I’m embarrassed to admit it, but for years I struggled with binge eating.
When others were around me, I would eat healthy, normal-looking meals, but when I was by myself I would gorge on junk food until I felt sick. It was a heavy secret to keep, affecting not only my weight and overall health, but also my social life and relationships. (Some nights I would rather stay home and secretly eat than hang out with my family or friends.)
Today I want to share some of the steps I took to finally stop binge eating, in the hopes that it might help someone else out there who might be struggling, too.
Disclaimer: If you are feeling suicidal, severely depressed, or in need of medical attention, please see a licensed health care provider. This website is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.
What Causes Binge Eating?
I don’t believe there is a just one answer as to what causes people start binge eating, but it seems that one common cause is having a restricted diet at some point in your life.
This could have happened when you were a child, if well-meaning parents attempted to limit your food intake to help prevent childhood obesity, or it might have happened later in life, when you attempted to diet to lose weight. (In my case, it was the latter.)
Not surprisingly, depression can also play a role in binge eating. My suffering hit its peak when I was working from home in Los Angeles, as I felt very isolated and didn’t have a lot of human interaction each day. I also had a nutritionally poor diet, which probably contributed to those feelings of depression, and that left me feeling malnourished. This combination led to more serious bouts of binge eating like you’ll see below.
What is Considered Binge Eating?
Binge eating is defined as the consumption of a large quantity of food in a short period of time. In many cases, the person binge eating feels out of control and eats WAY past their comfort level. For a person suffering from Binge Eating Disorder, there is no purging after the binge (which is what makes it different from Bulimia.)
I would imagine that almost everyone has experienced some level emotional eating, or comfort eating, at some point in his or her life, but it’s the eating far past your comfort level or feeling out of control that sets binge eating apart from simply “splurging.”
A binge can vary from person to person, as it’s kind of up to self-interpretation. For some, they may tend to binge eat at night, after a stressful day at work or after a day of a low-calorie dieting. For others, it maybe a full day of binge eating, particularly on days leading up to starting a strict diet. One thing that most binges have in common is that the eating is done in secret, as the person is ashamed of his or her actions.
Here’s an example of what a full day of secret binge eating looked like for me:
- Morning: I’d go to McDonald’s and order an Extra Value Meal (which included a breakfast biscuit and hash browns), then realize that I could even be more indulgent and order a second meal. I’d order two cinnamon rolls, as well, because why not. I took my massive amount of food home and devoured it all in about 15-20 minutes. After that I would feel slightly guilty, but still excited to eat more food.
- Afternoon: I’d order a large, deep-dish pizza. While I was waiting for it to be delivered, I’d eat cookies and potato chips, and anything else that might might be off-limits to me in the near future.
- Early Evening: This was often my last chance to eat something before someone else could get home and interrupt my secret eating, so I’d walk to the convenience store across the street and buy a pint of ice cream, or a king size candy bar, or both. I’d eat as much as I could, then I’d get rid of ALL of the evidence, taking out the trash so that no one would see my empty food wrappers.
- Evening: I’d make myself a light salad or healthy dinner to eat in front of my family, and act as if my stomach wasn’t killing me, even though I felt miserable. I’d go to bed feeling guilty, depressed, and ashamed, with a resolution to eat “perfectly” the next day.
A binge day like this would usually occur anytime that I was planning to try a super-strict diet, like a juice fast, an all-raw diet, a candida cleanse, or a low-carb protocol (I tried it all!). The more strict my diet, the more drastic the binge would be.
Also, my binges rarely were contained to just one day. Usually I would binge-eat like that one to three times a week. If I slipped-up during a dieting day, the rest of that day would turn into a binge because the way I saw it, I had already “blown it” for the day and I might as well start fresh tomorrow.
Mentally, I remember reasoning with myself that I would have a better “before” picture to compare to later when I lost weight after my diet, since I’d be so bloated from binge-eating. (What I a great excuse to eat with reckless abandon!) The only problem was… it was really hard to stop binge-eating, and it was even harder to stick to a strict diet for very long.
