how to stop binge eating ???

sam1320

Binge eating is so anoying, I can eat really healthy and feel great but if i have the the smallest amount of sugar food or comfort food i have to eat it all, i cant just eat a little bit, then after eating it all im not motivated again for a few days and continue eating poorly, does anyone have any suggestions to avoid this? Its frustrating!!!

jrp31

You've just got to use self-control and stop yourself. there's no magic bullet.

anetap2000

lol, I don't have any sugestion, I have exactly the same problem, you not alone!

hollywoodcera

I don't know how to stop from doing it but when you find out the answer let me know!

MrBrown72

You've just got to use self-control and stop yourself. there's no magic bullet.

What she said. Personal responsibility is key.

indigolafaye

Your not alone! I find that if I've had a bad day I tend to say 'Sod it' to the rest of the week. Though hoping watching my cals on here will now help me to see each day as a fresh start instead of each week!

alyssa92982

Um yeah! Totally did that today!!! Its called self control-we just need to get some

melizerd

I avoid having my trigger items in the house. That way they aren't there to eat. IF I have something that I know will trigger eating way more than I should I only buy what is appropriate to eat, or toss out the rest right away.

Mostly I've learned that I just need to stay away from sugary items and I feel better plus I don't crave them after I'm off them for awhile.

bob_t

Don't buy it. If it's not in the house, you won't eat it.

Or give you're self one day to cheat (guilt free) and eat your comfort food. If you're thinking long-term, a day of "cheating" once a week won't make a huge difference.

koylefam

I have the same probem I can do awesome for like 2 weeks.. then BAM!!! The binge.. and 3 days of crap food no motivation and hating myself.....

CodyD18

I'm the same way. Just keep at it. After 3-4 good days it gets way easier. Find ways to stay motivated and accountable. This site is really good for that. Make your food diary public if it isn't already and record everything you eat. Make sure you are eating enough because if you aren't it makes you way more likely to binge. When you eat something bad don't decide that you ruined your diet and then just keep eating for the rest of the day. You could possible take a cheat day every few weeks so you have that to look forward to.

nberdetta

You might be restricting yourself too much throughout the day. I know if I restrict too many calories during the day, my body craves food to an uncontrollable point and I end up binge eating too... Even if I only mean to have a bite of something to satisfy a craving- it ends up as a complete binge of everything in sight...

ladybg81

Just stop. There is no magic pill or anything else. Get control of yourself and stop.

docturtle

Making my food diary public helped me to think twice about stuffing food in my face that I don't want anyone to know about. Just gotta stick to the food diary and it works. Easier said than done, I know, but "what we eat in private, we wear in public."

IrishChik

This has been a problem for me since I was 9. They only way to get a grip on it is to make sure I do not have those sorts of foods in my house. It does not stop a binge, but at least when I do binge, I am eating better foods.

Also, find out what the underlying meaning is. Personally mine is anxiety, depression, PTSD and getting help with those helped the binge eating a great deal.

Usually binge eating is in combination with a mental health situation, others might just tell you to stop overeating. I can tell everyone it is a real problem.

I have found another thing that helps is to take the dogs for a walk when I feel a binge coming on or find something that keeps my hands busy. I am a writer, so I do a lot of that. Pays the bills a lot quicker!

sharidiane

I have 'trigger foods' - foods that say, once I start eating them, 'it's ok. just one more cookie. you can exercise it off later. and you've been doing sooooo good.'

and then, of course, after a sugar crash, there's NO WAY i'm going exercise it off ... and i'm left hungry so I'm looking for more of the trigger type foods, and on and on it goes.

the best advice i have for you is to know your trigger foods, and avoid them entirely. I can't have baked goodies - cakes, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc. I just can't have them in my house. I will have them when I am out and about, count them in my calories, limit myself to one serving. But I just NEVER bring them home anymore.

whouwannab

maybe something that zaps us when we go to take a bite of sweets/chips, etc. , like the collars used for training dogs not to bark, lol

whouwannab

"what we eat in private, we wear in public."

I like this

Ariyasnow1

It is all mental. Ever heard of the term ‘mind over matter’, it is very true and works the same with food. I think hearing it out loud helps, so try telling yourself “NO, you know how you will feel after eating this”, or tell yourself “I will only have 3 pieces, I am taking out only three pieces and I will only eat three pieces” talk yourself through it while you take out the portion you want and then PUT IT AWAY. Place the item in a cupboard if you have to. You should feel EMPOWERED when you say no to something!

Good Luck!

nikmaack

I eat 5 or 6 small meals all day long. This provides the same comfort of binge eating, but stretched out over time. If you plan your day of eating in advance, it's easy. Measure out a bag of nuts, carrot sticks, apple slices, granola bars, protein bars or shakes, fruit cups, etc. A nice variety is best.

If you're always eating, you always feel comforted and calm. It's the emotionally positive way to binge.

You can even do this with junk food. As long as its portioned properly, and stays within your calorie "budget", you're good to go.

It's funny -- I've lost 90 pounds in just over a year. Someone saw all the food on my desk at work and said, "If you keep eating like that, you're going to get fat!"

I got to tell her that, in reality, it was eating that way that allowed me to lose weight.

Another trick is gum. Want to taste something or eat something? Pop a stick of gum in your mouth. It will get you next to your next little meal.

Ditto with herbal teas. Zero calories, but fills you up -- and bonus, keeps you hydrated. I use Stevia as a sweetener -- zero calories, super sweet.

Another tip that might help: I put EVERYTHING that I eat into MFP. No exceptions. This often results in the following discussion in my head:

"Do you really want to have to write that one down?"

It helps if I imagine a stern family doctor having access to my diary.

