Self-Control/Binge eating

Vloses55

Hey guys i'm Valerie, Its my first time using this so hopefully i can get some motivation/ support.

Ive lost 30lbs and I have about 25-30 pounds to go. But ive been struggling to control my eating. Yesterday i ate 800 calories over my allowance lol, sooo yea.

How do you find your inner self control, Or stop yourself from binge eating that bad??

Your help is appreicated:)

AnnPT77

How big is your calorie deficit? Sometimes, if we try to lose weight fast, it can trigger deprivation/ binge cycles. If that happens, trying to lose fast turns out to be slower, in practice, than simply planning to lose more slowly.

Or, if you've been losing for a while, maybe you need a "diet break" (eat at maintenance for two weeks to a month).

Another possibility is that fine-tuning your macros will help. Getting enough protein, healthy fat, and/or fiber can be important.

What really matters is why you're binge eating. Since you've been losing for a while, I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that it's not emotional eating (change in life stress for example) or boredom eating. That's why I went straight to diet-burnout or nutritional ideas.

Raynne413

What is your current calorie level? If you are trying to eat 1200 calories, and eat 2000 instead, I don't know that I would consider it binge eating. For me, though, I had the WORST time with binges when I was eating too little and working out too much. Also, if I am short on sleep, that can trigger one for me as well. So you might want to look at what deficit you currently have, versus how much you workout. I've also found that sometimes having a day where I eat closer to maintenance during the week can be really beneficial.

sllm1

Sometimes you're just going to have "a day." I ate 1200 over my calorie budget on Saturday. It is usually stress related. I've learned to accept that sometimes I just need to be able to have a day and that it's not the end of the world. I do log it so that I can see the damage (it's usually not THAT bad) and then I move on.

Cylphin60

This may sound silly, but I had to find out what eating was fulfilling within myself. Was I eating out of boredom? Anger? Plain old gluttony as in "This tastes good and I'm eating it until it hurts"?

I wasn't that overweight to begin with, about 25lbs, but it's really shocked my how much I had to/have to change to make eating "normally" stick and become a life style instead of a diet.

I have no idea if that helps or not lol.

Holly23bgs

This is one of my big problems too! Like others said, don't let it defeat your mentality. One day won't harm your general goal. Sometimes it's even good for your body to refuel!

goodasgoldilox165

Well done on your loss - it is a real success.

I'd say that slim people overeat sometimes... they just don't keep doing it. Self-control is good but I don't think that slim people have to apply it all the time. Who could?

I don't think that the urge to binge comes from weakness/lack of control. I think it is the body's response being hungry for something.

If you are eating enough calories and are losing slowly, then you are probably not hungry for food.

Like Cylphin, my own quest has been for what I really want ... and responding to that rather than eating. Like C, I've found that 'hungry' can mean thirsty - tired - sad - lonely - bored or just looking for a distraction. So far, sorting these other needs out solves the binge problem.

Vloses55

Thanks guys! I've been tryna figure out how to individually reply to people but i dont know how. I do appreciate the advice and help!

WickAndArtoo

I totally understand what you are feeling! I love food, and when given the chance I always give into temptation and not in a small way

espressoshotsnheavysquats

Hey there. I struggled with bed for a long time. The thing that helped me to stop was to understand why i was doing it. I realized that it was a terrible habit that I used to cope with loneliness and other emotions I didn't want to/didn't know how to face. I guess everyone's reasons are different but you got to understand your own. And understand why you want to change. I wanted (and still want) to change to be healthy not to lose weight. If your goal is to restrict food but you have this issue it only makes it worse. Learn how to have a good relationship with food, what that means and why, and understand what you think you're avoiding by binging.

Vloses55

To me its more of a self-control problem. Lol when i see food i just wanna eat it and then i cant stop thinking about it until i get it

kimny72

OP, what is your calorie goal and how big is your daily deficit?

When you have that kind of a day, what kind of foods tend to make up the excess calories?

Do you fit your fave foods or treats into your allowed calories, or have you cut a lot of stuff out?

