Having nightmares about food

1) Manage stress. One of the most important aspects of controlling binge eating is to find alternate ways to handle stress and other overwhelming feelings without using food. These may include exercising, meditating, using sensory relaxation strategies, and practicing simple breathing exercises.
2) Eat 3 meals a day plus healthy snacks. Eating breakfast jump starts your metabolism in the morning. Follow breakfast with a balanced lunch and dinner, and healthy snacks in between. Stick to scheduled mealtimes, as skipping meals often leads to binge eating later in the day.
3) Avoid temptation. You’re much more likely to overeat if you have junk food, desserts, and unhealthy snacks in the house. Remove the temptation by clearing your fridge and cupboards of your favorite binge foods.
4) Stop dieting. The deprivation and hunger of strict dieting can trigger food cravings and the urge to overeat. Instead of dieting, focus on eating in moderation. Find nutritious foods that you enjoy and eat only until you feel content, not uncomfortably stuffed. Avoid banning certain foods as this can make you crave them even more.
5) Exercise. Not only will exercise help you lose weight in a healthy way, but it also lifts depression, improves overall health, and reduces stress. The natural mood-boosting effects of exercise can help put a stop to emotional eating.
6) Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you're bored, distract yourself. Take a walk, call a friend, read, or take up a hobby such as painting or gardening.
7) Get enough sleep. If you're tired, you may want to keep eating in order to boost your energy. Take a nap or go to bed earlier instead.
8) Listen to your body. Learn to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. If you ate recently and don't have a rumbling stomach, you're probably not really hungry. Give the craving time to pass.
9) Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, when, how much, and how you're feeling when you eat. You may see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between your moods and binge eating.
10) Get support. You're more likely to succumb to binge eating triggers if you lack a solid support network. Talking helps, even if it’s not with a professional. Lean on family and friends, join a support group, and if possible consult a therapist.

Tips taken from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder.htm.

theblondetrick wrote: »

I'm trying to eat less than 1300 calories. I have the binge urges because I used to use food as comfort for feeling depressed and then it turned into a habit and habits are not easy to break. Now I'm trying to convince myself that food isn't gonna help, but sometimes the urge is stronger than my will.

This is why you should seek help from a psychiatrist.

I have found that it works best to replace wanting to eat with something else or some sort of activity. I used to do a similar thing but found that lifting weights or going for a walk instead of turning to food is better for dealing with depression. Whenever I binge, I feel more sick and depressed afterward- it is a vicious cycle! It is hard to get off relying on food but if you maybe try taking a walk when you have the urge to binge you'll feel better about yourself afterwards. I find too that I want to eat everything bad/in sight when I deprive myself of food. Maybe try not restricting yourself as much.

The only food dreams I have are of occasionally taking a bite of something that looks delicious - usually a cookie or some cake - without thinking. As soon as it's in my mouth I panic when I realize it has wheat in it. (TMI - I can't eat wheat/gluten because it makes me puke out both ends.) I've been gluten-free for a few years now, and I never dreamed about food before I was GF.

I'm very careful in real life, so to be so sloppy in a dream freaks me out a bit. I usually end up realizing that I'm in a dream within moments, so it's OK. It doesn't happen often enough to bother me, though. It's strange that I have those dreams, since I'm not lacking for treats in my life. I'm actually quite the accomplished gluten-free baker.

OP, I think you are very right when you said, "I think it's pretty normal to dream about things that are bothering you." I think our dreams are similar in that they both deal with control. You're struggling with controlling your binges, and I'm struggling with the need to carefully monitor the ingredients in everything I eat. This may just be our subconscious helping us blow off a little steam from our day to day struggles.

I had the same thing happen to me when I first started. I had dreams about bags of potato chips, deep fried chicken tenders and fries (American). After two or three weeks, the dreams stopped and haven't had any since. I've been at this for two years now.