On a side note, days like this one would also wreak havoc on my budget. I was too ashamed to keep these “bad” foods in my fridge, so I would buy them and discard the evidence, which is a huge waste across the board. You would think that being on an insanely-tight budget would have stopped me at the time, but it didn’t.
Binge eating, in general, doesn’t make logical sense, which is why it’s so hard to explain it to others who haven’t experienced it.
Stuck In A Cycle of Yo-Yo Dieting
I suffered through this cycle for years because I was always convinced that if I could just find the perfect diet, or reach a certain goal weight or clothing size, that my issues would go away. I wouldn’t stop dieting, and therefore I couldn’t stop binge eating, either.
I also felt like I was “getting away with it” because I never gained THAT much weight, despite my crazy eating habits. I definitely did gain weight, and my clothing size did fluctuate often, but I would always follow a super-strict diet for 2 to 4 weeks and lose the weight again. (Though, this did get harder to maintain overtime. Your body won’t always respond as well to the same diet over and over again.)
Then the cycle would start all over again. I was stuck in a cycle of yo-yo dieting.
How I Finally Stopped Binge Eating
I’d love to say there was a “magic cure” that made things click, but it didn’t happen overnight. For me, the change was more gradual.
By taking the steps below, my binge eating sessions became shorter and less severe, and happened far less frequently. Eventually, they started to simply resemble the dietary “splurges” that normal people have. (Like having a couple cookies after family dinner, or going out for ice cream with friends.) Now, I eat like a healthy, normal person with a few splurges here and there.
The following things helped me get there:
- I stopped dieting. This was a non-negotiable step for me. I had to stop restricting my food choices, because restriction led me to binge-eating. Every. Single. Time. No more calorie counting or thinking about macronutrients for me. In fact, I needed to make sure I was eating plenty of nourishing food so that my body didn’t feel restricted at all. When you eat enough, your cravings really do diminish naturally. (This is also why I urge people to enjoy plenty of fresh fruit— when I eat fruit, I have almost no sugar cravings.)
- I stopped labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” This one is tricky, because I truly do believe that some foods are better and more nutritious than others. I absolutely think we should primarily focus on eating real, whole foods as much as possible, and I do think that processed foods should be minimized. However, for the sake of my mental health, I don’t feel guilty about moments when I wanted to eat french fries, pizza, or a real donut. It really is okay to eat these things every now and then, and when I don’t feel guilty about it, I go right back to eating salads, smoothies, and healthy dinners– usually appreciating how good they make me feel even more. I try to practice this mentality with my kids, too, so they don’t grow up with issues around food.
- I dropped all of my dietary labels. Along the same lines, I also decided to stop calling myself a vegetarian, because it was not doing me any favors from a mental health perspective. I needed to be allowed to eat any food I wanted, including meat. For the most part, I still don’t like to eat meat– but every now and then I want to be able to have a cheeseburger, or slice of pepperoni pizza, or a bowl of chicken soup, without feeling guilty about it. (Had I become a vegetarian for strong ethical reasons, i don’t think this would have been as much of an issue, but I became a vegetarian primarily because I wasn’t that fond of meat.)
- I started practicing daily self care. Have you heard the phrase, “fake it until you make it?” Even if you’re not totally happy with how your body looks or feels, you have to start acting like you LOVE it. With enough practice, you will! To get started, I made a list of things that make me feel good– like dry skin brushing, sitting in a sauna, going for a walk outdoors, or even taking a nap– and then I tried to practice one or more of those things on a daily basis. I’ve found that the more I take care of myself, the more I want to keep it up. It’s momentum building! (As an added bonus, taking a walk outside makes me feel better than eating a whole sleeve of cookies.)
- I only eat food that I truly love. I think it’s really important to start noticing how foods make you feel and what you actually love the taste of. When I stopped dieting, I let myself eat anything and everything– including fast food and junk food. And you know what I realized? Most of that junk food appealed to me because I had made it “forbidden.” When you tell yourself you can’t have something, you make that very thing SO MUCH MORE tempting. When I stopped making certain foods forbidden, I had the opportunity to judge those foods based on their actual taste and texture. Not surprisingly, most of the packaged junk food and fast food options became totally unappealing to me, simply because the recipes I make at home really do taste better– so now I choose homemade food most of the time, because I prefer it. (Not because I feel like I have to.)
