I can't control my eating.

luluwubu

I have always been a binge eater, for as long as I can remember. I don't even notice what I'm eating, I just pile it in and don't always realise I'm eating or have eaten. I don't feel satisfied or full and don't stop eating until everything is gone. I rarely eat proper, nutritious (is that spelt right???) food. I mostly eat chocolate, crisps and anything containing cheese and onion. Washed down with diet Coke. I've tried shopping weekly and daily, and nothing helps. I simply go and get the foods I want to eat while letting the good food in the kitchen go to waste. I'ts not like I have money to burn like this either!!!

I don't know how to stop eating and I wondered if anyone else has this problem too, whether you've learnt to overcome it or are still struggling with it, I would like to hear from you!

Kylieikerd

If you don't want this, you won't do this. End of the story. We all love food. That is why we are here. But if you want it bad enough you will take responsbility of what you consume.

ArroganceInStep

You say you simply go and get the foods you want. What's going through you're head while you're doing that?

douglasmobbs

Research your food, understand what you are putting in your mouth and what you need to be healthy.

I assume you get comfort/satisfaction from eating junk. You have to make the choice what you want more that comfort/satisfaction or the comfort/satisfaction of knowing that you are improving your health and will be able to do so much more.

It takes effort and dedication but it will be worth it.

luluwubu

What's going through my head is a pig headed greed of wanting what I want. Nothing else matters except getting hold of that food. Feels like a drug, but I know that's being melodramatic.

ArroganceInStep

Ok, in what scenarios were you able to overcome the urge?

PhillyTD

ONLY You can control what you put in your mouth. You have to be accountable to yourself. You know what you have to do, we don't need to tell you. When YOU are ready to giv this your best, you'll be able to stop the poor eating habits. It takes time. You'll make mistakes. But the next day is a fresh start.

luluwubu

Research your food, understand what you are putting in your mouth and what you need to be healthy.

I assume you get comfort/satisfaction from eating junk. You have to make the choice what you want more that comfort/satisfaction or the comfort/satisfaction of knowing that you are improving your health and will be able to do so much more.

It takes effort and dedication but it will be worth it.

I see you've lost 113 pounds, congratulations!!!!

Do you know how you got fat? What did you ahve to change to lose the weight?

My1985Freckles

nutritious (is that spelt right???)

Yes, nutritious is spelled right

Do you have someone who could be a weight-loss buddy to hold you accountable? I find that I only binge if hubby isn't home. Something about him being there, I don't want to pig out in front of him. :ohwell: Is there anyone - parent, sister, roommate, hubby, BF, GF, etc. - who could help hold you accountable?

laceylou0702

Do what you can, if you can't control your eating start to exercise first, that might give you the umpf to make better food choices, slow but sure wins the race. You got this, if you truely want it!

LilJenn510

I also can't control myself with certain foods.. The solution I have found that works is.. Don't even get started! I do not eat White Flour or Sugar.. Once I eat anything with those I go into binge mode! Sugar is a drug (seriously, recent studies have proven this), so you need to treat it as such! Stay Away COMPLETELY from Sugar or Flour! Within a day or two you will feel much more in control! It's hard to say no to all the tempting treats, but once you have a few days without you will for sure feel more in control! Good Luck, and feel free to add me for support!

TallyNick

Just start logging into MFP. All of it. Once I went through the effort of logging and seeing the numbers it was a little easier to slow down. I think in my case binge eating had a conponent of denial to it. But if I had to log and look at the number of calories that were adding up, it helped alot.

_Elemenopee_

Maybe you need professional help to figure out why you're doing this. In all seriousness. What you are describing sounds like a mental issue. But, you know you're doing this so YOU can control it. Have you sought help before?
You CAN do this!

luluwubu

Ok, in what scenarios were you able to overcome the urge?

Only outside interferrence has stopped me getting the foods I've wanted. No cash. Shops closed. There's been times I've been too lazy to go but I've left the flat in the early hours of the morning and walked for miles alone to the nearest garage to get chocolate.

mayerel

I can often be the same way.

Can you not keep the food in your house? I know if there's no junk in my house, I won't eat it because it's simply not there!

Track it!! Writing down what you eat is a quick and easy way to logically know what you're eating. It makes the connection! I didn't realize how much junk I was eating until I starting filling out my food diary!

