Binge eating recovery daily check in thread (Part 2)

I totaly get you. The experienc of weird self sabotage is very unpleasant. When that happens to me, which it does almost daily, I also get very angry at myself. I also often get sad or feel overwhelmed, because how the hell am I supposed to move forward, if I nuke my own plans all the time!

Two things are helpful to me. Maybe some of it could be helpful to you too.

First thing for me is to acknowledge that there is a reason for this kind of self sabotage. Some part of me - apparently a well hidden one - thinks that my plan is dangerous and is trying to protect me. This is definitely not a conscious part of me, and probably not a very developed one. Nonetheless it is trying to protect me. Finding out what it is trying to protect me from is very hard, but also key to developing new patterns. One way for me is to pay attention to these situations, being mindful of my emotions around them. A good help to deal with this is therapy.

Second thing is developing a step plan. I split my plan in little parts, until I have a step, I am not afraid of. As long as I am afraid of my plan, it is not mini enough. As an example, letā€˜s say I want to go out for a walk. What would that entail? Checking the weather, finding a good time, deciding on the location, picking reasonable clothes, laying clothes and shoes out, putting those shoes on, getting out of the door, walking 100m, etc. Now I would start with any one of those things and just do this one thing on this day. If I manage to do it, Iā€™ll be proud of myself, and Iā€˜ll add another thing next day. If I donā€˜t, I try something else. So for example I might just lay out my clothes on the first day. On the second day Iā€™ll lay out my clothes AND put on my walking shoes. And thatā€˜s it. Next day Iā€˜ll lay out my clothes AND put on my shoes AND decide on a location. The littles steps might seem like nothing, but as long as I am doing them, I am getting into action.

This way I am learning about my fears and my fears are learning that they actually can do something. This is an actual example how I managed to learn to leave the house and go out, when I was suffering through awful panic attacks after I had developed a heart condition.

Maybe this helps, or maybe not. Anyways: You are doing great! You are putting in the breaths, the hours, the days!

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Wow, you really had a battle day. I know how it is. Sending strength

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I do something similar that helps. I do the steps and say ā€œthatā€™s not scaryā€ and i allow myself to back off at any time it gets scary. For example : i pack my bag thatā€™s not scary- iā€™m getting dressed thatā€™s not scary- iā€™m putting on shoes thatā€™s not scary- i take my keys wallet and phone- i go down the stairs still not scary - and i end up at the gym. But itā€™s a process and i donā€™t always have the energy to be this kind to myself. My issue is more that iā€™m alway tired. Iā€™m even tired of being tired.

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Day 1144 : No binge today. :smiling_face:

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Had a really good eating day today! :yum:

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I really like the

approach! Really good way to be kind to oneself. Have to remember that one.

Iā€™m sorry you are so tired all the time @Elissa. Youā€™ve got a lot going on?

70 no sugar, no binge
26 UPFs
26 dairy

Tummy bug = not much eating anyways

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Iā€™m burned out since the end of phd which was at the same time as covid hit, i had a baby and our friend group got oblitarated.
However this was not a bad thing because i went to therapy, realized i have adhd, made my mom go to therapy, fixed a lot of relationship.
The outcome is that i cannot function only on adrenaline as before. Adrenaline and stress has made me power through my adhd and eating disorder all my life but my body suddently rejected it and i gained like 20 kilos while also having more frequent and severe binge phases.
Today i have cleared out a lot of thing. I donā€™t hate myself anymore and i have learemned to function in a less stressing environment. But itā€™s a daily struggle and most of my energy goes into taking care of my family and myself. Therefore i feel low energy all the time. Lately iā€™ve discovered a few things that helped:

  • i realized that if i go to food for comfort itā€™s because it a basic need and i would never be able to just live without it. So now i go to food but only the best healthiest and most delicious so i can feel satisfied.
  • i try to not forbid myself anything because, like a child, my brain immediately goes to crisis mode when deprived and i can litteraly eat a kilo of sugar (in fact, sadly i have)
  • in order to become someone without a disorder iā€™m going to have to rebyild everything that is even remotely attached to my problem . Frankly this one is like untying a pack of snakes that bite.
    I wonder if iā€™m going to make it and who iā€™ll be at the end.
    It is however necessary, without the healing i go to really really dark thoughts.
    Today 16 day. And i had a good day even if i was caring all day for my girl who has stmach flu and a new eye disorder since monday (all curable but tyring) sending hope to everybody. You are all fighters i can see it
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Yesterday I slipped little bit and ate after 6pm which lead to binge. Nothing horryfying though. Iā€™m not ā€˜punishingā€™ myself today and am rather back on track :muscle:t3:

Iā€™m thinking to give up sugar again (I can see some of you are doing so here too). I managed few times to be sugar free for couple of weeks, even over a month and I always felt much better. To actually stop is the hardest for me and the worse is perhaps the whole first week. Then it starts to ease up.
Iā€™m not ready to do it now. But when the time comes (hopefully soon), I may need to check here daily too. It could be a good accountable thing to do :thinking:

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Day 1145 : No binge today. :smiling_face:

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71 no sugar, no binge
27 UPFs
27 dairy

Not sure about Tummy bug. Hope itā€™s going to be better today.

