how do you stop binging?

jennk5309

There's a great book on Amazon called brain over binge. It explains how binge eating and other eating disorders are created and hardwired into our brains and behaviors, and how to stop. How old are you? Teens and young adults are most vulnerable to having brain pathways develop that sustain binging. It usually starts with a diet and going hungry- to which an overpowering drive to overeat is the natural response. Then the pattern sets from there. I highly recommend the book.

Remilia_Scarlet

I went to therapy to address the emotions that led to my binging and started taking antidepressants. Haven't done it since.

ohheyyitsrenee

I'll have to check it out! I am 19, so I am fairly young

There's a great book on Amazon called brain over binge. It explains how binge eating and other eating disorders are created and hardwired into our brains and behaviors, and how to stop. How old are you? Teens and young adults are most vulnerable to having brain pathways develop that sustain binging. It usually starts with a diet and going hungry- to which an overpowering drive to overeat is the natural response. Then the pattern sets from there. I highly recommend the book.

ohheyyitsrenee

I'm on the search for a new therapist, so hopefully I find one soon!!

I went to therapy to address the emotions that led to my binging and started taking antidepressants. Haven't done it since.

jlshea

Come here for support.

I don't have my binge go-to favorites in the house at all.

I used to sneakily buy binge foods each week and then hide them. Now I drag my husband to the grocery store with me so I won't buy those foods.

ohheyyitsrenee

It's pretty restricted I eat like a bunny rabbit to be honest, mostly fruits and vegetables. I'll eat oats and granola bars. But I don't eat bread or pasta. I've been working on adding in new foods every week to open up my diet but it's been hard. I most likely do have a mineral deficiency, because my diet isn't well balanced due to my restricting. I really would like to see a nutritionist to get a well balanced diet set up. But yeah, my binges are very odd foods, so there has to be a reason why I crave those foods.

I don't know how "restricted" your diet is but 1500 cals for someone 5'1" doesn't seem that bad provided you are meeting all of your nutritional requirements. Based on the foods you say you are binging on I would suggest you get checked for a serious mineral deficiency problem, namely magnesium and iron. Peanut butter, nuts, whole grains like those in granola, and protein bars are fortified with these and your body may reacting to a deficit by binge eating these foods.

ohheyyitsrenee

yes, for me it's not about being hungry, it's just my body asking for more food for I give it food but then I can't stop! I do eat a lot of fruits but maybe I should try more vegetables?

For me, completely changing my diet has ended my seemingly never-ending binge. I don't know if it's like this for you, but for me it was not so much my being "hungry", but more that my body was craving more food, even though my stomach was full. I would stand in front of the fridge and just eat whatever was in there, and hardly any of it was doing much to curb what I can only call body hunger.

When I started eating way, way, way more vegetables and fruits and such, I didn't feel that anymore.

blondageh

It sounds like you are already at a healthy weight, maybe your body is just hungry and you trying to restrict your calories is revolting on you making you go overboard? I just don't know how it is not hurting your tummy with all that extra fiber with those bars. I binged on fiber/potein bars too once or twice . I was in not a good way for a couple of days. Try to not beat yourself up and definitely not restrict yourself too much. You are a small girl already. Go for health, feed your body.

ohheyyitsrenee

I've been gradually trying to raise it but I get scared to, I guess in fear of gaining. How much do you think I should be eating? I do pre-plan and pre-log and it drives me insane. It's a very bad obsession and I'd love to break out of that as well.

why is your calorie goal so low? If you are working out 6 days a week and not trying to lose weight (hopefully you aren't anyways) you should most definitely be eating a lot more. This could be what is causing your binges- after a certain amount of time eating at a deficit, your brain literally just sends signal after signal for you to eat.

This actually happened to me. What I did was increase my calories, and I also stopped being so controlling over my food. Pre-planning and pre-logging is excessive control, in fact you should take a break from logging altogether. I know it's scary, but you need to get back into the habit of making food something less of an obsession.

ohheyyitsrenee

It depends, when I binged on clif bars I was dying. But today I've been okay and i'm not sure why. I do think that my body is hungry but I can't help but beat myself up. I'm in fear of gaining because I worked so hard to lose. I'm surprised i'm not freaking out about the 5 pounds I already gained.

