cant stop eating

[aililiu]

i love being raw. i really do. its been 8 weeks so far and i do feel better and know theres still a long ways to go. but theres still a problem.

i used to be a huge binger. i would come home and eat incredible amounts. and then hate myself for it afterwards.

since going raw i have let go of so much of my negative thoughts towards myself which is wonderfully liberating. but i find im still eating addictively. in the morning im fine, if im out and about im fine, but once i come home, tired, i start eating and i KEEP eating, even when i KNOW im not hungry, even when im actually FULL.

ive heard that being raw stops cravings like that. i dont know what else to do.

its loads better than before because although i still binge, im 100% and havent slipped up since i started :) i dont intend to ever go back to cooked food, i LOVE eating raw. but im eating way too much and i know its not good for my body. even though i dont feel as sick now after binging as i did on cooked. even though i can eat so much and not end up chubby from it (ive lost about 20 lbs since going raw, im lighter than ive ever been, the lower end of a healthy BMI). but i know its not good from my body. it makes me tired and lethargic and sometimes gassy. when i eat lightly i feel much more vibrant. im planning on doing a juice/smoothie fast in the autumn but its not the time for it right now, with my work schedule.

as for what i eat,
i eat 1-2 smoothies a day, usually green, often with hemp, flax, goji berries, chlorella, maca
a banana
an avo
a BIG salad
loads of seaweed (mostly nori and dulse)
lots of frozen mixed berries'
apples
misc fruit and veggies
sometimes a raw bar

mostly fresh stuff, not dehydrated.
very little cacao.
i try to watch my sugars as im insulin resistant.

i really think im getting enough nutrients
i know its an emotional/mental addiction,
i just want to be EATING.

im getting really distressed about this.
i would be so grateful if anyone had any suggestions :(


liliu

[trinity082482]

Drink water

[bodaflower]

Drinking a lot of water will help curb hunger, I understand where you're coming from as I've been in the same position...I've just gone back to 100% Raw, this is Day 11 but I've been backsliding a bit and have decided it is time for me to do a fast and really cleanse my body

You've just got to mentally commit to controlling your eating, meditate on it, take time to chew very very slowly, really think about what you are eating and how it affects you mentally and physically

[Wendee]

Maybe you're thirsty.

Our bodies equate hunger and thirst as the same, it really doesn't tell the mind which is which. This is why most people who are obese are also dehydrated, and vis/versa. They can't tell when they are just thristy, not hungry. So, instead, they turn to food first, then fluids, ect.

My suggestion is to drink water half hour before you eat. This will give your body the chance to be hydrated first before food is eaten.

[faith4u]

Maybe I am missing something but that doesn't look like that much food to me. Certainly doesn't look like bingeing.

I eat a lot more food than that.

Did you severly restrict your food before going raw?

[aililiu]

thanks to those who replied. maybe you do have a point about the water thing. im on a medication to balance my hormones (spironalactone for PCOS) that im hoping to go off of in the not-too-distant future, and it has a side-effect of being a diuretic. i have a naturally small bladder anyways, and so when i drink water, i have to pee ALL THE TIME. i work with children and i have to pee more than them. and we go on out-trips and there arent always washrooms available and i have the weakest bladder, its hard to hold it :( its so so embarrassing. i could hold more water when i was eating cooked and i guess maybe i have cut down on my water intake to be more comfortable at work. i know in the past month ive been getting awful cramps in my feet, ankles and calves, maybe that means i am dehydrated.

but ive had trouble with binging for so long now..... its always seemed so tied up with my emotions etc, it seems odd that i could fix it with something like upping my water intake.

faith4u... it doesnt sound like much written down... but ill eat massive quantities in a sitting or eat for hours straight even when im full. i was a lot more restrictive with fat and calorie content before going raw (i dont count calories or fat anymore) but i made sure to eat regularily as i get dizzy if i dont.

id like to try upping the water but im worried about peeing too much :(

only on this site could i talk about these embarrassing issues.
thanks guys.

liliu

[Wendee]

Start off drinking more water very gradaually, not all at once until you're body gets used to the increase. Like maybe an extra glass a day for three days, then up it a little more, ect. Eventually, you're body will adjust to the increased fluid intake and then you won't have to go to the bathroom as much. It's a healing thing, just like everything else, so be patient and take it slow. You're body is like a sponge and it can handle only so much at first, but gradually it will be able to absorb and utilize more water.

