Tag: health activist

Overeating, extreme hunger, binge eating |How they differ

Many people lightheartedly use the word, “Binged” when they actually mean overate.

Many in eating disorder recovery – specially restrictive eating disorders – can go through periods of extreme hunger, but they think it is binging.

Extreme hunger and binging can seem very similar, but they are very different. One could be classified as consequences/symptoms of an eating disorder, whereas the other one is classified as an eating disorder.

This post has been a long time coming, and i thought i would try to define and describe the difference in these 3 terms as well as give some tips if you are dealing with extreme hunger or binge eating right now.

Overeating:

Starting off with the simplest definition, which is overeating. Over eating is basically what you may do at buffets or at Christmas or other special occasions where there is a lot of food. Or even at dinner parties where you may eat a large dinner and feel full but still eat some cake afterwards. Basically, eating more than maybe usual or maybe you are 95% full but still eat more just because it is delicious, because it is there or because it is offered to you and you want to be polite. Typically, you may feel very full for several hours, may feel like unbuttoning your trousers and laying down for a while and give your stomach time to digest the food.

Overeating is rather normal. Some people may do it more frequently, others may just do it during special occasions or events. Typically done just because the food is there or because it is delicious.

For some people when they have “cheat days” they may be overeating.

If you overeat, the best thing is to just rest for a while, drink some water or peppermint tea. That fullness will pass and as long as it is not a daily occurunce of overeating then it is no problem. (*Note, overeating can occur at more times than just special occasions i.e such as boredom eating, stress, always eating larger portions than necessary during mealtimes… which can result in weightgain. Which for some is a NECESSARY weight gain, and for others it may not.)

Extreme hunger:

And the next is extreme hunger. So many think that extreme hunger is the same as binging… but it is not. They are two different things.

Extreme hunger is often in response to a period of undereating… it may have been conscious or unconscious undereating. It is your bodies way of finding balance… craving for food and high energy food to feel “safe” again. Also, if you have lost weight, either by choice or by accident, it is your bodies way of getting you back to your set point. The extreme hunger doesn’t last forever, but it can last a while. How long it lasts varies from person to person and situation to situation. If you have been undereating for a long time you may feel extreme hunger for a longer period of time, compared to if it may just have been a short while that you under ate due to maybe stress, hormones or other reasons.

Extreme hunger can be described as a constant or very frequent hunger. You may eat a big meal, but 1 hour alter feel super hungry again, almost like you haven’t eaten in hours. If you have been undereating, or if you are underweight then it is more than likely that your hormones are out of balance, including your hunger hormones which can be why you feel constantly hungry or never feel full. It can of course be helpful to see a doctor who specializes in hormones if they are out of balance, but remember that eating enough, having a healthy body fat percent and not overstressing can help regulate hormones (to some extent).

Typically, you are just hungry… you want to eat, you want food. There may not be any extreme or strong or specific cravings. Just hunger. During extreme hunger you may overeat, i.e eat more than your daily calorie requirements. However, this is also necessary for the extreme hunger to settle and go away. You do need to eat more…. You need to allow yourself to eat the amount your body is craving., Even if that means eating every hour.

My best suggestion when it comes to extreme hunger is to one, actually eat. Listen to your body.

And two, try to eat 5-6 meals a day minimum. Don’t eat tiny meals “just in case you eat too much” or to compensate for being so hungry. Eat large meals. No diet or light foods – eat the full fat products. And if you have any specific cravings, allow yourself to eat them… even if you should also focus on eating main meals and mostly whole foods and unprocessed foods. If you want the chocolate or donuts or crisps, eat them.

Acceptance and allowance are key. It may be a mental battle, but the hunger won’t go away if you keep trying to restrict or deprive yourself… it will just make it worse and it could infact lead to binging and binge eating. Which is what I will describe next.

