Comfort eating

maddieftaylor

Hi everyone,

I am a recovering bulimic of just over 2 months. I haven't purged for the whole of that time, but I still struggle with linking food to comfort. I always find that I fancy something sweet after dinner, even if I'm full - and I know the logical answer would be to have fruit but it just doesn't seem to satisfy the craving. Another problem is that once I start I still sometimes have trouble stopping.

Does anyone have any experience of this or any tips?

I also find Monday's really hard and I always seem to be at my most hungriest on a Monday evening.. Wonder if that rings true with anybody else?

x

ColeCake292012

I can totally relate.

What helps me is making sure I stay hyrdated, active and eat enough throughout the day. I noticed your calorie goal was only 1200, which for most people can be a little too low. I don't know your weight, height or activity level, but even if you up your calories to 1300 or 1400 it might help you in the long run. It allows you to either eat more throughout the day so you don't eat after dinner, or allots you an extra snack in the evening before bed.

Another thing that help me, in particular, is the quality of food I'm eating. The more whole fruits and veggies I'm eating throughout the day, as well as whole grains, affects my appetite a lot.

Lastly, the longer you stick to your guns about not wanting to snack in the evening, the easier it will become. I know that if I have a rough evening, it makes it harder to bounce back, but if I just sip water and distract myself doing other things, I realize that most nights it becomes a non-issue.

I can only speak for myself and from my own experiences, but hopefully some smidgen on advice I give you helps! Good luck!

theBeesKnees35

I agree with the previous responders..

for me, I have to avoid the first compulsive bite.. meaning if I'm already feeling anxiety or an emotional build up around eating the food, I know I won't be able to stop once I start. Better for me just to avoid in those cases.

friday nights used to be the worst for me.. so I started running on friday nights and I enlisted the help of a few trusted friends I knew I could text for support if I needed it. also, having a plan for what I was going to eat on friday's helped me avoid making irrational choices. I set a few reminders in my phone to go off on friday night and remind me of positive things about myself and what my ultimate goals were. just little jolts to bring me back into focus and keep me grounded.

I would use binging as a way to escape and often space out during a binge.

peppermint tea has always been a nice soothing way for me to avoid sweets in the evening.

best wishes xo

dcdbeetlelover

I like what theBeesKnees3 has to say here!

I agree with the previous responders..

for me, I have to avoid the first compulsive bite.. meaning if I'm already feeling anxiety or an emotional build up around eating the food, I know I won't be able to stop once I start. Better for me just to avoid in those cases.

friday nights used to be the worst for me.. so I started running on friday nights and I enlisted the help of a few trusted friends I knew I could text for support if I needed it. also, having a plan for what I was going to eat on friday's helped me avoid making irrational choices. I set a few reminders in my phone to go off on friday night and remind me of positive things about myself and what my ultimate goals were. just little jolts to bring me back into focus and keep me grounded.

I would use binging as a way to escape and often space out during a binge.

peppermint tea has always been a nice soothing way for me to avoid sweets in the evening.

best wishes xo