How to Stop Binge Eating

kaijah8

I have seen several posts from people requesting to lean how to stop binge eating. For those of you who have never been a binge eater, its an awful experience. For me, I was a late-night binge eater. I would eat well during the day, but halfway through sleeping, I would wake up, walk down stairs and binge. The amount of calories I could consume in less than 5 minutes was shocking. With binge eating, at least for myself, you eat like you're an Olympic speed eater. I could scoff down two or three sodas and an entire package of donuts without blinking an eye. To give you an idea of how fast it happens, my husband is a very light sleeper yet rarely noticed I had ever gotten up out of bed. When you wake up in the morning, you feel horrible. Your stomach hurts and you spend several hours feeling extremely sick. Its a horrible experience and unfortunately, a hard habit to break. I have successful beat my binge eating habit and since I saw several posts seeking help, I wanted to share my experience. At first, I would wake up several times a night. My body was telling me to go binge. I held back and just didn't do it. By the third night, I couldn't handle it anymore. I went into the kitchen and ate - a lot. After that, I stopped buying soda (by this point, everyone in my household had stopped drinking soda). I stopped buying cookies and donuts. When I'd wake up at night, there wouldn't be any junk to binge on. This was hard and my late-night stomach hated it. About a week later, I would wake up, go into the kitchen, and drink an entire bottle of water. My stomach had the same full, satisfied, binge-eating experience without the calories and when I woke up in the morning, I didn't feel sick. I drank water for a few days until I no longer woke up to binge eat. I have since been able to buy treats without worrying about waking up at night. For me, I only binged late at night, for the others that binge during the day, try drinking a bottle of nice, cold water and see what happens. Try to avoid trigger foods. I know from experience that this is no fun and extremely unhealthy. Breaking the habit is possible, but takes a little preparation and time.

snow00774

So glad you were able to break the habit, and you are wonderful for sharing what worked for you, hopefully it will give someone hope!

paigenevaeh

I'm a binger! Thank you for sharing your story, I'll try this tip next time. I know how it feels to just NEED to binge on something. For me, it's bread. It would be nice to be able to have it in the house again!

weightliftingdiva

Thank you for sharing! I'm an overtired binger. After a busy day at school when I'm walking back to my room at night, I'll pass by our grill and think ooh!! chicken finger melt! Or ooh! Chips!! And eat something that put me over for the day just because I'm tired and stressed. For my particular variety of binging, I have to make sure I get enough sleep, consistently, which is hard as a student. I find that keeping low cal snacks around and drinking lots of liquids (water and tea, decaf coffee late at night) helps keep me satisfied.

caitconquersweight

I've been a binger for maaany many years. I'm not the type that gets up at night, but I'm totally familiar with that gnawing feeling in your stomach when you want to binge. "Oh, it'll be okay. You can just do it today. You'll do better tomorrow. You've done so well all day, what's one binge going to hurt? You won't eat anything else the rest of the day. You'll exercise extra." I hate these intrusive thoughts, it's like a constant battle. Right now drinking a crapload of water and making sure to eat often is staving off the urge to binge.

ks_mommaof5

Congratulations on beating your middle-of-the-night binge habit! I have had a similar issue for more than a decade and have followed a similar process to kick the habit. Even after a year of kicking my own habit, there are still times that I find myself standing in the kitchen in the middle of the night with no idea how I got there! Luckily, though, I've been able to avoid any major caloric debacles!!

Willpower aside, I have found that when my dinner includes a significant amount of carbs, I am vastly more likely to wake up wanting something sweet. I'm still learning how to plan ahead and am planning to try a couple weeks where the majority of my carb intake occurs before dinner.

Again, congratulations on your success!! I really appreciate you sharing your story!

smithed812

Congrats on your success. That's actually a really smart idea. Sometimes if I drink too much water I get that uncomfortably full feeling. Never thought to battle the urge to binge with water. Genius!

DiabeticAlien

I'm a "bored binge eater". My wife works nights, my son is 17 1/2 and does his thing, I sit in front of the pc and next thing I know, I've eaten an unbelievable amount of food. I've found that even eating 3 meals and 3 snacks doesn't help. I will eat, just because it's there. I have to TRY really hard to not go make something, or grab something.
I have found, for me, that I have no resistance. I have tried small meals in the day and a huge supper, didn't help. I've tried 6 equal caloric meals a day, didn't help. I always end up grabbing food, when I get bored.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

enchantedgardener

1. Know what triggers your binges.
For some us, it's boredom, stress, anxiety, depression, certain people or certain situations, etc. It varies from person to person. Know what your triggers are and keep a watchful eye for those situations in your life.
For me, it's definitely stress and depression.

