A dude in need of advise

Hello and thank you for reading first of all,

i believe im in need of some serious help here.Im afraid im trying to cope with too much and some other peoples views might just help.Ill try and list all the important info on my part.

So biographically, i have recently being battling with binge eating habits.Ive also gone through bulimic phases in the past. As of late, i have also switched back to a full normal diet, since i spent 2 years of vegetarianism and a a year+ of veganism.

I left home to study abroad for three years, thats when i changed my eating habits. I ended up loosing quite a vast amount of weight. Towards the changeover from veganism to vegetarianism(yes i did it gradually-i even went fish only first before including all meats!) i started bingeing.This has lingered on for atleast since the begining of June.

I used to be an avid cannabis user but i recently quit that & am also currently working 6 days a week full time.

I have always been into good healthy food,my mother being a very good cook, but her aswell as my father are overweight.This was also the case with me as an adolescant in combination with major acne issues.

I have realised the 3 years of living with overly health consious housemates(and the vegan vegge regime), aswell as some of the mentioned above have affected how i look at food.

I see think and feel food as calories or macronutrients. I confess i feel alot more confident being slim/lean. And that is the issue at the moment. The duration of this binge eating has lead to a fat gain issue,even thought for the past month i went to the gym 3 time a week including cardio and resistance training to gain some well needed form.

Oh and did i mention while i was studying for three years i got myself to a stage that i had very little fat and minimal muscle structure, due to a busy schedule in combination with frequent running.

I have been advised to go see a psychologist, but i feel this might not necessarily help. Im tired of this state of immense ups and downs, feeling insecure at 21 and unconfident aswell as mood swings of huge proportions. It isnt healthy but i still seem to supress my hunger for the duration of the week and weekends end up in overeating of carbohydrates and fatty foods.

Anything said would help.

thanks again

Jason

I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be...but I also go through periods of time where my eating habits aren't the healthiest, from what you've said your case is definitely more serious.

It seems like there's a lot of history to your disordered eating, if I was you I think I would look into seeing a psychologist. It may not necessarily help, but it certainly won't hurt. Who knows, maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Good luck!

first, allow me to commend your honesty and self-seeking.   I admire that.   I am also scarred when it comes to food, how it makes me feel, and life in general.   It is nice to know I am not alone.    YOU GO, GUY    ( : 

that said, I think find a balance.    I too am a compulsive exerciser.  not in a bad way, but every day.    run or ride a bike and life weights.     I recently broke up with my bf, so the lifting will at the very least get cut back since the Bowflex is his, but that is neither here nor there. 

 Are you happy?   what leads you to binge?   ever reflected on that vs. just how to "fix it"?    Feel free to pm me as I deal with the same issues, just older (31) and a girl.    ( : 

the fact that you are AWARE there is an issue = bonus.  that is the hardest part, by far.     (((((((((HUGS))))))))))

I am no psychologist, but I do know three people very well that are bi polar, and when I was reading your post I couldn't help but think how you're going through, or have gone through some similar things these people I know have. Then I got to the line where you said you've been experiencing extreme highs and lows and that seems indictive of some emotional issues. Like I said, Im no psychologist, but you yourself have equated food with emotion in your post so there seems to be something psychological here. These vast ranges of emotions (especially being one extreme or the other) is the main point of diagnosis for bi-polar disorder. My point being here- what ever is happening with you, it's emotional at some level. You're better off seeking professional help, because you shouldn't take too much adivce from some yahoo on the internet :) Once you get what's going on in your head straight, the rest will fall into place. Don't stress so much about your inconsistencies and extremes in food, but think on a higher level here; think about the whole- not the part.

Thank you for taking the time to read and in turn reply to my blabber.

I cant say i am happy.no.That sorta feels hard to even type.But yeah i cant ay there are any specific reasons that make me binge.It seems like it goes down hill once i eat something that is otherwise 'forbidden' in the back books of my head.

The fact that im aware wont make me loose all the kgs ive manage to gain. It doesnt make me feel better.

I have contacted a psychologist, problem is in Greece the right docs for this kind of disorders are few and you barely know if you are gonna get your moneys worth.

Anyway,

the mood swings are due to the food ups and downs, energy levels, high sugar bursts, all that adds up. So i seriously doubt i got bipolar disease.

A new problem has just arrived by the way! Since last week i started working, which means ill be away from home( aways from food and out of the house keeping busy would be a good thing i hear you say) for most of the day. I tend to eat a good balanced breakfast, pack a couple of fruit+ veg for the day to snack on.

When i got back today i got on the binge train again. But i dont know if that has to do with the previous days occurances or just what i mentioned.(because the whole of last week i didnt feel any need to eat oerly once home.)

Thanks yet again

Jason

Reading your story I'm wondering if a major part of the problem is simply the amount you eat.   OK there are psychological issues at play but, putting it simply, starving is affecting your cognitive function and rationality.   Vegan/vegetarian diets have to be incredibly well-managed to make sure you're getting a) the right amount of food in total and b) the right balance.  If you don't eat enough for long enough you will binge in the end because your survival instinct will kick in every time.  That's normal...

I'd be asking myself... do I need psychological help because of how I'm eating or am I eating badly because I have psychological problems?  And since 'eating' is generally easier to fix than 'thinking' then I'd tackle the eating part as a first base whilst still seeking the right medical help for your thinking processes. 

My suggestion is to give some structure to how you eat.  A plan.  Giving meals top priority in your life, eating regularly, getting more variety, getting more in total and giving yourself permission to enjoy it all.   For example today ... a good breakfast was a good start, but expecting to last a whole day on some fruit and veg was setting you up for a binge later.   Again.. psychological?  Or just bad planning?...

Tonight, try planning out tomorrow.  Use the CC food log as a planning tool.  Start the day with a big healthy breakfast.... whatever you particularly enjoy most and plenty of it.  Snacks for during the morning and afternoon.  Prepare yourself a generous packed lunch to take along.  Think about supper-time - what's your absolute favourite dish? - do you have the right ingredients to hand?   You probably need 2000-2500 calories in total and you're looking for a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats... you say you like the macronutrient element so work to your strengths.  Regular meals, regular snacks, foods you love ... food comes first.  If you can see it's coming up short then you know you have to add in more snacks, maybe a dessert after supper, a bar of chocolate... surprise yourself!

That's my two penn'orth.... Hope something helps