I don't know how to stop binging

mjschumacher100

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

What a crock of absolute b...let's just call it utter nonsense.

I won't even get into how ridiculous the concept of 'mind over matter is' but perhaps you might want to look at some more recent research on cognitive science and the science of free will and habit.

But even apart from that, an addiction is an addiction. This lady has a problem. Belittling it by suggesting it's not a 'difficult' problem whilst throwing in emotive statements about death is disgusting. Jog on will you.

Now, to the matter of hand which incidentally, (if you're still reading) is of HELPING someone....

Food addiction is terrible, unlike addictions to other items such as alcohol, there's no escaping food. As well as this you also have the added issue that the marketing dollars of the food companies are conniving against you, with that kind of marketing spend and of course the design of food (the bliss point, look that up) you're basically in a REALLY difficult situation.

A few good suggestions here, I would perhaps play around with the following:

1. The Paleo diet. I'm not a huge fan of this normally BUT by removing all processed foods from your diet, eating only organic items, fish, meats, nuts and so on you'll find your satiety goes up and your need of processed junk will go down. It's a lifestyle change but it might just work. Restricting food groups isn't always wise but in your case, following a specific intervention diet could be a great way of changing your habits and your body's cravings for junk and so on.

2. You could try a combination of intermittent fasting and carb back loading. The concept behind this is that you fast at times during the where you're exposed to bad foods and then eat when you get home. As an example, perhaps you have a 16 hour fast window each day and an 8 hour feeding window. During these 8 hours you get in your daily calories and you have more control over what foods you have access to (eg only those in your cupboard) Furthermore by including carb backloading you're still getting access to treats etc but you're doing it all at the end of the day when you have full control.

Those are just a couple of suggestions for you. Good luck with it.

jen_zz

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

Thanks for sharing. That stopped me from bored snacking post dinner!

nickielouise36

Perhaps log EVERYTHING nd seeing how many caloried u go over by day in day out will give u the wake up call u need...
It is hard.. I feel like all I do is binge.. nd with out willpower its hard.. BUT HOW MUCH DO U WANT IT
HOW MUCH DO U WANT TO BE SLIM ND HEALTHY ND LOOK ND FEEL GREAT INSIDE ND OUT
Goodluck xx

littlecrystal

I recognize myself in here. I undid my 10lbs loss in the last 2 months and I am even to embarrassed to registered it on MFP. I just posted here yesterday saying that I had 6 litres of drinks + food by the noon and still felt so “hungry”. I managed not to binge yesterday, and today I already feel stronger.

I think that defensiveness and excuses are the part of the binging problem. If we all were strong, we wouldn’t be seeking for help. Being defensive and seeking for help is already a step forward.

My advice: if you cannot stop bingeing, avoid carbs and choose protein/fatty food, i.e. meat, smoked oily fish, boiled eggs etc. Carbs are an addiction and makes you want more carbs. When I start on biscuits and cereals, I cannot stop. I currently try to avoid wheat, rice and sugar, as I feel it is addictive.

Today at work I have brought 1 fried egg and 1 bacon rasher as a snack and I eat it cold when I feel that spark of bingeing coming.

My other option is to have a jar of peanut butter and eat a teaspoon or two.

When I crave sweet, I love a piece of my 85% dark chocolate.

One day at the time. Add me as your friend.

kgoodman0108

For me, it was like an oral fixation - I had to be eating or drinking something. I work as a receptionist, and I'm sitting for 8 hours a day. Its easy to eat out of boredom. Like others have said, when you track everything that you are actually eating, it gives you more ammunition to cut back.

Try keeping large bottles of water at your desk, and sip on water all day long. You'll end up having to use the restroom constantly, but it will give you a break to walk away more often. I also chew a lot of sugar free gum. Water and gum help me fill the void.

Bring lots of snacks to keep at your desk! You can keep almonds, pistachios, fruit, granola bars, even baked chips at your desk. So if you do decide to binge, its on something much more healthy than what is in the kitchen.

lisastern

I get this. If I'm not careful the first thing I do when walking in the house is go to the kitchen and start grazing on everything. Then like you I give up and don't track it, because if I don't track it I don't have to acknowledge it. I've realized that I can't lose weight without tracking EVERYTHING. The water and gum thing is huge, and lots of healthy snacks with high fiber like fruit, etc. And instead of waiting until the next day to start over, make a conscience decision to start over in that moment. You can do this!

kgoodman0108

I recognize myself in here. I undid my 10lbs loss in the last 2 months and I am even to embarrassed to registered it on MFP. I just posted here yesterday saying that I had 6 litres of drinks + food by the noon and still felt so “hungry”. I managed not to binge yesterday, and today I already feel stronger.

