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Combating comfort eating?


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As some folk on here will already be aware, I've had a battle with mental health issues over the last year, which eventually saw me on anti-depressants.

I came off of these maybe a month ago now as they were leaving me totally lethargic and feeling really hungry all the time. This, coupled with feeling very low, saw me back into some old, bad habits, with regards to comfort eating.

The gist of it means that I went from about 87kg in mid-March to about 100kg now.

Since stopping the medication, my energy levels have came back, so I'm now not getting any worse weight wise, but I'm still not 100% mentally, meaning I'm still often succumbing to eating rubbish when feeling down/low/bored.

That then leaves me feeling bad about myself after I've finished eating whatever rubbish I've picked up to snack on, as I obviously know it's wrong.

My GP has referred me to CBT as they believe that will work better for me than medication, but it could be about 18 weeks until I can get an appointment for that.

In the meantime, anyone have any experience with this sort of issue and strategies/coping mechanisms to beat it?

I know what I'm doing wrong, I know what I NEED to do, I'm just not quite strong enough mentally to do it...

 

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i put on the weight too in a similar fashion last year.

don't know if it'll help but i started to do a weekly shop which i'd never done before.  for someone as lazy as me, i didn't think i'd manage it but it's helped a lot.  i found i was most likely to buy and eat crap after work and thinking about what to eat whilst tired/down.  so now i just need to steel myself one day a week at the shops not to buy garbage rather than every day.  and the rubbish food just isnt there to eat in the house.

some of the things that got me down was just having to think about what to have for dinner.  doing the weekly shop meant i didn't have to think about it every single day.

water and toast too.  still have an urge to eat but it's much better than the other guff i was eating.

all the best.  

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when folk lose a lot of weight. like 30kg or 4 stone, they need to throw all their 'fat claes' out. That means they can't go back.

 

The fear of having to buy fat claes again ought to be enough to get you back on the salads.

I touched 100kgs, which i never wanted to do, but i altered my diet and am now at about 92-95kgs.

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Are you still running? Going for a jog is a great way to lift a bad mood. I thought someone on here said you were training to be a football ref. I thought at the time what a brilliant idea.

As for diet it is the carbs that make you fat. They also are probably playing a part in your struggles. Try a low carb diet before taking any pills. Give it a month at least no cheating. 

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Have you tried having a bowl of hard sweets sitting about?  They only have a calorie or so each so if you can stick to one and suck it for ages without crunching through the whole lot, it can distract you.

Sometimes you might just be thirsty or bored, have a big drink of water or a cup of green tea first then go for a walk.  

Try and keep an eye on what you are actually eating in case it is having a negative effect just in case it is the type of food and not the guilt making you down.

 

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11 minutes ago, scoobydoo said:

when folk lose a lot of weight. like 30kg or 4 stone, they need to throw all their 'fat claes' out. That means they can't go back.

 

The fear of having to buy fat claes again ought to be enough to get you back on the salads.

I touched 100kgs, which i never wanted to do, but i altered my diet and am now at about 92-95kgs.

Did you change the type or the amount?

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11 minutes ago, scoobydoo said:

Hi,

I changed everything. went from packets of chocolate biscuits for dinners to grilled chicken and salad.
It makes a big difference. aye no shit.

You went from almost pure carbs to almost none. It takes about 2-3 days and then your metabolism starts to burn your body fat. If you hit the carbs you switch it off again and go into fat storing mode. Even if you starve yourself! 

Interestingly the only thing that has been ever proven to extend lifespan significantly is calorie restriction. Animals who eat a third less than recommended live a third longer. Never been tested on humans I think but it strongly suggests (even on low carbs) we are all eating too much. 

I'd also drop a tab of acid as a tryout cure way before I'd take Prozac or whatever.

Edited by thplinth
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4 minutes ago, thplinth said:

You went from almost pure carbs to almost none. It takes about 2-3 days and then your metabolism starts to burn your body fat. If you hit the carbs you switch it off again and go into fat storing mode. Even if you starve yourself! 

Interestingly the only thing that has been ever proven to extend lifespan significantly is calorie restriction. Animals who eat a third less than recommended live a third longer. Never been tested on humans I think but it strongly suggests (even on low carbs) we are all eating too much. 

I'd also drop a tab of acid as a tryout cure way before I'd take Prozac or whatever.

  I don't understand any of that.

I was always an LSD man back in the day.  Obviously only when i couldn't get magic mushrooms. 

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13 minutes ago, scoobydoo said:

  I don't understand any of that.

