How would you describe what binge eating is?

learntolovetheburn15

I am beginning to think that i might have a problem with binge eating. How would you describe a binge eater or someone suffering from the disorder?

Many thanks

KnitOrMiss

For me personally, @learntolovetheburn15 - binge eating is tied to compulsive eating. I'm not formally diagnosed, but I do binge, etc.

For me, compulsive eating is when my rational mind knows I shouldn't eat something, but my irrational compulsive self full on obsesses about it until I eat it in large quantity - or I eat 10,000 calories of everything else trying to avoid said item.

For me, binge eating is overeating in any quantity more than I wanted to eat, cramming my face non-stop, or taking one bite and realizing that all 5 (or more) servings are gone, and I don't really remember eating them all. It is also eating all of something and feeling the urge to sneak out and replace it before anyone realizes it's gone - or to buy and consume foods in my car or at work so that no one knows I've eaten it, even if it is a small portion. Or to eat a snack designated for something else - when I didn't even want it...(snacks for kiddos, foods for partner's lunches, etc.)

It is also that feeling of "how on earth can I still be hungry?" Or searching through the fridge (again!!) and pantry, just looking form something to quell the urge in me - or scheming as soon as I'm alone how I'm going to go pick up an item and indulge in it.

It is knowing something is incredibly bad for my personal heath situation (health conditions and morbid obesity) and eating it, and generally WAY TOO MUCH OF IT, anyway, even knowing full well it is damaging me.

If I feel any guilt eating the food, anger about not being able to eat the food, obsessing about particular foods, hiding my consumption of food, scheming to get my food fix, or shock/surprise/embarrassment at having eating more than I planned/wanted to eat or all of something/having to replace it, etc.

TL;DR - I sadly think I could go on for days... Probably my simplest summary would be that if I feel out of control in any way about a food, it is a flag for me that I'm back in disordered eating territory...

I hope this helps.

BarneyRubbleMD

learntolovetheburn15 wrote: »

I am beginning to think that i might have a problem with binge eating. How would you describe a binge eater or someone suffering from the disorder?

Many thanks

As a start, see how you score on the Binge Eating Score (BES) test...

https://psychology-tools.com/binge-eating-scale/

Two years ago when I was diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder (BED), I scored rather high on this test. Now that my binge eating has been under control for over 2 months (my last binge was May 7th), my score is quite low.

Moxie42

For me, the main "sign" is the feeling of being out of control followed by feelings of shame, embarassment, and guilt.

I'll eat far past the point of fullness, eating even though I don't even really want to, or I'll eat literally anything and everything I come across. I'll be telling myself "stop doing this" but continue anyway. Sometimes I even feel sick by the end of it.

And I always feel reallllly guilty...not just the "bummer, I made a bad decision" guilt that happens if I go "off-plan" or make a poor decision, but the self-loathing type of guilt because I feel like a failure and a disgusting person. Those feelings lead to hiding the "evidence"- I'll throw things away in the outside garbage can, or eat in my car and throw the garbage out at a gas station. Sometimes the binges are planned- if I know I'm going to be home alone, I might buy large quantities of food as soon as I get the chance. If I do this at a drive-through I'll get 2 drinks to pretend I'm buying for 2 people, or if I get delivery I'll yell "food's here!" to the empty house so the delivery guy doesn't think it's all for me.

BarneyRubbleMD

Moxie42 wrote: »

For me, the main "sign" is the feeling of being out of control followed by feelings of shame, embarassment, and guilt.

I'll eat far past the point of fullness, eating even though I don't even really want to, or I'll eat literally anything and everything I come across. I'll be telling myself "stop doing this" but continue anyway. Sometimes I even feel sick by the end of it.

And I always feel reallllly guilty...not just the "bummer, I made a bad decision" guilt that happens if I go "off-plan" or make a poor decision, but the self-loathing type of guilt because I feel like a failure and a disgusting person. Those feelings lead to hiding the "evidence"- I'll throw things away in the outside garbage can, or eat in my car and throw the garbage out at a gas station. Sometimes the binges are planned- if I know I'm going to be home alone, I might buy large quantities of food as soon as I get the chance. If I do this at a drive-through I'll get 2 drinks to pretend I'm buying for 2 people, or if I get delivery I'll yell "food's here!" to the empty house so the delivery guy doesn't think it's all for me.

@Moxie42 ,

That "out of control" feeling is the worst!...almost like a drug addiction but with food & food that's everywhere, all around us & easily available. For me it always seem to happen with high-carb items like bread, crackers, minute rice, instant mashed potatoes, cake cookies, etc. but NEVER something like meat, vegetables or even fruit.

KnitOrMiss

@BarneyRubbleMD - Look up dopamine receptors and carbs... Keto Christina on YouTube has a great video (you don't have to be low carb in any way to appreciate her information) about how the dopamine addiction response/instinct and it overriding EVERYTHING is NOT your fault, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80c3VTbIiYE

BarneyRubbleMD

Thanks, @KnitOrMiss