Introductions

HealthyNFit4Life

Hi everyone!! Welcome to the group A little bit about myself: I'm Megan, 23 years old, graduate student who's going to be a social worker, and a binge eater. I have been binging since I was a little kid. I've fluctuated an average of 35 pounds every other year, all because of binging. I'll lose, gain, etc. It's a vicious cycle. I'm one of those bingers who will get in that "binge mode"-I'll have an emotional trigger-and then stuff my face with an unfathomable amount of calories in like an hour. I'm sure a lot of you know this feeling

I started this group because I would like other binge eaters to come together to support each other. This is a safe place to talk about our experiences with binging. I would also love to see tips from those who are overcoming these. binges!! I kind of see binge eating as an alcoholic would see drinking. I'm a recovering binger and would like to abstain from binging. I thought that starting with no binges in June would be a good first step

My ultime goal is to eat intuitively, listen to my body, and not binge. Always remember to love yourself no matter how much food you consumed.

I'm looking forward to meeting you all

livehappe

I'm Robin- 34 years old. I am a mother to 4 kids: 7, 3, and twin 1yos.
I'm also a military wife, teacher, grad student, writer and runner.
I'm in great shape- just ran my first half-marathon, but I have one little problem that holds me back....
I have been a binger for 14 years and have seen my weight go to 192lbs at my highest.
I lost 40lbs over the past two years thanks to increasing my fitness, but I've been lousy with eating
So, I've turned over a new leaf and made the commitment to get the eating under control once and for all.
I am 35 days binge free today, and going strong. I did it by doing a 30-day detox system. That worked for me so far, but I've seen hundreds of other people fail miserably as the first week on it was hellish. So, I'm not sure if I recommend it for anyone- what works for some, does not work for all.
My father is a recovered alcoholic. He hasn't had a drink in 31 years. I see this addictive eating disorder in the same way. It's totally a one step at a time thing, and I'm starting to really believe now that I can tackle it better when I just set really short-term goals for myself... i.e "I'm not binging this month" than really unrealistic ones.
So, I like this group.
Thanks Megan for starting it. We've got this!

shimmergal

I am so happy to see this support group.

It is a vicious cycle for me too. I fluctate anywhere between 5 to 10 lbs/year. I have been losing/gaining the same 10 lbs every year. Weight does not come off easily. I have to work really hard. I try to workout regularly 4 times /week. But, all the extra effort I put in goes to a waste with these binges. Although I liked food as a child, I was never a binge eater. These binges started after my first child was born. For some reason, I was upset with my parents and this turned into a stuffing myself with food. As years passed by, I worked on it and I was binge-free for couple of years between June 2010 to Jan 2012. But in Feb of this year, it all triggered back due to some odd memories and I am battling it again. I have recommitted to taking care of myself. I really like what you mentioned..."love yourself no matter..."

My goal is to take it one day at a time.

Cheers!

ranewell

Hi, I'm Rita, 38 years old, Mental Health Therapist. I'm glad this group has been started, generally when people think "eating disorders," they think anorexia and bulemia, but we all know it is. I have been a binge eater since I was a child. I remember my mother bringing home doritoes and I would literally eat the whole bag in once sitting on a regular basis. I am an emotional eater, I can usually control my binging (now) unless I'm stressed, angry or sad. It starts with a craving for something bad and sweet, then all bets are off once I cave. I don't do it impulsively anymore, that's what is hard to grasp for me. I think about it, ruminate on it, and make the decision to do it. I've coped with impulsive eating, I don't keep those items in my home, so if I want it, I have to go get it. I continue to struggle with portion control, but I'm dealing with a LOT of family stress that is unwanted and unwarranted, so when I eat dinner, I think "just a little more, just a little more," and even though I am terribly uncomfortable when I overeat, I keep thinking it will alleviate the stress, somehow. It doesn't of course, I always end up feeling even worse. At my highest weight, I was about 330, I am now about 268, and I have been stuck at this weight for MONTHS. It won't budge, I realize it's the stress eating that is keeping me stuck. So, I need support, big time! Glad to meet you all

