‘Food Addiction’

Obsessing over food, even though you aren’t particularly hungry?  

Don’t worry, this happens to so many people.  I get emails asking me about tricks to stop this because it often leads to a binge.  The majority of time people do binge because of an underlying emotional issue that happened in the past… but there are also the people who can’t recall why they exactly started to binge eat.  They just know that they enjoy food and feel like they can’t eating, which turns into massive binge sessions.  

With binge eating, food is our “drug” and anyone that has binge eating disorder knows that it’s really hard to pass up food.  We need it to survive, for energy, to be productive, so what do you do when food is constantly on your mind?

Here are some tips that used to help me stay away from the pantry and focus on things other than food and binge eating:

1.  Chew gum.  Most of the time when we crave food, we just want something in our mouth.  I mean, we aren’t hungry, so just chewing something will often times give us the satisfaction we are looking for.  (Pick the kinds of gum where the flavor lasts so that you don’t get bored.)

2.  Get out of the house.  Even now that I don’t binge, I find that when I am home I tend to gravitate towards the pantry to snack just because it is there.  If I am out running errands, I notice that I am preoccupied with something else and I don’t have the feeling to just snack.  Instead of raiding the pantry and the frig., get out of the house.  Run errands, exercise, go for a walk, even go upstairs if you can.  It really helps when the kitchen is not visible to you.

3.  Support.  Think about the people, websites, or articles that really motivate you to stay on track.  Visit blogs, look for videos online, or read a good book that will really get through to you that you shouldn’t go into the kitchen.  The food and binge eating is just not necessary.  Many people find support through a good friend too - Whatever helps you, do it!

4.  Healthy alternatives.  This is a big one for me and really helped me get through so many binges in the past.  It seemed that I never craved healthy foods to binge on.  Instead I wanted fast food, junk food, and anything that was bad for me.  When I used to crave candy, I would have something sweet, but that was healthy - like fruit.  When I wanted Taco Bell, I would make a bean burrito at home because I knew that it wouldn’t be as bad for me as Taco Bell was.  Just learning to make healthier alternatives when you are craving food can really help curb a binge.

The next time you can’t get food out of your mind or a craving just seems too strong, try some of the above tricks.  If you have any tricks that help you, leave a comment - You never know who you will be helping with your tip.  And, let’s admit…  We all want to end binge eating disorder, whether it’s sharing what worked for you, or just having support.  

I’ve made a list of a few behaviors that can really provoke binge eating disorder.  It’s not the “magic” pill to take and have binge eating disorder disappear, but I think that if you can change some of your behaviors towards food, you will notice a change in your eating disorder.

Here are 6 behaviors that can lead to a binge session for you:

1.  Crazy dieting.
So often we think that we have to take the most drastic measures to not only get binge eating disorder under control, but to also lose weight.  We starve ourselves and do other crazy things with the hope of shedding a few pounds.  Instead we are so hungry that we end up giving this method of dieting up and start to raid the pantry and end the day with a full-out binge.

2.  Eating proper food combinations.
There is no proof that eating carbs with protein is better than eating just protein alone.  So many people buy into this because we want to be able to get binge eating disorder under control and we want it to be easy.  The whole diet industry has confused us all and we don’t know what to do for the maximum weight loss so we are apt to try anything.

3.  Carbs are the enemy.
This is one of my favorites.  Yes, I tried the Atkins diet years ago and I did lose weight.  I was successful for a while, but I had the worst headaches and lowest energy level that you can imagine.  Any kind of a diet can work, but what you have to ask yourself is if you can keep up with something like that.  For me, I wanted potatoes, not boiled cauliflower that looked like mashed potatoes.  It just didn’t cut it for me.  And of course I would end up bingeing non-stop for a few days after depriving myself of carbs.  So, carbs are not the enemy - They are just like everything else and should be eaten in moderation.  That’s all.

4.  Fat-free items are the best.
Who has actually eaten a whole bag of fat-free or low-fat chips just because they have less or no fat in them?  I’m soo guilty of this too.  It’s like you are given total access to binge because hey, it’s low-fat.  Not the case.  It’s good to watch your fat, but your body also needs fat too.  Buying into the whole fat-free-so-I’m-safe thing just doesn’t work and will most likely lead you to open the pantry and see what other food you can binge on.