Seek Professional Counseling: I was too embarrassed (and broke) to seek professional help at the time, but I still wish I would have seen a counselor for help. I’d recommend anyone who is struggling with binge eating, or another eating disorder, to seek help as soon as possible. I think it would have saved me a lot of time and struggle to have a professional guide me through the recovery process, since really none of my friends or family could relate to what I was going through.
As an alternative, I did read a lot of books. I can’t say that one book in particular gave me an “a-ha moment,” but I do think that as a whole, they helped gradually change my mindset. Here are a few of the books I found helpful.
Can you stop binge eating AND lose weight?
I think the scariest part of this whole process was the fact that I had to stop dieting in order to stop binge eating. It’s scary to stop dieting, because I think everyone assumes that they might gain weight when they let themselves eat whatever they want. (And often the desire to lose weight is what starts this cycle in the first place.)
The truth is, you might gain a couple of pounds when you first allow yourself to eat whatever you want… though, that wasn’t the case for me.
Because I truly let myself eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, I was also able to stop eating those items when I was no longer enjoying them. Forbidden foods lose their appeal when you truly allow yourself to have them anytime.
For example, when I was dieting and binge eating, I could have eaten a whole sleeve or two of cookies in one day because I knew I wouldn’t be “allowed” to eat them the next day. I ate more than I needed or even wanted to, simply because they were going to be forbidden to me soon.
When I gave myself permission to eat those cookies whenever I wanted, I would only eat 2 or 3 cookies at a time and then I’d save the rest for the next time I wanted them. Eventually the box could sit in my pantry for a whole month or more. I became one of those people who “forgot” that the cookies were even there. (Which certainly never happened to me before!)
Get Rid of the “All or Nothing” Mentality
Something that I preach here on the blog, as well as in my cookbooks, is that you have to get rid of the “all or nothing” mentality if you want to have a healthy relationship with food. At the peak of my binge eating, I was either on a diet or I wasn’t– so when I wasn’t dieting, I was binge eating. There was no middle ground.
Now, I try to abide by the popular 80/20 approach, where I eat healthy 80% of the time, but I still splurge 20% of the time with no guilt whatsoever. Despite my lack of dieting, my body naturally lost the excess weight I was carrying– simply because I wasn’t binge eating anymore! I had to trust the process, and trust that my body would naturally start craving what it really needed when I simply followed my hunger signals. I eat when I’m hungry, and when I start to feel full, I stop. I can always go back for more food if I need it, so there’s no urge to stuff my face all at once.
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While it’s super-embarrassing to share my personal struggles here in such a public space (Hi, Mom! Hello, coworkers!), I hope that my experience will help at least one other person who is out there struggling, too.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
I had severe, life-altering bulimia (off and on) for decades, and truly thought it was a matter of (lack of) willpower, (lack of) mind over matter. The turning point for me was eliminating STEVIA. I had been using Stevia (In the white powder form) for years after switching from Splenda, after switching from Sweet and Low, as Stevia was supposed to be healthy, natural, etc. My need to binge literally disappeared overnight. It truly felt like a miracle, and showed me that it’s NOT just a matter of getting your mind ‘right’; body biochemistry MATTERS. And BTW, Megan, it was your post on stopping Stevia that was the impetus. It was very hard to give up Stevia, even knowing its effect on me, but it was so worth it. I offer this in the hope that it may help someone else struggling.
Betsy,did you switch to a different sweetner or eliminate it?
I’ve never heard about this … I switched to Stevia when I started Keto two years ago. Stevia’s made you binge more, you’ve found?
Thank you so much, Megan. I can relate and have shared these struggles for as long as I can remember, and I’m 46. I want a healthy perspective and don’t want to pass my issues on to my girls. I am grateful for your bravery, honesty, openness, and the fact that your story has led you to this work. It truly helps.
