Can you really get over binging?

Francl27

I know there are 1000 threads about this, but is it really something you can cure, and not just try to keep in check?

It's actually interesting because, before reading these forums, I always kinda assumed that everyone binged at one point or another, that it's pretty much a normal thing. Obviously everyone doesn't have the same notion of what a 'binge' is, but I've yet to meet anyone who hasn't said at one point that they should not have eaten so much... but they just kept eating because it was good. The only difference is that the thin people I know just typically skip a meal to make up for it, while the heavier ones don't.

So... do you think it's possible to stop? I've thought and thought about what triggers binges for me and frankly, I have nothing, except that the food is delicious and I want more.

blktngldhrt

Yes. I think it's possible. It's all about self control. I have no urge to binge anymore.

.. And this is coming from a hypoglycemic who used to binge when low to feel immediate relief from hypo symptoms.

DanniB423

Please let me know when you find the magical cure!!!

Francl27

blktngldhrt wrote: »

Yes. I think it's possible. It's all about self control. I have no urge to binge anymore.

.. And this is coming from a hypoglycemic who used to binge when low to feel immediate relief from hypo symptoms.

Yes but forever? I mean, the first year I started losing weight, self control was not an issue at all, but as I got closer and closer to my goal, it's been more lacking.

Raynne413

The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

tulips_and_tea

Raynne413 wrote: »

The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

Yes, I agree with this. Good, common sense post.

Also, I don't know if I'd call it a "cure" but I think it's important to remember and associate that horrible, full, uncomfortable feeling you get after a binge and remind yourself of it BEFORE a binge. Eventually, you just get so tired of having that feeling that the food (in that quantity) isn't worth it anymore.

Kind of simplistic, but it's kind of like, how many times to you have to burn your finger before you know you dislike the feeling of a burn? Somewhat of the same logic can be applied here.

Francl27

BZAH10 wrote: »

Raynne413 wrote: »

The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

Yes, I agree with this. Good, common sense post.

Also, I don't know if I'd call it a "cure" but I think it's important to remember and associate that horrible, full, uncomfortable feeling you get after a binge and remind yourself of it BEFORE a binge. Eventually, you just get so tired of having that feeling that the food (in that quantity) isn't worth it anymore.

Kind of simplistic, but it's kind of like, how many times to you have to burn your finger before you know you dislike the feeling of a burn? Somewhat of the same logic can be applied here.

That's what motivated me to start losing weight in the first place, I made myself sick of food, lol. I don't binge to the point of being sick anymore though (only done it once really since I started). I just don't feel 'satisfied' until I've eaten too much food.

tulips_and_tea

Good for you, then! Sounds like you are on the right track.

Something else I discovered was that often we eat by habit. For example I'd always have 2 burritos from Taco Bell or 2 pieces of toast or whatever. I started having just one, waiting 15 - 20 min. and then see how I felt. I always told myself I could eat the remaining portion if I was still truly hungry. Most of the time I wasn't. Sometimes I was. It's about being mindful, aware, and balanced. Easier said than done!

alyssareyans

I just fell off the wagon today. For me it's still something I keep in check. I hope one day it's something I don't have to think about. Food has been my comfort for my entire life. Until ten months ago when I started a new approach to food. Today was the first time I can say I've truly binged. I ate not because I was hungry but because I was so stressed out. I feel sick and the main reason I posted about it was to hold myself accountable. I don't binge because I love food or because I want more. I binge to become numb to the emotional pain I feel. The main reason I posted about it was to hold myself publicly accountable because I eat in private so I don't have to feel ashamed. I've done really good for the last several months. I don't want to let this one slip up drag me too far down.

daydreams_of_pretty

Raynne413 wrote: »

The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

+1

You have to approach it from a mental health standpoint. Binging is not just about self control or willpower.

Yes, it's possible to overcome it.

AwkwardSprinkle

Raynne413 wrote: »

The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

Goodness this can't be true enough. Binge Eating can go as far as being an eating disorder. You really need to determine the WHY you are binging before you can learn how to stop doing it. It's probably not because you're hungry, that's for sure.

SylviazSpirit

Yes, yes, 1000x times yes! I promise that it is because I am living proof. I am absolutely not where I want to be weight wise but I am soooo far from where I began. As a teen, I would eat until it hurt. I would literally make myself sick eating. And then as soon as I felt better, I would eat more and start the whole process over. It even got to a point where I would binge then throw up. Then binge again. It was really bad. But several years ago I made the conscious decision to STOP! I told myself that this felt horrible, this was not OK, this was not the way I wanted to be or feel. And I made an effort to stop. Now, I find that I stay within my calories pretty easily and don't overeat without much effort at all. It's just normal and natural now. I can even go to a buffet and stop when I'm full. Only binge eaters would realize what a huge step and goal that is! One of the biggest things for me is making sure I eat at least three meals throughout the day. When I don't eat a meal, I do tend to want to eat more at once. So, eating frequently combats that. But, yes it can be conquered, one day at a time.

pander101

I think so. I used to binge a lot. Not sure what happened but now I don't have that urge anymore. The sick feeling I get afterward of being stuffed just isn't worth it because I know I'm going to regret it and I know I'm going to be really uncomfortable for a good 2 to 3 hours.

