Hi Everyone,
I have been low carbing since July with very limited success, mostly hindered by years of compulsive overeating habits. I was wondering if there are any other people here that live with the day to day battle of compulsive overeating? And would like to buddy up.

Hi, Chunkybutt!

I understand what you're going through. Most of the time, it feels like I enter a fog that propels me toward all of the foods I know I shouldn't eat. The fog seems to rob me of all intelligence and willpower. It doesn't go away until after I've stuffed myself with whatever it was I was trying to stay away from in the first place. I'm the only one at home and work on a low carb program (or at least trying to stay on the program), so there's very little support.

I know my binges are directly related to the type and number of carbs I've consumed during the day. A couple of years ago, I was on Atkins for several months. I started having severe problems with my liver (not related to LC -- I've had liver problems for 25 years) and went off the program. I think I let my doctor scare me into a low fat, high carb diet. I have not seen a whole lot of improvement in my liver function, plus I've gained weight in the process.

On November 1st, I started on Schwarzbein. Even though it's not been quite two weeks, I don't think this program works for me. The recommended 60 carbs per day is probably too many for me. I've noticed this LC program hasn't helped me control the binges, which I've done almost daily. When I was on Atkins before, I kept my carbs at under 30 per day and stayed away from most fruit, white potatoes, pasta and white flour. Back then, I learned to identify my trigger foods and either limit or eliminate them. As long as I stayed away from them, I had very few binge attacks that I couldn't control.

I know I need to get my carb count down and stay away from my trigger foods. It's easier said than done! I'm having a lot of trouble jumping back on the bandwagon. This time around, I have to limit the dairy products (because of the liver problems), which was an important part of my diet when I was previously on Atkins. Of course, it could be that my sensitivity to dairy will disappear when I put my whole heart and effort into following Atkins.

Take care.

I totally understand what you mean. And I know it is so hard for people who do not deal with compulsive overeating to understand why you cannot stop. I am sorry to hear about your health problems, that must make low carb and dieting all the more challenging

As for trigger foods, I have found dairy, nuts, and sugar subtitutes to be my triggers. But the worst part is the very restriction of things is what leads you to eventually binge. But exactly--- it is easy said than done to keep your trigger foods away. I mean you are already pretty restricted in terms of low carbing.

I started low carbing during the end of the summer, when not much was going on, and I could focus on better eating habits. Now in the stress of a progressing semester, it seems every project I have due, every bad night or even good night I have out, causes some type of binge.

And I am sure the excess rushes of protien are making my kidneys hate me!


I am just longing for control.



I wish best of luck to you!

Hey chunkybutt... (I hate calling you that by the way, but you chose it!!! hehehe)

I TOTALLY understand the compulsive eating thing... man do I ever. A few months ago, I was walking down the stairs into the basement, had an arm full of laundry and suddenly i realized i was chewing on something... i actually shocked myself with the realization that something was in my mouth and i was eating it!!!! I couldn't remember what it was or how it got there either.... turned out to be a Ritz cracker (after literally having to stick out my tongue to see what it was) but i still had no recollection of putting one in my mouth... It's awful isn't it??? haha... that kind of stuff happened to me all the time.

I have been a compulsive eater my whole life although i was always very thin. (I'm 5'8" tall and used to weigh 105) It wasn't until after I had my third child that I started packin' on the poundage. And even then, I wasn't huge... the past 9 years I've increased in size by 10 pounds a year and NEVER was able to go in the opposite direction. I was diagnosed with diabetes and did a lot of reading on the subject and found that a lot of my compulsive eating of sweets was to keep my blood sugar soaring... looking back... there was even a timed pattern. Donut ~ 8am... M&M's at 10... noon lunch... Snickers ~ 2pm... evening dinner... dessert at 8pm... and 5-6 coca colas a day... i was keeping my blood sugar levels elevated.

GI Joe says... knowing is half the battle. AA say's... admit you have a problem, find out why, own it, conquer it day by day. You are on your way... simply by admitting it and talking about it.

Good luck to you and let me know if you ever want to chat.

lpshelby... I totally know the "fog" fealing.... I've DEFINITELY been in a fog or two of eating myself.

Linny

It's nice to know there are others out there like me. It isn't nice that we have these problems, but just knowing someone else out there has been there and understands makes the problems less of a burden.

