To all binge eaters only, what has worked?

itsthenewhealthyme

I too struggle with binge eating so this post has been helpful to me.

I posted about my binge eating problems a few days ago and someone recommended keeping a journal - then you can keep track of the emotions that cause you to binge, if your binging is psychological.

What has been helping me stop (other than the 6lbs I gained) is eating in the company of others. I always binge when I'm alone so I find if I eat with family, friends, etc. I'm less likely to go overboard.

Also, drinking a lot of water has made me feel fuller so when I'm tempted to binge I think twice because my stomach isn't empty.

I continue to have problems with controlling my binging but I'll let you know if I find anything else that works for me!

0somuchbetter0

Sabina - spot on, for me it's frantic too - I got to great lengths just to get the "fix"

I'm embarrassed by some of the things I've done to get the fix.

0somuchbetter0

i binged yesterday and ate 5 brownies (every one of them was delicious) i just made sure i worked off all of those extra calories to still have a good day! But for professional help, I am not sure.

I don't consider that a binge. That's more like overindulgence. A binge is when you don't even taste the food, in some cases you don't even remember eating it -- you're overcome with feelings of anxiety and panic and you just stuff your face until you feel physically ill and your belly hurts and you can't move and you can't think until you go completely numb and then you just want to crawl into a hole and die.

This.

I'm an ex-binge eater as well. Also ex-ana/mia.
The only thing that helped is prayer and therapy.

AND accountability. I started telling my husband EVERY time I would go on an emotional binge and tell him the triggers. It seemed to help. I'm happy to say I've only had 1 slip up in a year. But it took a LOT of prayer.

Just a couple of weeks ago I got some bad news and all I could think about was FOOD...all day long at work....couldn't even concentrate because I just wanted to stuff myself! Instead of binging I wrote my husband a ridiculously long email about everything I wanted to eat and all the damn feelings...so many feelings. I'm sure he thought I was insane (and I was), but I really needed to unload all that crap. He's Mr. Even Keel and my "issues" befuddle him, but he loves me and is there for me even when I make no sense at all. When I got home from work that night I went for a two-hour run/walk and successfully did not binge!! So important to have a trusted person by your side, even if they don't get it.

RoseLavAllen

I always try and do something else whenever I have an urge to binge.
Try exercise or just simply going out for a walk. Or you could take a shower or paint your nails. Anything that makes you do something else that makes you unable to binge.

DecemberPsalm

This is the reason I'm back here trying to lose weight for the millionth time. The "binge monster" creeps up and seemingly takes control of my brain and body. I've had this issue since I was a little kid. I once lost 65lbs after a year of hard work, but then started bingeing again every day and gained it all back, plus more. It's been like this my whole life.

What helps tremendously is putting as much mental focus as I can on my love of healthful food, "clean" eating, the wonderful feeling of seeing the numbers on the scale decline, how amazing I will look as I keep eating in a "loving" way. I truly do enjoy nutritious food and watching documentaries and healthy cooking shows/blogs helps give me a big spark of motivation and reminds me that my trigger foods are not healthful nor nourishing.

I log everything, even if I did binge. I don't try to exercise it all off because that would be madness to me, so I just take it very slow and easy and tell myself I will be more mindful next time.

jdb117308

I have been a binge eater since I was tiny. I have been slim and bigger and always binge ate. I have posted on here before but again seeking support. i had a day today whereby mu husband was at home and brought a bag of raisin loaf, I had "one slice and was in full binge mode (I am not anti carb but for me, one bite leads to a temporary feeling of euphoria and an extreme urge for more!).

It's worse at certain times of the month 9sorry guys) but other times it has no rhyme or reason. I tad to find, foe me keeping trigger foods (i.e. those I binge on, out of sight helpful) but I am ashamed to say when I am in binge mode I am like a crazed woman, seeking anything I can find, I will even frantically drive out to the shops to find bread/cake/cereal to binge on. I am ashamed of it and have posted before. I have a long way to go, but I am proud for having lost what I have. For the past year I have managed to not put on weight just by getting rid of binge foods.



If you haven't been a binge eater thenI think you will find it hard to understand, I am just seeking advice from those who have suffered. I say suffered as it isn't a happy place to be, well I lie, it can feel euphoric, combined with feeling compelled to just want more even when your stomach is hurting, you feel sik, full, you have other things to do but eat- yet all you want to do is eat and eat a lot.



If anyone else suffers

For me it is getting rid of trigger foods and eating whole foods. I cannot have my binge foods in the house, like cheese, cookies, cake, pizza, peanut butter. That is the only way to maintain my weight. To lose I need support and motivation through meetings and going deeper spiritually. I am doing Weight Watchers meetings and an online bible study on overeating with a mentor ( kind of like free counseling) and growing in my faith and both are helping quite a bit. I have lost 7 lbs in a few weeks.

