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Getting the cravings out of your head

I'm really struggling today. I've always binge-eaten, and when I think about why, it's because I'm bored. But when I do stuff to fix that boredom, once I'm done with those activities, thoughts of eating comes back. Now, this doesn't happen every day, but probably every other.
Today I had eggs and an orange for breakfast, and I was okay, but then about an hour later I wanted to eat again, even thought I wasn't hungry. So I had an apple... and another apple... and another apple... and some alomnd milk. I've been grazing like this all day and it's a battle in my head-- I can't stop getting bored and getting thoughts of food as an alternative out of my head! Later I ate dinner, stopped halfway through when I was full, but found myself unable to stop thinking about food three hours later and returning to eat the rest of what had been on my plate plus about three slices of bread. Right now I don't want to eat, but I'm afraid it'll happen again, and I've eaten roughly 2100 calories today. Why won't the thoughts leave? Why is that distractions never last long? And why do on some days these thoughts cease to exist, even though my daily activities don't change?


Sat. Mar 3, 11:44pm

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PS

I don't want tips on how to avoid a binge like drinking water or chewing gum... I want real answers/support/longterm fixes :)

Saturday, March 03, 2012, 11:45 PM

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see a professional

perhaps you need to invest the money in a few therapists? A psychologist and a nutritionist. The psychologist for the mental stuff, and a nutritionist for the food... maybe your macronutrients are outrageous out of balance and that only compounds your binges.

how serious are you about changing? is it worth the investment?

if you don't want to hire professionals, get yourself to the library and do your research!

best of luck to you.

Sunday, March 04, 2012, 5:11 AM

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consider the Peertrainer "PONR" Point of No Return program for the mental stuff, and Peertrainer "Cheat System" for nutrition stuff.

Sunday, March 04, 2012, 5:13 AM

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I've been reading Eat to LIve and trying to implement the philosophies there--many of which are restated by PT over-and-over: nutrient dense foods will eventually eliminate cravings and thoughts of food. The way I understand it is this: if you're thinking of food, your body probably is missing nutrients it needs. Over balance on nutrient dense foods and your cravings will start to fade away. I've become rather obsessed with trying to get more nutrients into everything I eat as a way to channel the energy I have thinking about food--initially I began by eating whenever I wanted to or had a craving but instead of eating bread/crackers/cheese/crap, I would immediately go to greens/veggies/fruit/beans. I told myself I could eat as much as I wanted as long as it was greens/veggies/fruit/beans. Within a few days I stopped feeling like I needed to eat all the time and I stopped thinking about food after dinner--except to plan my menus for the next day! It was rather amazing. I seriously felt exactly like you before this change and was considering therapy to try to get a grip on my "emotional binges". I've lost 10 lbs. in just a few weeks and am thrilled. I feel like I've just unlocked the key to a secret I've been yearning to know for years. I hope this inspires you. Read Eat to LIve. Get the Eat for Health books. Read Dr. Fuhrman's blog and website.

Sunday, March 04, 2012, 9:02 PM

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excellent advice previous poster!!

gorging on vegetables has not helped me with the bread and sugar cravings... but not eating them at all works for me. I needed to do a total elimination. I recently did this on the Peertrainer Cleanse... first time I felt the cravings disappear. I felt normal. And all the vegetables, they give me TONS of energy. I feel best eating this way.

Monday, March 05, 2012, 1:26 AM

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What's the peertrainer cleanse? I've serious craving issues at the minute so something like that might do me the world of good.

Sunday, March 18, 2012, 2:10 PM

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I second all the above comments. What finally helped me to stop binging and craving was to eliminate grains and sugar. I eat a very small portion of potatoes or brown rice (this grain seems to work for me) with my evening meal if I want to. And of course my intake of veggies has significantly increased. I also make sure I eat enough protein with every meal. I've realized that when I eat this plan, I'm never hungry and I don't have cravings. This has been a LONG journey for me, and I certainly didn't come to this over night. I also have been working on the emotional side of my "addiction" to sugar and wheat, but health issues made me come to peaceful terms with my decision to give up sugar and grains. I think that everyone's journey is different, and that each person needs to thoughtfully decide what's best for them. It's taken me two years with the help of my friends in my PT group and my friends at home to come to this decision. I have only one friend who has come to the same conclusion as I have and that's okay. Last word of advice, respect yourself and be kind to yourself.

Link

Sunday, March 18, 2012, 7:13 PM

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The only way I've been able to get cravings out of my head is by increasing the vegetables.

Thursday, March 22, 2012, 12:16 PM

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crazy idea?

i can definitely attest to eliminating cravings by eliminating certain foods. but in a particularly difficult moment: if you happen to be remotely spiritual a quick prayer or meditation might break that train of thought? works for me. just thinkin' outside the box...

Monday, March 26, 2012, 11:34 PM

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Getting the cravings out of your head

Hello! You pose a heady question. The answer is a complicated one because people eat for a variety of reasons. The ultimate soltuion depends on what works best for you. Some folks swear by journaling the cravings though I haven't tried this myself yet. One thing that is helpful for me is to 1) not have the tempting food in the house. 2) if I really must have the food, I got out and buy it, eat half of a usual serving and throw the rest away. 3) record it as a 1/2 off treat and hopefully the food will be out of your mind for a while. Conquering cravings is not an overnight process...so remember be patient with yourself and take baby steps. Good luck!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 11:55 AM

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