Overeating

[Makoto]

Hi

Yesterday night I ate so much I thought I was going to throw up :( I felt really gross and embarrassed, and fat, and all sorts of bad feelings afterwards.


I overeat when I'm stressed out or whenever I try to control what I eat...

I'm really trying to fix this but it's soooo hard...

Does anyone else ever do this?

[ConsciousCuisine]

Have you been diagnosed with an Eating Disorder or do *you* believe you have one?


Hope you examine what is is that drives you to do this and get the help you need to feel healthy.

[Makoto]

sorry about the long post:

Well about 2 yrs ago (fall 2003) when I started university it got really bad. I was counting calories and I just got sick of it and started eating a lot.

I got really scared and made an appointment with the universities counsellor. I only got one for a month later (after I called 2 times... at first they wouldn't give me on until after the holidays)

I gained a lot of weight and then I started counting calories again and ended up bingeing at least once every week.

By the time I saw the therapist, she worked more on dealing with stress and time management with me. She scheduled our next appointment for after the holidays. Anyways to make a long story short, I wasn't told I had an eating disorder but by then I also told the therapist I was in control of my eating (which now that I look back, I see I wasn't).

By the end of the school year, I had lost a couple of pounds but I was still a lot heavier than when I started school (I wasn't thin or anything when I started school either).

Anyways, I had tried about every single diet out there by the summer and I was just burnt out. I kept dieting and bingeing.. every 3-4 days!!! So I fell on this book called "Intuitive eating" by evelyn tribole and it really changed my life. I stopped dieting and things got a lot better. I also stopped weighing myself until the fall. I have also stopped weighing myself again. (I weighed myself once or twice after school ended this year and I got back home... but that was a month ago)

Lately though, I seem to overeat often. It makes me feel miserable

[Imapeach]

Why do people do things that make themselves feel miserable? Why do we feel the need to constantly torture ourselves? People do this in different ways, overeating, undereating, overworking, have bad relationships, etc..

I don't think there is any one answer, except maybe to ask yourself why you feel so dissatisfied that you need to fill yourself with food? Do you feel empty? Is there something missing from your life that you can replace overconsumption of food with? I'm sure your therapist had plenty of advice along these lines...

I also tend to overeat in winter. Well, in my opinion it's overeating, although I wouldn't say it's a classifiable disorder. So this winter I am going to find something new to occupy myself with whilst indoors. Maybe I'll buy a treadmill :rolleyes:

[Tigerlily]

I overeat a lot. It makes me feel really guilty. I understand where you're coming from.

I don't think I would ever see a therapist though, for my overeating. I absolutely hate them. I was forced to go them all through junior high and I refuse to ever see another liar again.

[Tofu Monster]

i overeat on a daily basis. i'm noticeably overweight, albeit not massively so. but enough so that it dents my self-esteem (which has long been at rock bottom anyway). i hate the fact that i'm such a useless greedy bastard and don't have the will power to sort myself out and stop eating when i'm not even hungry.

it especially makes me feel bad when it's hot t-shirt weather like we're having right now. i hate it when it's too hot to go out without another layer to at least partially disguise my horrible flabby physique.

i tell myself that it's because of greedy pigs like me that there are so many people in the world who are hungry. i mean really hungry, not just fidgety cos they haven't stuffed something in their mouth for 20 minutes like me.

and i feel that if i was in shape like i used to be, then i'd like myself more and have some self-confidence, which might radiate out to other people and then in turn somebody else might like me. but then when i get down about that sort of thing i just go and eat stuff and end up feeling worse. ain't life weird?

personally i can't imagine overeating not being linked to depression or low self-esteem or low self-confidence or whatever. but i might be wrong. (i was frequently wrong when i was married, apparently, so why should i expect to be wrong any less frequently now?!)

i sometimes think it's weird for me to be vegan, i mean i care enough about animals that i don't want to be involved in their suffering in anyway, yet when it comes to me myself, i generally feel like i could happily drop dead tomorrow. well not 'happily' exactly, but you know what i mean (or do you?). my point being that you'd think that someone who cares about even the small 'insignificant' creatures would care at least a bit about himself!

anyway i'd better shut up before i make a complete arse of myself. and sorry for whining on like a self-absorbed dickhead. now you can see why i'm not posting much these days!

[adam antichrist]

For me overeating is about trying to control my feelings. I find that when I am mediatating once in a while it is easier not to succumb to the urge to overeat because I allow myself to feel that stuff I am afraid of or fear will be unpleasant whilst meditating. Therefore the urge to run from those feelings loses some of its power.

When I am getting urges to overeat I try and tell myself "just for the next five minutes, don't eat anything". In five minute increments I can get through a whole day.

