Venting Restrict-binge eating disorders are a special kind of hell

[timorousTruant]

I go through periods of intense restriction where I'll rapidly lose weight, followed by periods of uncontrollable binge eating where I'll gain it all back. Endlessly. I've been losing/gaining the same several pounds for years.

I dropped from 104 lbs to 94 lbs from September 14th to October 14th. Today I weighed 104 lbs again. Fml.

Food thoughts consume me every second of the day, whether it be obsessing over calories/meal planning or experiencing binge urges. Every day is a chore. Ugh.

 

[CatLvr]

Yes, they are. I have done this shit since I was a teenager. And it has caused me to have all kinds of GI issues in my "senior" years.

 

[timorousTruant]

Yes, they are. I have done this shit since I was a teenager. And it has caused me to have all kinds of GI issues in my "senior" years.

I'm so sorry you've been struggling for so long. I've been doing it since I was 13 and I can't imagine how hard it must be dealing with it for even longer.

It doesn't seem to ever end.

 

[CatLvr]

I'm so sorry you've been struggling for so long. I've been doing it since I was 13 and I can't imagine how hard it must be dealing with it for even longer.

It doesn't seem to ever end.

Right?? I can tell you that as I got older it did get ..... Easier is not the right word ..... I dunno ..... Maybe I learned to manage it better. It helped a lot when I quit eating processed foods. Though the damage was already done. I don't know how old you are (I was in my late 50s when I stopped eating processed and only eat whole foods now) but you might give that a try. Better late than never, no?? Especially if it winds up helping.

 

[Leiot]

My doc told me that food is a common coping skill for all sorts of things. I do the same thing - I'll binge when my mood is down or my pain is up.

I hope you find some kind of relief.

 

[timorousTruant]

Right?? I can tell you that as I got older it did get ..... Easier is not the right word ..... I dunno ..... Maybe I learned to manage it better. It helped a lot when I quit eating processed foods. Though the damage was already done. I don't know how old you are (I was in my late 50s when I stopped eating processed and only eat whole foods now) but you might give that a try. Better late than never, no?? Especially if it winds up helping.

I'm twenty. And I've done that actually and I agree it has a lot of benefits!! For me it's helped clear up my skin some (I have eczema). I've also almost completely cut out added sugars.

Except of course when I'm in a binge cycle and I can't stop myself from eating everything in sight, lol.

 

[Leiot]

@CatLvr, what worked for you? Any special kind of diet or just avoiding processed foods?

 

[CatLvr]

I'm twenty. And I've done that actually and I agree it has a lot of benefits!! For me it's helped clear up my skin some (I have eczema). I've also almost completely cut out added sugars.

Except of course when I'm in a binge cycle and I can't stop myself from eating everything in sight, lol.

Oh wow!! My youngest child is 15 years older than you!! I have grandkids your age! And do I ever feel that last sentence!! It took me a solid year to get to where I didn't have the constant cravings during a binge part of the cycle, so don't give up! I promise it will be worth it. Also, even if you are a guy, get some pre-natal vitamins and take one every day. Your body is missing SOMETHING. Those things are super-packed with minerals that humans need but don't always get in their diet. Can't promise it will help, but can't hurt.

 

[timorousTruant]

Oh wow!! My youngest child is 15 years older than you!! I have grandkids your age! And do I ever feel that last sentence!! It took me a solid year to get to where I didn't have the constant cravings during a binge part of the cycle, so don't give up! I promise it will be worth it. Also, even if you are a guy, get some pre-natal vitamins and take one every day. Your body is missing SOMETHING. Those things are super-packed with minerals that humans need but don't always get in their diet. Can't promise it will help, but can't hurt.

Goes to show EDs can affect anyone.

And yeah when I'm restricting I take a crap ton of supplements (+ electrolytes when fasting)

 

[CatLvr]

@CatLvr, what worked for you? Any special kind of diet or just avoiding processed foods?

I actually kinda fell into it by accident. I was trying to stop eating sugar and a friend of mine suggested looking into the Whole 30 Diet, which is a pretty severe elimination diet to figure out what I was reactive to. Turns out I'm "reactive" to EVERYTHING. I have finally settled on a pretty strict carnivore diet, but I can also eat most vegetables, except nightshades, and most fruits. And even the nightshades I can have if it's not more than once a week or so.

Honestly, if I hadn't figured out this way of eating I would not be here now. It is amazing to me how much it helped with my pain levels. While I still hurt an awful lot and do still spend some days in bed all day, there are a lot fewer of those days per month than before and I don't seem to take as long to "bounce back" when I do have a really bad day or two.

I also believe it has helped with my depression, anxiety and ADHD. I still have cycles but the highs and lows are not as distinct. Like my manic phase isn't quite so manic and my depression isn't quite so depressed, if that makes sense.