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How do you.....

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Kentoldlady1

Well-Known Member
Messages
731
Type of diabetes
Type 2
stop yourself binge eating? Or maybe you never have the urge to eat everything that isn't nailed down? And sometimes, even a few things that are nailed down?

I am not hungry. But I am a comfort eater and we have had a couple of high stress weeks at the kentoldpeople house.

Up until 26th june I would have just reached for the crisps, nuts, chips and if I was desperate, even fruit.
Now for the first time since going lchf since my dx I want to eat all of that stuff. At the moment the thought of hanging onto my eyesight and toes is stopping an onslaught on the fish and chip shop. But I know that one more row and I will be headfirst inthe biscuit barrel.

Any body have any good suggestions? Its not that I know that I will never always have a 100% lchf diet, its more that I need to find other ways to deal with emotional unhappiness.

Any help.very gratefully received.x
 
Hi @Kentoldlady1 ..
Lots of exercise .. if/when I'm tempted, I go for a walk instead .. or I have one from a range of snacks that seem to work for me, eg: boiled egg mashed up in mayo, cold cuts of meat, pork scratchings, Babybel, cheese chunks (1 cu cm approx), olives or celery sticks with full fat cream cheese. I don't eat nuts because I don't like them but many people swear by them ..
Hope this helps
 
Avoiding eating the wrong things in times of stress is always difficult. I'm afraid I can't give any good advice because I DO eat the wrong things when I'm stressed. You could try getting out of the house for a nice walk - at least you can't hear the biscuit barrel singing it's siren song.
 
Hi @Kentoldlady1 . Binge eating is a real pain. I see it has a mental condition more than a physical condition.
Binge eating is your brain demanding to be used/ satisfied/appeased and generally has nothing to do with actual physical hunger.
Have you tried eating a round if dry bread and a pint of water? If you can eat the bread and drink the water then you're probably physically hungry, chances are if it's a binge your brain will say "NO WAY". It's difficult but try override your brains easy option at satisfaction, do something to take your" mind of it " as people often say. Something challenging but not stressful, something specific for you and no one else.
I know it's not easy but deep down you know you can do it.
Take small steps if needs be, don't try for miracles and fail, that will just make things worse.
 
Hello @Kentoldlady1. Try to think of yourself on a path of progress. Whatever you want to stop doing, whether binge carbing or snacking, don't increase your stress by beating yourself up because you can't do it all at once. It's not your fault. Just do it less and less. Eventually, if you do this honestly, the cravings should get bored and go away because your tastes will change. If you can find something else comforting to turn to in moments of chaos, like going for a walk, listening to music or kidnapping a cat to stroke, this will help. My salvation is gardening.
 
Some of my comfort foods are melted cheeses ( a variety) with toasted pecans and chopped scallions. ANYTHING with mayo.

The cheeses SEEMS naughty so I enjoy it even more.

Carbs just create more cravings, then the fight against them , then the lousy bs, then the guilt and shame for not being strong. Then of course the fight to bring bs down. Plenty of great tasting fatty foods that satisfy my temper tantrums and rebellion.
Sometimes the more we can't / shouldn't the more we want. For me, I'm only hurting myself.

All that being said, I don't digest carbs. They bloat me and make my tummy hurt. Finally got that through my thick head. Not worth it anymore.

Bring on the melted gooey cheese!!!

Hope you feel ore settled soon. I've been low carbing for a very long time. It does take practice
 
Can you get out to the seaside? being by the sea always helps calm and refresh me. Another thing that I find helps is cross stitching or knitting or crocheting - keeps my hands busy and the rhythmic movements calm my mind.

I hope things improve for you soon. I know it can't be easy but hang on in there. You are greater than your cravings!!
 
I make sure that there is ALWAYS something delicious that is appropriate to my way of eating available. More available than the stuff that isn't appropriate.

At the moment, that means Perfect World icecream, several 70% choc bars that are stashed in my desk drawer and double cream. We also have berries at the moment.

From those, I could make the most magnificent low carb sundae within approx 3 minutes - with hot choc sauce (microwaved cream and choc) poured over berries and icecream.

I don't need or want a sundae at the moment, but you never know when the cravings will hit. And it is a darn site easier to make one that is ON my low carb eating plan than get in the car, drive to the supermarket, stock up on rubbish, come home, binge, and then feel cruddy for days.

Other indulgence comfort foods that hit the spot are cauli cheese (made from cauli, cheese and cream), or low carb hot choc, low carb mug cakes (just google for recipes, they usually microwave in 60 secs or so).

Also worth remembering that sometimes our 'binge cravings' are NOT emotional. Sometimes they are genuine low blood glucose suggesting we are dipping near a hypo, or are even already hypoing - so when you feel like that it is always worth testing. I was accused to being moody for years, but it turns out that many of those events were hypos, which no one else believed. It was only when I got a meter and started producing blood glucose readings in the 1s and 2s and 3s that I could prove what had been going on for years.

Edited for clarity in the last sentence.
 
