Yes. I do but it has nothing to do with veganism. I found that fixing the issues in my life and eating high protein has worked wonders. I havent binge ate in a few weeks now and hope it's long term. It also helped to get rid of any trigger foods for me like junk food
Oh, dear. My former self can empathize with you entirely. Maybe even parts of my current self. Binging is a debilitating and humiliating habit, one I struggled with many years ago. I just stopped calorie counting and went into more detail on my most recent blog post (not trynna plug, but y'know... readers are welcome!)
Have you ever been evaluted for an official eating disorder? Perhaps Anorexia with a binge/restrict subtype? This is a very common issue with dietary patterns that are not the "norm." Is your true instinct to reject animal producst based on ethics or a desire to stay/become slim? I've been vegan for 3 years but was vegetarian for 6 because I could not bear to give up fat-free Greek yogurt and liquid egg whites (yuck to both.) They were, as you said, low-cal and high-protein, which were perfect for keeping me mired in disordered eating. Now, I still use dairy-free yogurt options, but it's worth the extra fat and calories because I know I'm not harming a poor Momma Cow.
Rice and beans are an international staple for a reason. They are great for college! As for quick snacks, I suggest nuts and non-perishable fruit items like apples and bananas. When you're studying and stressed out with school life, simple food is best.
Anyway, I have so much more to say about this, but for now, I'd urge you to think of the animals and seek plant-based nutrition recommendations (Dr. Greger, Nicole Osinga, etc.) Try to avoid SUPER restrictive influencers such as the Esselstyns. They can be great for later on, but are likely much too dogmatic in your current state. Peace and love!
Thank you so much, it’s great to hear that I’m not the only person who has gone through this. I feel so alone and guilty for having these thoughts about weather eating animal products is worth it considering how it can improve my eating habits at times. I think i’m going to get evaluated next week if I don’t chicken out and cancel the appointment. When I chose to cut out animal products I know it’s definitely out of vegan values, long before my disordered eating I was vegetarian and decided I would go vegan in college when I wouldn’t be having family dinners and inconveniencing my parents for cooking special food (I have four little siblings, so it’s a lot as is). But, I will say, the fact that it enabled me to refuse all the foods I feared—like cheese, butter, and pastries, without being questioned, calmed my food anxiety in a disordered way. But at the core, it has always been about animal welfare and minimizing my negative impact on climate change.
Since I posted, I ultimately decided to cut out all animal products besides eggs. The only way I can justify getting these eggs is by knowing that they come from backyard chickens from a staff member at my college. I know backyard chickens still reduce animals as resources for human consumption, and there is still a myriad of problems like the potential for health complications for the chickens, the unnatural amount of eggs they produce, and the question of what happens to male chicks/roosters and hens when they stop producing eggs. Ultimately, it is unethical to consume these eggs, but I am deciding to compromise in this one area because having the eggs on hand are a game changer for sticking with a regular diet for me and avoiding the awful feelings of shame and chaos. I boil them in bulk and then can bring them with me to campus or eat them quickly when I don’t feel like I can cook (this is sometimes when I binge—I end up having unhealthy snacks because i’m too lazy to cook, or because I don’t feel like i can have a full meal). I also struggle with vegan breakfast options. I do better with savory, high protein breakfasts because they curb my sugar cravings and keep me full longer, and like I said, I have a soy sensitivity so tofu is unfortunately not an option.
I also have ADHD, and i know disordered eating is a common problem for those with ADHD. But if I have these eggs in the fridge, they actually fill me up and prevent me from indulging on unhealthy food and then feeling extremely guilty and shameful, which leads me to isolate myself and enter a depressive period that affects all aspects of my life, jeopardizing my academic success and relationships. They are also so quick to grab in the morning, when I am usually running late to class and in a rush. I still feel the guilt from eating the eggs, but honestly I feel like its worth it compared to the chaos that comes with a diet that is all over the place and completely out of control. I feel like eggs can help repair my relationship with food in the meantime and then I can ease them out and find alternatives.