Thank you for writing such a personal story. I’m reading this in tears, recognizing myself. I hide in my pantry eating as much food as possible before my four year old or husband can see me. I am guilty of restrictive dieting and suffer from the idea that if I don’t eat, even if I’m not hungry, I’ll become ill again – like I did in high school over 25 years ago. This post is so helpful, I “know” most of your advice – but reading about someone else so candid about it makes it settle in – if that make sense. Again, thank you
thank you for writing this article. As someone who suffers from Bulimia Nervosa it is an unintended consequence of “eating clean” constantly which in itself is an eating disorder. We all want to be healthy, but it becomes unhealthy when we group foods into good and bad categories. That’s when it can all start to unravel. Instead why not put foods in “good” and “on a special occasion” category? It’s something that takes a long time to learn and even longer to break the habit. I still can’t have cereal, bread, cookies or even dates and raisins in my house because I’d binge on it. But it’s a learning process but i’m glad there are others out there to support you.
I love your idea of putting foods into the categories of good and on special occasion. I teach elementary school and a unit I had to teach this fall about about nutrition. Having just started to eat more healthy and go to the gym I love this unit but still struggled with the labels of “healthy” and “unhealthy”. Next time this unit rolls around I will use the titles “healthy” and “special occasions”
Thanks so much for writing this! I’ve struggled with binge eating since college and I find that it always comes along with a feeling of lack of control over other aspects of my life. I remember going to McDonald’s or Burger King for an “afternoon meal” in college, as in a full on value meal for a snack. My roommates had no idea, I ate normally in front of them! I still struggle with this as an adult, although it will be for much shorter periods of time. Thanks again for sharing.
Wonderful post, Megan! Thank you for sharing such a personal struggle. I’ve been a fan of yours for many years. I was wondering how you manage self care now as a mom of young children. I have a three year old daughter and a full time job, I find that it’s much harder for me to find non-food ways to treat myself since my personal time is almost non-existent now. I try to enjoy bubble baths together and things like that, but it’s usually more work with a toddler than it is relaxation for me. I know you’re busy too, what do you do these days?
Wow. This is literally me to a T. I almost want to cry, I didn’t know anyone else did this. I eat and eat and eat and dispose of the remains before my husband gets home and then we eat a smoothie or salad. I’m a raw vegan or I eat an entire box of Oreos.. I never knew this could be considered an eating disorder…
Before my husband and I were married we would only see each other on the weekends. I would only eat fruit and vegetables (literally) all week so we could eat junk together on the weekend.
I know you don’t care about this but I’m just kind of realizing that this is a real problem and not just my problem!!
I’m going to look into those books you mentioned and I’m actually in the middle of cleaning out my pantry right now.
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Point is, thank you for sharing. I think this was sent from heaven.
Hey!
Thanks so much for sharing
I am sure you will help a lot of people that way…
And there is something I myself wanted to ask since you mentioned that parents could possibly push their child into that direction.
My girl will turn 3 soon and she has what we think a huge appetite but I am concerned by her behavior toward food.
She often eats more than my husband or I if we don’t stop her.
We believe her portion are healthy for her size and age.
She is vegan and I make sure she is offered plenty of varied food
but she always asks for more or go to the fridge during the day or she thinks of what she is going to have next before she even finished her plate for e.g.
What are your thoughts on that?
Just for information our daughter was breast fed until 2 and was having as much food as she wanted when she was self weaning as we believed she would know when she was full (but this does NOT seem to apply anymore ..)
Hope you can help me on that one.
Thank you very much
Have you considered that your daughter may be missing something in her diet. She may be seeking what she’s missing by eating more. You may want to consider adding free range eggs or raw milk to see if it helps. While a vegan diet may work for you and your husband, your daughter’s biology may be different.
All parents who have concerns about what their children or eating or how much should read Ellyn Satter’s book. She is a researcher and is right on the ball with kids and eating.
I literally am in tears here. THANK YOU for your honesty, it was like you were describing me. I live in hope of coming out of the other side. Thank you.
Thank you for your candid account. I’m in tears here, I feel like I’m not alone, and I’m not a bad greedy person. I live in hope of coming out of this phase of my life in the same positive healthy way you have. Thank you.