Binge eating

So, binge eating is classified as an eating disorder, whereas extreme hunger can be a consequence/symptom of an eating disorder. Or a result and part of recovery from an eating disorder. And overeating is just a “normal” thing… and I mean normal in the sense that the majority of people overeat certain times in their life… even if it definitely shouldn’t be a daily thing because that can lead to weight gain for the majority of people (who may not need to gain weight. It is different if you are dealing with extreme hunger and therefore overeat but also need to gain weight… or atleast, gaining weight will help you find balance with food and eating again.).

Binge eating isn’t really about food or hunger… the binges are mostly due to mental reasons. They are often in response to anxiety, stress, emotions. The binges are a form of coping mechanism. Often there is strong cravings for specific foods… often high in calorie, fat and sugar. Or it can be certain nostalgic food that can give you a sense of comfort which can be a way to cope when stressed, anxious or dealing with a lot of emotions.

Binging is not really about the food or feeling super hungry compared to extreme hunger…. But more the feeling of eating, the rush of the sugar and calories and the dopamine the food can give. Dopamine is one of the “feel good” neurotransmittors and often that gives the person a sense of happiness/comfort/takes away the anxiety while they binge eat… but then post binge the anxiety and guilt may kick in.

However, binge eating can also be a consequence and response of extreme and long restrictive eating. Where you have restricted and deprived your body for so long, and all that is on your mind are the “forbidden foods”, and once you do eat one of those “forbidden foods”, there is no stop. An all or nothing mindset kicks in. For some they compensate, which is then classified as bulimia, whereas if you don’t compensate it is just binge eating.

Binge eating is far more serious than the other two, hence why it is an eating disorder that can be diagnosed according to certain criteria. But also, for the majority of people does require professional help to recover.

Binge eating can often be described as a lack of control… even if extreme hunger can also be described as that at times, because you just feel so hungry that you can’t stop eating. (Even if YES… with extreme hunger, you will reach a point where you don’t feel that super hunger all the time. But it does take some time for your body and hormones to reach a safe and balanced place… but eventually it stops.) Whereas with binge eating… it can continue for many years until someone eventually reaches the point where they seek professional treatment in some form, whether inpatient care, day patient or therapy or CBT for help.

On the other side, binge eating can also be seen as something “controlled” as people can plan their binges (even if the binging also then becomes something uncontrolled and unstoppable)… which is something not many people are aware of. Even if binges can happen spontaneously in response to emotions, stress, anxiety, mental state… it can also be planned binges where food is bought and planned beforehand as the binging can give a sense of comfort, peace, happiness…. But the aftermath of the binges is quite the opposite with guilt, anxiety, self-hate and disgust.

With binge eating, it is recommended to try to eat regular mealtimes throughout a day. To not reach a point where you feel starving or hangry. To eat 5-6 times a day and give your body and mind constant energy. Because binges can stem from restriction or a restrictive mindset where you have set up food rules and forbidden foods, you need to work on finding balance with all foods… not having foods you can’t eat. However, in the beginning it can be helpful to avoid having trigger foods in your house and instead eating them when you feel that you can eat them in moderation, example maybe when you are around others.

And one of the most important things with binge eating/bulimia, is that you do seek proffessional help/treatment/support to overcome it. There can be many reasons as to why you binge, but if you don’t seek help it can be an eating disorder you live with. Binge eating and bulimia is actually alot more common than anorexia, even if it does not get as much attention or awareness. And there is nothing shameful in struggling, but it is important you seek help so that you can get better and not just resort to cutting out trigger foods and binge foods so that you eat a very restrictive diet. Because that will just lead to more binging. Unfortunatly food is everywhere and just like with anorexia recovery it is not just about eating and eating the right amount for you, but about finding ways to cope around food and finding ways to eat in balance, and lastly just letting food become a part of your life but not your whole life.

I do have other posts about binge eating and binge eating recovery, so I will not write so much about tips to recover and advice for recovery in this post, instead you can check out my previous posts.

