I don't know how to stop binging

tweetspie

It's becoming an every day thing and I'm sabotaging myself and it's really getting upsetting.

Two months ago, I lost 12 lbs in about a month and it was great. I was really happy with myself and proud. And then I started a new job. Not only did I go from 8 hours a day on my feet in retail to a desk job, but I went from a store without even a microwave to a haven for my fat brain. I sit at my desk for 8 hours a day, only getting up to pee and eat. And the kitchen is filled with free snacks.

There's a movie popcorn machine, two flavors of Faygo slushies, garlic (my favorite) Chex Mix with Cheez its (my favorite of the cheese crackers), M&M trail mix, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Every day, I eat at least two Styrofoam cups-worth of one or more of the snacks and have at least two slushies. The Chex Mix alone has 130 calories in half a cup and I'll easily go through two or three cups a day. One day the air was broken and I had 6 slushies. I eat lunch and then I go and get popcorn. Then I go back to my desk and 20 minutes later I go get Chex Mix and a slushie. Then I come home to chips and guac, Cheez Its, or some other snack food that my mother has bought. This weekend I ate an entire costco sized tub of italian pasta salad. AND an entire box of Cheez Its.

I have no idea how to stop this. I can't avoid it because I have to walk past it all to put my lunch in the refrigerator and to get to the bathroom. I don't even track it, which ruins my entire day and I almost never track past lunch because I get upset with myself and give up. Every single day. In the past two months I've put on all of the weight that I lost before and it's honestly so depressing that I've seriously considered weight loss surgery that is against my personal morals.

How do I stop this so I can lose weight and get past this point in my life? I'm really not looking for someone to tell me to just stop eating it because I already have someone who doesn't understand what I'm going through and I don't need more.

mmellgirl

You might consider the fact that you are a food addict. Check out www.oa.org for meetings in your area. Be open minded and give it a try. Food can be an addiction just like alcohol, drugs etc. Many times food and weight are just the symptons. Good luck.

tweetspie

Unfortunately I work 55 hours a week, so it's not possible to attend any sort of meeting.

mmellgirl

Keep it in mind..........

herblackwings39

Track it. All of it. It's easy to hide it from yourself if you don't log it. How about making a lunch that doesn't require refrigeration? Bring your own snacks? A huge water bottle? It's hard to avoid temptation, but if you can find substitutes or ways to avoid being confronted with it it might be easier.

RepsnSets

Can you not take your own food to work and maybe treat those snacks as a treat once a week or longer?

robdel302

Try adjusting your diet and incorporating foods that keep you feeling full longer. High fiber vegetables and fruits that contain pectin. Also incorporate healthy fats as it helps when cutting carbs. If you feel full, you typically wont have the desire to binge eat.

slenderyeppie

Have you heard of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? The original founder's daughter Dr. Beck has a diet called The Beck Diet which helps you change the way you think about food/your relationship to food.

There is a book and a workbook you can follow along in your own time (since you're busy) to fundamentally change the way you see yourself- as being helpless to food, needing to eat that food, etc.

I feel for you. The kitchen at my work last year had so many baked goods and leftover lunches. I beat myself up so much for eating unplanned meals and feeling out of control. Best of luck.

Lunachic77

I'm taking this from a thread that was posted a while back...

Enduring chemotherapy is hard.

Hitting a fast ball in the major leagues in hard.

Negotiating nuclear disarmament from a hostile nation is hard.

Saying goodbye to a loved one in the hospital or the veterinarian’s office for the last time is hard.

Putting down the fork and telling yourself to stop eating is not hard. Mind over matter. If you want to lose weight and make a change, then will it to happen and be accountable. Make the change

Capt_Apollo

Unfortunately I work 55 hours a week, so it's not possible to attend any sort of meeting.

make time

moondawg14

Unfortunately I work 55 hours a week, so it's not possible to attend any sort of meeting.

There are 168 hours in a week. You clearly need/want some sort of outside accountability since you're here telling us that self-accountability isn't working.


If your employer offers an EAP (most do) then I encourage you to use it. This isn't a food problem, this is a mental/emotional problem. And there's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. I've seen a counselor twice in my life for different issues. Both times were extremely helpful. I don't understand why people will take time off of work to go to the doctor for an injury or a physical injury, but won't take the time to for treatment for a mental issue. Figure out what's causing you to BINGE. Eating when hungry is normal, binging when hungry (or not hungry) is not.

