Stuck in a binge/healthy eating cycle

TremendouslyMagnificentYouth wrote: »

I'm really restricting myself, I've replaced most of the food I "crave" with healthier options. The only food I've cut out is bread. I never skip meals, and I smack throughout the day. I manage to stay with a calorie range of 1200-1400, but when boredom/stress/etc sets in, I'll eat anything in my path

I've similar problem, but what's kind of funny I don't binge due to craving foods I don't eat anymore (junk, sweets, bars, chips, pastries) I don't mind not eating them anymore... I binge with food I eat every day which is quite healthy I would say but the amount of it is just scary... till I feel sick... I've been challenging myself several times with marking days in my calendar as breaking that habit. I've reden You need 21-28 days to break it and it really helps me. I do this every time I'm back to 'that' day and after 28 days it's way easier to stay on track. Unfortunately as human being we have these days and to me mindless eating goes back. Now my stomach is quite small and it's easy to make me feel sick so when that day comes I eat popcorn/nuts/granola and drink whole 1l of unsweetened almond milk. I know it might sound ridiculous for some but it keeps me stay not as much over my calories with feeling sick. I know it's bad but still fighting with it over and over again.
What I do also to distract myself is my designing, sewing hobby, online shopping, writting on MFP

Serah87 wrote: »

That's what happens when you restrict yourself, it's not sustainable.

I eat everything in moderation. Basically 80/20.

This

TremendouslyMagnificentYouth wrote: »

I'm really restricting myself, I've replaced most of the food I "crave" with healthier options. The only food I've cut out is bread. I never skip meals, and I smack throughout the day. I manage to stay with a calorie range of 1200-1400, but when boredom/stress/etc sets in, I'll eat anything in my path

I was never able to conquer binges until I figured out a way to eat foods that I love each day. This doesn't mean you have to eat hundreds of calories of ice cream or pizza daily. But for me, I have to be excited about something that I am planning to eat. The foods I crave are mainly salty, so I will plan to have a few olives before dinner, some peanut sauce on cucumber noodles for lunch, a portion of tortilla chips and salsa for a snack . . . whatever it is, giving myself leeway to have foods I love makes it easier for me to hit my daily goal.

kshama2001 wrote: »

TremendouslyMagnificentYouth wrote: »

I'm really restricting myself, I've replaced most of the food I "crave" with healthier options. The only food I've cut out is bread. I never skip meals, and I smack throughout the day. I manage to stay with a calorie range of 1200-1400, but when boredom/stress/etc sets in, I'll eat anything in my path

You may simply be not eating enough. What's your height and weight? Are you set to lose 0.5 pounds per week? With only 28 pounds to lose, creating a deficit of more than a few hundred calories per day may be too aggressive.

This as well.

TremendouslyMagnificentYouth wrote: »

I feel like it's a habit more than something I do because I'm hungry because I eat A LOT since my diet is mainly organic food which tends to be on the low side of calories. My problem is getting out of that habit it turning to food as a solution to negative emotions, you know?

Organic food doesn't have less calories than the similar food which isn't labeled as "organic". It simply meets standards which the government has determined makes it organic. It isn't even grown without pesticides, just specific ones. If, on the other hand, you mean that you're mostly eating fruits and vegetables which are lower in calories, then that makes more sense.

An 18 year old's body and brain are still growing. Make sure you aren't being so restrictive in calories that you're denying yourself your full potential by chronically under-eating. Habitually eating far fewer calories than your body needs will also cause it to cannibalize your lean muscle mass for energy especially if you aren't strength training with progressively heavier weights. Losing muscle mass now will set you up for a lifetime of problems as your metabolism will be slower as a result and through the years it will be that much harder to maintain a healthy weight. Just something to think about.

TremendouslyMagnificentYouth wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

TremendouslyMagnificentYouth wrote: »

I'm really restricting myself, I've replaced most of the food I "crave" with healthier options. The only food I've cut out is bread. I never skip meals, and I smack throughout the day. I manage to stay with a calorie range of 1200-1400, but when boredom/stress/etc sets in, I'll eat anything in my path

You may simply be not eating enough. What's your height and weight? Are you set to lose 0.5 pounds per week? With only 28 pounds to lose, creating a deficit of more than a few hundred calories per day may be too aggressive.

I'm 5'5 and I'm down to my last 5kg so when I increase my calories, I'm stuck at the same weight. I already work out 6 days a week (cardio with 2 strength/toning classes) so increasing exercise isnt an option haha

If you are engaging in regular binging, you may be wiping out any calorie deficit you are creating on the days you are hitting your goals. This could be why you are stuck. Are you set to lose .5 a week or have you set it to more?