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@Elissa
Wow. You did go through some tough stuff! I really like your realizations. About how food is a basic need and comfort. About how restricting is not a good answer. And lastly how working through recovery is a hell lot of work.
I relate to your picture of a pack of snakes too. At one time I had this image of an immense basket of wool threads. And everytime I wanted to work on something - pull on one of the threads - the whole thing would engulf me.
Anyways: Sending you strength :muscle:, patience :person_in_lotus_position: and love :mending_heart:.

@Jana1988
Good thing you came right back to it :muscle:
Take your time with the sugar thing. As you said, the first days/weeks are hard. Especially if you are surrounded by it. But if you feel like doing it: We are here to support you.

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Thank you for this :blush:

I did try breaking it down, and got as far as going into the reception area and having a protein bar and a coffee, but I didnt get any further than that. Iā€™m finding myself having mini panic attacks just from putting my trainers on (because that usually means Iā€™m leaving the flat).

18 days no sugar.
14 days no binge-eating, no crisps.
11 days no takeaways.

Cravings at my usual time, in the evenings, are very intense, but I am continuing to fight them, and I am still watching various TV shows without engaging with the behaviours. I never want to go back now.

šŸ©µ

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I bought myself a chocolate bar and some Haribo sweets so will definitelly eat these before I quit :smile:
But Iā€™d like to do it sooner than later. First I thought Iā€™d wait after we went to the restaurant for a dinner, so I can have a dessert. But thereā€™s always something to wait for so Iā€™ll just have to make the decission and not to wait for the ā€˜rightā€™ or the ā€˜most convenientā€™ time :smile:

Thank you for supporting me :pray:t2::hugs:

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Thatā€™s a great start! You actually went to that place @CATMANCAM. That is a great step :athletic_shoe: :muscle: . Now maybe try to be comfortable with this routine and repeat it, until you feel like getting to the gym and having some coffee there is part of your regular life. You donā€™t have to go to the machines yet. Give yourself some time to get the feeling of the place. And share with us, how itā€™s going :smiling_face:

@Jana1988 Yeah, there always will bei something :grin:

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I had a psychiatrist that said that to untie my knots, i should be pulling on those who are loose. I got through some big realisation tackling things seemingly unrelated :smiley: today was a good day. Tomorrow i have a difficult thing to do so iā€™m preparing to be extra nice to myself and have the liest possible amount of stress around the house and around food. Iā€™ve organized breakfast so i donā€™t chug a bar of chocolate with diet coke and crash two hours later. Will update if i came through without a binge crisis.

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Iā€™m beating myself up for not going to the gym lately. I did some exercizing at home. Small stuff like some sit-up or a bit of dancing. It soothes me a bit because doing something will always be good. You know that saying, ā€œdo it poorlyā€ . In french with have a saying " better is the ennemy of good"
Still going to the place is better than what i can do on most days. Are you a bit agoraphobic (or is it none of my business). I dislike being in crowded places so i almost always go to the gym on uncanny hours.

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Day 1146 : No binge today. :smiling_face:

I hope youā€™re feeling better today, @acromouse. :people_hugging:
Youā€™re doing great, @CATMANCAM! Keep it up! :muscle:
You can do it, @Jana1988! I know quitting sugar wonā€™t be easy, but I believe in you! :muscle:
Hey, exercising at home is still great, @Elissa. Anything that gets your body moving is good, even just walking or dancing. :smiling_face:

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Iā€™m starting over with today as day 1. I was on a really good streak and then something triggered an urge to get pizza and cheese bread (very common binge meal) and on the second day of that urge I gave in. I told my partner because I think keeping my eating secret is part of the problem. I really donā€™t know where that urger came from.

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Hi @Passerina_cyanea
Sometimes, if you crave something badly, maybe itā€™s good to have a little bit of it? If you restrict yourself too hard, the danger is that you then may end up not only eating it anyway but also binging on it.
If I crave something a lot, I go and have it. But I set up limits for it in my mind in advance. E.g. I go for chocolate and I wonā€™t eat the whole lot. I take only part and when I eat it I do it mindfully, enjoy it and no matter how much I think that I want more, Iā€™ll resist. The urge then usually passes after few minutes.
To avoid these urges, I eat lots of food rich in protein. It helps me to stay full. Or healthy fat, like nuts. I add seeds to everything too.
I already know that if Iā€™m hungry Iā€™m also most vulnerable to urges and binging. So I try to eat regularly and the ā€˜rightā€™ food for me which keeps me feeling satisfied and not hungry.

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Thank you @Aleyadaisey
No more excuses. Iā€™ll see if thereā€™s a cake in my office today and if there is, Iā€™ll have it. And I think that Iā€™m going to start from tomorrow.
Pretty unsure yet, itā€™s hard for me. But I also know that once Iā€™m in - Iā€™m inā€¦ Maybe thatā€™s why Iā€™m so ā€˜scaredā€™ :smile::smile::smile:

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