Food anxiety... anyone have this problem?

#8

Crikey Jane. Yes. My mum put me on the Israeli Army Diet when I was a tubby 10 year old with a big dollop of body shame that I did not know I was supposed to have. Put that into the slow cooker through the teenage years and, voila, we have a from of lifelong food anxiety as a result. Not apportioning blame, Mum was struggling with some weight gain and dieting and didn’t want the same for her children. It was just the pop culture of the era.

But that experience brought me to nutritional ketosis, so it’s turned out just fine.

The word anxiety is the clincher in the post title.

The good news is, along with the excellent input from the tribe (above). That feeling of anxiety (and we may as well add “addiction” to some foods - a more urgent term for cravings) are all much more manageable once you have resettled into the ketogenic way of eating.

I sense that you have experienced it before, and that you found a previous form of nutritional ketosis that had some benefits for you?

Curiosity has brought you back to try again. This time you do have more knowledge on what may, or may not work.for you.

If you feel able, possibly approach the question as “Food curiosity… anyone have this problem?”

Some experiments produce negative results. Others positive. The importance is to keep experimenting and build toward the positive results. I think.

Worry about the negative results can create the anxious feeling. That’s fine, as the negative results are very good teachers as long as we heed them.

To inspire your re-ignition for pursuing a health filled life I’ve included some incontrovertible research. The research clip (below) starts off well with physical activity (dancing), controlled breathing (singing), community (sharing knowledge), coconut oil, insectivory (getting protein from insect sources) and the researchers go on, with their curiosity, to investigate the possibility of nutrition from safer plant sources such as locally grown, fresh fruit. The advice is also delivered by a bear. That’s solid.

#9

Thanks, now I’ll be singing Jungle Book’s songs all day :joy: Now I’m the king of the swingers ooooohhhhhh, the jungle VIP! :slight_smile:

#10

@AuntJane … I can totally understand this! Like others here, I have a long, ugly history of eating disorder and dieting. I started Keto at the end of March, a few months before turning 52. Learning how to intermittently fast was interesting, but I found that with a new work schedule, it was easier. My mind and body were both very busy, and I’d forget about eating. Being more busy kind of helped me to seque into intuitively eating - that is, only when my stomach actually growled and I got grumpy. I was surprised at how long that would take sometimes! And, those hours would fluctuate 16:8, 18:6, 20:24. The longer I’d go inbetween meals, the more confident I felt that I’d be just fine without food - and anxiety disappeared. So, I started extended fasting. The longest one I’ve done is 7 days, and honestly, re-feeding was so anti-climatic. Absolutely NO excitement, nor desire really to eat. To this day, I don’t know why I stopped the fast!

Just give yourself time to adapt. Finding a window of time wherein you’re going to be busy seems helpful - as it takes ones mind off the food issue. Especially during fasting, I’d have to talk to myself sometimes when bit of anxiety would pop up - just reassure myself that 1) I have plenty of Keto food in the house; 2) I can choose to eat anytime I want, 3) I’m not weak or dizzy or dying, and 4) I’ve got PLENTY of fat in my body - so I truly am not going to starve.

It just takes time, and there’s no need to put undo stress or pressure on yourself to fast. Have a nice fatty ribeye for a meal, and see how long it takes you to actually feel hungry. I had to try that over and over again - because- I kept feeling obligated to eat with the rest of my family or, I’d eat out of boredom. Keeping busy was absolutely key for me. (That’s why I went back to work part-time, despite owning a business of my own.)

Sorry if that all seems to be a bit rambling. But, perhaps there are bits in there you might find helpful. =)

(hottie turned hag) #11

I don’t have anxiety related to food but I do have anxiety galore related to many other triggers so I get it :purple_heart:

#anxsux

(Jane Srygley) #12

That is super helpful! I have to really baby myself with this stuff, I’m learning. The anxiety was born over half a century ago and nurtured through multiple experiences of deprivation, dealing with other people’s judgement, and a whole lot of things I could literally write a book about (and might someday), so I think being good to myself and PATIENT is going to be essential here.