HealthyNFit4Life

Thank you everyone for sharing!! I enjoyed reading everyone's. Each story is unique, but shows that we all struggle with bingeing. I'm looking forward to supporting each other

WalkingGirl1985

My name is Suzanne, 26, I'd say I feel like I've been binging since I was a kid too. I've always struggled with my weight. Back in 2010, I wanted to rid of the weight I was carrying once and for all. I decided to cut my portions in half and decided to try and walk a couple miles every day, and it worked. I lost 50lbs in 6 months and also didn't have a huge issue with binges. Then..I dunno what happened. I just got stressed out, shut down mode and feeling bored, confused, still felt fat, am to this day struggling to love myself and my own body..I have cravings like you can't believe, and its just hard to fight those..it's hard to have just one slice..or one cookie...and for months, my eating habits and my weight has been yo-yo. I'd say the longest I ever stayed strong for being binge free was last summer for 3 months. I just want my life back..I want my health..and to have a body to love..regardless of the rolls on my body.

SkrillexAsh

Hi everyone, my name is Ashley. I'm 20 years old and live in Alberta, CA. I'm 5'7 and at my highest weight i was 175lbs. I never had a problem with binge eating when i was heavier, but now i weigh in at 146lbs and have developed a binge eating disorder.. I stuggle the most on weekends.. i will eat very well & excercize all week long, but then the weekend hits and i go crazy!! I always end up gaining back the weight i lost with all my hard work during the week.. it's very frustrating because i just keep weight cycling and i am not getting anywhere.. I've been binge free for a week now, but even while i am typing this i am fantasizing about binging out on white cheddar popcorn and chocolate.. I'm so gross..

lovemarbella

Hi, am leanne, It seems to have become an obsession with me, all day i think about what food am eating and plan ahead what i should eat! in the end after work and in my own house, of best friedns houses - I ALWAYS end up eating whatever food i can get my hands on.

Even if i only eat one chocolate bar, i feel ive been bad so stuff my face till i feel sick, make myself feel horrible and guilty, in the past ive had an addiciction to laxatives after every binge... i need to really stop myself from taking them now. I know am not 'fat' its just am big for me (the heaviest ive been, i look at photos and mirros and hate what i see - even say i cant see people for few days to give myself time to get over binge and try work out) and the weight is increasing all the time regardless, and happyness is decreasing, i know am 100 percent and emotional eater but how to control it........?! i know how bad binging is for your body so trying to not binge again!

think i need to try some of your guys trick, eating gum etc!

MelissaKaye91

Hi everyone, my name is Melissa and I'm a binge eater from the way back...I knew that was what I was doing before I ever heard the term binge eating. Lots of things contributed to this behavior. Raped a couple times as a teenager and was also physically abused by my mother. Then later, I convinced myself that if I were a much bigger person, that I wouldn't ever be raped again. Which I think was me justifying the disorder in some way but at the same time, I still believe that in my head. So the binge eating became reinforced by a "positive" thought pattern. I topped out at 430 pounds. There were other physical factors that were also at play...I didn't know I was born with a deformed hip and stuff so I wasn't really able to walk but the weight was making it worse. When I finally decided to take my life back, binge eating was my biggest problem and I had to tackle it first. so I talked to my doctor and he asked me to seek therapy and put me on a low dose antidepressant. It worked wonders. Then later was when I found out about the hip issue and had to get that fixed as well. I dropped the therapy (though I know. I shouldn't have) but the antidepressant helps a lot. If a week is stressful enough, I will still do it but now, I do it maybe once every three months opposed to 3-4 times in ONE month..soo...I'll take it glad to find a group with others who have the same issue so it's not so very lonely. Oh forgot to add that I'm at 359 pounds now..so it's coming off

QUEENPINKSPARKLE1965

Hi there My name is simone renee Im grateful for this group Ive this is my 3rd day without overeating.. when I pray and go towards the Lord I stay on track so thats where I am right now but its a pleasure to be around a group that struggles with the same iss thanks everyone for your support glad to be here

mrsbrownsfan

I have been a member of MyFitnessPal for a while, but this is my first time checking out the groups. My therapist today suggested that I look into support groups on here (actually, she suggested the ones on another site, but they are similar to this) for emotional support, which is something that I have been lacking regarding binge eating issues. I have been on a weight loss journey for about 2 1/2 years now and had lost 77 pounds, although I have gained about 12-15 pounds back in the last two-ish months, mostly due to binge eating behaviors.

