About 40 pounds overweight and dealing with COE

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

(COE stands for Compulsive Over-eating Disorder, where one goes through periods of overeating and gains weight and then diets, loses the weight, and THEN goes back to overeating, gaining it all back.)

I went raw not for weight loss, but for the health benefits. Obviously I wasn't complaining when I lost about 7 pounds eating around 5,000 calories a day. I would like to lose the 40 pounds. However, the COE has caught up with me and I'm back where I started. This time, however, I'm raw and ready!

I was hoping some people here could help me out, because my idea of what is a lot of food has become so distorted. One day I couldn't imagine eating 1,000 calories and the next I've eaten 5,000. Once again I must stress that I am NOT raw FOR weight loss, but would like to achieve it nonetheless.

Do you think that
3 apples, two celery sticks, two carrot sticks, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, a handful of sunflower seeds, and 5 almonds is enough? Just coming out of the binge cycle I'm trying to get back to eating a normal amount of food, but as I said before my idea of normal has become twisted.

I apologise for the personal nature of this post, but there is no other place I could think of to seek advice. Thank you.

[Blazin'Jane]

I'm wondering if you will really binge just eating raw, especially in the beginning. Maybe I misread your post, but I think that when you are getting all the nutrients you need, like you will eating just raw, you'll feel satisfied and not be grabbing everything you see. If you're still grabbing things, have another apple or banana or even avocado. The food you listed for a meal doesn't seem like very much to me. I'd be hungry again in a couple of hours.

In the beginning of my RAW life, I was hungry alot, but I just kept eating -- all raw-- and after a week or so my appetite levelled out.

Good luck. RAW IS the way to go, so stick with it and don't be afraid to eat!

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

Nuh-uh, it really isn't a matter of being "satisfied", the overeating is compulsive. I appreciate your support, thank you.

[Nurse in the Raw]

Do you think that
3 apples, two celery sticks, two carrot sticks, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, a handful of sunflower seeds, and 5 almonds is enough? Just coming out of the binge cycle I'm trying to get back to eating a normal amount of food, but as I said before my idea of normal has become twisted.



That is not enough food for one day. Have you tried juice fasting for an extended period of time. Lots of people with food/emotional "imbalances" have been healed of them through fasting. Read some of the threads about fasting. Some times it helps to have a fasting buddy.

[crystalmoon]

Hi there i have an addictive background with drugs/alcohol that turned into compulsive eating when i got clean & sober a few years ago. I also did the purging/starving so know what you are going through...Just wanted to extend my hand & put it in yours & offer to journey with you back to health.
Im on the 30 day raw challenge at the moment...slipped yesterday with cooked foods...I dont binge on raw stuff but raw cacao does lead to me overeating raw so I need to avoid it. Chocolate has all kinds of emotional triggers for me anyway to do with an abusive childhood & also early recovery when I practically replaced my drugs/alcohol with it. If you want to email me personally that is cool.

I am primarily wanting a return of physical, emotional health via raw food then weightloss. I am at least 60 lb overweight. Just having a high raw diet this past year has enabled me to come off Prozac which is awesome but now I am more vulnerable to the compulsive eating hell cos my neurotransmitter levels arent being controlled by drugs.

A big cyber hug to you {{{{{{HUG}}}}}}

[DavidZaneMason]

Opinion: No. I think you should be eating VERY healthy alternatives.....eating often...and eating until you are quite full. Keep your fat very measured.....but regular.....and maintain some 'cheat' days while transitioning. Drink plenty of pure water when you are not eating....and get in some good power walking at least 5 times per week.

-David Z. Mason

[4forme]

I have been through this as well, to some extent. Since being anorexic when I was a teen, I have not had a normal view on food. I am now 20lbs overweight. Instead of focusing on if it's a "normal" amoutn of food, try becoming in tune with your body. Does it feel satisfied with the amount you put in it. What types of hunger signals do you get? Fatigue, headache, hunger pangs, whatever it may be, try to be in tune with that. Figure out what your body is craving and eat that. Try to stop when your stomach feels satisfied. If you aren't sure, drink a big glass of water, and if the hunger returns then you are probly truly hungry. If it doesn't then it may have been thirst or emotional.
It's not an easy task, especially when you have an eating pattern such as this. It will take time and practice, There are days I eat so much and think I will surely gain 5 lbs from all I have eaten, and then other days where I eat very little. It all evens out when you listen to what your body is trying to say.
(((Hugs)))

[Hannah]

Hello Kaleidascopeeyes - your name makes me think of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." :D I love that song!

