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i really need some solid advice, or maybe just someone to talk to.

i'm not sure if i posted this in the right forum, but anyway...

i'm 18 and recently went raw vegan after being vegetarian for 6 or so years. the only problem is, at the moment, it's proving to be a little more difficult - instead of helping me on the road to health, trying to force discipline onto myself has helped me develop a deeper version of my already-present eating disorder. it's not the raw, necessarily, it's trying to have any discipline - it really started when i began counting calories, but since restricting myself even more, it's gotten a lot more intense: i'm talking bingeing every single night, feeling horribly guilty, restricting the next day. i've been trying 80-10-10, which helps for a while, but then i get these ridiculous addictive cravings that i don't feel like i can push away. i've gained a lot of weight (i went from 108 at the beginning of the summer to about 140!) and i want to get to a normal weight without necessarily counting calories like a madman, but still keeping track, and eating healthy amounts without THINKING about it so much.

the thing is, i am a really positive person, and i know that it's ME who's causing my failure - but try telling that to yourself when you simply don't care: that's a different story! i get to a point where i really just say screw it, and just eat a lot of whatever i want, raw or not. and i know this is really terrible for me, but it feels so out of my control! i know, i know, it's in my control, it's just so hard to reason with myself when i'm feeling a binge coming on.

so i don't know, i was wondering: those of you who got over your eating disorders of various types, how did you manage to do this? what can i do, for instance, to prevent a binge? i'm open to any advice... i'm really just ready to get on the road to health as soon as possible. thank you all so much for your time.

Comments

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    Marta-I'm so sorry you're having a rough time. What I usually do when I'm having trouble warding off a bad craving is make something raw that semi resembles it and eating until I'm so full I can't think about it anymore! The great thing about raw is that when you eat raw food you can eat it until you're ridiculously full and not have to feel guilty.

    I hope this helps a little! happy eating:)

  • i know exactly what you're talking about, except i would usually purge after bingeing. I've decided to first become a vegan, one that eats a lot of raw food. I recommend reading the china study. it is about, among many other things, the discovery that as long as you eat whole, vegan foods, you can eat as many calories as you want and still lose weight. In China they eat around 3500 calories a day and they're much healthier. You just have to stay away from all sweeteners and white flour (bread, pasta, etc.) I personally choose not to eat tofu or any weird processed vegan fake things.

    I was 100% raw for a month. It started out well but eventually I started bingeing on sweets and then on non-raw things. I think you need to be in a very good place before going 100% raw. So first doing a whole food vegan diet is the best choice in my opinion.

  • 1sweetpea1sweetpea Raw Newbie

    I'm kind of in the same boat. I kicked bulimia 6 months ago. I started incorporating raw into my life a couple of months ago, after watching the numbers on the bathroom scale climb. I hoped that raw would help me kill my cravings and the desire to overeat. Sometimes, it works like a charm. Other times, it doesn't. I'm confused by not feeling full. I'm eating too much and too often. After feeling really pure and energetic for a while, I still feel energetic, but I am having the most frustrating cravings for either sweets or fats. Just calories in general. I'm eating too much, and my weight is starting to bug me. I'm not fat, but I put on about 15 or so pounds after I stopped purging. I've lost a few of those pounds, but not many. I'm working out, but that just makes me hungrier. I'm concerned that I might have a mild case of Candida -- hence the cravings. Maybe the GSE is making the cravings seem stronger? I don't know. I've developed a bizarre detox rash that covers one forearm and the lower half of my face. It's so itchy!

    I totally agree with Jessca that you "need to be in a very good place before going 100% raw". I like the way I feel when I eat raw, but I don't like the urges I have to eat all the time.

  • I go through the exact same things as you, marta, and I know those feelings of "I DON'T CARE, I'M EATING THIS!!!"

    I was hardcore raw for a month or two, but then I started binging every now and then. The worst one was on Halloween, when I attacked my non-raw family's pantry and also ate EVERY single piece of chocolate I collected trick-or-treating. I think it's unhealthy to completely restrict yourself from the foods you love (though I have great respect the people who can), and I let myself cheat a little bit every now and then. When you do binge, don't beat yourself up over it, but try to eat a little less next time.