I know what you mean, Chunkybutt, about the stress at work. Stress definitely contributes to my overeating. I start out the day with the best of intentions. My breakfasts have always been within the guidelines of whatever diet I've been following. I have no trouble, and never have, of sticking to my diet at breakfast. After that, it's like playing the lottery. There are times, when at mid-morning the muffins or donuts or pastries circulate through the office, I'm able and willing to ignore them. That doesn't happen too often. Most of the time, it takes all of the willpower I possess to resist, but the longing is still there, and I end up going into the fog later and eating whatever it was I initially resisted. Most of the time, even though every fiber of my being wants to stay on track and fight the cravings, I have zero willpower to resist the mid-morning snacks. I used to eat string cheese to resist the snacks, and it worked. Now that I have to limit the dairy, I'm not sure what to use in its place. Any suggestions?

Sugar is my number one downfall and trigger food. I can't use aspartame because of the damage it's already done to my liver. I can use Splenda and Stevia, but I've found that using too much of even that can be a trigger because it makes me crave sweets.

So far, so good this morning. It's a holiday, so I'm not at work. I cut my carbs down to ten or less for breakfast. The only significant carbs I had was the V8 juice I drink every morning (I use it every morning to mix the medicine I take for my liver). I like eggs and can eat them just about every morning. I also use the Atkins pancake mix, which isn't bad, to make pancakes, so that it doesn't feel like I'm having eggs all of the time. I've never been able to handle the thought of eating chicken or fish or beef (lunch and dinner foods) for breakfast, so my breakfast options are self-limited.

Sorry, but I tend to ramble on sometimes. As a low-carber, I feel very isolated most of the time, partly because society still isn't all that accepting of the low-carb lifestyle. The rest of the feelings of isolation are due to the reasons I need to be a low-carber, which are the problems with my weight and my eating. I have so much I want to share and hear about, in turn.

lpshelby,
Well a really good substitute to cheese (which i used to use as a snack but over ate it) is deli meat. Like Shaved turkey or ham (if you are not worried about nitrates) It is fairly low in calories/fat and carbs. With a tbspn of Mayo or mustard it is a good snack idea.

Curious (because I often shift my compulsion through diet pop rather than food), does sacharrin/aspartmame effect you liver significantly? I drink so much of it, I worry about long term effects. Though if pop does tame a binge - Diet Rite soda has no aspartame or sodium or caffine. I am not a huge fan of diet rite products.

I'm a fellow rambler... haha

and feel free to share share share!!! The key to anything is to avoid isolation... it is only when we open up and share that we truly can release what's hidden inside of us. One step at a time!!!

I also find that artificial sugars can trigger my cravings. I limit those to once every couple of weeks... I find that works for me. But I've given up a lot!!! It's not easy at all... I don't drink pop... diet or otherwise, I don't drink coffee... tea (except iced/unsweetened - on rare ocassions) so I get almost no caffein anymore. I have a really good sugar free/low carb, home made, dessert once every couple weeks and I look forward to that like Christmas!!! Other than that... no donuts, no bagles, no chips, no popcorn... WAHHHHHHHHHH... hehehe

42 days and counting... and the best part... it's working. Another thing.. I've replaced my binging time with exercise and time with a new man in my life.

Ouote of the day: I realized that I could be in a bad mood or a good mood today... I chose to be in a good mood... how come I didn't do that a long time ago??? -Marshall Goodwin

Linny,
Sugar-- man it is the worse. I didn't realize how addicted I was until I started lo carbing. And yes.. sometimes you find yourself in the kitchen half conciously grazing, and have to stop yourself.

I joke with my father, who is not exactly a compulsive overeater, but looses track of his food. Like the bad of chips that is gone after a movie... or late night cereal.

I would imagine your weight gain had not only been physically diffucult, but emotionally too. And I know for me at least, that often makes me eat more. And I would imagine with three kids.... you have quite a variety of tempting sweets in the house!!



Best of luck to and feel free to stop by my journal or here to chat anytime.

Another compulsive eater checking in. It's good to know I'm not alone! even though sometimes it feels like I am.

Like some of you have said, I start the day off well. I am on the induction phase of the Atkins diet, and I love eggs and sausage, so breakfast is no problem for me. I am a student, and the stress of school is what gets to me. Not only that, but watching other people eat the very foods I'm not allowed to is hard for me. Most days I've been able to resist, but today I just couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. I hated myself for it afterward. Then I was so depressed about that I went home and ate ice cream (I have kindly asked my parents not to bring it into the house but they do it anyway ) They tell me that I should get used to it, because the real world isn't going to comply with my lifestyle. I understand that, but can't I get some support from my own family?! Sorry..I guess I'm a rambler!! This brings up a lot of emotion in me. Have any of you observed that you crave sugar more so when you don't get enough fat? I have yet to find a way to incorporate fat into my lunch--I'm in the habit of packing grilled chicken breast and cottage cheese. I end up craving sugar after I'm finished, whereas if I eat a meal with more fat I don't even think about the sugar.