My previous posts about binge eating:

Binge eating recovery: Tips, advice, my experience: Masterpost

Dealing with extreme hunger and binges? | Nutrition advice | Masterpost

Finding balance with food – Restrictive/binging/balanced – advice

How to find balance with food and eating. Overcoming fear foods.

Why diets don’t work

With binge eating, a person often eats far beyond their fullness and to the point of extreme fullness at times. There is most often not a physical hunger than drives the binges – even if at times it may begin with physical hunger but then results in a binge if a person feels triggered or an “all or nothing” mindset kicks in. With extreme hunger, you may overeat but it most often doesn’t reach a point of extreme fullness.

As mentioned earlier… the difference between bulimia and binge eating is that when you have bulimia you may restrict, binge, compensate and repeat. And the form of compensation can vary, whereas with binge eating it is often just binging without any form of compensation.

Lastly, what qualifies as a binge? Well, eating very large and abnormal quantities of food. Amounts of food you wouldn’t eat when around others or portions you know are far bigger than is necessary or normal. I.e such as eating whole packages of bread, cereal, whole boxes of food etc So eating an extra slice of cake for dessert or accidently eating a whole package (one of those roll form ones) of oreos isn’t the same as a binge, where the binge eating can continue for hours at a time and abnormal quantities of food eaten in a “short” period of time.

So, with this…. I hope I have helped bring some awareness to the three different terms. Many in anorexia recovery can find it hard to know whether they are going through extreme hunger or have developed binge eating. But typically, I would say it is just extreme hunger and the best thing you can do is ALLOW YOURSELF TO EAT with no compensation or restriction.

Of course, it is hard to define exactly extreme hunger vs binge eating, but i would say that the person knows themselves – after a while whether it is binge eating or just an extreme hunger.

However, it is important to note that binge eating is one of the most common eating disorders and many in anorexia recovery can end up with bulimia or binge eating if they continue to restrict and deprive themselves even in recovery. I.e continuing to have fearfoods and still eating the lowest amount possible, that strong restriction can kick over into binge eating as a response to the restriction and your body just wanting lots of calories and energy.

I hope you found this post helpful, and if you know anyone else who may benefit from reading this post… send it their way 😊

If you want me to write more about one of these topics or give advice regarding one of them, just comment and let me know.

Or if you have any other post suggestions for me, you are always welcome to let me know.

More posts/articles relevant to this subject:

Extreme hunger: part1 – what is it?

Extreme hunger: part 2 – the experience and science

Hormones and binge eating disorder

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Good food = good mood | Listening to your body | Perfect diet and balanced intake?

Sometimes i think i give off the image that i have a “perfect, balanced diet and intake”….. Or maybe i don’t. But i think i can give off the image that i always eat vegetables, always have balanced meals and always listen to my body… which isn’t always the case.

I mean, if listening to your body was easy, then everyone would do it. But it is not always easy to listen to your body or interpret your signals. 

Sometimes tiredness can be interpreted as hungry so you eat something instead of actually going to sleep. Sometimes (or quite often) i can eat just out of boredom. Sometimes i drink coffee instead of eating (or sleeping) (but then realise it is food or sleep i needed, not caffeine). Sometimes i eat more food than my body may call for, just because it is delicious. When i am stressed or anxious or nervous i can feel too sick to eat or lose my appetite and not eat because i don’t feel hungry, and sometimes the stress can lead to stress eating. I follow my cravings and try to listen to my body and eat regular meals but listening to (my) your body and interpreting the signals isn’t always easy. It is not just the body and hormones that send physical signs, but the mind also plays a role in hunger and what you eat.

 

 

The truth is i don’t always have a perfectly balanced diet, i am just like anyone else and can have days i overeat or days where i undereat. I can have days where i eat lots of processed food with little to no vegetables all day.

Of course, in a way you could see that the ability to overeat and not feel guilty or compensate is a sign of health and balance. But also the ability to eat less than usual when i am not hungry and not feel like i “Have to eat”, like i once did in the past when recovering from my eating disorder.

