Over eating

LegacyUser

Hi,

I wonder can anyone give me some advice.

I really really am tormented by food. I think about it 24/7. Literally I am obsessed, I watch cookery programmes every evening, I know the nutritional content of almost all foods and I am up to date on all the latest diets.

However my problem is that once I start eating I can't stop and I will continue to eat until every morsel of food in the house is nearly gone! Now I have and obviously still do suffer with an eating disorder...and I mean suffer.... It's a nightmare, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy!

I had a brief fling with anorexia in the past, this then led to bulimia. But in the past 6 months I'm going through most days eating nothing and then binging at night. Then I will do a 3 or 4 day water fast and start all over again with the binging.

Now I know deep down that if I do not starve my body, eat 3 meals a day of good nutritious food with the odd treat this will help curtail binges. I have tried this, I know it makes sense but as I said once I start to eat I really can't stop.

I'm not overweight... God only knows I should be. But I'm desperate.. I didn't post this in nutrition forum as I will more than likely to be told to eat high fat low carb etc etc. I have been to counsellor and psychiatrists about this problem. They kept rooting for some epic problem/fault in my upbringing. Bar the complete control of food by my mother I can't think of anything else. But that's in the past... How can I eat normally? Sounds so silly!!

thefeatheredcat

The how is about controlling the behaviour and knowing where it comes from, understanding it, and modifying the behaviour over time. There isn't a quick fix, but a start would be for you to catch yourself in the behaviour, and actually acknowledge it and reflect on how you feel about it, how the behaviour makes you feel.

Tackling and changing the behaviour isn't easy and would be a combination of dealing with the psychological and behavioural aspects of the bulimia. During counseling or therapy sessions, has it ever been discussed about treatment to alter the behaviour or attending a clinic that can help and support you changing the behaviour and tackling the illness? It's not something that could be completed overnight, it would take time to alter your eating disorder from binging and purging to eating stably without feeling the need to over eat or obsess about food and food related things such as diets and calories.

If you don't currently have a counselor to follow up on where you can get help in changing, perhaps have a look at the forum charter sticky on the PI forum as it also contains several contacts relating to eating disorders that might offer you advice and help.

lemon_sherbert

I'd recommend the book Overcoming Overeating by Jane Hirschmann and Carol H. Munter. I'm a binge eater, and it's something I'm working through, and this book has been helping a lot.

NickyL

I would also recommend that you stop watching the cooking programs. I also have an unheathy relationship with food, and I find that any program on food or dieting etc simply feeds my issue. Perhaps you could find other tv programs that would keep your mind occupied with something else?

I also find that keeping myself busy helps.