Share Some Healthy Coping Mechanisms Other Than ED Behaviors!

I like to plan my meals ahead of time, it can help reduce my anxiety about what I am going to eat. It also gives me something to look forward to.

I tend to overeat/binge when I am upset/stressed, so engaging in calming/soothing activities helps with that. I will try to relax by listening to music/reading/watching tv. Sometimes I do word puzzzles or play simple computer games Spending time with my cats can be helpful as can calling a friend on the phone. Sometimes I go for a walk or a drive especially if I feel the need to get out of the house.

Sometimes I like to read information about food, recipes and articles about healthy eating or restuarant reviews and menus or blogs about food stuff like that. It seems to satisfy some need I have to be involved with food while not actually eating it. I am aware this might not work for everyone as it could act as a trigger. I will also note it works best when you focus on healhy food/eating. but sometime I just like looking at a pizza shop menu even when I am not going to order. I don't know why.

I like this idea!

I'll share what sometimes helps me!

Not feeling like eating (not hungry): lazy distractions such as watching a movie/TV show sas to hopefully feel like eating a snack, having some easy foods around (soups, muesli bars, fruits or comfort food), having looked up before easy but tasty recipes to do

Not wanting to eat (not allowing myself to) - food guilt: working out (but not overdoing it), distractions, having healthy foods

Binging: not buying too many 'bingeable' things, brushing my teeth

Lack of motivation: listening to energizing songs, quotes, trying to do a quick workout, sticking to a routine (or having a premade routine for days like this)

This might be an odd way of coping with binging but sometimes when I start feeling like eating a whole batch of brownie batter by myself I write it out. Meaning I stop what I'm doing, grab a pen, my phone, my laptop, whatever. I write down every single step that I would take if I were to binge. Except I do it from another's perspective as if I were telling a story. Here's an example from one of my past longing

"It would be so easy to walk down the stairs, unlock the inner door, walk through the restaurant door, go to the bar, order a large plate of loaded sweet potato fries, reach her hand in her back pocket, pull out the cash, pay the bartender, sit patiently for her food, receive the food with a quiet thank you while averting her eyes in shame, quickly walk through the bar, heartbeat beginning to race as she made it through the inner door..."

And it goes on. I write the whole process chronologically starting with how I'm feeling at the moment, how I would feel during, every action I would take, and how I would feel afterward. When I do this I find that it helps to imagine the situation in my head as if I was actually doing it, but in a way that I can become more aware of the situation as a whole(especially the guilt/stress that comes after) without actually eating compulsively. Also, this typically takes me awhile, at least a good 30-60 minutes, so just by engaging in another activity and ignoring those ED actions I'm helping to break my ED patterns. By the end of my writing sesh, any urges/desires I had are wayyyy lessened or not there at all allowing me to go about my day as normal.

- Azure :)

All the previous posts' ideas are brilliant. I've done most of them except the narrative writing. Am definately doing that next time. This time though because I've had such a difficult time keeping myself picked up from my recent injury and not even able to go into a grocery store to buy needed food without buying a box or bag of something I don't want or need and eating it on the drive home. So, on this my first day of leave from work for a week, I looked intoa food addiction recovery program. It actually sounds very good and I definately need it but as I was talking with the counselor I realized that the timing is off. First I need to get the excess weight I've gained off before I start the FAD program. So, I joined a nutritious weight loss group by the sams medical team and the good part about that is that I only have to go to the grocery store once a week! My shopping list is planned out for me. So, I went today, shopped, bought one so-called treat and only ate half of it on the way home. Have everything else washed and ready to go for tomorrow. Tonight I don't even feel like eating anything but broth and a plate of veggies.

Bottomline, I think I needed to finally reach out for help about my food problem. It gave me a plan for after I lose the weight and plenty of hope and motivation for losing the weight.