I think that defensiveness and excuses are the part of the binging problem. If we all were strong, we wouldn’t be seeking for help. Being defensive and seeking for help is already a step forward.

My advice: if you cannot stop bingeing, avoid carbs and choose protein/fatty food, i.e. meat, smoked oily fish, boiled eggs etc. Carbs are an addiction and makes you want more carbs. When I start on biscuits and cereals, I cannot stop. I currently try to avoid wheat, rice and sugar, as I feel it is addictive.

Today at work I have brought 1 fried egg and 1 bacon rasher as a snack and I eat it cold when I feel that spark of bingeing coming.

My other option is to have a jar of peanut butter and eat a teaspoon or two.

When I crave sweet, I love a piece of my 85% dark chocolate.

One day at the time. Add me as your friend.

^ THIS. Eating low carb has helped me tremendously. You are most likely insulin resistant. Carbs spike your insulin, making you go into a feeding frenzy. I find myself much more satisfied with the food I allow myself when eating this way.

LNRoss

Take it day by day. If you quit eating sugar,white flour,salt,margarine,deep fried foods and processed foods the cravings will go away. I did this while working at a Golden Corral buffet restaurant about 7 years ago and lost 76 pounds. Exercise first thing in the morning even if you have to get up before daylight to do this. When you exercise first thing in the morning you won't want to eat junk and mess up your hard work. Take fresh fruits and veggies with you to work. I found out I love grapes for a snack they are very sweet and filling too. Eating less processed food fills you up and makes your body happy and you will not want junk food. Drinking more water helps your body flush out everything you put in it too. I had to quit using artificial sweeteners too, that helped tremendously. I've gained some of the weight back since then and I'm just getting started on losing again. I've lost 11 pounds in the past few months and I'm feeling better and way more active. And the free snacks in the break room, you're the only one to stop that so from one big girl to another..stop getting on here and whining about all the junk you eat.....plan your meals for the day stick to it, just say no to the snacks in the break room(it's not hard) and get on here and log how good you did so everyone can cheer you on !!!! Just try it for a day, you'll be a very different person. You also make a bunch of excuses for your actions, STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND START MAKING CHANGES...then you'll start SEEING changes. You've gotten a lot of advise from all kinds of people USE some of the ideas and stop the excuses. If you really want something you have to work for it, there's no way around that.

daveymac1

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

Best.Post.Ever.

geekette411

Bring your own food and do not go in the kitchen. Ever.


Edit for typo.

jsiricos

Bottom Line - You have to want it bad enough, no one else can do that for you.
We've all been there, we've all had that "lightbulb" moment

craigmandu

wow. you come here looking for help. a few people suggest OA meetings, telling you to make time (because it's worth it and can actually help you) and you come off all snooty and on the defensive saying how you work 55 hours a week and don't need to be preached to and don't believe in god.

you know, don't ask me tips on how to play soccer, but neglect to tell me you only have one leg.

fine, you don't want to be preached to. i get that.... wait, no i don't. you need to be 'preached to' to overcome your problem. in AA they have a 90 meetings in 90 days rules for newbies, in the hopes that it sinks in. you obviously can't make it due to your job (which we were somehow supposed to just know???). but this is just like the people who bash crossfit without ever having tried a class.

make it to a meeting once. just go. do it. in fact, go to two meetings so you can really really get a good evaluation of the thing. the closest one is 15 miles?? HOLY EFFING SQUIRRL BALLS is that really far away for you?? or are you just making another excuse not to get yourself better? just like the free snacks in the kitchen, and the whole "i sit down for work 8 hour days."

How is saying that I work a lot of hours coming off as snooty? Someone made a suggestion and I shared how it wouldn't work for me and I said "unfortunately I work 55 hours a week." Are you offended that I have an amazing job and am a workaholic? Or are you mistaking my getting pissed at people basically telling me that I'm lazy and being flat out rude when I asked for help?

I will probably never post in the forums again because of this post, the first topic I've created, getting so many *****y responses. I came here because I was under the impression that this was going to be a helpful, safe place, but clearly I was very wrong and I won't make this mistake again.

No one is being mean or cruel to you. You are reading that into messages. You are reading when someone tells you to take control, that they are telling you that you are lazy. You read "rudeness" into messages that are simply not rude...

You have gotten alot of great responses...however you seem to focus on the negative. This puts the impression in my mind that you are "hunting" for reasons to declare to yourself that you won't be able to "handle" this, and thus give yourself the green light to keep on like you have been.

I wish you luck, and hope you actually do what it takes to get it under control.

ze_hombre

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.