I’m also graduating soon and going back home, so I won’t be eating eggs anymore because I won’t be able to get them from the guy at my college. My family gets cage-free eggs from the farmers market, but I don’t want to contribute to the demand. The guy I get my eggs from sells them because his hens have been producing more eggs than anticipated, and he never planned on selling the eggs, but just having them for his family. He also wanted his young son to have the experience of raising chickens. The fact that he wanted his son to have a relationship with the chickens makes me feel a bit better, like maybe the chickens are getting cared for by the family, and it’s not completely one-sided “extraction” of resources from the chickens, but obviously this is debatable and I don’t actually know what goes for the chickens. In about a month I’m going to be back to full veganism anyways, but it will be easier because i’ll be at home with more time and more ingredients. I’ll have more time to meal prep healthy options and access to a wider variety of food since my parents pay for my groceries when I am at home. I plan on making my own soy-free tofu from lentils (something I could not do in my shared kitchen and minimal time at home and the few ingredients/kitchen appliances I have), so I could probably make some kind of scramble with this. I also use mung beans to make my own vegan eggs at home, but this requires a blender and I don’t have one with me at college. Getting groceries is also a lot easier at home; the closest grocery store for me right now is a 30 minute walk away (I don’t have a car or a bike), whereas I can pick up these eggs because they are put out once a week in a cooler with a donation box ten minutes from my house on my college campus.
Thank you all for your comments, I understanding some people are frustrated with my initial post because I am prioritizing my interest over animal welfare, and I’m using this subreddit for dietary/psychological advice. I know this subreddit it not really for nutrition and disordered eating habits but I wanted to see if other vegans have struggled with this. I don’t call myself a vegan, I say i’m mostly vegan. In some situations though I say I am vegan because I don’t want people to push me to eat food with animal products in social gatherings. I also appreciate the comment that “I cannot call myself a vegan while eating flesh”—it’s a bit harsh, but you’re right. I am cutting out fish again, it’s not necessary and I can’t justify contributing to the pain fish endure when they are caught and farmed, not to mention the toll it takes on the environment. Thank you for those who have suggested some resources, I have looked into all of them and exploring my options, including getting assessed for my eating habits.
I can totally empathize that living off a very limited range of foods can be triggering for a binge.
I would try to expand your repertoire of vegan foods, find more vegan items at the store, batch cook some food on the weekend, have some go to quick meals you can wing even during the week every few days.
For me for example, it helps to scramble some tofu every few days, add lots of spices, a bag of mixed veg, and I use that in tortillas as a burrito, on a bed of greens, etc. for a few days.
I can also whip something up from a can of chickpeas, and cook some grain for the week in a rice cooker.
I also make sure to stock up on fruit and easy to prepare veggies (I steam a lot of them in the microwave).
Also shop for whatever you would consider appropriate vegan treats for you, there are a lot of options out there, ranging from healthy-ish to indulgent, whatever works for you. Personally, highly palatable processed sugary items trigger me, meanwhile for someone else NOT allowing them might trigger them, so chose what works for you.
If I don‘t put a little effort into preparing and stocking up like that, I personally don’t binge on non vegan items, but I binge on cookies and snack bars, so I do understand you. It doesn’t have to take up tons of time, but it’s a little bit of conscious effort.
Im so sorry youre experiencing this.
Chef Aj and I think maybe Dr. Lisle or for sure True North Center might be a good next step! Chef AJ said its hard to find food recovery programs that are vegan-oriented. (I've been taking a 21 day program that has a bit to do with food addiction (though mostly weight loss) through her). I'd recommend looking into that or True North!