I was always an LSD man back in the day.  Obviously only when i couldn't get magic mushrooms. 

No one it seems understands it. The bad advice on what to eat over the last 30 years is worse than what the tobacco industry did in the same time. It is a scandal so huge it is unspeakable.

Shrooms are great. Every now and then only but very hard to find these days in any country. Like a mental reset. Saved my life as a younger man. I am pretty sure this is why the pharmaceutical industry hate them. It is free to grow and very effective. 

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I know you are not looking for diet advice more how to resist the urge to gorge on rubbish when you are feeling low , but I mentioned the Joe Wicks lean in 15 books on another thread a while ago. My daughter was trying to lose weight and bought these books and I was moaning about the cost of it.

I have to say however that I am truly shocked at the change in her. She went from snacking on loads of crap, eating fast food and doing no exercise whatsover to eating healthy foods and regularly exercising. She has found she no longer craves rubbish all the time and actually can say 'no' to food. 

The books give advice on how structure your diet and exercise and provide recipes for meals and  snacks for 1 person, both with and without carbs . You need to eat meals with carbs when exercise but try to  avoid them when not. There can be an initial outlay on the books and the herbs and spices but after that you are really just paying the normal cost of food. Plus you can probably get some of his books second hand. Before starting this 'regime' she couldnt even boil an egg.

The combination of exercise and weight loss has given her so much energy. Plus it  doesnt confine you to a life of lettuce and water. The food is lovely and she  still goes out with her pals and has the odd blow out.  

Good luck anyway . I know differnt things work for different people and you just need to find what works for you. My daughter needed a structure to get out her rut and these books provided her with it. 

You clearly can do it as your post demonstrates. 

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Trust me Cove. Carbs are more drug than food. The first day without them seems like a mountain but after that it become ridiculously easy. I have become very interested in this subject the last few years and have experimented with it a lot. It is the level of carbohydrate you eat that makes you fat (or thin). Calorie in calorie out is not the driving force. It has some relevance but it only very secondary relevance. This is the truth. I also believe you will notice an improvement in mental health. These things are perhaps unsurprisingly connected. "You are what you eat." And carbs are not good for you. 

It is very hard to break a bad equilibrium if you find yourself in one. But you just have to. 

 

 

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Do you know how many calories are in just one kilo of body fat? 9 per gram meaning it has 9,000 calories in it theoretically. We need we are told 2,000 - 2,500 calories per day as a bloke. So to burn off just one kilo on the calorie in calorie out model means over a week starving yourself for nearly 4 x 24 hours. 4 days out of 7. It does not work folks...

Yet cut out the carbs and you can eat as much as you want and you will drop 1-2 kilos per week no matter. Miss the odd meal on top and it wall fall off you.

Everything you have been told about eating over the last 30 years has been almost entirely wrong.

I am convinced it also is related to our mental health as well. Surely it would be an obvious conclusion to previous generations.

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Ok back on topic. Comfort eating. But also on the same theme. Have you noticed you never ever ever want to over eat a low carb meal (eggs meat fish cheese etc). It is always high carb meals you overeat (chocolate, biscuits, ice cream, bread, chips). Try sitting and over eating a steak like you would stuff chocolate or biscuits into your mouth. With steak the minute you are sated you are nearly done. With hobnobs or sweets that mechanism is reversed. The sated moment is gone and this is why it is more drug like than food like. This is very much related to overeating and yet not being satisfied. There is a lot of science behind this and I am not covering it but I think you can recognize this from your own experience even if you have never thought about it before. I'll bet nearly every person on here who is over weight in their own mind has a carb problem of some description. Let's not even get into the bigger picture which is metabolic syndrome...

Now add the knowledge high carb foods were only recommend in a big health reversal 30 years ago at the bequest of Big Food (i.e the Food industry lobby) and you can catch of glimpse of the horrific shit they have done to us. Add in the complicity of the medical industry and it is ka-ching ka-ching all round. You have to look into this for yourselves and tune out the mainstream advice.

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Some excellent stuff in here, especially thplinth. 

The first 2-3 days off the sweets/carbs etc are the hardest, but it does get so much easier. Much like diet drinks, after a week you will wonder whatever possessed you to drink them in the first place and how bad they actually taste. 

Our diet is a huge part of our mental well being. People are clinically depressed and no amount of diet, exercise will work ; but for a lot of people - exercise, a proper diet/healthy eating plan will certainly boost your mind and serotonin levels. I ate clean for about 4 weeks before I went on a weekend trip and ruined it all by eating/drinking, but those weeks were simply amazing. I felt alert, brain was functioning much better than previously, energetic, fresh and that brain fog was completely gone and I believe it was all down to diet - vegs, fruits, fish, and water. 

