I am bingeing on sweets and I don't know how to stop it...

boombalatty123

Delay gratification. Take the snack, but tell yourself to wait an hour before eating it. After the hour, reevaluate whether you want the snack after all. Delay again, if possible. Repeat as necessary.

Good luck!

Lourdesong

bellabonbons wrote: »

Addiction is psychological. Difficult to overcome. 85% of what is going on is in your subconscious. Professional help is needed. The way you are bringing and unable to stop stems from a control issue, low self esteem, and feelings of hopelessness. A good therapist will help you find the root cause. Once you understand it you will be in a better position overcome what is causing you to binge.

Therapy has no meaningful success rate to boast of that would set them apart from any other scheme to part dieters and their money, so maybe the extravagance of therapy- which demands a pretty big investment of money and time with no end to either of these demands in sight, is not in fact the best solution for most people with problems resisting sweets.

OP- If you want sweets more than what else is available, then eat the sweets a log them. Eating foods you don't want to eat, esp if you wind up eating what you wanted anyway, is just excess calories. My advice is to eat what you want, and you may find that eventually you don't always want sweets or even want them most of the time.

vivmom2014

Come on, now. Take the power back. Sugar is not forcing you to do anything, it does not hold a magical sway over you.

As you've been advised, change your behavior. Keep the trouble-foods out of reach until you master some control around them. Substitute gum or fruit. Interrupt the habit by physically getting up and taking a walk, even if it's just down a hall way and back.

Alternatively, plan for your indulgences and log them. You can examine if you think your calorie goal is too restrictive, lose weight at a slower pace and fit in the treats. There are always options. It's not black or white.

elaineamj

I have the same issue with bingeing on junk. A lot of it is habit and some of it is stress when I get upset/annoyed. Eating is the way I calm myself down. I am still trying to figure out alternate ways to deal with stress (thankfully, I haven't been stressed in the last couple of weeks since I started this).

As for the habitual bingeing, I started habit hacking. Every time I felt a craving, I would drink a glass of water. Sometimes I would pop a mint (gum also works). After a few days, I dealt with my work cravings. I still get them, but the cravings aren't as strong and my hacks usually work.

Last weekend, I was home alone for a couple of hours. A dangerous time as my habit is to spend a lot of this time eating junk. Sad to say, I did end up bingeing. I think I need to habit hack this situation as well. I am finding I need to separately habit hack each individual situation.

RoxieDawn

vivmom2014 wrote: »

Come on, now. Take the power back. Sugar is not forcing you to do anything, it does not hold a magical sway over you.

As you've been advised, change your behavior. Keep the trouble-foods out of reach until you master some control around them. Substitute gum or fruit. Interrupt the habit by physically getting up and taking a walk, even if it's just down a hall way and back.

Alternatively, plan for your indulgences and log them. You can examine if you think your calorie goal is too restrictive, lose weight at a slower pace and fit in the treats. There are always options. It's not black or white.

I'm in on these recommendations!!

ilex70

Lots of good recommendations already.

I will add maybe take a magnesium supplement since it seems like you are mostly drawn to chocolate. Couldn't hurt.

I had something like an addiction to juice pops for awhile, as in I just had to have one after a meal. Real juice, not high calorie, but surely didn't need them. Craved snow cones too.

I had low iron/anemia. Got transfusions for it and the ice cravings went away.

Nice2BFitAgain

A cookie, a doughnut, a piece of chocolate (not the entire King size...) per day is NOT a binge. Work the calories for a treat in to your day. OR stay away for them.

Drink flavored water or chew gum - constantly - keep something in your mouth so you don't put the other stuff in it. Stay away from where they stash the goodies in the office. Keep your food with you at your desk so you don't have to go near the sweets.

puffbrat

What has worked the best for me is pre-logging my day as best as possible. Then I log the snack/sweets before eating them to see how they fit into my day. If they wind up being much higher calorie than I expected or would put me over for the day, I find it much easier to walk away. If those calories fit into my day, then I have to decide if that is how I want to spend those calories that day or if I would rather save those calories for a more filling snack or larger portion of dinner.

