Binge eating

24

Replies

  • drabbits2
    drabbits2 Posts: 179 Member
    To the original poster...I feel very similar to you and many others on this thread. I have anxiety and depression issues and have about 30 pounds to lose. I find myself doing fine all day and then completely blow it at night. I have discussed this with my therapist so many times and it seems like I binge when I am feeling depleted in other areas--tired, stressed, kid issues--so "hungry" for something that is not food, like rest or control or physical contact or something else I can't put my finger on. I have been able to do a little better with a few tricks--one, I set my fitbit to buzz me at 9pm so I get up and go to bed. That helps--if I am better rested I am able to make better choices all day long plus I am not up late inhaling anything that is not moving faster than me. Second, I have a ton of fancy flavors of green tea that I really like and I brew a big mug in the evening and sip on that. Third, I have a liter bottle full of water that I drink each day and I often have to finish it up at night, so that helps too. Now, to be clear--I do NOT have it licked, these tricks do not work every night. Also, allowing myself to have a reasonable sized treat helps--getting rid of the "all of nothing" thinking--either I can eat ALL of the cookies or NONE of the cookies--it's a ridiculous way to think but there it is--I do it all the time and am working on it.
    I would encourage you to talk to a therapist, though, even if you have had poor experiences in the past. I mean, just because you went to a movie you didn't like doesn't mean you never go to another movie! Try again, if not to help with the binging directly, but with the shame you feel. That's no good either!
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  • fourtherecord
    fourtherecord Posts: 103 Member
    Thank everyone so much for taking the time to read and offer advice. I truly appreciate it.
    I am in the UK so it is difficult to get a doctors appointment and difficult to get prescriptions for something not straightforward. I will try to get an appointment for my next time off work (3 and a half weeks) and see what they say. As I am not very overweight I'm not sure how seriously they will take me.

    In the mean time I will just keep trying as am already doing. I used to off set my binges with fasts, but am trying now to follow a more healthy attitude to eating. I am currently at about 1000 calories today, so can have something else to eat before bed.
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  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I would like to gently point out that 1000 calories per day is lower than MFP recommends for any woman - they recommend at least 1200 calories per day. Perhaps your binging is triggered because you are well and truly hungry? Maybe moderating your calorie intake upward will give you some extra ammunition in this battle. I have no problem admitting that I am a binger in some instances, but I do not believe I have a disorder - just unhealthy habits, and that I am not an expert in these matters.
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  • fourtherecord
    fourtherecord Posts: 103 Member
    cross2bear wrote: »
    I would like to gently point out that 1000 calories per day is lower than MFP recommends for any woman - they recommend at least 1200 calories per day. Perhaps your binging is triggered because you are well and truly hungry? Maybe moderating your calorie intake upward will give you some extra ammunition in this battle. I have no problem admitting that I am a binger in some instances, but I do not believe I have a disorder - just unhealthy habits, and that I am not an expert in these matters.

    Thank you, but I will eat something to bring me up to at least 1200, I was just happy I hadn't binged today. Sometimes I have started a binge when I have felt hungry, but really I is a different, empty kind of feeling, and it takes a lot of food to get rid of it
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »
    cross2bear wrote: »
    I would like to gently point out that 1000 calories per day is lower than MFP recommends for any woman - they recommend at least 1200 calories per day. Perhaps your binging is triggered because you are well and truly hungry? Maybe moderating your calorie intake upward will give you some extra ammunition in this battle. I have no problem admitting that I am a binger in some instances, but I do not believe I have a disorder - just unhealthy habits, and that I am not an expert in these matters.

    she said she is going to eat again before bed, that will take her above 1200...

