Dear Dr. Bulik,
I really find myself having what I think are true cravings for certain foods. For instance, some mornings (usually on the weekends) I will wake up craving something salty, and at night, I find myself wanting sweets. Is there anything physiological to this or is it all in my head?
Thanks!
A college student
Dear college student,
Great question! There are still a lot of things we don't understand about cravings but it is unlikely that it is "all in your head." From my perspective, your head is biological as well, so I just don't make that distinction. One question is what is happening on weekend nights that makes salty food so appealing. My first question is whether you might be drinking things at social events that tend to go hand in hand with salty foods (beer is a good example). Alcohol can make it extra difficult to keep your urges to binge eat under control. If this is the case, you might want to try curbing the alcohol consumption a little and see if the desire for salty foods goes down. You might even find that it affects the desire for sweets the next morning.
Give it a try!
Dr Cindy Bulik
2009-03-08 14:00:07
Dear Dr. Bulik,
My friends say I'm just making excuses when I tell them I think I have Binge Eating Disorder. They tease me and say that what I really have is "No Willpower Disorder". Sometimes, I start to worry....maybe they're right? Maybe I just don't have enough discipline to diet like everyone
else does? What's wrong with me?
Joan in California
Dear Joan,
First off, sounds like these friends could use some sensitivity training. Teasing about problems with binge eating is just not OK under any circumstances. Then we can move on to education. BED is influenced by genetic predisposition, brain chemistry, psychology, and cultural factors...not willpower. What you need is a toolbox of strategies that can help you get your binges under control and the first step is to identify what your cues or triggers are (maybe even being teased by friends!). Crave can give you such a toolbox and you can start to apply those tools one at a time to begin to feel empowered over your urges to binge.
To your health!
Dr. Cindy Bulik
2009-03-11 17:31:11
Dr. Bulik,
THANK YOU for this wonderful book. I am definitely a "velcro" sister. Even the slightest comment by someone (even about their size, not mine!) can send me into a downward spiral. I don't know how to develop that hard shell you describe. If some of this outlook is genes, as you say, what am I supposed to do? Any suggestions?
Meg (aka tender turtle in NC)
Dear Meg,
I love the tender turtle concept. It sounds like you are very sensitive to your environment--actually even to other people's environments. I think one of your best approaches is going to be to pay close attention and monitor your internal chatter during those situations. It sounds like you can just run for a touchdown with negative comments by others. The earlier you can catch yourself spiraling downwards the easier it is to catch and challenge those unhealthy thoughts. You're right, genes play a role, but that doesn't mean you're destined to have a soft shell. You can use these strategies to protect yourself from feeling so vulnerable.
Best of luck!
Dr. Cindy Bulik