Overeating is an oral fixation like smoking. Every time you inhale cigarette smoke, you are subconsciously saying to yourself "I am so worthless, I don't even deserve clean air".

It is similar with overeating. Theories suggest that it relates to early childhood, that whenever we cried our mother stuffed a bottle in our mouth but we may not have been crying because we were hungry; we may have been lonely or cold or had a bad dream or scared but through our inabillity to communicate we were taught to consume food to dull those feelings, and until we take responsibillity for our own feelings we will continue to behave like this.

The most important thing I have learned through meditating is that feelings can't hurt me. My negative behaviours can... so it's better to just have the feelings.

[Veganbear]

I overeat all the time. I tell myself "I'll be good today." I'm good until I get home from work. Then I turn into a fat pig. Sometimes I'll eat out of bordeom. I'll eat when I'm mad or upset--food makes me feel better. Sometimes I'll overeat because there's good food put in front of me--today my husband took me to a health food store that has a little vegan restaurant thing inside. I had a philly cheesesteak. I got a big fat chocolate walnut brownie too. Even though I was full from the sandwich, I ate the brownie anyway, because it was there. If I buy a pint of soy ice cream, I'll eat the whole thing in one sitting (which is about 840 calories, depending on what kind it is). It's very rare that the container will see a freezer again after I buy it. If I have salsa and chips, I'll eat the whole jar of salsa at once. A lot of times, I'll overeat because I 'need' something else. I'll eat spicy food, but then crave something sweet. Then I'll want something salty. I'll eat dinner, then my husband will want to go out to eat (we cook our dinners seperately because he eats meat) so I'll go out and eat a second dinner with him.
I feel all fat and gross after I overeat, but sometimes I try to justify it by saying it's all vegan, so it's healthy and good for me. My tummy will pudge out and look gross. Sometimes I think it's okay if I eat a lot since I'm not fat.
Today my end of the day weight (which includes 3 meals and some snacks) is 105 pounds.
Sometimes I'm afraid I'll get fat because of the way I eat. Sometimes I think that since I eat the way I do and I haven't gotten fat, that maybe I can get away with overeating.
I never overate before I became vegan. My husband thinks I do it because my body is missing out on vitamins or nutrients from meat, so I try to make up for it by eating a lot of food. I don't think he knows what he's talking about.

[Makoto]

wow... I feel really overwhealmed by all the responses. It's good to know that posts do get read on this forum and everyone is so nice.

I read in a book today that there's "objective" and "subjective" overeating...
Objective is when the person eats a lot lot... like say i dunno, 5000 calories in a sitting.. and feels out of control and distressed

whereas Subjective is when the person eats and feels out of control but the amount (although too much in that person's view) is not that huge. The subjective overeating will make the person feel as distressed, gross, depressed as the objective overeating..

I'm really trying to work on the whole issue here. I'm really tired of it and how it makes me feel.

[Makoto]

I find that when I am mediatating once in a while it is easier not to succumb to the urge to overeat because I allow myself to feel that stuff I am afraid of or fear will be unpleasant whilst meditating.

How do you meditate? I'd like to learn.


When I am getting urges to overeat I try and tell myself "just for the next five minutes, don't eat anything". In five minute increments I can get through a whole day.


that sounds like a good strategy.


whenever we cried our mother stuffed a bottle in our mouth

Mine just listened to me cry and after a moment or two told me to stop crying... :S but that wasn't when I was a baby. I guess you're talking about when we were babies?

[tails4wagging]

I think most folks 'comfort eat' when times are stressed. Its a natural thing, I shouldnt worry to much or it will be an issue.

[adam antichrist]

How do you meditate? I'd like to learn.
Meditation is simply focussing on your breathing, and can be done in many ways. I do yoga and also relaxation techniques which are the most effective for healing old stuff like what we have discussed in this thread.
Many forum members had good stuff to say about meditation and finding peace on this thread (http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3885&highlight=meditate)



Mine just listened to me cry and after a moment or two told me to stop crying... :S but that wasn't when I was a baby. I guess you're talking about when we were babies?
Yes, when crying was our only means of communication as we were helpless and couldn't express ourselves any other way. A therapist named John Bradshaw (http://www.creativegrowth.com/johnbio.htm) wrote about it.

[annascool]

I never overate before I became vegan. My husband thinks I do it because my body is missing out on vitamins or nutrients from meat, so I try to make up for it by eating a lot of food. I don't think he knows what he's talking about.

He's actually on to something. There have been studies that linked overeating to low b6, b12, calcium, iron, and zinc deficiencies. All are vitamins/minerals that you need to be careful about when you're vegan.