5.  Grocery shopping without a list.
When I go to the grocery store (even now) I always bring a list.  I know that without a list I will deviate and stroll down the chip aisle and pick up some junk.  I just know it… especially if I’m hungry.  How many of you bring lists with you?  It really helps to keep you in check without buying a bunch of stuff that you don’t need, that isn’t healthy, and that will help you binge eat on later.

6.  Buying in bulk.
I know it might be cheaper to buy in bulk, especially right now in the economy when money is tight… but it doesn’t help binge eating disorder.  Having tons of food just gives you the go-ahead to binge, binge, and binge some more because it’s right there.  If you can refrain from buying in bulk, I recommend buying little pre-portioned snacks to get you through the day.  If you need to buy in bulk, fill a little bag with the right size portion of the snack.  Hopefully this will help you stop a binge. 

On the home page of Yahoo! today you will find an article written about food diaries.  (Thanks to Julie for giving me a heads up!)  You can see the article here.

The study had a little over 1,600 men and women participators.  Interestingly enough, people who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as people who didn’t.  I think keeping a log is a great idea because it helps people keep track of everything that goes in his/her mouth.  It’s a good way to stay accountable for what you ate.

That being said, do you believe the same is true for people who have binge eating disorder?  Do you think that it will help him/her think twice about bingeing, or that it will cause more bingeing due to pressure to write it all down?

I personally think that it could be very detrimental to anyone that binge eats…  However, I have heard from a few people that keeping a food log really helped them stay on top of binge eating disorder.  I guess we are all different and it’s super interesting to me.  

What are your thoughts?

Anyone who has ever binged knows about the voice that urges you to to continue to binge.  It’s that voice that you feel controlled by and unfortunately cannot turn off.  It feels like if you could just gain control over it, you would be in a much more desirable place to overcome binge eating disorder.  If you were in control over the negative thought, you wouldn’t feel the urge to binge eat.

You wouldn’t feel as bad about yourself as you probably do.

You would feel strong enough to know that you can beat binge eating disorder.

I mean, it would be such a win-win situation for everyone involved.  No more bingeing, no more low self-esteem, a healthy relationship with food once again…  Seem too good to be true?  

It’s not.  It just takes a little time and awareness to tune out all of that negative noise you’ve been hearing for so long.

How?

Well, you must learn to be in complete control and to guard your thoughts.  This will retrain your mind to focus on the voice of victory.  It will help you listen to the positive thoughts in your mind that will propel you to success over binge eating disorder.  

Next, you need to not play the role of victim any longer.  Yes, it’s comforting at times to feel sorry for yourself and wallow in it…  But, it’s definitely going to make binge eating last that much longer.  You won’t be solving your issues or helping yourself when you feel down in the dumps.  Instead, you’ll do what you’ve done best for so long:  binge.  

And that will not help you reach your binge-free goals.  Not at all.

Finally, just think about how much you want to live a happy life without being controlled by food.  Then realize that *you* are the *only* one that is in control over your happiness, your thoughts, and your life as a whole.  YOU.  No one else.  When you think in a more positive and “in control” way, you will be filling your mind with motivation to help you beat binge eating disorder.  You will be pushing all of the negative thoughts out because there just won’t be enough room for them.  

Embark on a mission and decide that you will only tune in and listen to positive thoughts.  After all, the other kind won’t get you the better life without bingeing that you so desire.

So…  What thoughts will you decide to listen to?

We are more than halfway to ending 2008 and starting 2009.  Crazy, huh?  

You know how the new year cycle usually goes – A new year brings new resolutions that people hope to change about themselves.  But, those resolutions usually fall short and are forgotten after a few months.  The issues that we resolve to change don’t change and we quickly fall back into our old habits.  

Just think about all of the resolutions you made this past January, including any binge eating resolutions.

Which ones did you keep up with?  Which ones do you need to start thinking about again?  

Did you resolve to get a handle on binge eating disorder?  

Are you still working on that goal of overcoming binge eating?  If so, what things are working for you?  What things could you improve on?

