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When I get stressed and worked up I binge. I have always had problems with food and I know that its a life time battle I face. I dont know how to stop doing this.
I use sweet stuff to cheer me up. To a point where I can eat several chocolate bars, bag and bags of sweets then a packed of busicuits. Then Im sick.
I know this must be hard on you. I am sure there are groups out there that can help you. You might call your local mental association or perhaps google Overeaters Anonymous or something similar like that. We're always here for you. Much love and blessings to you and your family.
Live strong, Karilynn & Pipers Kitty
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It's your life. Take no prisoners. You will have it your way.
Once I did this to the extent that I gained about 10 sizes. I was a 14 then and am normally about a size 4.(I'm a short little person so 14 was kinda big for me) Anyway when I got to where I could not see my toes when I looked down it was a wake up call. I then replaced food with working out and trying to look good. The first thing was to admit I didn't get in that shape overnight and wasn't gonna get in better shape overnight. I started thinking that I could do nothing to change and in 1 or two years be in the same (or worse) condition or I could make better choice and in one or two years be in a much better condition. I didn't want to let my "feeling down" and overeating to make me feel even more down because I didn't like how I looked. I made myself work out even when I didn't feel like it. It worked and soon I felt so much better about me. I will say I don't work out like I used to and want to begin again but I am more careful to try to replace that strong desire to sit, eat and brood with more healthy behavior. I found that finding something I enjoyed (as I was, not waiting till I looked more the part) like kickboxing or rollerblading etc. made it much easier to resist the urge to medicate myself with food. I also realized the food didn't really help anyway- It only takes a little while to eat a half gallon of ice cream and then the pain was still there. But lots and lots of cardio-running, walking fast, jazercise whatever... these things actually gave me a better mood that lasted and actually changed my mindset. Hope this helps, love and care to you!
I am currently in withdrawal from sugar. I find it hard going. I've tried OA but didn't fnd it as rewarding as this program. I guess I could try again.
I was socially conditioned to "stuff" by my family of origin. I can unlearn that.
I know for me its so huge to talk about how I am feeling to people who are receptive, not "shoulders" but people who have some empathy.
I also find for me being goal orientated helps. I have a terrible infection that was irritated by my sufar consumption. I had to make changes. I was "willing" to do that. Is it difficult yeah absolutely but I try to work on it one day at a time. One big thing is shopping I really try hard not to bring sugar into my life. Maresie.
Another person who understands alllllll too well here. Once upon a time ago I weighed 220 pounds. About six years ago I got on top of it, though, and joined Weight Watchers and started working out regularly. I'm now down to a much more reasonable 143 pounds, and despite the tremendous amounts of stress I've been encountering since the beginning of this year, I've maintained my weight loss - haven't gained anything back.
But I know what you mean - I sometimes turn to food to douse my problems, too. But I'm starting to find since attending Al-anon that my urge to binge is becoming less and less. I think it's because the Al-anon program in itself is helping me to work on my REAL issues and tackle them in a healthier way than through food. Al-anon is my OA, basically (and I actually never attended an OA meeting). Although I don't make the focus of my Al-anon program my eating issues. The focus of my Al-anon program is getting in touch with ME and what makes me tick and react to things the way I do. Because I'm recognizing more of these issues, I find myself turning less often to food for comfort. I turn to the Al-anon program and spiritual exercises for comfort, instead.
A very basic suggestion to you: keep "trigger foods" out of the house. If you know you can't have just one piece of chocolate, then don't keep a whole bag of them in the house.
It's the same thing for recovering alcoholics. They do a lot better when they're not faced with temptation in the safety of their own home. They try to keep booze out of the house.
Did you know alcohol turns to sugar in our bodies? Sugar and alcohol actually behave VERY similarly to each other on the chemical level in the human body. One reason, too, why many recovering alcoholics find themselves eating a lot of sugary foods while they work on their sobriety. (There's a funny paragraph or two in the Big Book of AA about eating chocolate.)
Of course, the nice thing about chocolate is we can binge on it but not lose our abilities to control our bodies. To a point. If I have waaaaay too much sugar, I will start to get pretty cranky and jittery - especially when my blood sugar levels crash after the sugar high.
Anyhow - just wanted to let you know you're not alone. :)
