TC, yes I think doing this with an eating disorder can be really hard. I have heard that it can improve people's relationships with food enormously as it has such a profound effect on the hormonal triggers involved (leptin, ghrelin etc.) and after a while carb cravings disappear completely. This hasn't happened for me, I confess but I haven't needed to be quite as strict as those with clear metabolic/inflammatory/gut issues so allow myself the occasional piece of cake or chocolate
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Don't worry about the weight aspect of all this. It can distract from the real issue which is to achieve the maximum health you can. I do think you will struggle to get approval for this way of eating from most medics, even without a history of eating disorders. Even if you were dangerously diabetic the standard of care is to spread huge amounts of carbs equally between meals plus numerous snacks plus drugs to deal with the resulting high insulin spikes. The NHS is moving on this 'though, low carb is now offered as an 'option' for diabetics (fairly quietly I think) and some NHS GPs are coming around to the idea (see Dr David Unwin).
I have never told any medic that I do low carb - I just say that I cook only fresh 'real' unprocessed food from scratch, which is what the diet is at the end of the day. If questioned I would baffle them with the concept of gluconeogenesis (the process by which our bodies synthesise all the glucose we need from protein) and tell them to show me the evidence supporting the claim that carbs are essential in the diet (the answer is they're not - only protein and fat are). I would love to do this but no-one has ever given me the opportunity
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Jillydoll, I've found it surprisingly easy and problem-free. Most 'blood sugar' issues that you mention are the result of the constant ups and downs from carb-centred diets and insufficient protein and fat. When you skip the carbs and fill up on protein and fat your glucose levels remain far more steady without the highs and lows. I rarely snack and the only time I get a low is if I eat a carby treat on an empty stomach. I also fast for at least 13 hrs a day with no issues (although I do need three meals, unlike some who can do just one or two).
Perhaps I should join in one of the 'What have you eaten today' threads so you can all laugh at my bizzarely unconventional meals
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Birdy, I managed to avoid the foggy head by switching over to the diet quite slowly, adding plenty of salt and drinking lots of water but it seems to be quite common to suffer 'low carb flu' for a couple of weeks.
PS. You should all try and get hold of the McVities Chocolate Digestive Thins. OMG, I ate the whole packet walking around the shops one day
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