So I really want to get into IF, but i’ve tried it before and did not stick to it. The problem wasn’t that I couldn’t go that long without eating, rather I couldn’t STOP eating during my eating hours. I do binge eat often, and it’s very upsetting because I can’t help myself. Is there anyone who struggles with binge eating and has any advice that would help me not do that? I should add that I do not have the healthiest diet, so that definitely could add onto that binge eating and not feeling “full”.
Binge eating is the result of food addiction. The most addictive food are sweets and carbs.
I had a terrible case of binge eating disorder before, to the point that I’d look for food even if I’m already full to bursting. I’d eat something even though I don’t really enjoy the food. I just wanted to eat.
I decided to cut out sweets or anything with added sugar, and I decreased my carb intake from rice and bread. In less than a week, I no longer experienced intense craving for food. I stopped binge eating.
I can relate as I consider myself a “bored” eater. That said, I’ve been doing IF for a short period of time now and find that my stomach has shrunk and it takes less food to fill me up. I’ve also noticed that eating unhealthy foods doesn’t keep me satiated-that’s when I “think” I need to eat more. Hope this helps.
A few weeks before I started IF, I worked on reducing my sugar and bad carb intake. I was a grazer. I loved snacking. I envisioned getting healthier gut bacteria and killing off the sugar craving bacteria by eating kimchi, sauerkraut. I also realized that for IF to work for me I had to shorten my window for eating. When I officially started IF, I aimed for 18:6 and 20:4. I don’t snack. Two meals.
The one thing that helps me with binge eating is sticking with a low-carb option. I typically go full carnivore for a period of time to reset, my body and mind just stop aching to feel ‘stuffed’. I’ll slowly add little things back in but still refrain from sugary/super starchy foods.
After that, I’m basically eating only when I get hungry which is typically once a day or every other day without even thinking about it.
Ugh, yes, I understand. By the time my eating window opens up I have 4-5 different things planned, like mentally/emotionally I feel like I’m not going to get enough if I don’t borderline overdo it. My stomach is also shrinking though, like the longer I go with IF the less I’m actually able to eat. Having healthy snacks readily available helps a lot, like having roasted pumpkin seeds, blueberries, pistachios- things you can eat a lot of and not feel too bad about. I have to keep all unhealthy things just out of the house and unavailable.