I don't know if you have checked out Alissa's book, and I would HIGHLY recommend reading it ... Many raw foodist have struggled with obsessive eating patterns and overeating - you are not alone. I know that in Alissa's system when you first go raw there are no rules or limitations to what or how much you eat, so long as its raw (this allows time for your body as well as your mind to adjust to the new food source and the different feeling of satiety.) Then after you've transitioned to raw - say a couple weeks - or maybe even 30 days, then you look at what you are eating and if you wish you can cut it down. I know that Victoria Boutenko also made a similar rule for her family when they first went raw (that they could eat whatever and however much they wished so long as it was raw) ... I've heard that other people on this site have done the same with great results ...

I guess I am trying to suggest maybe focusing first on going raw - and then once you have that down, working on the overeating (my sense is that the latter will dissapate naturally as you cleanse your body with the fresh raw foods - it is difficult to overeat raw food without feeling very sick afterword).

Your body and mind will catch up with each other - keep your chin up because I am sure you are doing great!

[subbacultcha]

..........

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

Hello Kaleidascopeeyes - your name makes me think of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." I love that song!

I'm so glad! That's where it comes from :) I also hid a little raw reference in there...KALEidoscope...heh.

Thank you all so much for your support. I'm still struggling. Today has been a bad day; I ate two bags of nuts and much, much more. I know that this isn't true hunger, that there is some emotional reason for my overeating. I just want this binge cycle gone. For too long, I've been on the binge cycle of COE.

[subbacultcha]

Oh dear. Well, at least you weren't overeating on stuff that's going to damage your body.

Ann Wigmore's energy soup > http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/876-Energy-Soup
is meant to work wonders for cravings and such, maybe it will help.

Good luck today x

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

I haven't been doing so well lately...the other day I had an ENTIRE JAR of almond butter in addition to many other things :eek: and today I had an entire (raw) apple pie! For the past month, I've been eating anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 calories, and I just can't deal with this anymore? What is it going to take for me to stop this? For me to be able to eat a NORMAL amount of food and lose this awful weight I'm carrying around?! I'm going to be 16 in almost two months, and I want more than anything to lose 20 pounds by that time, but I don't know if that's a healthy goal -- or possible.

[rawfoodmommy#1]

I don't know if this will help but try this, whenever you feel like you are going to over eat wear something really tight, so your stomach doesn't have much room to take in a lot of food. When your stomach feels tight then you won't be able to eat much.
hope this makes sense

[StarFire]

.

Do you think that
3 apples, two celery sticks, two carrot sticks, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, a handful of sunflower seeds, and 5 almonds is enough? Just coming out of the binge cycle I'm trying to get back to eating a normal amount of food, but as I said before my idea of normal has become twisted.

I apologise for the personal nature of this post, but there is no other place I could think of to seek advice. Thank you.

I am sooo glad you posted this thread. I think this is more common than most people realize. I was suffering from this B4 going raw - and still have a bout or two - even now at 10 months raw. But as long as I am 'binge'ing' on a raw goodie - like an entire batch of coconut ice cream, I am gentle with myself and I'm still so far ahead of the game.

In the past it would have been a family sized Macaroni and Cheese plus 2 Large Pepperoni Pizzas with extra cheese and 6 or 7 shots of Vodka and 6 to 8 beers.... so - in comparison to an entire raw apple pie -- I'll choose the apple pie! ;)

what you mentioned above -- in my opinion it is NOT enough food and if I tried to survive on that - I would be 'setting myself up for failure'.

what REALLY helped me when I first went raw - was the 30 day plan in Alissa's book. It layed out the entire plan for me -- what to eat, even gave me a shopping list... AND - I was permitted to eat as much as I wanted -- which I did and I STILL lost weight - and began my healing process. It really helped me to transition successfully to this LIFEstyle.

blessings on your journey... remember that all of us are here for you okay? We understand what you are going thru... we're right there with you.

rawk on girl -- You can do this... ;)

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/tha857f08c.gif

[MarciRoundtheWorld]

I am so sorry you are having to go through this. I have been (and still do) watching my husband battle compulsive eating for many years now.

