I have really been trying to stay on this vegan lifestyle but I have a problem.  When I feel like my life is out of control, instead of not eating like an anorexic, I over eat!  I eat everything and anything and for me thats my way of controlling something when I feel like everything else in my life is out of control.  Does anyone suffer from this problem or have any advise?  Its so embarassing and it really affects how I feel.  Immediately after and continuing into the next day I am completely bloated and I feel sluggish.  Does anyone have any tools to prevent this from happening and trick myself into not bingeing?

An author was on Oprah today...dont know her name or the exact title of her book, but its something like "Food Women and God"......it addresses this issue.  Had Oprah in tears. Best wishes to you:)

I have actually been reading the book referenced above. It's called Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth. You may have already found it but I thought I would give you the full title. I am about 40 pages away from being done and I have had one epiphany after another. I have been struggling with my weight the majority of my life and have lost and gained the same 40-50 pounds for the last 10 years or so. This book has really helped me to begin to explore my relationship with food which I have always tried to do but not fully ready to truly except.

That's the key. You must be ready to face the reasons you eat when things are out of control. What made that be your choice for how to deal with the stresses in life. I went to Amazon.com and read the first few pages available and knew that this book would be a good tool to help me figure some stuff out. It's a journey for sure and an ongoing process but I know that I am ready to stop this insanity.

I need to stop beating myself up about carrying extra pounds and start healing and letting go and learning to just love myself and be happy the way I am right now and not waiting to happy until I can be a certain weight or size. I have my good days and my challenging days but again that's the key. When things get challenging I have to face what I'm feeling and understand it instead of turning to food for comfort or to hide from the feeling. I hope this helps. Good luck to you and be well.

I also think that while you are sorting out why you do this you can help yourself by at least keeping smart snacks around for when you feel out of control. Like fruit or some other relatively healthy snack you like. I like fruit and also nuts. Peanuts especially!

Thank you all for your advise.  I have heard of this book and plan on buying it.  I will be turning 21 this year and since two years ago I get sad around my birthday.  I used to think it was because I was getting older and felt like I haven't accomplished much in my life, but the other day I had an epiphony...I am only 20 right now, there isnt much that is expected of me to have accomplished by now...i realized i get sad because I am not happy with myself,  I have realized that I need to learn to love myself, completely in order to love life and i believe this will help with my problem.  Thank you all so much for your help. 

I had a binging (no purging) problem for several years of my life until about 4 or 5 years ago.  I read several books by Geneen Roth that changed my life forever!  Good luck :)

Is bingeing the problem or what we binge on? I have overeaten kale soup plenty of times, it was only when I ate 3/4 of a jar of peanut butter in two hours that I regretted it.

If we stuck to kind foods, would we still binge? would we even think of it as a binge?

I think that most of the problem is foods that lead to bingeing.

I've been known to overeat pretty ridiculously when I am upset, stressed, anxious, sad - even overtired.

I haven't binged as much since going vegan, and I think that has a lot to do with the foods I am eating - when I do binge, I think it drops my body into this state of shock and prompts cravings for "more more more".  About 2 weeks ago I was going on a weekend getaway and was eating chips, cookies, chocolate.... it was hard to stop again, it was like a drug!  Since getting home, I hit the reset button and started making a real effort to not just be a vegan, but a HEALTHY vegan.  The first thing I have noticed is those late night cravings (once my son is in bed and the house is quiet, I used to obsess over what I would and shouldn't eat) have completely stopped.  It's wonderful.

But that is just the physical side... there is certainly a psychological and emotional side to it as well - and I know that I haven't tackled that part yet.  I definitely have a lack of self-love and avoid any self-evaluation. Sounds like I need to get "Women, Food and God" too.

Good luck :)

I, unfortunately, have been struggling with an eating problem for about all of my college career so far and it has fully ruined these years that are supposed to be so adventurous for me. I'm so worried about finishing my last and final year like this.

