Binge Eating - HELP!

JoanneLynn

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barefoot76

*hugs* I am a recovering binge eater, so I know how you feel. Here are my tricks:

In the SHORT term: I write down what I want to eat in a little notebook and tell myself I can have it later. There is something about writing it down and promising myself that I can have it eventually that helps. Part of me binges because there is a voice in my head that says, "What if I can never have this again? Someone else might eat it! It might go bad! I should eat it now!" If I write it down, I feel better, and then I often forget about it later.

For the LONG term, I keep a journal where I write down how I am feeling when I want to binge. Over time, I have identified my triggers and realized that my binges are very emotionally driven. Stress makes me fake-hungry. I'm not actually hungry, but I don't feel good and I am pretty sure that food will make me feel better. I journal to try to understand why I don't feel good and try to then solve the actual problem rather than stuffing my feelings temporarily with food.

I also have identified foods that are "dangerous" for me, you know, the ones where I can't have just one. Most simple carbs are like that for me. It takes a lot of self control, but I do everything I can to avoid bread and pasta because I have very little self control after taking that first bite!

Progress, not perfection. Over time, I am slowly getting better at controlling my bad habits. I mess up, but I just keep telling myself that I am making progress and that is really what counts.

I hope this helps!

1derfuldia

There are certain foods that trigger me and I can't stop eating anything after I take a bite. Mine is cheese and anything carby. I feel your pain. Hang in there

Cheese is a huge problem for me. What do you do to control it?

funkycamper

Wow, lots of good advice in this discussion.

Ya know, we're all different. I used to binge and then feel bad about it. Although I don't think it was ever tied to emotions. More just if it was in the house, it kept calling my name. For awhile, I just didn't have anything in the house but that wasn't really fair to my family. And I would still binge when I was out somewhere, like a party or other social event, so it really didn't fix the problem anyway, just lessened how often I did it.

I started realizing that I had certain food labeled as bad foods and, if I ate them, I was bad, too, so I didn't deserve to be thin anyway so I might as well eat them. One day I was having lunch with a friend who has always been very slender, my husband thinks she's too thin...ya know, the type that was rid of her pregnancy weight in just a couple of months and such. Well, for years when we went out I would be jealous because she would order a meal and dessert, eat the dessert first, and then just eat a bit of her meal, box up the rest and take it home to eat for lunch the next day. I've seen her do that numerous times with jealousy as I picked at a salad or some other lower calorie choice. Then I had an Ah-Ha! moment.

Thin people splurge. Yes, every single one I know splurges. They eat "bad" food but they stay thin. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me.

Now I splurge when I want to, during my entire weight loss. And I never feel the least bit guilty about it anymore. There are no bad foods and I'm not bad if I eat them. I'm simply human. I'll simply log it in and eat what I need to keep within my calorie target for the day around the splurge item. I also zig-zag my calories throughout the week, with my real goal being my weekly calorie target, not my daily, so I do have days where I don't eat enough and I can "bank" those to "spend" later. If I know I have a dinner out to a nice restaurant or other social event with good food coming up, I'll consciously bank a few calories to spend at it so I don't go over my weekly goal. So I might have a day or two over my daily calorie target but not over my weekly due to the lower calorie days. It works quite well and I never feel deprived anymore.

And now I can have junk food in my house and not be tempted. If I decide I want something, I measure out a portion, eat it, and I'm done. No more binges. I know I can have it if I want it and I often decide, more often than not, that it's not what I want or should be eating right now. It's nice to have home-made cookies and other baked items in my freezer as well as ice cream and such for when guests pop in, crackers and chips in the cupboards, etc. I am ready for guests because I don't feel a need to eat them up anymore. It's a lovely feeling.

I have to admit, there are a few items (mainly overly sweet cereals like Cocoa Puffs, Cap'n Crunch, Lucky Charms that I can't have in the house because those are my trigger foods.

Another tip: there is a lot of research showing the flexible dieters are more successful in the long run, both at achieving their goal and maintaining it. So this is something to think about and see if you can switch your thinking to be more flexible.

Last tip: A lot of experts in the field of weight loss believe that people should occasionally take a full break from dieting. It's not only good to do psychologically but also physically as it raises leptin levels, increases your metabolism, and other hormonal changes that, when you start dieting again, help you be more successful. Most of the recommendations are taking at least one full week off every 2-3 months, or even two weeks off.

I've done this like over the holidays, while on vacation, and it's wonderful, I rarely gain more than 1-2# and it usually comes back off during the first week of returning to my reduced calorie plan.

