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binge eating and electronic cigarettes?
Sunspot5254
Explorer
If this was posted elsewhere I didn't see it. Now I've had eating disorders forever. My last bout of binge eating convinced me that it'd be healthier for me to stop focusing on weight loss. I stopped dieting and sharpied out all of the nutrition labels on my food (obsession with organic, vegan, non gmo, etc) Well my bingeing is near gone but I still snack a lot and overeat. I read a lot and even when I try and think on it about how it gives me pleasure but not happiness, I still end up at the fridge. Anyone else overcome this?
Also I quit smoking yay! But hold your applause for a later date because I only switched to an ecig. This is probably still considered poisoning my body right?
Also I quit smoking yay! But hold your applause for a later date because I only switched to an ecig. This is probably still considered poisoning my body right?
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Comments
I know a couple of guys in Over-eaters Anonymous, both were huge binge eaters, and now both are at a healthy weight. I sponsor one of these guys and the stories he told me about his eating habits were horrendous. He really did use food like a drug.
Maybe you could try those guys?
http://www.oa.org/
When I've had this kind of problem, I always find a bunch of people who have suffered the same, and I go and find out from them how they tackled it. It's a good way to find a lot of support too.
As for the e-cig, that's got to be better than smoking.
My suggestion is not to try and tackle all your gross addictions at once; go for the worst first and deal with that. Then when you're settled, move onto the next.
Don't the e-cigs' liquids come in different nicotine strengths? Could you gradually taper down? I do think they're a good alternative for addicted smokers, but it is sad that they seem to have a cachet that is attracting non-smoking youth.
Nicotine itself isn't particularly harmful, so use what works to keep off cigarettes - they definitely are harmful.
I agree with @Tosh and to not try to overcome more than one hurdle at a time.
As for binge eating, I read somewhere that it's a form of attachment. I can only speak for myself, but when I snack late at night, it's because I'm bored or stressed. I therefore eat because it makes me feel better. To overcome this, I try to recognize my needs (ego & attachment). If all else fails, I brush my teeth and/or chew a piece of gum!
Binge eating, addictions, compulsions and obsessions are all genuine attempts to 'right' yourself, bring feelings of ease and peace forward. They aren't 'bad' in their intent. They are just ways we've discovered that 'work'.
They 'work' until they don't work anymore. As a life long addictive personality (whatever ya wanna call it), who has quelled quite a few addictions, that is my conclusion.
It might sound passive and helpless but it's not. It's about deliberately bringing forward how it is NOT working, keeping that in mind in a deliberate way.
Another thing that has helped immensely is extending the deepest compassion I can toward the 'intent' behind the substances or activities plaguing me. I'm just trying to ease my suffering.
Typically, the shame of addictions/behaviors (you're weak, you're disgusting) makes for the vicious circle. So see through the shame. For all the folks who've not had addictions, send metta, be happy for them but don't accept their judgments as your own. Only a person who has not lived through an addiction would come up with such unskillful judgments. They don't have any idea what they are talking about. It takes a mind with a distinct LACK of metta and mudita (joy for other's successes) to even come up with such shaming opinions.
Compassion for yourself instantly eases the suffering. Less suffering, less compulsive behavior 'needed' to ease it. Less compulsive behavior, less suffering
Less suffering, clearer Mind and Awareness, allowing in greater insight and wisdom. That's a vicious circle I can get into 
Do things that create and maintain a mind-body connection. Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises/pranayama. Things that truly nurture you. As that connection strengthens, that part of your mind will have less and less control and you will find yourself automatically, without will or effort on your part, making better choices for your body's needs rather than the ego's needs. It takes a bit of time, but it does help.
I used to eat well during the day, but evenings were stressful, and busy. Once things calmed down, I would start to snack and drink. Never really binging, but I'd have 2-3 drinks and probably another 500 calories in snacks every night. Just mindlessly eating. With meditation and yoga (and other things) that mindless eating for entertainment and boredom is mostly gone. I drink a cup of tea and really don't crave anything else. For me, the connection that has been made has caused my ego to take a back seat. So I am not always needing to feed it. Learning how to nurture yourself isn't always easy, but it helps in so many ways.
@Sunspot5254
You are doing good.
That is the key, implementing positive loops and behaviour. As people have suggested yoga, tai chi and meditation will quite naturally change us. Such practices tend to be more long lasting as they are reaching to our core being.
Drink more water, it is filling.
You can also give your snacks to the Buddha on your shrine (wot no shrine) as an offering. Then eat them later. My Buddhas like salted popcorn with paprika. Good thing too . . . as so do I.
I think the main advantage @Sunspot5254 has is that he wants to change (sorry for talking about you like you're not here). There's normally a lot of fear around parting with an attachment (addiction) and for that reason, many wouldn't even consider it until it's beating them to death. Some call this 'willingness' a gift from God; I like the sentiment; and I'm sure there's some humour in it too because I found that willingness comes from pain and suffering.
What has helped me is the realisation that there will be some pain involved, and that it can't always be avoided. Sigh, shrug shoulders, accept They say when you're going through hell, to keep moving. In that vein I like to 'do stuff' that's recovery orientated, so when I'm feeling restless, irritable and discontented, rather than reach for my drug of choice (mine was booze), I'd head out of the door, not to get a drink, but to find a recovery meeting somewhere. Or a meditation class. Or a fitness class. Or a yoga class (though I only went twice to one of these). I like to be around people when I'm like this; there's a lot of support to be found, in the right places, for this kind of thing. If those things aren't available, I like forums like this, or I'd read/listen to recovery stuff from the internet. Or I'd phone someone who'd suffered similar things to myself and just have a chat. I would also try to help someone else too, if only to give them a ride to a recovery meeting. Helping others always takes my mind off me and my problems (I'm sure both are synonymous).
There's a lot of strategies we can use.
But there will be some pain, but it doesn't last forever. "This too shall pass" is on just about every table at every 12 Step meeting you'll find in the world.
Oh, and just to bore on, I've found dealing with my gross attachment to be quite a journey and overall - mostly in hindsight mind you - it's been a wonderfully enriching experience. I've done interesting things, met some lovely people, laughed, cried (occasionally in public and I'm a rough-tough Geordie fella) all in the name of recovery. I guess my point is to try and come towards your problem with an attitude that you're on a journey, rather than something negative that you don't really want to do. Have some fun with it and enjoy the ride.