How do I stop binging?

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  • Crystallee145
    Crystallee145 Posts: 147 Member
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    I've been seeing a counselor who works with weight loss issues. in this we found the root causes and I am now working on overcoming those issues. It was and is difficult for me to bring back these issues and confront them. But, it's the best thing I've done so far. There are a couple of books I've read, "50 ways to self soothe" and "Mindful Eating" they have helped me be aware of what I'm doing and gave ideas on how to redirect.
    One other thing that has helped me a lot on this journey, is when I do think about eating the entire kitchen, I log on to MFP and read my pal's posts and message boards. It does help me stay grounded.
    You can work thru this, just remember it wont be overnight.
  • fitwithwhit88
    fitwithwhit88 Posts: 59 Member
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    I can't speak to the effectiveness of a counselor, but what I've done to help control binging by myself is the following:

    - Know how many calories you should be getting to meet your goals - and also the number of macros (ratio of carbs/protein/fat). I've used the Scooby calculator to do this. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    - To meet your calorie/macros goals, plan your meals ahead of time, then prep your meals for the week so it's a simple matter of "grab and go". Planning your meals (for me) also means identifying specific times at which you will eat said meals. This helps provide my body a consistent stream of calories and nutrients throughout the day so I don't experience sudden dips in energy or wild cravings. For me, I eat breakfast around 7am, snack at 10, lunch at 1, snack at 4, dinner at 7, and small, protein-packed snack about 2-3 hours before bed (around 8pm).

    - If you live by yourself, get rid of all the unhealthy food in your house and/or your "trigger foods" - those foods you simply cannot control yourself around (e.g. for me, that means no peanut butter, no chocolate/candy, no breads). One thing I've found is that if it's easy to get to, you'll eat it. Get rid of it, and the temptation is much harder to act on...I mean, who wants to trek all the way to the grocery for an ice cream craving? No thanks. Instead, replace the positive nutrients of those foods you're getting rid of with healthier alternatives. For example, for the healthy fats, protein and fiber benefits of peanut butter, I sub roasted almonds that I portion out into 1 oz. servings - much easier to control eating these for me.

    - In general, a low sugar/lower carb, high protein and fiber diet works well for me in controlling cravings. If I'm eating a TON of sugar/carbs consistently, I find myself wanting them more and more. If you gradually reduce the amount of sugar and carbs in your diet (note that you will still need carbs - so please don't eliminate them completely), you may notice a positive difference in the cravings you have.

    Hopefully this helps!
  • diwijo13
    diwijo13 Posts: 106 Member
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  • freddi11e
    freddi11e Posts: 317 Member
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  • cecpowers
    cecpowers Posts: 4
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    A counselor or therapist is a great help. I had never been to one before but went for several reasons. We ended up discussing my binging problem and just talking about it and admitting I had a problem really helped. It was hard to realize what the real issue was (not food) but really helped when I did find out.
    Good luck!
  • clownofpink
    clownofpink Posts: 5
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