It sounds extreme and like something with an eating disorder would do but it really helps me to maintain my weight. I decided when I reached over 300 lbs and started having trouble walking that I could no longer have the trigger foods and had to give it up completely. I am not giving up my mobility for food not matter how good it tastes. I am still having some issues with fears of giving into a binge but I have lost 30 lbs since I gave up my trigger foods adding in the past few weeks of losing weight.

Akimajuktuq

The only thing that finally worked for me was changing WHAT I eat. Food quality matters.

george7527

Hi I can totally relate to you it sounds just like me as if I wrote it about myself I don't know if there is an answer for me time of month can trigger it but I find if I exercise it helps also I don't have anything else more to eat that day but I do laxatives which is not advicable only being honest feel free to add me

annieest21

i started to not punish myslef and look for WHY i was doing it.... i started dealing with my route problems which was confidence issues and realised i was just going in a downwards spiral.

Sobus76

I make myself follow a pre-planned schedule. breakfast, lunch, and dinner with snacks every 2 hours in between at set times.

DecemberPsalm

For me it is getting rid of trigger foods and eating whole foods. I cannot have my binge foods in the house, like cheese, cookies, cake, pizza, peanut butter. That is the only way to maintain my weight.

Same here. There is no moderation with me if I eat cheese, for example. It's my number one trigger. My bf eats it so it stays in the fridge, but I am proud to say I have no touched a single nibble of cheese in a about a month. It's like some weird cheese detox, haha.

But yes, definitely eating whole foods and cooking it yourself makes a HUGE difference in how you feel about food and yourself. It is its own therapy, in a way.

caitconquersweight

I've been a binge eater my whole life.

What really helps me is planning out everything I'm going to eat once a day, before breakfast. If I know I have a set plan, it's soooooo much easier for me to stick to it. It's when I wing it that I tend to overeat and sometimes binge. I haven't truly binged in a couple months.

And making sure I'm always full helps as well. If I let my hunger go for too long, I end up craving things I like to binge on. I eat a LOT of snacks.

jdb117308

I was just thinking. Another thing that helps me is to put everything I will eat at one meal on a normal sized plate and eat that several times a day if calorie counting is difficult for you. Most of the time I do not know what I am eating because i will eat a little and then eat more and then get a little more. Seeing what I actually eat makes a big difference for some reason.

justcat206

If you're religious, try reading Made To Crave. It's a great book that turns the desire to binge into a spiritual discipline. It's something I'm still practicing and I'm definitely not totally better, but some of the principles of the book have helped me change my thinking which has prevented a few binges so far. Beyond that I just try very hard to keep the trigger foods out of my house and/or learn to savor all my treats so I don't feel the 'need' for a binge. Best wishes!

FlatTummyTrish

Another ex-binger here, I understand completely what you're going through, I remember eating everything in my house with no control, only to be sick at night and get more angry with myself.
I wouldn't know about therapy, I mean I wish I were that strong to admit it to my friends, but determining why you binge is the first step. For me it was pure boredom and probably some underlying factors but nothing major
What worked for me was finding a hobby and focusing all my energy on it, I mean achieving success and having control over what you do makes you feel more accomplished and happy inside. I also concentrated on work and going out more instead of spending my evenings at home.
It will be hard but don't think 'I've done it again it's the end of the world', try, try and try until you go back to normal eating. It may feel like you're hopeless at the time but trust me you do want to change it you do want to eat well and have control, so you will eventually! It takes time but it is doable! I only go over by max. 900 calories now and don't even think it's anywhere near a binge, the word is not even in my dictionary any more! Good luck

nonacgp

I know my trigger foods and I just don't eat them at all. It is the only way it works for me. It doesn't take long before you don't miss the trigger foods. My craving are gone.

onmyown70

I want to reply to everyone, as everyone has so kindly offered great advice and obviously COMPLETELY understands what I mean by binge eating. I am so ashamed of it and anyone who is not a binge eater won't understand, it''s that panicky, frantic eat anything and search for more feeling. For me, always carbs - even whole grains! anything, just lots of it and going to great lengths to get more.
Binge for me doesn't have a stop button, feeling ill is my stop button. Any way, I think you all understand this, and it's so nice to feel I'm not alone and hear your strategies/experiences and hope! I don't think it's something I will kick easily.

