New to binge eating

loribethrice

I've been using MFP for almost 2 years now and lost 70lbs and was doing great sticking to my diet and everything. But, since March I have had at least 7 random days where I will want sugar SO badly that I have gone out and gotten a large cookie dough Blizzard from DQ with extra cookie dough and no fudge, bags of Hershey's Cookies'N Creme pieces things, chocolate chip cookie sandwiches, an ice cream cone from another place other than DQ, eat whole dozens of thumbprint cookies, and then feel so sick that I can't stand it. Then I'll be really good and stick to my diet and have another one of these days. I'm not sure what to do! I feel like it coincides with my issues sleeping because I've been having major hot flashes lately when I try to sleep that my doctors can't figure out. What do you guys do when this happens?! I've gained about 6lbs since March and I am scared to death I'm going to end up over 200lbs again when I've gone almost a year now in the 130s. It's making me scared and depressed which is just making me want the sugar more. I feel stuck in a huge catch 22.

totaldetermination

Hi, I don't have any easy answers, I'm afraid.

Could you try to set your calories to maintenance - just to get back in control ?
For me binge eating comes in waves. When I am having a rough patch I have to really focus on doing whatever it takes to get to a calmer patch. For me, even the calm patches are challenging. But I can manage them. Whereas the 'rough patches' will get out of control if I let them. But everyone is different.

There is a thread in this group called 'May Challenge - Me vs. The Binge' which helps to keep you accountable for your actions. Perhaps that would help ?

loribethrice

I had myself on maintenance when this all started, so I switched myself back to .5lbs a week. I just feel so lost right now because I've never eaten like this before! I will try that thread though to use for accountability so thank you! I'm just glad I'm not alone in this.

JonathanP1962

You are not alone. I snuck out of the house on saturday to walk to the shops to get my favorite snack. I was half way there and having an argument with myself as i was walking and finally convinced myself to turn around and go home. BUT id already binged on ice cream and i overindulged saturday,sunday and monday. Saturday i was over 4000 calories - Sunday and monday I didnt log all the stuff i ate on MFP. Thats when I started searching MFP and found this group and this thread. Reading that others have exactly the same challange gives me motivation and Ive stopped the binging from getting totally out of control although it took 3 days. Normally once I start binging it goes on for a lot longer. I've also joined the may challange and thats helped me be "accountable" to myself (and you guys )

turnipZbeets

It sounds like you're going through a very stressful patch of life. Hormones can be such a pain in the tuchass.

It sounds like your hormones are going through some turbulence. No wonder you're craving sweets! It'll take some patience to get used to the feeling of suddenly trying to sleep on the surface of the sun. Play around with a few instant helpers: freeze plastic bottles of water and set one on your night stand just before heading to bed for instant ice water within arms reach. Keep a fan on and an ice pack next to your bed as well.
Try not to focus on the food so much right now? Since these sugary binges are a new phenomenon that just popped up... maybe they will disappear from your life just as quickly.

It helps me to take my focus away from food and work on improving myself apart from my stomach. I try to look for activities and little moments in life that make me feel as much momentary pleasure as that first bite of a food I have been craving.
What makes you simply happy in life? What makes you truly feel accomplished outside from food?

A massage? manicure? finishing a good book? Writing a letter to a friend? Quiet early sun rise walks? Focusing on something else can't hurt and will help bring balance to other parts of your life.

Good luck and sleep easy.

loribethrice

I ate an entire cookie cake with icing on it from the bakery on Saturday morning after I was done with work at 7am. The ENTIRE thing. It was huge. I felt so sick after, but I couldn't stop. I also had a large cookie dough blizzard with extra cookie dough from DQ the night before and a bag of Hershey's Cookies and Creme Drops at work Friday night and another before I went to work Friday evening. I did good last night and I'm trying to be good tonight. I keep chewing gum instead of eating extra food because I have to stop this cycle!! I think it really is my hormones that are causing me issues. It's scary. My gynecologist tried a non-hormonal birth control approach, but my body rejected the Paragard IUD, so now the only option is a hysterectomy. It's just adding more stress.

JonathanP1962

loribethrice wrote: »

I ate an entire cookie cake with icing on it from the bakery on Saturday morning after I was done with work at 7am. The ENTIRE thing. It was huge. I felt so sick after, but I couldn't stop.

We've all been there - I had an icecream binge last week, thats why I started in this group. The important thing is try and not beat yourself up when it happens and try and reset as soon as possible. Once I start it usually takes 3-4 days for me to get it under control (last week 2). My way out is drinking (a lot) of water and exercising. I then work out how long I would have to do that walking/running/x-training to burn off just one portion of what Im binging on and then focus forward not back.

loribethrice

JonathanP1962 wrote: »

loribethrice wrote: »

I ate an entire cookie cake with icing on it from the bakery on Saturday morning after I was done with work at 7am. The ENTIRE thing. It was huge. I felt so sick after, but I couldn't stop.

We've all been there - I had an icecream binge last week, thats why I started in this group. The important thing is try and not beat yourself up when it happens and try and reset as soon as possible. Once I start it usually takes 3-4 days for me to get it under control (last week 2). My way out is drinking (a lot) of water and exercising. I then work out how long I would have to do that walking/running/x-training to burn off just one portion of what Im binging on and then focus forward not back.

I drink around 2 gallons of water and day and have for years. That's why I get so confused as to why I always feel so hungry because I've always been told that drinking and chewing gum was supposed to help. The funny thing is that while binging on sugar I have SO much more energy at the gym than I do on days where I follow my diet. It's so frustrating!