Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

I'm a desperate mom because of binge eating / food addiction

1frenchgirl September 30th, 2017
.

I'm writing this post because I'm really desperate about my food addiction. First of all, sorry for my poor vocabulary and grammar. English isn't my native language.

Since I got my first child, 3,5 years ago, I started overeating. At the beginning, it didn't sound very bad and was mainly occasionally. Probably due because I tried a few diets to lose some weight, even if I didn't gain that much during pregnancy.

I then went on a gluten free diet for 1 year as a doctor told me that gluten was maybe the cause of some of digestive pains I had at this time. Even though my digestive issues went away, I finally ended this diet as temptations became way too strong for me.

Then I got pregnant again, and as my husband started traveling a lot, leaving me and my 1 year old alone most of time (we were just relocated from Europe), I started having a lot of frustrations: During most of this pregnancy, we were closed in the apartment as it was located on 3rd level with no elevator, and the building was far from most things + I didn't drive. In fact, I couldn't even access a grocery store by myself. I started eating more..

Then finally, right before my second delivery, we moved to a house where things were a bit more accessible. I was happier, nor pregnant anymore, and I even quit smoking (after 10 years of it 😥) and started running, But then, my relationship with my husband didn't improve. In fact, it got worse and worse. We saw 1 therapist together and I also saw 1 other by myself. It didn't help our relationship. This is at this time, that I really started binge eating.

Since, we moved to another state and we're happier where we are now. We still have strong relationship issues and we see another therapist. I overeat like I never did before. I don't even know if I could possibly eat more as my stomach is in pain most of the time.

I tried to talk about it to people around me, including my husband and therapists. But they seem to think that it's not really an issue since I'm not overweighted. They think it's temporary and maybe due to breastfeeding (since 3 years).

However, they don't see how much I really eat and even if I don't gain a lot of weight, I do so little by little. I'm very active, I run and go to the gym so I burn some calories. But that's nothing compare to the few thousands I eat a day..

I know I have a serious issue and it's mainly due to my inability to cope with my emotions like frustration, stress, sadness and boredom (I'm a stay at home mom but wish I could work. I found a job last year and had to quit because we didn't find appropriate childcare. I now prepare a college degree by taking online classes. I do yoga, Pilates, gym classes, running... I take care a bit of myself (makeup, clothes) and I also started mindfulness and meditation.

I read a lot about binge eating and eating disorder, and try all I can to change but just don't succeed. The best I did at this time is 3 days with no binge eating but it occurs about once a month. Food is always in my mind. The hardest times are:
1. evenings
2. ‎meals with the kids (because I cook, sit & eat with them)
3. ‎when kids get fussy
4. ‎when I'm bored (and I don't feel like doing more activities that I already do)

Does anybody live something similar? If yes, did anybody succeed to stop that cycle and eat normally? How did you do? How do you manage stress related to kids? I actually found way more easier to quit smoking!!!

Every night I'm sad recalling all I ate during the day. Then I hope that tomorrow gets better.. But it never does..

1
Hope October 2nd, 2017
.

Hey, @1frenchgirl! It looks like you are struggling quite a bit at this moment. I feel you! Food addiction can too much to handle on top of being a mom which is quite a job of its own. It looks like your first child triggered your overeating habits, it could be due to the hormonal changes one goes through. I see, so the gluten-free diet helped your digestive issues but temptations were too strong and you ended up giving in. Pregnancy along with your husband not being around and taking care of your 1-year-old child alone most of the time, puts too much on your plate. It can surely be hard to get some fresh air in a living condition. It looks like you ate when you were under stress. I am glad you moved to a better location, and wow quitting smoking is hard. Bravo for doing that. I am sorry that your relationship with your husband wasn't going that well and therapists didn't help much, it can be a stressful situation and it is understandable why you would binge. I am glad there is an improvement, progress not perfection. It looks like you are having really bad binging issues. It can be head for people to understand how it is a serious issue. It looks like your active lifestyle is helping to an extent in not letting you gain weight.

Acceptance is the first step towards recovery! I am glad you acknowledge your issue. It can be hard to do a job when you have two kids. I am glad you are doing something towards what you desire. Taking care of yourself is a great thing, some of us tend to overlook it when we are struggling with an ED. It is great that you know your triggers, maybe you can try to do a "IF... Then..." list to be prepared for these events, like "If it is evening, I will keep myself busy by doing my homework to avoid the cravings for a binge". Well, I do deal with excessive binging like you but I am not as active as you so for me I can see the consequences. What helped me personally was improving my diet to include foods that are fulfilling like good carbs such as whole grains, proteins such as beans and lean meats and good fats are of the most important, I noticed that when I have a meal that is high in good fats, my cravings almost go away.

Thank you for sharing your story with us! It takes some guts to do so. *Hugs* heart