    Binging at night was my problem, too. I would come home from school and have a whole house full of food waiting for me. My trick - sit down and eat your raw dinner, then go brush your teeth. Not only does food taste nasty after you brush your teeth, but if you're lazy like me, the fact that you'd have to brush again before you go to bed might just keep you from eating any more.

    Hope this helps!

  • I'm 29 years old. Slender, mother of 2.

    When I was 15, I developed anorexia, which i worked at for about 2 yrs to "fully recover." Remnants remain, but those are the deeper aspects of what caused the illness in the 1st place, and do not manifest as real "physical symptoms" of illness. In fact, "losing weight" now scares me, due to my past ordeal, and I will recompensate by intentionally gaining weight. Currently, i actually have poor apetite, and very little focus on food, (to my detriment, bacause I rarely MAKE food, and am still picky enough that I will "go w/o" vs. eating something I know isnt "good for me.") This is exascerbated by the fact that its not a merely mental constraint, ("good or bad") as it has been in the past, (when due to my beleifs, ive been radical w/ diet and other things) but actually also physical reaction, ie; theres several foods that lend to problems ive been experiencing in regards to my health.

    I went vegan simultaneouly w/ the anorexia, and despite opposite advice of m dietician, remained vegan throughout recovery. At 18 i became Raw.

    I was very phsically active, but also managed to GAIN weight, (not too much) while raw, and mostly on fruit. (im sure largley in muscle.) When I was 22, I went Raw again for a time, but the 2nd time was a very different type of diet than the 1st, and it didnt suit me as well. Too much weight loss, nutrient deficient, i beleive, mostly due to sensitve/not hardy digestion. Even though its been years since ive been "strictly raw," i am a researcher, and have continued to study many variations on alternative (natural) dietary lifestyles, and feel i have some valuable information accumulated.

    ******

    These are my thoughts on this dilema:

    It IS potentially dangerous to attempt to go Raw while still in the throes of an eating disorder. More so than damn near any other diet, it feels "restricting" until you get the hang of it, whic activates that whole inner authority/rebel, and also guilt/attonement dynamic that is common w/ eating disorders, particulaly bulimia. Even if your not acting out the scenario by say, binging and purging, the control of these facets on your MIND still play out dangerously. Most people w/ eating disorders have some aspect of "perfectionism" in them, and a beleif, (however perhaps unconcious) that their "worth" is based somehow on "performnance." When trying to develop the discipline it takes to "do" raw foods, and so-called "correctly", (based on whatever youve read, etc about it) it really can stir up these inner issues that you already obviously have in operation. Excellent thing that you are aware of this and open and honest about it. What you may need to embrace now, is the acceptance that, if you want to take care of yourself by "eating well" it needs to also be a priority to take care of yourself on the other levels as well. Its easier to control our bodies that our thoughts, and thats often where those of us w/ these types of issues turn to first: "that which SEEMS capable of controlling", and thereby gives us the sense of power, authority, self-worth, importance, or even nurturing, that we feel that weve somehow missed out on. I feel that what is most important to you right now, is to look at ways to confront your inner "stuff." Perhaps let go, for now, of the feling of necessity to succeed at this diet. Your only 18, and you have plenty of time to reapproch it at a time when it will be mre sucessful for you and you can sustain it w/o triggering these isues. What is supposed to be enjoyable and beneficial can become stressful and even toxic if done for the "wrong" reasons, or w/o the proper intent. Its ok to surrender to the acceptance of what our limitations are. Those do not define us, but when embraced w/ compassion and understanding, will eventually let us grow beyond them. Ignoring or denying these things however, can lead to lifelong struggle. The Raw food path should ultimately be an expansive experience, if it is not "feeling" that way, its a good time to examine what is truly holding us back. If it is a facet of your mental conditioning that needs to heal, it IS better to adress that 1st, BECAUSE, our minds, being all-powerful, are really our biggest allies to acheival. Trying to DO something isnt qite enough if the mind isnt on board. Sometimes it wll jump on, sometimes not. But in my experience, if you examine whats behind the mental, (often sub/unconcious,) things holding you back, or oherwise dictating your actions, there is a very, very valid "reasoning", (issue) behind it that seeks resoluton. And i do beleive that part too, because it IS in our innate desire as humans to want to heal. We may be held back from that also, the path may be obstructed, but ultimately, it is in us all to reclaim the wholeness that is in fact, our nature.