I am writing this post just to be honest. Listening to your body sometimes means you overeat or undereat. Sometimes you think you are listening to your body but you aren’t actually because there are different thoughts that are interfering with the physical signs/how you eat.

Some people can’t listen to their body, especially if hormones and hunger signals aren’t working as they should. Whether it is because you never feel hungry or you never feel full. Or maybe you have a far too negative relationship with food so you don’t trust your body or can’t judge right portion sizes. Or maybe you are going through very stressful times or feel very anxious or worried which affects your hunger signals. Or maybe you need to gain or lose weight which means you need to eat more/less than your body signals for. Or maybe you are taking medication that affects your hunger levels.

In all those cases, then maybe following a meal plan or more strict form of eating (i.e eating at certain times and having certain meals planed and measured) can be helpful, instead of just eating whenever and how much you want.

The one thing i have realised throughout my years is that regular meals with focus on “whole foods” is what makes me feel best – physically and mentally. Food and eating impacts so much more than just giving you a satiated feeling. It impacts your thoughts, your energy, how you feel. The food you eat becomes the building blocks in your body and part of your cells.

 

 

For me personally, whenever i go through times when i don’t really listen to my body and maybe i overeat/eat lots of processed food, or times when i undereat it always impacts me in different ways. More tired, sluggish, don’t feel as great about myself, end up bloating and getting stomach pain. Not to mention it usually impacts my skin as well if i consume too much of certain food . Such as the times i end up consuming a little too much sweetener ex. i.e i add sweetener to yoghurt/chia pudding or drink too much diet soda, it gives me this weird feeling and i don’t feel so great in my body/ in myself after a while. So it is not just eating too much chocolate or bread or overeating, but also consuming too much sweetener and “low kcal/sugar free” foods that can give me that strange, not so great feeling.

 

 

The times i eat regular meal times with predominantly whole foods (i.e vegetables, grains, tofu, legumes, nuts) is when i feel best. Nourishing my body with frequent/regular meals is when i feel best physically and mentally. And when i listen to my body, that is naturally how i eat.

The quote, good food = good mood really is true. (I hate the term “good”, “clean”, “bad” “healthy”, “unhealthy” when it comes to describing food because no food is good/bad/healthy/unhealthy.. it is all about the amount you eat, not to mention it is very individual on what is healthy or unhealthy. There is food which has more nutrients than other foods, but that doesn’t meant the food with less nutrients has to be bad… it is about the amount you eat.)

I like to eat rather big meals 2-3 times a day, and usually some smaller snack 1-2 times a day depending on life/if i am hungry or not. Sometimes 2-3 meals a day with no snacks works, othertimes i am more hungry and want to snack.

Why am i writing this post…? Well because i wanted to share with you that normal eating and listening to your body isn’t always perfect. We are just humans and our thoughts, cravings, feelings impact how we eat… not just the physical hunger signals. Even things like what others are eating, ads we see in our daily lives impact how we eat. Example if you are with friends or family and they eat or buy some food, you are more likely to eat as well even if you aren’t hungry. Or if you see an ad for some new food you want to try, or maybe you smell freshly baked buns or bread you might go buy and eat some even if you weren’t actually hungry…. that’s called being a human.

Food is more than just energy and nourishment. Food can give you a good/happy feeling, it is a social thing, it is delicious and can make you want to eat more.

The problem of course is when people begin to abuse food and rely on food to make them happy, such as emotional eating – when food and eating gives them a calm or happy feeling.

I really hope this post helps someone and makes you realise that a perfect diet or a healthy diet isn’t always eating the same meals at the same time each day. A balanced and healthy diet can sometimes mean that you eat more or eat less than your body calls for – even if that of course shouldn’t be the goal. The thing is to not feel anxious or guilty if you do overeat, instead just get back to your regular meals the next time you eat.

Also remember, that people only post some of their meals online, i don’t post all the meals i eat and don’t post about the times i undereat or overeat, so don’t base your own intake off of what people show online because you never really know how a person eats.

