Binge Eating

kristinc06837

So this is my second pregnancy and so far i have done a lot better than my first for weight gain. With my son I gained 75+ lbs and had already started out 30 lbs overweight from that. This time I am trying to be more conscious but my husband and I are horrible and enabling each other to binge eat because it has always been one of our favorite things to do, hence why we were over weight to begin hehehe But last night we both made ourselves so miserable that we hit rock bottom and really want to help change our behavior. What are some ways other mama's or people in general have helped curb binge eating? It seems so easy when pregnant because I want a bite of everything but I don't stop there and being 21 weeks i'm losing room and i easily get so sick when overeating and heartburn:sick: . Thanks In Advance!

Rubyayn

I am a binge eater as well, especially with sweets. I identified my biggest triggers as watching tv in the evening and family gatherings. Luckily, I was able ot find a way to correct this before I got pregnant this time. For me the solution was ALL in the planning. First, I commited to log EVERYTHING. Even if I go 5 million calories over on a binge, I am logging it. This helped me to become more honest with myself and actually stopped me mid binge on more than one occasion. It also takes a lot of the guilt and self loathing out of the mixture because I have given myself permission to eat it as long as I log it. What would have been a 2000 calorie binge now rarely tops out over 500.

I also plan a mini-binge every single evening. I bake sweets and allow calories in the evening to have one or two, plus a big bowl of popcorn or cheese and crackers. That way I can easily stay within my calories without giving up any evening snacks. I usually reserve 400-600 (or more!) calories for after dinner grub. It works out beautifully!!! Granted, I ate over 2,000 calories most days when I was losing and am eating almost 2400 in the third trimester, so it is pretty easy to fit in the things that I want.

As for the family gatherings, I always bring something and snack before I go. I also spend more time playing with the kids than hanging out by the buffet. It feels like a win-win for everyone.

NEVER depriving myself or restricting calories too much has been HUGE in avoiding binges. If I want something, I find a way to have it.

Jem411

Watching my shows at night, is a big one for me as well. Rubyann is right on the money with logging everything and planning for her treats. I do the exact same thing. In fact, my husband and I had family over this weekend to help us paint (hahah nesting!) and my Mother in Law brought a ton of brownies, cookies and .....MEATBALL SANDWICHES (can we say heartburn!) But I managed to log it all, which helped me not go for that 4th cookie

As far as what I do normally: I also save a couple 100 calories for my "girly shows". That way I get my treats (usually 60 calorie pudding for my chocolate fix and some popcorn for my salty fix) and I stay within my calories.

Planning is key! Congrats on your second!

jenluvsushi

I also have issues with this....my biggest pitfall is free range eating. I absolutely MUST measure/weigh everything and log it, good or bad. If I eat straight from the box, I will just eat and eat. Something about seeing that I just ate three servings of Honey Nut Cheerios helps me to stop. After work in the evening is my worst time....I can eat normally all day and then blow it completely when I get home. Something that helps me (after I have finished eating for the day) is to brush my teeth and/or drink a cup of tea or milk. I always make sure to drink something and wait a bit so that I can really give myself time to see if I am truly hungry or just feeling snacky. Most of the time I am able to fight through it but not always. Hopefully you can get your hubby on the same page. I have had to ask mine for help as I almost feel like this is an addiction for me. He hides his snacks so that I don't see them and am not tempted all the time. I have even gone so far as to ask him to throw things away (or give them away) just so I won't continue to eat them (like cookies!). It helps me a lot.

kristinc06837

Thank you ladies this has all been amazingly helpful. I am going to try logging no matter what so I can see my binges. Yesterday Was a peanut butter binge and it's scary to think i just ate 1000 calories of peanut butter and really easy to do lol I really appreciate it!