SylviazSpirit

Also, I think a lot of times it can be emotional, linked to emotions. As bad as this sounds, I think my living situation with my mom and the stress around that could have also been why I binged like I did. I can't even come up with a "why" But, can really see that as a trigger for me. I think now I have support and love that I don't turn to food for it. At least that was just my experience.

ShannonS921

If you want to know if it is possible to stop binging and never do it again, I honestly don't know the answer. I do know that I was bulimic for 10 years and never ate unless it was binge eating. That all stopped when I got pregnant in 2003. However, I have still binged since then...it's just not a common thing. I don't know if there will ever come a time that I never binge again, because I'm an emotional eater and it happens. I really do think that self-control and willpower go a LONG way here.

a_stronger_me13

For me it's become less frequent and I am triggered by much fewer things than I have been in the past. And you're right, I think after a certain point it just becomes a habit and you can just eat for the sake of eating and because food tastes good. Most people seem to just do it less and less frequently until it becomes almost non-existent. Others are able to quit cold turkey. Personally, finding an eating schedule that works well with my daily schedule and natural hunger cues has helped quite a bit as well as making sure I don't have too drastic of a calorie deficit. I've also found myself feeling like I need to binge but substitute in other activities like walking or lifting or reading until the urge goes away.

EvelineUK

I used to suffer from binge eating disorder, or emotional overeating. Therapy helped me sort out why I ate, what emotions I was trying to numb by stuffing my face.

Try keeping a diary of what you eat, what you think and do before you eat, how you feel after. Maybe you can figure out a pattern. It might be as simple as boredom. Once you've found your triggers, you can deal with them.

Best of luck!

ShammaarB

a

michellemybelll

i hope so. but, i'm inclined to say no.

ShammaarB

AwkwardSprinkle wrote: »

Raynne413 wrote: »

The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

Yes, there is a difference between the two, but you are wrong about self control. Believe me I used to binge, not over eat, BINGE, and you can train your body and mind to stop. A lot of the training is subconsciously hapening as you lose weight. If you start to enjoy the fruitage of your hard work, you will start to be happier too. The more content you are, not just with food, but with life, it can surpress those feelings of "I need to eat more even though I'm full". I'm not sure if you can ever get rid of the thought of eating more. But you certainly can move them to the back of your mind to the point where you focus on the benefits of NOT binging. I haven't reached my goals yet, but I can stil say that from experience.

rrowdiness

I tend to find that I feel really, really ill after a genuine binge - even having overly fatty or salty foods in a single meal can make me physically sick.

While not preventing the craving for food, knowing it'll not end well certainly helps in tapering the binge back to a few hundred calories of excess.

blktngldhrt

Raynne413 wrote: »

The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

I feel like not binging has everything to do with self control. If you can't control your own emotions, desires, and behaviors..you're not going to be able to stop binging.

My binging was a real problem. Since my low glucose caused extreme hunger and cravings and I felt immediate relief from eating..food was almost like a drug for me. I wasn't eating because I was hungry I was eating so I would feel good. It was always bad things and it was always entirely too much. Sure I felt disgusting and bloated but at least my headache, dizziness, and shaking had subsided.. Until an hour later when my sugar crashed again.

I stopped once they finally had a diagnosis for all of my problems..and I found that I was only making things worse for myself by binging on candy and starches. It didn't happen overnight but it I made conscious effort to eat less and eat healthier.

I do believe that binging with an eating disorder is a lot harder to overcome..but I know those who have done that as well and fight every day to keep their eating in check.

blktngldhrt

Francl27 wrote: »

blktngldhrt wrote: »

Yes. I think it's possible. It's all about self control. I have no urge to binge anymore.

.. And this is coming from a hypoglycemic who used to binge when low to feel immediate relief from hypo symptoms.

Yes but forever? I mean, the first year I started losing weight, self control was not an issue at all, but as I got closer and closer to my goal, it's been more lacking.

I guess forever is a little easier for me since my immediate wellbeing relies on the food I put into my body. It's probably been 10 years since my last actual binge.

sparkynazca

I agree with the above poster that there is a vast difference between overeating and binge eating. Binge eating can be a little bit scary. For me, it is not a rational thing. It certainly isn't because the food is delicious.

