Binge Eating Disorder

livelaughlove384

Does anyone suffer from binge eating disorder or has suffered from binge eating? What kind of successes have you had with stopping? Looking for friends who are supportive and can relate/share! what kind of tips do you have?!

princessmoogle

I struggle at the moment with excess eating and the more I think about it, the more I want to eat. It's so difficult to stop constantly thinking about food when you want to eat less and keep your weight down! I'm a bit at a loss at how to do it to be honest.

livelaughlove384

I just recently realized what an issue it is for me and how much it is inhibiting me as a person, with my weightloss and myself in general. I just bought the book Brain over Binge, so far it has been insightful!

jlshea

Binger here. What has worked for me is not having any of my trigger foods in the house. No candy, chips, desserts, general junk food in the house. Also, I used to go every Sunday on the sly and stock up on my junk food and hide it. Now when the weekly shopping needs to be done I have my husband go shopping with me. It really helps to stick to buying only the right foods that need to be in the house. I used to binge after work when I was bored but now I get on the treadmill and exercise really helps bust those feelings of wanting to binge. I have also stocked up on sugar free gum. I keep it in my desk drawers where I used to hide my junk food and I just pop in a piece of gum when I get a craving. I helps give me that sweetness that I want without the crazy amount of calories. Good luck!

MissBabyJane

I don't binge often, but it happens when I want to eat the whole fridge. I drink a lot of water and chew sugarless gums. It helps most of the time. Also don't buy foods that can trigger this feeling. Buy vegetables and fruits as much as possible. It will be better to eat 2/3 apples than bag of chips or other junk food.

OtchCake82

Yes I have it! I had a lot of success from August of 2012 to November 2012. I started by taking Phentermine prescribed by my doctor and once I got in the habit of not bingeing for a few weeks I did very well and lost 40 lbs and weighed 157 (the smallest I had been in a decade)! I fell off the wagon that following December and by the end of January I weighed almost 190! I couldn't believe how fast I put weight back on! I went to see my doctor again and he was blown away by my quick weight gain. We had a long discussion on what I did to put it back on so fast and that's when I was diagnosed with BED. From January 2012 until February 2014 every day has been a "last hurrah" (the day where you eat everything in sight to rid yourself of cravings and promise start fresh the next day). Well, after a year of trying to just make it through 1 day of normal eating, I think I've finally overcome binge eating for now. I've realized I can't do this on my own. I'm doing my best to log all of my food on MFP, and knowing people on my friends list can see my food diary keeps me accountable. Also, to get through the first few weeks of "resetting" my body to deal with a normal amount of food, I have to take a supplement that curbs appetite. I've tried hydroxycut, xenadrine, OxyElite Pro, Lipo 6X black Hers, and Fat Free. The one that's working super well right now is Fat Free. I actually don't feel hungry at all! But with binge eating it's a mental battle too. So, you still have to battle with the temptation to want to eat everything, but with the diet pill curbing my appetite helps a lot! I also have realized I need to keep my mind occupied or I'll sneak off into the kitchen and eat an entire valentine's day heart of candy. I've found that Pinterest has helped me stay distracted lol, and crochet. I hope this helps!

OtchCake82

Binger here. What has worked for me is not having any of my trigger foods in the house. No candy, chips, desserts, general junk food in the house. Also, I used to go every Sunday on the sly and stock up on my junk food and hide it. Now when the weekly shopping needs to be done I have my husband go shopping with me. It really helps to stick to buying only the right foods that need to be in the house. I used to binge after work when I was bored but now I get on the treadmill and exercise really helps bust those feelings of wanting to binge. I have also stocked up on sugar free gum. I keep it in my desk drawers where I used to hide my junk food and I just pop in a piece of gum when I get a craving. I helps give me that sweetness that I want without the crazy amount of calories. Good luck!

Oh my gosh! I love the idea of taking your hubby with you! I'm so guilty of spending a lot on my junk food and hiding it! I would go shopping at 9PM and by time I got home everyone was asleep so I could easily hide my bad foods. Thanks for sharing this tip! And it's nice to know I'm not the only one who hides food

OtchCake82

Oh, one more thing... I also drink flavored tea to curb sweet cravings. Not the sugary stuff, I'm talking about the Bigelow and Celestial Seasonings teas that you have to brew, and I add stevia to sweeten them.

dswolverine

I definitely binge eat. I find that my trigger is a) having the type of foods in the house i like binging on and b) when I stop counting calories. Once i stop counting and holding myself accountable, it's very easy to just continue to eat and eat. Sometimes if i catch myself starting to eat more than I should I will physically remove myself from any food and either leave my apartment or plant myself somewhere where i can't eat. Or sometimes I'll make a mug of tea or something to keep me occupied and the urge will pass.