Hope all of this helps. :happy:

Nik

kimmerroze

I had this problem.... and after about four months of trying, failing and getting back up and trying some more, I am perfectly happy with having a bad day sweets wise(dessert is my down fall) and then I get right back up the next day and work out extra hard and eat right....

... its all a learning process and you are going to try and fail and try and fail and try and fail... but pretty soon the fails wont be 3 days, or a week or even a whole day... you will get the hang of it!

pittielover23

Don't buy it. If it's not in the house, you won't eat it.

Or give you're self one day to cheat (guilt free) and eat your comfort food. If you're thinking long-term, a day of "cheating" once a week won't make a huge difference.

T his is it exactly.

I think it goes beyond self-control for many people, including myself. Peanut butter is a HUGE trigger for me, so I try to keep it out of the house completely.

sheilaallenberg

I have the same problem and found reading daily affirmations a key tool in reprogramming bad habits! Example: I will not over eat, I will not eat junk, I will eat 5 healthy meals a day, I will not eat after 7:00, I will drink 8 glass of water a day. Apply your personal goals and read them several time a day! You can download a free affirmation AP for convenience or just write them down on index cards! It really works!!!!!!!

brit49

This works for me Fullbar and the 8oz water, that put a stop. I could just has well polish off a tub of ice cream

sofaking6

I would say, first thing is to not let yourself get really hungry or really tired. Those are the times that I am really likely to eat badly. Since I started eating smaller, more frequent meals I have had far fewer cravings for fatty, salty or sugary food.

Second thing is, get the sweets out of your house. Are you going to drive to McDonalds 5 times to get your fill of cookies? Probably not lol! This is a great time of year to redirect your sweet tooth..stock up on fruit. I have a rule, I can eat as many grapes or blueberries or pieces of melon as I want and I don't ever have to feel guilty about it.

Third thing is, train yourself to think long-term. It's about giving up what you want right now in favor of what you REALLY want. Practice visualizing how your body will look and feel and put that picture in your mind when you're faced with temptation, so that you can more easily see the *choice* you're making at the time.

kerridiculous

lol actually this site helped me a lot... because if i think about eating the entire world (which is something i want to do a lot) i start thinking about having to put it into my food diary. and then having to see that i went over my calorie goal by like however many, and knowing it's not worth it.

if you wanna eat something bad you can sam, it's not a big deal. just dont go crazy, and enter it into your food diary. work around it. if you want a piece of cake don't be like "no i can't have that i'm on a diet." because then you will just want it even more and obsess over it (like i do. lol.) just eat it and then put it in and continue on with your calorie goal.

sam1320

thanks everyoneeeeeee

otranquility

Making my food diary public helped me to think twice about stuffing food in my face that I don't want anyone to know about. Just gotta stick to the food diary and it works. Easier said than done, I know, but "what we eat in private, we wear in public."

This is exactly what I have done. I actually binged and put my privacy levels up because I was so embarrassed but I realized that I should be accountable. It helps me stay on track. I think to myself "Hmm.. if I eat this chili cheese burrito, I have to log it in. If I log it in, I can't really complain about not loosing weight because I binged"

mosneakers

When do you binge? Is it a specific time of the day or when something happens or when something yummy is put in front of you? Or is your binging totally random and unpredictable?

For me, I'm a late night snacker. It's because I'm bored. I'm all go go go go go during the day and don't know what to do with myself when I sit down at night and watch tv. Many people have told me to exercise at night. I've tried and it just feels weird, plus, I'm usually exhausted! Instead, I've starting reading books when I'm watching tv. It distracts me more. Since I'm doing the couch 2 5K program, I'm reading a book about running.

When I am stressed and "need" chocolate or that yummy anything from a fast food place, I make sure to look up the food's info on MFP first. Yes, it may seem like a lot of work, but when you see the nutritional info, it might make you reconsider that food - or determine how much of it you can safely have. The way I see it - I worked so hard to burn those calories, I want to see how quickly (or how much food) it will take to blow it. That has really helped me.

lrk93101

I have struggled with this my whole life, and I recently learned that I may be insulin resistant, which means that when I eat sugar (or any carbohydrate, really), my insulin level gets really high, which eventually drops my blood sugar level sharply. This creates that "craving" feeling. I started New Atkins for a New You, which I know people have opinions about, but I can now have sweets in the house and not eat them, or even think about them. I did not think that this was possible for me, but I think my blood sugar and insulin levels have evened out, and I feel so much better! Good luck to you.

arwensb

This has been a problem for me since I was 9. They only way to get a grip on it is to make sure I do not have those sorts of foods in my house. It does not stop a binge, but at least when I do binge, I am eating better foods.

Also, find out what the underlying meaning is. Personally mine is anxiety, depression, PTSD and getting help with those helped the binge eating a great deal.

Usually binge eating is in combination with a mental health situation, others might just tell you to stop overeating. I can tell everyone it is a real problem.

I have found another thing that helps is to take the dogs for a walk when I feel a binge coming on or find something that keeps my hands busy. I am a writer, so I do a lot of that. Pays the bills a lot quicker!

I, like you, have binge-eating-disorder. It is not a matter of willpower for me any more than not drinking is a matter of willpower for an alcoholic. I am sure there will be those who disagree with me there. But, the fact remain that it is just not as simple as having the willpower to stop for some of us.
What helps me is trying to apply the 12 steps of AA to my B-E-D. When I start binging and feeling out of control I know that there is something in my life that I need to pay attention to. My binges usually coincide with times I am feeling lonely or afraid.
One thing that helps me a lot, also, is exercise. I know there are countless articles about the effects of regular exercise on mental health issues like depression. It is certainly true in my case. Endorphins, maybe. But it is much easier for me to control the B-E-D when I am regularly exercising.