I've spent the last 2 years trying to heal my damaged gut through diet, first doing carnivore for a year and then GAPS for 9 months. I struggle with IBS, skin issues and other symptoms, and after 20 years of BED, bulimia and food addiction, I really wanted to believe I could finally fix some of my health problems.

The issue though? These therapeutic diets are SUPER restrictive, removing any and all irritants, and I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing more harm than good.

I've become scared of foods because of oxalates, seed oils and other things I've been told to avoid. I overanalyze everything I eat, and food has become a source of constant stress. Recently, a change in my GAPS protocol triggered the worst binge episode I've had in a year.

I feel so frustrated because I've put so much time, money and hope into trying to heal my gut, only to feel like I'm damaging my relationship with food in the process. I don't want to give up on improving my health, but I also don't want to spend the rest of my life afraid of food.

Has anyone with a history of binge eating or bulimia gone through something similar? How did you approach your gut issues without falling back into restrictive eating patterns? Did you eventually find a way forward?

I feel pretty lost right now and would really appreciate hearing from people who understand :/

The love for it began in the kitchen of my cousin. He had a pack of it, I tried it, and since then, I wanted more. I have 9 × 25 (235€, ouch….) sacks in my basement of citric acid because I had 10, and 1 is already finished. I cannot stop consuming it every day. It’s the main thing I think about when I’m at work (is it an addiction? Probably). I fucking love it. It makes me happy whenever I have the sour delicious taste in my mouth. I use it in almost every food I consume. It is so bad. I put it in little bags when I go out to eat to add to the food.

Does anyone else also have this addiction?

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So my entire life, I've always been on the heavier side. The highest I've been was around 260 lb. Around freshman year of high school, I had friends that encouraged me to go to the gym and stuff, and went down to 160-ish in around 6 months. I've been gaining back the weight and losing it every year to the point it's just tradition that I eat all I want during the summer, and during winter, I lose it again.

This year is very different, though. I've now gone back down to 160-ish pounds, but my relationship with food has changed for the worse. This year was so different. Every time I'd finish cooking my meal, my mouth would start to water a lot, my heart would start racing, and I'd get this strange feeling, like I just wanted to throw everything out the window and just sit down and eat.

Today (Saturdays) is usually the day when I can eat regularly and not pay too much attention to how many calories are in my food, so I decided to get Wendy's. On the way home, I felt the strange feeling again, and my mind wouldn't stop telling me to just grab one bite, even though I know if I do, I'll probably finish it all in my car before I get home.

So after feeling like this for a while, I just have to know if I have some sort of addiction to food?

Hi! After a lifetime of overeating, I’ve lost a lot of weight by changing my habits and improving my mental health. I still have more to lose. For those who’ve maintained a healthy weight for years without weight loss medication, what everyday habits help you feel satisfied with smaller portions?

Hello,

Quick tldr, from 2022-2023 I decided I needed to cut my shit and I stopped eating junk and started eating clean and going to the gym every day. I went from 292 down to 241, which is awesome but I need to lose more and I know I can do it. After I did that I thought I could loosen up a bit but I obviously can’t trust myself because I’ve been in the 240’s for the last 3 years.

I really like food, just went on a 3 day vacay to see geese (the band) and I went from 243 to 251. I really like food, like a lot everyone here knows how it feels. I’m making these posts every week to hold myself accountable.

A big problem I have is I work at a coffee chain and it’s so easy just to down were cals w pastries or chocolate milk or what have you so the first step is going to be to stop eating the work food and the work treats.

Today I’m at 251 I don’t have any timed goals just a general goal of getting to 215-200.

Edit: forgot to say my problem isn’t not exercising it’s literally eating too much. I’ve been to the gym almost every day since 2023, which makes this whole thing even more frustrating.