    Im sorry if some of this isnt your easiest answer to the issue of your diet, but hope that you may approach all attempts to assist w/ an open mind.

    If you are however, absolutely determined to stay-on raw foods regardless of your other approaches to your dilema, then my suggestions are that perhaps you might find following the "Rainbow Green" Diet by Gabriel Cousens helpful, as I feel that "food cravings" are often connected to sugar consumption, made worse if you are one whose body doesnt regulate blood sugar as well, and yes of course this pertains to "natural" sugar, even fruit, as well. The downside of this approach for you may be that if you attempt it w/o dealing w/ potential mental resistances first, is that it could be perceived as "an even MORE limiting" diet. And I feel its important for you to be honest about what else is causing this issues 1st: What you are eating, or what you ae THINKING about what you are eating. Obssesion on food at all, as im sure you know, is quite a perpetauter for those of us who have "food issues."

    However...

    Another potential culprit of cravings is nutrient defiency, and although "raw" should provide us w/ plenty of nutrients, many of us have compromised digestion that inhibits us from "receiving" them. OR, you can obviously be Raw, and still missing some vital components, depending on what youre actually eating, and in what quantities. The Rainbow Green diet is extremely low sugar, but very nutrient dense, and based on very solid scientific research. Gabriel Cousens has been in the "raw world" for a very long time and takes a grounded approach to the experience. If you get the book, make sure to read the premise behind the diet.

    Another thing i would strongly encourage is for you to find any available support around you, of course for your eating-disorder issues, but also for your dietary lifestyle if you remain raw. For someone w/ this make-up, combining food w/ isolation is also part of how that cycle can perpetuate. Raw can be a rather "lonely" path at times, so if there is anyone in your area to join forces w/, that could potentially also be of great assistance.

    I truly wish you the best on your journey, and that you may care for and nourish ALL aspects of yourself in time.

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Marta, there are some really supportive and understanding people here and some great advice already. I think Jessica has the right attitude (and J, I'm SO glad to hear things are going better for you).

    For me the issue of counting calories, points, carbs, or whatever people try to keep track of always sends up red flags. I've found no reason to count anything on a whole-food vegan diet that includes lots of fresh veggies. I grant you I'm nowhere near 100% raw, especially not now in the fall/winter months.

    I don't know what you're binging on, so it's hard for me to make any suggestions, but my DH is a massive snacker so he's always got things like raisins, flavored nuts, and dried cranberries around.

  • thank all of you so much for your suggestions... i think what is best to do for me is probably to eat as simply as possible, as raw as possible, and really just force myself to sit there through cravings and get out of the house to avoid binges. you all have really wonderful advice to give and i thank you all a lot for it.

    also, suasoria, it's not specific what i'd binge on, sometimes i'd make a mix of flaxseed, agave, and cocao powder (it tastes like brownie batter, mmm) or just eat way too many dates and nuts. other times, whatever was around (my mom had some junk foods arournd here) which is really the worst.

    celestial, thank you so much for your take on everything/your support, it is really wonderful to hear something from someone who went through it and came out in the end okay.

    i don't even know what my underlying emotional issues may be, but i suppose i won't find out if i continually "numb myself with food." i think i am off too a good start... it is never too late to start over, right :)

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    Hi marta, I also wanted to pass along if the cravings get really bad try to eat a cooked vegetable broth, without any vegetables or solid things or too much salt. It's amazing how a light soup can be soothing but also potentially harmless in the short term.

  • FeeFee Raw Master

    I also had a few problems with bingeing in the evenings when I was a cooked vegan so I can understand where you are coming from. I think that you will find it hard to sit through the cravings - so what I try and do when I feel I really want something I "shouldn't" is try and find something to do first. Sometimes I complete the task and feel I don't need what I was craving, but other times I do "give in". I'm finding less and less that I get cravings now though.

    As Suasoria said there are loads of people on here with great ideas and helpful suggestions and a listening ear. Sometimes it is also easier to "let everything out" to someone you only know over the internet.

    I am sure that you can get through this as you sound a very switched on person and you have plenty of support here.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    just wanted to pass on my love and support. Have you tried any complementary therapies to ease your problems? It is so powerful to have a massage, a Reiki session or just to have an hour to tell someone everything. I think that as well as raw food, getting support, love and help from other people will help you to recover and feel less alone with this. I know it can be hard to get help, but just take a tiny step then another and another and you'll get there.

