What do you consider a 'binge'?

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Replies

  • Tffanie4712
    Tffanie4712 Posts: 115
    My opinion i would consider binge is when I have a full not open jar of peanut butter i'm in the kitchen constantly eating.I slide down the refrigerator constantly eating the peanut butter. Yet I have not notice i'm sitting on the floor. Until i start scrapping the jar and i'm left alone with an empty jar and the maddness of knowing I just ate over 2000 calories in one sitting. Yes I have experience this PEANUT BUTTER is my favorite.
  • melmckay99
    melmckay99 Posts: 358
    My opinion i would consider binge is when I have a full not open jar of peanut butter i'm in the kitchen constantly eating.I slide down the refrigerator constantly eating the peanut butter. Yet I have not notice i'm sitting on the floor. Until i start scrapping the jar and i'm left alone with an empty jar and the maddness of knowing I just ate over 2000 calories in one sitting. Yes I have experience this PEANUT BUTTER is my favorite.

    PB is my weakness too. Ive also polished off entires jars of it in one sitting.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    Eating a huge portion of something that I know is chock-full of completely empty calories. And then regretting it about 5 minutes after I'm done. PMS does this to me horribly some months.

    This is pretty close to my own definition, too. Honestly reading through most of the answers here, I do not feel as though I have ever had a "true" binge.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    For me, binging is about self-harm. It's about eating past the point of full not because it tastes good or I love pizza so much, but because I can't stop myself. There are days when I decide to go off my diet and eat too much, but I would never consider that a binge. That's me making an adult decision and recognizing the consequences. I don't have that kind of rationality when I'm binging.

    I would eat myself out of house and home if I could while binging. Two boxes of protein bars? Sure! All the lunchmeat in the house with a container cream cheese? Okay! A whole box of ice cream bars? Why not! Peanut butter on my eggs? Sure thing!

    And that's one binge, not 4 separate ones.

    Binging is more about the emotional reaction to the food than the amount of food eaten, for me. It goes above and beyond feeling full to the point of sickness. There's usually a little voice in the back of my head begging me to quit eating, to slow down, to have some water, to wait 15 minutes, etc. Not only do I not listen to it, but I can't figure out how to. I cannot fathom not eating because eating becomes my whole world.

    The binge, in my case, is about hiding or smothering an emotional reaction that I don't want to feel. It's like drinking the pain away, except without the hangover.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    Binge eating really has nothing to do with calories. It's not about "I ate X calories so it was a binge".

    Binge eating is simply eating without the ability to control the amount eaten.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binge_eating_disorder

    All of the following are DSM-IV criteria that must be present to classify a person's behavior as binge eating disorder.[5] Studies have confirmed the high predictive value of these criteria for diagnosing BED.[6]

    Each binge consists of eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances, and is accompanied by a feeling of loss of control (i.e. they feel that they cannot stop eating and cannot control what they are eating and how much they are eating).
    The binge eating occurs, on average, at least twice a week for 6 months.
    The binge eating is not associated with the recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behavior and does not occur exclusively during the course Bulimia Nervosa or Anorexia Nervosa.
    The person is seriously worried about the binge eating.

    Also, an individual must have 3 or more of the following symptoms:

    Feels disgusted, depressed, or guilty after binge eating.
    Eats an unusually large amount of food at one time, far more than a regular person would eat.
    Eats much more quickly during binge episodes than during normal eating episodes.
    Eats until physically uncomfortable and nauseated due to the amount of food consumed.
    Eats when bored or depressed
    Eats large amounts of food even when not really hungry.
    Often eats alone during periods of normal eating, owing to feelings of embarrassment about food.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Actual bingeing involves compulsion to eat, feeling like you have no control and feeling of guilt/shame afterward. Many bingers also try to keep their binges secret. What most people are describing here is a splurge. You're free to call it whatever you want, but if you run across someone with binge eating disorder, you should be aware that what they have is not what you're describing.
  • mhopp71
    mhopp71 Posts: 46 Member
    I took a break from the healthy lifestyle aobut a year ago by eating 3+ donuts at least 4-5 days a week for about 3 months. I think that qualifies
  • FinallyDoingMe
    FinallyDoingMe Posts: 84 Member
    Consuming a large amount of food, beyond the point where I am full, with thoughts of consequences absent, usually for emotional reasons.