nonacgp- I definitely think I do have "trigger" foods, some I don't eat anyway or miss, i.e. chocolate mousse cake, like the one we had at a wedding recently. We had a four course meal and I had to explain to my husband as I ate the dessert, everyone else felt full, but for me all I could think was "I want more, how can I get more", most left theirs as the portions were huge but I gobbled mine and all I could think was how rot get more cake! I had been having a lovely meal/time! My husband just doesn't understand this, but I accept it isn't "normal". Most people, even non bingers get that you don't have to have cake/biscuits hanging around in the house, but my husband loves white bread, and we have his children and they like wholegrain/sugary cereals even wholegrain bread - a healthy food, but something I binge on. When I'm in binge mode (I am not exuding it but hopefully you will all understand- anything and quantity is all I want and I'm ashamed to say, as I mentioned I'm frantic, it "consumes" (!) my whole day, it's ruined I don't focus on anyone else (as much as I should) , I feel ill, and I am madly seeking more food. It's a truly horrid place to be, sorry, I have digressed, my point is sometimes we have to have trigger foods in the house. I know the theory just doesn't work for me, I spent a year with trigger foods in the house and usually I would have to go to the shops in the evening and replace all I had eaten in the morning. That was bad year lol. So theoretically having no trigger foods in the house should help me. Yesterday, my husband was off work and I had one bite of his toasted raisin bread stuff and I was off- the whole day I was tired, sludgy and seeking more food. problem is he wants the food and keeps buying it and just says I need to exert more control.

Patmuffintop - " I understand completely what you're going through, I remember eating everything in my house with no control, only to be sick at night and get more angry with myself". This is so me, and it's absolutely great to see the prefix "ex" next to binge eater! What hobby did you take up? I am definitely a boredom binger - yesterday I had the whole morning at home, so my child is up at six, I prepare foods for him and my husband, and it is often the morning that my bingeing starts. Any time I have long periods in the house alone. I can't blame boredom entirely, I have been out and gone from one shop to another buying more and more food - oh the shame.
Self reflection on bingeing times
Nearly always starts in the morning... I am often at home with my little one...
Other times?
To be honest in terms of personal times and triggers, bingeing is rarely during the evening, but when I'm stressed, anxious, just generally looking for an a way to calm myself, boredom, tired, pre menstrual.

I can go for a day or two and not be fussed by food - eat like a normal person not restricting, but then suddenly I'll go into a frenzy. I have always been like this, I did it as a young child (despite being slim, I can't remember if I stated but I once downed all the sugary medicine in the house - I was only 3-4 years old!).

Justcat- thank you I may look into that one. I definitely think not keeping trigger food in the house helps (as stated above) the problem is some of my trigger foods are "normal" healthy every day foods...

Caitconquer that's a great idea, my problem is I completely hedonistic, I will go and buy a pack of wholegrain bagels so that I can pre pre prepare a lunch each day, but I just gobble the whole pack in one sitting. I have to be honest with myself - I might last half a day, or an evening but when he binge urge arises. I think planning is a great idea though and I also notice if I haven't planned my next meal then I drift more into snacking territory.

I do notice on holiday, relaxed and eating out, is usually brilliant for me, as I don't have access to food all day, and servings are portioned off. I could try to do this at home but I said if i'm into binge mode, I have to be honest I will just eat and eat, I can be thinking "this is ruining my life, makes me a terrible mother" but I will continue.

This post is getting quite ing now, so I'll cut it off here but wanted to reply to some other posters too. tank you all for posting! xx

onmyown70

Annleest and others, it's great you are looking at WHY you binge, but to be honest, i just do it all the time, there must be a million whys. It sounds like an excuse but it's like a switch goes in my brain.

I think somebody else's idea of finding a hobby/passion is great. Exercise used to help me, well running did, but I have hurt my knees and walking doesn't give me the same high. Sigh, I know I sound like I'm making excuses.

onmyown70

George 7527 _I'm sorry you have this too. It can be a lonely place to be. I haven't gone down the laxative route, I understand why you felt compelled to though. I'm going to do my best to not let this take over my life and if I find anything that helps I will share xx

onmyown70

Tillran "For example, if I get bored, my mind drifts to thoughts about food. I then become hungry and begin devouring the fridge and pantry. I try to instead keep myself occupied, either with a fun tv show, the gym, video games, friends...whatever....as long as my mind is occupied. " The problem is at weekends and week days I have to be in the kitchen but it's the worst place for me to be. My husband doesn't get it- He doesn't realise how many times I have replaced his cereal. He works hard all week so it seems the least I can do is get everyone's food for them, but I can't blame them. even if I haven't prepared food I find myself ending up in the kitchen....

I think I need to plan to just get out of the house. A problem can be is we get up at six am, by 9am I have often start the bige these days. I am so glad Tllran you are tackling it though, it provides me with hope x