Binge-Eating

njmills1

Terrible advice!!!!! Sorry but eating 2-3 big meals a day is ridiculous!! You actually should be eating 5-6 smaller meals a day. When you are eating bigger, fewer meals you run the risk of putting your body into starvstion mode. Your body gets used to big meals spaced far apart so when it comes time to eat again you are STARVING!!! Then binge happens. I suggest do some of your own research and you are right to not deprived yourself of the things that you love and crave but in moderation.

helloiloveukitty

Therapy (depending on how bad or often the binges are and if you really are ready to address the reasons you binge). Combined with will power to work thru it and change your eating habits.

njmills1

I also would suggest that you fill your house with lots of fresh produce and fruits for snacking that you can access quickly. If I am hungry and I want to eat, it usually means NOW, if I have smart, healthy choices on hand in a hurry, thats what I reach for. I'm far from an expert but just thought I would throw that out there! Good luck friends!!!

transfixedtoast

It can help to plan your meals the night before, I have bulimia and i'm trying desperately to recover from the crazy big binges and the thing that I've found most effective is planning, keeping myself occupied and if I stick to my meal plan. The more you exercise your strength against this disorder the easier it will get. It could also pay to visit a psychologist because with most eating disorders it's not all about food. I've managed to cut my binging down from once every day eating like 4000-5000 calories to once every 2 or 3 days. Seeing a nutritionist could help aswel because no one on this site knows everything and the advice you're getting on here could be incorrect.

ashjonnatp

Why don't you do the intelligent and obvious thing and practice moderation so you don't binge? You don't need to be "healthy" all week.

When you eat calories for the day, include into your maconutrients and calories something you've been craving. Problem solved. My diary is open, so I implore you to see that I eat whatever the heck I want. And guess what? I never binge.

Also, how many meals a day are you eating? Maybe you should consider doing 2-3 meals a day instead so that way you have larger, more satisfying meals. I only eat 3 meals a day and dang I love being stuffed! If you check my diary (March 27th), I had 1082 calories (1lb of food) from burgers and a small chocolate bar. Sometimes I'll make a gigantic burrito (that weighs around 3lbs) and eat that. I think it only takes up around 1300 calories or something like that.

rude!!!!!!!!!!! If we were all inteligent when it came to food we wouldnt be on here we all make bad choices this does not make them dumb!! This is a daily struggle for alot!

Nucky719

I wish I had a simple answer but I think it's on a individual basis what it takes for someone to stop. I used to do because I was very unhappy in my life and the food made me feel good, but then I felt bad again afterwards, and so on and so on. Once I made it through that time and things changed for me I did it less and less. I would still do it every so often up until I got on MFP this month. During the last 3 days I have wanted to really bad because of arguing with my bf but I haven't because 1. I don't want to lie on my diary and 2. I don't want to log it on my diary.

I don't have any advice on how to stop but I wish you the best and feel free to friend me if you like. And that goes for anyone else who would like a friend in the same binge boat.

katydid25

You SOOOOOO do not understand true Binge Eating. And you are very judgemental....That is like telling an alcholic...it's EASY. Just don't drink. Um...hello?! Very judgemental harsh words....and annoying.

^^ This!!

Or telling someone suffering from anorexia to 'just eat.' Or someone suffering with depression to 'just cheer up!'

Binge eating isn't something I'm able to give advice on - Thankfully it isn't an issue I have. Just wanted to add my two cents. No point in being rude when someone is looking for honest help!

honestlysweet

This thread proves what binge eating does to people. It makes them cranky as hel. It makes you feel bad about yourself so you have to lash out.

Take my advice and exercise, people. You need to release all that pent up... whatever it is.

