Do you binge eat?

pussycat626

I was doing SO good. Then Jersey Shore came on and I had to have my snacks So now I'm 800 calories over for the day. How the hell does that even happen??? I ate popcorn, shrimp, and trail mix and not in giant portions either. Now all I'm left with is regret

Peita3

It's ok, just start again tomorrow.

6heatherb6

I know EXCALTY how you feel....:grumble: :grumble: :grumble:
It is sooooooooooooo annoying..
Just try better tomorrow...and exercise more...
I'm trying to chew gum to stop myself from heading for the pantry before dinner...
Good luck!!

ThaiKaren

Yes I binge everything that's why I'm on this site, but you must put it behind you, get all the rubbish out of your house, only have healthy snacks in the fridge. The trouble I find is when you binge it makes you feel bad about yourself and then you binge again to try and make you feel better and then it's just a downward spiral. Start again from tomorrow, good luck x

ThaiKaren

Yes I binge everything that's why I'm on this site, but you must put it behind you, get all the rubbish out of your house, only have healthy snacks in the fridge. The trouble I find is when you binge it makes you feel bad about yourself and then you binge again to try and make you feel better and then it's just a downward spiral. Start again from tomorrow, good luck x Sorry came up twice for some reason

JaenaM

I binge eat and just hate myself for it sometimes. It's discouraging when u do well all day then let a bag of chips or pasta dinner or whatever ruin your efforts. Everyone says "forgive yourself, move on, get back on track tomorrow" but once I binge the pull to do it again and again becomes super strong and I find self-forgiveness ultra challenging.. I'm really trying to find a balance with it. One thing I can feel good about is that when I binge I recognize it, track it (even though I REALLY don't want to), and keep moving forward regardless. I want to be healthy so I just keep trying. While we may take three steps forward and two steps back at times, we are always moving toward our goals even if it means experiencing the crushing binge-guilt from time to time. tomorrow is another day and we will be fine... We r in it together!

Blackthorne99

That's not so much binge eating as it is MINDLESS eating. If you can't watch TV without snacks, don't watch TV.

ReinasWrath

Next time you think of snacking just remember "nothing tastes as good as being healthy" I saw it on someone's sigs and it really stuck in my mind, And if it does happen just remember mistakes will be made and they can be fixed. You'll get stronger from it and soon you'll have an iron will

Nancy_hc

crushed ice! It does seem more like mindless eating than binge eating. You just need something else to chew on instead. Gum works too. Or grab 5 hard cadies and suck on those throughout the show. BUT LIMIT THOSE TOO since they also have calories. or sunflower seed with the shells... the time it takes to break them open might limit how much you consume. Its a bad habit that you're going to have to break or find alternatives for. I try to do crunches during commercials or jumping jacks. that keeps me from eating.

dnsrmr

I'm a binge eater so don't feel bad. I just simply start the next day. I've been so hard on myself for so long my mind is obsessed with what I eat and don't eat - so if I have a pop tart once in a while I feel like I did somthing terribly wrong.
I don't know where this madness came from, but day by day I just work on it, and so can you.
Yes, trail mix and other snacks are our enemy's when it comes to counting calories, but once in a while is fine.
Let's try not to be so hard on ourselves. Sometimes we're our own worst enemies (

Schwiggs

Erm, I just hate a pint of ice cream, two sleeves of cookies, some Mountain Dew, apple juice, and pretzels. Now I feel like trash.

Apazman

I had this problem for many .. many years. I am now trying a different approach. I realized that I like to feel full so dieting all day is like a marathon of physical and mental ability with NO END in sight. So some nights I would binge eat as a release and want to taste good things and feel full. So dieting doesn't work for me, Okay I could exercise like crazy and become a gym rat ... but I think that's pretty boring to. So I found something that works for me. Fasting during the day and eat 1 big meal at night. This seemed crazy to me at first afterall we have been taught to eat when we are hungry and even when we aren't, but perhaps we don't need to eat when we are hungry.. maybe we need to get our bodies to switch over to the reserve tank? All I know is that it was hard at first but then it just gets easier and easier, and with eating that big meal at night, I rarely if ever go over my calorie intake, and I feel full when I go to bed. ALso, I can count calories easier when I only have 1 meal to account for. Its like winning a race each day and having a reward that ends the race for that day, whereas before, there was no end to it and I would eventually make a mistake and binge eat after a day of maxing out my calorie intake.

lazyspice

Not as often as I used to but old habits die hard - it's usually boredom or fretting about something that kicks it off. My binge/comfort food of choice has always been bread, which then makes me feel awful for a few days - I always swear never again . . . . :ohwell:

sloanie1

Do I binge eat??!! BOY do I binge eat...:o) don't worry you are not alone! I am a diagnosed food addict and binge eater...I have yo-yoed my whole life and have an ALL or NOTHING attitude....it's really tough sometimes....I don't binge on junk food it's usually healthy stuff apart from the occasional chocolatey binge....there are a number of techniques you can use for binge eating...if you google it you will see a few that may help....I'm still trying to work it out all these years later...BUT I will never stop looking for the answer!!!

lacewitch

I had a stressy day and unfortunately I had a box of chocolates from my birthday (which are allllll gone now! )
feeling slightly sick today.
but
I am trying not to be down on myself - that makes me eat more. so my plan is more exercise and extra healthy choices and to shere chocolates not hoarde them in the future!

Dragongrl

I binge on pizza. Mountain Mike's pepperoni. Soooo gooood. Cannot stop. and then I'm like Oh Hell I just ate 1400 calories. (2 slices.) Oops.

marzahl68

I don't watch tv. No tv = no mindless eating. I think commercials are the worst, Papa John's, Dominos, KFC and then they are followed by commercials about weight loss programs and diet pills. Give me a break!!!

