Discussion Board

Of course it's ignorant. That point was never in contention between us. If you'll agree with me that most doctors are ignorant on the subject, as i contend, then we'd be in complete agreement!
If it bothered me that my doctor thought my dietary choices were crazy, I'd go find another doctor. However, it doesn't bother me. I gave up on western medicine years ago. My own journey to find health has been far more successful than all the help my doctor has been to me over the years. If I were aware of a good doctor that supported my way of eating that was close by, I'd probably switch. But I haven't been bothered enough to look.

-Norm

It's pretty clear here that the majority of the posts that have replied to you are not, or never have been truly diagnosed as eating disordered.
The OP is not slow, obviously if she were able to "trust herself" and "it's her decision" then she wouldn't be here questioning.
Anyone with a diagnosed mental disorder such as most eating disorders, has not made healthy choices regarding food intake and health in the past, so when that becomes clear to person and they are brave enough to seek professional help they are asking and "trusting" a professional that specializes in ED recovery because they are unable to just trust themselves in this area of life. Look where that got them!
I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I have spoken to many ED specialists and am familiar with in patient treatment as well and it would be a rare occurance to find one that will agree with a restrictive way of eating, such as veganism, etc.. DURING the recovery phase.
I am lucky to have one that is working with me on this and only time will tell the outcome for me and plant based eating. This does not change the fact that they have seen hundreds of patients and are well schooled in the nature of recovery. The OP and myself are by far not the first patient theyve treated that turns to this WOE. Unfortunately for ED patients a diet like this can often be another symptom of ED and its a common one for the recovery phase.
Personally, I think the work that needs to be done in my head- my history and life experiences that shaped my ED is more important. It's the hardest part by far and does indeed require the support and guidance from a professional. whether you choose this WOE for now, or forever will work itself out in the end. You might decide to try some, if not all of the advice regarding diet from your professional, and you might experience greater health and emotional well being by eating this way, like i have.
It's not about good or bad, and there is no wrong decision that you can make when you are actively seeking better mental and physical health through a qualified professional.Most want recovery and peace of mind for their clients.
Id ask yourself if you feel a good raport and easy communication and understanding with your therapist, if so you can bring your concerns to them, thats what I did finally and it wasnt about talking me into or out of eating either way but it did provide more clarity for me and my decision became more clear- for now-
I am happy eating this way for now but yes, i do still question things frequently(it comes with the territory). When I feel my thoughts going to weightloss or diet or anything related I am turning the thought immediately to something else positive that is unrelated. Sometimes this means I verbally switch gears when I start to think of diet by saying- ok, i am going in the garage, getting my supplies to finish this house project.. or whatever plan i come up with. Eventually you might find, like me, that the thoughts and constant turmoil about diet and food stuff will come less frequently as you build new pathways in your mind.. it takes work though and you have the perseverance and tenacity to get through this!

MDraine,

I over eat and tend to binge. I eat fast and a lot. However, I have not been diagnosed with an eating disorder. I think I found an answer, at least for me. I say this because as Jim points out what someone with an eating disorder (ED) is dealing with is serious business and should be have professional help. Now the problem is it is very restrictive so your Doc might not like it. In fact I have fallen away from using this answer and need to recommit. So I am using this post to jump back on the wagon. I know this method works for me. I came off when I had to deal with a serious health problem that involved me losing too much weight, well I am OK now and rebuilding weight successfully. Back to the future for me.

I think the pleasure trap was a great suggestion by Kristy Kay, I started watching the link provided. I did not finish, but I usually suggested getting the Pleasure Trap DVD, 3 hour long lectures. Not sure if everything is covered in the link. The pleasure trap is great in understanding what happened.

I think you are on to something with Maximum Weight loss items. But if you are like me you may have glossed over the emphasis to use beans and tomatoes with no added salt. These suggestions are part of MWL too and part of my "cure".