Have you tried carrots? Doesn't sound exactly amazing to sit and eat them, but they certainly work if you are craving a big bag of sweets. They take an age to crunch down. This plus water near enough always fills for me up or at least puts a gap in the craving for something better tasting. I know of a PT/fitness coach who advises his clients who binge eat that when they are craving something and it's not a cheat day, that they get up and down 10 push or sit ups. And to keep doing it until they are too tired! 

Easier said that and done and we are bombarded with deals, offers anytime we step foot in a shop or even turn on the TV - I'm watching Dundalk v Rosenborg  right now and can see an advert for a pie shop! Writing a meal plan is a good step, and sticking to it. I always think it's better to have a goal or a treat etc by the end of the week, doesn't need to even be an ice cream or that. Do something you like doing! 

Try cutting the carbs as Plithy said. I hope you will notice a difference in your mental health, and good luck with the CBT sessions.

 

 

 

Edited by weekevie04
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How about getting a notebook or even better a spreadsheet and writing down everything you eat, taking each day at a time. You'll have bad days, but then try to make sure the next day's healthier. You could take it to the next level and do a breakdown of fat, protein, carbs so you're monitoring the daily intake. You could start planning what you eat too, building up a range of meals and snacks each day and alternating. It doesn't have to be overly rigid. Lastly, have a good breakfast and lunch, carry snacks like a handful of mixed nuts and fruit, and make sure you get enough protein to fill you up. All the best.

Edited by the_fadiator
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Not having crap food in the fridge/cupboards is a simple thing.

My wife diets on and off, when she's serious about it, we have no crisps, biscuits sweets etc in the house, and when she's not on it, we don't have them for long!

:lol:

She knows herself she has no will power and would happily eat the kids Easter eggs as breakfast. So by making sure we have things like fruit, yoghurts, cereal bars and ice lolllies, she can satisfy the cravings without going off the diet.

I actually quite like it, as I end up eating better too.

Good luck. :ok:

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http://www.bsch.org.uk/hypnotherapist.html

I don't know about CBT but I'm about to start seeing a clinical hypnotist. Recimmended by a GP I know and whilst I'm  a bit cynical (visited a hypnotist to stop smoking and couldn't relax as could only think of my next cigarette and hoping she'd shut up so I could leave and get one) I've read a bit into clinical hypnotherapy and it's about searching and dealing with the original problem rather than just 'stopping' the habit. 

Cold water swimming is a pretty good too, leaves you with an amazing buzz and a feeling of not being grounded but part of nature. Great for heart, skin and blood flow too. Never seen a skinny outdoor swimmer though, think a bit of fat is needed but I seem to be veering towards at one with the orcas rather than nature at the moment. In all seriousness though it is an incredible pastime and I can't recommend it highly enough. Wishing you love and good wishes Cove.  

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13 hours ago, thplinth said:

Are you still running? Going for a jog is a great way to lift a bad mood. I thought someone on here said you were training to be a football ref. I thought at the time what a brilliant idea.

As for diet it is the carbs that make you fat. They also are probably playing a part in your struggles. Try a low carb diet before taking any pills. Give it a month at least no cheating. 

Yes, I'm still running. Thankfully I've been able to up the mileage considerably over the last 2/3 weeks since going cold turkey on the anti-depressants and my energy coming back.

It was struggling mentally during a run that saw me initially seek help from the GP, although the first two were absolutely useless and I made complaints about them.

Ended up quitting the job I was in at the time due to getting a written warning about my absence levels, whilst signed off with depression and in receipt of only SSP...

 

13 hours ago, thistle do nicely said:

Have you tried having a bowl of hard sweets sitting about?  They only have a calorie or so each so if you can stick to one and suck it for ages without crunching through the whole lot, it can distract you.

Sometimes you might just be thirsty or bored, have a big drink of water or a cup of green tea first then go for a walk.  

Try and keep an eye on what you are actually eating in case it is having a negative effect just in case it is the type of food and not the guilt making you down.

 

I think it's almost entirely down to boredom and feeling low.

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Guest flumax

I can't talk. But food diary has been the best way for me when I've lost weight. Never kept it off. seeing what you eat can be shocking. I always slip back to bad ways and that is why I'm overweight. I think behaviour therapy is needed as much as anything else. 

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