Best wishes. I hope you can find something that works for you.

deadmittens

Your diary isn't open, so I don't know how much you are actually eating or how much you are exercising.

I had it open for a while, but I felt guilty when everyone saw me logging Samoas and other candy lol. My friends on here are looking for motivation, not cheats so I didn't want to mislead them into thinking I eat candy & have lost this weight. I lost the weight when I cut out the crap - but had started putting it back in!

AZKristi

Sometimes we fall. Don't stop logging. Add everything that you eat. You will get your motivation back after seeing all the red after a while. Don't get discouraged.

After about 8 months of doing great with MFP, I had a really hard 6 weeks where I really struggled with food. I kept logging and eventually got back on track.

KrazyAsianNic

I know where you are coming from. Almost a year ago I was able to take the first step and admit that I'm an emotional binger. I found other things to do when I felt emotional and wanted to eat, but wasn't hungry. Counseling has helped me get through this too. Now and then I fall again, but I record what I ate, and then try not to hate myself for making my body feel crappy and bloated and gross. Another thing I learned to do is to not restrict myself from any foods. Instead of wanting sweets and forcing myself not to, I try to get the serving size of it. For example, I keep around the snack size M&M and the Hershey Drops for when I go through my Chocolate needs. Usually after half a serving of drops or one snack size M&M, i'm satified and ready to move on. Good like figuring out what works for you!

onequirkygirl

Ok first of all, I think you are so beautiful.

Just keep yourself motivated. It sounds so simple.....that's what helps me. I know what you mean..this just gets old....it's like a relationship.....you got to keep the spark alive. Whatever that means for you....new exercise program? Anything to get you excited about losing weight. Looking at old pictures helps me...remembering how far I've come.

I tried. :}

KrazyAsianNic

Wow, lots of good advice in this discussion.

Ya know, we're all different. I used to binge and then feel bad about it. Although I don't think it was ever tied to emotions. More just if it was in the house, it kept calling my name. For awhile, I just didn't have anything in the house but that wasn't really fair to my family. And I would still binge when I was out somewhere, like a party or other social event, so it really didn't fix the problem anyway, just lessened how often I did it.

I started realizing that I had certain food labeled as bad foods and, if I ate them, I was bad, too, so I didn't deserve to be thin anyway so I might as well eat them. One day I was having lunch with a friend who has always been very slender, my husband thinks she's too thin...ya know, the type that was rid of her pregnancy weight in just a couple of months and such. Well, for years when we went out I would be jealous because she would order a meal and dessert, eat the dessert first, and then just eat a bit of her meal, box up the rest and take it home to eat for lunch the next day. I've seen her do that numerous times with jealousy as I picked at a salad or some other lower calorie choice. Then I had an Ah-Ha! moment.

Thin people splurge. Yes, every single one I know splurges. They eat "bad" food but they stay thin. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me.

Now I splurge when I want to, during my entire weight loss. And I never feel the least bit guilty about it anymore. There are no bad foods and I'm not bad if I eat them. I'm simply human. I'll simply log it in and eat what I need to keep within my calorie target for the day around the splurge item. I also zig-zag my calories throughout the week, with my real goal being my weekly calorie target, not my daily, so I do have days where I don't eat enough and I can "bank" those to "spend" later. If I know I have a dinner out to a nice restaurant or other social event with good food coming up, I'll consciously bank a few calories to spend at it so I don't go over my weekly goal. So I might have a day or two over my daily calorie target but not over my weekly due to the lower calorie days. It works quite well and I never feel deprived anymore.

And now I can have junk food in my house and not be tempted. If I decide I want something, I measure out a portion, eat it, and I'm done. No more binges. I know I can have it if I want it and I often decide, more often than not, that it's not what I want or should be eating right now. It's nice to have home-made cookies and other baked items in my freezer as well as ice cream and such for when guests pop in, crackers and chips in the cupboards, etc. I am ready for guests because I don't feel a need to eat them up anymore. It's a lovely feeling.

I have to admit, there are a few items (mainly overly sweet cereals like Cocoa Puffs, Cap'n Crunch, Lucky Charms that I can't have in the house because those are my trigger foods.

Another tip: there is a lot of research showing the flexible dieters are more successful in the long run, both at achieving their goal and maintaining it. So this is something to think about and see if you can switch your thinking to be more flexible.

Last tip: A lot of experts in the field of weight loss believe that people should occasionally take a full break from dieting. It's not only good to do psychologically but also physically as it raises leptin levels, increases your metabolism, and other hormonal changes that, when you start dieting again, help you be more successful. Most of the recommendations are taking at least one full week off every 2-3 months, or even two weeks off.