I guess I don't binge but I still eat "bad" foods every once in a while.

melanie_J

Yes! I've had a stressful week all week, worrying about exams and then my husbands grandmother is in the hospital and it's not looking good...so when I get stressed I eat. And for some reason I'm never craving something like watermelon or a salad. No....the sweeter and saltier the better. So last night I just caved....I've caved all week in fact but last night was the cave in of all cave in's....I ate a junior bacon cheeseburger and two orders of nuggets from Wendy's....then I came home and ate a hershey's bar, some cheetos and some coconut dream cookies, of course all the while chugging pepsi like it was water and I was in the desert!!

But today I pull it together. I'm gonna get out of this funk if it kills me. I refuse to let 3 months of work be gone in a matter or days!!

Serialdieter

I binge eat and just hate myself for it sometimes. It's discouraging when u do well all day then let a bag of chips or pasta dinner or whatever ruin your efforts. Everyone says "forgive yourself, move on, get back on track tomorrow" but once I binge the pull to do it again and again becomes super strong and I find self-forgiveness ultra challenging.. I'm really trying to find a balance with it. One thing I can feel good about is that when I binge I recognize it, track it (even though I REALLY don't want to), and keep moving forward regardless. I want to be healthy so I just keep trying. While we may take three steps forward and two steps back at times, we are always moving toward our goals even if it means experiencing the crushing binge-guilt from time to time. tomorrow is another day and we will be fine... We r in it together!

I was going to type exactly what you wrote I am relieved to know its not just me who has this emotional tie to food. Its a vicious circle, one that I am fighting every day to stay out of. You can still make a difference today by not eating anything else and start a fresh tomorrow.

dragonflyyy

yes :frown: i feel your pain.. its just out of control, i go on binging sprees and eat everything and anything in sight, like cans of spaghetti sauce, loaves of bread, etc.. afterwards i have to purge by vomiting, laxatives, or fasting because i feel so guilty. i hate my life so much. uggghh any hints on how to stop??

Nancy_hc

I had this problem for many .. many years. I am now trying a different approach. I realized that I like to feel full so dieting all day is like a marathon of physical and mental ability with NO END in sight. So some nights I would binge eat as a release and want to taste good things and feel full. So dieting doesn't work for me, Okay I could exercise like crazy and become a gym rat ... but I think that's pretty boring to. So I found something that works for me. Fasting during the day and eat 1 big meal at night. This seemed crazy to me at first afterall we have been taught to eat when we are hungry and even when we aren't, but perhaps we don't need to eat when we are hungry.. maybe we need to get our bodies to switch over to the reserve tank? All I know is that it was hard at first but then it just gets easier and easier, and with eating that big meal at night, I rarely if ever go over my calorie intake, and I feel full when I go to bed. ALso, I can count calories easier when I only have 1 meal to account for. Its like winning a race each day and having a reward that ends the race for that day, whereas before, there was no end to it and I would eventually make a mistake and binge eat after a day of maxing out my calorie intake.

This actually isn't a bad approach. Its fine to "fast" during the day and then intake your calories over the period of 4-5 hours. I'd recommend trying this! In your eating hours though make sure to stay within your calorie limit for the day and you'll be fine. It might be a great approach for you! It'll be tough at first I think but your body will adjust and you wont be fasting long enough to go into starvation mode. You're still getting your daily caloric intake, and you can still get the satifsfaction of being "full". Jusdt spend the day planning on what you want to "binge" on that night and chance are you wont be able to finish it all since your stomach would have spent the whole day fasting. Try this! and also educate yourself on "intermittent fasting". Good suggestion!

bks1

After a successful 120 days on MFP, I literally snapped and had an entire binge WEEK. I don't know what happened to make me do it, I don't know why I let that careless attitude get to me- but now I'm struggling to get back in track. I'm amazed at just how much of my good work I undid in just a few days! How easy is it to put on the weight compared to taking it off!

So I just want you to know you are definitely NOT alone, and if I knew how to stop these crazy binge attacks- I would let everyone know lol!!

KellyKAG

My binging seems to be self-sabotage. I weigh myself in the morning, give myself a pat on the back say I'm doing so good and then that night I'm completely out of control and I recognize what i'm doing but cant stop.

nrotr

I am in the process of completing a paper on the ways the brain controls what we eat. I have learned that, for some of us, (myself included) when you binge eat your brain gets a rush of feel good chemicals to the brain(Serotonin and dopamine) . This is the same response a drug addict gets when they get high. Brain imaging has shown this to be true as well. When the chemicals go down you are left with feelings of guilt, the "I will do betters", and massive blame and self loathing. Depending on the severity of your response you may be able to restrict your food for "X" amount of time (a few day, a week, etc) until the next binge. The more you restrict (making foods off limits) the stronger the binge will be. This turns into a cycle of eating thus the pattern of binging.
It was helpful for me to think of my desire to binge in this way, as I do feel that I am addicted to certain foods (Sugary snacks). I can not eat just one I have to eat all in the box in a day or 2). It has been helping me to think of my desire to have my binging foods just like an alcoholic. It is better for me to not even have 1 because all restraint is gone for me. I am finding that if want sugar I will eat a peach or make a protein fruit drink in my blender. This approach has been working for me thus far in addition to MFP and keeping a journal about my eating. Like on days I do not have an urge to binge I see what I ate, if I exercised, how much sleep I got, or what exactly was doing when I had the urge. This has really helped me. I hope it was helpful to you as well.