself have ADHD and off meds, my binge eating suddenly appears out of nowhere and often times I can’t stop. On meds, I’m fine. I also recommend eating more low calorie, more volume foods like chicken, fish, egg whites, vegetables, certain fruits.

 

[krae991]

@sonofabba7390 I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2019. I didn't realize this might be a part of it, I don't take meds because I don't like the way they make me feel (also I don't have insurance). Thank you for bringing that up.

 

[sonofabba7390]

@krae991 Yes ADHD is a huge part of binge eating. I recommend trying to get Medicaid insurance and go to a Dr or psychiatrist and ask for vyvanse. It treats both ADHD and binge eating.

 

[pandafan]

@krae991 I'm 57 and over the decades I pretty much lost my sweet tooth. I may indulge in a 1/4 cup of ice cream once every few months. I didn't even eat the wedding cake at my kids' weddings. I just don't have a taste for it anymore.

But, it was a process! I grew up eating sweets All The Time. My mom loved to bake and every night we'd have a big bowl of ice cream after dinner. If it was 4pm, it was time for chocolate.

It's been awhile but I know some of my tricks early on where:

1. Never ever eat sweets on an empty stomach; only indulge after a full meal which includes protein
2. If you're having cake or cookies, have it with a big glass of milk
3. No sweet breakfasts: no donuts, no pancakes, no waffles, no cinnamon buns. Eat eggs for breakfast instead.
4. Split dessert with someone.
5. Savor: eat slowly. You may only need a few bites. Share the rest.
6. Substitute: I love a hot baked yam with whipped cream!
7. Probably the biggie: realize the emotions behind why you crave sugar (or salt or crunch). For me it was soothing when I felt sad or wanted mothering since my mom would show love by baking and feeding us sweet treats. (Whereas I craved crunchy foods when I was angry).
8. Listen to your body: I would get severe sugar spikes and swings. I also realized if I ate chocolate just once, I'd be eating it every day. So I tried going cold turkey on chocolate and that worked to break the "addiction" to chocolate.
   
9. Be aware of the Halloween-to-Easter trouble zone, and have a plan for such holidays.

Today I am somehow allergic to chocolate now! I cannot even eat it in tiny amounts without horrible acid reflux (despite being on reflux meds) and getting hives. So chocolate is super easy for me to skip.

I also cannot tolerate sweets on an empty stomach at all--- it makes me feel sick within an hour. The eating-sweets-with-milk trick no longer works either, as I've developed lactose intolerance.

But, I am not your person to ask about salty stuff! I still have a huge salt tooth. My best for that is to have a plate of salted veggies + olives + pickles whenever I crave chips or french fries. But I still eat a lot of chips. Every now and then I'll eliminate them from my diet and I do lose weight, but I always go back to eating them anyway. I think I need the salt!

 

[krae991]

@pandafan Thank you for all ur tips and I appreciate ur well thought out answer!!! Love that these are easy to incorporate. The salted veggies and the sweet potato are PERFECT ideas thank you

 

[dawn16]

@krae991 Download the LoseIt! App and log everything. Get 100g of protein a day, drink water if you feel hungry, get some of the junk food out of the house (not all, you don’t need to restrict completely) but my overall suggestion is to log everything and hit your numbers. Your calorie intake (I assume) must be higher than what you think, even when you were tracking protein.

 

[dawn16]

Also wanted to add that salty foods are proven to make you hungrier. Same with carbs. If you eat a lot of either of those things it will be tricky to resist the urge. I have thyroid issues and salt and carbs will throw me out of whack for a whole week.

 

[krae991]

@dawn16 I kind of tried to track a little today and wouldn't u know the calorie intake was slightly crazy. Now I did binge though- in my mind im like.. its not so bad but written out its bad. Will try the app thank you! Obviously need something to help keep track.

 

[waggles]

@krae991 I eat protein oatmeal every morning with mini chocolate chips, dried coconut and some almond slices like an almond joy. It’s helped me curb my sweet tooth so much! Like just starting the day with it, going to bed looking forward to it.

I can’t take an all or nothing approach, find ways to incorporate things that bring you happiness. Food is fuel but it’s also pleasure and denying yourself bits of that isn’t sustainable.