I've done this like over the holidays, while on vacation, and it's wonderful, I rarely gain more than 1-2# and it usually comes back off during the first week of returning to my reduced calorie plan.

Best wishes. I hope you can find something that works for you.

This was nice to read. You do have a lot of good to share. I'm a college student living in dorms and the best move I made was getting my own pots and pans and a mini fridge and doing my own shopping. because my parents only give me limited money for food, I go for healthier things because I feel I don't want to waste my "food money" on not so good stuff that may not fill me up when I need it. Things have been great since this has been put into place. I do have some sweet stuff just incase i need a small taste to satisfy myself, but you made me think about how having the better stuff around can only help. When I get hungry, i look inthe fridge. if there's nothing but hhealthy in there, then I can only be healthy... When I binge, it's usually the fridge anyways, not cabinets or drawers.

G30Grrl

*hugs* I am a recovering binge eater, so I know how you feel. Here are my tricks:

In the SHORT term: I write down what I want to eat in a little notebook and tell myself I can have it later. There is something about writing it down and promising myself that I can have it eventually that helps. Part of me binges because there is a voice in my head that says, "What if I can never have this again? Someone else might eat it! It might go bad! I should eat it now!" If I write it down, I feel better, and then I often forget about it later.

For the LONG term, I keep a journal where I write down how I am feeling when I want to binge. Over time, I have identified my triggers and realized that my binges are very emotionally driven. Stress makes me fake-hungry. I'm not actually hungry, but I don't feel good and I am pretty sure that food will make me feel better. I journal to try to understand why I don't feel good and try to then solve the actual problem rather than stuffing my feelings temporarily with food.

I also have identified foods that are "dangerous" for me, you know, the ones where I can't have just one. Most simple carbs are like that for me. It takes a lot of self control, but I do everything I can to avoid bread and pasta because I have very little self control after taking that first bite!

Progress, not perfection. Over time, I am slowly getting better at controlling my bad habits. I mess up, but I just keep telling myself that I am making progress and that is really what counts.

I hope this helps!

I don't know if it helped the OP, but it sure helped me! I am a recovering binger (not just food) as well. I am also generally emotionally out of balance when I am driven to eat "everything." I never thought of writing down what I want to eat and promising myself I can have it eventually, but it sounds like a great idea! The voice in my head says exactly the same things yours does, and I know it is nonsense, but that doesn't always help in the moment. I will try writing down what I am craving, as well as what I'm feeling during the craving and see if that helps. Thanks for sharing a great idea.

Today my binge was confined to two helpings of BBQ chips and two hands full of dried fruits, which is much better than the pint of ice cream, bag of chips, bag of white cheddar popcorn, and half dozen or so cookies it used to take to stop the cravings. Like you said, Progress, not Perfection!

deadmittens

*hugs* I am a recovering binge eater, so I know how you feel. Here are my tricks:

In the SHORT term: I write down what I want to eat in a little notebook and tell myself I can have it later. There is something about writing it down and promising myself that I can have it eventually that helps. Part of me binges because there is a voice in my head that says, "What if I can never have this again? Someone else might eat it! It might go bad! I should eat it now!" If I write it down, I feel better, and then I often forget about it later.

For the LONG term, I keep a journal where I write down how I am feeling when I want to binge. Over time, I have identified my triggers and realized that my binges are very emotionally driven. Stress makes me fake-hungry. I'm not actually hungry, but I don't feel good and I am pretty sure that food will make me feel better. I journal to try to understand why I don't feel good and try to then solve the actual problem rather than stuffing my feelings temporarily with food.

I also have identified foods that are "dangerous" for me, you know, the ones where I can't have just one. Most simple carbs are like that for me. It takes a lot of self control, but I do everything I can to avoid bread and pasta because I have very little self control after taking that first bite!

Progress, not perfection. Over time, I am slowly getting better at controlling my bad habits. I mess up, but I just keep telling myself that I am making progress and that is really what counts.

I hope this helps!

I don't know if it helped the OP, but it sure helped me! I am a recovering binger (not just food) as well. I am also generally emotionally out of balance when I am driven to eat "everything." I never thought of writing down what I want to eat and promising myself I can have it eventually, but it sounds like a great idea! The voice in my head says exactly the same things yours does, and I know it is nonsense, but that doesn't always help in the moment. I will try writing down what I am craving, as well as what I'm feeling during the craving and see if that helps. Thanks for sharing a great idea.