This will probably get lost in the sea of comments, but you should be aware that high carb food (such as Chex mix and slushies) have a tendency to make you hungrier. Look into Leptin Resistance. http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/16or0n/science_my_doctor_likes_keto_and_paleo_his/

barbsdag

The first important thing is you realize what is happening and, you want to beat it. My mother always said she was allergic to food, she broke out in fat. Also, you are a food addict as I am. What I would like to suggest is tonight you write the list of foods, including snacks, that you will have for tomorrow. Everything on your list is to be brought to work. When you feel the urge to binge, either get up and walk around the office once or twice or, chew a piece of gum or, go outside for some fresh air. I will not offend by asking you however; I am a Christian and, when the going gets tough, I take it to the Lord and tell Him what is going on and sure enough, I feel better. Also, drink plenty of water, some room temperature and some cold out of the fridge. We are all here for you and, we have all gone through and, some of us are still going through difficult times, really rough patches. Just don't give up, when you make a mistake, gather yourself together, pick yourself up and begin again...that is the key to success.

rebbylicious

If the point of eating is for Gratification, then look at it this way- The pain of saying "no" to food now is NOTHING like the pain of Being fat. The gratification of being a healthy you, and loving what you see in the mirror is much better than the gratification of that snack. So pain now or pain later? Gratification now or gratification later? You decide.

Log your food and keep your diary open, accountability will help.

I disagree with the idea of eating replacement snacks - all it does is change what kind of items you are binging on, you need to do something to gain control of the behavior, not find a way around it.


I fall closer to zen/ taoism than any other religion - but If someone uses the word god in the midst of good advice I will take the advice. I can replace the word "god" with "universe" and it will mean more to me. They don't need to know I am replacing words with ones that help me. Release your attachment to the word "God" and replace it with something that works for you. The advice and help will be the same.

Remember that you cant get upset that complete strangers are not going to feel sympathy for someone who asks advice and then rejects the advice given. You have to FIND A WAY to make the changes. All you talk about are your obstacles- not once have you talked about a reason or a way above it.

conniemaxwell5

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

make time

This. Stop making excuses. "If it's important you'll find a way, if it's not you'll find an excuse."

I work 55 or more hours a week and still make time for the gym every day, have meetings of some sort at least 2-3 times a week and watch my favorite TV shows. In addition I am active on the weekends. It can be done, but you have to want it bad enough to make good decisions. It's a decision to walk to the kitchen, it's another decision to fill a cup with junk, and it's another to eat it. You need to be cognizant of your actions and be accountable for them.

clarkeje1

I have free snacks at my work too (chips, candy bars, cookies, sometimes cupcakes, pizza). If I bring a lot of good food I am less tempted to eat those snacks as opposed to if I don't bring much for lunch, I'll end up hungry and resort to eating the snacks. Stock the employee fridge with healthy snacks and don't let yourself get hungry... eat throughout the day to keep yourself satisfied but not full. If you know you aren't hungry and just have the urge to eat try chewing minty gum and drinking water. Hope this helps!

singlefemalelawyer

Some people who are giving you a hard time and saying things like "put down the fork" clearly don't understand what it's like to deal with emotional eating/binge eating. I know it can feel like you are helpless and out of control and can't stop. But you do have to stop making excuses at some point and own up to the behavior and make some changes. You are your problem, but also the solution! Don't give up on yourself. Find reasons that you want to get healthy for - post pictures and phrases on your wall or mirror at home for motivation. But don't think that you are powerless - you CAN change. You just have to want it bad enough. Once you decide that enough is enough, you will find a way to stop. Will it be easy? Hell no! Will it be worth it? Hell yes! Make small goals for yourself and be aware of what you are eating - and that starts with tracking. Even the worst possible binge you ever had. Once you see it written down and how many calories you just ate, and how much time you need to spend working out to burn it, you will start making small changes and start your road to recovery and health.

fit4lifeUcan2

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.

Have you considered seeing a therapist? There are therapists that specialize in food addiction.

meredith1123

Track your foods, every bite. I find that really puts it into perspective.
also - if you can not check out food addict meetings, check out websites for them. It's hard to get control of this BUT YOU CAN. check my profile quote out. It says it all.

its MIND OVER MATTER girl! you just have to teach yourself and train yourself to understand how to deal with this.
we've all been there. I still consider myself a food addict. I still want to binge. It's an addiction just like alcohol drugs or cigarettes. We are addicted to food for reasons. Find out why you are so addicted to it and change that!
Yesterday someone had a birthday celebration here at work - cake and ice cream! UGH! I did NOT eat it. In fact, i did not even go into the room of which it was placed. I forced myself to logically think about the outcome. We think we love food, but it doesnt love us. Do not fuel the fire!
go read my profile quote. I made it up and its mine but it applies to me, you and everyone here in all aspects whether it be food, love, relationships, life, etc....