Are you having success with not bingeing as much?

Have your relationships grown since sharing your binge eating story with others?  

What qualities have you developed since vowing to get a grip on binge eating disorder?

Have you learned to forgive yourself if you do binge and move forward without beating yourself up?

Take a few minutes to answer these questions.  You can share the answers in the comment section of my blog, or in your own journal.  Don’t forget to praise yourself on how far you have come already in these past 6-months and focus on other positive changes you can make for the next 6-months.  

If you aren’t exactly too thrilled with how far you have come in beating binge eating disorder, don’t let this discourage you.  Instead, think about the answers and use them as motivation to move closer to the goal of not binge eating anymore by the end of the year.  After all, it’s only the start of July and there are still many months left!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!  My 4th was great - We spent time with my family and then saw some great fireworks.  I couldn’t help but think about how great my relationship with food is now.  In the past I know that I would have eaten too much food, felt bad about myself, then binged on goodies for hours to come.  

If there is one thing that I learned it’s that you just have to take it one day at a time.  For me, being at a 4th of July picnic would have triggered a binge because chances are that I overate, would feel guilty about myself, and end my day with bingeing.

So, if I described just a little about how your July 4th was, just remember that you can’t beat yourself up over bingeing, over eating, or anything else.  Release all of those emotions and focus on tomorrow.  How will you get through the next day without binge eating?

Binge eating disorder is hard enough, so don’t think too much in advance about it.  It will just overwhelm you and most likely cause you to binge even more.

Celebrate the days or even hours that you didn’t binge eat and focus on getting through the rest of your day without letting binge eating disorder control you and your every thought.  Just think about it one step and one day at a time.

I’ve been meaning to blog about binge eating disorder and health insurance for such a long time now because I want to share my experience with you.  Here we go…

In 2006, I was on a mission to find another insurance plan.  Since I had just left my job, I was still on COBRA, which is REALLY expensive.  I wanted to pay less and be offered the same benefits.  Oh, and I thought that it would be easy.  I was wrong.

You see, I quickly filled out the insurance applications and everything looked good on paper for the most part.  I didn’t smoke, I didn’t have heart issues, high blood pressure, mental issues…  There was one thing that stumped me though.

Since I did go to therapy for binge eating disorder, I had to mark “yes” to that question.  I was fine with it because I figured I would explain to someone or on something that yes, I had gone to therapy, but it was only to talk about binge eating disorder.  I was never put on medication or hospitalized.  I figured I was fine.

Oh, but I was so wrong.

I don’t remember the specific insurance company, but would you believe that they lumped “eating disorders” with schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and other severe mental disorders?  I mean, seriously?!?!?

This is something that I will never understand.  Ever.  There’s is seriously something so not right about this lumping of categories.  I get that anorexia, for example, is a big deal.  It’s a serious eating disorder and it does require being hospitalized, feeding tubes, and other things at times.  But binge eating disorder?

We are talking about the most common of the eating disorders.  Yes, too much bingeing can cause huge health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, etc, but c’mon…  It’s not fair to be put in the same category on an insurance application as schizophrenia.  

(OK my rant about that is over… back to my point)

Of course there was no way around checking this box.  I mean, just a little digging and they would find that I went to a therapy for an eating disorder.  I was doomed and had to check the box.  I was hoping that I would get to explain this to someone, and sure enough, someone called for my interview.

I quickly explained that I had binge eating disorder, was never on medication, just needed therapy to talk to someone about it.  I told the person that I was recovered and didn’t binge anymore.  She made everything sound ok and I felt better about the whole thing.

Fast forward a few weeks and I receive my response from said insurance company in the mail.  I quickly opened it and found that I was denied because of binge eating disorder AND being obsessive compulsive.  WHAT?!

Sure we all have some OCD tendencies, but I did not claim that I had this disorder ever.  It was such a mistake.  

I called the insurance company, explained this mistake, and nothing happened.  They told me that I could appeal it, but that I was denied for both binge eating disorder and OCD.  Even if OCD was taken off, I would probably still be denied…

Do you know how frustrated I was?  It’s like I knew that I needed insurance and I filled out applications, was honest, and still got denied.  Of course, you can’t reapply to the same insurance company for 6-months or even 1-year at times.  Ahhhhhhhh.