Would I be correct in saying that when you binge, you are not feeding your body? You are really feeding your heart. You have a big hole there that you are trying to fill or you are trying to stuff down emotions that you cannot handle. Is this accurate?

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

Yes, I know there is an emotional connection to overeating, I just don't know how to fix it. Thank you all so much for your support...today was a little bit better, but I still ate too much (prob. around 4,000 cals) I'd like to eat 1,000 to 1,500 a day, as I'm trying to lose those pesky 35 lbs, but it's so hard. Even when I make a food schedule and plan everything...it just doesn't work...

[RawSweetie]

Hi there~~:)

No, that's not enough food to keep you strong or satisfied. I understand that your issue isn't really being "satisfied" though. Have you explored any kind of talk therapy for the COE? Or found any spiritual approaches to this issue? I think it could be helpful to you. I do know of OA (Overeaters Anonymous), which has meetings everywhere--check the phone book or look online. There is one "camp" of OA that is big on weighing and measuring food, but overall, it is a spiritual approach to treating the disease of compulsive overeating in all of its dimensions--emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical, and it encourages individual members to develop a relationship with a higher power to replace the unhealthy relationship with food.

Maybe a group or a therapist, or perhaps both could be most supportive of your journey. You are at a tough age to be dealing with this. You might need more than a "just eat raw" mantra at this point in time. Just my thoughts. I wish you all the best with your recovery. Hang in there.

[MarciRoundtheWorld]

There is a book by Geneen Roth that has helped many people. It is called, "Why Weight? - a guide to ending compulsive eating"

[MarciRoundtheWorld]

Hi there~~:)

No, that's not enough food to keep you strong or satisfied. I understand that your issue isn't really being "satisfied" though. Have you explored any kind of talk therapy for the COE? Or found any spiritual approaches to this issue? I think it could be helpful to you. I do know of OA (Overeaters Anonymous), which has meetings everywhere--check the phone book or look online. There is one "camp" of OA that is big on weighing and measuring food, but overall, it is a spiritual approach to treating the disease of compulsive overeating in all of its dimensions--emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical, and it encourages individual members to develop a relationship with a higher power to replace the unhealthy relationship with food.

Maybe a group or a therapist, or perhaps both could be most supportive of your journey. You are at a tough age to be dealing with this. You might need more than a "just eat raw" mantra at this point in time. Just my thoughts. I wish you all the best with your recovery. Hang in there.

yes, please do seek help. Otherwise, you will may be in an endless cycle of binge, guilt, shame, binge again to forget the guilt and shame.

[alicia_2007]

I read Angela Stokes book last night. How to go raw for weight loss is targeted for over eaters. It made so much sense to me I was nearly in tears because I felt I could truly relate. And I finally told my close friends how my relationship with food has plagued me for 10 years now going between starving myself, to being bulimic and over eating. I strongly suggest you read this book it's really helped me get control again even if this is only day one I feel so much clearer and food isn't bothering me and I haven't found myself eating tonnes of food for no reason!

Best of luck xo

[oai]

hey there. thanks for this thread and sharing this intimate part of yourself with us. i think i may be dealing w/ COE as well, but i'm not sure. :o

i hope you'll keep us posted about your journey to overcome it.

[parsnip]

3 apples, two celery sticks, two carrot sticks, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, a handful of sunflower seeds, and 5 almonds sounds like enough for a meal, maybe, but not enough for a day! I think there's a lot of good in what people are saying about being aware of how much food your body wants, and what specifically it wants, but as a recovering compulsive overeater, I'm not really able to do that yet.