  • Hi, Marta,

    I haven't read all the previous comments in detail and hopefully I won't repeat too much. I've definitely had issues before and am still working on my health. I'm guessing that some people would probably disagree with me a good amount, but I'll offer my opinion for what it's worth.

    Myself, I'm generally a healthy-eating vegetarian-leaning opportunistic omnivorous eater and trying to eat more raw. I'd like to be mostly raw at some point as I definitely see the health benefits here. However, I definitely can't go 100% raw at this point --- I WOULD get cravings and doing something that you feel is restrictive just forces all the more action in the opposite direction.

    I am inclined to think that having emotional difficulties associated with eating disorders is worse than not being all vegan raw. Stress is a huge factor in creating illness. The human body is also adaptable and can handle a certain percentage of healthy cooked foods. I've heard that it's a good idea to pick out some generally healthy items that you like that may not adhere exactly to your diet and let those be your "treats" while otherwise eating what you think you should be eating. I find that I physically feel best when I have some meat once in a while, so I go ahead.

    Moreover, one good meal after a bad one does a lot of immediate repair, as studies show, so try not to feel guilty. You're doing a lot of stuff right, and that's all that anyone could ever ask of themselves. I swore off certain items like sugar and alcohol altogether, but am otherwise trying to "ease in". I've picked some raw foods that I really like and try not to cook vegetables at all, but then have some cooked grains, beans, and occasional meat. I actually just felt down for no reason yesterday and binged on a piece of dark chocolate lying around from a couple of years ago. But just try to say to yourself that it's not a big deal (and I don't think it is, especially if you're binging on foods generally considered healthy) -- I'll now eat something really healthy and everything is fine -- it's all about balance. Health has many aspects, not just the diet -- go for a walk, read a good book, meet up with a friend and relax. Maybe you've just had something cooked, but you're doing other things to compensate. If you feel like you're getting most things right without too much restriction, I think that you won't be THINKING about food so much and, over time, you'll find it easier to adhere to a more rigorous diet also.

    Hope that helps...

  • that was all really helpful information - thank all of you. rawkidchef, i've found that having rolled oats (which aren't really raw) and almond milk with raisins kind of kills all my other cravings, but making cooked broth sounds like a good idea, so i'll probably do tha too. i think for the transition period, getting rid of this disorder, i'm going to start making some cooked vegan soups, just vegetable soups, and have them in moderation.

    zoe, thank you fory our kind words! do you know where i'd find a therapist or doctor or someone i could talk to about things who wouldn't condemn raw veganism? the doctor i had before really didn't even like vegetarianism; thought it was "risky", and i don't know if i can talk to someone who's going to have that sort of opinion from the get-go-- they'll tell me i'm cutting out too much, that i'm malnourished, etc., which definitely isn't true.

    monkeyy, i think the advice you gave was really wonderful... i am right now eating cooked vegan, well, about 90% raw and then having some cooked vegan food when i really have crravings, in small amounts. it's been helpful, thus far.

    and a question to anyone who reads this, where do you find your motivation when life seems bleak? i feel so conflicted about things, lately, and i know this disorder isn't just food or weight related...

  • Hi, my sister is getting ready to take a class for EFT(emotional freedom techniques) because she's seen how much it helped a friend of hers. It's an emotional needle free version of acupuncture. You can find them at emofree.com and they have a link to find a practitioner in your area.

    I don't know of anyone that doesn't have unresolved emotional issues that isn't doing damage to their health. Hang in there, we're on your side.

    My motivation when life is bleak is my belief that God cares and will correct all the wrongs in way that is best for everyone. In the meantime I fill my time with helping others, this gives purpose to my life.

  • RAWBLADERAWBLADE Raw Newbie

    Hi Marta,

    If you want to stay raw just eat whatever you want but raw and everysingle problem will pass away.I'm at my second month of raw and i just sad NO to cooked food.First 2 weeks to a month was really bad.Don't let yourself to get to the point of being really hungry and then you want to eat anything that moves.Eat often like every 2 hours.Do not think about the food to much just open the fridge and have any raw thing in it you feel eating.Free your mind and all your problems will go away.Dont think about RAW food as a diet.It is not a diet it is lifestyle! High style of living not just eating.I'm 2 months RAW 100% no 70 not 80 or 99%. 100%!!! Like i sad 2 months raw and i have learnd so much.it is the best!!!