So that’s my rant with binge eating disorder and trying to get insurance.  It’s such a hard thing to get when you have or had binge eating disorder.  I honestly felt like I was being punished… and don’t even get me started again on having that in the same category as severe mental disorders.  What, did pressing the ‘return’ button on the keyboard make the application THAT much longer?  I don’t think so.

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to let you all know that I made a mistake…  Intentionally I wanted to end the discounted price of my Binge Eating Disorder Q & A report on July 1st.  Well, since that was yesterday and I didn’t send an email out, I’ve extended it to Thursday, July 3rd.

If you didn’t get it yet and are interested in learning more about the most asked binge eating disorder questions, you can purchase it at the discounted price here:  http://www.endbingeeating.com/report.html

My mistake is your gain!

I hope you enjoy it!  

http://www.endbingeeating.com/report.html

One of the most important things you can first do when you realize that you have binge eating disorder is to figure out the root.  The “why”.  Figuring out this bit of information will be of great use to you as you try to recover from binge eating disorder.  It will help you stay away (when possible) from the circumstances or emotions that cause you to have a binge.  

So often figuring out why we turn to food isn’t the hard part.  In fact, for most of us, it’s pretty obvious for the most part.  We are stressed, we binge.  We feel overwhelmed, we binge eat.  We feel lonely, bored, anxious, mad, or sad, and we binge eat.  

OK so now that you know the “why”, what do you do to stop bingeing?

I’m going to give you a list of some things that helped myself and others.  Just remember to try each idea out with an open-mind because it might take a few times to figure out what will truly work to end your food addiction.  

As much as I wish that there was a simple solution to stop bingeing, there isn’t…  But don’t lose hope yet!  What worked for one person might not work for you, so try each idea out and see if it is helpful or not.

First:  Try dealing with your emotions.  
Write down how you feel - good or bad.  Capture every feeling and emotion that you have so that all tension is released with each stroke of your pen.  When we hide our emotions we are not being true to ourselves.  We are only pretending that whatever happened didn’t bother us, when in fact it did.  Pretending leads to binge eating, so don’t do that.  Let your true self (and emotions) come out!  You might be surprised at how uninterested in bingeing you become.

Second:  Try being accountable to someone or to a website.  
Accountability really helped me a lot.  When I binged only my husband (boyfriend at the time) and therapist knew of my secret.  Even though only 2 people knew, you better believe that I didn’t want to have to “report” back to them that I gave in and binged.  I wanted to feel good coming home from work and telling my boyfriend that I got through the day without succumbing to binge eating.  I wanted to go to my weekly appointment with my therapist and tell her about my successful week.  I really learned to try everything that I could to not binge solely because of accountability.

Third:  Try nurturing yourself in ways other than food.  
I used to celebrate anything with a huge binge.  It was my reward.  It was hard to learn how to reward myself without using food in the beginning.  Bingeing had definitely become a habit and, as you know, habits are hard to break.  I had to figure out other ways to reward myself, and it became fun.  I love massages, getting pedicures, buying clothes, accessories, picture frames, etc.  I love getting together with my friends or having a date night with my husband.  I love going to the movies.  I love reading a good book, or even a health magazine.  All of these things (and more) make me feel good about myself and give me an instant boost for my self-esteem.  Figure out what you like to do, reward yourself with that instead of food, and you’ll notice a new respect for yourself.  Obviously, when you respect yourself, you won’t be as likely to binge eat.

Fourth:  Try talking yourself out of bingeing.  
This might sound a bit silly, but it works.  When you make the “voice” that urges you to binge eat into something larger, like another person, it’s amazing what talking to it will do for you.  It becomes something that you will not let control you any longer.  It allows for you to say no (out loud) to the binge temptation.  After all, if a stranger told you that you were going to do something RIGHT now, what would you do?  You would probably laugh out loud and tell the person that you are not going to do that.  Make the urge just a little bit bigger than it is and you’ll find that it becomes easier to shut it off.