 

 

 

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Signs of stress/burn out

One of the first signs that i am overworked and stressed is being constantly tired. Being able to drink 3 large cups of coffee in one go and still feeling exhausted.

Also memory loss. I would say i have rather good memory, but when i am very stressed i can begin to forget ALOT of things. I can leave keys and cards everywhere, forget about important dates and just simple things i forget completely. Infact i have very little memory from the years that i was depressed and struggled with my eating disorder.. some of it may be repressed memeories as it was very traumatic, but i was in a blur and i wasn’t giving my mind enough energy so i don’t have alot of memory. Only when i look back on certain pictures or previous posts that it can respark a memory i had forgotten… i kind of see this as a good thing though, there is alot from those years that i DON’T want to remember.

Sleep problems – meaning both finding it hard to sleep and then sleeping in until 10 or 11am. When i am feeling relaxed and not suffering from stress or anxiety then i naturally go to sleep around 11pm and wake up at 6 or 7am without an alarm and i feel energized. But when i am not feeling healthy, then i can be awake until 2-4am and either wake up at 7am or wake up at 11am. And somedays i’ll end up sleeping 12-14 hours straight and still feel like i have been run over by a bus.

The simplest of things can feel like too much. When i am very stressed or anxious i almost want to cry because i have obligatory lextures or seminars and i just can’t find the energy to go to school or leave the house.

I don’t workout or go to the gym. When i am stressed, anxious or overwhelmed i can’t find the energy or motivation to go to the gym, so either i just don’t workout or i go out for a short walk to get fresh air. The gym is a form of therapy and anxiety relief, but when i am stressed or very anxious it takes far too much time and energy to get myself to the gym and working out… not to mention that my normal weights feel soo heavy and a 30 minute walk can make me want to lie on the ground and refuse to ever get up. Might sound extreme, but it is my bodies way of signalling just how tired and burned out i am… that just the bare physical movement takes so much energy. My whole body feels heavy and like my brain is in a fog.

Which brings me to the next sign/symptom… brain fog. I can’t think clearly and i can end up saying weird things because i can’t seem to formulate myself… not to mention trying to write essays or formulate myself properly in text can be extremely hard. Which is one of the reasons i don’t blog when i am very stressed, anxious or feeling overwhelmed because i just can’t think straight. I don’t feel inspired to write, have no creativity and when i do try to write it can take me 2-3 hours to try to write a post because i can’t seem to formulate myself in text.

Also irritability and moodswings. The smallest of things can irritate me and i just get this inner angriness and feel irritable at everything. I am a very calm person and it takes alot to irritate me, usually i don’t care… but when i am already feeling stressed and overworked the smallest of things can be too much.

Distancing myself, this has alot to do with the lack of energy i feel. I don’t have the energy to meet people or socialize, i don’t have the energy to go to school and don’t have the energy to reåly to messages. Infact, online conversations can give me even more anxiety when i am already feeling overwhelmed… just the thought of having to reply to people and try to hold a conversation is one of the reasons i don’t reply, because i don’t want the person to answer – so it is easier to just not reply.

 

I remember when i was very depressed, this was just my normal state… always tired, sleeping problems, memory problems, couldn’t think clearly, brain fog, my body felt so heavy and tired and i could barely do half of my normal workout or normal weights because i felt so tired physically and mentally.

These symptoms and signs are NOT normal. Brain fog, memoryloss, extreme tiredness mentally and physically, sleeping problems…. they are signs that something isn’t right. They can of course be signs of other problems which can be physical, such as certain food allergies can give these types of symptoms and other issues. So if you are suffering from some of these symptoms, do seek help and talk to someone.

Image result for signs of burnout

For me, the only thing i need to do is rest. To destress and then i begin to feel more like myself again, but it can take weeks to fully recover mentally. Burnout and stress don’t just happen overnight, it is a process that happens over a longer period of time and the signs start slowly appearing and you don’t really register them until it’s too late.

