ED My eating is out of control, how have other's dealt with this?/Overeating

[mumstheword]

So, I've battled ED since I was a child. For years it was deprivational and swinging with bingeing and then it became highly deprivational, interspersed with pregnancies where I would eat whatever.
I got over the starving myself part of the ED, but I am struggling with the overeating. It is out of control at the moment.
Any suggestions?

 

[Teasel]

Following as mine is out of control currently too.

I know when I exercise a little it calms the urge to overeat a little.

Ditto when I eat healthily cutting out excessive sugars.

Also making a meal plan helps.

Meditation helps too ~ I tend to think my overeating increases when I'm trying to bury feelings and meditation helps me do less of that.

 

[Mach123]

Hi this is a funny subject for me its having to do with the body. I am eating differently now than i ever have at any point in my life. It's a massive control issue. I suggest cabbage soup and veggies that's what I'm living on. I was like you I controlled myself by food substitutes my whole life. I always ate stuff that was not good for me and I have severe food sensitivities so I was always sick to one degree or other. So miserable. Heartburn, gas and having to go to the bathroom right away!

Now eating the good stuff which I call hi test fuel I can't eat enough and I'm still losing weight. I used to argue with my wife and say "eat all the rice, apples and carrots you want." She'd argue and say i was wrong. But I know what food to eat. The stuff that makes you hungry a short while after.

Im even eating before bed and when I wake up later I'm starving again. It's been a few months. I'm too skinny. I like skinny though. Its a give the middle finger to the whole world thing. Not eating. This is better though. It's eating and not eating at the same time. Food, the final frontier.

 

[Deanna]

You need to find the food that balances you out and controls your cravings. In all the food you've eaten.. Is there one food in mind that you know of, that gas balanced you out? That would be the ?. Maybe writing a bunch of foods down, that come to mind, and then putting them in categories.

Like for me: ice cream would be an empty category.

 

[The Albatross]

Maximize whole food nutrition over less healthier choices. Whole food is more filling and it can give you a sense of managing choices even if you're not able to deal with the binge behavior at this time. Minimizing the risk of binging behaviors is a good starting point. I've yet to ever hear anyone say they binged on a bag of salad or carrots for example. We do have a treat... but we just don't bring them into the household as regular items. If they aren't within reach, I'm not inclined to go get it... so aside from a weekly "treat" item, me/myself, mom and mister wait til the next week. It actually can build a sense of control.

We don't keep junk foods at home (unless my mister smuggles them in... here recently like Girl Scout cookies)…. but whole foods means 5 cookies for me now instead of a whole or half a box.

Hard to do with a family around... but it can be a good first step.

Scrambled this up... not thinking well this morning.

 

[Friday]

Checkup with your doc to rule out medical causes for increased/insatiable appetite.

Thyroid is a common WTF :banghead: cause of this, particularly in moms, and when your thyroid is off? (Hypo or hyper). It has a bunch of quirky side effects. Like hunger and depression. That if you have an ED / PTSD? It’s easy to waste years trying to psych the problems away, that a teeny tiny little pill (or great big honking horse pill) sorts a shitton of things, all at once. :facepalm: Because it’s hormonal rather than psychological.

But, in addition to the über-common thyroid issue, there are maybe half a dozen other things a simple blood test can rule out. Easy button.

 

[RecoveryGuy]

I needed to be reminded of this. I got to get back on an exercise and eating plan.

 

[bellbird]

(once you've ruled out any medical causes, as @Friday says) I would think about what role your current overeating is filling for you.
-numbing?
-trying to feel something?
-trying to control something?
-acting out relating to feelings of self-worth?
-self harm?

I think that eating plans etc are good, but it's also important to look at the root cause. Both at the same time are the best approach to the sustained overcoming of any ED, imo.

Could it be that this overeating is now filling a role that starving once did? Same root cause different manifestation?
What was your process for recovery from your starvation ED?

 

[mumstheword]

Following as mine is out of control currently too.

I know when I exercise a little it calms the urge to overeat a little.

Ditto when I eat healthily cutting out excessive sugars.

Also making a meal plan helps.

Meditation helps too ~ I tend to think my overeating increases when I'm trying to bury feelings and meditation helps me do less of that.

All this is great advice.
I find all that helps too.

Stresses and triggers sabotage though, and I also have the added pressure of having to cook for others, and food prices have gone through the roof, due to our recent drought and other disasters, here, in Au, so I have not been having access to all the fresh veggies I would normally eat.

But, I agree, cutting out sugars is key to a healthy eating plan and reducing fat and other carb-related body problems.

Not sure, why I am "burying feelings" perhaps because I am hemmed in on all sides by other people. I feel a bit stifled. I think I eat to give myself a bit more room, ironically. I know safety is another key to being able to.maintain a healthy BMI and I haven't acheived a sense of safety, where I reside, yet.

My yoga practise is definitely helping though. I just need to get back into other active meditative practise, like dancing, singing, playing music, drawing and painting. I find sitting meditation a bit too dissociative-inducing, for my system, so I prefer active medatitive activities.

On contemplation, I think I am avoiding feeling grief. It just goes on and on, and I am tired of feeling it. And fear. Fear is a big, huge, scary beast. A hungry, hungry, snapping-at-my-heels beast.

 

[mumstheword]

Thank you all, for the great responses. All of them are helpful and appreciated. I will address each, as I can.

Soon. Busy with a family visit today. My oldest daughter turned 26 yesterday and came to stay and party and she is still around for another day. So I will get back to y'all, when she goes.

 

[Mee]

(once you've ruled out any medical causes, as @Friday says) I would think about what role your current overeating is filling for you.
-numbing?
-trying to feel something?
-trying to control something?
-acting out relating to feelings of self-worth?
-self harm?

I think that eating plans etc are good, but it's also important to look at the root cause. Both at the same time are the best approach to the sustained overcoming of any ED, imo.

Could it be that this overeating is now filling a role that starving once did? Same root cause different manifestation?
What was your process for recovery from your starvation ED?

rhis is such a great post.
I am posting to follow too because it’s an area of self care I struggle with and also have made this ‘switch’ from under eating to over eating.
what makes me cross with my self is I have all the dietary knowledge ( like many with ED factors to their history) , so this is a really nasty impact of turning on my self PTSD brought.

personally I would say the overeating thing is a mixture of self soothing and self harm in equal measure. I think linking it to positivity or negativity attempt only is a red herring I have followed in the past.

 

[Teasel]

Got to agree, excellent post @bellbird :)

And too @Mee I see it as soothing and self harm both.

Is a lot worse for me lately, aggravated by side effects of mirtazapine for sure.

But I'm aware too I'm trying to bury my head in the sand somewhat as got a lot of stress and big changes coming up. Also am dog dog dog tired of trying to pick myself up again after more abuse by Mr.