Binge Eating - How do you stop yourself?

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So I'm sure there are many others who struggle with binge eating just as I do too. Thankfully I've been able to resist so far since starting my new diet but as many of you understand, it's never far from your mind. I have recently read a blog though and took some tips on board to help prevent binge eating. I figured this discussion would be a good opportunity for people to share tips on how to avoid a binge eating session so if you do have any please share them below. For me my biggest tips are:

1. Avoid sweet stuff except fruit (meaning no diet soda also)
2. When feeling the urge to binge, find something else to do (for me the urge to binge will usually last upto an hour, sometimes longer but it passes if I resist for long enough)
3. Just don't binge - I know this is what were struggling with but the longer you go without it the easier it will become to resist temptation. For me everytime I've had an urge to binge eat I keep telling myself "just don't" and to my surprise it's working.
4. Don't be too strict on your diet, you still want to eat food you enjoy (the more boring and restrictive your diet is the harder it's going to be to resist and reduce the frequency of those cravings)

Share some of your tips below and hopefully this can be of great help to those struggling with binge eating.
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Replies

  • amy_kee
    amy_kee Posts: 694 Member
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    The one thing that helps me is staying busier. The busier I am, the better I eat. When I'm busy, I still cook all my food at home though.
  • FSLSBSmfp
    FSLSBSmfp Posts: 38 Member
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    What helps me has been mostly covered but:

    1. Avoid purchasing junk foods (that you're likely to binge on) when grocery shopping.
    2. Plan higher calorie days (based around training) where I buy enough junk food to last that one day of planned overeating.
    3. In the past (but not right now) I have also used intermittent fasting (16hr fasting / 8hr eating), which helped prevent binge eating.
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 357 Member
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    Having prepped better choice options around helps too. If I come in the house starving and there is nothing around that I can just "grab" - of course I am going to go for the oh so tempting jar of peanut butter that I can just stick a spoon in and eat right out of a jar, or a box of cookies, or even protein bars. If I have a prepped meal ready to go or just heat up, then it's a lot easier to make the healthier choice in that moment of hunger and weakness.
  • cornysmall
    cornysmall Posts: 483 Member
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    Bright line eating finally got my binges under control. I've lost 48.8lbs so far and completely understand the science behind the way the brain works with different foods. I took this quiz
    https://rq263.isrefer.com/go/blaff16quiz/corny
    Then followed the free video series starting with this one titled "don't make this one huge mistake"
    https://rq263.isrefer.com/go/blaff16v2/corny
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    I''m no expert in this but my experience is that there are 2 types of bingers. Those that binge emotionally and those that binge because of heavy restriction.

    I was the latter and reading "Brain Over Binge" by Kathryn Hansen helped me immensely in understanding my binge eating and (surprisingly quickly) stopping it. If you feel that you are this type of binge eater I would highly recommend it.

    Emotional binge eating disorder, seems to me to be a whole different animal and I suspect that, for those with this type of BED, self help is not going to cut it and getting to the root of the emotional side would be the best method.
  • 25lbsorbust
    25lbsorbust Posts: 225 Member
    edited September 2016
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    My biggest trick to stop myself is, if you ever have that short, hesitant moment while eating of "I shouldn't do this" or "Why am I eating this, it'll just take me off track?" I destroy the food.

    Sometimes I'll pour coffee, water, or energy drink on it if I'm at my desk and throw it away, sometimes I'll just throw it in the trash on my way into the office (works well if I go to pick up, say, a bag of candy because I'm having a rough day), or I'll otherwise make it totally unappetizing or in a position where I can't get to it anymore. It only takes a few seconds of clarity to stop an emotional mind from making a mistake, and you come out of it prouder and with less damage done.
  • gotWeightLoss
    gotWeightLoss Posts: 5 Member
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    I''m no expert in this but my experience is that there are 2 types of bingers. Those that binge emotionally and those that binge because of heavy restriction.

    Is there another catagory for just having no self control?
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    I''m no expert in this but my experience is that there are 2 types of bingers. Those that binge emotionally and those that binge because of heavy restriction.

    Is there another catagory for just having no self control?

    The categories I mentioned are not medically recognized, but rather my interpretation.

    I would point out that I read several opinion pieces (and it's my feeling also) that those that binge because of heavy restriction tend to be highly (possibly higher than normal) levels of self control with respect to diet and fitness and it is eating restricted foods, with large calorie deficit, for long periods that - having "all or nothing" mentality, which can drive a person into a binge - restrict - binge -restrict cycle.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Log as you eat it. If I actually do that it'll stop most of the damage.
  • b1gwillystyle
    b1gwillystyle Posts: 9 Member
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    Intermittent fasting has helped me tremendously and I'm seeing really good results. I'm a binge eater myself and can easily hit 6-7,000 calories on a splurge day. With IF, it forces me to get my calories in an 8 hr period. (I'm doing 16:8 and staying around 1700-1800 calories) it almost kind of satisfies that binge eater in me. However, I space out my calories during the 8 hours and just after a week or two I wasnt even able to eat like I used to because I was full so quickly. I'm not a breakfast eater and I tend to do morning workouts on a deficit anyways. Not eating until 10 AM is not hard for me. I stop eating at 6 PM. I used to have really bad cravings at night and IF has helped that a lot. I make sure I drink plenty of water and maybe a little tea before bed...and I don't stay up late. Gotta have sleep.
  • byoung8433
    byoung8433 Posts: 27 Member
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    yourafsana wrote: »
    I binge but don't realize it till after... and usually at night... I don't know what my trigger is. I have found myself binging on even healthy foods. I know that sounds strange why complain abt excessively eating healthy foods but those binge sessions are worth around 1000 calories doesn't matter healthy or unhealthy it's an extreme amnt of calories in one setting. I have been doing well for the past few days

    Same. Always after work and about 700-800
  • webyj
    webyj Posts: 19 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I am definitely in the over restrictive category. Probably why it happened yesterday. Today I made sure I hit my protein and fiber goals and I have no desire for food right now.

    Lesson learned.