Eating Disorders Support Group
Eating disorders are marked by an obsessive need to control the intake and/or purging of food. This community is dedicated to those struggling on the road to recovery. Join to discuss your experience with others and find support. Get advice, ask questions, and meet others who are going through similar struggles.
I am struggling with how to add new foods into my diet. I've been working on being less socially isolated, and I've been participating in some community activities and some of these activities include food...food that I would normally consider "bad" I haven't binged, but I have had a few cheese and crackers or a cookie here and there as part of the activities I've been participating in. It's so confusing because food is such a part of our culture. On the one hand it felt good to be around people and fully engaged in an activitiy, but of course later the guilt and worry about weight gain kicks in because I've eaten outside of my meal plan. Also, participating in new activities is anxiety producing for me so the desire to turn to food for comfort is very strong right now. It's just a confusing time for me right now, and I'm not sure how to manage it all.
During my healing I have worked very hard to remove the words good and bad when it comes to food choices. I am still working on this because it is deeply programmed that some foods are clearly bad and some are clearly good. But the truth is food is food. Even if you binge on something 'good' and 'healthy' weight gain is still possible.
So much of the healing process is done within our minds and rewriting all that old programming does not come easy or quickly. I am sorry I don't have a quick fix answer for you so that you can find relief from your struggles. But I do know that the more you tell yourself it is OK that you had one cookie the quicker you will actually FEEL it is OK to have one cookie.
Patience and being gentle with yourself is so important. And acknowledging every triumph even if it feels like a small one. I think you are doing great sonny - I applaud you for all your hard work.
((Hugs))
It is so hard to re-write that programming in my head, but I am working on it. It just feels so strange to allow myself the permission to eat socially and not so rigidly, but I think you are right Lucky, the more I tell myself these things are OK, than eventually they will feel ok