Wheelhouse15

Considering your foods are all loaded with fat and salt as well I'm not so sure it's sugar that's the only issue -- just an observation because the foods for most really crave and cheat with include all three. I think you might be running too high of a deficit and having snack foods within easy reach aren't good either. Have you considered adding in more volume with foods of low calorie density such as leafy green vegitables to help keep you full? Also, lack of opportunity always beats will power, keep your trigger foods out of the house and the cravings will often be gone by the time you feel like going out to get them. If you always feel that you need snacks that aren't planned you might want to ease up on your calorie deficit as well so you aren't feeling so deprived all the time.

IammeCA

One thing that helped me was to make a rule that I can eat anything, as long as I am sitting at the table and eating it from a plate (or bowl). If you want that candy bar take it out of the wrapper, put it on a plate, sit at the table and eat it.

This won't work for everybody but it's another idea to try. Sometimes it's a matter of trying several different things until we find the one that works for us.

Good luck.

mattyc772014

Agree with the others that you may not be eating enough. Try adding more protein. Also are you getting enough sleep.

goldthistime

My sugar cravings magically disappear when I eat more protein.

chandanista

The trick that works with me, if I am paying attention, is to cut it in half and eliminate the part I don't want. Get a coworker to split the candy bar. Throw half a donut in the garbage before taking a bite of the goodness. I checked into a hotel and was given a cookie, I pulled off a bite and threw the rest away...before I knew how tasy it was.

kshama2001

freesoul wrote: »

I work in a group home and we are expected to eat with the clients because it builds community. The meals are very healthy and there are plenty of good snacks like fruit,yogurt, nuts etc.... And I eat these things and drink a glass of water and then still binge!!!

I'm not hungry I just want it...I even tried drinking tea instead...seriously how do you just not grab it! Am I the only one with issues?

You're not the only one There have been lots of threads by people struggling with temptation at work, especially during the holidays last year.

I took a look at your diary and am trying to figure out which meal you're having at the group home and then binging - is it dinner?

I noticed you are very low on fiber. Try working up to 25 g of fiber a day and see if that makes over eating less desirable. I especially like to add chia seeds to smoothies for this.

I don't see a lot of vegetables in your diary. High volume, low calorie foods like broccoli will help fill you up.

Cognitive/behavioral tricks might be even more helpful. This book was available in my library system so maybe yours as well:

The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person

Can thinking and eating like a thin person be learned, similar to learning to drive or use a computer? Beck (Cognitive Therapy for Challenging Problems) contends so, based on decades of work with patients who have lost pounds and maintained weight through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Beck's six-week program adapts CBT, a therapeutic system developed by Beck's father, Aaron, in the 1960s, to specific challenges faced by yo-yo dieters, including negative thinking, bargaining, emotional eating, bingeing, and eating out. Beck counsels readers day-by-day, introducing new elements (creating advantage response cards, choosing a diet, enlisting a diet coach, making a weight-loss graph) progressively and offering tools to help readers stay focused (writing exercises, to-do lists, ways to counter negative thoughts). There are no eating plans, calorie counts, recipes or exercises; according to Beck, any healthy diet will work if readers learn to think differently about eating and food. Beck's book is like an extended therapy session with a diet coach. (Apr.)

freesoul

Wow!!! Thanks so much!!! Lots of good suggestions here.

I understand the concern about not eating enough- don't worry too much, the low cal limit is more of an alarm than something I am trying to reach, I only worry about net cals (not before exercise-typically an extra 300 cals a day walking) and also I'm really short at 5 feet and I'm older so I need less food.

One contributing factor that I can think of, is lack of sleep...most of my shifts are evenings some until 2am and one is overnight awake! Yep, midnite to 8am

Also I have anemia. For the last 3 years. Caused by liver problems so it is intractable but maybe it leads to cravings?

I think that more veggies would help- I just need to be motivated to prepare them. I take Metamucil for fibre. I will add psychological tricks like thinking of the residents food as not my own, and delaying. I am thinking about an infused water bottle you can put fruit in...

brb_2013

freesoul wrote: »

I work in a group home and we are expected to eat with the clients because it builds community. The meals are very healthy and there are plenty of good snacks like fruit,yogurt, nuts etc.... And I eat these things and drink a glass of water and then still binge!!!