I've had a problem with binging throughout my life. Unlike others, it did not make me feel sick. In fact, when I binge I can never get enough, I am just not satisfied. I don't mind the full feeling. I LIKE it. I feel as if I need it, on some days.

I call these "hollow days". It is as if there is something inside me that just can not be filled and it translates to obsessive hunger. It is obviously some sort of emotional overeating, and I can not make the -urge- go away. However, I can make the choice to not binge and suffer through the misery of the feelings I am left with.

005999Manon

Yes I agree with the difference between bingeing and overeating. Therapy can help with both actually, especially if there's a link with emotions. Thinking you have to do it yourself or that it has anything to do with having enough selfcontrol/discipline may cause your problems to get worse. It can lead to self blame and you get more and more lost in this eating disorder. It can also make you to restrictive and then binge more often thus making you're eating disorder worse.

To everybody struggling and feeling ashamed when they have binged I would recommend getting help. Your therapist can determine if you have an ED or not. Even if it's 'just' overeating, i think you can still use help to determine why you do it and to get better tools to deal with emotions or situations in which you eat etc.

Francl27

Yes that's what it is, I am not satisfied until I eat too much when I do it... I eventually get somewhat satisfied though, and usually before I'm really stuffed.

NK1112

Binge eating, for me is possibly like falling off the wagon for an alcoholic. As long as I don't eat the foods that trigger the binges, I'm fine. I won't bring the foods that set off a binge into the house. If I cannot distract the desire for it I'll drive to the store and pick up the smallest size of the binge food I can find and then go ahead and eat it. When I am emotionally even I don't crave the stuff but it becomes very difficult to control when I am emotionally drained or depressed. To augment those happier feelings, I do a lot of meditation, exercise, socialize, get fresh air, and stay away from toxic people.

005999Manon

I think that's actually what a lot of people with BED experience. For me, I preferred the feeling of being really stuffed to just feeling miserable, most of the time I didn't even know why. But when I was really really full or sometimes even sick, at least I knew why..

It took alot of courage and even more hard work to get myself in therapy and to work through all of it. Even now I am not finished. But as I learned and healed, the binges became less frequent and now they are almost gone.

I think it's good to take this serious, because you are worth it to take good care of yourself

Alatariel75

I used to be a BIG binger. Not just "I'm full but I kept eating because it was tasty" but to the point I'd go to the shop and buy whole baskets of food with the intention of going home and eating all of it, even past the point I felt sick or even in pain. Deliberate, over the top binging.

Haven't done it for years. Don't have the urge to. I'm in a happy, stable place and I got my head right in respect of my binges. I realised that the labels "emotional eating" and "comfort eating" were fluffy bullsh!t monikers for what I was really doing - self harm through food. I was punishing my body just as much as if I was cutting, or burning - the scars I was leaving were on the insides of my arteries, on the pressure on my heart, the shortning of my lifespan.

My binging was a symptom of much greater issues and when they were dealt with and under control, the binges stopped.

Have they stopped forever? Impossible to say - it hasn't been forever yet. But I honestly believe that I have moved past that behaviour and understand the issues behind it, so that if I ever do wnd up back in a bad place where those urges arise, I will be able to deal with them in a more productive fashion.

llUndecidedll

I hope one can really get over binge eating. I am a binge eater. I stuff my face with food I don't even care for, most of the time. To the point where my stomach is stuffed, then I'll go ly down somewhere. And this happens in a very short period of time. I know my issues, though. Can't solve a lifetime of issues in a few months.

The only advice I've seen is to:
1)drink water, chew gum, keep low calorie food around. etc. for when the urge to binge hits. [but, you're still bingeing... right?]
2)Find something else to focus ALL of your attention on [Nothing interests me (depression), so haven't found anything yet]
3) Find out what the problem is and solve it/deal with it. I know what the problem is. It isn't solvable. It's the result of a lifetime of stress. I'm almost 30 now. It's safe to say I'm stuck in my ways. I was never able to connect with people [online or off], so I feel I am doomed.
4) When you feel the need, just leave wherever you are. Take a walk. This helped me over ten years ago. I ended up losing a lot of weight without knowing it, but now it doesn't.

Therapy only depresses me more.

I genuinely hope others have better success than I am having. Even after losing all that weight over a decade ago, I was still bingeing. The only difference was I fell in love with the gym/cardio/running [and I was estranged from my family, had no friends, so after work I always hit the gym]. I would spend about 2-3 hours almost every day doing cardio. Once that stopped, the weight slowly krept back on. Then my eating habits became even worse. =/

I really do hope there's a light at the end of this tunnel.