2. Know what actions you can take when you're in a situation that often leads to binges.
Know how you can change the situation, whether physically or emotionally, in order to avoid the binge. Personally, I know I can't binge if I am out in public. I can only binge when alone. So, I'll go for a walk, go hang out at a local coffee shop, go visit a friend. I will also stay away from the kitchen, stay out of grocery stores and restaurants when I'm feeling stressed or upset. Those are examples of changing your physical environment to prevent binges. Part of the solution, too, is changing your emotional environment. When I'm upset, I try to do something to cheer myself up or relieve my stress. Maybe it's escaping in a great book, getting some exercise and boosting those endorphins, playing some favourite music and dancing, calling a friend to discuss what is bothering me. What helps you to deal with the situations that often lead to binges? Figure out what works for you.

3. Be gentle with yourself.
Binge eating doesn't typically disappear overnight. It's a process that takes time. You need to figure out and develop coping strategies that will work for you. And even when you have, it's still possible to experience setbacks and relapses. Be kind to yourself when you do. Forgive yourself and try to do better next time.

Best wishes to all those on this path.

Edit: If you are struggling with binge eating, I suggest joining the Binge-Eating Support Group here on MFP. It's a great place to discuss successes and setbacks with other folks who struggle with similar issues.

kaijah8

I'm a "bored binge eater". My wife works nights, my son is 17 1/2 and does his thing, I sit in front of the pc and next thing I know, I've eaten an unbelievable amount of food. I've found that even eating 3 meals and 3 snacks doesn't help. I will eat, just because it's there. I have to TRY really hard to not go make something, or grab something.
I have found, for me, that I have no resistance. I have tried small meals in the day and a huge supper, didn't help. I've tried 6 equal caloric meals a day, didn't help. I always end up grabbing food, when I get bored.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I also ate when I was bored or just because it was there. At times, I would stuff my face as much as I could almost as if I was in fear that I would never get to eat junk again. When I decided to give up junk, I was not miserable at all. I still have the occasional donut, but at this point, it really doesn't taste great to me. If I want something sweet, I go for fruit because its far sweeter and more satisfying than junk food is. I think there are several things that you can do to over-come this habit.

1) Are you really ready for change? I think a lot of "diets" fail because they are nothing more than a diet. Someone wakes up and decides they are going to lose weight. They realize its not easy because they want results without change. As a society, we often fear change, but change is good - especially when it involves your health. For me, I decided I didn't like the way crappy food made me feel. I didn't like the fact that I knew every person that worked at every fast food restaurant. I didn't like how I felt when I went through the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant - I thought they were all looking at me thinking about how much fatter I'd gotten since the last time they'd seen me. I just hate the way I felt - tired and lazy all the time. If you are really ready for change, you aren't just ready for a slimmer you, you are ready for a healthier you.

2) What motivates you? Everyone is different and realistically, I don't believe the idea of "a slimmer body" or "looking good in a bathing suit" is true motivation. For most people, even after the weight loss, they wont feel great baring their body to the world. Everyone's motivation is different. For me, I never got to the point where my BMI read overweight, but it got really close. I struggled from extreme back pain to the point where I knew Id have to have surgery one day. I was always tired and felt too lazy to do anything. I also watched my father develop type 2 diabetes which resulted in some pretty major medical complications. All things I did not want to be a part of. When I decided what would motivate me, it was not the idea of fitting into a size 2 again (although that's an added perk). I was motivated by wanting to be healthy. I didn't want the back pain and I didnt want the surgery Id have if I didnt do something about it. I didn't want type 2 diabetes and I was tired of being tired. Your screen name has diabetes in it. Are you diabetic? This could be a motivator for you!

3) Avoid triggers and temptation. Triggers (like your PC) and temptation (like chips in the cabinet) are always going to be there, but you can remove them from your life until you feel comfortable saying no. Like I said, a point in your life will come where you will walk right past a bag of chips and have zero interest in them. Instead of thinking about how satisfying they are, you will remember how crappy they made you feel. You said your son is 17 years old, you can certainly remove all of the bad food in the house and replace it with good food. If your son isn't happy about it, well, he is 17 and like you said, he does his own thing.