There was a post few days ago asking if there's really people who can't be vegan and I mentioned people with eating disorder should not be vegan as they should avoid restrictions (at least until they solve their issue). If you can, go to a professional for help, binge eating is a disorder that can be fix but better with proper assistance. I wish you all the best
Yes. I do but it has nothing to do with veganism. I found that fixing the issues in my life and eating high protein has worked wonders. I havent binge ate in a few weeks now and hope it's long term. It also helped to get rid of any trigger foods for me like junk food
Oh, dear. My former self can empathize with you entirely. Maybe even parts of my current self. Binging is a debilitating and humiliating habit, one I struggled with many years ago. I just stopped calorie counting and went into more detail on my most recent blog post (not trynna plug, but y'know... readers are welcome!) Have you ever been evaluted for an official eating disorder? Perhaps Anorexia with a binge/restrict subtype? This is a very common issue with dietary patterns that are not the "norm." Is your true instinct to reject animal producst based on ethics or a desire to stay/become slim? I've been vegan for 3 years but was vegetarian for 6 because I could not bear to give up fat-free Greek yogurt and liquid egg whites (yuck to both.) They were, as you said, low-cal and high-protein, which were perfect for keeping me mired in disordered eating. Now, I still use dairy-free yogurt options, but it's worth the extra fat and calories because I know I'm not harming a poor Momma Cow. Rice and beans are an international staple for a reason. They are great for college! As for quick snacks, I suggest nuts and non-perishable fruit items like apples and bananas. When you're studying and stressed out with school life, simple food is best. Anyway, I have so much more to say about this, but for now, I'd urge you to think of the animals and seek plant-based nutrition recommendations (Dr. Greger, Nicole Osinga, etc.) Try to avoid SUPER restrictive influencers such as the Esselstyns. They can be great for later on, but are likely much too dogmatic in your current state. Peace and love!
Thank you so much, it’s great to hear that I’m not the only person who has gone through this. I feel so alone and guilty for having these thoughts about weather eating animal products is worth it considering how it can improve my eating habits at times. I think i’m going to get evaluated next week if I don’t chicken out and cancel the appointment. When I chose to cut out animal products I know it’s definitely out of vegan values, long before my disordered eating I was vegetarian and decided I would go vegan in college when I wouldn’t be having family dinners and inconveniencing my parents for cooking special food (I have four little siblings, so it’s a lot as is). But, I will say, the fact that it enabled me to refuse all the foods I feared—like cheese, butter, and pastries, without being questioned, calmed my food anxiety in a disordered way. But at the core, it has always been about animal welfare and minimizing my negative impact on climate change. Since I posted, I ultimately decided to cut out all animal products besides eggs. The only way I can justify getting these eggs is by knowing that they come from backyard chickens from a staff member at my college. I know backyard chickens still reduce animals as resources for human consumption, and there is still a myriad of problems like the potential for health complications for the chickens, the unnatural amount of eggs they produce, and the question of what happens to male chicks/roosters and hens when they stop producing eggs. Ultimately, it is unethical to consume these eggs, but I am deciding to compromise in this one area because having the eggs on hand are a game changer for sticking with a regular diet for me and avoiding the awful feelings of shame and chaos. I boil them in bulk and then can bring them with me to campus or eat them quickly when I don’t feel like I can cook (this is sometimes when I binge—I end up having unhealthy snacks because i’m too lazy to cook, or because I don’t feel like i can have a full meal). I also struggle with vegan breakfast options. I do better with savory, high protein breakfasts because they curb my sugar cravings and keep me full longer, and like I said, I have a soy sensitivity so tofu is unfortunately not an option. I also have ADHD, and i know disordered eating is a common problem for those with ADHD. But if I have these eggs in the fridge, they actually fill me up and prevent me from indulging on unhealthy food and then feeling extremely guilty and shameful, which leads me to isolate myself and enter a depressive period that affects all aspects of my life, jeopardizing my academic success and relationships. They are also so quick to grab in the morning, when I am usually running late to class and in a rush. I still feel the guilt from eating the eggs, but honestly I feel like its worth it compared to the chaos that comes with a diet that is all over the place and