Take time to rest mentally and physically each week. (post about importance of mental rest days HERE)

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Dealing with low self esteem & 6 tips to increase self esteem

Self esteem defined as:

self esteem

 

Recently i have been reminded of how low self esteem i actually have…. how much it holds me back in life.

I don’t believe in myself or my capabilities. I always talk down about myself and my capabilities. Constantly say and think, i am not good enough, i can’t do it, someone else is better. Instead of giving myself reasons why i can succeed and why i am good at what i do or want to do, i instead give myself 100 reasons why i amn’t good enough and why i can’t and won’t succeed.

It is tiring to not be able to lift myself or my talents. To always feel like i am not good enough and everyone is better. It stops me from even trying because i always think, i won’t succeed and someone else out there can do it better than me.

It stops me from starting new projects. It stops me from applying to jobs. It stops me from trying new things.

This is not how i want to live my life. I want to start believing in myself. In someone compliments me i want to believe them and say thank you, not just want to hide and think they are lying.

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I want to believe in myself and stop holding myself back.

My low self esteem issues aren’t something new, i have had them almost all my life (or as far as i can remember anyway) so it is not going to take a week to solve my self esteem issues. It will be a daily thing, and to work on my self esteem… begin to lift myself, my capabilities and talents and stop holding myself back.

I must admit i am also scared of failing…… sometimes i don’t try things or i hold myself back because then i won’t have to deal with being bad or failing at something. But you know what… mistakes help you grow. You learn from mistakes. And someone who has failed and learnt and grown has so much more experience and knowledge compared to someone who never tries or always plays it safe.

You can’t always be good at everything, but you can learn, grow and get better – and that is my goal. To not be scared of failing.

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So how do you improve self esteem? Well, if i knew this i wouldn’t have self esteem issues, hahah. But the things i am going to work on are….

  1. Not compare myself. I don’t compare myself physically with others, but i do compare my talents and achievements with others. Constantly thinking others are better and more talented than me. Thinking that everyone else can achieve their goals but i can’t….. it is tiring to think this way. (Because the truth is, we can all achieve our goals! And i know this…. but i just always feel like i can’t achieve my own goals.)
  2. To not be scared to try new things or scared to fail. Begin to say yes…. who cares if i amn’t good at it, i will learn and get better, if not…. it will be a learning experience. I don’t have to be good at everything. Begin to say yes to more experiences…. if i get offers or opportunities, don’t say no just because i think i amn’t good enough… instead see it as a learning process.
  3. Stop trying to be perfect and have everything be perfect. I am a  perfectionist in some areas of my life…. not all areas, just when it comes to work and school work. And this of course can be a good thing, but at times it just makes a short process take even longer and i never feel satisfied because i feel like i could always do better. I am beginning to just settle at doing good enough…. not everything can be perfect and it doesn’t have to be either.
  4. Begin to believe in myself and the compliments i am given. If someone says i am smart – believe them. Also believe in myself…. In the past – during my recovery – i began to say nice things about myself everyday, or at least every week. To improve my self image and self esteem ,but over the years i have stopped doing this regularly. But now i want to get back to saying nice things about myself daily… to lift myself and my capabilities. To begin to believe in myself and what i can achieve. To believe i can reach my goals and not find 100 reasons why i can’t or why i shouldn’t even try.
  5. I want to stop being critical of myself and finding flaws.Once again – remind myself i am good enough and can achieve the goals i have set for myself.
  6. Change negative/belittling thoughts to more positive and uplifting ones. Instead of thinking that i amn’t good enough and won’t succeed, change those thoughts to reasons why i CAN succeed and why i AM good enough.

 

A daily mantra of: I am good enough. I can succeed. I will succeed. I can and i will.

It will be an everyday process… slowly but surely focusing on changing my mindset and thoughts. Improving my self esteem! This will hopefully stop me from doubting myself so much and begin to “Just do it”. Not hold myself back so much in life!