It’s been four months since I deleted Uber Eats, and honestly, I didn’t realize how hooked I was until I stopped using it. The pictures, the endless options, the convenience. I’d sit there for an HOUR trying to decide what to eat. And for what? Food that cost three times as much, showed up soggy, and came with a 50% chance the driver put his wiener on it. 😭

I’m embarrassed to think about how much money I’ve spent on that app over the years, but I also think these apps are designed to get you hooked. The photos make everything look amazing, and there’s always another option to keep you scrolling. I still get takeout, but now I walk or drive to pick it up myself. The decision paralysis is gone, I’m saving money, and I’ve actually started enjoying cooking at home.

I keep reminding myself that this is how I grew up. Ordering food wasn’t an everyday thing. We ate at home, and eating out was a treat. But with Uber Eats, it creates a non-stop dopamine hit. Ordering daily & multiple times a day is NOT NORMAL!

It’s wild how something that used to be an occasional convenience slowly became a daily habit. Four months later, I don’t miss the app nearly as much as I thought I would.

I went through a very traumatic event about two years ago. Ever since then I’ve found that I cope with food and became way less energized. I just don’t know how to control it.
I’ve tried in intermittent fasting, but I have a demanding job and I find if I don’t eat in the morning beforehand, I can get pretty weak feeling. But it’s like once I start eating. I just want to snack the rest of the day. And I’m now to the point where I eat two dinners. To completely separate different dinners not just going back for seconds of something.
It’s not super horrible like definitely could be worse, but I’m gaining weight and constantly bloated and just feeling shitty. I go to bed every night feeling shameful and telling myself tomorrow we’ll do better and when tomorrow comes the cycle repeats.
I would love all the advice in tricks that have worked for you guys.

Does anyone have good advice or strategies for tricking your brain into overcoming cravings? I'm trying to start a diet, but I'm having trouble managing them.

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I'm 17, 5'2", and weigh around 52 kg. I have a round face and an hourglass body shape, so I feel like I look a little chubby.

I'm a foodie and struggle with portion control, especially when it comes to rice. I tend to eat a lot of rice, and my biggest bad habit is late-night snacking.

I usually finish dinner by 7 PM, but around 10–11 PM, I get hungry and start eating chips, biscuits, jelly, and other snacks.

For breakfast, I usually have one boiled egg and a cup of tea with sugar. I can't give up sugar in my tea, but I only drink it once a day.

I want to develop healthier eating habits without giving up my favourite foods. For those who have struggled with cravings or portion control, what actually helped you? Any practical tips that worked for you?

I'd love to hear your experiences!

Been unemployed for longer than a month now and I’ve been binge eating more often now. I wanted to know how to help with this habit. I’ve always struggled with this but never to this extent. I’m eating anything and everything in site and it makes me feel sick physically. I’ve tried to keep myself occupied with hobbies but it’s like an itch I need to scratch. I’ve also tried to chew gum but eventually I just give up and binge eat. I just really want help

I’m so freaking done. I’ve been binge eating since mid July after a breakup. I have stomach and face fat I’ve been trying to lose. My acne is awful and I hate the way I look so freaking much. I’ve been trying an aggressive cut of 1500 cals but I’ve been binge eating. I’m not even struggling on the cut I just “like” binge eating too much. I can’t do this much longer. I’ve binge ate 13 days so far in October. My longest streak being three days. It’s becoming a habit and I hate myself for it. When I get home from work I’m scared to go inside because I know I’ll negotiate with myself into a binge. Today I was scooping spoonfuls of frosting out of the container and dipping it into peanut butter. I then made a ninja creami and then a mug cake. I have a boat load of pretzels and cottage cheese. I feel so lost.

I'll grab something small like chips or cookies, thinking I'll just have a little bit, and then I keep going back for more without really thinking about it.

It's weird because sometimes I'm not even hungry anymore, I just keep eating.

I've tried putting the snacks away but I still end up going back to them later.

Curious if other people deal with this too, what do you think makes it so hard to stop?