    Good luck to you and stay strong!!!

  • Annabelle77Annabelle77 Raw Newbie

    Have you tried to eat a million small meals throughout the day? If I get too hungry, my strength to make a good choice goes RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW!!!

    When I go to work, I bring a green smoothie, an apple, grapes, a mango and other various fruits, and maybe a raw food bar. I eat every 30 minutes sometimes, but when it comes time for lunch and dinner, I am a rational person, instead of a hungry monster that will say "screw this!" and wolf down a foot long veggie sub!

    Maybe you could give that a try?

  • Some people have told me i might have a disorder, because I used to restric calories and workout hardcore (up to 2 1/2 hours everyday, burning 1000+ cals), but I did it with a mindset of becoming fit and healthy. I'm overcompulsive, super anal about things, food and health being one of them. I became so obsessive with raw when I first started, beating myself up if I failed to be 100% that day. I'm an all or nothing type of gal, so striving for 100% is my way, but i was torturing myself, telling myself the type of foods I used to eat and enjoyed but now CANT enjoy them, and that's definetely the wrong viewpoint to take on raw. Now i see food as, I could have this if I wanted to, but i know it won't make me feel good, so I rather eat loads of this and feel light, happy, and energetic afterwards. Try to view your food from that perspective for a while, and see if it helps. Also, with time your cravings die down. When you want something really unhealthy, tell yourself that you can have much healthier wholesome yummy tasting things rather than eating what your craving. within a couple of days of withholding and not giving into cravings, they go away. Also, what works for me when I have sugar cravings, or want something really sweet, I eat a couple of spoonfuls of raw honey straight from the jar. It's super sweet, but doesn't spike your blood sugar like processed sugar does, and totally kills your sweet cravings. Good luck and hang in there!

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    I would pull yourself together so you can live the life you want to live. All this bad mojo with the eating disorder will ruin any chance you have at having a happy life. Pull it together, girl. I did.

  • blueyzblueyz Raw Newbie

    First of all I want to say the fact that you are putting this out there and can talk about it means that you DO want to get better, this is step one and I think you are there. So things WILL happen if you can get it figured out, which is the hard part and why you came here :)

    The cravings and unhealthy eating are not fun, and at number of years older than you(lol, OK 36 and not ancient yet) it has been the last year that I am getting a grasp on health. For me this was dealing with what turned out to by hypothyroid(since a kid), Vit D deficient/adrenal fatigue issues and major GI issues. I was very sick for years, and I went to many Dr's but all they did was tell me it was IBS or I wasn't really depressed(which I was due to major thryoid issues) and I'd get over it so not to worry. Let's just say it took me a few years getting healthier on my own(OK last 2 with major help from awesome naturopath) to get back in the mind space to be able to get even healthier.

    Some was medical, I still have weird cravings but the fact they can be identified as such and not just 'pigging out' is a step. I started keeping track of what I was eating and what was going on, and after awhile it helped. Figured out a lot of GI issues(cut out breads, pasta, rice and much better) and vitamin deficiencies. Also thyroid still off even though Dr's said I was normal because of one blood test when all others they didn't try ended up being all over the place when I got tested finally on regular basis with new Dr. That helped some mentally, cravings better but still happened. Blood sugar was also an issue for me, which took longer to figure out because my Dr's were testing insulin saying I was overweight so that was it...when it wasn't they never tested blood sugar anymore even though issue run in my family. Found out recently it IS still controlling some moods/cravings but only because I was really keeping track of what was up to discuss with my Dr.

    I have done WW, been overweight for awhile(though down 20 this summer going more raw), and can understand how easy it can be to get hooked into the whole counting things. For me, the best thing that happened was change mentally. It wasn't to go raw(heck I didn't even know about the whole raw foods thing as a diet until this year) but for me my goal was to eat naturally. Get as local and seasonal as possible, cut out processed foods and preservatives then supplement the rest with limited non-local whole foods. Lol, this is good because my fall favorite is pomegranates. It has been a much healthier and calmer mindset than anything yet so far, a bit more open than raw only since I am not vegan, but my body is slowly responding best to it. Listen to your body :)

  • DinkoZlatina's experience is very interesting; I could definitely see it working for some, if not most, people. I wonder if it also works for unusual people who are actually prone to losing weight unless they eat a very high-calorie diet...

