To all binge eaters only, what has worked?

onmyown70

I get both arguments with IF.

However, I have found breakfast does seem to "wake up my appetite" and i found, after having to fast for a day it helped me recognise true hunger... And I recognised when I was full. Emotional eating in the day wasn't an option.

I get both sides of the argument, I'm
Not sure what the answer is.

Something I'm concluding is, keep busy and get enough sleep too :-) x

onmyown70

Another thing to add on to the whole binge theory. I often feel really tired (I do have mild anaemia but I don't think it explains the massive lethargy I experience during the day- my body is still I. Shock, children don't do lie ins!). I often eat when I feel tired which is ridiculous because I'm finding food makes me really tired. I thought maybe it was because u was going too high carb, but on holiday I had an omlette and coffee for breakfast and afterwards I had the huge desire to fall asleep. My husband said "what's happened you were all geared to go and you have gone all funny and sleepy again".

I don't do the intermittent fasting, I am not sure if it's right but I'm interested because nothing else has worked. Apart from just avoiding food and not being in the house! I find out society is so "eat eat eat all the time". I don't binge because I've been restricting, I binge because food gives me a high and I turn to that comfort when bored, stressed, upset, happy, disorganised...because someone else has served it up for me.

I do think there is a deep issue there, ofcourse. I'm
Someone who can do a 5000 kcal binge in one go. That's not normal. Every day I do the same thing, it used to be once every now and then. Now with children, I get their breakfast, their lunch, snacks, then I feel I need to eat with them, then with other people there is always food, my husband needs a meal in the eve and likes me to eat with him. It's not their fault, they all have brilliant relationships with food, I'm just pointing out it's hard to get away from. Even of you have a set plan... If it was alcohol or cigarettes then this wouldn't be the case

stephgas

i hope the OP is still reading this thread - i stopped reading because i got very angry.

OP: counseling. please, get into counseling. see your GP and ask for a referral to a specialist. NHS will cover treatment for binge eating disorder.

all this crap about intermittent fasting and getting rid of trigger foods - great advice for people who occasionally go over their calories with a overeating binge. having a few brownies instead of one serving one day, going over your calorie goal by eating an entire candy bar instead of half, 'gorging' yourself on a 3 scoop sundae with hot fudge instead of a small froyo - THESE ARE NOT BINGE EATING DISORDER. what the OP and many others on this thread have mentioned is binge eating disorder. anyone who thinks they have an eating disorder will most likely NOT be helped by any kind of fasting, 20 hours food free/4 hours eating, clean eating, cutting out carbs or gluten, etc. are there some people who can be helped? sure, the same way some people can quit any addiction on their own. but the success rates are very poor.

OP, please seek help. i've finally gotten honest with myself - and my counselor - and we are working on techniques and coping skills to help my disordered eating. overcoming any eating disorder is a daily struggle at first, but i'm assured it gets easier. to everyone who's suffering with an ED, please feel free to friend me.

Happymelz

i hope the OP is still reading this thread - i stopped reading because i got very angry.

OP: counseling. please, get into counseling. see your GP and ask for a referral to a specialist. NHS will cover treatment for binge eating disorder.

all this crap about intermittent fasting and getting rid of trigger foods - great advice for people who occasionally go over their calories with a overeating binge. having a few brownies instead of one serving one day, going over your calorie goal by eating an entire candy bar instead of half, 'gorging' yourself on a 3 scoop sundae with hot fudge instead of a small froyo - THESE ARE NOT BINGE EATING DISORDER. what the OP and many others on this thread have mentioned is binge eating disorder. anyone who thinks they have an eating disorder will most likely NOT be helped by any kind of fasting, 20 hours food free/4 hours eating, clean eating, cutting out carbs or gluten, etc. are there some people who can be helped? sure, the same way some people can quit any addiction on their own. but the success rates are very poor.

OP, please seek help. i've finally gotten honest with myself - and my counselor - and we are working on techniques and coping skills to help my disordered eating. overcoming any eating disorder is a daily struggle at first, but i'm assured it gets easier. to everyone who's suffering with an ED, please feel free to friend me.

THIS!!!

Slasher09

Not sure if OP is still reading this...but here is my 2cents. I've had an eating disorder since I was 12. I am 25 now and although I am probably considered "recovered" or "in recovery" I still struggle. Most of my time with an eating disorder was with bulimia and my binging/purging was so bad that I left college because of my over $10,000 in credit card debts.

There are some facts that I have had to deal with. The first being that there are some foods that I just plain and simple cannot eat. At all. One being nutri-grain bars, or chewy chocolate chip bars.i literally cannot eat one without a binge being triggered either on the spot of later that day. I cannot keep pop tarts or cookies or ice cream in the house on a regular basis because at some point I WILL binge on them and whatever else is in the house or sold nearby... As those foods have very little nutritious value anyway, it's not a bad thing. (I will still eat ice cream, but I usually will go buy an ice cream cone from a vendor and not buy a container to keep at home.)