Are any of you in support groups? I'd be interested as to whether or not they are helpful.

Hi Singer...

You really will find that after a few days of total agony, the sugar cravings will wane a bit... sometimes they go away all together. Also, I believe cottage cheese is one of those foods that sometimes casues certain people to crave carbs... I'm not a cottage cheese eater so I can't say from experience... but I've read that it does... might want to reconsider that choice???

And I find it's really not so much the lack of fat but the lack of eating enough food that gets me craving!!! Try eating 2 chicken breasts instead of one. Also... if breakfast food is good for you... why not try that for dinner too??? at least until you get over the "hump"... trust me... if you give this a good week you will find the cravings have subsided.

Also... vitamin supplements are oh so important... read up on what you should be taking... personally, I take a womans vitamin pack that has vitamins A, E, C, B12 complex, Selenium and also flax seed oil caplets... I have been more healthy in the past several months (with the way of eating and vitamins) than I've been in a long time.

good luck with your choices... and DON'T get down on yourself... we all stumble... the important thing is... never quit trying... even if you have to start over every day for months until it kicks in (like I did)

If you ever need to bounce ideas off someone, there are lots of people on here that will give you all sorts of support... and I'm always here too

Sometimes family support is hard to come by, not because they don't want to see you succeed... but because when it starts to affect their personal choices and lifestyles... they tend to rebell!!!

GOOD LUCK AND KEEP ON TRYING!!!

Linny

Hi, guys! Sorry about being a "no-show" for awhile. Eleven days ago, I got my heart broken. It hurt so bad, I had to withdraw emotionally from life for awhile. It still hurts, though not as much. I'm finally starting to climb out of the deep, dark pit of depression and overwhelming sadness. I'm also having to face the aftermath of several days of not caring what I ate or how much. I know a lot of people who can't eat when they're depressed. Not me. I try to drown my sorrows with food. And it isn't the allowable foods I want, either. I want the foods that will put me into a fog so that I can't feel anything.

I'm trying to get back on track, but it's very hard to do. A part of me doesn't want to let go of the isolation. I don't want to hurt anymore, and I don't want to keep binging, but I don't know how to break free. I think there's a part of me, deep inside, that doesn't want to let go of the pain, so that I have an excuse to keep binging. It's a vicious cycle, and I hate it!

Hi Everyone,

I'm a compulsive overeater too. Cutting out carbs has really helped me stop binging. I still overeat at times (nuts and cheese), but I am doing better. I try to take it one day at a time.

It helps me to always have cut up vegetables in the fridge. Sometimes my brain can intervene through the fog (yes I've experienced it too) and urge my hand toward the carrots and celery.

Lpshelby, I'm sorry to hear about your broken heart. You said in your message:

"A part of me doesn't want to let go of the isolation. I don't want to hurt anymore, and I don't want to keep binging, but I don't know how to break free. I think there's a part of me, deep inside, that doesn't want to let go of the pain, so that I have an excuse to keep binging. "

I've felt that way before too. For me, I didn't want to give up the pain because it was 1)a pathetic yet familiar remnant of my previous life, and 2) it was all I had left of that person. I would binge to feel a different pain, but at least it was a different pain than loneliness.

Now is the time to really focus on something in your life you'd like to change. Perhaps focus on your diet and exercise, or take a class at a local college, anything to divert your attention from your heartbreak.

Good luck,
Sara

Thanks, Sara, for the support. I think, for the most part, when people are faced with heartache or a life-altering situation, they tend to take a critical look at their lives, and burdens they normally carry willingly, suddenly feel too heavy. I did that, and it made the heartache feel even more intense. I felt like I was losing my way. I'm feeling much better since I got my focus back.

I have a 22-year-old son who is developmentally and learning disabled and has some minor physical disabilities. He may never be able to be on his own or live by himself and will probably be living with me for a very long time. I love him dearly and wouldn't trade him for any other kid, but there are times I feel burdened. I know it's hard for him, too. He's an adult with a 13-year-old's mind and interests (toys, video games, comic books).

I've been a single parent for 20 years. There aren't very many people who are willing to take on the responsibility of a step-child with special needs. Up until about a year ago, I hadn't been involved with anyone for a very long time. I thought this relationship was the one I'd been longing and praying for, and to find out it wasn't, the way I did, was very painful.

Thanks for letting me talk it out.