I'm not hungry I just want it...I even tried drinking tea instead...seriously how do you just not grab it! Am I the only one with issues?

You do learn self control. Each no builds your will power.

kshama2001

freesoul wrote: »

Wow!!! Thanks so much!!! Lots of good suggestions here.

I understand the concern about not eating enough- don't worry too much, the low cal limit is more of an alarm than something I am trying to reach, I only worry about net cals (not before exercise-typically an extra 300 cals a day walking) and also I'm really short at 5 feet and I'm older so I need less food.

One contributing factor that I can think of, is lack of sleep...most of my shifts are evenings some until 2am and one is overnight awake! Yep, midnite to 8am

Also I have anemia. For the last 3 years. Caused by liver problems so it is intractable but maybe it leads to cravings?

I think that more veggies would help- I just need to be motivated to prepare them. I take Metamucil for fibre. I will add psychological tricks like thinking of the residents food as not my own, and delaying. I am thinking about an infused water bottle you can put fruit in...

I have anemia. Do you get your levels tested regularly? With aggressive supplementation I manage to stay in Low Normal. Eating more protein (and fiber) definitely helped with cravings but I do not know if that was related to iron or not.

ahoy_m8

SLLeask wrote: »

Are the chocolates and biscuits things you took in or are they there for the residents? If you have taken them in, then simply don't. If they are in the cupboards for the residents then think of them that way (even if you are allowed to eat them too, just change the rules in your head! ). They are NOT yours, you wouldn't go into a friend's house, have lunch with them and then rummage in their cupboards and start eating their chocolate now would you? And if you would, think of someone else, like an Aunt or someone whose house you wouldn't... But in the end, it really does just come down to willpower, which do you want more, to feel satisfied when you look in the mirror or to feel satisfied for the two minutes it takes you to snarf that chocolate...? Go chat to a resident when you feel the urge. Good luck.

Really good advice for the situation!

goldthistime

kshama2001 wrote: »

freesoul wrote: »

Wow!!! Thanks so much!!! Lots of good suggestions here.

I understand the concern about not eating enough- don't worry too much, the low cal limit is more of an alarm than something I am trying to reach, I only worry about net cals (not before exercise-typically an extra 300 cals a day walking) and also I'm really short at 5 feet and I'm older so I need less food.

One contributing factor that I can think of, is lack of sleep...most of my shifts are evenings some until 2am and one is overnight awake! Yep, midnite to 8am

Also I have anemia. For the last 3 years. Caused by liver problems so it is intractable but maybe it leads to cravings?

I think that more veggies would help- I just need to be motivated to prepare them. I take Metamucil for fibre. I will add psychological tricks like thinking of the residents food as not my own, and delaying. I am thinking about an infused water bottle you can put fruit in...

I have anemia. Do you get your levels tested regularly? With aggressive supplementation I manage to stay in Low Normal. Eating more protein (and fiber) definitely helped with cravings but I do not know if that was related to iron or not.

Interesting. I also have had a lifelong history of anemia. And when I say eating more protein helps, I really mean eating more meat has helped me. It's always possible that improving my iron levels is a factor.

putupurdukes

I am not reading all the replies. My thoughts could be echoing others' thoughts. A couple of things: I make worse decisions when I do not have enough sleep. Make sure that you are getting enough. Everyone is different. I can function on 6 - but it's not enough. My minimum is 7 with the optimum being 8 hours. L-Glutamine has really helped me curb my sugar cravings. I was in a program that promoted this and it really helps me. I take 1500-2000 mg/day. There are some people who shouldn't so check with your physician (liver or kidney disease to name two types.) Like others say, make sure you are eating enough. Sounds like you are an impulsive eater. It will help to not have these items available at least until you break your cycle. There are some items, that no matter how long I go without eating them, I can not have them - not even in moderation. I like them TOO much. Other foods, I can have in moderation once I've gone without them. Only you will know which items trigger you. Last thing: I really like a "sweet finish" to a meal. I have a dark chocolate (I think it's 70% cacao) and I break off 2 little squares after ending my dinner (about 35 calories) and the richness of the chocolate really is enough to satisfy that need. You might try that. If it still triggers you, get them away from yourself! Out of sight, eventually out of mind! Good luck! I struggle too!