    Yes I read that but we dont know how much over 1000 calories she is eating, and if she stuggles as she describes, perhaps it would be beneficial for her to eat the maximum calories to lose .5 lbs per week, so she doesnt feel so hungry or deprived. I dont think the OP shared her stats, so this suggestion may indeed be moot, but its worth looking at.
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  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 403 Member
    I've been diagnosed with BED for about 20 years. I take medicine for it, but it's still not enough to stop it. I've been to therapy, talked about it to professionals, and I still struggle with it. I find the best way to help me is to lose as slowly as I can so I have more calories. Knowing I can eat so many calories let's me fit in foods that I couldn't normally eat, then binge on because I didn't have the calories.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    You dont sound pissed off, just concerned, and that is a wonderful trait. Dont sweat it.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    Obviously speak to a BED specialist if you suspect it may be disordered eating because this advice is just for slip ups most people have whilst dieting, however if you think its just over indulgence for easily accessible food because you're dieting and end up "cracking" maybe sit down and have a proper discussion with your partner to see if you can get the trigger foods out of the house, it may be slightly inconvenient for him but he can still get treats whilst hes out and it'll give you more control, for me it's like trying to quit smoking whilst you've still got a pack of cigarettes in the house, sure you might crack and go to the shops but that at least gives you some time to talk yourself out of it and stay on track instead of just opening a draw and lighting up. x
  • elizabethmcopeland
    elizabethmcopeland Posts: 167 Member
    edited January 2017
    1.) Seek out professional help for your BED
    2.) Consider modifying your caloric goals in MFP; it's possible you are over restricting yourself and need to be kinder to your body. I weigh 185 lbs and this calculator says that as a sedentary person, I should eat 1467 Calories per day if I want to lose a pound a week. That number goes up if you're heavier or taller or more active or if you want to lose weight more slowly. Don't force yourself to lose weight quickly. Develop behaviors that you can practice forever and will help you live a long time. MFP is just a tool, don't let it govern your behavior. This website I linked also provides a macronutrient breakdown if you have heard of IIFYM or flexible dieting.
    3.) Consider giving yourself a rule: you can eat whatever you want as long as you have 20g protein first. That's two-three hardboiled eggs. Cheese and nuts. A can of tuna. It will help fill you and sure you may binge still, but you're filling up with "good stuff" first.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »
    This is why this board is so heart breaking for me... I know the people coming here and offering their support and suggestions are just offering what they know.. but these things just dont work.. and often a person trying to do these things with BED feel even more stupid and helpless because they honestly can't understand why its so hard to do something so simple..

    I really should go... my inbox is open.. please seek me out.

    I totally agree!!!
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    animatorswearbras wrote: »
    Obviously speak to a BED specialist if you suspect it may be disordered eating because this advice is just for slip ups most people have whilst dieting, however if you think its just over indulgence for easily accessible food because you're dieting and end up "cracking" maybe sit down and have a proper discussion with your partner to see if you can get the trigger foods out of the house, it may be slightly inconvenient for him but he can still get treats whilst hes out and it'll give you more control, for me it's like trying to quit smoking whilst you've still got a pack of cigarettes in the house, sure you might crack and go to the shops but that at least gives you some time to talk yourself out of it and stay on track instead of just opening a draw and lighting up. x

    Agreed. This advice is not for someone with a BED.
  • Sam29a
    Sam29a Posts: 201 Member
    Hi, I'm not sure if this will help, but I suffered from binge eating for many years. Since I was 11 years old I had been dieting and then binge eating and I had never been able to stop the cycle of restricting and then binging. I would diet for 3-4 months (often eating <500), then binge and regain the weight lost (plus extras) and then diet again. It's now been over a year since I last binge ate (end of 2015) and the need to binge is no longer there - although I do worry that I'll return to binge eating at some point! I think breaking away from my diet mentality has really helped. I just stick to 1300 calories or so and allow myself nice food that isn't all salads and soups.
  • brayman1701d
    brayman1701d Posts: 10 Member
    I'm a binge eater myself, it doesn't matter what food I have in the house when I want to binge I will and usually I order takeaways even if I have healthy food in the house. I would be lucky if I would go a week without binging. I would literally binge and then the next day weigh myself and see I've put on weight and think oh screw it what's the point and then spend the next few days not caring what I eat.