I have been seeing a therapist since January surrounding the break-up of my marriage, and in the course of making my way through that mess, other things have come to the surface. I definitely fit many of the criteria that will be listed in the DSM-V for binge eating disorder (eating large amounts, eating quickly, eating in secret, lacking control over my eating), and while I had "control" over this for a LONG time, once my husband and I decided to separate and I started making plans for moving out of our house, I felt a total lack of control and have been having strings of no-binge days that then deteriorate into days with binges, and then I get back on track.

Anyway, like I said, I have been working with my therapist on a variety of things, including my eating disorder, and she suggested I should seek out some emotional support on here. I struggle with "feeling the feelings," and I use food to make myself feel better, which we all know doesn't actually work. Oh, and my name is Mary, and I am 36 years old and a NICU nurse. I now live in an apartment on my own with my dog and am adjusting to this new place I am in.

Magpie1950

Hello, everyone.....I am a binge-eater, sad to say, for a long time. I'm 62, weigh 177, feel best around 155. I have been gaining and losing the same 20-30 lbs. since I was, say 10! That's a long time. So, it doesn't go away, we just learn to manage it. Making friends, being less isolated, reaching out in groups like this is very helpful.
Lately, my binge-ing is down to maybe twice a week....definitely emotionally based. I learned long ago to deal with bad feelings by eating....and it is really hard to change that pattern. I keep trying, one day at a time. Thanks for your support.

Magpie1950

Good morning....
My goal this week is to lose 2 lbs. Do-able, I believe. I am on he treadmill 6 days a week, a really good habit I've formed (just about 30 days). They say it takes 30 days to "make" or "break" a habit.
Food plan? Low carb, low sugar will be best. I am on Metformin for insulin resistance. Not quite diabetic, but, it's close....so I must get serious!
I'm hoping to get support here for my binge-eating problem. Comments, suggestions?

hjfischer

Morning all.

I have been a binge eater since as long as I can remember. I am 38 years old with 4 kids, I work full time. I was hospitalized when I was 22 for ED (bulemia/anorexia). I worked through therapy and did well most of the time. I would purge on and off for the next 7 years. I no long purge, but I still binge. I try and control myself, but at times all I can think about is food. I swear I act like I have never eaten before or that I will never eat again. I have to remind myself that food will always be there. There will always be a See's candy around, or pizza or a cupcake. I have been able to regulate my weight for the last 11 years (minus pregnancies). I am not where I want to be and have gained a few pounds over the summer. I know it is because I am binging and need to control it. I am in therapy now, but am mainly working on my marriage. I understand my underlining reasons for the binges, I just need to learn to control them.

Thanks!

debomommyforhealth

Hi, my name is Liz and I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have been bingeing since I was 8 yrs. old, and I was a chubby kid, hiding wrappers and food under my bed. I have fluctuated in weight over my life, and am ready to get healthy and realistic about my weight and health. I would love to have support, so please add me if you want to encourage one another! Thanks!

icefirekitty

Hi, my name is Sarah. Im 20 years old, a nursing student, with a baby girl that turns 5 months today. And i cannot control my eating. I have been working out 3-4 hours a day, but if i eat one of my "favorites" i start craving more and more and consume m&ms, chocolate chips, chocolate protein bars, brownies, a couple big bowls of cereal, peanut butter jelly sandwiches, toast with honey... all in a matter of hours. Ive been trying to keep track of it... its hard when to try and list it all when the binging adds up to almost 5000 calories for the day. :[ i started a new diet monday, had a cheat meal yesterday, and then it all went downhill from there. It seems to be getting worse. every few days i lose control at night and eat everything i can get my hands on, rationalizing that tomorrow i will stop eating it. im at a loss as to what to do. i know i need self control. i just dont know how to find it