Further, Stop going into the kitchen! It's clearly a problem area for you. Bring a cooler with ice packs with your lunch in it, and put it under your desk. Or bring lunches that don't need to be refrigerated. Fruit, veggies, whatever. Or, if you have the opportunity, walk to a grocery store or a fruit stand or whatever and buy your healthy lunch.

karlalband

Fruit and water at your desk will help, gum too!

tweetspie

It's not about being hungry. I will often eat until I'm on the verge of vomiting. I understand that I have a serious problem. Even if I take my own snacks to work (which I did today) I will eat them TOO or I'll eat the other snacks instead.

cranium853

Is that the job you plan to retire from? Because if you're going to leave it, it might be better to do that now before it kills you to be working there when you aren't strong enough to eat your own food. Nobody but you puts that crap in your mouth and you are choosing to say "poor me" instead of doing the next right thing and making a choice to have the life you say you want. Quit if you need to. But if you eat yourself to death it is a CHOICE. You are not a victim. Stop claiming that you have no options. Life is difficult. Being overweight just makes it harder.

tweetspie

Is that the job you plan to retire from? Because if you're going to leave it, it might be better to do that now before it kills you to be working there when you aren't strong enough to eat your own food. Nobody but you puts that crap in your mouth and you are choosing to say "poor me" instead of doing the next right thing and making a choice to have the life you say you want. Quit if you need to. But if you eat yourself to death it is a CHOICE. You are not a victim. Stop claiming that you have no options. Life is difficult. Being overweight just makes it harder.

Yes, as a matter of fact, this is what I want my career to be and I do not want to screw up my entire life.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I am looking for advice from people who have had binge eating problems in the past and have gotten past them. I am not making myself a victim. I have a serious mental issue and I cannot afford nor have time to get help for. I'm looking for advice, not rude *kitten* comments about how I'm making myself a victim.

RepsnSets

It's not about being hungry. I will often eat until I'm on the verge of vomiting. I understand that I have a serious problem. Even if I take my own snacks to work (which I did today) I will eat them TOO or I'll eat the other snacks instead.

Definitely log it then. I have done this so many times and made better choices after seeing the calorie content in junk type of food.

edelge

Man, talk about a group of people who just don't get it.
It is hard and you need a combination of truly supportive people and counseling/behavioral therapy.
Unless you have been a hundred pounds overweight you have no idea how hard it is.
Feel free to message me if you want to talk. Hang in there.

cmcollins001

Unfortunately I work 55 hours a week, so it's not possible to attend any sort of meeting.

make time

QFT

If you really want to find a way, you will. You can either make the decision to stop shoving food in your mouth when your not hungry or admit you might have a problem and need help and find a way to fix it.

Time may be scarce but you shot down that idea without even looking into the program and seeing if there is a time slot you can make. The majority of us have jobs, kids, or both...but making time for what is going to end up helping you is worth the effort.

Posting on an internet forum might help for about 3 seconds, but if you shoot down the sound advice with excuses, then you're not really ready to do what it takes to make it happen.

SDkitty

Unfortunately I work 55 hours a week, so it's not possible to attend any sort of meeting.

make time

I am an alcoholic. I have been sober for over a year and half. I work 50-60 hours a week and I make time to work out AND attend meetings because it is something that I want to make time for. It is really hard sometimes, and it is by no means going to be easy. You have to make sacrifices. Some weeks I focus more on my family or friends and so I make time to attend an online support group...there are tons of support groups on the internet :laugh:

I am an emotional food binger so I understand what you mean by the uncontrollable factor, you've eaten 3 servings before you even realize what you're doing right? Yeah, it sucks. One of my remedies to avoid the office snacks is to always have a snack drawer. I keep things that are sweet and salty to satisfy my urges like planters granola bars in my desk. I keep bananas on my desk too. There are lots of healthier options out there doll! You can do it!!

Add me and we can keep on each other to keep strong :flowerforyou:

robdel302

You could try talking to a psychologist about a possible neurotransmitter deficiency. If certain ones are out of flux, it can cause addiction or reward seeking behavior. I have ADHD which is caused by a deficiency in dopamine. I used to eat a lot because I crave some sort of stimulus. Food is a common stimulus for people who eat when we're bored. But now I take welbutrin XR (zoloft) for the dopamine issue and it curbs all my reward seeking behavior. Yes I'll be on the meds for the rest of my life but I don't mind that since it's fixing an out of balance issue that I was born with. I already exercise a lot but it wasn't enough to keep a solid uptake of dopamine all day long.

amandaanderson2786

i too was like you and the only thing that saved me was being accountable !also lots of family support. i wanted it so bad so me and my fiance got all the junk outta the house. my extended family knows i am changing my lyfestyle so they are trying to be encouraging by not offering me junk and my mom is super cute and posts healthy recipes to my facebook. if your job is a big problem you should probably start looking for a job where your not sitting because for me when i sit thats when i want to snack!!! maybe something a little more fast paced as for home life i think you said you live with your mom forgive me if i am wrong its late lol but maybe you could talk to her about how important it is to you to not have junk food in the house alteast until you have more control. thats what i did with my fiance and he was totally on board! hope that was helpful and feel free to add me. and sorry my grammar sucks

mspasdechat

I can relate to your situation, as I too have a very unhealthy relationship with food. At the end of the day, it is *you* who has to make the change. It's not going to happen overnight. You're going to struggle, you're going to slip up and feel like a failure - it's just all part of the process. Your food addiction has manifested itself for quite some time, I'm assuming, and it will take quite some time for it to relinquish its power over you.