I think I started off anorexic, and after some family and personal issues, I dropped into a slump that only repetitive binging would numb me from, only to make myself feel 10 times worse the next day. This year, I actually started purging too. It's so embarrasing that I am a physiology major and know exacty what I am doing to my body but I just can't seem to stop. My life is seriously falling into pieces, every single aspect of it. I have been hoping that buying The Kind Life would help turn things around, and it did help for a little bit, but after I face midterms or finals or responsiblities again, I just break down and binge. Even if it is all vegan food, it's still binging and sometimes purging. It's just such a vicious cycle and I hope the book you all recommend will help!

Good luck to you, Melissa. I send you my full support!

Melissa - I was just about to post more or less exactly what you said. I did so well with the vegan thing for a couple of weeks and the past few days I've just unravelled. I'm back on the soy caramel lattes and getting takeout every evening, followed by ice cream.

This diet is probably the healthiest in the world. But it still omits things. I think I can handle being vegetarian for the most part, but I'm questioning whether this is for me. I can't afford to binge any more than I have already.  Or maybe I just have other issues to deal with which are affecting my eating - either way, I don't think I'm ready for a lifestyle as strict (albeit beneficial) as this. :(

I struggle with the same thing. When I find some awesome thing that's vegan (ex: Vegan oreos or cheese) that's really good, I tend to really go nuts. A simple strategy that works for me is when I'm feeling stressed is while I'm migrating towards the kitchen, I purposely steer myself away from it and put my energy into something else, like calling a friend, reading or taking a walk. Something that will make me feel better overall. I definitely have [many] slips, but this has definitely helps. 

I have a similar issue during PMS- I go crazy from mood swings, and can eat anything appetizing in sight! What kept me alive through my last PMS:

2 packs of Swedish Fish (not superhero, I know, but give me a break- I was going crazy :P)

1 Rice Dream mint oreo cookie

1 pack of Vegan cookies

1 soy chai

Crazy for one day, right? Well, it wasn't as bad as it seemed...I didn't even gain a pound (the miracles of being vegan...), though I felt terrible! Sugar hangovers are the worst. What I did to avoid binging more was making Alicia's heal-all tea, and start my day with a sugar-free foods such as buckwheat and cabbage slaw (fresh).

When you eat completely clean- super hero clean- and remind yourself that you can eat any delicious vegan food anytime you want, the cravings just have a way of going away. I've sort of made myself immune by realizing that when I binge, my vegan binges have such a mild effect compared to my previous, non-vegan that the cycle breaks. Binging is like a dramatic cry from the mind and body- it's purpose is to catastrosize more. Accept that you've just binged, and say so what? The less the binge affects you physically or emotionally, the less likely it'll happen again.

I too understand the overeating issue. I was lucky enough to meet Geneen Roth in Chicago and she is truly a wonderful person with great knowledge. I love her book and I also find most of  it helpful. I did however have a issue with the first of her guideline which is eat what you want when you want. To me an compulsive overeater it meant Cookie and IceCream time here I come, not smart but that is where I went.

I am flirting with the vegan lifestyle but for my overeating problems I also attend overeaters annonoymous. It has helped a lot, there is a great suppport group of people who deal witht the same issues that you and many others speak of. The price is right, pretty much free, after you have attended three or so meeting and feel this is a right fit then 1-2 dollars is all that is ask. They are non-profit and the money just goes for the meeting place and materials.

I know I have an addiction to food, especially sugar. For today and I working on the values and food plan of the vegan way. I feel it is a good fit along with attending OA meetings. I figure the more I can learn about myself and the more support I get the better I can do. 

Good luck and if you have any question I would be glad to try to help.

I used to have the same problem, but i've started taping little notes to my fridge and pantry door that say things like: Do I Really want this? Do I need it now? Come back later and see if I still want it.

I've found it really helps because if i decide i dont really want it, then i think about why i was heading for the fridge. But i agree that until you work it out, keep apples and smart snacks around so that you dont feel as guilty.

good luck x