binging

getskinnyk8

I have a serious problem with binge eating, which has led to my weight gain in recent years. At night, like past midnight, I can't help myself from eating large amounts of food that I don't even want. It's just an impulse.

I just started doing MFP this week, and I'm only on my 5th day and I had a binge . My roommates went out and I stayed home to work on a paper and around 12:30 I just started binging on chips and dip. It makes me so sad about an hour afterward...but during it, I'm completely checked out.

Any advice on how to avoid doing this again? I really want to continue to be serious about 1200 cals /day. How do I make this just a one time slip up that won't happen again?

bjfmade

Remove the bad food from the house.

Deckershann

Drink tea instead...try just one cup...and then wait. I know I binge at night too...but I also purge. The best thing for me to do is drink a cup of tea or diet hot chocolate...even cider and focus on being calm.

That...or there's always the "take a shot of vodka pass out" lol I'm a lightweight.

Tiffanydepiano

I am a binge eater too and often can't even sleep when I feel the urge.
I know we are not supposed to eat late but I sometimes save 300 calories so that i can binge later.
No sure that this is good advice but I do it.
Most likely, as you already know , we should find out what emotional bla bla bla is behind the binge eating.
I usually do it when I am alone too. Soothing until you realize you've eaten 2,000 cals in half an hour.

Good luck with this.

99Tinkerbell

Try filling up with water or you may need to seek professional help

judkinsjenny

i have the same problem. so i go to bed early. i take sleeping pills or i will be up till 6 am. when you deprive your body of sleep, it says "if you wont let me sleep, then you have to feed me". no excuses, if you want to stop binging, find time for whatever you're doing so late and go to bed. its so much healthier adn then you can lose the nasty weight! xoxo good luck-jenny

heyghoge

toss the junk. drink something hot: tea or coffee. add a tiny bit of flavoring so the taste is there without the calories.

if you have have have to eat. have something on hand that is low-cal and high fiber, so it fills you up. homemade soup works for me (beans, veggies, no grains or meat). carrot sticks. salad. this isn't an ideal solution, since it doesn't retrain your brain not to eat mindlessly, but it could be an intermediate step.

most importantly, don't beat yourself up if it happens again!

kristarablue

Well sweetheart, I wish there was an easy way, unfortunately if you really do have a binge eating issue, you will likely have it for a very long time. I struggle with that nightly as well, sometimes I win although if I am emotionally spent or tired I often lose the battle and you are right, it is so heartbreaking. A couple things that have worked for me, go to sleep...seriously if it hits you at night, go to sleep at a reasonable hour, it is probable that you are not getting the sleep you need anyway. When you are emotionally spent you are also more likely to binge as well, it does not make the emotion better, it just numbs the feeling, the problem is, is that we feel even worse afterwards. I suppose knowing why is helpful, try to eat maybe a good tasting protein bar and some hot herbal tea instead or chew really minty strong gum as this will kind of mess up your taste buds for a bit while you are trying to get through the binge feeling.

So a couple strategies I have heard (some have worked for me some have not) on night eating: Go to bed you need more sleep anyway, drink lots of water, have a protein bar with hot herbal tea to take the edge off, have a list or box of things you would like to do instead of eating, take a walk, DONT sit in front of the TV...research suggests we do more mindless eating in front of the TV, have a journal to write or draw which ever you prefer of how you are feeling when you want to binge, you may find there is a pattern and be able to correct or at least minimize the feelings.

I can't give you a definitive way to make the night eating/binging better, as I said I struggle with it daily, sometimes I do stellar and sometimes it is an epic fail (had one of those nights tonight), but I have gotten better at identifying why it happens and it is almost always because I am working out emotion or I am just tired.

Good luck, I do hope it gets better for you...Oh one more thing, you may want to up your calories and eat more during the day so you are not so hungry at night but I know often the binge has nothing to do with hunger, just a suggestion. Just remember, you can’t fail if you don’t stop trying, so if you binge one night, there is always another day to do better and make yourself proud. You can do this..I have faith in you.

getskinnyk8

Thanks for the support and suggestions. You don't know how much it means to me!