HEATHERB500

Ok I read some but I got tired of the bashing and people who really have no clue. There are several reasons people binge eat and it is individual for everyone. I highly suggest Overeaters anonymous. Once I learned what foods I specifically need to stear clear from I have been better able to control my binges. I still have trouble usually when I have been really stressed. Some people have certain types of food they are more likely to binge on and some people will binge on anything available. Try to keep a diary of the type of foods you eat when you binge. If possible do not keep these foods in your house. Each day try to reaffirm the fact that you are not going to binge today. Pray write sticky notes. If you catch yourself before, durring, or after a binge and this takes practice and willpower, stop and tell yourself to start again right then. Do not give yourself the OK to continue the binge and just start again tomorrow. I had some success changing my habbit over to gum chewing. I also eat a small meal 100-200 cals every 2-3 hours. For me sugar and fatty foods set me off so I stear clear and try to keep them out of the house as much as possible. If it matters I am not a registered dietician or anything but I am a registered Nurse and recovering Binge eater. Some of this stuff sounded hokey to me when I first heard of Overeaters anonymous but when I got real with myself it really has helped. Feel free to add me as a friend and maybe we can help each other.

SunnyAndrsn

Thank you PeggyWoodson! I don't binge because I feel deprived typically its because I'm stressed or because I have emotional ties to foods and once I start eating unhealthy things I have a hard time stopping.

Start with identifying the binge when it occurs. If you can recognize it when it happens, you can develop a strategy ahead of time so when the urge strikes, you may be able to wave a stop sign.

When the stress or high emotions hit, how about an alternative stress reducer? Hot bath, nap, exercise, calling a friend, shopping, something ANYTHING you can think of to put up a barrier to prevent behavior.

Second, practice self forgiveness when it happens.

There is a documented serotonin release that occurs with binge eaters--it's a lot like taking an anti-depressant. Who wouldn't want a flood of feel good hormones?

Finally, self help groups and a therapist are very helpful for this.

SunnyAndrsn

Ok I read some but I got tired of the bashing and people who really have no clue. There are several reasons people binge eat and it is individual for everyone. I highly suggest Overeaters anonymous. Once I learned what foods I specifically need to stear clear from I have been better able to control my binges. I still have trouble usually when I have been really stressed. Some people have certain types of food they are more likely to binge on and some people will binge on anything available. Try to keep a diary of the type of foods you eat when you binge. If possible do not keep these foods in your house. Each day try to reaffirm the fact that you are not going to binge today. Pray write sticky notes. If you catch yourself before, durring, or after a binge and this takes practice and willpower, stop and tell yourself to start again right then. Do not give yourself the OK to continue the binge and just start again tomorrow. I had some success changing my habbit over to gum chewing. I also eat a small meal 100-200 cals every 2-3 hours. For me sugar and fatty foods set me off so I stear clear and try to keep them out of the house as much as possible. If it matters I am not a registered dietician or anything but I am a registered Nurse and recovering Binge eater. Some of this stuff sounded hokey to me when I first heard of Overeaters anonymous but when I got real with myself it really has helped. Feel free to add me as a friend and maybe we can help each other.

This is great advice!!! Do this!!

sdm329

Talking about it has helped me, so you are on the right path. Feel free to add me and I'll be as supportive as I can.

ReneeElizabeth26

People getting rowdy about binge eating. There is a level of accountability that must be taken. I don't disagree that it may be a disorder but I used to be a binge eater. Maybe I don't understand because I got over it so easily by simply creating a healthy relationship with food and being logical. Let's be real at the moment. You guys are referring to food as "unhealthy." There is nothing unhealthy about what you ate at that point in time. The food isn't unhealthy but your dietary habits. To me, there are no healthy or unhealthy foods.

I never, ever feel guilty eating food. Guilt as the result of eating is illogical. It just simply signals that you have a poor relationship with food. Eat. Live life. It's a joy of life. People assume that once you need to start losing fat, you need to eat salads, grilled chicken, no red meat, no chocolate bars, no this or that. It's all no and very few yeses then we wonder why we binge when presented for that delectable "no" food. And once it hits our mouth after we give in? We can't stop. The pleasure is too good.

Maybe it's different for other people but that's how it was for me. My life changed quite quickly and easily and, again, it may very well be because I chose to educate myself instead of feeding into nonsensical, mass media-driven garbage that made me uncomfortable with food.

Maybe I don't understand because there are so many people who use psychology as a scapegoat and do not want to be culpable. I held myself responsible for being obese (208lbs @ 5'6") and for eating a lot of food. I used to say, "I can't control myself" but, in actuality, I chose to eat every bite.