But what happens is that you dont get those nutrients so your body gets you to eat more in an attempt to make up for the lack of nutrients.

I've had the same thing happen to me, so I'm getting bloodwork done with this.

[annascool]

sorry, low levels of the vitamins... not deficiencies

[littleTigercub]

I overeat for all sorts of reasons and can relate to what you write.

I was diagnosed with an eating disorder but although I think I have come over the worst, I still overeat (although I do not binge any more, i.e. eating random things really really quickly)in a variety of situations.

I must admit that, on most occassions, I am now fully aware of why I am doing this (boredom, treating myself) but I still do it. I can cope with it better now, though.

littleTigercub

[Mystic]

Wow! I must say that I am horrified at how some of you put yourselves down! Calling yourselves fat pigs and discussing how your bodies repulse you is a big indication of a lack of self love - which hits the nail on the head! That is why you overeat!

I have had anorexia - and since recovering I have been "guilty" of the "subjective" overeating that Mokoto was talking about. The way I deal with it is to accept it now as part of my body and tell myself that I am not a disgusting fat pig for enjoying food. Everyone should be able to enjoy food - sometimes that means eating more, sometimes that means not eating as much! I used to eat things because I thought I should (low calorie, health properties etc...) but now I realise that when you are hungry, if you just eat what you want in the first place, you will not feel deprived or weak or malnourished, so you won't overeat.

This is all easier said than done. But if anyone needs support, please PM me.

[foxytina_69]

great post banana. id also like to add that when we want to overeat, we should eat healthier versions of what we want to overeat on :D! (like if you want candy, eat medjool dates or fresh fruit, if you want chocolate, eat either raw chocolate or pure unsweetened dark chocolate, if you want chips or fries, eat a healthier version such as baked potatoes [see banana's recipe for healthy baked 'fries'] the healthier you eat when u want to overeat, the less it will matter and the more nutrition you will give your body and it will want less!)

[Seaside]

Posted by annascool:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Veganbear
I never overate before I became vegan. My husband thinks I do it because my body is missing out on vitamins or nutrients from meat, so I try to make up for it by eating a lot of food. I don't think he knows what he's talking about.



He's actually on to something. There have been studies that linked overeating to low b6, b12, calcium, iron, and zinc deficiencies. All are vitamins/minerals that you need to be careful about when you're vegan.
Nonsense!

.............................http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/IMG_0500.jpg

[adam antichrist]

Coincidence? Believe it... or not!

Just got sent a link from a friend after we were discussing dopasmine receptors last week. This report (http://www.pcrm.org/newsletter/jun05/dopamine.html) describes the presence of a gene in approximately 25% of the population which

carry the DRD2 A1 gene, a variant that results in fewer dopamine receptors on brain cells. Scientists have long theorized that people with this gene are more susceptible to overeating, smoking, and other unhealthful behaviors because these activities provide needed dopamine stimulation for their brains.

The report suggests this is why many people have difficulty giving up unhelathy foods. I haven't read the whole thing yet because I'm off for accupuncture (yay)

[Makoto]

sounds really interesting,
can i get dopamine supplements so i don't do unhealthy things?! ;)

[adam antichrist]

well... that's why cocaine is so popular! And it solves not only overeating but also oversleeping, overpaying bills, and basically overdoing anything except smoking crack really.

[Cryospark]

Not surprising many of the overeaters have insomnia struggles.....
I only allow my self 3 meals a day, if i dont get what i wanted at that time too bad. The remedy for overeating can be found in your mind. Discipline is the cure, people have to take responsibility for themself sometime not look for something to fix all their troubles, there lies the road to chemical dependance, the road to ruin.
Evrything you do has an effect on your health. When you overeat you will essentially find yourself with far to much protein and fat to contend with putting yourself right back near those unhealthy carnivores as far as your health is concerned.

If you feel u must eat go for the lowest fat and protein content food, something like a watermelon or grapes.

[adam antichrist]

The remedy for overeating can be found in your mind. Discipline is the cure, people have to take responsibility for themself.

If the cause is genetic then discipline is irrelevant. Thats like telling a diabetic to make more insulin.

[Cryospark]

Oh please,
genetics are manipulated by diet, it is about responsibility giving someone something to blame is counter-productive.

[adam antichrist]

genetics are manipulated by diet
Hmmm, you often seem to know what you are talking about cryo, but not this time
;)

A gene is a series of three nucleotides connected to DNA which result in the expression of a trait. Diet may bring about further mutation in later life, but if you start with a gene that results in limited dopamine receptors on the brain... that is never going to change. That's like saying someone born with only two fingers will grow the rest if they eat better.