A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:I need some advice on how to ignore the constant diet chat I seem to be faced with every day as it is not helping with my own issues surrounding food. Basically, until I was about 22 I had a healthy relationship with food and didn't really focus much on what I ate or when. I had a good appetite (always have) but I knew when I was full and didn't give food much more thought after that.However, when I started working in an office after uni I put on 3-4 pounds over the first year and I wasn't happy with it. So I started to watch what I ate and exercise more. Over the last 5 years, I have become more and more obsessed with my weight, going from either being on a strict and restrictive diet to giving up and binge eating, and now I weigh approximately 18lbs more than I did when I left uni. I have become more and more out of control around food, and about a month ago after a particularly bad binge I tried to make myself sick. Thankfully, something in my head stopped me and I realised just how bad the situation had got. I immediately told myself I am done with diets and I am going to learn how to eat normally again. I am currently waiting to get an appointment for therapy and in the meantime have been reading intuitive eating books which do seem to be helping.However, at work and at home (I live with three female flatmates) I am constantly faced with talk of diets, healthy eating and losing weight. This is making it really difficult to keep to my new way of thinking. People are either going on about how a particular good group is bad for you (ie carbs - everyone seems to be following the caveman diet right now), and commenting on my food choices if they don't match that (eg - if I eat a sandwich I get told I'm being 'naughty'). Otherwise, they are 'off the wagon' and encouraging me to binge on cakes and sweets saying 'we will start tomorrow'.This is seriously the biggest issue I have with trying to break my unhealthy food habits, but I don't know what to do to escape it. Everyone thinks that my idea of giving up dieting is crazy and I will end up obese if I trust my body to tell me what it needs so I have no real support at all. At the same time, I don't have the right to tell people what they can or can't talk about, jeez I used to be just as bad with the diet talk, but because I keep hearing it I'm becoming more and more tempted to start the dieting/binging cycle again. I'm so close to being sucked back in again and I'm scared I'll eventually end up with a full blown eating disorder if I go down that route again. Has anyone dealt with this before? What can I do? Is it out of order to tell them to stop talking about their diets and commenting on what I eat?
View related questions:
at work, flatmate Reply to this Question
Share |
Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (11 March 2013): Telling someone with an eating disorder to 'only eat when hungry' is like telling a depressed person to 'cheer up'. It is a lot more complicated than that and needs professional help to overcome it. Although you have not yet made yourself sick, going from bingeing to starving is disordered eating and so you are doing the right thing in seeking therapy for this. In the meantime, I'd suggest trying your best to ignore those who constantly talk about their diets. Can you use an iPod in your office? That would drown them out. Plus don't eat at your desk - get out for lunch to get away from the talk about their and your food. Once you start your therapy you will be taught proper coping mechanisms but for now your best course of action is ignore/avoid.If they start commenting on your diet though, I think you have every right to say something. I would tell them simply that you are trying something different since diets obviously don't work. I think they say that trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity, so tell them you are stopping the madness and going back to basics.I myself had an eating disorder (binge eating disorder) and you are totally on the right track. Keep focusing on how you felt before (eg - carefree around food) and focus on why you are doing this. You'll get there! Good luck :)
A
female
reader, jadedpearl  +, writes (11 March 2013):
When you live with female room mates, not just one, or two, but three like I did, food is going to be the topic of a lot of conversations. You will hear a lot of insulting, snide, remarks about food you prepare for yourself, like "Are you really going to eat that? " or "You're going to get fat eating that" and "That's gross" I never understood why girls could be so hateful, it's none of their business, eat what you want and tell them to butt out or move out like I did.
...............................
A
male
reader, Sageoldguy1465 +, writes (11 March 2013):
 I think you are giving "food" 'way too much concern in your life...... WHY are you doing so????
Eat what you want, when you want (when you're hungry), and don't agonize over food, your weight and what "others" say about food and diet.....
Good luck....
...............................
|