Do you think if you go see help that the advice will be any different than mine? That you'll have your hand held and told that you aren't accountable for your actions then put on medication? I highly doubt it but considering that prescribed medication for psychological disorders is normal now then I could be quite wrong.

Love me or hate me, there is a dash of truth to what I say.

There is a difference between over eating and binge eating. Mentally, binge eating tears you apart on the inside. You have no idea what you are talking about...it is not easy to overcome. You learned to eat healthy, which is great but you dont fight with what true binge eating is. It is a compulsion...It takes over you and you eat until you cant stop. You eat alone, you lie about what you eat, you send people away so you can binge. Its not...oh my god I ate 3 pieces of pizza and Im such a fatty...its sitting in your apartment with an entire pizza and consuming it, hiding the box and not talking about it. You then mentally beat your self up, wallow in self loathing and swear to never do it again until you cant overcome the urge again. It is a TRUE problem and the fact that you are so quick to dismiss it and basically call people who deal with it weak shows your ignorance.

ReneeElizabeth26

Something I learned in NA is taking it a day at a time. Sometimes you have to break it down to an hour or even a minute at a time until the urge goes subsides. Sometimes you just simply have to "white knuckle" it...meaning sit on your hands and hold on to the chair so tight your knuckle turns white. Being on MFP helps alot...I have dealt with this for years and it is very hard to overcome but we can do it...feel free to add me if youd like...Best of luck!

Quinn827

I have been overweight most of my life. I know I have an unhealthy relationship with food. I have been on both sides of the fence with eating disorders.

I have tried eating nothing but grapefruit juice and 20 croutons a day for several months while doing 2 hardcore workouts a day. "So not healthy” Lost 40 pounds had an ulcer but looked great in my bathing suit. This was at age 17;

To

Training for competitive bodybuilding shows, working out super hard 1-2 times per day but eating a ton of protein, low fat, and low carbs. I was very lean and fit at 178lbs. Fully obsessed with everything I put in my mouth and every second I spent at the gym. It was all I thought about.

To

Now I am 41 , 240 lbs at 5'7 hiding food from my family so they do not see me eat. Well actually I have been back on the wagon for 6 days now! Feeling so much better.

I have been a closet eater since my childhood. I was taught that eating was something to be embarrassed of. This is horrible. I know it is an irrational feeling but I cannot help it. I know I made the choice to eat the foods that have gotten me to this horrible place, and then I go crazy and try to fix it again.

I have been to these and so many more places with my struggles for weight management. I could write a book for sure. It is a mental disorder, and unhealthy view of food that is instilled in me. It is so embedded in me I do not think it will ever go away. Even when I eat a "healthy" food I feel guilty at times.

Looking back at all of my struggles there has always been an obsessive behavior , from starving myself, to working out way more than normal people should, to eating entire bags of candy or boxes of cookies in one sitting.

At 41 I hope this time I can find a way to learn moderation. I have gone back to the way of eating that works best for me. I track every single food I eat, and what I have found helped me keep my weight off for the longest time before "2 1/2 years" was giving myself a cheat day every week. I will not add this until I lose at least half of my weight or more but this made a huge difference for me in the past. I would eat "clean" all week and choose 1 day where I ate really anything I wanted all day. By the time the day was over I was so ready to go back to my "clean" eating. It was funny when I gave myself that freedom I really could not eat so horribly simply because I would get so full but even a small blizzard from Dairy Queen would be enough to get me through to the next cheat day.

A TRUE binge eater does not just "get over it". It is like having any other addiction to drugs or alcohol. The problem with being a food addict is we cannot just STOP eating. Food is neccessary to live so unlike an alcoholic or drug addict you cannot avoid your addiction. You will ALWAYS be an addict.

I am very knowledgable about nutrition, I know what I should eat and how I should eat so education is not the problem. I also know that not everyone can eat whatever they want. Everyone has a different body chemistry, different metabolism, different sensitivities. If you have been blessed to be able to eat whatever you want good for you but do not make the mistake to think that everyone can do this.

ronitabur

Binge eating is a complex issue. I recommend a few primary steps you can take.