    As far as getting motivated: I'm going to caveat this right now -- always easier to give advice than follow it! (Though I'll have to try and do this tonight myslef:))

    I think it's important to accept the feeling, figure out why you're upset, and make some sort of immediate progress toward change/or at least get inspired and have fun.

    If you feel like there's no good reason for feeling down, it may be associated with your diet or otherwise related to your body's physical chemistry. Cardiovascular exercise is good, and some people may be low on carbs (I'm no expert, but it seems like sometimes people crave things that they actually need); sunshine is also crucial.

    If you feel like you know the cause, then I feel like it helps to make a baby step toward progress or at least figure out how you're going to address the issue ASAP in order to feel like you have the issue under control so that you can relax. Either way, I think it's important to say to yourself that A) it's more or less natural and happens to everybody -- and thus correctable--and you can do it! B) You're going to begin to make things better right now -- whether that's actually resolving the specific problem or doing something else that you think is positive -- helping someone else, achieving another goal, etc. At the same time, ask yourself what WOULD make you feel better -- seeing a friend or maybe watching a movie that you think is inspiring or makes you feel good; this clearly depends on your personality. Depending whether you're A, B, or a combination thereof, you'll need to fix the problem, forget about the problem, or something in between (though I tend to think that it's always best to fix the problem and do something positive/productive as opposed to just forgetting the problem.)

    Studies also show that people can only make improvements on a select number of fronts at the same time -- so it's important to prioritize goals and be happy with what you're accomplishing as opposed to what you're not accomplishing. I don't think anyone's life is ever perfect, but I think many people are more fortunate than they think, so a part of it is just enjoying what you have and striving for excellence, as opposed to perfection.

    Finally, I think some people just want to ENJOY life. For some others, I think this quotation describes how they feel, and the solution to which I think is a balance of seeing the glass half full and striving for excellence (but not perfection). (And most people are probably in between these two aspirations):

    "Yet this is the view with which--in various degrees of longing, wistfulness, passion, and agonized confusion--the best of mankind's youth start out in life. It is not even a view, for most of them, but a foggy, groping, undefined sense made of raw pain and incommunicable happiness. It is a sense of enormous expectation, the sense that one's life is important, that great achievements are within one's capacity, and that great things lie ahead."

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Yes, I agree with the spirit of DinkoZlatina - I think of a "diet" as something people do temporarily to control their weight or something, and I don't consider eating raw to be a "diet" in that sense. This is also why I'm against counting calories or even percentages, really. If you eat

    For example, I don't think there's too much wrong with overdoing it on dates or nuts or even raw cacao brownie batter. Plus, it's funny how when you eat a ton of something, it can be a while before you want to look at that food again.

    Junk food of course is not the same, but if everything you

  • I was a bad girl today....last weekend also. I won't even tell you what I had for dinner. I went 22 days doing well w/ my eating and then...blah. I have a bad attitude because people around me think I'm crazy and being here is the only support around. "Oooh Janelle, what's for dinner? Another apple and beet salad?????"

    Thanks for being here guys.

  • Maybe you could try juicing for breakfast and lunch or however many times during the day, and eat something "normal" for dinner. i've been doing this with my one meal being vegetarian because i get too disappointed when the %100 raw thing doesn't work out. i find that i do not have the same cravings when i have raw juices throughout the day. It's like my body is saying, yeah i only want more of that stuff you had earlier. i know i will merge to %100 eventually and i love how light i feel throughout the day on just green juices (i mix fruit in- can't take the taste). For me, not having a dehydrator yet has been an obstacle. i wish you the best and i think it's awesome that you've reached out for help in a sensible place.. lot's of good people here that are not just followers.

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    marta, i'm glad you talked about your story!! it kind of reminds me of myself and my eating problems. i used every excuse in the book to restrict myself from certain foods- it's even the reason i became a vegan, but it's not the reason i am one today.

    the lowest i ever got down to was 108, but right now i'd guess i'm about 125 and i gained it all this year. i was pretty sad when the weight came on so fast, but after talking with my therapist for a while, she made me realize that i was treating my body better when i was feeding it and that a number on the scale is just that- a number.

    i also read a book that changed my life. have you heard of "making peace with food." i can't remember the author but i'm sure you can find it online or in the library. it talks about why you do the binging problems and really emphasizes taking time with your food.

    i hope you read it because it's one of the reasons that i don't have a problem anymore. after i read this one quote, i decided that i was going to take care of myself. i still have it memorized!!

