serious binge eating..

EmilyAnn89

okay, so i'm a HUGE binge eater. i'm pretty sure i've linked it to stress and emotinal issues, but for some reason i can't seem to stop it!

i'm not talking about eating a few chips, or having a bowl of ice cream. i will indulge in a whole meal, usually something TOTALLY unhealthy (fast food, pizza, ramen noodles, cookies), and eat until i feel like i'm going to throw up.

if you look at my food diary you will see that yesterday i was doing really well. i ate dinner before i went to class at 6 and i got home around 9, and i went and got a 4 pc. chicken strip basket from DQ. WTF! i don't understand. i want to be skinny so bad and after i eat like that all i want to do is cry. i sit there and talk about how much of a failure i am and how disgusting i am and how disgusting it is that i eat so much at one time.

so has anyone else had this problem? or have any tips or advice for me? i can do really good for usually about 1-3 weeks and then i fall off, have a bad week or 2, and then on again for 1-3 weeks. i want to just be able to consistently eat healthy and exercise and quit the binge eating! i'm so frustrated!

usmcmp

I do the same thing, had a great day yesterday then after my kids went to bed I had an additional 3 slices of pizza, a bunch of chips and a huge bowl of icecream. I hate myself while I do it but I can't stop. It isn' hunger or boredom, I just can't help it.

amberlee2011

Try talking to a therapist. She/he will be able to teach you techniques that help you deal with the emotional issues in a healthy way and not turn to food everytime you get stressed/upset. I am doing this in combination with seeing a therapist and I believe that it is a good combo. A lot of my bad food behaviors were learned at a young age. Learned behaviors take time to unlearn.

AnneGenevieveS

You are telling my own story.

It is a very hard struggle. Everytime I think I am doing good, and i start losing, I stumble and have to work so hard to undo the damage I have done by binging. My friend on here, amyleader101316, Has been a great support to me. She also has problems with binging. One key is to not let myself get tooo hungry, but when you are restricting calories, that is very difficult. I wish i could offer more help, but I have not mastered this myself.

AnneGenevieveS

PS - remember, you are not alone!

babydull

Without viewing your diary it's hard to tell whether these cravings are coming from nutritional deficits, protein, iron etc.
I'd also make sure you're hitting your water intake goal.
Beyond that, you need to ask yourself why it is you are self-sabotaging, as above therapy is one option. Perhaps if you introduced small treats of the things you like you wouldn't crave it so much, i.e. a slice of pizza etc.

bethrs

I totally second the therapist suggestion.

And between now and then, get rid of the junk you have access to. When you want to binge, binge on carrots. You will be sick before you do too much dammage. Before you go out to buy food when you are not hungry, call a friend or another supportive person, or send a message to a friend on MFP, anything to give yourself time to change your own mind between the impulse and the action of eating.

HTH.

wriglucy

Hi! I've been in therapy for an eating disorder, and there are some little tips that the dietitcian gave me that I'll share.
1. If you feel like eating....brush your teeth. The fresh feeling will sometimes deter the binge.
2. Eat with the tv off, and with all the lights on. When you have all the lights on, sometimes it makes you feel like people could be watching you, so you may tend to eat less, and less chance of a binge.
3. Drink a BIG glass of water before you feel a binge or are going to eat something unhealthy. The water will fill you up, so it may lessen the blow.
4. And the therapist thing may help. Personally...I HATE therapy However, they have some antidepressants like Zoloft that lessen anxiety and can help with the emotional eating.

These may or may not help...it depends on the person. But take care! You can do this!

MrsTits

I had the same kinda issues. Not so much with fast food, but bread, butter and crisps. I could literally sit and eat 4 packets of crisps with 4 slices of bread 3 times over...i.e. finish the first lot and grab a second and a third helping...so I would total maybe 12 slices of bread or toast with a topping plus maybe 10-12 packets of crisps and eat until I felt ill. I wouldn't be gorging or anything, it would take a few hours to get through that lot and I'd do it whilst reading or watching TV. It was kinda like I was doing it without thinking...the hand to mouth habit.

