Swearing Off Junk Food: ED or Lifestyle Change?

Recently, the people at the ED place I go there say that I must learn how to accept eating junk food like cake, fries and soda. They refuse to listen otherwise because "it's just my ED negotiating".

Personally, I think it's nonsense for these reasons:

• I consider it a lifestyle change to not eat crap
• I do not think that in order to be healthy, one has to eat junk food
• I do not think that there's a partition of my brain called "my ED" that is vehemently telling me not to eat these foods

What do you guys think? Is it ED or am I making any sense?

I think there's a big difference between not wanting to eat junk food, and not being able to eat junk food.

For example, I'm not a big junk-food fan. But, if somebody offers me a piece of cake- I'll accept it. And I won't freak out about it later.

When you're away from the ED center, juk food may not be a big part of your life, but ideally you ought to be able to eat some every once in a while without feelings of anxiety or regret . . .

That's my two cents :P

Original Post by politica:

I think there's a big difference between not wanting to eat junk food, and not being able to eat junk food.

For example, I'm not a big junk-food fan. But, if somebody offers me a piece of cake- I'll accept it. And I won't freak out about it later.

When you're away from the ED center, juk food may not be a big part of your life, but ideally you ought to be able to eat some every once in a while without feelings of anxiety or regret . . .

That's my two cents :P

Well, I could always eat a small piece of cake, but I would never touch a fry. That's because I feel that the whole fast food process is disgusting. But the people at the ED centre refuse to listen to any of my arguements... so I guess I'm just feeling angsty about the way the sessions work.

Yeah, its true. The fast food process is disgusting. But a few fries aren't going to hurt your body or your morals.

Chances are, the ED center things you're trying to avoid the fat/cals/whatever. Why not offer to make your own french fries, deep fried and all, to show that you're not "scared" of them, you just don't want to support the ff industry . . .

The problem here is two-fold- partially you, partially them. On one hand, the end goal is for you to eat normally- meaning that you can go out with a group of non-ED people and eat whatever the hell you'd like (and not feel guilt, anxiety, etc.). On the other hand, who defines "normal"? If "normal" translates into french fries, well then . . . that's unfortunate (but still the stupid world we live in).

I am like you. I have no desire to eat the foods I classify as "junk" and, I also have an eating disorder. The line between the two may blur at times. It is my opinion though, that not eating "junk" remains a problem when it interferes with life. For instance, I consider cake to be unhealthy and have no interest in eating it. However, assuming I do get married one day, I think it would be abnormal if I did not have a piece of my own wedding cake. I am a teacher and if a student brought me something he or she had baked, I would like to be able to eat it so as not to hurt the child's feelings even though it may not be healthy. With something like fries or chips I suppose it would be desirable to eat them were there no other options but the chances of that happening are rare. I mean, it is not as though any of us are going to be stranded from civilization with only fast food french fries at our disposal! Only you know your intentions behind not consuming certain foods. Even though ED may not be the reason you choose not to ingest fries I doubt you will be able to convince others this is so.

I think it varies. I choose to eat 90% clean, healthier foods because I want to fully respect my body and avoid artificial elements of food like additives and the like as much as I can. That said, I know it's right to treat myself on occasion and I know that I can still eat clean and eat high calorie food to gain weight otherwise without always needing cake and chips.

I tackled fear food very early on, and my mum has recognised this, as has my GP - only my dad is struggling with the idea because he thinks it's all in my head that I want to eat as cleanly as I can, now. Then again, he thinks my being unable to eat lactose is all in my head, despite the vomiting, bloating and diarrhea that follows it...

I feel it is valuable to enjoy moderation. To have a little bit of cake once in a while, or to have things if you want them. Of course, if you don't like chips personally don't eat the chips - but another recoverer might like chips, and only have been avoiding them before because of their ED. At that point, it's a good idea to have them once in a while again to eliminate them as a fear food. Moderation also helps in making ANYONE on a healthy diet of any kind not feel deprived.

But, either way, it is very hard to pursuade people you're not just saying no because of your ED. While I don't have the problem now, I know there -was- a voice (and is, it just doesn't talk about that any more) with me telling me that certain foods were "good" and "bad."

Original Post by lalabanana:

To have a little bit of cake once in a while, or to have things if you want them.

The thing is that I don't crave any of these foods any more. When I do try these foods, I feel rather disappointed because rather than being enjoyable, they are overly sweet or greasy and that's just a put off really.

But you are right, I guess it's like trying to believe what a schrizophenic preaches.