Thanks so much to all of you for your wise and supportive words :heart:

#13

I helped myself through these issues by putting some big girl pants on and standing up for myself. We are doing something great for ourselves, physically and psychologically. The world may not agree with us, but we are proof that keto works. Once I stood up for myself and stood behind my new WoL, I immediately felt better - I easily adapt in restaurants, I order two meat dishes if it’s OMAD and laugh at waiters’ bewildered looks, I am comfortable saying “no” to foods, friends, family, etc. It’s a battle, but it gets easier and easier :slight_smile:

(Marianne) #14

Yes; I make no apologies for my WOE. I really don’t care what other people think. Truth be told, it’s everyone else who isn’t eating properly.

#15

Agree :slight_smile: it was harder in the beginning, you’re not really sure if it will work, wondering when you’ll end up crying in a bag of chips (what others secretly or loudly hope will happen), etc…then all of a sudden it’s fine :slight_smile: We just say no! :slight_smile:

(Susan) #16

I love this!!! This is so true! Now --we just have to convince the masses!! Muhahahaha.

(Marianne) #17

I’ve given up on that, too. Sometimes I feel so sad for people and it and sticks with me longer than I’d like. I try to think that the best I can do is to plant a seed, that’s enough. When people get to their lowest point, I think they will remember.

(Jane Srygley) #18

I’m an addictions counselor and preach keto all the time… It’s horrific how ignorant people are about this, but I can at least usually convince people that sugar is bad. Better than nothing… but seeing my clients with Type 2 Diabetes still eating bread and candy… really makes me sad.

(Susan) #19

Awww I can imagine =(. @April_Harkness has made some videos on her youtube channel and posted them on here as well of meals they are giving Diabetic patients at the hospital. She is a nurse, and she finds it very upsetting as well.

(April Harkness) #20

I used to be a binge eater. Talk about food anxiety. i even made a vid about my issues with it and how carnivore and fasting have helped.

(Patricia) #21

Yes! I have been a dieter for much of my life since I was a teen. I think I was anorexic before that was much in the news. It’s very hard for me to limit my food intake even now, because I have this fear that if I don’t eat it now, I will never get to eat it. Crazy, I know.

I read an interesting book, The Intuitive Eating Workbook by Evelyn Tribole, and recognized myself in about everything she discussed. Now, her way of eating won’t work for keto, since she insists people should not have forbidden foods, but there was a lot of food for thought (pun intended) on what dieting does to people’s minds and better ways to think about food and eating.

I can’t say I have mastered my anxiety about eating, but I’m working on trying to better understand why I eat to “stuffed” at times and how to stop doing that.

(Jane Srygley) #22

Crazy like me :heart: Thanks so much for sharing that. I’ve been severely mind f**ked by so much dieting. I don’t forbid foods because of keto, but I do forbid any food containing more than 5g of added sugar per 100 calories as well as certain specific sugary foods because they are massive triggers for overeating. I have gone back and forth with sugar abstinence and finally achieved it again just over one month ago. I know a lot of keto dieters have dark chocolate. I CAN’T HAVE DARK CHOCOLATE!!! I was allowing myself literally like 4 dark chocolate chips per week and it kept my sugar addiction alive and gnawing at me CONSTANTLY!!! Anyhow, thanks so much for your response. It helps so much to know that I’m not alone. :heart:

(Patricia) #23

My husband is a type 2 and he eats carbs like there is no tomorrow. He also just sits in front of the TV most days. He just won’t change.

(Jane Srygley) #24

That’s so sad I’m sorry :disappointed_relieved:

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #25

I’m sorry :frowning: Addiction is a terrible thing. And it affects all walks of life. Just like my father with alcohol :cry: He was a great guy who had so many people who loved him, but if cancer didn’t kill him, alcohol would have.

(Rebecca ) #26

It’s no wonder there are so many “food issues” in life!!! I was an infant in 1961…bottle feeding was the rage and the Drs preached “wake them every 4 hours to feed”…whether we were hungry or not. I believe my Mother told me the “stuff” put in my bottles was Carnation Evaporated Milk and Karo Corn Syrup!!! How can that be nutritious…especially for an infant???

Fast forward 58 years…it wasn’t until the Ketogenic Lifestyle, that my body finally recognized hunger, being satiated and being “alive”! I no longer have that deep NEED for sugar…it is gone…that is a miracle to me!

Food anxieties are understandable after years on the SAD!!! Take it a day at a time!

I wish you well!

(Susan) #27

I believe there is a big correlation for sure.

I breastfed all 5 of my kids for 2 years (and the longest for 2 years, 5 months) and didn’t give them anything else at all until 9 months, and they are all slim. Not Keto, but slim.