The binge/restrict cycle

SoulOfRusalka

Howwww do I get out of this. I used to have an ED as well as a history of poverty and not enough food so I'm alternately scared of being hungry and scared of being full. Now it seems like even minor/moderate restriction sets me up to binge even though I used to restrict much lower all the time.
How do I deal with this? I want to lose weight and get healthier but every time I try I get trapped in this horrible cycle again and I don't know how to get out of it. I feel like I'll never be normal about food but always a normal weight now

kommodevaran

The effects of food scarcity are the same no matter what caused it - poverty or deliberate restriction. Now you have to deliberately and consciously create an enviroment of abundance, as well as learn how to navigate that abundance. You have to feed yourself enough, regularly and reliably. Buy a selection of nutritious foods - there has to be something from every food group. Schedule meals, eat at set times. Plan your meals in sufficient detail, portion out before you start to eat, and eat up what you have served yourself. Eat with others when you can, preferably people who feel safe around food. Google "the hunger scale" and get to know your own hunger and satiety signals.

amandacalories

Are you getting professional help? Eating disorders don't go away they just become better managed. Restricting calories is a big trigger. If you are having problems you might need to meet with someone who can give you proper coping mechanisms/help you with any trauma.

SoulOfRusalka

kommodevaran wrote: »

The effects of food scarcity are the same no matter what caused it - poverty or deliberate restriction. Now you have to deliberately and consciously create an enviroment of abundance, as well as learn how to navigate that abundance. You have to feed yourself enough, regularly and reliably. Buy a selection of nutritious foods - there has to be something from every food group. Schedule meals, eat at set times. Plan your meals in sufficient detail, portion out before you start to eat, and eat up what you have served yourself. Eat with others when you can, preferably people who feel safe around food. Google "the hunger scale" and get to know your own hunger and satiety signals.

That sounds... hard...

SoulOfRusalka

amandacalories wrote: »

Are you getting professional help? Eating disorders don't go away they just become better managed. Restricting calories is a big trigger. If you are having problems you might need to meet with someone who can give you proper coping mechanisms/help you with any trauma.

I was seeing a therapist for a while but I'm not atm (and can't really since I'm living in a foreign country.)
But I really should be able to figure it out on my own after all this time, lol.

kommodevaran

SoulOfRusalka wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

The effects of food scarcity are the same no matter what caused it - poverty or deliberate restriction. Now you have to deliberately and consciously create an enviroment of abundance, as well as learn how to navigate that abundance. You have to feed yourself enough, regularly and reliably. Buy a selection of nutritious foods - there has to be something from every food group. Schedule meals, eat at set times. Plan your meals in sufficient detail, portion out before you start to eat, and eat up what you have served yourself. Eat with others when you can, preferably people who feel safe around food. Google "the hunger scale" and get to know your own hunger and satiety signals.

That sounds... hard...

What about it sounds hard? Be specific about what it is, for each step, that you feel is hard for you.

And please consider what you mean by "hard". Living like you do now, is hard. This is a way of getting back into a normal eating pattern. A normal eating pattern does not feel hard.

I have done these things, and I feel I've overcome my difficult relationship with food and eating. I'm also maintaining a healthy weight, for almost three years now.