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jeas009
jeas009 Posts: 8
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I have been letting myself slip into the pattern of heavy restriction and binge eating, but it wasn't until a few days ago that I actually admited to a friend that I had a binge eating problem, not only in the number of calories I consume but also in how terribly awful I feel about myself after it. I run plenty and I'm not sure if it's a problem with refueling or what but at night I get this unstoppable desire to eat and not stop.  The hours seem to stretch out and everything seems like a good thing to eat, even if I don't enjoy eating it. Then of course I'm uncomfortable and unhappy. I really want it to stop. As I'm sure we all have felt, there is a cyclical nature to binging, any advice on breaking out of the spiral? 

New to the group, I'm glad there's support out there. Add me as a friend if you'd like. :)

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  • greekygirl
    greekygirl Posts: 448 Member
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    Hi there! Welcome! I think for me, restricting sets myself up to continue the binge/starve cycle. It is very difficult sometimes to not restrict after a binge, but a lot of times I don't do it on purpose, I'm just not hungry the day after a binge. Maybe if you don't restrict, you won't be as tempted? (I have a huge pattern of bingeing/restricting).
    I've also found that if I make food forbidden, I want it more. And there are foods that I absolutely cannot allow myself to start eating because I KNOW I won't stop. When I eat those, I am very aware that I will be bingeing until I'm sick...but again, I don't make them "forbidden" because I seem to want them more if I do.
    You also said you run a lot - are you eating enough? If not, your body is probably telling you to eat more! I work out 6-7 days a week and 1200 calories is NOT NEARLY enough for me!
    I hope this helps a little. I will friend you! :smile:
  • arielaliza
    arielaliza Posts: 20 Member
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    Hi there:) I work out about that same amount and am trying to loose some weight, and I would like to loose the weight (around 12-13lbs) before graduate school starts in May. While I always love to eat, I am wondering if my 1200-1300/cal diet is too restrictive for the amount of working out I am doing and leading to serious binges... How have you found to balance the dieting with the needed cals? I mean, if I dont limit my cals I wont loose weight which is the goal.... Thank you!
    Ariel
  • greekygirl
    greekygirl Posts: 448 Member
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    Hi there,
    1200-1300 may very well not be enough calories for you if you are working out hard and often - it's not enough for me. It's been difficult for me to find that balance and I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you, but my guess is that you should probably eat more than that. Are you eating your "excerise calories"? I definitely eat them because you will need the extra calories to keep up your workouts - 1200 is already a deficit. Sometimes I think my being too restrictive causes my binges too, because the body needs fuel! I'm guessing, but it really makes sense to me.

    You could try upping by a couple hundred for a couple weeks and see how that goes, and make adjustments from there. All I know is that I see quite a few people on MFP that eat way more calories than that and still lose. And I would NEVER want to have to stick to 12-1300 calories for the rest of my life when it is entirely possible to lose weight eating way more calories than that.

    I hope this helps.
  • arielaliza
    arielaliza Posts: 20 Member
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    Thanks greekygirl! I think you are right. I am going to go up to 1500. Maybe my Monday was too big of a deficit that's why I woke up Tuesday freaking out with cravings... It has precipitated these two days of binge eating so I guess it would be better just to go up a couple hundred than a couple thousand!! Jeas009, it sounds like we experience the same thing.... Are you calorie counting too? Thanks again!
  • greekygirl
    greekygirl Posts: 448 Member
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    I am going to go up to 1500. Maybe my Monday was too big of a deficit that's why I woke up Tuesday freaking out with cravings... It has precipitated these two days of binge eating so I guess it would be better just to go up a couple hundred than a couple thousand!!

    This may have been my problem this week too. I lowered my calories back to 1200 because I just couldn't seem to lose this stupid 3-4 lbs I gained over the holidays. I really don't think 1200 is enough. I may change my settings back to maintenance because working out as hard as I do 6-7 days a week, I require more calories than that. When I first joined MFP, I thought "1200 calories - wtf! That's not enough!" And here I go trying to do just that. Which precipitates the binge/restrict/binge pattern...ugh. I think I need to take my own advice. :huh:
  • arielaliza
    arielaliza Posts: 20 Member
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    Haha I know! Sometimes taking our own advice is the hardest!! Well, good luck! If you feel yourself slipping the 3-4 lbs might not be worth your sanity :) Let us know how it goes!! :)
    I am going to go up to 1500. Maybe my Monday was too big of a deficit that's why I woke up Tuesday freaking out with cravings... It has precipitated these two days of binge eating so I guess it would be better just to go up a couple hundred than a couple thousand!!

    This may have been my problem this week too. I lowered my calories back to 1200 because I just couldn't seem to lose this stupid 3-4 lbs I gained over the holidays. I really don't think 1200 is enough. I may change my settings back to maintenance because working out as hard as I do 6-7 days a week, I require more calories than that. When I first joined MFP, I thought "1200 calories - wtf! That's not enough!" And here I go trying to do just that. Which precipitates the binge/restrict/binge pattern...ugh. I think I need to take my own advice. :huh:
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