I LOVE this and totally could have written it myself. Thank you for sharing – I have no doubt that it will help people.
Megan thank you so much for sharing this. I have struggled with binge eating and bulimia in the past and all of the things that helped you helped me too. It’s always so important to be reminded that we are not alone. It’s the stigma and embarrassment that fuel the eating disorder, so posts like yours are really critical. I think the takeaway is to stop restricting and start enjoying food so that it doesn’t take over your life. Kudos to you for figuring out what you needed to do to start honoring your body. It’s not easy! The guidelines that you provide here for overcoming BED (and eating disorders in general) are supremely helpful and a great resource for all of us.
Megan: thank you for the transparent. That took a lot of courage.
I understand how to deal with overeating from a more practical standpoint
Thanks again!
Great post. Kind of synchronistic. I was a binge eater in my twenties but didn’t recognize it for what is was at the time. I thought about it today for the first time in year and then I read your blog. My mother made desserts forbidden so when I left home at a very young age, I grabbed the chance to eat entire Sara Lee cakes and quarts of ice cream only to resolve to start dieting, an endless cycle. Of course I felt sick. I am now in my sixties. It took a few decades to come to terms with food and be more relaxed about it. Now my palate has changed and I gravitate to a very healthy way of eating and a good weight. Thank you for sharing this. Love and have your cookbooks.
Best post ever!!! I’m in recovery myself and it’s nice to know I’m not alone!
Thank you for having the courage to share your story. I’m 57 and wonder if I will ever stop obsessing about what and when to eat. When I was on a particular antidepressant, I did stop thinking about food which makes me think that there is something about brain chemistry that is in control of this. Knowing that does take some of the guilt and shame away. I’m no longer depressed and don’t want to be on medication so that’s not a solution. Some of your ways to heal ring true for me and have worked before for me. Thank you for the reminder. I hope you have continued success in your journey.
Thank you so much for this post! You are so brave to open up…I am impressed and grateful. I have felt crazy for my binge eating and thought I was the only person experiencing this. Your experience sounds just like me! Again, thank you!
What a great article…thank you for sharing. I am guilty of being obsessed with “super healthy eating” and the all or nothing mentality really gets us nowhere. Feeding ourselves nurturing foods and being kind to our bodies is definitely the best approach. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you Megan
I appreciate that you wrote of your struggles and thank you as it helps me to understand my own. I have come to realize that I have a binge eating problem, may be a little different than what you describe. I think of food all the time. I find that when I do start to eat certain things, usually something like chips or sweets, I cannot stop. I tell myself over and over, that’s the last one. Right back to the pantry I go. I crave sweets and breads. Try not to buy them, but then I’ll give in, buy a huge bag and eat the whole thing. I feel so uncomfortable and want to eat normal portion sizes desperately. It’s very embarrassing. I’ve been told “you have a good appetite”. I’m not obese, although 10-15 lbs overweight.
Any suggestions?
Deana, this is me as well! Sugar is like a drug to me and as soon as I open the door, I cannot shut it. I am just as bad with fruit when I try to eat “healthy.” And I obsessively think of food as well. I’m constantly shaming myself about the “bad” food I’ve eaten, and then obsessing about what I should eat to lose weight. I have dieted off and on my whole life (I’m now 56), losing the same 20-30 lbs over and over. It does make me think my brain is not wired properly because I cannot seem to have a sane relationship with food.
Thank you for sharing your personal experience, Megan. While I imagine it took a lot of courage, I hope you realize that with this post, you’ve provided guidance, inspiration, and hope for many people. Thanks again!
Thank you. Simply: heartfelt thank you.
You are so brave, courageous and amazing. You have touched upon a subject that so many people deal with. I struggle with the same thing, and the guilt that comes along with it is unbearable especially when looking in the mirror and stepping on the scale. I know I’m my own worst enemy; one moment I’m doing great and all of a sudden I inform my hard work. Thank you for bringing your (many of us)reality to light.
I’m so glad that you shared! I definitely have had issues with overeating that borders on binging sometimes. I really relate to what you’ve said and it jives with what I’ve recently decided – no more restrictive diets.