1. Take up Yoga and/or meditation - weave it into your life as much as possible. This might sound weird, but binge eaters usually are dealing with an anxiety disorder, and this will help you more than you can imagine. There are a lot of free guided meditations on the web. Might I suggest you start with MeditationOasis.com. They have a fantastic FREE iPod app. Also, seek out professionals in this area. This is my chosen method of dealing with my binge eating and it has changed my life. General exercise helps as well.

2. Seek professional counseling. I did this for a while and it helped. I learned a lot about the "King Baby" mind set and learned how to deal with this in my life. She also helped me deal with that "revved" feeling that I would get in my chest just before a binge. I still get that feeling sometimes when stress is high, but then I resort to meditation to bring myself down from it.

3. Join Overeaters Anonymous. You may have to consider giving up your binge foods, much like an alcoholic gives up alcohol. A counselor trained in eating disorders can help you determine if this is the right course for you. I don't recommend that you go to a meeting before talking to a counselor. I went once - hated it. But, that doesn't mean that it's not right for someone else. Then I went to the counselor, who told me that the OA group wasn't what I needed.

4. See a dietician. You might have to do this in conjunction with the counseling. I no longer see a counselor, but I still see a dietician 4 times per year - she keeps me accountable, takes my measurements, measures my fat with the dreaded calipers and helps me with my nutrition by looking at my MFP entries and helps guide me to better nutrition, a little bit at a time.

Good luck. I recommend that you start with meditation and Yoga.

Ronita

taramaureen

Just stop, pack a bag and head for the gym. Exercise is amazing, and you know that sick bloated feeling you get after you binge? Well the opposite of that feeling is the feeling you get when you get back from a hard sweaty workout. A happy satisfied feeling. Just stop eating and exercise. You can do it.

I run 10+ miles a week, Zumba, and weight train. Exercise does not make a difference in binge eating for some people.

taramaureen

This thread proves what binge eating does to people. It makes them cranky as hel. It makes you feel bad about yourself so you have to lash out.

Take my advice and exercise, people. You need to release all that pent up... whatever it is.

you obviously as well don't know what the hell you're talking about so I suggest unless you have something constructive to say you leave. I exercise quite a bit, I'm sure I'm not the only binge eater that exercises like a fiend.

Silver_Star

I used to binge...it usually was when i denied myself something for too long.

So maybe eat what you like but in moderation...so you dont feel like youre missing out?

itsjustdawn

I struggle too with binge eating. It normally occurs on the weekends, like Friday and Saturday night. I will sometimes eat to the point where I can't breathe and feel sick to my stomach. It is the worst feeling in the world, especially since I try so hard to be healthy during the week days.

Add me as a friend and we can help each other!

This has been my past week or so... I don't know why I do it!! Especially when I eat foods that I know my stomach will react to, along with not stopping when I'm full.

Add me as well?

mrau719

Thank you PeggyWoodson! I don't binge because I feel deprived typically its because I'm stressed or because I have emotional ties to foods and once I start eating unhealthy things I have a hard time stopping.

That's my issue: once I start I can't stop.

Same. I can practice moderation for sure....and was doing so well with emotional eating until these last few weeks and boom! It was like damn it had been almost a year. For me it's definitely stress-mental, physical, and emotional. I think it's just something that takes time to overcome....

sl1ngsh0t

I have the same trouble. What I do is eat whole, healthy foods every 3-4 hours. I also prepare my meals in advance. I have noticed that if I skip meals/don't take time to prepare them, I tend to binge.

sarah_7626

Same

resan224

I binge eat too.....its a horrible thing and very hard to get under control.....mine is usually emotional eating-stressed, upset, bored, anxious......pretty much anytime my feelings sway out of control!

resan224

Thank you PeggyWoodson! I don't binge because I feel deprived typically its because I'm stressed or because I have emotional ties to foods and once I start eating unhealthy things I have a hard time stopping.