[Liserpiece]

I'm going through, and have gone through (binger/self hater) very sililar things. I posted a thread about eating so much and it was reccomended that I try watermelons. I did, along with honeydew and Sharylyn (SP) and I'm feeling a lot better. I can eat A LOT of them... we're talking 1/2 a melon... feel nicely full without the guilt/fear/sickness. It was a great suggestion made to me that I'd thought I'd pass along!
Take care!

[dreamrawalwz]

I understand where you're coming from completely. It's not about hunger as you stated you just keep eating even when you're no longer hungry. In my opinion there must be a mental component to this and not just craving. Are you stressed? Bored? Anxious? Angry? Overwhelmed? Depressed? Can you try to tune in to how you're feeling before you start to binge? Delay the action if only for a moment. After so long it could just be habbit and a routine. Instead of doing the same routine once you get home, change it up a bit. Take a walk, do yogo, stretch, or take a bath and see if that helps some.

[Vegan Princess]

I totally agree with Dream. Try and be conscious of how you are feeling when you are binging...what feeling are you trying to numb out? And then try and brain storm ways you can remedy that feeling. Going for a walk, calling a friend. Playing with an animal. It may be a process to break the habit, but you can do it. You might even consider seeing a therapist to figure it out.

Cindy

[RawVegan4Health]

I agree about emotions or also TV. I used to binge at night as well, although I'm not sure if I ever would have considered it so bad that I would have sought help for it. I probably SHOULD have, but I always THOUGHT I was in control (yeah right, I was 290 pounds at my peak). I have stopped watching TV for the most part. I watch no regular programming anymmore. It has helped TREMENDOUSLY. I have replaced it with online time or reading, most of which is related to raw foods or health. I have found that I rarely want to eat anything at night anymore, and when I do get the feeling to do so I now seem to be able to overcome it. I can assure you that if I was planted in front of that TV it would be a different story.

My experience may differ from yours of course.

[lalakis]

I notice that if I am anxious before I eat, I tend to keep shoveling the food in and not thinking about it or really taking my time. My schedule is usually really hectic and busy, so I usually feel like I HAVE to rush through eating as well. When you eat quickly it's easy to eat too much because your body hasnt had the time to send the "I'm full" signals to the brain. I eat in my car a lot too, which doesnt help with anxiety.

I notice that if I am at home and eat a little, then walk away to do something, by the time I come back to food again I dont want to eat as much as I would if I were sitting down trying to quickly shovel some food in my mouth before I have to rush out the door again.

However the good thing about raw is that everything digests within the hour! Even if my stomach feels filled to the max after I eat, I know that it is just going to pass right through me very soon and I wont be uncomfortable for long.

Another thing....I think it's easy to FEEL like you have overeaten because raw food (well, fruits mainly) have such a high water content. It's easy for me to eat a whole cantaloupe in one sitting or half of a watermelon because it isnt actually over-eating in terms of calories or whatever, it's just SO MUCH water so it fills you up.

[aililiu]

i thank all of you for your thoughtful replies. ive really thought a lot about what each of you has said.

i do think that i am not getting enough water... and im trying to drink more, but i dont think thats the whole problem.

usually when i binge like that its later in the day, after ive been working and when i am tired. when i am walking around and socializing i dont have as much of a problem. however im a huuuge introvert and when i come home after work i just want to be alone.

im not as depressed as i used to be pre-raw and i think thats maybe why my binges are better than they were... but id really like to overcome this part of me as it seems like part of my past self clinging on and i just want to emerge from this as a new person. i feel like im finally ready to move on but maybe theres a little part of me that needs addressing. im only two months into raw and i have such faith in its healing powers. i just need to believe i can work through this.

ive also noticed that i like to eat and read at the same time, whether its books or on the i'net. so i guess thats kind of like you, rv4h, with the tv. i never watch tv but when i read i guess im unconsciously putting food into my mouth without much awareness. you all gave such good advice, thank you. i guess i can try eating my food and just focusing on that, what i put into my body. i can see the benefits of this but it makes me sad because reading and eating is a huge comfort to me. when im tired after work i so look forward to coming home and having a big salad and reading. but then that big salad turns into more and more food and dessert (all raw but so much) until im stuffed and lethargic.

i am grateful that ive healed a lot already since becoming raw. and i do have patience. i just really want to leave the old me behind, the old cooked depressed me that had no control over food or my life.

thanks again guys.
you help so much.

aililiu.