    ^^ this ^^
  • Scott46617
    Scott46617 Posts: 23
    For me it's a binge when I pull in the drive thru and consider the money I have vs. the cost per quantity of the items on the menu board - then make my selection based on what gets me the most food for my buck with no regard to what even tastes good. If I were feeding the family some would consider this being frugal, but not when I intend to eat it all myself.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    I have a hard time when people use terms like "binge" loosely, as it holds a lot of weight for people like me, who are diagnosed ED patients.

    A binge is any caloric intake that is excessive in comparison to the current dietary standard. So, if I'm restricted to 1200 calories a day, a day that hits 2000 is a binge day.

    However, if we're talking about a singular event, a binge is when I knowingly buy an excessive amount of food, regardless of whether it is "health" or not, and eat it all in one sitting. Eating more than my daily calorie goal in one sitting.

    Any amount of intake that prompts me to purge through exercise or vomiting/laxative use.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
    I've never ever eaten until I've been sick or in chronic pain. For me it's eating past what I need... not in a sense that I have a big portion, or know I'll be busy and have a little extra or go back for seconds because it's just really nice. But a mindset that won't recognise that I don't need to eat the amount I have or plan to. For example, a few months ago I would think nothing of pulling up in McD's and ordering a Big Mac meal (never large because I was more interested in the burger than extra fries or a larger drink), then another big mac, then a cheeseburger and for good measure a box of chicken nuggets too. Cue driving out of my way to a place I KNOW a bin will be deserted and empty...

    The feel of shame and guilt would creep in afterwards and my bank balance (though not massively) would take a little hit.

    Thankfully I haven't done that in months and take a tiny amount of pride in that since controlling my portions better and choosing the right foods to keep me full- I don't think I COULD eat all that now.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Actual bingeing involves compulsion to eat, feeling like you have no control and feeling of guilt/shame afterward. Many bingers also try to keep their binges secret. What most people are describing here is a splurge. You're free to call it whatever you want, but if you run across someone with binge eating disorder, you should be aware that what they have is not what you're describing.

    I was thinking this exactly. Many people here are using the term quite loosely, when it is a very serious thing for some of us... Like me, I had a binge on Friday night, first in months... it consisted of:

    1 XXL grande nachos
    2 crunchy tacos
    1 grilled stuffed burrito
    1 grilled stuffed nacho
    2 empanadas
    1 fiesta potatos
    1 large frozen soda
    2 pints of ice cream
    2 Monster energy drinks
    4oz. colby jack cheese

    It was pretty disgusting. I was struck with overwhelming emotions about a boyfriend that passed away several years ago, and lost control. Oh, the shame in admitting it to my therapist the next day was intense... but this is what we have to do to move forward... First and foremost, to be honest.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
    A binge is being too scared to log your calories for the day ;)
  • Eve_e
    Eve_e Posts: 57
    My opinion i would consider binge is when I have a full not open jar of peanut butter i'm in the kitchen constantly eating.I slide down the refrigerator constantly eating the peanut butter. Yet I have not notice i'm sitting on the floor. Until i start scrapping the jar and i'm left alone with an empty jar and the maddness of knowing I just ate over 2000 calories in one sitting. Yes I have experience this PEANUT BUTTER is my favorite.

    PB is my weakness too. Ive also polished off entires jars of it in one sitting.

    Me too. But actually, after doing this one too many times, I'm now repulsed by peanut butter. Even the smell makes me feel sick.
  • Mitzigan94
    Mitzigan94 Posts: 393 Member
    Consuming a large amount of food, beyond the point where I am full, with thoughts of consequences absent, usually for emotional reasons.

    ^^ THIS

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