PCOS and anxiety possibly linked to overeating

learntolovetheburn15

I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS and I need to lose some weight probably around 50lbs. I am really struggling with evening binge eating, if bad food is in the cupboards I will eat it, I have very little willpower and between 18.00 and 20.00 o’clock. In the evening I could easily consume 600-1000 calories! I could eat:

1) Several bars of chocolate
2) Some a packet of crisps
3) Bread with butter on

I hate being overweight and I know things need to change but I can’t seem to try, or want it enough to lose any weight.

I have felt quite anxious recently and am seeing a practitioner next week and was wondering if binge/overeating needs to be addressed.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Alliwan

There are many here that know much more than I do about PCOS and hormones. But many have found success in cutting out carbs, going LCHF or Keto. Insulin is a hormone, and if you get your insulin under control with diet, then the other hormones have an easier time following suit. Metformin can help, but not nearly as much as diet. Many of us are part of another forum the Low Carber Daily Forum, where we've found success and support for a lower carb way of life.

Going Keto also helps my late night snacking. I can eat my keto foods between 10am and 7pm and then i chew a piece of sugar free gum after that to curb my late night snacking.

TatdBirdNerd

I also struggle with anxiety (and anxiety-induced depression) and have late-night munchie cravings EVERY DAMN DAY. It took a lot of introspection, and a therapist in the past, but I discovered I never truly wanted the treats... It was all in my head. Food, especially junk food, ended up being burned into my brain as a feel-better solution at a very young age... Once that neural path is created, then repetitively strengthened over years of "practice" (ie: snacking when you're actually experiencing something other than hunger), it becomes excruciatingly difficult to break the habit.

Over the years, I've been able to discover many reasons for my late night snacking and have slowly worked to remedy them. Some of what I deal with is being a single woman and damnit, I'm lonely. When the day is busy and you're on the go, being lonely doesn't really set in until you're on the couch at 10pm really wishing you had someone to cuddle and talk to. Except my brain isn't saying "gee, it would be so nice to have someone to cuddle right now", it's saying "BAD FEELING, EAT FOOD, FEEL BETTER".

I always picture my basic brain as an angry, fat caveman in a loincloth waving a club around while making nonsensical demands in very basic language.

It took me a long time to be able to dissect this rudamentary language and understand what's actually going on inside my body... Now that's only one example, but there are myriads of reasons I crave crap late at night. Here are some of the things I struggle with that make me feel "hungry":

• I'm actually thirsty | Believe it or not, many people are mildly dehydrated for the majority of their lives and never know it... Thirst can present as many different feelings, so make sure you're drinking plenty of water.
• I'm lonely | This can translate to "I want to feel comfort", "I want to feel warmth" or "I want to talk to someone". To combat this, I'll wrap up in a super cozy blanket on the couch and watch a show or movie I've seen a million times. The blanket provides the warmth and comfort, and the show touches on a human's tendency to find comfort in predictability. In addition, I'll pick up the phone and call a friend I haven't talked to in a while, or text a couple people. If that's not something available to you, there are lots of ways to build friendships online!
• I'm tired | When it's 10 or 11pm, sometimes I should actually be in bed and trying to sleep. I might have genuine hunger signals telling me to eat, and I desire to eat crap because I know it's the biggest bang for the bite and will get me energy. Now I don't actually NEED energy, I NEED to go to bed... But my body is doing the best it can to support the activity at hand and to keep me awake by ingesting fuel.
• I'm stressed out | Going back to that neural pathway we created at some point in our lives, when I'm stressed, I eat. There's interesting science behind the chemicals released when you eat food... Historically, our ancestors would only eat when it was safe to do so... There's a long history there of food being mentally equated to safety, calm, and happiness because you're probably pretty happy when you're not being chased by a lion, right?!
• I'm bored | Even though I think I'm interested in the book I'm reading, or the show that's on, I'm actually bored and my body says "wouldn't snacking be more fun that this"? To combat this, I like to find something else to do for a while... Maybe I'll switch to a different book, or get up and go find one of my many hobbies to pick up, etc.

I highly recommend a book called "Why Zebras Don't get Ulcers" by Robert Sapolsky on the topic of stress and stress management. It was an eye-opening look at how stress and anxiety affect us on a cellular and mental level.

I'm not sure if you have a pet that you can cuddle and dote on, but that also helps me tremendously. When I'm stressed out or want to snack, sometimes I would turn my attention on my dog and brush her, give her a little massage, change her collar, take her on a walk, work on tricks with her, or any number of other things. Sometimes focusing on a pet's needs can be a great break from the anxiety or cravings and build your relationship.

There's a lot of nuance to anxiety and snacking, and I welcome more conversation if you're interested!

annakatenz

This is 100% me, anxiety/ stress causing high cortisol which means we don't digest food as well and leads too over eating and binging to feel better plus the hormonal problem of not feeling full is a real negative feedback loop. I find focusing on self care and trying to identify these habits and breaking them with a cup of liquorice tea kinda helps. I've been reading alot about inositol as an option that is similar to metformin that helps curb sugar spikes hopefully that along with some mindfulness and being honest with myself helps!