Need help with food and over eating

[Happybint]

I cant stop eating. It gives me so much enjoyment and comfort and even when I'm not enjoying it I still shovel it in. How do I stop? I've tried so many times to quit sugar and carbs to help with the cravings. I really dont know what to do. I've gained about 11lb during lockdown. Dont have the confidence or motivation to exercise either.

Sounds like you're eating your feelings. Mental health support and exploration?

I'm on antidepressants. 20mg citalopram. I cant exercise at all the moment due to an injury, that would help but its agony just to walk some days. I am often quite low.

Not sure what mental health support I could access at the moment?

I am guilty of binge eating. Once I start I find it very very hard to stop. So I've taken to managing my 'start time'. I don't need breakfast (I go running in the mornings so slightly easier to avoid), and if I'm not going to work then I try not to eat before 4.30 (that gives me less time before bed to eat). I can't eat at work, so on those days it's easier to avoid food, and I don't eat until I get home at around 9.30pm.

Having made the effort not to eat, gradually it becomes easier to manage my eating during the hours I am allowing myself to eat. As a few pounds comes off and you can see results, it becomes easier. But yes, struggling with disordered eating isn't fun!

I dont think I could do. I couldnt cope with the hunger!!!

Cutting out wheat products, artificial sweeteners and as much sugar as possible has helped me a great deal.

Artificial sweeteners are particularly bad as your brain assumes you have consumed something very calorific, but as your body gets no actual energy from them it triggers you to eat more as it then think you're starving.

There is a great book called Brain Over Binge.

I found it really useful when trying to stop my binge.

Things that helped me:
Meal plan, even down to snacks.
Don't cut out food groups
Don't massivley restrict calories as this leads to binging.
Spend 6 weeks not focusing on dieting but on instilling good food habits.
From there you can then decrease calorie in take in a stepped way and focus on losing weight.
Ultimately you aren't going to have long term weightless with an uncontrolled Binge eating disorder.
You can also ask your GP about medicines like Topamax that suppress appetite and binge urges.

Thank you. Think I've actually got that book. Just googled topomax. Said it's for bipolar and epilepsy?

Topomax has off label use as a weight loss support aid also used to help with alcoholism as it suppresses the binging urge.

Ah ok thank you. I'm not hugely overweight. Prob 2 stone max so dont know if a GP would prescribe anything?

The thing is that you need to learn to feel hungry. If you are never hungry then you are eating too much (I know you know that). Once you learn that hunger is nothing to be afraid of, and can be managed, then it's half the battle!

A friend went to Overeaters Anonymous and felt it really helped her. Overeating can be an addiction, and their program treats it as such.

Thank you. Will look into it. Guess probably not open at the moment?

I find it hard. I'm coping better by eating sugar free chewing gum between meals.

Had a look at overeaters anonymous. Sounds perfect but its very God based which is definitely not me!!!!

Honestly I would suggest counselling, you can do it over zoom or whatever, but you won't stop eating you for comfort until you learn what part of you is looking for comfort and why.
I used to binge, counselling helped and I've lost 5 stone with very little effort because I have dealt with the things that made me seek comfort in such a destructive way.
All the drugs and diets in the world won't help until you find the cause of the problem.

Try 16:8. There's a lot of threads on it here. I've been doing it for about 3 weeks and have lost almost a stone.

I only eat between 11am and 7pm. It's not as hard as it seems. You can drink tea and coffee in between and that keeps you going.

I too am struggling with emotional eating, it is the stress of the current situation I think as I am not usually like this. Also not going swimming like usually and a bit of boredom.

I'm not sure - I wonder if fasting can sometimes lead to binging, and read eating 3 meals a day can help. I am going to try eating a bit more healthy

oh there was quite a good article on the BBC I will find too which might be helpful as well

www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/lockdown_health_tips

I have a problem too at the moment with "eating my feelings" / comfort eating etc.

Very early days, but I have just started doing the "No S Diet". There is a book, which I am reading and it makes a lot of sense to me. It isn't about weight loss for me, (although, God knows I could stand to lose some weight), so much as not gaining any more and being so out of control around food. I am hopeful about it, as it isn't too extreme or restrictive and it's something which I think I could stick to for a long time. Even if I can lose a very little every month, it would be much, much better than what I am doing at the moment, which is gaining and gaining!

I tried the 16;8. Eventually had to stop as it didn't fit in with my work patterns, but found it wasn't any good until I'd already got my eating under control, as you can eat an awful lot of food in 8 hours if you want to.

God yes I cant stick to anything! How would I go accessing counselling??

Had a look at overeaters anonymous. Sounds perfect but its very God based which is definitely not me!!!!
Ah, sorry! Friend didn't mention the God-based aspect, and likened it to AA. I don't think she's religious, so perhaps that's optional?

www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/we-can-help/

Thank you

And dont worry raindrops.its a great idea!

I could have written much of your post (including 20mg citalopram) except I AM very overweight. I am also drinking too much in lockdown which is another bad habit - feeling like I deserve a 'treat'.

I think AA and OA and all those 10 step programmes involve some kind of submission to a 'higher power' don't they? Depends whether and how you can reconcile that to yourself.

A friend attends AA and they're still running meetings but on Zoom so I imagine OA is similar.

@Didntwanttochangemyname - what kind of counselling did you have? Was it weight / eating focused or unconnected but meant you didn't use food as a comfort any more?

Good luck OP!