I myself have never suffered from an ED or been to any kind of treatment center or meeting or anything for ED, but just from an outside perspective I don't think it's fair that they are accusing your ED of negotiating just because you don't want to eat fast/junk food. That's your own personal preference, and there are many people out there without ED's who don't like to eat fast/junk food anyway. I say don't eat it if you don't want to! It's bad for you anyway!

But you are right, I guess it's like trying to believe what a schrizophenic preaches.

Ahem.

That aside: no, no, I totally understand that. I use "cake" as a catch-all: it's good to have something that's a little unhealthier once in a while that you enjoy. What bugs me is when people push things that I don't enjoy at me - healthy or not. I'm going to guess that's what you're talking about, right?

For me personally, that fact paired with the fact that many nurses in eating disorder treatment facilities are overweight, turned me away from the whole thing.  I found someone who taught me how to eat healthy as a lifestyle.  Of course I CAN eat whatever I want, and I do have the occasional dessert or greasy food in moderation, but I want to treat my body with respect.  I think that nurses trying to teach these things are hard for people with ED's to trust though.  I personally feel strongly about them teaching a more healthy, but not rigid, way of eating and NOT forcing patients to eat junk food.  I think that is ridiculous.

I have never had an ed, so I can't claim expertise here, but I suspect the whole fries thing is more about getting over the restricting thing.  People with ed's can freak out about foods.  That is not normal.  That is probably what they are trying to work on.  I don't care much for fries either, but if someone really wants me to try some I can eat a few and not worry about it.  That should be the goal.  You don't have to like fries or any other particular food.  Food just should not be a big deal.

I have a good friend who went through ED recovery (I, myself, have always had a good relationship with food) and she always complained about how nobody in the recovery process every took into consideration he being a normal eater. I don't like most red meat. I'm not scared of red meat. But if she were to say that she didn't like red meat people would act like that was because of her ED. I just think it's interesting how having a disordered relationship with food somehow takes away your ability to have "tastes" according to treatment facilities or whatever.

toast, this is my problem exacty!! I learned a lot about nutrition in trying to find out how to gain weight and get better and sort of changed up my lifestyle a little bit. A lot of those foods don't appeal to me at all now. I can taste when something is overly proccessed and doesn't taste like real food anymore. I've also always had healthier tastes, but it's amazing how suddenly because of the ED it's like I"m making these things up now.

But for example, my best friend and I made plans to one day open a salad restaurant together at about 12 years old because we love salads and always make them when we get together. Yes, even in middle school, 10 years prior to my ED and any nutritional knowledge. I've also never liked chips or fries, and donuts have made my stomach hurt since i was little. And now all of a sudden it's a huge deal when I switch out my side of fries at a restaurant for veggies. it's quite annoying.

However, the lines do get blurred sometimes. It's not a big deal to not like these things, but my reactions to having to eat them is sometimes extreme and I"m trying to get over that. As charlie said, I do want to be able to eat cake at my wedding or try things my friends bake, go out to eat, etc. I do these things but still feel some guilt. Like for lunch today I had a big plate of white pasta. I didn't want that, I hate white foods, and no, I didn't like the taste all that much either, but it's what we were having so I had to tell the ED guilt where to stick it because obviously one meal of non whole grain food will not kill me.

lala- my parents sometimes think i'm making up the dairy thing too! and that fried foods hurt my stomach. But I've intentionally eaten both dairy and fried foods just in case it is in my head (because I question myself sometimes too!) and nope, it really does hurt :\ but considering I don't like them much anyways, I don't feel like I'm missing much...except for cheese, I do miss cheese.

If you are lactose intolerant, you don't have to give up all cheese.  You can eat hard cheeses, like Cheddar.  There are also lactose free milks.  It tastes a bit odd and is best with a protein powder or some other flavoring.

I think what you're being asked to avoid is the temptation to label any food you think will make you gain weight 'junk' or 'crap'.... so that you can justify their exclusion.   Many of the ED sufferers on CC will display an irrational fear of fats... or 'carbs'.... or sugar.... when they all play a part in a healthy diet.   I've also noticed a connection between ED's and unusual diets like veganism and raw-food-ism, for example.   By claiming a strong moral objection to eating certain categories of foods it can be a cover-story for just not eating anything at all.

A home-made cake made with fresh ingredients is not 'crap' or 'junk', for example.   That's what you're being asked to overcome.  

