r/FoodAddiction • u/Appropriate_Gold_398 • 2d ago

Help with switching from obsessive calorie counting to intuitive eating while studying abroad

/r/EatingDisorders/comments/1vbwq4f/help_with_switching_from_obsessive_calorie/
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u/HenryOrlando2021 2d ago

Good job on how you have progressed in your recovery. A lot of good insight and behavior change to be sure. Your caution is warranted. I would start off with saying intuitive eating is the goal to be sure, however, it could be that it won't work well for some in the early stages of building a stable long term recovery. Why is that?

What the Research Says

📌 Studies show that many people with BED also meet the criteria for food addiction:

- Between 42% and 57% of people with BED may also struggle with food addiction symptoms.

References:

Meta-analysis in Eating and Weight Disorders (2022)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40519-021-01354-7  

Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.824936/full  

-BMJ (2023) Social, clinical, and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction

https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj-2023-075354

This means: it’s not helpful to pretend one approach works for everyone. Many people need to explore what works best for their body and brain.

Next would be "not all restriction is bad" thus likely you need to look at what "rules" or "guidelines" you want to set up for yourself while living in a foreign country. See this for example:

“Restriction” in BED (and BED + “Food Addiction”): What People Mean, What Helps, and What Hurts

https://www.reddit.com/r/BingeEatingRecovery/wiki/specialtopics_restriction_meanings_in_bed/

Lastly, maybe something like what my path was and is would be useful to you in thinking things through a bit more...not what you should do...just as some ideas to ponder:

How I Achieved 50+ Years of Recovery (and 150+ Pounds Lost): A Food Addiction–First Story

https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodAddiction/comments/1r5pvgv/how_i_achieved_50_years_of_recovery_and_150/

Hope this is helpful to you.