Do you want the perfect diet, or do you want a balanced diet? Do you want more or less choice? There is no right or wrong answer here. If it works, it works. But understanding why it works will lead you to more informed decisions so you can accept the tradeoffs. This information, combined with self-awareness will lead you to an approach that works for you.

To look at me now, you would not think it, but I struggled with binge eating for quite a number of years. All the way through my childhood, my teenage years, and about two years ago I had a bad relapse at a time when I struggled with a chronic pain condition. When I was a child I was obese by the clinical definition (though my mother would argue that I was only a little chubby). But I am in and around the same weight now, as I was when I was 12. This in spite of actually having quite a fast metabolism.

I recall nights where my heart would be racing due to the sheer amount of food I ate, followed by 1-2 hours of broken sleep as a result of worsening acid reflux. It made me feel so ashamed of myself, but for some reason, I just couldn't control it. When I would binge, it was like I was possessed.