Mealplans

I seem to have gotten new readers already which is really unexpected! Currently in the process of trying to add a blogroll for BED-specific blogs. Please feel free to recommend ones you like. My therapist also recommended some books to read, so I look forward to reviewing them this week.

To mealplan or not to mealplan?
Because in my universe, mealplan is a) one word, and b) a verb.

In recovery, some days I have good weeks, and some days I have bad weeks. This last week has been a bad week where every day has consisted of an unambiguous good old-fashioned binge (think hot chips, burgers, multiple family size packets of chocolates, icecream etc every single day), which is upsetting after roughly six weeks of eating more intuitively. So I find myself returning to mealplanning to return a bit of structure to my life.

For someone who has been on a lot of diets, and is trying to end the diet mentality once and for all, mealplans can sometimes feel restrictive. What if half my plate isn't some sort of vegetable, have I failed? Am I eating too many carbs? What if I skip my morning snack? Is peanut butter healthy? Guess I won't lose weight this way. Guess I'd better try again tomorrow. Et cetera, et cetera, ad infinitum. I try to ignore these voices and just get on with it.

A mealplan looks roughly like this: three meals, two snacks, and dessert. Eating roughly every 3-4 hours. Eating mindfully, without distraction, and stopping when full. The main meals should ideally be about 1/2 vegetable, 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbohydrate, but no stress if it isn't. The snacks should be carbohydrate plus protein or good fats. The dessert should be the size of a fun-sized chocolate bar. No portion size specified, but you should record hunger signals, emotions, and thoughts before and afterwards (even if just checking in mentally). After eating like this for a week or two, the idea is that your metabolism stabilises and your natural hunger signals begin to reassert themselves, helping you to start eating intuitively again.

My goal for this week is a binge-free week, even though I have a friend staying with me which will involve a lot of eating out. In the past I have been terrified of eating out, unable to control the choices, and unable to control myself when presented with the choices. I'm going to try my best to listen to what I truly want, and enjoy myself.