Give yourself a break! This stuff is hard, if it was easy, we'd all be skinny! Try. Try again tomorrow. Try again the day after that. You'll get there! It's about changing behavior!

luluwubu

Maybe you need professional help to figure out why you're doing this. In all seriousness. What you are describing sounds like a mental issue. But, you know you're doing this so YOU can control it. Have you sought help before?
You CAN do this!

Admittedly I did suffer from eating disorders when I was young, before I got pregnant. It was getting pregnant that made me stop doing that **** and I knew I had to eat, but I never learnt to control the food.

mollyjaster

I was the same way... until I started tracking every single ounce of food, soda, liquid ect that I put into my mouth! I was in SHOCK! The amount of calories I was consuming on a daily basis was insane-- and for what reason?! I wasn't getting anything from it-- no comfort, no weight loss (clearly), NOTHING! I just felt worse about myself.

You can't STOP doing that until you are truly ready to commit to changing! I wasn't ready for a long time, and that's okay. What's important is that you eventually get to a point of being ready. I now eat all the same things I used to, just in healther ways. I substitute greek yogurt for high-carlorie sour cream. Special K Cracker Chips for potato chips. Skinny Cow bars for Dairy Queen blizzards!

ONLY YOU CAN DO THIS....

SarahClaireB

yeah I know how you feel, when I am 'on the wagon' it doesnt seem to last for long until the cravings start, willpower goes out of the window and the eating crap starts, I can me as full as anything but I carry on and on....

The part of me that gets upset about my weight wants to loose the weight but then there is obviously another part of me that doesnt want to loose the weight or I wouldnt do it.

I dont know what has changed this time but I am hoping something has and I am hoping the people on here are going to help keep me on track.

Good luck and you are welcome to add me

upsidedownpear

[/quote]
Do you have someone who could be a weight-loss buddy to hold you accountable? I find that I only binge if hubby isn't home. Something about him being there, I don't want to pig out in front of him. :ohwell: Is there anyone - parent, sister, roommate, hubby, BF, GF, etc. - who could help hold you accountable?
[/quote]

Same. I don't binge when my hubby is around and most of the times that I do, I am alone or have too much free time.

*edited because wanted to quote but didn't happen

manda1002

For the most part I'm the same. I've gotten a LOT better since deciding to make this change though. I do have my moments though where it's not that I just want something, I >need< it, and even if I have to go to the store to get it at 10pm I'm going. Usually a few bites into whatever it is though I start feeling guilty. Sometimes I finish it, sometimes I don't.

It's a battle, and a fairly difficult one, but if you want it to stop, I know you can do it. Just work on small steps. Log everything, and see where you can maybe start making small changes. Instead of devouring that bag of chips, try sliced strawberries drizzled with a bit of chocolate, or instead of washing lunch down with diet coke, try a glass of flavored water. Don't try to change too much too fast. You'll just set yourself up for failure.

But again. If you want the change, you can make it happen.

My1985Freckles

There's been times I've been too lazy to go but I've left the flat in the early hours of the morning and walked for miles alone to the nearest garage to get chocolate.

This made me giggle! I used to live right across the street from a pharmacy... They sold chocolate... and oreos... yeah, I'm glad I have moved! lol

tamsinwhitfield

I've pretty much always had tendencies towards occasional bouts of manic overeating - fairly sure it originates from the "rules" when I was a kid, which essentially dictated that Sunday to Friday was for exceptionally clean eating, with Saturday as a free for all. I'm not sure whether it really falls under the same remit, as I luckily don't have much trouble snapping straight back to healthy eating come Sunday - but I'll still happily eat beyond the point of full and then some.

I think it helps a lot to log exactly what you're eating, as you're eating it (not afterwards!) - this makes it far easier to curb your intake, for me anyway. I'm trying to cut this mentality completely now, so I've started planning my Saturdays in advance and leaving a few hundred calories leeway, rather than defaulting to giant-takeaway-and-entire-cake defacto (my fiancé is also quite bad for this, which doesn't help!).

I know there are a quite a few support groups for binge eating here - so it may be worth having a look around for some more useful advice. And other than that, just take one day at a time, avoid thinking "well I've started now so screw it" (i.e. never too late to curb yourself), and always try to get straight back to healthy eating the next day. From what you've said though (not noticing what you're eating or when you're eating it), you may see a difference just from vigilantly tracking throughout the day if poss?

eganita

I still splurge at times and still treat myself to some sweets most days (though in small quantities). I've been seeing good results doing what I've been doing, so that has really helped to keep me on track. I also try to get in a pretty intense workout on days when I plan to go out to eat/have some drinks/etc, to minimize damage.

