My current diet has helped me go down from nearly 300 pounds to just below 280 pounds so for now it’s working. But I fear losing control of what I eat. If I ended up in the Psych Ward again, or even if my family visited I would be exposed to bread, carbs, and things i tend to binge on and i know I can’t refuse them. I also know that if I ever worked again the usual drinks at a employee gathering would be likely amount to sodas, and the food would be bad for me. I am experiencing practically no cravings right now but in the past just getting into anything like that led to cravings,habits, or binges. I survived Christmas by staying away from things I traditionally drank like grape juice and other things like not taking up the attitude that since it’s there I had to eat it. I did eat some carbs but managed to survive the cravings once I got back on track. The diet of the South is just very harmful to me and taking AP’s leaves me no choice but to be extreme about it to try to keep serious health problems at bay. I know what to stay away from but reality makes it difficult to do. Part of me would love to keep control of my own diet for the rest of my life but my family is important to me and I don’t want to give up on doing something productive again if I catch a lucky break in life. And although I’m not really looking for a companion any more I don’t mind socializing with others sometimes (although i prefer to socialize with those who understand what I’m going through and accept me for it)).
Have you tried therapy? I was talking to my therapist and I realized I ate so much (well besides the meds) was that I had a childhood fear of starvation. My family wasn’t particularly well off, but we were ok when I was little but we moved from our nice large house to a tiny house and my parents always complained about money. The only reason I was ever as skinny as I was was because I ran every free second of the day so that I could daydream and not look at my problems.
My binging may have begun because I had a stronger twin and we competed for everything. However there is a photo in our baby album of me trying to take his bottle so if it was that early the reason must be a little different. Also i have a habit of eating too fast that was only controlled significantly when I was most psychotic. When I started taking meds I was 170 pounds. Considering I am also 6’2 and a half that is skin and bones. I also was avoiding sugar then because the voices told me too.
Understand where you are coming from. I’m kind of exhausted by my schizo after 12 years now and had symptoms get worse in last year so just eat what the parents have sometimes and it is all carbs that give me a major appetite increase like potatoes or stuffing, greased up, buttered up or gravyed.
Southern food is definitely fried, bacon grease filled or carbs.
During college with the parentals, did cook for myself. Since, I’ve found South Beach diet which helps the metabolism side effects of the psych meds but can just put some meat in over & cook it for 25 minutes at 375 degrees & eat with some veggies. Try to do soup, SW, burritos, cheese/veggies for lunch like vegetarian stuff… Oatmeal for breakfast is preferred…So all can be prepared once and just heated up for later. Turn meat into something else with 10 minutes of work. If you don’t have room in house fridge, may consider making your own little kitchen with micro & own little dorm fridge.
May really like Overeaters Anonymous meetings as plan can help you get control.
I can totally relate as some families do nothing more than eat together and rest is just negative, you just shovel in so much you blow up huge dealing with this kind of family. Especially wide side effects of meds causing so much weight gain or insomnia not really treated (which causes a lot of weight gain in female for not sleeping enough).
I’m motivated too after this 5’2" lady hit 350 lbs after back injury, worsening of psych symptoms for a while recently and untreated insomnia with last psych dr. I need to get to walking every day once March brings better weather. With just a few food tweeks, is easy to lose weight.