[rawsurfer]

i am almost 6 months into raw, and i still binge eat. i have done it my whole life (i always stayed skinny luckily); it should be said that i have only experienced almost 19 years of life, but still. its a habit. for the first 3 or 4 months (and still even some now), i would eat sparingly, correctly, all day, and then at night i would eat like 10 apples right before i went to bed. i was having bowel troubles, lots of constipation, for the first few months. its really just clearing up now. i have had that my whole life, and maybe this overeating habit has a lot to do with it ( actulaly i am sure it does). i just stopped fighting it. if i want to binge, i just do it and deal with the consequences. i am a slow learner, and the lessons i get from binging are good. the lesson is mainly that binging doesnt solve anything, even though it might taste good. no purging though (i have never done that), and there is no feelin ilek "im gonna get fat". i used to get that feeling all the time binging. now the feeling is like " that was terrible food combination" or, "i am gonna be constipated".

whatever. it is definielty going away. i have found that iff i stuff my face super hard with something for a while, that excitement will leave for a little, and i wont even want to eat that thing. when i do eventually come back to it, i am still super excited and i love it, but i am not barking mad binging like i used to.

the good news with all of this is that the raw food and my new lifestyle are healing all my problems. i will let that happen as it should, and not try to force it. i hope this helps. peace.

[Raw Mom]

I went about five months(raw) without binge eating and then it came back. Not always, but enough to notice. So I just figure there are still some things to work out in me. I try not to judge myself. In other areas, and for the last 3 years, I have moved along and changed sooooo much in my life. Be grateful for the things you HAVE changed. And the emotions you HAVE felt. And don't forget to be grateful for ALL you have. I still watch as I eat. Notice I said, AS I EAT. It's a habit that's dying hard. We'll be thnking about you..PEACE

[Azura Skye]

If I could suggest that you read the books by Gillian Riley = Eating Less, and, Willpower.
Two amazing books which are really helping me.

Basically you always have a CHOICE - and you need to own your choices.
You ALWAYS ALWAYS have the choice of whether you eat lots, or eat a little, how many times you chew or if you don't chew.
I found it really hard to understand how this had anything to do with helping overeating - but her books really help.
She say's its only HABIT that makes you eat this way, not emotional reasons or other factors. Overeating is just something you do in response to something else, and it is always the same response you give it. So you need to start changing your responses and wait until they become habit. But you can allow yourself to eat alot if you want, as long as you choose everythign that comes along with eating lots = liek a belly ache and a lack of self esteem.

Im not explaining very well, but I find the way she writes to be really refreshing,

[Bampot]

I'm signed up to Karen Knowler's free weekly e-zine, and this article which was included in her latest edition, called 'Go for "The Clean Burn" (which explains how to only eat when you're hungry and why it's important) might be useful for you:

Go For "The Clean Burn"!

It is not uncommon for me to hear people say, "I do feel better on raw food, but I don't feel quite as amazing as I expected to feel. Where is all this energy I'm supposed to have?"

There can, of course, be a multitude of reasons for not feeling as good as you could, and way more than we can go into in one article, but today I'm going to discuss one of the most common: Over- eating.

Whether we eat cooked foods or raw - or a mixture of both, eating more food than we need quite simply overtaxes the body. Digestion takes more energy than any other activity we do - in fact sometimes it can even exhaust us completely (think Christmas Dinner, and your half-comatose relatives asleep in the chair!). It's incredible that food can make or break our energy in this way, but it really does, and sometimes this can be subtly undermining (which all adds up) and other times blatantly obvious.

When we eat raw foods, generally speaking, our digestive demands lessen. Our foods are more simple, we are eating enzymes rather than needing to find them from our existing stores, and, unless our diet is fat-dense (i.e. eating lots of nuts and seeds) then typically our load is much lighter and much faster to transit through than the average diet.

It is estimated that one in three people in the doctor's waiting room is there for a colon-related issue. A shocking statistic don't you think? But hardly surprising when we consider what passes for "food" today and what extremes some people will go to in terms of diversity, quantity and frequency. Of course, most people in this bracket don't necessarily eat in a way we could consider to be healthy, but there's so much more to it than just what we eat...

So how is it that some people on raw foods don't get the amazing energy that myself or others rave about? Especially if you are eating low-fat?

As far as I can see, a lot of it comes down to making sure that when you eat you are genuinely hungry.

