Night eating syndrom. Recovering anorexic.

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BeautieXO
BeautieXO Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
Hello everyone,

So, to give you all the low-down, I got out of the hospital for anorexia about 4 months ago with an appropriate weight for my height (BMI of 21). Since being released, my weight has dropped about 15lbs, but I'm still at a healthy weight. I eat 5 small meals a day, but have been seriously struggling with night eating. The intense need to binge drives me insane, to the point where it is jeopardizing my recovery. My downfall is chips. I crave them ALL THE TIME! And if I have one, I can't stop and end up eating the entire family sized bag, and then feel like crap about myself. I could easily do this on a daily basis.

I guess the big issues is, I can't seem to substitute it for anything. I've tried veggies and hummus. I've tried popcorn. I've tried toast...but if I don't end up getting chips, I literally lie awake tossing and turning! I just ate an entire jar of pickles trying to stave off the intense cravings, and NOTHING IS WORKING!

Help???

Replies

  • Ron6098
    Ron6098 Posts: 31
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    I have a very similar issue with chips and at times they seem to be the end all be all of snack food. However, I found out years ago that my cravings for said chips (especially night cravings) all but disappears if my diet consists of a lot of protein, carbs from veggies/whole grains and good fats.
  • pinkcloudrising
    pinkcloudrising Posts: 63
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    Recovering night eater, anorexic and bulimic here! Yeah, night eating. So insidious and such a hard habit to break. I used to do some of my best binging and purging late at night. What I have learned that works for me is to add the foods that I crave the most -- chips and sweets and bread -- into my meal plans. At times it does feel like I'll never be able to stop but I haven't found that to be true. I have been able to eat the portion I planned and stop. Granted it took some time for me to get to this point, but for me, this is the only way I can live. I make the chips part of one or more of my meals and once I've eaten my meal I have not found a need to eat more chips. As I said, it has taken some time for me to get to this point but it can be done. I had chips as part of my lunch today and I am having them as part of my dinner tomorrow night.

    One thing I am sure of is that I cannot deprive myself of any food because that is the thing that I will obsess over the most (thinking about it over and over and over) and crave (the physical compulsion that leads to a binge). As you are finding, when you don't allow yourself something, that is exactly what you will crave, be it chips, sweets, soft drinks, or eggplant.

    What I have learned is that I have to learn how to have a healthy relationship with the foods that I love. I've learned that I cannot restrict nor deprive myself of any food items and if I do then I am setting myself up.

    I hope this helps you. Whatever you decide to do around the chips, just know that you aren't alone.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    I would drive out to go buy a SMALL bag of chips...one of those individual sized ones. Do you trust yourself to be able to do that without buying the big 6-person bags? Never have them in your house...always force yourself to have to leave the house to go get them.
  • BeautieXO
    BeautieXO Posts: 4
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    Thank you so much for replying. I am at a bit of a stand-still right now when it comes to what to eat because other than the chip craze, I eat really healthily. I just found out I have gallstones (which I'm told is a result from years of restriction) and I know that every time I eat a bag of chips my body reacts negatively...and it's evident for a couple of days after, so to continue WILL result in surgery...

    I'm a little lost because ideally, I wouldn't have them at all.

    As for keeping them out of my house, my partner is afraid I'm not eating enough, so though I ask him NOT to buy chips (he rarely eats them, himself) he buys them so he can reassure himself that I'm eating, knowing that I can't keep my fingers off of them.
  • pinkcloudrising
    pinkcloudrising Posts: 63
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    The reason you can't find a substitute for chips is because there is no substitute. You can try the low cal and the reduced fat and baked or even the veggie chips but it just isn't the same.

    You CAN have a healthy relationship with potato chips. It will take work on your part and it might take a long time but it can be done. Denying yourself the food that you love the most isn't a good way to live if you think about it. When I was restricting and denying myself foods like chips (because that was what I was told was the only way to have the body shape I wanted) then I was miserable and I was never successful at it. I would inevitably crack, and like you say, eat all of the food because I had been denying myself which in turn led to self-loathing and shame and so I'd eat more to stop the feelings. And so the cycle would begin.
  • caroldeanda
    caroldeanda Posts: 23 Member
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    Sorry you are dealing with all of this!
    I also had the bad habit of killing a whole bag of chips.
    I finally found two subs that I think are a better alternative ;)
    Plentils (chips from lentils) very yummy and satisfying but filling, 31 chips in a serving!!!
    Also trader joes plantain chips!!! They taste like potato chips to me! Really satisfies me too!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Hello everyone,

    So, to give you all the low-down, I got out of the hospital for anorexia about 4 months ago with an appropriate weight for my height (BMI of 21). Since being released, my weight has dropped about 15lbs, but I'm still at a healthy weight. I eat 5 small meals a day, but have been seriously struggling with night eating. The intense need to binge drives me insane, to the point where it is jeopardizing my recovery. My downfall is chips. I crave them ALL THE TIME! And if I have one, I can't stop and end up eating the entire family sized bag, and then feel like crap about myself. I could easily do this on a daily basis.

    I guess the big issues is, I can't seem to substitute it for anything. I've tried veggies and hummus. I've tried popcorn. I've tried toast...but if I don't end up getting chips, I literally lie awake tossing and turning! I just ate an entire jar of pickles trying to stave off the intense cravings, and NOTHING IS WORKING!

