Any other binge eaters out there?

2

Replies

  • MommaKit79
    MommaKit79 Posts: 852
    Mine hits a LOT at night or on the weekends when i dont feel like cleaning or whatever, like those rainy days, when I just SIT! My saving grace lately has actually been that we are broke so, I dont spend extra $$ on junk food and only get means and certain small snacks. AND, i need those snacks for work mainly so, it helps. If we get the craving for ice cream at night, since the local Ice Cream shoppes are open til at LEAST October, I always feel like I need to get a large but, I have limited myself to a small, and I share with my daughter! :)

    It is rough but, it takes some time. Yes, keep yourself busy, even if that means doing so "extra" cleaning or re-arranging, helps a lot!!

    GOOD LUCK!!!! It is a rough journey but, your first step, admitting it, has been accomplished! :)
  • acstansell
    acstansell Posts: 567 Member
    I am a stress/emotional/binge eater. It's horrible and it's why I've been stuck for about 2 months now. I'm finally starting to feel on track and then something will happen and BAM - 2000 calories or more in a day!

    The other day I found a post where a girl recommended a book called "Food: The Good Girl's Drug". I'm gonna check it out because the synopsis was too much me..
  • YogaNikki
    YogaNikki Posts: 284 Member
    Get all the crap food out of your house. Don't even have that in there. Your boyfriend will give you some dirty looks, but after a few weeks, he will realize you are serious, and the junk will disappear. You can eat a whole container of strawberries, and be at something ridiculous like 100 calories

    Definitely this. As a closet binger, you can't binge if it's not there. My hubby and I went toe to toe for a while to keep the garbage out of the house, but now he sees how happy I am the hard work is paying off, sans binging, and he tolerates it now :)
  • This is embarassing but before when I started a diet or healthy eating program I would eat all the junk food in the house so it wouldn't be around instead of throwing it out! I do so much better logging my meals everyday. Add me if you want to. I love to give and receive support.
  • yep always has been an issue
  • MommaKit79
    MommaKit79 Posts: 852
    OH, and GUM actually helps me a bit too. For some people, it makes it worse but it works for me. I notice that sometimes my "craving" is for something sweet, not necessarily that i ma hungry so, I grab a piece of EXTRA DESSERT SENSATIONS gum....usually helps quite a bit! :)
  • I'm right there with ya! Late at night after my son goes to bed and the weekends are my weak moments. During the weekday I'm at work so its really easy to stay on track. At night I try to brush, floss & rinse with mouthwash to try to keep myself from digging in. Since my mouth feels so clean I don't want to eat but it is definitely a struggle!
  • rlynnehawk
    rlynnehawk Posts: 71 Member
    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
    I am a binge eater one of my earliest horrifying moments is being very little (my mother said I was 5) eating all the sugar out of the sugar bowl in one hit, it got a lot worse the older I got. I take one day at a time, I'm fighting and at the moment I seem to be winning would love to both support and be supported with other suffers. together one day at time we'll all win! :-)
    Have an amazing day lovelies xx<3 xx

    P.s please anyone feel free to add always looking to support and be supportive by others who've been through similar x
  • EnuffaMyButt
    EnuffaMyButt Posts: 111 Member
    bump
  • alexiaans
    alexiaans Posts: 113 Member
    I am definitely a binge eater too! I had lost 34 lbs and gained 14 of them back after my father passed last month. I was binging almost every day!

    I am looking into other alternatives to help me...well evaluating them all right now. Food Addicts Anonymous, therapy, hypnosis, books, etc. I haven't started any of them yet but I know I have to get control of this, and hopefully long term.

    For now I am just seeking friends who are in the same boat so we can support each other...so please feel free to add me!
  • bump - as I want to read and comment later
  • jenna25
    jenna25 Posts: 213 Member
    I struggle with binge eating/emotional eating as well! and have for a while now...its so emotionally draining when trying to lose weight! but i can say that for the first time in a while i have only binged once this month so far which is huge for me! for a while it was at least like 6 times a week! anyone can add me if theyd like just leave a little message please :)
  • Yes, my go to food for stress eating is pizza.... it's my downfall on this plan to revise my eating habits. And when I start eating it, one piece is not enough.....blah...... Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am undermining my own efforts to lose weight.
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
    *raises hand*. I get in the mood for junk and then have to eat it all till its gone (so there is none left to tempt me). I should just throw it out or try to buy less in the first place. I tried geting small amounts in to ration myself with but ended up eating it all in one go. i usually binge around ovulation and PMS times so I monitor my cycle closely.

    Suggestion is to record the binges - date, time, what was going on, mental state, position in your cycle - and see if there is a correlation. It may help you prevent or be ready for a binge.

