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Coping With Binge Eating Disorder – WIAW

Posted on August 13 by Jillian416 • 22 Comments

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a What I Ate Wednesday post in it’s regular form, but it’s been especially long time since I’ve written about how I’m doing with Binge Eating Disorder.

Since it’s been so long, I thought it was a good time to revisit. I have lots to share!

I believe that B.E.D. is never something you truly get over. Just like any addiction it is with you forever, you just learn how to cope. Right now, I think I’m in the beginning stages of successfully coping with the disorder and overcoming all the struggles involved with binging.

A few months back, I was in a rough spot, both physically and mentally. I had hurt my back, could barely move, and my mood and feelings toward myself plummeted. I didn’t know how to fix the situation and did not want to go to physical therapy for my back (I had gone before and it made things worse), and for my mood, I knew all I need to do was exercise and eat better. So, I did the one thing that I always turn to in situations like this, I read.

I read everything I could get my hands on in regards to healing a bulging disc naturally without surgery or serious pain meds (I was definitely popping ibuprofen, though). I read books upon books and articles upon articles about B.E.D. I wanted to know everything I could know about the disease itself and I wanted to learn some coping methods that have helped others.

Months went by and my back slowly got better. I stretched like I needed to and should have been doing all along, and slowly the pain lessened. As for the B.E.D., there are three stand out things that have helped me become stronger and better able to say NO to a binge.

binge-eating-disorder-212

The first, is my personal pep talks. Every time I start to crave junk, or am getting the urge to run to McDonald’s for a burger, I talk to myself. Not out loud (but that would be okay too), but to myself. I pause, doesn’t matter what is going on, I stop my thoughts from running towards food and I really think about what is going on with me. Most of the time it is boredom, or some unnecessary craving. Then, once I’ve realized why I am desiring something so bad for me, I tell myself that I don’t eat like that any more. I literally say that. I remind myself that the old me would run to McD’s and buy WAY too much food and eat it all, but that you no longer do that. And you know what? It works! The mind is a very powerful thing and works wonders when it is engaged.

The second, is writing down EVERYTHING that I put into my mouth. Every single bite, lick or taste, goes into my cute little green Moleskin (affliate link). I don’t track calories, I just eat 80% clean whole foods and 10% junk, but I ensure that everything I eat goes in that book. In addition to the food I’ve eaten, I also include the feelings I’m having, or anything else running through my head. It helps keep me focused.

I’m not perfect, there are days when only breakfast gets written down, or I forget about my snack, but I try darn hard to just carry it with me everywhere and to write everything down. It’s working because it is making me very conscious of the food choices I am making.

Finally, is Shakeology. I know I’ve mentioned this a few times, and I know people are still skeptical. I get it, I was too – but there has never been a food or drink before that has helped me curb cravings like Shakeology. So, I will sing its praises from the rooftops. Plus, it really tastes awesome and is like my own little super healthy daily dessert.

I’m not cured. I definitely still have binges and cravings still occur, but they’re smaller, weaker and I’ve set myself up with some great strategies to overcome them.

I am still reading loads and loads of articles and self-help books, because there is almost always more insight that can be gleaned from them. Something that might help me, or may help someone else I love and care about is worth spending the time to find.

If you’re interested in reading all of my binge eating disorder story, you can click here.

Your turn!

Have you ever heard of B.E.D. before?

If you struggle with Binge Eating Disorder, do you have any methods that keep you focused and away from binges?

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Filed Under: All About Me, Family, Food & Fitness, Food & Recipes

The Color Run – Buffalo

Posted on August 17 by Jillian416 • 1 Comment

Today was the day for The Color Run in Buffalo!

The Color Run’s tagline is, The Happiest 5k on the planet, but up until the actual race today, I had not been looking forward to actually participating. I just didn’t feel like being away from Emmett any more than I already am, but I had signed-up and realized that I probably shouldn’t let my $35 entrance fee go to waste. I’m glad I went, in the end I had a really great time.

For anyone who hasn’t heard of the Color Run, it consists of a 5K race where, throughout the course, you find color stations, yellow, pink, orange and blue. As you run through these color chutes, the workers of the race have bottles similar to a ketchup bottles you’d see in a diner, filled with that particular color paint, as you run past they squirt you with the powdered paint. All the paint consists of, is corn starch, a flavoring agent and dye, completely safe. Thank goodness because it gets everywhere!

Urias’ eye lashes had been colored pink!

From the very moment I received my first email correspondence from The Color Run – Buffalo crew, I knew that this race had been well planned and executed perfectly, many times over. The email talked about all the information you’d need, where you could pick-up your packet and any other pertinent information to the actual run. Packet pick-up was a breeze! I went in with some of the people I did the race with and we were in and out of there in 15 minutes. Quick and easy! They were well prepared, you could tell.

This morning, when I woke up I still wasn’t feeling like going out and walking / jogging a race but I had already said I wouldn’t back out and I figured it would be over before I knew it so I got showered and dressed. Sooner than I could have imagined, I was downtown enjoying the pre-game party. There’s a lot of space down by the marina and they took full advantage of everything. They had a full stage, with plenty of room for gathering and dancing. Lots of smaller tents where you could sign-up (if you hadn’t already) buy some merch and all sorts of other things. While we waited for the race to start, there was a Zumba instructor on stage instructing the largest Zumba class I’ve ever seen.

At almost 9 AM on the nose, they had people start lining up for the start of the race. Again, things seemed really well planned, especially for an event where over 10,000 people were participating. We all slowly started making our way in that direction but ended up getting stopped not far from where we had started. They start people in waves and every time they’d like a chunk of folks go, we’d steadily move up but then have to slow down and stop again. It took a good 30 minutes for us to get through the start but that had nothing to do with poor planning on their parts, there really isn’t much you can do to make a 10,000 person race run more smoothly. We still hadn’t gone past the starting line and the first finishers were coming in. That was fun because we all got a chance to cheer him on.

From left to right, Kurt, me, Jen, Mimi, Urias, Kristen and Jenn

Me, Mimi, Jen, Jenn, Urias, Kurt & Kristen

Once past the starting line, the race moved very quickly. I ran through all four color stations and walked the majority of the rest of the race. I originally thought I’d hate having “paint” thrown at me but it sat so lightly on the skin that you couldn’t even tell it was there other than by sight, by the end my clothes, face and hair were a complete disaster. Not that it mattered, I’d had so much fun running through the colors.

I crossed the finish line and headed to the after party. They had some great upbeat music playing and every few minutes would have a color throw. When you pick-up your race packet you also get a bag of the paint and you’re asked to save it until the end so that you can join in with the group and throw it in the air. Check out these pictures! These were my favorites!

It was a really great time and we finished with a yummy breakfast from Towne Restaurant, on Allen St.

What I learned:

I got covered in the paint and once I jumped in the shower, most of it came off really easily. However, the blue, green and purple had the hardest time coming off my skin. I actually still have some streaks now. Next time I don’t think I’d walk as closely to those blue paint tossers.

You can host a 10,000+ person race and still have your stuff together so that it goes off without a hitch (Turkey Trot, take note).

That you really can complete a race AND have a good time, even if you haven’t been training for the run.

And I’d absolutely, 100% do this race again!

Your turn!

Have you done The Color Run or a variation of one?

Filed Under: All About Me, Daily Updates, Food & Fitness