    I've also suffered from depression and anxiety in the past and I still do but not as bad. However since new year I've been trying something new, I've been trying meditation and also going completely tech free before bed. what I mean is I will turn all tech off and the lights off and read from my kindle, I've researched that as the light from the kindle isn't blue it doesn't effect sleep. This has helped me to get to sleep a lot easier than before.

    I will literally meditate anywhere now even if its just 10 min's on the train on the way to work. I've also been increasing my cardio not for the weight loss effect but more because I've noticed the more I do the better I feel.

    Since I've been doing that I literally have only binged once this month even then I didn't binge anywhere near as bad as I used to, that's a record for me I've never done that before ever.
  • nanpask
    nanpask Posts: 24 Member
    I went to a therapist & she helped with sorting out why I felt shame & unworthy but I didn't stop bingeing. I have had bed since I was a young girl. What is working now is praying for God to take away my desire to eat unhealthy food. Then I stocked my kitchen with healthy things. I only weigh once a month. So I don't use ups & downs as excuses to binge. I don't let my mind think about things I used to binge on. Am about to weigh tomorrow. Focus on making your body healthy not on losing lb.s. If you eat right the weight will come off. Praying for all of you.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    When I started MFP, I needed to lose about 50 lbs. I had a similar issue to what you are having for the first 2+ years. The only difference is that, in my case, I actually was hungry. My appetite was insatiable. Even eating at maintenance was not enough, so eating at a deficit made me feel like I was starving every single day. I used willpower as long as I could to get through and allowed myself a cheat day when I reached certain weight milestones.

    Unfortunately, I was also losing much more slowly than I should have been based on the calories I was eating... so it would be months between cheat days. When a cheat day happened, though, I would eat as much as I wanted of whatever I wanted. I would do it on a weekend where I didn't have to go anywhere or do anything so I could stay home and just cook and eat. I would buy stuff ahead of time and order pizzas (would go out to retrieve pizza since the place doesn't deliver and also fresh donuts in the morning, but that is it). On cheat days, I would start out with breakfast foods - usually a dozen or 2 dozen donuts, 2 or 3 boxes of fruity pebbles (2 boxes) and cocoa pebbles (1 box), and probably a loaf or 2 of banana bread sliced with margarine on top. Then I would cook 4 lbs. of spaghetti along with sausage and sauce. Later, I would get a couple pizzas, eat that with a few bags of potato chips and chip dip plus a half gallon of sherbet and a half gallon of ice cream along with a couple of cakes and some brownies (homemade usually with the cake mixes and frosting).

    For those cheat days, which only happened once every several months, I wouldn't feel like I was starving. That kept me going and gave me the willpower to deal with frustratingly slow weight loss while I really wanted to eat more. I'm not sure if that solution will work for you, but it is an idea. I'm sure your cheat days, if done with such irregularity (for example, after every 10 lbs. loss) won't be nearly as devastating as mine; and yet I still was able to make it past. I'm almost at my goal weight now.
  • ActionAnnieJXN
    ActionAnnieJXN Posts: 116 Member
    I struggled with binge eating disorder for about thirty years. I tried everything I could think of to control it but nothing really worked. I finally went to see a doctor who specializes in bariatrics and I am now taking a medication that treats it (it's NOT a diet pill) and I no longer experience the urge to binge. The compulsion is just gone, as long as I take my medication. This is the ONLY thing that has ever truly helped me and I'm so grateful for it.
  • missmagnoliablossom
    missmagnoliablossom Posts: 240 Member
    fourtherecord wrote: »
    Thank you. I am reluctant to seek professional help, partly because I am embarrassed, and partly because I have seeked help for some diagnosed MH issues (depression and social phobia) and never found it very useful

    Finding a good therapist is sometimes like finding a good partner - please don't be discouraged and keep trying. :)
  • mweckler
    mweckler Posts: 623 Member
    fourtherecord wrote: »
    leejoyce31 wrote: »
    fourtherecord wrote: »
    Last week I ate over 2200 in 1h

    Do you know how many calories total you ate that day? I only ask because over the holiday, I ate 6,000 calories one day. I didn't see it as a binge though because I didn't have any negative feelings attached to it. I just ate loads of food because I hadn't eaten my mom's cooking in over a year. So, I agree with Look its Kriss. Was it a binge or are you concerned that you have a disorder?