My own research over hundreds of clients shows that at least 95% of people I survey either do not know what true hunger feels like and/or do not wait until they are hungry to eat.

What this means is this:

If you are eating when you're not hungry then you are essentially putting in more food than your body needs. When this is the case, your body will use its precious energy to digest (or "burn" as I like to call it) your food rather than have the energy available to use for something more productive (like feeling good!).

One of my greatest lessons on my own food journey has been to wait until I am truly hungry before I eat. This doesn't, by the way, mean that I wait until I feel "starving", just that I know that even if a plain bowl of lettuce leaves was placed in front of me, then I would eat them and genuinely enjoy them because I am that ready to consume.

Why this example?

Because of all the things that we can eat on this planet, green leaves are the least addictive foods of all, and the among the most nutritious for us... and if we feel drawn to eating them un-dressed and unaccompanied then that's a great sign that we really are hungry - because as you know our taste buds and bodies can appear so fickle and easily persuaded!

It took me many years to get to the point where I only when hungry, but I have to say it really is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the way I eat/ live my life. There is nothing more gratifying than going to eat a meal that you are really and truly ready for. I'm sure I love my food ten times more because of this. It tastes and feels so much better! In fact, I really do find that now if someone places food in front of me or offers me something - even if it's just a single piece of fruit - if I'm not hungry I get very strong signals from my body not to eat it and I find myself actually physically repulsed by it. Now that's incredible!

Considering my extensive junk food background, I really do believe that if I can reach this place then anyone can, although I appreciate we all have different issues to overcome in order to get to here.

I call this place of genuine hunger the place of "The Clean Burn". That's because I know that when I'm in this place I feel as if whatever I eat is really enjoyed from the moment I start preparing it to the moment it starts its journey down my throat and into my stomach. From this moment on I feel as if the food is being digested and utilised immediately. No hanging around waiting for breakfast to pass through or "falling" on top of last night's supper and - wait for it - fermenting and rotting. Eugh! It feels as if it is being welcomed with open arms and that my entire body is ready for it and loving it. Now that's worth waiting for!

It's rather ironic that throughout our entire childhood and typically, adulthood, we are never taught how to eat properly. Whether we use a knife and fork from an early age seems to be of more importance than whether we are actually ready to eat! It's no wonder we have the weight issues that we do - a lean body is often a clean body, and a clean body is one that really knows and experiences the feeling of The Clean Burn on a regular basis.

As I sit here writing this article it is 12:33pm. Today so far all I have consumed is one pint of watermelon juice, which I had as soon as I felt some hunger around about 10:00am. I am just starting to get that Clean Burn feeling now, but I know I'm not quite there yet, so I will wait a little longer before I go downstairs to eat. There is an art in detecting what stage you're at, and after years of practice and awareness I know now that although what I'm feeling right now would be considered "really hungry" by some people, to me it is a sign that, if I were away from home, I should start looking for food in order to secure it, but if I already have it to not yet eat it as the Clean Burn is not yet fully upon me!

Are these the words of a closet anorexic? No, I can assure you they're not! I am most definitely not into deprivation at any price, and least of all when it comes to food! No, what I describe here is a way of feeling and being around food that feels quite the opposite to deprivation - if I were to eat now before I got fully hungry and could fully appreciate every ounce of my meal - now THAT would feel like deprivation.

On that note I'm going to ask that you really pay attention to your hunger signals over the next few days and see how far you can go with this. This means ignoring the clock, getting all the "shoulds" out of your head about what, when and how you "should" be eating, and really paying attention to the different degrees of hunger as they unfurl. And yes, of course, waiting until you are FULLY hungry before you begin.

Yes, I know this may sound or feel like advanced stuff and even a little scary for some people, but if you can start to put even a little of this into practice in your daily life then I'd be very surprised if you didn't start to lose any excess weight you have, gain a lot more energy overall and generally start falling in love with your food - and your body - even more than you ever thought possible.

Oh yes, and did I mention that your food bills may very well go down?!