Dogwalkingirl

I think binging is often emotional or had been turned into a habit. For me I used to also get really busy and not eat for 10 hours then eat 3000 cals in one sitting.

I think the key is to not have BAD things in the house and also have things you enjoy that you can safely eat a lot of if you have a problem controlling yourself around cookies, chips etc. I now am almost constantly eating so I never feel the need to binge...breakfast then snack on fruit, cottage cheese, veggies, lunch, more veggies, rice cakes, yogurt, more veggies, dinner etc. I try to eat every 2-3 hours and that keeps bingeing down for me.

Also drink lots and lots of water!!!!!!!!!!!

Erinelda

I threw out all binge triggers and don't buy any. I still have massive meals but they are of the kind of food that can't hurt me. I have so many triggers..

Nuts, seeds, peanut butter.
Any junk at all (like pastries, chips, desserts, 100 calories snack packs, chocolate..)
Bread and bagels.
Crackers.
Chicken wings.
Smoked meats like pepperoni and beef jerky.
Some fruit (like cherries)
Cottage cheese.
Brie and string cheese.
Honey.

Probably more. You can add me but I am dealing with my binging by eating mostly fruit, veggies and whole foods.

HMD7703

Had an ED for years now and although it is mostly under control I still have my moments.

Thanks to being prego, I crave ice chips. I binge on them. A lot!! Although my ice is only a replacement for foods, it keeps me in line. One of my fav binge items is dry cereal. I still eat it by the tons. I have to go out of my way to not buy it while shopping. Just to protect myself from temptation. My ED is triggered by emotional distress and anxiety. I have to keep those things under control just to help myself.

:flowerforyou:

FraggleRockerFitnessLover

I would like to think I am not a Binge Eater, but would suggest keeping your favorite foods out of the house. For me, this is the almighty Baked Lays. I could eat the entire bag. Cashew's are also on the naughty list. There is nothing for me to eat in the house out because I am bored.

Might I suggest the flavored dessert gum if you're a sweet tooth and my go to at work is Cliff bars (mother's are full of sugar, but if I have a sweet tooth moment, I have one of these).

I loooooooooooove the Grape Cube gum as well....I get to blow bubbles at work and refrains me from the peanut butter and graham cracker options at the nurse's station. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Lettee4

i do. if i have to binge i just try and stick to only foods that im allowed on my diet. i went through 3 weeks straight of overeating (i probably ate over 3500 calories each day) at one point last year because of stress and i only gained 1 kilo which i got rid of within a week after i stopped my binge-spree.

Erinelda

I forgot about cereal. All types cereal.. I eat bowl after bowl. It spikes your blood sugar sky high, is not filling and gives no nutrients. It's bad m'kay.

levitateme

I've had problems with binge eating since I was a small child. I can't keep trigger foods in large quantities in the house. If I buy ice cream, chips, etc. they have to be the type that come in single serve packaging (and even then, it's not "safe" if you know what I mean - there's a chance I will eat 4 of them). I find that for me, it's better to just abstain from the foods that trigger my craving to binge.

I have gotten a lot better about losing control, part of the problem for me is I too easily succumb to the craving to binge. It's never about the food itself it's about how much I can shove in my face at once or what I feel I can "get away with". It disgusts me that I'm basically addicted to the feeling of stuffing myself, but I've learned that it doesn't have to control my life.

I consider Saturday/Sunday my "relax" time when it comes to food. I always log everything, but I don't get down on myself if I am in the red. I've lost 13 lbs so far.

LishieFruit89

Read the book "Brain Over Binge".

Diet pills are just transforming your BED to EDNOS. So don't do that. It's not any healthier than binging. There are so many side effects of those pills that theu outweigh any benefits.

daphnec1994

i'm also struggling with it at the moment. I'm working on reduce the amount of binges. The important thing is to never give up. I've come to accept that binging is probably always going to be a part of my life. I just need to work on reducing the number and when i do go through a binge start the next day fresh with healthy eating and not giving up. Feel free to add me

livelaughlove384

Part of my issue is I don't buy the stuff when my husband and I go grocery shopping together on the weekends...it's during the week after work when something bad has happened and stressed me out or made me depressed. I end up at the store buying my fav foods and binging on them when my husband is at night school. (I too go to school but it is all online). My binges most of the time are definitely triggered by emotions....=/

liftsforchocolate

Part of my issue is I don't buy the stuff when my husband and I go grocery shopping together on the weekends...it's during the week after work when something bad has happened and stressed me out or made me depressed. I end up at the store buying my fav foods and binging on them when my husband is at night school. (I too go to school but it is all online). My binges most of the time are definitely triggered by emotions....=/

^ Exactly the same for me. I don't keep extra cash in my wallet, so if I do happen to use my card I'm less tempted to buy junk because I know it'll show up in the statement at the end of the month. It's still hard though because my fridge and pantry are stocked up with tons of peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate, etc. And I usually binge on oatmeal, nut butter, eggs, and greek yogurt, but I have to keep them in the house b/c I have to eat them almost everyday.

