how to stop binge eating?

gsager

I have to deal with that too cause I love to stuff myself. I think that is why it helps me to eat all my exercise calories. It ends up being a lot more food than I would think I could lose weight on but I still do. Make sure that you are eating enough and it will help you with bingeing and don't set yourself up by keeping some of that stuff in the house. Good luck.

clairibou1

clairibou1 - - I love your mini goals!!!

Kristi

aww thanks kristi!

Melissajk

I just read in the Prevention magazine, in a Jullian Michaels interview. She said "give yourself 300 calories a day to eat what ever you want as a treat". That way you don't have say you can't have this or that.
My problem is I binge eat too and can I stop at 300 calories?
This will be my chalange this week.

brimir

get counseling maybe there is a reason you're binge eating.,... I have a binge eating disorder. it's serious and hard to over come with out the right tools.

Mommawarrior

The only way to stop binge eating is to chose not to do it. Only you can decide what goes in your mouth. Put on your big girl panties and make the right choice.
Not being mean, just being truthful.

scarletleavy

Take a look at these blog posts (one of my favorite vegan cooking blogs) about the issue, they really helped me.

http://ohsheglows.com/2009/02/04/the-unspoken-issue/

http://ohsheglows.com/2009/02/05/the-unspoken-issue-part-2/

mezzosoprano89

I combat binge eating by just not buying junk food, it's hard sometimes, but healthy alternatives help. I buy turkey hill light ice cream, skinny cow candy bars, light pringles, fiber one brownies...it definitely helps. And when you log it you can really see the difference. A fun size candy bar or a whole skinny cow candy bar being the same amount of calories helps me see that I'm truly more satisfied from the skinny cow.

Also finding new comfort foods can help...I'm trying so many new foods to try and find variety in my diet, and something like tomato soup and grilled cheese on whole wheat bread is really nice after a rough day

lynn1982

I didn't get my binge eating under control until I realized there was a psychological reason I wanted to eat like that. After seeing a counselor for 10 months, I can say that I RARELY ever do that anymore because I know exactly what leads to it emotionally and how to avoid it. Conquering the binge eating is a great feeling each time I decide to deal with those emotions in a more healthy way, i.e. exercise or something else!

I'm not suggesting every person who binges needs to see a counselor - just putting it out there that counseling REALLY helped me!

Good luck!

This is exactly what I was going to say. Speaking from experience, my binge eating tendencies were derived from psychological issues. I realized this one day after I had been tracking food and eating healthy for a good month and something happened in my life and I ate an entire box of cookies in order to dull the emotional pain. This might not be your issue, but if it is, then try to find a therapist who deals specifically with eating disorders and binge eating.

stripedsocks

Finally, forgive yourself if you screw up. Just because you trip over a rock doesn't mean you have to smash your head against it repeatedly. Get up, brush it off, and try to do better the next day.

That's one of the best sayings I've seen. Thanks!

BrendaK777

I have the same problem. I don't have junk food to eat in the house, but I just feel like my appetite is out of control! I think drinking water does help, but I have been trying to figure this out myself. I don't do it everyday...so what do I do different on the days that I don't feel like bingeing? one of the things I think is ... I wait too long since the last time I ate... Its like, if you wait til your hungry, you waited to long kinda thing. (since we are eating under our needed calorie intake to loose wieght) so Im gonna try to do little snacks to keep me going with the water. This might mean a small portion at dinner but when the weights off and we go to maintenance calorie intake we will have a little more room to work with. I don't know, just a thought.

MrsNoir

Hi! Somebody might have already written something about this, but if you eat slow release carbs, they'll keep you feeling full for longer. Baked potatoes is a good or the best example, it has quite a fair amount of calories for being a veg, but at least it won't keep you attacking the fridge every hour, as it will make you feel full for long, however avoid having it with loads of butter or olive oil, otherwise it won't work. Something that also makes you feel full and burn calories is black pepper, so you can combine the two for a cool binge free day. Also it has been demonstrated lately that proteins make you feel full for longer. So... if you make yourself with some brown rice and egg, or jacket potato with pepper, or brown rice with black pepper marinated chicken or something like that you might avoid feeling full. Ahh and pasta, but when it's still a bit hard "al dente" as the italians call it, that makes you feel full quicker and for a long period of time

fteale

Don't buy snack food.

kat65

I am a binge eater also. One thing that I did was to get rid of any food that I could just open and eat. For three months, I went to my cupboard over and over again looking for something that I could just rip open and start eating. AUGH. It was hard. My other problem was eating out. I could order two or three hamburgers on my way home. I would binge on that. Eating in my car and ordering fast food is out now (very hard to do). I am down to eating out once a week at a nice restaurant. My last biggest problem is grocery shopping. That seems to be my one binge day. I buy ice cream, candy, doughnuts, microwaveable good. I eat it all in one night, sigh. I'm working on this one.