If you struggle with low self esteem, i suggest you join in on this and focus on some of the things i listed above as well. Or maybe you have other suggestions and tips which i can try and focus on to improve my self esteem 🙂

Let’s get more confident and begin to believe in ourselves and work hard towards our goals so we can and will succeed… but most importantly, not be scared to try or fail either – it is a learning experience!

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Does your life only revolve around food? Too much focus on food

Does your whole life revolve around food?

Social media around food –  taking pictures of food, posting pictures of food, following other food acounts on social media, writing posts around food, studying nutrition, giving advice about nutrition/food, watch some youtube recipe videos, listen to podcasts that sometimes are about nutrition, read articles about the latest research within nutrition, going to work with health coaching and nutrition advice……

(And then of course the basics such as actually having to buy my own food, cooking my own food and at times finding recipes for new food i want to try)

I had a conversation with my step dad when i was at home during Christmas and he mentioned how much food focus was in my life, compared to other anyway. This i am already aware of, most normal people don’t photograph their food…. not unlesss it is something extraordinary or fancy, not their everyday lunch! Most people get their nutrition advice from TV programs or from health magazines – they don’t read the latest articles within nutrition or study it at university. Most non-foodie people don’t have social media that is about food and nutrition (and veganism!).

Alot of my life does revolve around food… or, how it looks from online anyway. That is because food is the niche and theme i have choosen in my social media… example, if i had choosen more of a workout/exercise niche or a lifestyle niche it would be less food focus.

My life doesn’t only revolve around food, infact… i try to focus very little on food (as much as is possible, regarding i both study and sort of work with it.) I watch series and youtube that isn’t about food, on occasion i might watch some random food challenges or what i eat in a day – i do however follow some vegan recipe youtubers for inspiration. I do try to take pauses from food focus because i know it can become an unhealthy obsession.

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Personally, i feel very balanced in my life and with the different areas in my life. Example, i know the nutrition advice and guidelines but i dont follow them strictly… infact i just eat intuitively and that works well. I don’t count how many fruits i have a day, or lack there of somedays! I don’t count calories or nutrients, i just eat. Many get become negatively affected when they begin to learn more about nutrition, but i personally haven’t been negatively affected, i still eat saturated fat and sugar even if the recommendation is to keep the intake low/minimal.

And with social media around food…. On my blog, i.e here, i do try to balance the nutrition posts with vegan posts and lifestyle posts to show that i do more and have other things in my life than food. On my instagram i try to show stories which aren’t just revolved around food as the theme i have choosen on my page is just food and i plan to stick to that theme until i get tired of it or want to expand, and have no plans on starting a second lifestyle or other themed account….. not now anyway.

I think it can be important to take a look at how much focus you are putting on food everyday. Especially if you have had an eating disorder in the past life myself. In the past i was obsessed with food, all my thoughts were on food but then it was in a destructive way such as how to avoid eating, how to make it looked like i had eaten when i hadn’t, how to hide food, which food was the lowest in calorie, what should i eat when i finally allow myself to eat, what food i really wanted but would never allow myself to eat…. not to mention that i was always watching dieting shows, counting calories, counting calories of what other people ate, looking at the nutritional information of different products in stores and worrying about how to compensate if i was forced to eat…. it was obsessive and destructive, it wasn’t something fun and i could never turn off those thoughts or food obsessed thoughts.

If you find yourself having obsessive thoughts about food i will link some posts about food obsession/spending your day waiting until your next meal etc from my old blog .

It is important to find balance and for now, i feel balanced in my life. There is a large focus on food i do admit that and from the outside it can look like too much .But i have so many other thoughts in my mind that food really doesn’t take up much time or thought as you would think!!

Less focus on food

How to focus less on food (food obsession)

Always thinking about food – eating disorder recovery

Will the thoughts ever go away & always thinking about food

Spending your whole day just waiting/thinking about your next meal

Focusing too much on food

 

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