I was diagnosed with binge eating disorder about 6-7 months ago.

The trick for me was identifying why I used food as a comfort. I had some sessions with a counsellor who came to the conclusion that I used food as a way of numbing down feelings. So then I had to work out what those feelings were and work through those issues too. Took me a long time and a lot of self help books to unravel all my issues but I think I'm pretty much there as far as understanding why I use food in the same way another may use drugs or alcohol.

The only time I get the urge to eat when I'm not hungry now is when I'm bored or occasionally when I get triggered for example by the TV or when reading. Habits are hard to break.

Have you tried keeping a diary? When you get the urge to binge write down the day, the time, what you were doing when the urge hit, how you felt about yourself that day, your mood etc...Eventually you may start to see a pattern and be able to pinpoint the problem.

Petewrite

Hi Emily,

Try not to be discouraged and, don't be hard on yourself.

In our society, the way the dining, or eating experience has been transformed, it's very difficult to moderate. Images of bountiful plates of comfort food are everywhere. It can be challenging to stay balanced. Also, whatever goes in our lives usually finds expression or relief in overindulgence of one kind of another. I agree with the other comments posted here. Getting some assistance from a healthcare provider can really be beneficial in acquiring different coping skills.

I've also found it helpful to maintain an image in the back of my mind of how I want to look. It really works. Sure, I fall off the track sometimes, but I pick myself up and start again the next day. I love hamburgers and pizza, and chocolate. I really do. But, after awhile, I learned that a little bit goes a long way. And, there are times when I'll eat a large meal -- a typical American restaurant meal is typically large. Once in a while, that's not a bad thing.

Good luck and don't be discouraged.

Peter

katberz

I totally know what you're going through. I lost nearly 20 lbs from March to May and then spent the better part of the last month binging like I was having my last meal. I must've been eating upwards of 6000 cals a day and I'm not even joking. Surprise surprise, I've put back on almost every pound I'd lost. Like you, I'd start off doing really well and for some reason or another it'd all go pear shaped and I'd binge in the evening.

I find restricting too much sets off a binge and so the last month I've gone back and forth between extreme restriction and massive binges - diet to counter the binge, then binge because it's too restrictive. I think you really just have to wash your hands of the past and start afresh with a reasonable weight loss goal if you want to stop the cycle. I've reset mine to 1 lb a week because 2 lbs obviously wasn't working for me. Of course I'd like to lose faster but realistically I'll gain instead, so I could either 'only' lose 4 lbs a month or I could gain probably twice that by pushing myself too hard. I know which I'd prefer!

smyscrapper

Emily, I know what you're saying. It is so disappointing when we do these things. I'm good for about 3 weeks as well and then I go and binge on something. I tell myself I'll get back on track tomorrow. The problem is the devastating results after doing a binge. It's like you have to start all over. It depends on what kind of binge you eat. I keep myself motivated to stay on track whenever I have a scuba diving trip planned. I make myself small goals to reach before each trip. So far, that has helped when I know I have to get on the airplane. I used to have to ask for a belt extender. That was motivation enough to want to lose the extra pounds. Plus, the more you weigh, you have to add more weight to sink on dives. So my goal is simple, no more belt extenders and use less weight. :glasses:

SweetPandora

You are not alone. I have been going through the 1-3 week cycle for the past couple of months.

My boyfriend told me that I am consistent at being inconsistent and I don't give my body a chance to adapt to new routines.

I know that I can be too rigid with my food and that usually leads to a binge or an unhealthy choice. I'm trying to work things like frozen yogurt or dark chocolate into my menu so I don't feel deprived or if I have a sweet I don't feel that I've done something wrong or eaten something bad.

Giving up is not an option.

Karen

RhonndaJ

I agree that a therapist is a good idea, but, while I'm not one, I am also going to suggest something you might want to try.