This is exactly what I do....things like mashed potatoes, chips and dip, bread, pasta....all these things are things I lived on as a kid and it's nostalgic. I don't deny myself of food, I deny myself of large portions of the bad foods. I allow myself one treat everyday, under 150 calories, typically a piece of chocolate or a weight watchers ice cream. If I didn't do so well on my calories throughout the day then I just don't treat myself. Some people view this as a bad habit, but it works for me. We could be friends and help each other!

Redness82

I binge every once in awhile and its more the mindset of when I'm binging that scares me than actually eating the food.

Looking at it from the behavior modification standpoint (I'm a special ed teacher), you first need to figure out what triggers the behavior of binge eating, which is easier said then done. It may help to write down what happened before the binge eating, and keep a log to see if their is a pattern. From reading the posts, it seems that many of you kno w your triggers. Its unrealistic think that we can change what triggers the binge eating, but you may be able to reduce it. For example, stress from life is hard to completely get rid of, but there are ways to reduce it.
Then you want to try to find a replacement behavior, this is also easier said than done! Its tough to find something as satisfying as food. One person suggested exercise, great suggestion, but there isn't necessarily the fast satisfaction like their is from binge eating. You need to find what works for you and if you fail or struggles, try something else!
And then there is reward or positive feedback, once again, it needs to be something that is worthwhile to you or have someone else help keep you accountable!

Granted, all of this is in a perfect world and we know that people struggle, make mistakes, and move on. Many have suggested counselors, dieticians, etc that are all great resources! Don't beat yourself up!

booyainyoface

I binge every once in awhile and its more the mindset of when I'm binging that scares me than actually eating the food.

Looking at it from the behavior modification standpoint (I'm a special ed teacher), you first need to figure out what triggers the behavior of binge eating, which is easier said then done. It may help to write down what happened before the binge eating, and keep a log to see if their is a pattern. From reading the posts, it seems that many of you kno w your triggers. Its unrealistic think that we can change what triggers the binge eating, but you may be able to reduce it. For example, stress from life is hard to completely get rid of, but there are ways to reduce it.

too funny, im a special education teacher and ABA is my side job as well as my specialty! i never thought about taking this approach, but when i do try to apply this to myself and my last few binges (becoming farther and farther apart!!!) i find it incredibly challenging to find out what the direct antecedent is: it could be time since last meal, reduced calories in preparation for the pools in vegas in 3 weeks (gotta look good in that bikini and save up LOTS of alcohol calories ), the heat wave we had happening, the job promotion i just got, talking to my mom on the phone... it is so hard to do an ABC chart on myself, but i think i will try to next time i get the urge! i know for me its not stress, happiness, or lacking calories that make me binge- it literally feels like a little gremlin inside me takes control, but i will look at it from a behavioral point of view next time.

Breadbar

I so identify with the binge behaviors described here, especially secret eating. I remain a large volume eater. Prior to joining MFP last December I was allowing myself very large portions of steamed vegetables (my electric rice cooker/steamer is on it's last legs from overuse) and hot air popcorn (on my 2nd machine). I think that once I got the sugars and fats out of my system I was receptive to these plain foods. I substituted large volume high fats/sugars & continued eating large volume. Now that I log & count my calories I still use at least 300 calories for popcorn nearly every day. I'm not offering this as a cure for everyone but i have been able to move from the despair of binging to being a mostly retired binger and I offer my own experience hoping it may be of help.

Breadbar

Two additional tools I relied on: lots and lots of decaf coffee & chewing gum - both helped calm the urge to binge

DeanneLea

There are two types of binge eating, each the result of something different:
1) caused by deprivation or monotony...a lot of people will binge when they deprive themselves. Also, eating the same things all the time will cause it because your body and mind get bored. I used to think eating the same thing all the time worked for me until I realized that by every weekend, I was going overboard to the point of making myself sick. Once I learned to incorporate variety, I was much better off.

2) caused by emotional issues...I feel for anyone that binges due to emotional troubles. It is the hardest to pin point and fix considering the cause can be something so underlying that it takes hours of treatment to get to the root. I know that for me, I can trace it back to child hood. Anytime something difficult happened, my mom fixed it with us going out to eat, etc. If emotional binging is what is going on, I suggest OA or some other form of "treatment". Try some groups on here to start with.

It does get better with awareness and being proactive to heal. I promise.