Next time you are about to binge (by buying junk), ask yourself why you are disrespecting yourself. You have to really just learn to respect yourself and realize you are worth much much more than it. I think it was last week, but I stopped at a grocery store (to buy binge food) after an exam, but I asked myself those questions and ended up buying my favorite protein bar instead and a chocolate greek yogurt flavor to try. The problems I try to escape by bingeing will still be there whether I binge or not, so I try my hardest to not avoid treating myself like a trash can.

Also, I read brain over binge and it helped me A LOT. It's true, the more you think you have a "disorder" the more likely you will give in to bingeing and blame it on the disorder. Just keeping my mind off it helps me feel like I am in control of it.

frankiep73

I struggle daily, by the minute, by the thought. I have hidden my binge foods since I was a kid. My parents knew I had it, but no one spoke of it. I do it now, and my husband doesn't speak of it. I have been through therapy, have done the keep it out of the house, keep it out of my grocery cart, you name it. I found my best help to be being accountable to someone daily. I had a group of people I was a part of back in 2008/2009 that was through WW and that really did it for me. We did it by trying to complete 3 cycles of 21 days and if you binged, you went back to C1D1. I did it several times and that was amazingly helpful. No, logging honestly here has been helpful. I also am back with an MD to help me be more accountable.

I have read countless book as well. Honestly logging what I eat is more than helpful at this time. Feel free to friend me if you like.

UnderwoodPD

I struggle with Binge eating also. I will do well for a few days and then something just sets it off but I am not exactly sure what it is. I eat until I am literally sick. Has anyone seen a professional about it?

MaryIM

This is helpful for me, reading the stories from others who struggle with this behavior/compulsion.

I also have discovered that it helps (at home) to trash all the trigger foods and when grocery shopping not to even look at the aisles where the "bad" foods are located.

I feel bad for my husband, who sits there in the evenings and watches me eat. I don't know if it's good that I don't go hide and binge in secret (although I've done that plenty in the past) ... now it's the evenings, when we're watching TV that the binge monster strikes.

nenshali

Hello dear!

I am in recovery for bulimia nervosa right now. Even though that's not exactly the same, I still do know the craving, the binges etc. that are common for BED as well.

It's not really controllable. Please keep in mind that you are NOT a bad person if you slip back and that it's NOT your fault.
And even if you get into the position that you have a binge and you cannot control it; it's okay, it can happen.

But WHAT you can do is, try to make your daily life as structured (not controlled; structured!) as possible. Eat regularly and eat enough. That's really important. Furthermore, I know it costs time and strength, but if your binges are still a huge problem for you, I recomment writing an eating journal.

This is not about punishing and surely not about counting calories. What I would write down is (maybe in a chart):
- when did you eat (I wouldn't just write "in the morning" but preferably 10:10 am for example)
- what did you eat and which amount (don't just write 'spaghetti' but 1 plate full of spaghetti". you don't need to weight your food, it's just about an approximate portion)
- did you feel hungry and/or did you feel a craving
- how did you feel/what did you do/think before you ate?

I know this looks like a lot of work, but if you prepare such a chart, maybe as a word data, you can easily fill the stuff in. And by time, you will be able to spot certain patterns.
You can identify certain triggers, you see whether certain food/meals made you full or not etc.
It would, of course, be easier and better if you had the help of a therapist, but I think it can still help you.

I know that you feel very stressed under this situation and I want to remind you that you are great the way you are and that this is not about losing weight, but about treating yourself better.
You need new, more healthier coping skills for your feelings. Unfortunately, I cannot go in more details because I'm myself at a point in therapy where I slowly get my binges under control, but on the other hand absolutely cannot handle any emotional stress because I don't have any coping mechanism and my dysfunctional ones (hurting myself; eating and puking; hating myself) doesn't work anymore.

Don't let yourself down, I'm sure you can make it! Try to dig somewhat deeper. What do you hide with your bingeing? What is holding you back? Because it's not the your body fat %, even though it might bother you. Eventually, it does not matter that much as you think. (Yes, it matters because it affects the way you see yourself! and even though I won't deny that we live in a fat- shaming society, it's also true that it's not your fat that is causing all your problems, it is just a side problem that OCCURES because of one or several causes that make you unhappy)!

