I need to stop binge eating, any success stories.... at all?

Rach__19

Hi, I began a weight loss journey in April 2013. By September I'd lost just over 2 stone. I live away from home at university and found it easy to eat healthily when there. However, when I would go home for weekends, I would binge eat sometimes until I was physically sick. At Christmas time I gained around 7lbs in 4 weeks. I managed to lose that by February however I recently gained back 1 stone due to binge eating.

I binge eat alone and hide my binge foods in a drawer. Originally, I would feel disgusted at myself for binging and would manage to eat well for weeks afterwards. Now however, it has gotten to the point where binge eating is becoming a daily thing, and I know I must stop.

I have recognised that I need support and I hope that you guys can help me out. Does anybody have any tips on how to break the binging habit and take the first steps back into normality?

This is beginning to ruin my life, I am lagging with uni work and rarely see my friends. I would appreciate any advice or even just support.

Thanks everyone

WanderingPomme

I'm in need of advice too!

RachelRuns9

What helped me was talking to someone about it. First I tried therapy but ended up finding the most helping in coming clean to my boyfriend. If possible, try therapy and get some self-help books.
Good luck - we can do this

dt3312

Geneen Roth's book, Breaking Free from Emotional Eating, has been the thing that's helped me the most with curtailing binge eating. Right now in my house, I have 4 bags of choc chips (one open), 2 bags of MnMs (one open), a Lidnt candy bar, a carton of icecream (open), juice bars, a bag of trail mix, and 3 dozen cookies in the freezer. I have times where I am home alone. In the past, I would have gone hog wild. Now, I don't even care that much about the stuff. A few days ago, I wanted some MnMs. Using Geneen Roth's guidelines, I had some. I had 6, and they satisfied me. Another time I wanted Choc. chips. I got out 5. After I ate 2, I got bored and put the other 3 back. I wanted some ice cream and had 2 Tablespoons. That satisfied me and I didn't want any more. This is in contrast to my previous binging behaviors which would consist of eating 1/2 the bag, then getting some iceream, then eating something salty, then eating something sweet, then salty, then sweet, etc. for hours...then for days.

sherambler

I mean, I'm not going to say I'm an expert or in recovery, but I've noticed major changes in my binge eating over the last few months. It takes a lot of patience. In my case, I've been in therapy for about 10 months now. And my therapist is great. She's younger, dealt with binge eating in her 20s, and has given me a lot of tools to use. She approached binge eating the same as treatment for an alcoholic. She reminds me that I will always have a binge eating disorder, that I will never be "done" with it, but that I can successfully manage it and remain in recovery.

It's been a really long process and I never would've imagined I'd even get to the point where I am now. I've also been using a lot of workbooks and doing a lot of journaling. One of the best things for me was telling my parents and boyfriend that I had a binge eating disorder. It felt so strange to do that, but after I did it something just clicked. I guess maybe because I didn't have to hide it anymore there was less shame, so it allowed me to be more honest with myself. A lot of my food issues stemmed from my childhood and adolescence. Both my parents were overweight, my parents put a lot of pressure on me, my house was chaotic and I often had to fend for myself at mealtime, etc. Coming to terms with the fact that I've never had a normal relationship with food has also helped make me accept the fact that I have to make these changes, that it's not really a choice I have. I've discovered the root of my binge eating, accepted my past failures at weight loss or stopping the bingeing, and slowly begun to rebuild my self-image and self-worth by challenging invalidating thoughts and doing things that I enjoy and that make me feel good. If I hadn't, I'd probably still be binge eating every night.