The best advice I have for you is to just try your absolute hardest for a couple of weeks. If you're anything like me, you'll start seeing some results, and that will help motivate you. At this point, it's turning into more of a lifestyle change for me. I would be suffering through life if I had to give up sweets completely

As someone else said, logging calories has been really helpful for me. For one, it's allowed me to pinpoint "bang for my buck" items.. such as these delicious s'mores ice cream sandwiches which really satisfy an ice cream craving for me but are only 250 calories.

Good luck!

BootcampJunkie

enter it into your food diary before you eat maybe being calorie shocked might snap you out of your binge eating. I find it helps me when it comes to cravings. Also they say to wait 15 minutes once a craving begins. Usually after the 15 in you would have forgotten about the food you were thinking of. Also you might want to try brushing your teeth ratehr than snacking. You never like to snack after brushing your teeth. For one it tastes gross and second you will have to brush your teeth again after you eat so if you are lazy like me its too much work and not worth the extra snack. Try chewing on a piece of gum or sucking on a lifesaver, it may help your mind get off of food. I find I binge eat the worst when I am stressed so I know exactly what you are going thru. Good Luck.

jfatheree78

You need to get to the root of WHY you eat that way you do. You may be compensating for something emotionally. I don't think it's simply a matter of loving certain foods. Once you figure out why you're doing it, you need to figure out why you want/need to stop and make aplan to do it. Commit to the change, surround yourself with positive messages and support and continually tell yourself that eating those unhealthy items is simply not an option. You make decisions every day. Turn left or right, stand up or sit down.

My approach this time is baby steps. I started with changing one meal - when I had that down, I changed another. Now that I am feeling fairly confident with my eating I am moving on to exercise. it's a step by step process. Your first step is to find out why you're doing what you're doing.

Good luck!

secretlobster

Take a friend shopping with you for impulse control... Tell her not to let you touch the snacks! Don't go food shopping when you're hungry. Plan out your meals for the next couple of days so you aren't always thinking about what to eat next. Almost all of us are trying to overcome the control of food. It gets easier when you stop giving in to the impulse to binge.

Calliesmom1

ME TOO! and everyone else. i love food. its the way my family celebrates everything. For Christmas, birthdays or as an reward...its all about FOOD! I crave everything. i used to eat 6,000 cals a day. And didnt realize it until i type it in here. & heres the wrost part i didnt realize. i thought i had done good that day. Just when u r driving stop and realize wat u r going to do. Its alot of steps from ur house to where ever you are going to get this junk food. And exercise! Once i work out, its alot of effort i dont want wasted. So i think first..is this going to undo wat i just did or help it. Thats keeps me aways from my boyfriend's oreos and eating wholegrain cheerios.

Erica27511

If you don't want this, you won't do this. End of the story. We all love food. That is why we are here. But if you want it bad enough you will take responsbility of what you consume.

^^^^ couldn't agree more!:laugh:

DrMAvDPhD

My advice is portion control! If you are like me, this won't work if you have to completely deny yourself things you love (for me that means chocolate, pizza, and the occasional french fries). But, I look up the values of something before I eat it and only eat the amount that fits into my goals. Also, don't eat "from the container". If you WANT chips, put a serving size onto a plate. That way, you eat one serving, and if you want more, you have to get up and conscientiously (eek spelling) make the choice to eat more. It takes the mindless eating out of it.

I eat chocolate every damn day and have lost 22 lb.

sl1ngsh0t

The first step starts with you. Are you ready to stop, or not? Once you've made up your mind, the rest becomes easier.

thekacers

What's going through my head is a pig headed greed of wanting what I want. Nothing else matters except getting hold of that food. Feels like a drug, but I know that's being melodramatic.

It is like a drug - binge eaters can feel a sense of euphoria. But then you feel like *kitten* afterwards. You have to control yourself. I am a binge-eater, too. But I've done a lot of soul searching and I figured out why I go on binges and I'm trying to control it. I haven't binged in a few weeks and I feel great about that. I want to lose weight more than I want to eat all that food.
I still hear the voice in my head, I still have the desire, especially when I'm upset. But I know how depressed I will feel afterwards. On the couple occasions that I did binge while using MFP, I accounted for it in my diary. When I saw how much I had eaten each time, I was pretty disgusted with myself. It was really bad, but it was an eye opener.
You can do this, you just have to control yourself.