    This is exactly what I do. When I binge, I eat until gone so I don't binge on that the next day. Horrible logic. Still working on this myself. Feel free to add me, anyone. I'm always looking for supports.
  • I'm guilty of a naughty binge once in a while. But i learnt a good trick. Just as i'm reaching for something i count to five really slowly and think how greatful i will feel tomorrow if i don't actually eat it and how terrible i will feel afterwards if i do eat it. I know it sounds pretty lame, but it's worked suprisingly well. I just opened a snack pack of biscuits, ate one then decided it really wasn't worth it and threw the rest in the bin. I'm so proud.
    Also, if i find myself wandering in the kitchen i put the kettle on and make a cup of tea. this occupies me and gives me something to comfort myself with.
    Hope these tricks helped, feel free to add me, i'd love to help support and be supported by other bingers out there!
  • semeyer
    semeyer Posts: 282 Member
    ME! Usually on the weekends is when I really struggle. Sometimes I think it is impossible for me to get full! Food is constantly on my mind! The biggest issue for me is I think eating is so fun! All the different foods to try, they taste so good, I just can't stop!

    Anyone else having weekend problems? Feel free to add me!
  • hkevans724
    hkevans724 Posts: 241 Member
    I have started taking an antacid (Xantac), and it seems to cut down on the uncomfortableness that seems to trigger me. I think I may have been getting the acid feeling (from overproduction) confused with hunger, and then eating to make that discomfort go away, which it wouldn't, and then I would continue eating, and around it would go. Make sense? I take it twice a day, every 12 hours, and it seems to really help me with that gnawing feeling.


    I never thought of this!!! I snack all day because my "stomach thinks we are hungry" I never thought it could be acid, or another lady said digestive situations....
  • hkevans724
    hkevans724 Posts: 241 Member
    ME! Usually on the weekends is when I really struggle. Sometimes I think it is impossible for me to get full! Food is constantly on my mind! The biggest issue for me is I think eating is so fun! All the different foods to try, they taste so good, I just can't stop!

    Anyone else having weekend problems? Feel free to add me!

    I am a weekender too.. or if I am home alone.. I just love to eat...
  • bump
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I originally sent this as an email, but I thought it might help others on here.

    I had a big problem with binging and I still have a semi-ongoing problem with it, and I can tell you what caused mine (per my nutritionist). I wasn't eating enough food and I wasn't eating enough fat. I had gotten so that I was only eating 900-1200 calories per day, yet I was working out for at least three hours, meaning my net was probably in the negative. She told me that when your body is deprived long enough, it will do whatever it takes to get the calories and fat it needs, which is why I always ended up craving carbs and fat, like cakes, brownies, pastries, etc.
    I can't see your food diary to know if that is the case with you, but I remember how frustrated and upset I was, and wanted to let you know you weren't alone. Be VERY careful with your food and make sure your net is never below 1200 calories. I've noticed that since I've started using myfitnesspal with my FitBit, and I have a MUCH clearer idea of my net calories for the day, I haven't binged at all. I still have my hormonal cravings, but that's another story!

    I hope this helps!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Yep... I worked really hard, got down to a great weight, and then stress ate ten pounds over the past couple of months. ;_; I would just eat candy bar after candy bar at work.
  • diztimetoshine
    diztimetoshine Posts: 119 Member
    I am a binge eater, especially when I'm stressed. It's been very hard for me this summer, dealing with the possibility of having thyroid cancer, my oldest son's wedding (over and was beautiful), not wanting to be the Fat Mother of the Groom (yes, I was still fat), my job has been busy and dealing with an alcoholic brother are taking there tolls on my eating habits... I have found so much encouragement from this site, it's helping me tremendously... Good luck to you
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Hi, I chronically starve and then binge =( I got my weight down to 114lbs and then binged for the best part of 2 months, putting me at an all time high of 123lbs. Absolutely gutted and disgusted with myself!! I do however seem to be getting this under control (for the past few days at least, although being a chronic binger, this is quite an achievement). I have moved back in with parents recently and their cupboards are constantly stocked with biscuits and these are my trigger. I have accepted that I must try and forget they are around and tell myself I have no right to eat them. This has helped considerably. I am also reading "Stop Bingeing" which has given me an insight into why I binge when I do and how I should deal with these situations. Good luck to you both with stopping bingeing!! and If you find something that helps you out, please advise, as no doubt I will be looking for strength again soon =\ xx

    I see on your profile that you're striving for 100 pounds? I'm not trying to judge you, but that sounds really low unless you're really short... Just concerned. You already look quite thin in your photo.
  • Stephanie_Autry
    Stephanie_Autry Posts: 228 Member
    I'm have a binge eating disorder- mia. I use to find myself eating 3,000 calories in one sitting & then purging the next. I have finally found my way to recovery and have lost weight the healthier way. It has been really hard to walk by food, and resist it. I always find that the smells of food, and my emotions get in the way of my weight loss. It isn't easy to be alone either with food laying around- I want to eat the whole kitchen (literally). I had done this for a good 5 years, and have been in hospitals for it. I would gain like 15 lbs in one week- and lose 20 lbs within two weeks by starving myself. As soon as I ate again- I would gain 5 more lbs, and so forth. I find it easier to eat 6 meals through out the day within 300 calories. If I do happen to binge, then I count that toward the next days calories so I'm always in my weekly deficit, and never make myself feel guilty for what I have done. Add me if you guys like- I love making new friends!!!! I will support and motivate you all as much as I can! :)
  • I am also guilty of being a binge eater. I do so good during the week when I am at work, but on the weekends, I tend to let go and eat things I shouldn't. I am trying to be better about filling out my food diaries everyday to keep myself accountable for everything I eat. I try to remember the saying "a second on the lips is a lifetime on the hips". When I get the urge to binge, I get up off the sofa and get busy cleaning something or go outside for a walk or get on the phone with a friend. I do not keep chips, cookies, cakes, ice cream, etc.... in the house. If my husband wants these things, I will buy flavors only he likes and I do not. I think we are all guilty of binge eating some time or other. We just have to be more conscious about it and eat our cravings in moderation.
  • tuiccim
    tuiccim Posts: 689 Member
    I agree with a lot of others. When I am alone, bored, or weekends with nothing to do, I binge. I have binged 6000 calories in a day. It's a compulsion. I have a few things that are beginning to help.