I don't know if anything I said actually applies to your situation or if you find it helpful, I just hope you'll find a way to help yourself and get happier again. I wish you so much luck!

GIRL1983

I am in the midst of a binging cycle at the moment and I am trying hard to get back on track. I find moderation the hardest thing as I have a very all or nothing personality and so I am either eating the whole fridge or nothing at all.
Feel free to add me- I would like more friends who understand where I am coming from.

HealthyMakeover

I've never suffered from binge eating disorder, but I have days where I want to eat a lot more than I'd normally allow myself. When this happens, I sip on diet pop and go outside to distract myself. Sometimes I'll even go take a hot shower and take a nap. Most of the time, for me, it's an issue with being bored and not hungry. I just have to find something else to occupy my brain!

Eleonora91

Does anyone suffer from binge eating disorder or has suffered from binge eating? What kind of successes have you had with stopping? Looking for friends who are supportive and can relate/share! what kind of tips do you have?!

Things surely get better if you stop, but it's very hard. I find it hard controlling my hunger since it's something I can't completely understand or deal with. Joining MFP helped me to understand what I really needed, how much I actually needed to eat, how many kgs I had to lose and so on. When I was heavier I felt like I didn't care about what I was eating because I was already at my worst. Now I know I can't **** things up and this helps me to avoid binges. When I started dieting 1,5 years ago I got rid of all my trigger foods, and I haven't bought many of them in a very long time. It's hard when you've spent years binging on them and then you just need to see them as food and not as your binge trigger. You also need to work very hard on your motivation. Quest your own goals every single day, until you get closer to them. Food can get so strong over you just because you forget about what's best for you. I mean, eating is wonderful, but if you eat too much will it really make you feel any better? It doesn't, and you've got to do what makes you feel better. Try making little steps at once. Just gaining a bit of control over certain foods or habits is already a great improvement. Try to experiment with food and challenge yourself with things you've never eaten before. Discover new tastes and analyze how it makes you feel. Embrace every little change you can make and reward yourself for it. You also need to try to sort your emotive issues as much as you can. When I was fatter, I was always thinking about it. I had no self esteem and it's still hard; I didn't need much to get pushed over the edge. Now I'm in control, or at least I try to. Gaining control over certain aspects of my life has helped me in other fields either. If I know I can control food, I know I can also control my emotions better. I am no longer clueless about how to react to stressful events and I know that I won't turn to food if something happens. It doesn't happen overnight and I still want to binge at times, but the longer your resist, the stronger you get. Good luck with your journey!

Jurow

hey i have a habit of binging, around

reasons tend to be bordem and lazyness for me.
since ive started logging stuff ive guikted myself away from it.
though things ive done to help include having quik to prepare healthier foods around just to cover bordom eating. also when i want to buy junk asking myself if its worth it normally it isnt. if ive really got to cave in i buy something small instead of the massive mc donalds or pack of cookies that normally satisfies the erges.

suziepoo1984

I would not call mine a disorder, but i love eating and would do that a lot if i do not stop myself. This is where MFP helps me stay in control. I go on these eating spree sometimes and then i have to remind myself how far i have come and do not want to work that much harder to lose the same weight again! Its all in our mind and how we control it!

jobegone

I used to be an awful binger...ever since I was a child. Used to always try to hide the evidence from my family. As I grew up I got boyfs who'd binge with me so it wasn't an issue but now at 28 and living with my partner there have been a good few times where I hide wrappers or lie about what i'v eaten. I'v even hide food in the car and binger awhile travelling to work.
I found it abit easier the last while since iv been logging my food and I noticed when I wanted to binge I tried drinking sugar free pop which also helped (although I know this isnt great!)
Trying to take your mind of it or getting up and doing something is the only way of stopping binges and also instead of buying multipacks of stuff if I really 'need' chocolate il buy one bar which I can log easily without the temptation of knowing there are 3 more in the cupboard.

mufamuscles

Next time you are about to binge (by buying junk), ask yourself why you are disrespecting yourself. You have to really just learn to respect yourself and realize you are worth much much more than it. I think it was last week, but I stopped at a grocery store (to buy binge food) after an exam, but I asked myself those questions and ended up buying my favorite protein bar instead and a chocolate greek yogurt flavor to try. The problems I try to escape by bingeing will still be there whether I binge or not, so I try my hardest to not avoid treating myself like a trash can.


This was amazingly helpful. Thank you.

Edit: sorry, accidentally got rid of the quote box. That first paragraph is quoted from liftsforchocolate's post.