Today my binge was confined to two helpings of BBQ chips and two hands full of dried fruits, which is much better than the pint of ice cream, bag of chips, bag of white cheddar popcorn, and half dozen or so cookies it used to take to stop the cravings. Like you said, Progress, not Perfection!

Writing it down does sound like a good idea. Usually I can get through the after-dinner-urge by thinking about what I'll have for breakfast. Thanks for the tip and support!!

KarenLue

Nothing really new to add to the previous posts excecpt congrats on your progress so far. Repeating what others have said I don't really deny myself anything as far as food goes. If I want burgers, pizza Olive garden or whatnot I try to plan it in, log it first and see how much exercise I have to do to stay under my limit. That way I get to eat what I want. I do have to watch chocolates though. It is so easy to just gorge on them, one after another. Take a look at my diary if you want. The only other thing I have to be very stringent on is cakes and cupcakes. I am going drop a few more pounds before I tackle that beast.

That's what I need to do. Lately rather than trying to get back on track and exercise so I've earned my "bad food" I just get in the mindset of "Well I've already ruined my diet today, might as well keep going."

Chocolates are HARD to stop at just one!

I once heard a lady on TV talk about that mind set. She said to think of your calories like money. If you realized you just way over spent your money you wouldn't say "Oh well, might as well go blow the rest of what I've got!" You would stop! I thought that was so smart! I do the same thing! Fall into that "All or nothing" attitude.

KarenLue

*hugs* I am a recovering binge eater, so I know how you feel. Here are my tricks:

In the SHORT term: I write down what I want to eat in a little notebook and tell myself I can have it later. There is something about writing it down and promising myself that I can have it eventually that helps. Part of me binges because there is a voice in my head that says, "What if I can never have this again? Someone else might eat it! It might go bad! I should eat it now!" If I write it down, I feel better, and then I often forget about it later.

For the LONG term, I keep a journal where I write down how I am feeling when I want to binge. Over time, I have identified my triggers and realized that my binges are very emotionally driven. Stress makes me fake-hungry. I'm not actually hungry, but I don't feel good and I am pretty sure that food will make me feel better. I journal to try to understand why I don't feel good and try to then solve the actual problem rather than stuffing my feelings temporarily with food.

I also have identified foods that are "dangerous" for me, you know, the ones where I can't have just one. Most simple carbs are like that for me. It takes a lot of self control, but I do everything I can to avoid bread and pasta because I have very little self control after taking that first bite!

Progress, not perfection. Over time, I am slowly getting better at controlling my bad habits. I mess up, but I just keep telling myself that I am making progress and that is really what counts.

I hope this helps!

When I read that first paragraph I couldn't believe how much it sounded like me when I was trying to quit smoking! I guess that's how the compulsive mind that craves instant gratification works no matter what your poison is! By the way, that way of talking to myself works for me too! lol

Erinslove

It is SO HARD and SO FRUSTRATING! But yes, I too experience this. Sometimes nightly and it feels like torture. The best advice I can give you is to always log everything you eat no matter what. Every calorie counts so if you can keep your binge to 2000 that is better than 4000. If you can keep your binge to 4000 that is better than 6000. Etc.

Another thing that might help is viewing your calories by the week and not the day. That helps me. Let's say you ate 3000 calories one day but stuck to your goal (I will arbitrarily pick a # for example) of 1400 every other day. That equals about 1628 per day. That is probably still weight loss mode just a slower one. (I haven't checked your particular stats.) Or at least it would be maintenence. Therefore, you are either still on track to lose or at least to not gain (which is an accomplishment.) This line of thought keeps me from thinking that one meal or one bad day ruins everything.

Nothing works all the time. Sometimes we screw up. Try to forgive yourself and get back to healthy habits. Time will pass no matter if we are eating too much or not. You will be happier if you are reaching your goals or at least not gaining more. Best of luck to you!

deadmittens

Thanks everyone! This thread really has helped me avoid binging this week Sure it's been 2 days, but that's 2 days of under 1400 calories!!

Oh, and writing down what I am going to eat (my afternoon snack and dinner) is a GREAT idea. It makes the meal seem like such a treat without needing to eat massive amounts!

runningonmargaritas

I just downloaded the book Eating Mindfully .... I'm only half way through but it has already given me a different outlook as well as insight on why I binge.

deadmittens

I just downloaded the book Eating Mindfully .... I'm only half way through but it has already given me a different outlook as well as insight on why I binge.

It is very helpful knowing why! It makes it easier to control...