I have also had to work out WHY I was binging. Unfortunately I have no insurance and even when I did it didn't cover counseling(or didn't cover anything before a deductible was reached) and I Couldn't afford to go. I realized I binged when I was bored and when I was lonely. I had become so used to being alone because my disorder that I had no hobbies and never saw people. Eating was an activity. I started gardening, I started crocheting, I started reading books for fun, and I even got into newTV shows. I started making my friendships more meaningful and meeting people out for non-food themed get togethers (go to the beach, the park, etc). When I felt like grabbing mindless snacks out of boredom, I started engaging in sudoku, or reading to distract my mind (because bored mindless eating triggers real bad binges as well), and if I was still actually hungry I would make sure to make myself a snack that was balanced with protein and healthy fats.

There is no simple fix, and there's no one-size-fits-all fix. You need to work out why you binge and you need to learn how to cope with those. It's not simple or quick and it will feel like you are fighting an uphill losing battle, but I promise if you keep with it one day you will realize that you are making strides and you ARE dong better than you were yesterday. It's a long battle, but its so worth it.

Feel free to add me if you would like

bethanyka

i didn't read every single reply. If it hasn't been suggested already.. I have recently read the book, "Thin Side Out: How to Have your cake and your Skinny Jeans Too: Stop Binge Eating, Overeating and Dieting for Good"- By Josie Spinardi.

It is about hunger directed eating: Eat When hungry, DON'T EAT when not. Don't go with the clock, go with your gut.
Why eat breakfast , or eat every 3 hours if my body isn't telling me it's hungry?

I am NOT kidding, it really has changed my life. I read it slow, and took notes. ...i was eating thousands of calories, when i was not even hungry. i know this information seems so obvious.... but, it really amazed me at how much i've changed since reading it. No food is "good" vs "bad" my whole "diet" and fear./ obsessed mindset. , i took it all in. i'm a changed person. maybe something just clicked for me. i don't know. But I'm happier and SO MUCH more in control.

Just a suggestion, because this has really helped me.

Stella_Mayfair

I have had just about every eating disorder out their. B.E.D (Binge eating disorder)is one of them. My last one was bad-but not as bad as having to purge so my tummy wouldn't tear. What has helped me is realizing when I do it I am NOT hungry just wanting taste. I have not yet met a binge eater who was hungry .when they were binging-it all is so mechanical. I hate the feeling when I regain control, which is too late and the horrific pain, guilt, and what few days of cramps and tummy/intestinal damage. Plus the fact I literally treat my body as a garbage disposal and I know I won't get that out for weeks due to constipation. I never had counselling. Even as an anorexic. But if you can get it to see why ur trying to fill the void great. Hell add me if you wanna chat.

I am a walking survival over every ed out there. I have lost more than weight and gained more inner physical issue due to each ed. Mainly anorexia and binge eating disorder. So get help if you are willing. Now I just wanna be a healthy girl who is also thin and strong:)

Slasher09

I should also add, being honest with my friends and family has helped too. When we have family get togethers and they try to send me off with plates of leftover desserts or whatnot, I have to actually come out and say "thanks, but no thanks. Whatever amount I take home will be eaten in one sitting. I can take one piece home, or one serving but that's it." They know now not to keep pushing my triggers on me. My fiancé can tell when I start binging and will suggest an "away from food activity" and also knows that if he wants to eat my "this can't be around me" foods, he keeps them at work. My friends are supportive about not constantly pushing food at me and being respectful when I say I've had enough. It was very shameful and embarrassing to me athirst to feel like I had to own up to a problem, but the response of support and love was incredible.

4SimpleRules

It sounds like we are similar - I binge, not on sweets but on carbs! The only thing that I have found that has worked is TOTALLY eliminating my trigger foods. I know some people say that you shouldn't eliminate - just control. I don't think those people understand binging that way I do it. I can't control it if I start - so I don't start. As you see, I just joined MFP today and I have a lot to lose, so obviously I have a long way to go in controlling my eating, but that has helped me in the past!

bethanyka

it can be said that restricting / forbidding/ calling a food "good" or bad" / deprivation... is the root cause of binges in the first place.

if you want, check out the book i suggested above ^ "Thin Side Out: How to Have your cake and your Skinny Jeans Too: Stop Binge Eating, Overeating and Dieting for Good"- By Josie Spinardi.

It completely changed my mindset. For me anyway, it was a miracle.

decblessings

I was a binge water for 10 years, recovered for 7. Getting pregnant and then pregnant/breastfeeding for six years ( three kids each 22 months apart) really helped me start to think of my body as a temple. I couldn't stop for myself but I did stop for them. It was so hard to stop binging and like an alcoholic I feel I'll never be fully recovered. Here are some things that helped in the beginning.
The book feeding the hungry heart. Online support. Telling my husband every time. Giving myself permission to eat anything; no restricted eating. No chronic cardio. Keeping a journal. Prayer. Walking after meals. Eating frequently.