Cathy_Daydreams

Hullo,
I'm Catherine,
I'm seventeen and I love acting, I hope to make a living from it one day.
I've been binging for most of my teenage life, at first it started as bad eating habits which went unchecked while I was being bullied when I was about 12 years old, this has now developed into binge eating.
Sometimes when I binge I lose control, totally, I will almost blackout and it takes someone talking to me to snap out of it ... A feeling I'm sure many of you are aware of.
I've been trying to keep track of what I eat and I've also made the huge decision to try and sort out a lot of the emotional issues that have been hampering my diet efforts for many years. I have also made an appointment with a doctor because, one of the reasons I have found it so hard to combat before is because my family, although lovely, do not believe BED is an illness at all, just a lack of self control and I feel like I need some professional face to face help, in conjunction with the amazing support network on MFP.
Here should anyone need a chat
Thanks x

Akimajuktuq

Hello, I'm fairly new to this site. I signed up back in March but didn't get into it fully until this week.

I have a lot of issues and binge eating is definitely one. If I eat the wrong foods for me I literally cannot get "full". I actually get a buzz from binging and it's a cover for my emotional problems. I have a lot of things that I use not to face reality or making change.

However, I can totally end binging (but not some of the other non-food problems) by eating the right food (what's right for ME). I think I fall off the wagon because I like the fuzziness of not dealing with reality. There's no other explanation since when I eat right I feel like superwoman!

Nice to meet everyone!

Baila518

Hi Everyone my name is Renee. I am new to the group. Everyone in here seems so passionate about supporting one another which I am happy that I became part of this group. I suffer with bed. I also for 10 years slept walked and ate. With therapy for it, I overcame the sleep walking part (thank GOD). I am always looking for support and to give it. I dont have impulsive eating anymore unless something sets it. Then I have to work so hard to work thru it without binging. I find Yoga to be extremely helpful for me to do to bring more awareness to my body and help to learn to feel body sensations when a binge is about to begin. Having the mind body connection helps me best.

HealthyNFit4Life

Welcome everyone!!!!

MamaDee2

Hi! I am Dee and I am a almost 51 year old grandma AND a binge eater - so this disease (cause it really is like a sickness) hits all ages!
I have been overweight my entire life but not a binger till about 5 years ago. Not real sure why - I lost 155 lbs and once I reached my goal weight I all of a sudden loved sweets (never cared for them before - not even with PMS). I have always loved breads but now the sweets too - double whamy. Maybe it was when I hit my goal weight was also when the perimenopause crap started and my hormones were out of whack or something not sure.
I have gained closed to 50 lbs back through this "change of life" phase - I don't care much for the CHANGE! I will eat perfectly for weeks and then BAM out of no where and for no apparent reason I start and I eat and eat and eat... I am not at all hungry in fact my stomach hurts I am so full but I can't stop - IT IS CRAZY. Then I hate myself for doing it so of course I eat more, then I get a grip and get my act together and get back on track. It is nothing for me to gain 10 lbs in just of couple of days of being out of control.
Thanks for having this group for hopefully a recovery that I so deeply NEED!

FIT4LYFF

OMGG i neva new there were groups on MFP! this really nice old lady told me to check it out to help me out

i feel sooo much better now that im not going through this alonee i thought i was the only one that dat has these habits.. like binging then purging i think its more bulimia but yeh i joined a bulimic group too so all good

i will support anyone feel free to message me

i have been binging since start of the year its all got to do with depression and relationship problems ive been having i use food to comfort myself but i have to stop!

johannahdesplas

So glad you started this thread!

MissKane8064

Hi, my name's Brandi. I'm a 24 year old mother of one awesome little dude. I work from home on a computer. I first noticed I had a serious problem with food when I used to work in an office and I would go to the vending machine, buy Hostess cupcakes, then go in the bathroom and hide to eat them. That was roughly 3 years ago. I've always been heavy so I just chalked it up to that. But, it's gotten worse since starting to work from home. I'll go out after having just ate dinner an hour or two ago and eat my son's sugary cereal. That makes me feel really awful. I always say "This is the last day", but it never is. I'm glad this group is here to help. This is my first time really checking out the groups and I'm glad I found this one:flowerforyou:

Thin1979

Hi Ashley, your story sounded somewhat similar to mine so I thought I would reply. My nae is Rachel and I am 33. Ten years ago I weighed 270 and managed to get my weight down to 160 I have since climbed back up to 170 and feel like things are spiraling quickly. I never binged when I was heavy but holy cow now. It's a mess. I can eat. 4,000 calories in a stting. Just looking for some advice on how you control your binge eating, I need help. Thanks. I love Alberta by the way!

