some tips on food fixation and binging urges
hellooo, ive been thinking about compiling some things that have helped me get my mind off of food and overall just writing down some rant -- so here it is!
keep in mind, im not an expert and this is mostly just me babbling. im writing this as a motivation for myself, and it will probably not work for everyone, but if you find any of this stuff helpful -- my pleasure!
★ mindfulness ★
`` first of all -- ive found that that strong-urge-to-binge thing is more of a state, not a feeling. it helps me to treat it as such: a mental state, a spiral, and to come out of that spiral you can:
◌ stop!
◌ breath in, breath out. ground yourself. have that thought of "wait, what am i doing?" in the space between you and the fridge
◌ check in with your body. what position are you in? does something hurt? are you cold? are you tired? overenergized?
◌ check in with your mind. is there any buzz? are you overwhelmed?
◌ if you located the issue (eg. im tired! i want comfort! so food = comfort!) -- great! move on from there to resolving this issue in a more mindful, not-involving-food way (then i should nap, do yoga, just lie on the floor, watch comfort movie)
why are we doing that? in my opinon, its very important to train that "what am i doing" moment of conciousness, because through that you can see better why you want to binge. is it a mental thing? how can you cope without food? is it a physical feeling? an effect of restriction? how can you tweak your eating to make it better (imo, fasting does better job at managing binges than plain restriction)
you cant just showe thinspo at your face everytime you crave something, after all : )
★ activities ★
`` make something with your hands! ohh my god! i cant stress it enough, it can help you to not get fixated on thinking about food so much! it can be something easy like drawing, or you can look up something new for yourself
`` go on a walk. i know, it can be very tiring to even think about, but t does wonders at distracting you
`` yoga. very simple and very effective. or, alternatively
`` do nothing at all for a bit. just. lie down, turn off your phone, no sound, no nothing (helps if your binging urge feels overwhelming)
★ other stuff ★
`` if you havent already, try drinking coffee. it really is called an appetite supressant for a reason
`` i wasnt the one who told you that, but you can look up some gross stuff involving food.. f*eeding k*ink usually freaks me out on multiple levels for long enough to forget about food
`` test yourself and allow yourself to feel bored. put down your phone. watch a really long flm. boredom is a part of our lives, and if you teach yourself to feel it in such small portions without binging youll be so so proud of yourself
tried to keep it all low-energy friendly : ) kind of nervous to post stuff like this -- if somethings not right, please dont come at me hahaha
reblogs are very appreciated <33
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the power of self-talk in the fight against self-sabotage (for binge-eaters and ppl who have never been skinny🫶)
disclaimer: this is not proana. this is for people who struggle with binge eating as a form of self-sabotage, emotional comfort, self harm, etc. overeating can cause just as much harm physically and mentally as undereating. please be safe. now, on with the show!
weight loss, but specifically extreme weight loss, equals change. change equals discomfort, so people tend to subconsciously avoid change. this is why starting to see progress on the scale or your body can trigger the urge to self-sabotage that progress and binge eat.
for people who have been big their whole lives, that fear is heightened by the fact that being thin is completely uncharted territory. by following through, youre entering a new world that youve never navigated before. your brain might get scared, say its much too big a mountain to climb, and tell you to give up. its easier to say fuck it because for most people, unhappiness is a comfort zone. if youre used to hating your body and wanting it to change, then actually *changing* it poses a very serious threat to your comfort and the lifestyle youre used to.
questions like: "what if i reach my goal and im still unhappy/unattractive?" "what if i dont look like myself?" "what if i reach my goal, cant sustain it, and then i gain it all back and humiliate myself?" can all make someone feel anxious about succeeding in their weight loss journey. and for people with overeating issues, this is a big trigger for binge episodes.
so how do you combat this instinct to self sabotage? well, im not a psychologist so take this with a grain of salt, but for me it helps to soothe these subconscious fears and train the brain to fight these urges. self-talk and thought-correction play a HUGE role in rewiring the pathways in your brain that lead you to bingeing. truly, practice and consistency are the only things that are going to cause a big change, so stick with it !
correcting problematic thoughts *immediately* when they form is key to preventing problematic behavior in the future, and that starts with being able to identify those thoughts. the moment you catch yourself thinking about food, cut yourself off with a correction. maybe even think about food on purpose a few times to practice recognizing and correcting it.