    "i kept working toward freedom because i finally wanted it even more than i wanted to be thin."

  • I find that in the evenings a long hot shower soothes my desire to use food as a cure to whatever emotional ailment I am suffering that day.

  • internettouristinternettourist Raw Newbie

    The binging isn't in anyway related to nourishment of the body or rational use of food, and I haven't found that raw foodist are big weight gainers.

    My theory is that dairy and meat consumption creates imbalances in the body that can lead to obesity or aggravate psychological and other disorders. Increasing the amount of raw food in your diet will help create balance. Do-able goals may help increase your satisfaction, success and achievement. 100% may be a difficult goal when you are around people a lot. 100% dairy free is very easy. 50% raw is also very easy. No sodas and other food with chemicals is also easy after a week. One goal at a time, not all at once should be helpful.

    Put away the scale. Don't create demons that aren't there. Be the best, healthy person you can be. Nourish yourself in all respects.

  • 1sweetpea1sweetpea Raw Newbie

    Any imbalances in your diet and daily routine will trigger the body to try to correct that imbalance by overcompensating the other way. If you're worried about recent weight gain and trying to combat it by eating far less, the body will experience extreme cravings and irrational hunger, which will lead to binges or emotional overating. Ideally, the best way to combat the weight gain is to make small changes that are less stressful to the body and psyche. Add 15 mnutes of physical activity to whatever you already do (or don't do) each day for a week, while making meals that are 10-15% smaller than what you are typically eating now. After a week, ask yourself whether you feel any different. At the very least, you should feel more energetic and proud of your initial success. Forget about the scale for now. The second week, add another 15 minutes of daily exercise/activity and focus on eating a well balanced variety of healthy foods. At the end of week 2 you should be feeling even more energetic, focused, optimistic and hopefully a bit leaner. In week 3, tweak your diet to cut out excess fats, sugars and salt. Consider how and why you eat. Are you eating for energy and nutrition or to make yourself feel better because you are a) sad b) angry c) lonely d) bored e) afraid f) frustrated or g) all of the above? Fill the hours and minutes that aren't occupied by sleep, work, exercise, eating, errands, chores, etc., with activities that you enjoy that don't involve food in any way. At the end of week 3 you will hopefully feel that a shift in outlook has taken place. You'll be getting fitter and leaner all the time, though at a gradual pace, which bodes well for keeping the weight off in the long term. In week 4, add another 15 minutes of daily exercise/activity and increase the intensity. Be sure to vary the type of activity for the best results. Take the time to appreciate the wonderful foods you prepare and feed yourself. You're worth the effort! After 4 weeks, I guarantee you will see results. You will feel more balanced in everything that you do. You will crave healthy foods in healthy quantities. You will begin to crave the exercise you're doing to feel good, instead of the comfort foods. Your mind will be clear and focused and you will realize that you can achieve anything you desire. Being in a negative state caused you to gain weight and be emotionally upset. Counter it with good eating habits, emotional strength and positive energy and the pounds will come off because they have no reason to linger.

  • Raw CurlsRaw Curls Raw Newbie

    Hi Marta,

    This is late in adding to the thread, but I thought I'd throw in a few pointers to think about.

    Eat for enjoyment AND health. Try not to eat to lose weight or look a certain way, but eat based on how you feel. Eat what you know makes you feel good.

    If you don't have a weight problem, don't bother with the scale. Also try not to count calories unless you are training for some kind of event and need calories. If you are not very active, there's no need to count calories.

    Remember this is a journey. I'm going on 8 years raw and still have my ups and downs. I don't get down on myself for eating less than optimal foods. I may have a type of eating disorder myself as I tend to binge on grains and starches more, but I've gotten to the point where I'm not going to mentally punish myself for it. I know when I need to get back on track, my body definitely gives me signals!

    As Graham says, focus on direction, not speed. As long as you are moving toward your goal, you can take it as slow as you need to. You don't have to demand perfection, but try to focus more on consistency, for instance, if you are going to eat something cooked, try to be consistent about what you are going to eat such as steamed veggies or rice rather than a veggie burger, that kind of thing.

    All the best to you!

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