It sounds like you are already at a healthy weight, maybe your body is just hungry and you trying to restrict your calories is revolting on you making you go overboard? I just don't know how it is not hurting your tummy with all that extra fiber with those bars. I binged on fiber/potein bars too once or twice . I was in not a good way for a couple of days. Try to not beat yourself up and definitely not restrict yourself too much. You are a small girl already. Go for health, feed your body.

ohheyyitsrenee

I thought getting rid of my original go to binge food peanut butter would help but instead I found a love in binging on granola bars. I can't get rid of them though because we have SOOO many and right now I live with my parents so I can't just throw them all out even though I want to

Come here for support.

I don't have my binge go-to favorites in the house at all.

I used to sneakily buy binge foods each week and then hide them. Now I drag my husband to the grocery store with me so I won't buy those foods.

ohheyyitsrenee

I'm hoping once school ends, my binges will stop. I'll have more time to focus on myself and my body as well.

I too binge. There are a lot of reasons stress, boredom, sadness and once I start I can't stop. If I stay busy I do much better. I wish I had an answer for all of. Just know you aren't alone and if you find a solution, I am listening.

blondageh

It depends, when I binged on clif bars I was dying. But today I've been okay and i'm not sure why. I do think that my body is hungry but I can't help but beat myself up. I'm in fear of gaining because I worked so hard to lose. I'm surprised i'm not freaking out about the 5 pounds I already gained.

It sounds like you are already at a healthy weight, maybe your body is just hungry and you trying to restrict your calories is revolting on you making you go overboard? I just don't know how it is not hurting your tummy with all that extra fiber with those bars. I binged on fiber/potein bars too once or twice . I was in not a good way for a couple of days. Try to not beat yourself up and definitely not restrict yourself too much. You are a small girl already. Go for health, feed your body.

Do NOT freak out. I bet you look so much better with those extra 5lbs. It may not feel good right now, but your body is saying hey, I need me some energy storage please.. That is all it is. It is energy that your hair, nails, organs and skin NEED to keep you alive and beautiful. :flowerforyou: Think of it that way.

ohheyyitsrenee

I've been trying to see it that way, It's just hard because I haven't seen my body without the bloat yet since I keep binging. Usually I'll binge, try to fix it the next day with drinking water then the following day I'll binge again.

It depends, when I binged on clif bars I was dying. But today I've been okay and i'm not sure why. I do think that my body is hungry but I can't help but beat myself up. I'm in fear of gaining because I worked so hard to lose. I'm surprised i'm not freaking out about the 5 pounds I already gained.

It sounds like you are already at a healthy weight, maybe your body is just hungry and you trying to restrict your calories is revolting on you making you go overboard? I just don't know how it is not hurting your tummy with all that extra fiber with those bars. I binged on fiber/potein bars too once or twice . I was in not a good way for a couple of days. Try to not beat yourself up and definitely not restrict yourself too much. You are a small girl already. Go for health, feed your body.

Do NOT freak out. I bet you look so much better with those extra 5lbs. It may not feel good right now, but your body is saying hey, I need me some energy storage please.. That is all it is. It is energy that your hair, nails, organs and skin NEED to keep you alive and beautiful. :flowerforyou: Think of it that way.

Anilynlm

I can definitely relate. I struggle with bingeing. For me, it helps to come on here and log my food. I also tell myself that I can eat whatever I want, except dairy. So if I want chocolate, I can have it, but it has to be the dairy-free stuff (I have a sensitivity to dairy). By telling myself I can have anything I want, with one exception, has helped a lot.

I've read Brain over Binge...it was ok. For me though, Overcome Overeating by Jane Hirshmann (sp?) and Carol Hunter has been the most helpful of all books. Everyone is different though!

I hope you start feeling better about yourself soon and that you get the bingeing under control.

ohheyyitsrenee

The more I think about it, I think the binges come from lack of allowing myself what I really want. Yes, I enjoy eating healthy and I do eat really healthy but I kind of lost the pleasure of eating food. I think it's because the foods I eat I still see as diet food. I plan out all my food and log it days in advance and it drives me insane. A binge is something that is not part of my planned food and for some reason when I binge food tastes a lot better and I think it's because it's unplanned. I constantly miss eating all my old favorite foods like mac and cheese and pizza and maybe if I allow myself to eat that stuff here and there that I will not binge anymore? Idk i'm trying to grasp where my binges came from. The reason why I can't stop binging when I start is because the food tastes so good that I just want to keep eating so maybe it is from lack of allowing myself what I really want.

