A compulsive overeater

turquoisepink · March 2014

I'm excited to be back on MFP. I was active some years back and found the community to be a great support system, so I'm back hoping for the same. I'm fairly active and workout regularly. I do yoga, kickboxing, running, speed walking with leg weights, hiking, kayaking, ice skating...you name it and I probably do it. My problem is compulsive overeating. Sometimes it feels like I can't control myself. I tend to binge eat high calorie dense foods like rice, breads, ice cream, etc. I alternate between sweet and savory. I've found that I use food as a substitute for what's missing in my life--like food is almost a companion for me.

Moderation feels like an impossibility for me. It's like being an addict, except I literally can't live without food (I have to eat to live). There's a saying that says something along the lines of: "It's easier to abstain completely from something than to do the same in moderation." This describes my plight perfectly. My dream is to be able to stick to a healthy diet...to make the right food choices...but every time I make the resolve to eat right, I inevitably slip back into my old ways. I typically can't stick to a diet for more than a few hours...literally...I can't go a full day without slipping. I reason with myself and rationalize my desire to eat unhealthy. I love vegetables and fruits and lean proteins too! But for some reason, when I'm finished with a day at the office, all I want to do is grab some takeout, go home, put on one of my favorite TV shows and "check out" from the world. It's my own personal hideout where nobody criticizes me or gets mad at me or judges me. Sigh...I don't know what to do! But I haven't given up and I want to keep trying.

Anyway, just sharing my personal challenge. I'd love to hear if anyone can relate or can share tips/strategies I can use to beat my compulsive overeating once and for all!

Also, please feel free to add me as a friend so we can support each other! The more the merrier...:)

My Stats
Height: 5'10"
Current weight: 185 lbs
Goal weight: 145 lbs

sasadel · March 2014

I know exactly how you feel, I love being active and I loved being fit. I too use food as a replacement for what I feel is missing in my life. After I went through some issues last year where I lost a lot of support I was getting emotionally from people around me, I turned to food. Over the course of 7 months of feeling sorry for myself and eating away my problems I have gained around 60 pounds. I was never a skinny girl, buy I was fit and I was healthy.

I understand completely what you mean about take away, tv and chilling out. It's one of my nightly routines!

tgmichelleee · March 2014

I completely agree and can totally relate.

It's honestly a daily struggle for me personally, but I think the biggest lesson I've learned is to take it day by day.
For the most part I was an athlete (running, tkd, rugby, etc) before all my injuries and still like to be active. I also love eating fruits and veggies. However the problem started when I hit a point where I became overly self conscious of my weight and spiraled into a world of constant dieting and quick weight loss.

Now I have no clue what self control is: it's either on a diet eating clean or binge eating. I mean even if there's an apple in the fridge I'll grab the box of cereal and down it in one sitting and then compensate for it by going on quick weight loss diets. Then I'll have a cheat day or slip up and for the rest of the week I'll binge and rationalize it by saying I'll diet again Monday (a Monday that never comes). And then it's the whole cycle over and over again.
I have a terrible relationship with food and can't do the whole moderation thing (yet).

But like I said earlier it's all about taking it day by day. If you can get through just today, it's something worth being proud of.
Surrounding yourself with a network of like minded people also is huge factor. MFP has been great because there are SO many people on here going through the same thing you are with similar goals. Back here at home people don't quite grasp the severity of it because they're not going through it so they can't relate or they just brush it off (which is even worse).
Also mentality is key. Realizing that hey I might slip up, but that's ok because I can jump back on the train and tomorrow starts a new and fabulous day rather than beating yourself up make a difference between how many days you win the battle vs how many wins the binge wins.

But as long as you are trying, you're making progress

RaceMTB · April 2014

This sounds like the story of my life. I race mountain bikes, I like strength training and have been practicing yoga for the last 10 years. But recently, I've been on an eating rage... done all the different eating styles (Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian...) until I found happiness back at the start as an Omnivore eating mostly whole foods. I eat a lot of healthy foods and green smoothies often, but my caloric intake is through the roof some days! I allow myself to cheat a little more than I should. :laugh:

So I think we should be friends. I like having like-minded individuals who are active and making an effort to learn new healthier habits. I'll send you a FR.

Best of luck to you, and remember to take this one meal at a time. :flowerforyou:

turquoisepink · April 2014

Thanks ladies, so much, for your replies!

So, I wanted to give an update and share something with you. I think I found my personal remedy to overeating...it may sound cheesy, but for me it's been practicing yoga almost everyday. I don't know exactly what the mechanism is, but now that I'm active everyday, it's like my body only craves what it needs and my mind doesn't seem interested in giving into temptation. It's incredible to be honest...and the desire to stop overeating went away effortlessly. If I had known that all it took was doing what I love (practicing yoga) everyday, I would have done this a long time ago. It makes me so incredibly happy to know that I can have control...I really can. And if I give my body what it needs, it won't ask for what it "thinks" it wants. I'm sure the solution will be different for everyone...where my yoga might be someone else's 5-mile jog or kickboxing class. Whatever it is, I think it's just being consistently active and placing some active and healthy stress on your body to force the body to want only what it needs to rebuild and improve upon itself.

I'm so grateful to all of you for your support and just letting me know that I'm not alone. The battle is not over and I certainly remain humble about where I am at this point, but I wanted to share this with you so you know there is hope...I never thought I would or could have control, but it is possible!

greena · April 2014

What a great update ... thanks for sharing!! It really makes sense that yoga would help with compulsive eating, because I really do think stress is the culprit in most people's overeating problems.

I have so much stress during the workday that at 5 p.m. I felt like I had to reward myself with a beer or glass of wine...which turned into snacking before dinner, and eventually eating the whole box of cookies. Until I felt sick. You know the drill. :-)

What has helped me was the book The Beck Diet Solution. I don't know if you've read it, but I found it to be a fantastic resource. I learned techniques for fighting the bad thoughts that said I "deserved" to binge. It is a daily struggle, but after reading the book, I know the struggle is worth it.

I am also trying to implement 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation each evening -- with a 5 and a one-year-old, sometimes I don't get it in, but I keep trying. Sometimes I just take a walk with the dog instead, particularly if I feel like snacking -- and breathe a lot. That helps. :-)

I'm just taking it day by day, as tgmichelleee said, and trying to keep on track with clean eating. It is so worth it and actually helps keep my work stress in check when I'm eating well.

QueenBrawks · April 2014

I am just starting to workout, like as of TODAY! For the first time in 15yrs! Yep, you read that right......15 years! I have to really watch myself around anything sweet. I LOVE sugar. I dont know if I can live without it, or even with less of it. But I am going to try, and I'm gonna exercise! I wish you the best of luck!

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A compulsive overeater

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