    I ate about 3000 total that day because the bung happened about noon, so restricted myself afterwards.
    I suppose what I class as a binge rather than just over eating for a reason is how it happens. I wasn't even hungry, but as soon as the idea had came into my head it is very difficult to not do it. My husband and son had went out and I ate anything I could get my hands on that didn't require preparation, so crisps, chocolate, biscuits etc. I only stopped when I felt physically ill. When I've eaten a similar number of calories because I have been out for a meal and had dessert, wine etc, I don't feel the shame and physical pain that I do after a binge

    I don't know enough about binge eating disorder to know whether this is normal or whether it is indicative of a disorder.

    I thought this may help some, from the DSM-5 and what they look for when diagnosing B.E.D.


    The key diagnostic features of BED are:
    Recurrent and persistent episodes of binge eating
    Binge eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the following:
    Eating much more rapidly than normal
    Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
    Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
    Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating
    Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
    Marked distress regarding binge eating
    Absence of regular compensatory behaviors (such as purging).
    BED is the most common eating disorder in the United States. In adults it affects 3.5% of women and 2% of men and up to 1.6% of adolescents [1]. In women it is most common in early adulthood but more common in men at midlife. BED seems to affect blacks and whites equally. Comorbid problems are both physical and psychiatric. Although most people with obesity don’t have BED, up to 2/3 of people with BED are obese and can have the medical difficulties associated with this condition. Compared with normal weight or obese control groups, people with BED have higher levels of anxiety and both current and lifetime major depression.
  • mweckler
    mweckler Posts: 623 Member
    leejoyce31 wrote: »
    fourtherecord wrote: »
    Last week I ate over 2200 in 1h

    Do you know how many calories total you ate that day? I only ask because over the holiday, I ate 6,000 calories one day. I didn't see it as a binge though because I didn't have any negative feelings attached to it. I just ate loads of food because I hadn't eaten my mom's cooking in over a year. So, I agree with Look its Kriss. Was it a binge or are you concerned that you have a disorder?

    With B.E.D, it does not just come down to calories eaten. There are other facets to this, like the feeling of shame, hiding the eating from those around you, eating to the point that it hurts, eating while not hungry but not being able to stop.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I dont think there is much if any disagreement that it would be in the OPs best interest to consult a medical professional regarding her concerns, however, it may be some time before she is able to see either her GP or in turn, a specialist. What can we tell her right now - today - that might help mitigate her concerns, and give her some confidence that she can overcome this situation? If we can offer tips and strategies that can get her through one day at a time, until she is able to meet with someone then I think that would be helpful. She is struggling, and telling her to meet with a doctor isnt helping her right NOW, even though that may be her intention.

    So as I have previously suggested, increasing calories to minimize hunger cues, maybe enlisting a trusted friend or family member as a buddy, someone you can call when you feel the binging urges start to build, eliminating as much as possible the trigger foods, finding alternate ways to manage stress, like long walks, meditation, yoga, hot baths, tea - anything that can help the OP feel more in control of her urges.

    I know that BED is a complex situation - not everyone responds in the same manner to standardized treatments, and often, the approach needed is a holistic one.
  • jprewitt1
    jprewitt1 Posts: 264 Member
    mweckler wrote: »
    fourtherecord wrote: »
    leejoyce31 wrote: »
    fourtherecord wrote: »
    Last week I ate over 2200 in 1h

    Do you know how many calories total you ate that day? I only ask because over the holiday, I ate 6,000 calories one day. I didn't see it as a binge though because I didn't have any negative feelings attached to it. I just ate loads of food because I hadn't eaten my mom's cooking in over a year. So, I agree with Look its Kriss. Was it a binge or are you concerned that you have a disorder?