With our kids, we talk about “sometimes foods” rather than “bad” foods, and even at ages 4 and 2, the really understand the concept. My husband and I are determined to end the gererational trend of an unhealthy relationship with food, and it’s working! I totally agree that as soon as something is forbidden, it becomes so much harder to resist overeating. Thank you for being so vulnerable–here’s to daring greatly, right?
Love the designation of “sometimes” foods!
Wonderful post Megan! And you have NOTHING to be embarrassed about. Your blog is one of my favorites and I am so stinking proud of you for having the balls to post this. That took guts! Be proud that your authenticity will help other folks out there struggling.
Thank you for your honesty and bravery. I now have hope and tools.
Thank you so much for your brave and generous post! I really appreciate it. I relate to it(I had lots of food challenges when I was young) and I learned a lot! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, shamelessly, your struggl, and now victory,over binge eating.I, too, struggle with binge eating. Since discovering you and and learning to live myself more, the struggle has lessened.
I’m so proud of you and you are indeed a true inspiration to us all!
Thank you for your inspiration Megan! I also have been struggling with binge eating for most of my life and have been feeling to take some of the steps you are suggesting. Great timing. Thank you!
Megan, I certainly appreciate your being so honest and candid. I have also struggled with very much the same thing. Alot of what you suggest has been helpful in overcoming my binge eating. Extreme dieting only treats the symptom, never getting to the bottom of what is causing the imbalance and improper relationship with food. Let’s face it, we all have a relationship with food regardless of our emotional state. We all require food to sustain ourselves, so it can not be completely avoided. However, food does not need to be the master over us. There are many things that can become our masters – many desires and passions of our flesh. Those of us who have battled binge eating without throwing up have found ways to hide it and there is a battle with shame and guilt for sure. There is also a fear of being discovered. As a Christian I have found scripture and a personal relationship with God very helpful in overcoming my fleshly desires. I have found have a general way of eating has been extremely helpful for me as I have overcome these temptations. And, yes, overdoing it in extreme ways leads you to having a distaste for these foods at all. There are some things I could never eat again because I overindulged to the point of disgust. I agree with your comments about trying not to limit what you can eat so much as being watchful of portions and keeping a healthy outlook on life and self-care outside of medicating ourselves with food. I had to really dig deep and realize my affection for food ran deep and wide. It began when I was very young and further established as I turned 16 and decided consciously to turn to food to deal with emotions, especially depression. The struggle with weight and how food affected my figure just compounded the issue of depression. Today i am much more aware of my old habit of trying to medicate myself with food to alleviate any pain I may be feeling inside or to temporarily releave worry and anxiety. Again, thank you for sharing because I have silently suffered for many years and even in sharing my struggles in short with family they were denied and rejected. Those who don’t suffer such things have a hard time understanding.
Hi Jennifer!! Your post related to me so much. Thank you for sharing. Are there any suggestions you have for getting closer to God and seeking him so that he is in control when you feel like you can’t stop eating more and more.
I would love to hear your perspective and to get some help from a fellow Christ-follower.
Thanks so much for sharing such a personal story. I’ve never suffered from binge eating per say but have definitely struggled with emotional eating as well as stuffing my face in preparation for a new diet. Thankfully I broke this habit a few years back and learned how to properly nourish my body. In fact, when I began researching nutrition yours was one of the first blogs I came across and immediately fell in love with the fact that you had so many recipes for pancakes! Thanks Megan for sharing your recipes and being such an inspiration to us all.
Thank you so much for this post. I truly admire you for opening up and being so public with this. This is a struggle many people have faced in their lives (me included) and are too embarrassed to talk about. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Thanks Megan for your blatantly honest blog! I have never been as intense at binging as you have, however, I see a lot of commonalties…stuffing myself to the point of pain before starting that new ‘diet’ that is going to be ‘the one’! I have both your cookbooks, love your e-mails & have found myself the happiest when I just eat healthy! The ‘sneaking evening food’ stops….because tomorrow I can have whatever I want….& I choose healthy! I too consider myself to be ‘vegetarian’…as I can take or leave meat, usually I leave. But I love my cheese…as a treat, as I have a genetically, menopause-induced cholesterol issue. I do try food combining…raw, fresh every meal! Love the smoothies! I am so glad I ‘found’ you! 🙂
Wow- I’ve been there! Thanks for sharing your story. Your story was a great reminder not to restrict and to listen to myself, NOT the health websites, when it comes to the best foods for my body. I can eat dairy and still be healthy if it works for my body!