I am currently seeing a therapist for my food addiction and it has really helped.

You need to stop and think about what you are eating. It's very difficult, but not impossible. At some point you need to look at yourself and say ENOUGH is ENOUGH. You must eat to live, not live to eat!

Best of luck sweet heart. PM if you need any support

tweetspie

Unfortunately I work 55 hours a week, so it's not possible to attend any sort of meeting.

make time

QFT

If you really want to find a way, you will. You can either make the decision to stop shoving food in your mouth when your not hungry or admit you might have a problem and need help and find a way to fix it.

Time may be scarce but you shot down that idea without even looking into the program and seeing if there is a time slot you can make. The majority of us have jobs, kids, or both...but making time for what is going to end up helping you is worth the effort.

Posting on an internet forum might help for about 3 seconds, but if you shoot down the sound advice with excuses, then you're not really ready to do what it takes to make it happen.

Ok, fine. I'll play. The ONE meeting in my area in a time and day that I can attend is 15 miles away. I'm aware of OA and I have read all about OA. I am not a religious person and I do not need to find god. I do not need to be preached to. I shot it down without going any further because I didn't want to offend people. Obviously I have not been afforded that same courtesy here.

angelcurry130

i'm going to agree with the suggestions to bring your food and keep it at your desk. at my office, we are plagued by lunch thieves, so i keep my food with me anyway. if you have NO reason to go in the kitchen area (read: your food is not in there) you have NO reason to be hanging out there. it is a problem area. stay out.

as for the junk at home, throw it out. if you feel that is wasteful, give unopened packages to your local food bank, or a neighbor. go to a friend or family member you trust/rely on. have them hold you accountable. tell them when you are going to give in to a craving. let them call you out on it. that support is a great drive. yes, it is embarrassing to have to tell someone you want to eat junk food, but let that accountability carry you past the craving.

it is really hard to stop eating. eating makes us feel good. but i can tell you from experience that it feels so much better to have to buy new jeans because they keep falling off than it ever did stuffing myself sick.

you CAN do this.

best wishes.


p.s. at the very least, PLEASE log the stuff you are eating. if you don't know the measurements, round up. keep track. the food diary is a fantastic way to keep yourself in the know. you can even use it as reference to see your own acheivements when you start abstaining from the junk food. it is being honest with YOURSELF. and that is the most important part of a lifestyle change.

lablueluna

In total agreement with edelge. Also, I'm appalled by how unsupportive the earlier responses are. People need to step the f off the "stop being a victim" malarky. Obviously you are reaching out for support. I've had issues with bingeing and it's hard and it's NOT about physical hunger. Please feel free to message/add me as a friend!

Hang in there!

lmelangley

Someone else may have mentioned this - I didn't read everyone's posts completely - but try bringing a toothbrush and a strong mint toothpaste to work and every time you go to the bathroom, brush your teeth. I bet that garlic chex mix and those slushies just won't taste as good if your mouth is full of mint! You could also keep a strong mint mouth spray at your desk and use it every time you get up - that way, you'll be minty going to and from the bathroom.

rld84

There is a Binge Eating support group on MFP that has members that suffer from the same type of emotional and behavioural issues around food that you do. Perhaps try joining that group, so that you have support from others who fully understand what you are feeling and where you are coming from, and may be able to offer you strategies to help you. Best of luck!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/743-binge-eating-support-group

taylorwaylor

You can do this without surgery.. You did before! It's just a stressful cycle... But you'll break it if you keep trying. I suggest just continue to track your calories even if you feel to upset to. Track the food BEFORE you eat it, then you might change your mind about eating it.


Ohh, and I wouldn't say you "binge eat", because that is eating a large amount of food in a short period of time, until your so full you can't move. You just over-eat, but you can beat it! Try focusing on little goals, or atleast focus on working out... Usually working out motivates me to eat better.

craigmandu

Ever think of maybe chewing sugarless gum when you feel the need to grab some kind of food instead?

Or take alot of low calorie snacks with you? For instance, maybe get some veggies you can eat throughout the day? Carrots, Celery, Broccoli, Cucumber, etc..etc.. If you take a big tupperware bowl full of them, and you munch on those all day, it won't add up to alot of calories....also make sure you drink plenty of water. It doesn't matter if you have to pee 3 times during the workday, it will take the place of filling your void with unhealthy choices.

I wish you luck!

danibu98

I go through this a lot (and still am). The only way I can control it is if I log it. I also pack my lunch every day and I don't take any extra money for snacks. I work on the road and in the food and beverage business so everything is a huge temptation to me.

I love chex mix and I make an awesome homemade one. I used to make it weekly, now maybe once a month at best. I have a huge desire to crunch so now I eat low fat/ air popped popcorn or something similar.

Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like to journey with someone battling a binge/crunch addiction . I don't drink soda or eat sweets - luckily I see no joy in them. My diary is open to friends.

daltem

I found chemo easier than putting down the fork. .