I've found that tracking my calories everyday (there are lots of free options; I use FitDay) really helps me know that I'm getting enough calories (I think shooting for about 2000 is about right, generally, but I try not to go lower than 1600 at bare minimum) and also how much protein and fat. This helps me to gauge what amount of food is "normal," even when I don't feel like I have a good sense of it. Then if I'm feeling really hungry or off, I can look at what I've been eating and maybe eat a bit more, or a bit more fat or whatever, and see if that helps.

I know that one of the great things about eating raw is that you can stop counting calories, and worrying about that sort of thing, but at this point I'm just not that tuned into what my body needs. I'm working towards it, but in the meantime, it really helps me to keep track of what I'm eating.

I have far less problems with compulsive eating if I don't eat processed foods, so eating raw does help me a lot. Green smoothies also help me a lot -- I usually drink a quart for breakfast and another one in the afternoon, but if that sounds like way too much for you, I think any amount would help. I make them the night before so they're ready in the morning. A blender works fine for these, just try to chop things up pretty well.

I hope something here helps a little! More than anything, I suggest you try not to put yourself on any food plan that feels really strict to you. If you feel constantly deprived, you'll eventually binge on something, and then you'll feel bad, and then you'll be inclined to put yourself on another really strict plan.... it's hard on your health (and you're doing this for health, right?) and even harder on your psyche. I do understand how losing 20 pounds in two months is really important to you, but it's much more important to be healthy and feel healthy.

You're certainly not the only person who struggles with this! Let us know how you're doing. :)

[shashibala]

I know just how you feel. I was unable to control my eating before I went raw. I ate obsessively and thought about it all the time. Now that I am raw it has pretty much gone away. One thing I do to help myself is to buy things in their original form. For example, have soaked almonds instead of almond butter. Concentrated foods are so much harder to resist. Green smoothies also help me feel satisfied.
I know the pain you are feeling and how out of control it feels. Be very kind to yourself. Imagine that you are just a little tiny girl that needs love and care and feeding. Now this may seem very silly, but my daughter is working on distracting her mind from COE through exercising. She has been hula hooping and she swears that it helps and makes her feel happier. Have you heard of this? You could check out www.hoopgirl.com if that sounds interesting to you.
I wish there was more I could do, but I know you will heal and feel better in time.
Take care.

[beckx]

i'm sorry that you're going through this. since i was a pretty young child i've been going through similar binge/diet cycles, losing tons of weight and gaining it all back and then some over and over. although i've had a couple of overeating sessions since i went raw, i feel like i really have control over my eating for the first time in a long time.

getting away from nuts was a challenge for me in the beginning that i'm starting to feel like i'm getting over now. replacing nuts with avocados and young coconut meat and coconut butter was a good move for me, as those are more water dense fat sources and its harder for me to overeat on them. sometimes i'll dig into some almond butter for a treat but not like before; its like a real treat now and not a compulsion.

one thing that has REALLY helped me is drinking tons of greens in green smoothies. it knocks out cravings for nuts and fats and keeps me feeling very satisfied. i rarely go without them and try to get about a 1/2 pound to a pound of greens in them each day.

the food you listed is definitely not enough at this stage; i've been there, and restricting after a binge to try to 'get on track' just puts me right back where i started in a day or two. good luck, you've chosen the right path - i really think raw is The Way for most overeaters and there's lots of support here.

::: hug :::

[Rawmommie]

I just wanted to give you some support. I've been raw for 3 1/2 years and I'm still overweight b/c of COE. I can binge on nuts like you wouldn't believe (so for ME, I've had to only have them on special occasions). I don't have a lot of advise for what you can do b/c I'm still on this path myself, but I can tell you that finding some DEEP spiritual connections has helped me break the cycle. I can't say that I've been *cured*, it hasn't been long enough, nor am I sure it's possible, but STAY RAW! Staying raw has been the only thing that has helped me stay in control. Try not to rationalize binging just because it's raw...I've done that and for people like us, we can overeat so much and overload our bodies with so much raw (fat in my case) that it still greatly harms us.

Hugs to you!

[subbacultcha]

Kaleidoscopeeyes, we're a similar age (I'm 16) and I have had similar problems with food so if you ever want to send me an email we can chat. If you've had a bad day or just need someone to talk to about anything. If it's food related, I've probably been there... My email address is subbacultcha@msn.com.
Love Hannah x