So confused by diets

[Canthinkofaname79]

I need to lose weight but how,
I don't want to calorie count,
I've done low carb,
I've tried Michael mosesly fast 800,
I just feel totally overwhelmed by different diets and i end up not doing anything.

I have pre diabetes and also binge eating disorder, it's all a mess really.
Would low carb be best for me? Make me feel fuller? I just struggle not to binge on chocolate especially if I'm low or stressed. I am actually having counselling for the bingeing.

I would do this rather than a diet. Decide what you are and are not going to eat. For me, it was nothing between meals. I don't eat breakfast anyway, so it meant two meals a day and no cakes, biscuits, piece of cheese while cooking etc.

I have now cut portion sizes too, but to start with, just cutting down the number of times food went into my mouth made it easier to eat a bit less at mealtimes when I got to that point. And when I say, 'easier', I don't mean 'easy'.

Small glass of wine allowed in the evening because, well I don't know why, but I do allow myself that 4-5 times a week.

That's why I tried to suggest exercise instead but people insist on giving an ED sufferer potentially dangerous suggestions.

I should know, I have a long ED history.

Every diet mentioned on here is basically a way of cutting calories. Burning less calories than you consume is how we lose weight. It really is just down to finding what works for you. Faddy, restrictive plans aren't likely to work long term. Be kind to yourself, losing weight is hard and it often takes many attempts. If it was easy there would be no overweight people so don't be hard on yourself. A lot is mind over matter and I found after a couple of weeks of losing I felt spurred on to keep going. Changing your eating habits that is the hardest part. Maybe do some research online and see what eating plan seems realistic for you.

Thank you, I get so confused I often don't eat, today I've had 2 handfuls of nuts and an omelette. I'm starving now which is when I go hunting for bad food.
My counsellor is a qualified ED therapist, I've only had one proper session. She would probably say not to diet, I've not asked her yet. My husband is an exercise and healthy eating fanatic and I can eat whst he eats although he's trying to bulk so I would prob gain more weight. And if I do eat what he eats I still go looking for sweet snacks. He has amazing self control but I just seem to resent him for doing so well!

Your therapist WILL say not to diet. And you should listen to that.

You’re one session in. Help is coming. Right now, don’t change anything. Your therapist will walk you through how to make the changes you’ll need to make. I know, I’m on the other side of this.

It’ll happen. Just be patient.

Hi OP - if you have pre-diabetes, ask your GP surgery if you can talk to their diabetes nurse. They might be able to refer you onto a course for managing it, and it is really helpful. I've been on one, it was one evening a fortnight and went into great detail about healthy living, sleep, exercise and changing your whole mindset one small step at a time, as well as food. That's what you need, rather than trying any old diet and failing.

Definitely look up Dr Emilia Thompson instagram.com/emiliathompsonphd?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= if you message her she will respond and give way better advice than us randoms on the internet. Or just spend some time reading her posts.

OP, I have BED, I am in recovery, I have been for nearly three years. Once I healed and understood why I was doing it, I was able to recognise my triggers and replace them with new behaviours. I have lost weight and can’t remember the last time I binged.

You shouldn’t be dieting while you’re in therapy, and your therapist should have made this clear to you in some kind of therapy contract at the start of treatment. Generic counselling (the six sessions people are typically referred to by GP can’t treat BED).

This really isn’t true.
4 stone down by diet alone, I’m unable to exercise.

Listen to your therapist who knows you in detail and with whom you have really just started.

Us randoms on the internet will largely be projecting our own experience at best, and pseudoscience about diets at worst.

Stick with your therapists recommendations for eating and if they agree then maybe try to focus on non food areas of life where you might enjoy small changes - be it carving out time for a walk, a book or something with your partner which you do solely for your own enjoyment.

Thank you, yep that's what I said she would say :) I'm not very good at being patient.

Ok so if I'm not dieting what do I eat!

I'm staunchly anti any diet that has a name, a brand and a following associated with it. I've seen my mum try and fail at them all.
I've stayed slim my whole life by being moderate with food.
What does moderate mean? Three nutritious home made meals a day, in sensible portion sizes. Nothing is forbidden. Nothing is weighed or counted. No snacking as a rule. Sweet treats are small (an individually-wrapped caramel shortbread for instance), but not bought in advance and not eaten daily.
Drink loads of water and don't bother with sugary soft drinks.
Think 'French'!
Get used to your tummy feeling empty to the point of rumbling and learn to tolerate it for a few hours between meals.

Eat whatever you’d normally eat, and work with your therapist in your sessions. Any changes you need to make will be made clear to your when necessary. At the moment you just need to maintain the status quo.

Nope. Exercise will help keep you strong and healthy, and good muscle tone may help you appear slimmer but losing weight is mainly down to diet.

Thank you, I'm so ingrained to think certain foods are bad, such as white bread. Because of my pre diabetes white carbs do nothing to satisfy my hunger. Could anyone on this thread who has BED and in recovery possibly PM me?

I swear by intimmitent fasting.

Losing weight is 80 diet, 20 exercise

What do you think a healthy diet might look like for someone of your activity levels? It would be neat if you had a nutritionist to help you plan 2 or 3 options for each meal time and then all you need to decide is which one from those selections.

I have Adhd and binged for years, as I said Saxenda worked wonders for me. It's been over 3 months since a binge and never enters my head now. Hopefully it continues .... but so far so good..it's still early days but I'm hopefully

Like drug addictions . The longer you don't do something the easier it gets.

I took Saxenda for 10 / 11 weeks.

You were trying to be helpful by patronising the OP?

You stated as fact something which is blatantly untrue. That’s not helpful to OP or anyone else.

If you are hungry eat. Eat real food. Try to reframe it all as eating nutritious food which is good for your body and your health. Nothing to do with weight loss. You deserve healthy nutritious food. In fact your body is probably crying out for it.

So for breakfast maybe Greek yoghurt with some berries and flaked almonds or a slice of good seeded wholegrain bread with boiled eggs or scrambled eggs.

for lunches it’s coming into soup weather for me. Make a big pot of vegetable soup and blend in a couple of tins of cannellini beans or lentils to add protein and make it more filling. If I want something with the soup I have a Ryvita or two. (I’m odd in that I actually really like the original ones!).

evening meals - not processed foods. Cook from scratch. Protein and veg with some healthy carbs. Home made chilli with brown rice, spaghetti bolognaise with wholewheat spagetti.

Just eat nice healthy food. Don’t stress about diets. Especially if you are seeing a counsellor.

@gwenneh

that’s interesting, do you mind sharing where you are being treated and any resources you’d recommend?

Start by focusing on what you should eat, not what you shouldn't. Try to get 10 portions of fruit and veg a day and at least 2l water. If you hit that target you will naturally eat less of the less healthy things, you simply won't have room! Focus on produce not products and work towards 10000 steps a day.

I'm in recovery from an ED, the opposite end of the scale to BED but essentially the same treatment.

The first thing you need to do is get into a routine with regular eating, ie eat something every 3-4 hours.

Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Snack

Once you have established a healthy eating pattern, then you can look at what you're eating and adjust portion sizes/more protein less carbs etc etc.

Easier said than done, believe me I know! It's mind over matter and it does get easier! One step at a time :)