4) Food in general. As I have mentioned several times, the cravings will go away. I remember thinking I wanted brownies and I had to have them. I made a batch and took a small sliver. To me, they tasted horrible. I never touched another one. I used to love brownies, but once I got used to eating what made me feel great, eating crap wasn't satisfying. Everyone's eating is different and although I do not eat perfectly clean, I eat fairly well for the most part. Plan ahead. Know where you are going to be and what you are going to be doing. Start switching your foods to healthier versions: wheat bread instead of white bread, mustard instead of mayo and water instead of soda or juice. Don't feel the need to make the change over-night. You didn't get where you are at over-night, so dont expect the change in you to be over-night, either.

So my advice to you is to make the commitment to yourself. Don't make the commitment to lose 20 pounds or 50 pounds, make the commitment to live a healthier lifestyle. Losing weight is only temporary if you don't commit to a lifestyle change. If you struggle with this, make a motivational board. Take a before photo of yourself and record your weight and your BMI. Put it on the board. Next to it, right you cholesterol levels, your health concerns (diabetes etc), and write a little something to your future self. Write how you feel (tired, lazy etc). On the opposite side, leave a space for a new photo. Write down the opposite of what is on the left side - your goal health levels, fitness expectations, how you think you'd feel (energized and happy etc). Put the board where you look at it all the time - on the fridge or next to your PC. Keep that reason in the front of your mind at all times.

When you are ready to commit, the journey will have its ups and downs, but having your motivation beside you will help guide you in the right direction. I hope I was helpful - good luck on your journey.

AnneGenevieveS

I also binge, and have gotten a lot better, but I eat when I'm upset.

yep, looks like a lot of us have similar stories. I also eat out of boredom or when I am very tired, but my "binges" are when I'm very upset.

It really truly soothes me when I am upset or having a panic attack. It is a real true documented dopamine release when you consume large amounts of sugar. Its a hard habit to break, and I've tried water and it did not work for me. Exercise also helps, but if you are at work, it's not like you can leave work and go run 3 miles to get out your anger in the middle of the day.

To everyone else here who is struggling with this, don't give up. I slide back, but I keep pushing through. I thought I'd never be able to stop, but I've gotten so much better. Feel free to friend me if you are struggling.

MyFoodGod

Check out Overeaters Anonymous. All have binged to some degree. Online meetings and podcasts as well as local meetings. Many benefit from the support.

marajean

I am a binge eater. I have a hard time controlling my appetite. Many times I keep eating even after my belly swells and I am in pain. I don't know, I guess, maybe, I am addicted to food. It seems to consume a lot of my time. If I am not eating, I am thinking about food and who I can get to buy it if I don't have the money. I can easily eat a large pizza and in a few minutes I want to eat again. The other day I actually ate two boxes of mac n cheese. I think some of my problem is a result of childhood and the way my parents feed me. I had to eat everything they put on my plate and if I complained that I was full without eating everything, I was denied food later if I said I was hungry. That has carried over into my adult life. If I make a big amount of something I think I have to eat it all because it is there. Also, when I was in elementry school the other kids would steel my lunches telling me I was too fat and I didn't need it.
I am slowly beginning to realize that I don't have to have two or three serving of something but I still binge on things like chocolate and chips. I used to refuse food as often as I could in my young adult life. It got so bad I was told I was anorexic. Now I am confused. Well, my body is at least. But like I said, I am slowly breaking this binge/starve type of eating. If I feel hungry I have to ask myself if this is emotional, boredom or if I really am hungry. If it is one of the first two, I find something to do to keep my mind off food like surf the web, do a craft project or even have a hard candy.
I always hate myself even more when I do binge. But it is like I can't control it even though I am trying. Do you think I am so worried about over eating that I do? I don't know, maybe I think it I don't eat a lot I might not have any more food ever. Kind of silly now that I have said it..

Bennypen1

I experience the EXACT same thing. So good not to feel alone. I'm not overweight but I will excessively exercise after a binge day. I need to break the cycle again. I've had this problem on and off for 15 years and I'll go years perfectly fine and then I cycle back and it's so painful and self destructive. Help how do I stop again??

Bennypen1

Your post is exactly how I feel. Maybe we can support each other and stop. The cycle. It really is mental I think and I always think I can control it and then it's become like a twice weekly thing and I make myself sick and it still doesn't stop me. What do I do?

lise_stedman

I chew chewing gum or drink mint tea to stop myself snacking in the evening unnecessarily as everything tastes minty and unpleasant that way.

Erihppas

I've been having such a difficult time these past few days with food cravings that tomorrow I'm biting the bullet and ordering a pizza. Hopefully that can get pizza off of my mind.

I find that if I don't eat what I want, I end up eating random foods to fill that "void", then just end up eating the food I want anyway. I could have just avoided 1000 calories by just eating what it was I wanted from the beginning.