If your deficit is too big or you are overly restricting foods, it's not necessary and can lead to yo-yo eating.

Honestly relying on "self control" and "motivation" can be problematic, we have limited supplies of those! Taking the time to figure out how to eat for the rest of your life in a way that is easy, satiating, healthy, and enjoyable so that you don't need will power and motivation is I think super important!

PricillaKorea

I have very inconsistent eating habits. Some days I eat as little as 600 calories and others I just am hungry all day and can have up to 2200 calories. It all evens out throughout the week. And I don't have an eating disorder, I just eat when and what I want!

Vloses55

[kimny72]OP, what is your calorie goal and how big is your daily deficit?

When you have that kind of a day, what kind of foods tend to make up the excess calories?

Do you fit your fave foods or treats into your allowed calories, or have you cut a lot of stuff out?

If your deficit is too big or you are overly restricting foods, it's not necessary and can lead to yo-yo eating.

Honestly relying on "self control" and "motivation" can be problematic, we have limited supplies of those! Taking the time to figure out how to eat for the rest of your life in a way that is easy, satiating, healthy, and enjoyable so that you don't need will power and motivation is I think super important!"

---

My daily allowance is 1200calories// BUt through calorie calculator it says i need about 2,000 to maintain...

I definietly allow myself to have foods i like in my diet lol i dont really restrict anything.

kimny72

Vloses55 wrote: »

[kimny72]OP, what is your calorie goal and how big is your daily deficit?

When you have that kind of a day, what kind of foods tend to make up the excess calories?

Do you fit your fave foods or treats into your allowed calories, or have you cut a lot of stuff out?

If your deficit is too big or you are overly restricting foods, it's not necessary and can lead to yo-yo eating.

Honestly relying on "self control" and "motivation" can be problematic, we have limited supplies of those! Taking the time to figure out how to eat for the rest of your life in a way that is easy, satiating, healthy, and enjoyable so that you don't need will power and motivation is I think super important!"

---

My daily allowance is 1200calories// BUt through calorie calculator it says i need about 2,000 to maintain...

I definietly allow myself to have foods i like in my diet lol i dont really restrict anything.

So I would say, try eating a little higher - still a deficit but not as steep. Maybe you need a little more time to get used to the lower calories. Unless you have A LOT of weight to lose, you should really only be aiming for @ 1 lb per week anyway. So if your maintenance is 2000, your cal goal to lose 1 lb per week would be 1500.

If there is a specific food you can't control yourself with, try portioning it into single serving packs and put it away somewhere inconvenient. If you want some, you get out one portion and put the rest away. Or just don't keep it in the house for awhile. If you always binge at a specific time, plan something to do at that time to keep yourself occupied. You can also try a physical reminder like a note on the fridge, or wearing a rubber band on your wrist, to remind you that your goals are more important than whatever is causing you to overeat at this time. Good luck!

rileysowner

If you are at 1200 you are likely looking to lose too quickly. Try changing your rate of loss to 1 pound per week and see what it give you.

mbeuchert24

I spent nearly the last year not paying attention to what I was eating. I felt like I wasn't eating more than I normally do, but I could feel my clothes getting tighter and tighter. So finally, last Monday I decided I needed to start paying attention again. I weighed myself for a starting point, and it was the heaviest I've ever been (except maybe when I was pregnant, and even then it wasn't that much more than I was on Monday). I did really well, I wasn't staying under my daily goals (ignoring the fitbit extra calories), but I was getting pretty darn close. Then my husband came home unexpectedly and I made poor decisions LOL. Like when I came home from work on Friday he had a plate of fried chicken, mac & cheese, and corn ready for me. Even with all that I was still pretty close to my daily calories. Then for dinner Saturday he made sausage with chili and cheese in a bun and chili cheese fries...which of course I didn't protest. There was a few other meals that weren't the best idea, but I just tried to make all my other meals and/or snacks easier to fit in those meals.

Lack of self control is definitely one of my weakness, but I'm really working on it. There were several times over the last week where I was tempted to eat something I didn't need, but I stopped, did something else, and then completely forgot about it.