I can definitely relate. I struggle with bingeing. For me, it helps to come on here and log my food. I also tell myself that I can eat whatever I want, except dairy. So if I want chocolate, I can have it, but it has to be the dairy-free stuff (I have a sensitivity to dairy). By telling myself I can have anything I want, with one exception, has helped a lot.

I've read Brain over Binge...it was ok. For me though, Overcome Overeating by Jane Hirshmann (sp?) and Carol Hunter has been the most helpful of all books. Everyone is different though!

I hope you start feeling better about yourself soon and that you get the bingeing under control.

Kobclarke

If your college has a student health clinic ask them to check you for low iron anemia. If all you are eating is fruits and vegetables you are probably seriously deficient. Even a vegetarian diet has to make sure it is loaded with iron rich foods such spinach and lentils. At the very least you could get some supplements at the drug store before you start developing more serious symptoms such as muscle weakness and cramping, shortness of breath, extreme tiredness, etc.

ohheyyitsrenee

I honestly think that I am at a serious deficient. Literally all I eat is either oatmeal, granola bars, any type of fruit, any type of veggies, yogurt, cottage cheese.. yeah. That's how restricted I am. It's terrible. I mix egg whites into my oatmeal but I don't get much protein. I probably get an over abundance of vitamins. I have experienced muscle weakness in the past. I really truly don't eat a well balanced diet and part of it is because I don't know what to eat. I've been eating the same things for so long it's so hard to change it. I have a womens multi vitamin, should i start taking that?

If your college has a student health clinic ask them to check you for low iron anemia. If all you are eating is fruits and vegetables you are probably seriously deficient. Even a vegetarian diet has to make sure it is loaded with iron rich foods such spinach and lentils. At the very least you could get some supplements at the drug store before you start developing more serious symptoms such as muscle weakness and cramping, shortness of breath, extreme tiredness, etc.

Kobclarke

I honestly think that I am at a serious deficient. Literally all I eat is either oatmeal, granola bars, any type of fruit, any type of veggies, yogurt, cottage cheese.. yeah. That's how restricted I am. It's terrible. I mix egg whites into my oatmeal but I don't get much protein. I probably get an over abundance of vitamins. I have experienced muscle weakness in the past. I really truly don't eat a well balanced diet and part of it is because I don't know what to eat. I've been eating the same things for so long it's so hard to change it. I have a womens multi vitamin, should i start taking that?

If your college has a student health clinic ask them to check you for low iron anemia. If all you are eating is fruits and vegetables you are probably seriously deficient. Even a vegetarian diet has to make sure it is loaded with iron rich foods such spinach and lentils. At the very least you could get some supplements at the drug store before you start developing more serious symptoms such as muscle weakness and cramping, shortness of breath, extreme tiredness, etc.

Kobclarke

I honestly think that I am at a serious deficient. Literally all I eat is either oatmeal, granola bars, any type of fruit, any type of veggies, yogurt, cottage cheese.. yeah. That's how restricted I am. It's terrible. I mix egg whites into my oatmeal but I don't get much protein. I probably get an over abundance of vitamins. I have experienced muscle weakness in the past. I really truly don't eat a well balanced diet and part of it is because I don't know what to eat. I've been eating the same things for so long it's so hard to change it. I have a womens multi vitamin, should i start taking that?

If your college has a student health clinic ask them to check you for low iron anemia. If all you are eating is fruits and vegetables you are probably seriously deficient. Even a vegetarian diet has to make sure it is loaded with iron rich foods such spinach and lentils. At the very least you could get some supplements at the drug store before you start developing more serious symptoms such as muscle weakness and cramping, shortness of breath, extreme tiredness, etc.

Yes, take a women's multivitamin and also an iron supplement. Slow release Fe type are easier to digest. Iron supplements can be hard on your digestive system and take a while to get used to taking them. Here is a link for some symptoms to watch out for and you should start eating some iron rich foods. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/basics/symptoms/con-20019327. But you should get checked because low iron may be a symptom that you have something else wrong with you.