So can I ask... how does your husband handle it? Mine just looks at me with such disappointment in his eyes... It makes me feel like I can't tell him. I'm the worlds worst liar, but there have been a few times that he's asked me if I've been "behaving myself" and I just say yes because I can't take his disappointment as another sign of failure. And he's silly enough to think that if I don't mention it that I've been good. Plus he can eat ridiculous quantities of food and not gain an ounce and so to him it's not abnormal to eat a lot at one setting. (He is very active, has a manual labor sort of job, and a fast metabolism!) He brags to me about the quantities of food he eats, even though I've told him it's hard for me to hear it. He doesn't do it to hurt me. He just can't comprehend how it could bother me and he thinks I'll be impressed that he ate 1 1/4 large pizzas...

DecBlessings: Oh my dear! I'm so sorry you have to deal with this!!! I'm lucky that my significant other is very supportive of my eating habits! I can't imagine not being able to be honest about it with him!!! Maybe if you explained it to him as a sort of addiction???? That's what it feels like to me - overwhelming, out of control, all-consuming, shameful. Perhaps you could try asking him to be supportive and loving and that would help get you BOTH where you want to be?

Or maybe, do you have any friends that you can do this with? I know having my bestie on this journey with me is PRICELESS!!!!
I'm lucky to have a supportive man, but having someone who TRULY relates is a relief as well. Even if not maybe have some MFP friends!!! I'd be happy to help you in your UPS and your DOWNS!


I know you can do this!!!

Thanks for the support. I don't know how the rest of you feel, but on a day where I don't feel "bingy" it seems like such a non-issue... but I never know when something will set me off. It almost feels weird to talk about on a "non-issue" day.

My husband and I actually got into an argument about Robin Williams' death yesterday and addiction was brought up. I really do think of my ED related issues as a sort of addiction. I think I have a lot of sympathy for people like RW or even Cory Monteith because these people tried to reach out to others for help, but ultimately it wasn't enough. My husband, having never dealt with depression, addiction, or really any physical struggle, does not understand. He thinks someone should just be able to make the decision to NOT be a certain way. He thinks I should be able to just decide I'm not going to binge/purge anymore and that it is that easy. I've had many discussions with him about it and there really is no getting through to him. The best I've gotten is that he will sometimes hide his bags of donuts now or take them to work with him.

I have friends who know... but none that I feel comfortable talking to about it regularly. (Not that I really feel like talking about it regularly.) Sometimes it would be easier if people knew, but I don't want to be judged. For example, I often turn down desserts/treats/certain foods because I know one little serving can be a trigger. People don't understand why I do it. It's kind of a joke in the department I work in. It's not that I'm afraid of ruining my "diet" with one treat. It's not that I simply cannot go over my calories for the day. It's that I'm afraid of feeling out of control because although I often think I can enjoy a donut or a slice of pizza and go on with my day... I usually can't. Even if I can avoid an all out binge/purge, it's in the back of my mind the entire rest of the day.

One of my best friends is quite a bit more overweight than I am. (I'm about 8 pounds overweight according to the BMI charts.) Honestly, I've never come right out with it, but at one point in time, my doctor wanted to put me on a certain medication and my insurance refused to cover it due to a bulimia diagnosis. At that time I told her why it wasn't covered, but I could tell it made her uncomfortable so I really didn't go into specifics. I'm pretty sure she thinks that is something I just struggled with in the past. (I talked to another friend about it somewhat recently and her reaction was something like, "You're still doing that?!" because she knew it was an issue long ago. It made me really ashamed. ) She really thinks I'm ridiculous and too hard on myself, and I know she probably gets annoyed by me because she thinks I'm already thin enough. Plus she never sees me binge. She sees me turning away food or eating appropriate serving sizes and generally nutritious foods. My eating habits and desire to be healthy are only partially related to my weight, (although I think I may have some body dismorphia issues as well) but I know that's not obvious unless I spell it out. My other best friend is tiny and has never had to worry about weight or what she eats... so I just don't feel like she can relate. /

onmyown70

Decblessings, I had to reply!

I am exactly the same. On a non urge/binge day I can't think why on earth I would do what I do on a binge day. I don't think about food much, I eat when I'm hungry.

What I have found though is since having a child and being at home a lot (and a lot worse pmt!) the binges are becoming more frequent. I didm't much sleep last night and today, as soon as i woke up I wanted to cry- it was a case of waking up with the urge to binge.

Interestingly, I did find fluoxetine helped, but that was a long time ago and I'm thinking of going back on it.

I'm sorry I can't give you an answer but in terms of treatment for myself at the moment, if i don't restrict at all I just "give in and eat all day" (as I said binge days are becoming more frequent). I am of course cautious of going under my kcal incase it increases my bingeing but I just seem to be eating more.

So I apologise, this is bit about me, but I just wanted you to know I sympathise and can COMPLETELY relate. xx