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In the past ,before lowcarbing,I used to bake when stressed!I could pretend I was making these Mary Berry creations for others.Now I've devised a plan like Brunnerias,and have good LCHF things in the fridge when I'm tempted to binge........I've just discovered Diet Doctor crackers.I make two sets,one from the recipe,with a little salt on top,delicious with cheese and a second batch of my own devising.For this batch I drizzle melted 80% chocolate on .....the taste is like a chocolate digestive,it feels quite wicked,Ialso sometimes add finely chopped nuts to the recipe.......Hope things get better for you.
 
Kentoldlady1 said:
stop yourself binge eating? Or maybe you never have the urge to eat everything that isn't nailed down? And sometimes, even a few things that are nailed down?

I am not hungry. But I am a comfort eater and we have had a couple of high stress weeks at the kentoldpeople house.

Up until 26th june I would have just reached for the crisps, nuts, chips and if I was desperate, even fruit.
Now for the first time since going lchf since my dx I want to eat all of that stuff. At the moment the thought of hanging onto my eyesight and toes is stopping an onslaught on the fish and chip shop. But I know that one more row and I will be headfirst inthe biscuit barrel.

Any body have any good suggestions? Its not that I know that I will never always have a 100% lchf diet, its more that I need to find other ways to deal with emotional unhappiness.

Any help.very gratefully received.x
Click to expand...
I have heard that Overeaters Anonymous are the experts in binge eating. They have groups in all cities and most large towns and their members would be able to advise you as they have the same problem.
 
Again like Brunneria, I make sure I have available or can concoct/cook/bake some suitable low carb comfort foods.

Recently I've discovered that I can create an alternative Nutella (though its not really anything at all like the genuine article!) using Meridian crunchy hazelnut butter, cocoa and Natvia icing sugar and this is my current go-to comfort scoff...

My husband still buys sweet carby stuff so we often have a house full, but I think I've only once been tempted by any of this - a pack of rather pretty looking mince pies, and I nicked one but it actually tasted pretty blooming awful to my now selective low carbing palate!

Robbity
 
Well thank you all.
I have never heard of that ice cream . Out to buy a huge vat!
Also going to have a go at the crackers.
I have not been doing this very long and so am very grateful for the suggestions about low carb hot choc etc. Didn't even think this was a possibility.

It is definitely an emotional thing with me. I am not hungry. Since doing the lchf I only eat when I am hungry and find that I have just fallen into the 18:6 pattern. But the need to comfort eat is still with me.
But thats one of the big reasons I am now so overweight.

I have bought some babybell and individually wrapped portions of cheese. I am finding that just having something to grab and unwrap is helpful. Its obviously not just the eating but the process of a " treat" that I found so comforting.

Its also good to know that I am not alone in feeling like this. The rows have (hopefully) finished for now, so I aim to be back on a more even way of eating this week.
Thanks again.
 
Here is what I do for low carb hot choc.
It really doesn't deserve the grand title of recipe, since it is as quick and easy as making an instant coffee.


Low Carb Hot Choc
Boil kettle.
Add a heaped teasp of good quality cocoa powder to a big mug (not 'hot choc mix, cos that has milk powder and sugar added)
Make the powders into a paste with a dribble of water (get rid of the lumps)
Add boiling water and stir until smooth
Top up with double cream.
Sweeten to taste (I use xylitol, but you can use whatever you like)
Add caramel, lemon, orange or mint essences, if desired
Enjoy

All quantities adjustable
 
If I feel the need to eat something 'naughty' I have a couple of squares of dark chocolate - something like Lindt 90%. I keep it in the freezer snapped in to squares so it takes a while to melt in my mouth. If its a salty craving then I have also been known to eat olives straight from the jar which is kept in the fridge. Mr Chook's favourite low carb treat is cheese 'crisps' - which is just mounds of grated cheese put on a baking parchment lined cookie tray and then baked until bubbling and golden - allow to cool then enjoy.

If you do get a craving it is always a good idea to check your BGs as often when I get the munchies my BGs are low and its just my body's way of telling me to eat something.
 
If you fancy something savoury for a nibble, then I would suggest Chorizo Crisps. M&S do them at something likefancy to call.

£2.75 per pack, which is all very convenient, but costly.

To do them home made, buy very thinly sliced chorizo (all the supermarkets do it in their fridges). Make sure it is thinly sliced or it won't crisp up like a crisp. The chirzo slices are in a sealed back, so can be kept for a moderate period of time in the fridge, waiting for the

To actually do them, cover a microwavable plate, or tray with kitchen roll (I do double thickness)), then spread the chorizo slices around the plate, being careful not to overlap them.

Microwave on full power for 1 minute. Turn the slices over and do another 10-20 seconds (1100w microwarve), or as long as it takes to crisp them up.

When finished, move the crisps onto a clean plate and be careful when disposing of the chorizo oil soaked kitchen roll, as there'll be a fair amount of oil on/in it, and will initially be very hot.

Deeeeeeeeelicious!

M&S also do salami crisps, but I'm not a massive salami fan, preferring the chorizo.
 
One night I had baked camembert with toasted soldiers of a Lidl roll. Bake the cheese as normal and cut half of a roll into soldiers before toasting them then allow to cool before digging in.
Excuse me for a moment, I just have to.....
 
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