Yup, I feel ya – 100%.
You’re lucky you were able to stop the cycle at a younger age – in my mid-forties I’m already paying the health-related price of letting it go on for so long.
Keep posting, I’ll keep reading! I also hope to get more and more natural in my eating, and splurging, ways.
Thank you, Megan. That was very brave.
Megan,
Thank you thank you thank you! I really appreciate your honesty and advice. It is certainly a difficult topic to talk about, but you have absolutely no reason to feel embarrassed about this. Women all over the world are struggling with self love every single day, and having disordered eating is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, you should be PROUD of yourself for overcoming it, for being vulnerable enough to share your story with others, and for inspiring people like me every single day. I adore your books (I have them both!!) and your blog. You have brought me so many great ideas and positive energy. I am so proud of you for writing this post and for helping others. Keep it up!!
-Laura
Thank you so much for your candor, and tips! I struggle with this issue and I don’t want my daughter to get bad habits from me. Excellent food for thought (pardon the pun).
Thank you for this. It really struck me, especially the part about how binge eating could develop, I never recognized that my well-meaning mother being so controlling over what food we had in the house and how much we were allowed to eat could have such an effect. I remember as a child going over friends houses and gorging myself on all of their junk food before going home to my mom’s strict diet. Growing up in a household where I needed to justify everything I ate was/is just so unhealthy, and it’s taken me nearly 30 years to recognize that. I feel like you put a lot of what I struggle(d) with into words, and helped make things clearer. I think your right, especially with getting rid of ‘bad’ and ‘good’ labels in the right context will make a big difference. Thank you.
Wow wow wow! Thank you for articulating so well what I go through. Thank you thank you thank yoj
THanks for sharing this. A lot have people have BED. I’m recovering from it. But, lately, I haven’t felt a physical appetite. Do you have any ideas of why I haven’t?
Thank you for sharing, very enlightening and will help me.
Dear Megan,
Thank you for sharing your personal story. It makes all the recipes you have shared on-line even more valuable to me — knowing you are honest and real.
Thanks so much for this post. LOVE ….LOVE ….LOVE….your book…I use it regularly.Thanks for the courage it took to be open and honest and by that you were very helpful.
Thank you for sharing your story!
This is a brave article. If I would have read this during my struggles with eating disorders I think it really would have helped. The restriction always lead to feelings of lack which would only exacerbate the need to fill the void. By letting go and allowing myself to be okay with potentially gaining weight I was able to focus on nourishing my body. Your blog is my go to for nourishing food that feels like a treat. Thank you!
I’ve struggled with eating disorders and disordered eating for more than half my life. This is the single most helpful thing I’ve ever come across. Since reading this article I’ve felt a freedom when eating that I’ve never felt before. I find myself really only eating the foods I love rather than feeling constant guilt over my food choices. Thank you so much for being open and honest.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. You will help many because you shared your story.
This has helped me more than you will ever know. I’m on the path to recovery, but the one thing I haven’t been able to let go is macro counting. It frightens me. I know I NEED to stop doing this and hearing your story gives me strength, thank you <3
I’m thankful that I’m not alone!
I’ve been a bulimic for years. Therapy helped with that but after that i just ate the wrong foods and then ate clean for a week and repeat…
Then they diagnosed too much yeast in my body so I’m not allowed to eat a LOT of foods which led me binging once a week, feeling sick and horribly.
Now I’m looking for ways to get through with the diet which will become my lifestyle afterwards (candida is no joke…) and to stop binging. Because that is truly the only thing that is keeping me from feeling good and being healthy. And that is more frustrating than anything in my whole entire life.