It is hard work. Take one day at a time. Don't consider the first binge food off of your diet (if you bindge, you feel like you failed so you feel you might as well keep on eating and then you start eating because you are mad at yourself). This is a visous cycle. Learn ways to stop it. (I'm still working on this one too. I take it one day at a time.)

kat65

Also, exersicing helps wtih the binging. It takes away the urge to do so.

healthysuze

All this discussion is really helpful.

I started occasionally binge-eating about two years ago. I hate it, and I am trying so hard to break the cycle. I am quite fit, work-out vigorously six days a week, and am not overweight. I eat really healthy for 4 or 5 days. Then, on day 4 or 5, I tend to be overcome by cravings. Eventually, I snap and eat the house. Then I feel terrible, and over-restrict and train really hard to compensate for the next few days. Until I snap again! It's a viscious cycle. I always say 'never again', but it always happens. It's like a "last supper" mentality.

I am convinced it started as a biochemical response to depriving myself too much (as I worked down to my goal weight a couple of years ago). It was a way of coping with food restriction and a lot of exercise. But then somewhere along the way it simply became a habit.

Some things I am going to try:
- I will take myself out for a treat every 3 or 4 days. I honour it. Enjoy it. Savour it. Own it. This may help to break the pattern of secretive bingeing at home.
- Make nothing off-limits
- Working out ess. Overttraining may lead to intense carb/sugar cravings.

Good luck to everyone working on this issue. Would love to hear updates from those working on this!!

Suze

Kristimcb

I just read in the Prevention magazine, in a Jullian Michaels interview. She said "give yourself 300 calories a day to eat what ever you want as a treat". That way you don't have say you can't have this or that.
My problem is I binge eat too and can I stop at 300 calories?
This will be my chalange this week.

I agree totally...I couldn't stop at 300 calories.

Kristimcb

I have the same problem. I don't have junk food to eat in the house, but I just feel like my appetite is out of control! I think drinking water does help, but I have been trying to figure this out myself. I don't do it everyday...so what do I do different on the days that I don't feel like bingeing? one of the things I think is ... I wait too long since the last time I ate... Its like, if you wait til your hungry, you waited to long kinda thing. (since we are eating under our needed calorie intake to loose wieght) so Im gonna try to do little snacks to keep me going with the water. This might mean a small portion at dinner but when the weights off and we go to maintenance calorie intake we will have a little more room to work with. I don't know, just a thought.

I agree with you saying "wait too long since the last time I ate" I run errands with one of my kids extra lunch boxes....holds my water, grapes, carrots and green peppers. This way I can't make the excuse to stop someplace that I know I will regret! When I eat healthy and then jam a fried burger in there, my body freaks!! Good luck.

kristi

Marylovell

You might not be eating enough during the day to keep your hunger back. There's more than one cause to that type of craving, and it might also be different at different times of the month, (hormones-period). For ME, (and I'm OLD), I have to eat a lot of fiber. You can find books with good recipes. I also have to allow myself small treats earlier in the day. I also have to GIVE IN to cravings in the week before my period. Logging the calories helps me pick and choose, but mostly, I can't let myself get too hungry. I have found that eating more protein and good fats helps also. I can't deprive myself. If I want something "bad" , sometimes, just a bite will help me feel like I had the choice to eat it if I wanted to. Good luck with this. I personally don't believe that there is one cause or one good answer for cravings. Every day is a new day. Stay positive. If you binge one evening, let it GO...... Get up the next day, and make the day a clean slate. Keep your eating thoughts positive. I don't believe there is room for guilt or punishment.

lillysmidnite

I follow a twelve step program for compulsive eating which helps. Also meditation and yoga. There are certain foods that I still don't keep in the house but for the most part, with a family, I can bring most junk foods in my house. It is a one day at a time thing. Good luck!

mattellis2

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