    I ate about 3000 total that day because the bung happened about noon, so restricted myself afterwards.
    I suppose what I class as a binge rather than just over eating for a reason is how it happens. I wasn't even hungry, but as soon as the idea had came into my head it is very difficult to not do it. My husband and son had went out and I ate anything I could get my hands on that didn't require preparation, so crisps, chocolate, biscuits etc. I only stopped when I felt physically ill. When I've eaten a similar number of calories because I have been out for a meal and had dessert, wine etc, I don't feel the shame and physical pain that I do after a binge

    I don't know enough about binge eating disorder to know whether this is normal or whether it is indicative of a disorder.

    I thought this may help some, from the DSM-5 and what they look for when diagnosing B.E.D.


    The key diagnostic features of BED are:
    Recurrent and persistent episodes of binge eating
    Binge eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the following:
    Eating much more rapidly than normal
    Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
    Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
    Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating
    Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
    Marked distress regarding binge eating
    Absence of regular compensatory behaviors (such as purging).
    BED is the most common eating disorder in the United States. In adults it affects 3.5% of women and 2% of men and up to 1.6% of adolescents [1]. In women it is most common in early adulthood but more common in men at midlife. BED seems to affect blacks and whites equally. Comorbid problems are both physical and psychiatric. Although most people with obesity don’t have BED, up to 2/3 of people with BED are obese and can have the medical difficulties associated with this condition. Compared with normal weight or obese control groups, people with BED have higher levels of anxiety and both current and lifetime major depression.

    That describes me completely. I never even thought about this for myself...
  • 150poundsofme
    150poundsofme Posts: 523 Member
    Big hugs to you
    Look_Its_Kriss - Thank you for medicine info!
    For ActionAnnieJ and MWeckler - is the medicine Kriss mentioned the same as yours? Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate)? I need to talk to my pharmacist and doctor and see what would be best for me. Thank you!
  • mweckler
    mweckler Posts: 623 Member
    edited January 2017
    150poundsofme wrote: »
    Big hugs to you
    Look_Its_Kriss - Thank you for medicine info!
    For ActionAnnieJ and MWeckler - is the medicine Kriss mentioned the same as yours? Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate)? I need to talk to my pharmacist and doctor and see what would be best for me. Thank you!

    I am currently taking Vyvanse 70mg which in the USA is the highest dose you can take. Most Pharmacies do not regularly carry Vyvanse unless someone else is prescribed it. When I first started taking it my Dr had a free 30 day trial I was given, and she wrote the prescription into 3 different doses for me to test out to see which I responded best to.

    Also most Doctors will require you to get an EKG before giving out this medication as it is a stimulant medication used to treat ADHD, they then found out it can help with B.E.D as well.
  • asdjkl2726
    asdjkl2726 Posts: 1 Member
    I have great advice for you on your binge eating.i also can't stop once I start eating and the solution I used was to just chew on the foods and then spit them out after chewing them into the plastic bags. It helped me a lot with my weight loss journey
    I know that sounds super cliche but believe me it works - you don't swallow the foods but you just chew them, just taste them and then spit them out that way you won't consume calories and still be able to taste and "binge-taste"
  • AFGP11
    AFGP11 Posts: 142 Member
    I could answer with what I do to avoid overeating, but it won't help you. I make a very clear choice when I decide to go over my calories, it is never a compulsion. I don't think my coping strategies will help you because our issues are very different. For me, it is just a matter of willpower. I want to get healthier more than I want the extra foods. I really do agree that no one here is going to have a magic answer for you. I suspect cognitive therapy and perhaps some medications prescribed by a professional might be more helpful.

    The only thing I feel confident to say is that if you do slip up, don't beat yourself up. You are still being mindful and you are making and effort and succeeding so much of the time. Finish the food you binged on, clean the plate you ate it on and then keep moving on. Maybe this week you will binge three times, but next week only twice, or maybe your binges will get smaller and smaller with time and work. I think you should be proud of yourself because you're aware of the problem and you are trying to tackle it. It won't happen overnight, but each day that you are mindful and working towards being healthier, you will be a day closer to not binging at all. Don't be hard on yourself. You are working hard on it. That is more than so many other people ever manage to do. I know it isn't easy, but you're still doing it. That's awesome.
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