    1. I log every calorie on MFP and admit to what I have done. Seeing it helps me to put into perspective what I have put into my body and how much damage I have done. Also, my MFPals help me through. They encourage me and let me know to keep going. That I just have to move on and work past it.
    2. When I get the urge I try to do something. Whether I start crocheting to keep my hands busy, go for a walk, get on the elliptical, even brushing my teeth or chewing some mint gum helps curve the urge because my mouth feels fresh. If I don't feel like moving I get on Facebook or something and play a game, call a friend to keep me occupied. (watching TV by myself is actually a trigger for me because as a child my two best friends were tv and food because I had no playmates.)
    3.I read this: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/binge-eating-disorder/DS00608 It helped me to recognize that this is an actual eating disorder and not think that I am just someone with no will power. I have an eating disorder and I am learning to cope with it.
    4. I'm learning to recognize my triggers. The TV. PMS. Sadness. Boredom. I have a long way to my ultimate goal.
    5. I right a journal entry about it. I go back and read what triggered it, what I felt like afterwards, and how my body felt physically now that I had done it. Eye opening.

    Good Luck! Feel free to add me!
  • mommytobrayden
    mommytobrayden Posts: 28 Member
    I am a binge eater one of my earliest horrifying moments is being very little (my mother said I was 5) eating all the sugar out of the sugar bowl in one hit, it got a lot worse the older I got. I take one day at a time, I'm fighting and at the moment I seem to be winning would love to both support and be supported with other suffers. together one day at time we'll all win! :-)
    Have an amazing day lovelies xx<3 xx

    P.s please anyone feel free to add always looking to support and be supportive by others who've been through similar x

    OMG...I used to do this all the time when I was a kid. I would take a cup of sugar and just pour it in my mouth and suck on it and eat it. My parents never knew I did this, but it was almost like if I didn't my body would start to shake. I clearly remember sitting in the floor at the age of about 6 or 7 with a cup of sugar in my hand and pouring it in my mouth. SMH
  • melduf
    melduf Posts: 468 Member
    I had binges when I was on the pill. Took 20 lbs in 6 months. Since I stopped, it's not as much of a struggle. Temptation is still there, but it doesn't overrun logic.

    I think binges are a coping mechanism. You have to find an alternative to help you cope. It can be exercise, meditation, reading, shopping, calling a friend, whatever works. Supressing the binge is only like shutting off the alarm. The crisis is still there.
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    Just want to say - it's not a binge if you only ate like 400 calories. ZOMG. "I just binged on a chocolate bar, what do I do?"

    I see sooo many young girls on here saying they "binged" and their entire day calorie count is like 1400-1500. That's not a binge - that's your body telling you TO FEED IT! (I consider a binge something like 1500-2000+ cals above and beyond what you NEED to function).

    As a binge eater who has been known to eat 6000-10000+ cals in one day, I completely DISagree with this. Binge eating isn't about numbers, it's about control. If I'm out of control--mentally disconnected from what I'm eating--then I'm bingeing, whether I eat 400 calories or 4000. The number doesn't matter. Like all eating disorders, it's alllllll about control. I regularly eat 1800-2000 calories, so I'm not starving myself, but I still struggle with the binge compulsion and probably always will.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Yes, having been anorexic when younger( quite a lot younger) I have since struggled on and off with both binge eating and bulimia. I binged my way back to a healthier weight after hitting 70ibs at 18 and now I find I am regularly battling the urge to raid the shops for all the sweet foods I crave which I then seem to look forward to bingeing on, even knowing I will end up feeling awful, purging, feeling even worse and so forth. And then comes the mental self torture for not being able to switch off that mechanism and do the logical thing of simply not buying the food, learning self control and finding healthier ways to deal with depression and stress.

    Time and again, I vow it wont happen again as I sit there feeling drained and fat and despairing and time and again, I repeat the same ridiculous process.

    Outside of that, although maybe a pound or two underweight, I eat at least 1700 calories(net) of high protein food and healthy fats and carbs so I have no idea of the physical basis of this in my case. Anyway if anyone has the patience and understanding to support and be supported by someone trying to recover from bulimia and find a balanced way of living, please do add me. ( no sub 1200 eaters though please).