for example, if you just ate an hour ago, chances are youre not actually hungry yet. tell yourself that as soon as you realize youre thinking about food. i like to tell myself "i dont need to eat, and im not gonna sabotage myself by eating that." by acknowledging it and calling it what it is--literally an attack, by my brain, on my own progress--i immediately attach a sense of accountability to the actions that follow. there's no deniability. its no longer a passive choice. theres no mindless eating or "i wasnt thinking about it." if i eat after acknowledging the act of eating as self-sabotage, then that is me *actively* choosing self-sabotage over self-control. accountability alone can change a lot if you let it.
what i tell myself changes depending on the situation, but i find that repeating some of these phrases throughout the day helps to fight urges in general, and certain ones help for specific cravings and situations.
below are some examples of things i tell myself that have helped me fight the urge to self sabotage. they dont all have to be true when you first say them, the point is training your brain to think a certain way. it may feel unnatural at first, but the more you say them the more natural it becomes, until eventually it becomes apart of the way you actually think and you dont have to work so hard at it. remember: consistency. is. key.
okay ill stop blabbing! here:
•i allow myself to be thin.
•i accept the change that comes with losing weight.
•i am ready to see myself differently and cope with any complicated feelings that may come with it.
•i am prepared for my body to change.
•i will deal with my wardrobe when the time comes, and im not afraid of dressing differently for my new body.
•i will adjust to my new dietary needs and appetite when i reach my goal weight. i will not always be hungry; eating less will be my new normal, and i will be okay.
•i am not afraid of being hungry.
•food does not comfort me, nor does it solve my problems or make me feel better.
•i am ready to navigate a life that looks different to the one im living now.
•i am not afraid of reaching my goal. if i do feel afraid, i am confident in my ability to work through difficult feelings and continue towards my goal.
•im not going to sabotage myself by eating that.
•i accept that people will perceive me differently, and i am ready to navigate that change.
•i am prepared to receive comments about my weight loss.
•i am not afraid of getting what i want.
•i believe i deserve what i want, and im dedicated to working towards getting it.
•i am capable of adapting to new routines and habits.
•fear is not a reason to give up, and i will continue to work even if the possibility of change makes me uneasy.
•i am prepared to face the future, even though i do not know what it looks like.
•i allow myself to make mistakes, and i will not use them as an excuse to quit.
•my long-term satisfaction is more important than what i want in this moment.
•i am in control of my actions and i am capable of resisting the urge to binge.
•i allow myself to have the body i desire.
•i allow myself to change.
•i allow my life to look different and i am not afraid to see a new person in the mirror.
•i am excited to reach my goal, and prepared to navigate any changes that come with it.
•i am ready to meet and introduce others to the new me.
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Thin Commandments:
1) If you aren't thin, you aren't attractive
2) Being thin is more important than being healthy
3) You must but clotes, cut your hair, take laxatives, anything to make yourself look thinner
4) Thou shall not eat without feeling guilty
5) Thou shall not eat fattening food withoud punishing afterwards
6) Thou shall count calories and restrict intake accordingly
7) What the scale says is the most important thing
8) Losing weight is good, gaining weight is bad
9) You can never be to thin
10) Being thin and not eating are signs of true will power and succes.
Ana's Laws:
1) Thin is beauty; therefore I must be thin, and remain thin, If I wish to be loved. Food is my ultimate enemy. I may look, and I may smell, but I may not touch!
2) I must think about food every second of every minute of every hour of every day... and ways to avoid eating it.
3) I must weigh myself, first thing, every morning, and keep that number in mind throughout the remainder of that day. Should that number be greater than it was the day before, I must fast that entire day.
4)I shall not be tempted by the enemy (food), and I shall not give into temptation should it arise. Should I be in such a weakened state and I should cave, I will feel guilty and punish myself accordingly, for I have failed her.
5) I will be thin, at all costs. It is the most important thing; nothing else matters.
6) I will devote myself to Ana. She will be with me where ever I go, keeping me in line. No one else matters; she is the only one who cares about me and who understands me. I will honor Her and make Her proud
Do not give up what you want most for what you want at the moment
This is perfection. I'll die trying to achieve it
Eat less, weight less
Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourself a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles
An imperfect body reflects an imperfect soul
Calories CAN NOT make you happy
Eat to live, don't live to eat
I only feel beautiful when I'm hungry
Hunger is a feeling. Thin is a skill
Ana, I love you to the bones
You will not stop. The pain is necessary, especially the pain of hunger. It reassures you that you are strong, can withstand anything, that you are not a slave to your body, you don’t have to give in to its whining. (from Marya Hornbacher’s Wasted)
Don't you want to be remembered as the beautiful, thin one?