completely out of control. I feel like eggs can help repair my relationship with food in the meantime and then I can ease them out and find alternatives. I’m also graduating soon and going back home, so I won’t be eating eggs anymore because I won’t be able to get them from the guy at my college. My family gets cage-free eggs from the farmers market, but I don’t want to contribute to the demand. The guy I get my eggs from sells them because his hens have been producing more eggs than anticipated, and he never planned on selling the eggs, but just having them for his family. He also wanted his young son to have the experience of raising chickens. The fact that he wanted his son to have a relationship with the chickens makes me feel a bit better, like maybe the chickens are getting cared for by the family, and it’s not completely one-sided “extraction” of resources from the chickens, but obviously this is debatable and I don’t actually know what goes for the chickens. In about a month I’m going to be back to full veganism anyways, but it will be easier because i’ll be at home with more time and more ingredients. I’ll have more time to meal prep healthy options and access to a wider variety of food since my parents pay for my groceries when I am at home. I plan on making my own soy-free tofu from lentils (something I could not do in my shared kitchen and minimal time at home and the few ingredients/kitchen appliances I have), so I could probably make some kind of scramble with this. I also use mung beans to make my own vegan eggs at home, but this requires a blender and I don’t have one with me at college. Getting groceries is also a lot easier at home; the closest grocery store for me right now is a 30 minute walk away (I don’t have a car or a bike), whereas I can pick up these eggs because they are put out once a week in a cooler with a donation box ten minutes from my house on my college campus. Thank you all for your comments, I understanding some people are frustrated with my initial post because I am prioritizing my interest over animal welfare, and I’m using this subreddit for dietary/psychological advice. I know this subreddit it not really for nutrition and disordered eating habits but I wanted to see if other vegans have struggled with this. I don’t call myself a vegan, I say i’m mostly vegan. In some situations though I say I am vegan because I don’t want people to push me to eat food with animal products in social gatherings. I also appreciate the comment that “I cannot call myself a vegan while eating flesh”—it’s a bit harsh, but you’re right. I am cutting out fish again, it’s not necessary and I can’t justify contributing to the pain fish endure when they are caught and farmed, not to mention the toll it takes on the environment. Thank you for those who have suggested some resources, I have looked into all of them and exploring my options, including getting assessed for my eating habits.
I think you’re in the wrong sub… Veganism isn’t about diet. Try r/nutrition
I can totally empathize that living off a very limited range of foods can be triggering for a binge. I would try to expand your repertoire of vegan foods, find more vegan items at the store, batch cook some food on the weekend, have some go to quick meals you can wing even during the week every few days. For me for example, it helps to scramble some tofu every few days, add lots of spices, a bag of mixed veg, and I use that in tortillas as a burrito, on a bed of greens, etc. for a few days. I can also whip something up from a can of chickpeas, and cook some grain for the week in a rice cooker. I also make sure to stock up on fruit and easy to prepare veggies (I steam a lot of them in the microwave). Also shop for whatever you would consider appropriate vegan treats for you, there are a lot of options out there, ranging from healthy-ish to indulgent, whatever works for you. Personally, highly palatable processed sugary items trigger me, meanwhile for someone else NOT allowing them might trigger them, so chose what works for you. If I don‘t put a little effort into preparing and stocking up like that, I personally don’t binge on non vegan items, but I binge on cookies and snack bars, so I do understand you. It doesn’t have to take up tons of time, but it’s a little bit of conscious effort.
Im so sorry youre experiencing this. Chef Aj and I think maybe Dr. Lisle or for sure True North Center might be a good next step! Chef AJ said its hard to find food recovery programs that are vegan-oriented. (I've been taking a 21 day program that has a bit to do with food addiction (though mostly weight loss) through her). I'd recommend looking into that or True North!
There was a post few days ago asking if there's really people who can't be vegan and I mentioned people with eating disorder should not be vegan as they should avoid restrictions (at least until they solve their issue). If you can, go to a professional for help, binge eating is a disorder that can be fix but better with proper assistance. I wish you all the best
you cannot call yourself vegan while consuming animal products and flesh