My "cure" is found in the DVD, Should I Eat That? http://drmcdougall.com/store_should_i_eat_that.html by Jeff Novick. Jeff lays out a ton of information about how to understand food in the grocery store. He also provides four guidelines that when applied to reading packages at the grocery store lowered my blood pressure, led to me losing excess weight quickly and, reduced my cravings to a point where one baked potato was OK, not three or four. Not easy, but worth a look.

Steve

I too agree Doug Lisle's "Pleasure Trap" and Jeff Novick's DVDs are life changing.

Again this quote is Dr. McDougall from "The Starch Solution:




The hardest part of this dis ease is the social aspect, but with starch Dr. McDougall connects the dots. Everyone eats starch. The most loving thing you can do for someone else is to be starch based, vs. projecting your hunger. You are no longer a dealer or a acting percipient of the drug of their choice, which can be guised in whatever keeps them from facing their fear of scarcity. As Dr. McDougall shares the biological metabolic dollar of fat and oil, is met through starches. The next famine isn't coming. And as you do it for them, you do it for yourself. Dr. McDougall is changing the world by changing himself.

The second hardest part is what do you do with your extra money. The realm of the possibility of living healthy on 3.00 dollars or less a day from being starch based, is empowering not only to yourself but everyone else, In understanding the biological metabolic dollar of fat and oil, is satisfied with starch and isn't dependent on "stuff" you become time rich. The fear of people and economic situations disappear. Money is no longer like musical chairs there is enough for everyone when you are starch based. Is that being egotistic? I don't think so. Dr. McDougall seems to think so and he shares he is the luckiest doctor, because he sees his patients get well.

The third hardest part is being time rich:) Service... help your community. And your community will love you because you have no other investment other than good will towards them. Knowledge is power, self-knowledge is self-empowerment. The body becomes the best ally, the best lab there is. It is everyone's entailment to be healthy.

Aloha, patty

Thanks to all of you, and a special thanks to those who took the time to understand my situation more fully.

I'm obviously not a typical person, in that I have a binge eating disorder problem. I'm not able to trust myself, but obviously I have nowhere but this forum to ask about how to fix my diet. Any eating disorder forum or most practitioners will NOT permit me to remain on the diet--that is very obvious. There is definitely a stable logic behind it, because many do hide behind restrictive eating habits. (Thanks victoria--I hope your condition improves while following the McDougall diet, so please keep me updated and thank you again.)

I'm asking what would be best for me to do, because I feel many of the answers are to do what feels best for me. I know no one here is versed in eating disorder counseling, so I am not looking for an answer of that type. No one on eating disorder forums, however, is versed in the counseling, but can offer suggestions or support. Thank you for the new answers, and I'm sorry if I'm overasking or asking for too much, but in my experience, sometimes the advice on forums is the most golden in the world.

I want to say that, even now, I feel my decision becoming more clear, and thank you for the support provided.

If I were you I'd be asking this "How can I learn to TRUST MYSELF ?"

That is the basis for everything else in life. If you can not trust YOURSELF then WHOM can you trust ? About anything-?

Victoria,

Oh, I see, I think I'm gettin it now. So with binge eaters, or eating disorders, there is always, or usually a "restrictive" component that goes along with it. They don't just eat normally, (whatever that is these days ?), and then have bouts where they binge. They do some compensation, or restriction, like eating very healthy, or only certain foods or only at certain time periods and then with that goes the binging.

When I was very young, I am pretty sure I was anorexic. Back then (it was long long ago, LOL) we never knew that word, or that there was a disease like that. Twiggy was in. This is what I can remember, I can remember looking in the mirror and thinking I was fat, but I wasn't, I was very thin. It was like literally seeing a fat person, it was an imagination so real it was like literally seeing that. Anyway, I remember the sense of power over my body I had, like I got off on having that kind of power, too starve, to deny myself. People would marvel at my thinness, and say I should be a model. That just fed the whole power trip.

What got me out of it, was that I got a new boyfriend. LOL, seriously. It was like with the new boyfriend, came a different life, and I wasn't so socially isolated and that broke the obsession.

soul food