Struggling with food

[Icanteat]

Not my dc, me.
I was doing so well, breakfast lunch and dinner.
Bit of veg on my plate.
I've just lost it again. I'm not eating until I'm starving then binging on crisps and chocolate.
My mood is a mess. I know I can help it if I just reset but I'm stuck. Any hints or tips?

I've eaten. I'm still shaky but hopefully that will subside soon as I digest it. I really will take all this advice on board. Every post. I feel like an attention seeker for posting about it, but I'm going to get it handled again. I'm really jealous of people who make life look so easy but I know to everyone who knows me they think I have my life under control. I feel like such a fake.

I'm very like you when I'm stressed/anxious. I became like this when I had pnd. I have IBS so can't eat when stressed out. I used to make cup-a-soups and have that with a slice of cheese. Sometime rice cakes with peanut butter and jam. I don't have crisps or chocolate in the house so can't binge but sometimes binge on rice cakes which doesn't matter too much. When I felt up to it I'd put a potato in the microwave and have cheese and pickle with it. My kids always have a cooked meal so there's usually a good option if I'm up to it. HTH

Make enough in the evening for you for lunch the next day. Or do some kind of batch cooking just from you. Eg cook a whole chicken. Have the legs with a lot of vegetables day 1&2. Then eat the breast meat in salads or stir frys. You can buy stir fry mixes for example.

You really need to get back to basics.

Plan your meals and the times you will eat them (only you know when because only you know your schedule) and stick to them.

Stop thinking your feeding yourself because at the moment you don't think your worth looking after, pretend that your following this like it was you cooking for your child because you'd never say there's no point in cooking if that meal was for someone you loved would you?

Don't have snacks in the house or if you have to make it only what you need for the kids that week so every snack is spoken for and that means your not allowed it.

Acknowledge that what your feeling about yourself is not true and unhealthy and damaging.
when a thought happens I want you to pull yourself up on it there and then. It takes practice but it's important to retrain your damaged thoughts
Try saying something like. That's a nasty thing to think about yourself, how would I feel if my son/daughter/loved one said that to themselves?
I might believe that but that's because I can't see in myself what others see.
They must see something better than I do because they wouldn't love me and want me in their life if what I think about myself was true.

Sorry if that sounds like a lecture

I had a series of traumatic incidents surrounding food as a child. Vegetables - I only eat carrots and broccoli and parsnips. Even those are a new achievement. I can't eat salad. Even the thought makes me scared.
I can't talk about it in rl because I'm so embarrassed and ashamed. I have ongoing therapy. No one understands though.

I don't have any advice, but i'm in the same situation.
I've been like it for a few months now, but I hope you're feeling better soon.

You can PM me if you need to talk.
Please look after yourself

So what can you eat that you can batch cook just for you?

I struggle with food and find the best way to handle things is to eat when I'm hungry and not put off eating until I'm starving. If I leave it till I'm starving, I tend to binge on 'bad' foods. I keep carrots and hummus around, for example. I also find gyoza good, they only take a few minutes to cook. Basically, if I have to wait a long time for something to be ready I tend to snack while I'm waiting for it to cook, then I'm not hungry but eat what I've cooked anyway!

I also prep my own ready meals and keep them in the freezer, so I know that in less than 10 minutes I can have a healthy meal ready that I'll want to eat.

just eat the veg you like while you get on an even keel. eat the fruit you like. google and find out which trace elements you need and how to achieve that from the fruits and veg you do eat. I did this when I wsa a bit worried about ds's variety as he was cutting out a few he previously liked.

would you attempt veg in things like bolognaise? (dd will eat carrots in "bolognaise" (nowhere near original) but hates them on their own.

some parents have weird ideas about forcing kids to eat and if you have been on the extreme end of this, not surprising you have been put off veg.

I can't stand having "salad" as a meal... and the only trauma I had surrounding that was eating it three times a week. nothing more. (ie no force feeding, no getting cross, just over exposure) I used to get quite stressed and grumpy if ex ever suggested salad.. I can imagine how much more repulsive one would find food if there had been persistent forcing to eat.

Also, as hard as it sounds, try and be kind to yourself. I don't think you sound like an attention seeker, you sound like someone that's struggling with something that's really hard for you. And that's ok.

It's hard for me too, and it's taken me a long time to stop judging myself for having real issues with food.

Is it the texture of vegetables you don't like? Could you have some liquidised in a smooth soup or sauce?

But even with just broccoli parsnips and carrots and I presume potatoes (tell me if not) there are lots of meals you can make.

Do you like fruit?

If you feel it's too much bother to cook for one just get some of.those little pots for one from Cook - or I often have avocado on toast ... Ready and healthy (and tasty).

I do like potato and I can't eat any fruit yet. Really freaks me out the pulps and textures etc - I have no problem preparing it but cannot eat it.

I'm less scared about root veg and when I'm on top form I can consider trying other root vegetables.

Do you eat baked beans? Beans on toast is a fairly balanced meal and almost zero effort.

Do you like soup OP?

Very easy to make. Just simmer your chopped up vegetables of choice in 500ml of stock for 30mins. If you want a smooth soup just liquidise and then season to taste.

And there are lots of meals you can make with the veg you like.

Broccoli in cheese sauce. You can melt some extra cheese on top, under the grill. Serve with sausages or bacon & potatoes if you want.

Cottage pie. You could have grated or chopped carrots in with the meat. You already like the potato that goes on top. Serve with broccoli.

Any meat with gravy/sauce, if liked serve with potatoes, carrots and broccoli.

If you cook a big main meal why not freeze or fridge a small portion for a lunch?

I do this all the time. It's like i dont think im worth the effort even though i cook for my dcs. I made soup the other day in an effort to eat healthily. The day i made it i felt full & satisfied & didnt eat any rubbish. The rest went in the bin & i went back to snacking. I wish i valued myself enough to put proper healthy meals in my mouth. I get it OP but i have no advice

Eggs are your friend. Make a meal of boiled eggs, maybe a bit of green salad or with mushrooms for an omlette and they will fill you up for ages.

Beans on toast I can do. And it inspired me to have half a tin of tomato soup and bread for my evening meal as I'm eating alone this evening too. Eggs I can take scrambled so I need to remember that too.

What do you think about next time you cook for the family making a bit extra and putting by a lunch sized portion for a lunch? Do you have a big enough freezer to build up a stock of lunches like this?