I agree with everyone here, that as long as not eating the junk food because of 'never liking the taste of it' or something else than not eating it because 'it has lots of fats and cals', then its not an ED. Wow that sounded really strange o.O

But why should I talk? I still fear junk food =( I really know I shouldn't, but I do. 2 years ago when I was 13 I used to be able to eat a whole chocolate muffin and LOVE it, not thinking back once about how much sugar/fat/cals were in it. But I can't even take a bit of my friend's muffin and think about the content in it today. I wish I was able to tackle my fear for junk food. Any advice? xD

clharr- yes, I drink soymilk though I started drinking it before I became lactose intolerant just because I liked the taste better. Now I've gotten a bunch of those fake cheeses but they're not very good. That is one of the areas where it crosses the line b/w intolerance and eating disorder because while I know that a little bit of paremesan on pasta or something won't hurt my stomach like full on mozzarella or something will, but I'm afraid to try it.

As for cakes, I don't label them all as junk, and in fact have a steady supply of baked goods coming out of my kitchen. I love eating things I bake or things I know were baked with wholesome ingredients but if I don't know what went into it or if it's store brought I have trouble bringing myself to touch it. I hate white or bleached flour more than anything and again, this is where it gets blurry for me. While whole wheat is much better for you and honestly tastes better to me, I shouldnt feel as much anxiety as I do when I have to eat it.

How do you either get over this or explain to family and friends why you'd rather eat the healthier versions of things? Everyone just thinks I'm crazy :\

I would suggest reconnecting with food at every opportunity.   Learn to appreciate everything on its own merits.   Go to farmers' markets and talk to the people that produce their own butter and cheeses or bottle their own preserves.    Grow something edible in the garden or plant some herbs in a pot on a windowledge.   Make food.... roll your sleeves up, get your hands in and engage with the stuff.   Make a chocolate cake or a pizza and share it with people you love.  

I love the french approach to food.....   If you get the opportunity, check out Mireille's Guiliano's excellent little book "French women don't get fat - the secret to eating for pleasure" 

As she likes to put it: 'French women think about good things to eat; American women typically worry about bad things to eat.' "

All animals have an instinctive reaction to food that makes them sick, they don't want it any more.  I once got food poisioning from whipped cream.  I couldn't eat it for years after that.  The fact that you are lactose intolerent and had a bad reaction to milk or some milk products makes you very lery of trying them again.  I am also lactose intolerent.  I would not go through the extreme reaction I have to a glass of milk for any food.  However, if you read up on lactose intolerence, you will find that you can safely eat some milk products.  You don't need to eat the fake cheeses.  Chedder is perfectly safe for you.  So is any hard cheese.  You should also be able to eat most yogurts.  The process of making those foods naturally gets rid of the lactose.  Mozzarella is a soft cheese and should only be eaten in limited quantities.  Many commercial pizza places use a fake mozzerella, so you might be safe there, but I have gotten a little sick from pizza at some places.

It sounds like you are getting a good handle on your ED.  Remember, anxiety should not be a reaction to food.  Anxiety is the ED.

I value most foods, now. Fear foods were things I tried to work on in my first few weeks of recovery, and while my ex was still with me he helped me overcome a lot of things by taking me out places to eat and getting me to have foods I then viewed as "junk". Now I eat what I like, and stay clear of food I don't - this being a mixture of healthy and unhealthy food, things that I just don't enjoy textures or tastes of regardless of calorie content. I still do go for the cake and ice cream where I can if it's okay per my intolerance (I love cake .__.) and usually bake a lot more now as it makes it a lot easier to make my own food, knowing it won't have dairy in it.

Gi-jane: We (my family) also grow a fair few herbs, veggies and fruit in our back garden. We have a local apple festival here too, usually around this time of year, with lots of local producers of things like honey and preserves, apple products, ciders... it's awesome. I love markets.

Gibbit: I miss brie. So bad.

clharr: I've tried hard cheeses and low-lactose dairy and it had me running to the toilet with my usual symptoms. Dx The lactose free milk was okay, but I prefer soy - like you said, it had a kind of... wierd aftertaste. Soy milk tastes a bit like tofu, I admit, but I like tofu. >>

EDIT: Ha, clharr, you posted while I was typing. My intolerance seems to be pretty bad, in my case, so I'm looking into lactose tablets of some sort with my GP this week. I haven't tried eating yoghurt again, though, and may look into that.

Interesting question! I think it depends on how you handle the situation. If you actually FEAR the food and think non stop about it then its an ED thing. But a lifestyle change could just be saying you shuoldnt eat it because its not good for you, you dont like it, whatever. But you shuoldnt obsess. That would be a lifestyle change. To be able to decide whether you say yes or no..not to be absolutely not able to eat it even if you had to.

 

Now that i read that-- it wasnt worded very well and very jumbled. Sorry. ^^ Hopefully you get it.