Enjoy the pursuit of The Clean Burn, a few more minutes wait for your food is a VERY small price to pay for such huge and multifaceted rewards, believe me!
© 2007 Karen Knowler

Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

[aililiu]

wow.. thank you all so much.

raw surfer & vegan mom...... thanks for reminding me to focus on what i HAVE accomplished.... and that old habits take a while to work through and not to beat myself up over it too much but to take it as a work in progress. i definitely dont want to get back into the deep cycle of loathing myself. i never want to fall down that hole again but when i over eat raw i feel like im walking closer to the edge than i should be. so thank you for your words of support.

azura... ill look for those books, thanks for the recommendation. you were making sense :) i know habits can be hard to break but i truly hope that thats the issue.... i was able to break the habit of eating cooked food, after all. :)

bampot, wow, thank you for that article. i read it through. it is so much harder to do than it sounds :( but ill try. i think i need to be more conscious of whats going into my mouth anyways. ive been a lot more in tune with my body since going raw and i would like to be even more so. and i have had more energy since going raw but not an incredible difference and so it makes sense that my over-eating would contribute to that, if im always eating when im not hungry.

i think i have this paradigm, because i have insulin resistance, ive always been careful to have food carried on me, and if i started feeling "lighter" or "peckish" but not necessarily hungry i would eat, so that i wouldnt get light headed. i may need to find more of a balance. but im hoping that being raw can help my blood sugar as well, i know its worked for others.

thanks again for all your insight and support, it means the world to me.

aililiu

[Bampot]

bampot, wow, thank you for that article. i read it through. it is so much harder to do than it sounds :( but ill try. i think i need to be more conscious of whats going into my mouth anyways. ive been a lot more in tune with my body since going raw and i would like to be even more so. and i have had more energy since going raw but not an incredible difference and so it makes sense that my over-eating would contribute to that, if im always eating when im not hungry.

aililiu

I totally know what you mean aililiu - I'm definitely not there yet myself, and still find myself eating when I'm not hungry. But I liked that article because it at least will make me think next time I go to eat something - am I really hungry yet? And y'know, I may eat something anyway :o but at least the thought is there! I've been frustrated that I haven't lost hardly any weight since going raw, but I'm just trying to get used to it all and don't want to deprive myself of anything too much as that will just put me off.

Stick with it and like me maybe just try to be a bit more conscious of when you're hungry and when you're satisfied with what you've eaten. And remember, at least you're eating fantastically healthy food, so give yourself a pat on the back and don't beat yourself up about it ;)

[cranberrypineapplebanana]

If you have found that you have had food binging issues in the past, then you will continue to have it even on raw.

There is a deeper emotional component to this.

Depending on your childhood, alot of people use food in place for love. Alot of times when a child does not have their love needs met they will replace the lack of love with food. It is something to numb the pain.

Do you find you binge when you are stressed? If you constantly feel stressed then it could be something you do on a regular basis. Do you eat to block out feelings or to deal with pain or stress?

Until you heal the reason you picked up the compulsive behavor, it will continue, no matter what diet you eat.

Geneen Roth is a author that has a book called "When Food is Love". She also has another book called "Breaking Free". I have read the first one but not the second one. I really recommend her.

[spiralgirl]

aililiu,

Okay I can totally relate to your pre raw story big time and a little bit with your raw story as well.

I too was addicted to food and had junk food everyday and lots of it. The night before I went raw I really ate a lot of junk food somehow knowing that this was it. I laid in bed and just prayed that the Lord would help me go raw.

On Monday I'm about to start week 7 and there were times at the beginning and even know when I really mourn food. It was my best friend in so many ways. It comforted me when I was stressed, sad, worried, lonely, happy etc. I realize it was really killing me but it was a part of me for so long. When I went raw I had to just say good-bye to it all.

I don't know if this would help but I allow myself sweets on this raw thing, like chocolate macaroon balls, these chocolate banana cannoli things i make, etc. I'm not restrictive at all on my raw plan right now as I really want this to work. When I have something sweet I really try to limit myself to having 2 and that's it. Then I try to think about if I'm really hungry or not and usually I'm not.

Also have a pee problem as well and notice caffine really aggravates. Like you I hate drinking water because I have to go a lot. Raw if helping the problem but I just want to be back to normal. It was really bad pre-raw and sugar didn't help it.

The other day I overate in the dessert department and I was upset because I felt like it was the old me on SAD (really though I didn't eat as much as I would have pre-raw), but I just thought okay tomorrow is a new day and I'll start again.

Are there specific foods that trigger the problem? I too love watching TV and used to binge pre-raw. Now I have a nice cup of herbal tea at night or grab a piece of fruit or I stop and ask myself if I'm really hungry. Or I think, what is the void I'm trying to fill at this moment?

It's also good you recognize what you are doing and want to change it. Just take one day at time and each day try to do a bit better than the day before.