Be like a postage stamp. Stick with it until you get there
Success won't just come to you. It has to be met at least half way
This has a taste all its own
Don't give up five minutes before the miracle
Sometimes I am hungry. I’m always hungry. But when I don’t eat I feel good. Pure. I feel empty and it’s wonderful. I feel so powerful. Like I could fly
Everything depends on the right action of will
Sacrifice is giving up something good for something better
Giving into food shows weakness. Be strong, and you'll be better than everyone else
It's simple, I'm not eating today
Food is the enemy, not a treat. The real deprivation is never getting to be thin
The word is "control." That's my ultimate- to have control
Of course it's hard! If it were easy, everybody would be thin
Quod me nutrit, me destruit. (That which nourishes me destroys me.)
In the body, as in sculpture, perfection is not attained when there is nothing left to add, but nothing left to take away
When you resist hunger, it means you are not a slave of your body
I do eat normally; I eat only what is necessary for survival. I can’t help it that we live in a piggish society where gluttony is the norm, and everyone else is constantly stuffing themselves
Don't do anything today that you'll regret tomorrow
When you coast without eating for a significant period of time, and you are still alive, you begin to scoff at those fools who believe they must eat to live. It is blatantly obvious to you that this is not true
Starving is an example of excellent will power
Why can't they realize my strength, how much it's taken to make so little of myself?
I want to be so thin, light, airy, that …
… when the light hits me, I don’t leave a shadow behind.
… when I walk across the snow I will not leave so much as one footprint to mar its virgin purity.
… I can dance between the raindrops in a downpour
Food hinders your progress
Bones define who we really are. Let them show
An ordinary girl,
An ordinary waist,
But ordinary just is not good enough today
Bones are clear and pure. Fat is dirty and hangs on your bones like a parasite
The difference between what you want and need is self control
Hunger hurts, but starving works
Let me be empty and weightless, and maybe I'll find some peace tonight
God gave us control. Some of us know how to use it, others don't
I had a hole in my heart, so I threw away my plate, because nothing filled it up, no matter what I ate
I'm not starving myself. I'm perfecting my emptiness
“In general, mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eat twice as much as nature requires” - Benjamin Franklin
The secret of success is the consistency to pursue
Dear fat girl, please stop binging and destroying yourself. <3 The skinny girl inside you who wants to come out
That cookie is not going to seem like such a great idea next time you're standing in front of a mirror
Keep going. It may burn, but think of how pretty you'll look
I'll ride this out. My cravings will disappear in fifteen minutes if I direct my attention elsewhere
We become like what we love
Put the food down. It's easy, you don't have to do anything.. Just do nothing
I'm not losing weight, I'm getting rid of it. I have no intention of finding it again
Think of the upcoming events that you would like to be thin for
Starvation is not pain, it's the cure
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going
My body, my choice
This is forever. I will do whatever it takes
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Tips instead of binge eating ? I need something to replace it.
Drink water, water infused with lemon or fruit, black coffee or tea in-between meals and snacks when you're bored or stressed and not actually hungry
If you need to chew on something, try some mints, gum, or a lollipop (I recommend Refresh plant-based gum and YumEarth products)
If you have the ability to engage in a distraction method, go for a walk, dance around your room, clean your home/room for a few minutes, take a shower, etc. when you have the urge to binge
Try doing activities when you need to use your hands – reading a physical book, writing something out with a pen & paper, drawing, etc. (eating while on your laptop is too easy, lol)
Engage in deep breathing to calm your nerves. Get up and shake your arms to release the stressful energy. Try to release your emotions with a conscious effort for at least 1-2 minutes before considering trying to stuff them down again with food.
Learn your hunger cues and ensure you eat when you're actually hungry. This practice – albeit difficult – will help you learn to differentiate between actual hunger and stress/emotional/boredom hunger.
Build discipline through promises to yourself not to binge for small increments of time (like powering through a 10-20 minute task) and actually follow through with it. Learning to trust yourself is a huge part of overcoming the urge to binge.
Hope this helps xx
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