RavenBeauty87

Name: Desarae age: 25 Height: 5'1" Children: 1 daughter (almost 7 months old but I do not blame my weight on the pregnancy it was binge eating) I've been with my husband for 3 years (he is supportive in his own way but he is skinny and has never had to struggle with weight gain or trying to lose it).
My triggers are stress (which has gotten better) and depression (which I have a steady mild case of) I'm a social worker at a nursing home and I feel like I don't do a good job so I'll eat because of my low self esteem. My heaviest weight was 190 (before I got pregnant) and then I got back down to 145 and found out I was having my girl (was excited but knew that was going to happen haha) after I had her I was 170 (after healing from the C-Section) and now I'm 159. I feel like if I don't get this under control I'll never achieve what I want. I need to get back down to 130 to be healthy again and if that is where I stay I'm just fine with that but my ultimate goal is to be 120 because that was a perfect weight for me, since I'm so freakin' short.
I need a group like this because I'm the only 'big' person on my dads side and they are always telling me about new diets and I'm sick of hearing it, I don't want to be on a diet I just need to learn to stop binge eating. My mother is 20lbs heavier than me but she is so depressed about her weight she doesn't want to talk about it. I wish she would do what I'm doing so we can lose weight together. I don't see that happening so that puts me in the position all by myself. I need support and this site is great but I just need more people that have a binging problem so they know what I'm talking about. I would love to find someone I can text (not a lot just when I have that urge to binge) and they can text me when they need help. I feel like this is my last hope and I'm so close to my mini goal 30lbs (I know it is a lot but from what I was I feel so much closer). The funny and sad part is I can lose weight and I can lose it fast but the BINGING!!!!!

kelsgosse

Hi everyone my name is Kelly. And I am into my second moth of recovery from binge eating. I was on the Dr. Oz show in September and they sent me to an amazing place called Wellspring at Structure House in NC. I am feeling really great about my recovery and weight loss but it has only been just over a month. I love that there is a group to get some support from. I have suffered my first slip yesterday but am back on track with my structured eating today. I find it really hard to raise 2 small children, work full time, attend College, exercise and cook healthy meals!

minisnee09

Hi y'all. My name is Andi and I'm trying to get my life back on track. I'm 26 and was a collage athlete. When I was 20 I was in the best shape of my life. I weighed 203 lbs, which is a high number but I wore a medium shirt and size 14 pants that I often had trouble keeping them up lol. I had gone thru a lot after my sophmore year emotionally. I had gotten depressed and turned to food for comfort. All my life growing up I had always eatten more than I needed but never had a serious problem until these past few years when I really started putting the weight on and eattin like crazy. I do it in private and lie about it. I want to change so bad. I have started back to the gym but it's hard to get really motivated while I'm there. My husband is helping with meals at home. But I am also so stubborn that sometimes what he says doesn't matter. I look at old photos of myself and remember how good I felt, how in shape I was, how happy I was and how confident I was. My self esteem was so high back then. I'm just unhappy with myself and that I let my self get this far with my issues. Any and all support I can get/read/give would be great!

danistolls

Hi, my name is Dani and I'm 24 years old.

I started binge eating after getting out of a pretty unhealthy relationship. Now I tend to overeat whenever I feel an abundance of any single emotion. Seriously, I eat when I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I'm nervous. And once I start I find it insanely hard to stop. I will literally eat until I've made myself sick.

I haven't really figured out a great way to help myself, but this seemed like a good start. To anyone with any usable tips out there, any and all are welcome.

