Struggles with food
tarelee622
Posts: 5 Member
Hi! I just started reusing this app and am new to this forum.
My weight has yo-yo’d back and forth between the same 10 pounds for the past two years, and I’m frustrated at feeling unable to get below 165. I’m a 34 YO female, height 5’6”.
I am recently gluten free as I am testing the theory that I have non-celiac gluten sensitivity issues.
I know that I sabotage myself a lot with my diet - I’ll be on a stretch of eating normal portions and healthy foods, and then I spend a day binge eating junk food. Occasionally (but not always) I will even purge after binging.
I’m not gaining weight lately. But I can’t lose.
I know a lot of it is mental/emotional.
But physically I feel it is hard as well. I can’t lose weight like I used to when I was younger. And I’m in desperate need of support and motivation. I want to feel more comfortable in my own skin again.
Thanks for listening.
My weight has yo-yo’d back and forth between the same 10 pounds for the past two years, and I’m frustrated at feeling unable to get below 165. I’m a 34 YO female, height 5’6”.
I am recently gluten free as I am testing the theory that I have non-celiac gluten sensitivity issues.
I know that I sabotage myself a lot with my diet - I’ll be on a stretch of eating normal portions and healthy foods, and then I spend a day binge eating junk food. Occasionally (but not always) I will even purge after binging.
I’m not gaining weight lately. But I can’t lose.
I know a lot of it is mental/emotional.
But physically I feel it is hard as well. I can’t lose weight like I used to when I was younger. And I’m in desperate need of support and motivation. I want to feel more comfortable in my own skin again.
Thanks for listening.
1
Replies
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What makes you go on a food binge? craving sweets? don't feel satisfied with your meals? like maybe you really didn't eat. bored? not feeling good? tired? - Eastcoast Jim1
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I binge at night. I can go all day without food. I don’t, try to eat 3 meals a day. But at night it’s like I’m starving. I go to bed to keep from eating and get up to eat. I think it’s a mind thing. I refuse to do this overweight thing again. I’ve loss over 100 pounds. My brain had triggered that I’m starving.1
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Do you exercise?
Even something light like walking could trigger your appetite earlier in the day causing you to eat more normally. Strength training could also help you tone up and get a nicer figure.
I struggle with night binges myself. It's tough.0 -
I binge at night. I can go all day without food. I don’t, try to eat 3 meals a day. But at night it’s like I’m starving. I think it’s a mind thing. My brain had triggered that I’m starving.
When I am in binge mode this is EXACTLY how I feel! I make it through the whole day only to start my binges around what would be dinner time.What makes you go on a food binge? craving sweets? don't feel satisfied with your meals? like maybe you really didn't eat. bored? not feeling good? tired? - Eastcoast Jim
I don’t feel satisfied with my meals generally. I feel like I’m always hungry no matter what. But I’m not sure if it’s mental or physical. Because if I’m busy working, etc. like I said before, I can make it through the day eating a little amount of food. Sometimes I’ll even forget to eat until like 1p. I think coffee suppresses my appetite.
When I’m binging it’s usually a combination of fast food, chips, ice cream, pasta, cakes/donuts/etc...Do you exercise?
Even something light like walking could trigger your appetite earlier in the day causing you to eat more normally. Strength training could also help you tone up and get a nicer figure.
I struggle with night binges myself. It's tough.
I do. I go to the gym an average of three times a week. I primarily do cardio. The elliptical, stair stepper, and use the treadmill on an incline power walking.
I will also do weight training.
I think I eat less on days I use the gym because I feel more motivated.
Days when I binge all I think about is food. It’s like an obsession those days and I don’t see the point of doing anything other than eating and sleeping.0 -
Thanks for all the responses.0
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I make sure that I have a dessert almost every day. I just plan for the calories, and still hit my daily limit goal. Maybe if you don't feel so restricted, the feeling of deprivation you feel will lessen and you won't be prone to panic eating.2
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Break things down into individual behaviors and habits. Instead of looking at this as an all at once, or all or nothing proposition, find ways to break things down into smaller and more sustainable habits. That makes it much easier to pinpoint where something is not working, and fix it, rather than staring at the whole jumbled mess of NOT WORKING. Plus, when you do backslide, you are less likely to drop everything, just one or two habits, that can then be fixed again. Otherwise, trying to everything at once, means that you are likely to leave out something important (like weighing food), and pay excessive attention to things that aren't. (Like fiber drinks and vinegar)
Don't demonize foods that don't actually make you feel bad. Obviously if you have food sensitivities avoid those things, but don't cut out all your favoritr goodies because they are not "healthy". Think of your calories as a type of currency. You should purchase the nutrient rich stuff first, budget for regular treats, and don't waste any calories on stuff you hate, even if it is theoretically good for you.
Log EVERYTHING.
Don't JUST weigh (with a scale is best) everything you eat, also write why you are eating it (i.e, lunchtime, hungry, kind of bored, out with friends, watching tv) and how you are feeling right before, right after and an hour after (hungry, comfortable, normal, full, very full bloated, drowsy, OMG I am so damn sick of this crap I want to throw the whole plate out a window, etc).
This gives you a baseline pattern for your normal habits and routine. From there, it's just a matter of experimenting. Are you very full after dinner? Cut back on a few things. Does lunch leave you bloated and gassy after an hour, try less or no mayo, and see if there's something you don't mind dropping each meal (fries, or cheese, or maybe only 2 tacos instead of 3).Are you starving an hour after dinner?Maybe more fats during.
It's amazing how quickly these small and easily sustainable changes will add up to big calorie cuts. Only cut one or two things at a time, until they become habit instead if trying to do everything at once. That way they become individual habits instead of one big "diet".
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Break things down into individual behaviors and habits...
THANK YOU for the response. I highly value this thoughtful and detailed advice and I am going to make a plan and begin this!!!!
Especially the logging of food and symptoms and reasons for eating etc.
I really like that idea.
I downloaded MyFitnessPal to start logging food and calories and haven’t begun this yet.
But expanding my scope will give a whole picture.
Thank you.
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Also...
I am gluten free because I believe I have Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity.
I began this year doing the FODMAP diet as an elimination diet and then reintroduced food types to find out what was triggering me. It seems to have been gluten that was creating severe bloating and intestinal pain and I have been feeling better since not eating it.0 -
Have a read of this article
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1441490715956292&id=6993918101661900 -
You can do it!! We share similar height and weight stats. I started this journey at 163 lbs and now I am at 150 (I'm also 5'6). I was really big into working out- gym, mountain biking, running and horse back riding but all that stopped when I hurt my back last spring. I now focus on what im putting in my body. I have upped my fruits and veggies, and cut out a lot of boxed and prepared foods and it has really worked to help me keep my weight the same. I also LOG EVERYTHING. Even if it's bad, log it! There are still days where I eat really well and still find myself in the kitchen at midnight making mug brownies and topping them off with vanilla frozen yogurt. Sweets are my ultimate arch enemy but I dont deny myself them when the cravings arise. We're only human!
Start small. One day at a time. It is possible!
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Hey I struggle too. Not much advice to give but have had/am of similar stats.0
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