WLS Journey:Reflecting on Eating Disorders

Jul 06, 2009

As I have been reflecting over this past year of my WLS journey, I know that this has not only been about changing the outer me but the inner me as well. I have had to look within to realize what I was reflecting on the outside and why I had let my vessel God had blessed me with not be healthy. I had to search to make my inner vessel healthy as well. In doing so, I’m sharing below some common eating disorders that sabbatoge us from having a healthy vessel that God gave us. Only you can look within and be happy with yourself.

The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we're afraid.
RICHARD BACH


*Closet Eating*
The secretive nature of closet eating is what sets it apart from tasting and snacking. Closet eating is about not getting caught. It usually involves a larger quantity of food then you actually even want to eat and is carried out in such a creative manner as to eliminate the risk of being discovered. Discovery is then accompanied with lies and seclusion of unfound evidence... which causes to more seduction in the future.

The facade of closet eating is that you are in control, when in reality closet eaters despise themselves and are completely enslaved to food. Again, these are not feelings and attitudes of one who is free.

Solomon speaks of closet eating in chapters 9 and 20, speaking of Folly who tries to convince that "stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious." Do you believe the lie that eating in secret adds flavor to the food and that it will be more satisfying? But would you ever eat three candy bars right in front of somebody, especially someone you love? Food that is eaten in secret is devoured so quickly to avoid discovery that the flavor is rarely enjoyed. Once the food passes into your stomach you realize you never really tasted it which leads to unsatisfaction of the original craving which leads to eating more. You now have to deal with a need that has failed to be met and the emotional turmoil which soon follows.

"Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel." Proverbs 20:17 (NIV) Closet eating produces nothing positive in your life, it makes promises of forbidden desire and leaves only feeling of shame and being out of control. Your loved ones feel betrayed and confused.

*Emotional Eating*
Emotional eating is not a type of eating disorder, but is common trait of those who have eating disorders - especially those who have binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome.
Emotional eating is the act of eating in response to an emotional trigger. When a person is depressed or sad because of an event and responds by overeating, or when a person is lonely and tries to fill an emotional void with food, the person is suffering from emotional eating.
Those who follow emotional eating patterns find it especially difficult to lose weight.
A study published in Obesity (October 2007), for example, found that those who practice emotional eating lost less weight in a behavioral weight loss program than those who did not have an emotional eating problem. The study also found that those with symptoms of emotional eating who succeed in losing weight are more likely to gain it back if they practice emotional eating.

*Emotional Eating To Manage Mood*
Emotional eating is an attempt to manage mood with food.
Serious emotional eaters obsess about food they rely on food to self-soothe. Those with emotional eating are typically distressed about their relationship with food, but don't know how to stop. Emotional eating is compulsive and the emotional eater feels unable to control eating.
Some degree of emotional eating is normal. Food is typically a focus on celebrations, such as birthdays and weddings, and at funerals. Emotional eating is only a problem when it becomes a person's central tactic for regulating mood.
Emotional eating is a coping strategy. When it results in imbalanced eating and regular overeating, an individual should take action to make behavioral changes. Emotional eating follows a continuum; if it is not stopped, it can lead to eating disorders, such as binge-eating disorder or night-eating syndrome.
When emotional eating leads to an eating disorder, co-occurring disorders, such as depression, are also common.

*Emotional Eating And Binge-Eating Disorder*
Binge eating is the most common eating disorder, affecting approximately two million Americans, according to statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health. Men account for about 40% of binge eaters.
Binge eating disorder, like emotional eating, is characterized by uncontrollable, excessive eating, followed by feelings of shame and guilt. Individuals with binge-eating disorder are often obese or overweight and are susceptible to health problems caused by being overweight, including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
Binge eaters have frequent episodes of binging, during which they lose control over their eating. A binge episode is typically also an emotional eating episode, as it is typically triggered by an attempt to manage mood.

*Emotional Eating and Night-Eating Syndrome*
Night-eating syndrome, which may also be an emotional eating response, is characterized by frequently waking at night and snacking. Individuals with night-eating syndrome often eat the majority of their daily food in the evening, and frequently eat little or nothing in the morning.
Night-eating syndrome affects an estimated 1.5% of women and men, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The statistics are alarming, but the numbers may be even higher, as night-eating syndrome, like emotional eating, is often unrecognized and untreated. Individuals with night-eating syndrome are especially susceptible to depression, obesity, substance abuse, and other issues. Their productivity is often affected, as they are unable to maintain healthy sleeping and eating patterns, and they typically feel guilt, shame and a lack of control.


*From now on your attitude toward when and how you eat must and will be:*
Controlled: There is no need to hide what you eat or use food to control your mood
Confident: You are promoting health and restoration of your body
Honest: You know what, when and how much your body needs
Satisfying: When you eat, you will take the time to enjoy your food

There is no more need for deceptive acts.

Assignment:
Say the following out loud:
"I make thoughtful, confident decisions and choices for nourishing my body. I choose to be honest with my eating. These two things produce health, beauty, and satisfaction in my whole life."

1 Comment