Thanks,
D

peanuttylove

Hello. My name is Crystal. I've been using MFP on and off for a couple of years, but never got into the group thing. I've been a binge eater since I was a kid. I was always pretty thin, and my family would joke about how much I was able to eat. I think maybe that attention helped feed my desire to stuff myself. Then as a teen I started to gain weight and gained & lost the same 10 lbs every year with attempting to diet. After college and some guy issues, I dropped a ton of weight. I was too skinny, but I loved it. Although when I started dating my husband I started gaining. It was probably a normal weight and diet for me, but at that time I felt fat, so the binges started again. My husband doesn't understand the inability to stop eating when I'm full. I eat until I (sorry to be gross) "vurp", finally stop because I can't breathe anymore, and as soon as I can breathe I go back for more. I get crabby when I eat right AKA diet, and so when I say I'm craving ice cream, my hubby goes and buys 2 half gallon tubs. I finish mine in 1 or 2 sittings and his lasts 2 weeks. I can finish a box of swiss cake rolls in 1 day! I get mad at him, I beg for his support and for him not to bring junk into the house, but every time he is at the store he gets something bad... he thinks it will make me happy for that moment. Which it does, but then I hate myself and him! I actually find that I can control my binges when he's away for work more than when he's home. I think its because when he's here and I say "lets go get ice cream", I know he will say yes, and him saying yes is him (as my support system) allowing me to have this cheat. I have no one to let me down when he's gone. so I do my hardest to stick with the program.
Anyway, I did well last year and almost made it to my goal weight. I was on the treadmill daily and somehow I had been repeatedly tearing a ligament in my foot. I just figured it was "growing (old) pains" and ignored it until I could barely walk. So I was put on strict rest, NO exercising for 2 months, and that did it. I figured if I couldn't be healthy and do the whole package, what was the point in eating right??? I gained 25 pounds this year and as of 5 weeks ago at my max (non pregnant) weight.
Now I have been back at this for a little over a month and dropped a few pounds, but I already injured myself again. I have an ultrasound tomorrow to see whats wrong with my foot now, but I'm to rest until its better. So far I have made it 3 days eating well and not binging without exercising. I'm hoping to stick with it and not cave with last years "why bother" mentality. Overall, I've gone close to 5 weeks without a full out binge, but only 4 days without cheating and eating junk food that I'm not suppose to be eating.
Sorry this was so long. I have more issues too, but I'm thinking this is a good start.
Thank you.

jillebee44

My name is Jill. I am a mother of one beautiful 6yr old girl, a wife, and full-time 911/police dispatcher. I recently hit my "rock bottom" so to speak. While watching Biggest Loser this week "face your fears week" I began looking within myself for reasons to why this has become such an issue lately (I have gained 15lbs in 2-3 weeks due to binge eating, I am not a purger so it all stays in). I did some searching, digging, crying, and sobbing. I have found some of the reason I do what I do. I have told family and friends in the past I (5'2") can keep up sometimes, plate for plate with my husband (6'1" 250LBS) eating. Jokingly they would say "no way". Well I can, and sometimes I bet I can eat him under the table too. I do this while I am alone mostly, stuff and gorge myself until I am uncomfortable and can barely breath. I will buy cookies or something I am craving and eat it on the way home, if there is some left I will throw it out the window so no one ever knew I had it.

So I have made the step in telling people what is going on. Get it out there so they know how I am feeling, what is going on. it is something I am ashamed of, scared to tell people, embarassed even. But I told myself, it's not like I am using a "REAL" drug i.e. heroine, crack, pills, etc. But I am using food like a drug. So I NEED to tell someone, at least one person, what I have been doing, down to the last little thing. I NEED HELP! I started by tetlling my mother-in-law (she called me for help with something) and she didn't realize any of that. ("because I hid it" I told her.)

Today I told one of the girls I work with. I am going to start the gym back up with another friend at work, and she asked if we still have that plan (which we do), but I work with this woman evey day, and she said that no matter what she will help me. I am not alone and never have to be. (which is how I feel most of the time). I am VERY grateful for these to ladies to be in my life.

My hubby has never had issues with food like this, yes he over eats on occassion, but never to this extreme. He is not an emotional eater, he has never been dependant on it as a crutch. So there for he does not realize what I am going through, so he isn't as sensitive to it as I would like him to be. (but I am working on that.)

So for now here I am at the beginning of what I hope to be the end of this "addiction"