    Help???
    If your weight has dropped 15lbs since you got out of the hospital, why are you concerned about night eating? And why do you think eating at night is a bad thing? I do it all the time.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    If you're having insane cravings at night it's probably because you aren't eating enough during the day and your body is desperate for food. The fact that you've lost 15lbs in 4 months when you didn't need to only further highlights the fact that you aren't eating nearly enough. Especially if you claim to be "binging" and eating large quantities of chips - it's obviously not enough if you continue to lose weight. Maybe buy small packages of chips and work them into your normal daily meals instead of starving yourself all day long?
  • raygun43
    raygun43 Posts: 1
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    Help-- I"m a recovering anorexic and I can't stop night binging. I feel hung over in the morning and hate myself. I've finally gotten my eating during the day to a good place, and I reached my goal weight more than a year ago.But I go through spasms of intense night eating and I feel horrible. Need some advice.. thank you!
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Options
    Hello everyone,

    So, to give you all the low-down, I got out of the hospital for anorexia about 4 months ago with an appropriate weight for my height (BMI of 21). Since being released, my weight has dropped about 15lbs, but I'm still at a healthy weight. I eat 5 small meals a day, but have been seriously struggling with night eating. The intense need to binge drives me insane, to the point where it is jeopardizing my recovery. My downfall is chips. I crave them ALL THE TIME! And if I have one, I can't stop and end up eating the entire family sized bag, and then feel like crap about myself. I could easily do this on a daily basis.

    I guess the big issues is, I can't seem to substitute it for anything. I've tried veggies and hummus. I've tried popcorn. I've tried toast...but if I don't end up getting chips, I literally lie awake tossing and turning! I just ate an entire jar of pickles trying to stave off the intense cravings, and NOTHING IS WORKING!

    Help???
    If your weight has dropped 15lbs since you got out of the hospital, why are you concerned about night eating? And why do you think eating at night is a bad thing? I do it all the time.

    Yes, this. Have they set you up with outpatient therapy?
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    If you're having insane cravings at night it's probably because you aren't eating enough during the day and your body is desperate for food. The fact that you've lost 15lbs in 4 months when you didn't need to only further highlights the fact that you aren't eating nearly enough. Especially if you claim to be "binging" and eating large quantities of chips - it's obviously not enough if you continue to lose weight. Maybe buy small packages of chips and work them into your normal daily meals instead of starving yourself all day long?
    This!!!! You've lost 15 pounds since leaving hospital!!!
    This is exactly why you are having intense, insatiable cravings at night!
    You are restricting during the day. If you ate enough all day and. Good dinner-you wouldn't have such insatiable cravings.
  • MeMyCatsandI
    MeMyCatsandI Posts: 704 Member
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    As for keeping them out of my house, my partner is afraid I'm not eating enough, so though I ask him NOT to buy chips (he rarely eats them, himself) he buys them so he can reassure himself that I'm eating, knowing that I can't keep my fingers off of them.
    THAT is effed up! Seriously!
  • Jlmervin03
    Jlmervin03 Posts: 152 Member
    Options
    Sorry you are dealing with all of this!
    I also had the bad habit of killing a whole bag of chips.
    I finally found two subs that I think are a better alternative ;)
    Plentils (chips from lentils) very yummy and satisfying but filling, 31 chips in a serving!!!
    Also trader joes plantain chips!!! They taste like potato chips to me! Really satisfies me too!

    I love Trader Joe's Plantain Chips!!
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Options

    As for keeping them out of my house, my partner is afraid I'm not eating enough, so though I ask him NOT to buy chips (he rarely eats them, himself) he buys them so he can reassure himself that I'm eating, knowing that I can't keep my fingers off of them.
    THAT is effed up! Seriously!

    I don't think you understand the big picture here.

    She was hospitalized for anorexia. She left the hospital. Since then, she has lost 15 pounds, which is significant and scary. Her partner is concerned for her health and is taking some drastic measures to make sure she eats. It may not be the right way to go about it, but it's a completely understandable reaction.

    OP - I'm a successfully recovered ED patient. I conquered it all - anorexia, bulimia and laxative abuse. Please seek out patient help. It's really hard to get it right on the outside when you don't have support. If you lost 15 pounds, and you are still concerned about eating some chips, you are reverting back to your old ways whether you want to believe it or not.
  • bluehydrangeas
    bluehydrangeas Posts: 16
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    If you're having insane cravings at night it's probably because you aren't eating enough during the day and your body is desperate for food. The fact that you've lost 15lbs in 4 months when you didn't need to only further highlights the fact that you aren't eating nearly enough. Especially if you claim to be "binging" and eating large quantities of chips - it's obviously not enough if you continue to lose weight. Maybe buy small packages of chips and work them into your normal daily meals instead of starving yourself all day long?
    This!!!! You've lost 15 pounds since leaving hospital!!!
    This is exactly why you are having intense, insatiable cravings at night!
    You are restricting during the day. If you ate enough all day and. Good dinner-you wouldn't have such insatiable cravings.

    This.

    You are eating at night because your body needs the food.
  • sunfastrose
    sunfastrose Posts: 543 Member
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    The OP is from over a year ago; probably better to address the person who bumped the thread.

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