Instead of beating yourself up about what you've done sit down and think about what you were thinking and feeling at the time you started to eat. If it's not hunger based and it's not boredom based then we tend to binge eat for a reason, most likely so we won't feel. The question is, what are you avoiding feeling by eating. Anger, frustration, hurt, confusion, grief? There are a lot of options. If you can figure it out, you may be able to distract yourself a different way before you reach for food... or you may want to convince yourself to simply feel what it is you're trying not to.

This is just an idea from someone who has no medical/health/psychiatric background, but who has experience with binging.

easha55

This was suggested by a yoga master to me when i approached him with this problem. The best way to undo the binge eating ( only if its 1 meal) is to use a laxative ( optional) that night so all the food gets out of the system in the morning. OR fast the next day ( skip breakfast and lunch so that the food you ate the previous evening is all burnt out) and have something light ( low in fats) in the evening.

If you eat the next morning, our body will use the food that you had for breakfast and all of the fatty food you had the previous night will convert into fats and accumulate in the body.

I hope this suggestion will help. It always makes me feel better when I do this because I know I cannot quit binge eating. I also enjoy eating like that but I feel better the next day as I know I am doing my best to minimize the effect of all that food.

All the best!!

jmruef

I used to be bulimic - binging followed by purging (I won't go into the different purging methods...ick.) But what I did was make a list of things I could do INSTEAD of B/P: Read a book, crochet, knit, write, surf the 'net, Facebook, take a walk, play a video game - I had about 20 items on the list. I made copies of the list and put it up where I could see it: bathroom mirror, fridge, bedroom / apartment door, etc. If I got to the end of the list and still felt the need to B/P, I called my therapist. RARELY, however, did I get to the end of that list! It really helped because it was something physical I could put up and look at, rather than having to remember things when I got stressed and wanted to engage in unhealthy behaviors.

A therapist really is a good idea. S/he can help you examine what needs the binges are filling and how you can fill those needs in other, healthy ways.

Good luck to you, sweetie. You can get through this. It's hard - no lie - but it can be done.

lmtrevin

I can totally relate to this. I am just recently working on not binge eating everyday anymore. Working out has really helped me because I keep asking myself why I would want to re-eat all of those calories I just burned. Baby steps. This problem really requires substituting something else for the food that you are eating. Maybe binge on something healthier instead....my choice has been watermelon and grapes. Now don't get me wrong, it is not an overnight transformation. I have just recently been better at it and still "let" myself do it at least once a week....usually on a Friday. I tell myself that I did it Friday or that I WILL do it Friday and that has helped me stop doing it every day. I hope to one day not look forward to Friday anymore and take the feelings of regret and hatred towards myself with it. I knew that was not a healthy way to live and I had to find a way around it. Some people will tell you to "just not do it" but those people won't understand the compulsion.

I am still working on it and sometimes the things I want to eat just turn over and over in my head until I go to sleep at night. I haven't lost any weight, but I know that it will take time. Good luck! I hope things work out for you.

graysmom2005

Make sure you are eating enough. When I was working out a lot and not eating enough, I would stay really strong for a period of time, and then binge because my body was just aching for calories. Since I upped my calories...by a lot....the urge to do this is much, much less. I've had a solid amount to eat during the day, so that nagging feeling of hunger isn't raging at night.

This is my personal feeling...but the yoga master suggested some very unhealthy things. Laxatives and fasting should never be an option in my opinion.

EmilyAnn89

Thanks for the replies everyone! I might call my therapist, I've gone to her off and on since 4th grade, so she knows me pretty well lol. All i know is that i'm ready to stop this, and I'm going to try EVERYTHING to start establishing healthier eating habits!

bethrs

Well, Emily, with that attitude, I have every faith you will meet your goals! Way to be determined and open to suggestion. Good luck!

andimschutz

You can do it girl......I am the same way I do good & then I fall off the wagon! I exercise like a fool and still can't lose it's discouraging-trust me I know!