Binge Eating

julieedwardstx

Good Morning! i never thought I was a binge eater before....however I have come a realization that I am...sort of. I don't consume 10,000 calories at a sitting, however, once I find that I've "blown it" for the day, I give myself permission to stop counting and eat whatever I want in the quantity I want. Then, as any typically overweight person, I have tremedous guilt and know that I have no "will power" and do the negative self talk thing that is counter productive. Eventually I get over it and start again the next day, but at the end of the week there is no movement on the scale and then the inevitable frustration sets in.

How do I overcome these moments of "binging" and "guilt"?? I thought about putting my head between my knees until the feeling passes, but I think that's more for plane crashes than dieting. Is there even such a thing as will power??

annehart00

I spent the last year working on binge eating issues with a therapist. I recommend reading Christopher Fairburn's Overcoming Binge Eating and Anita Johnston's Eating in the Light of the Moon. Be warned that the key to overcoming binge eating and the guilt associated with it is that you'll probably need to stop dieting for awhile and then introduce modest cuts - for example I am only aiming for a 500 calorie deficit with no more than 250 from calories. Also, I recommend tracking micronutrients. I found I tended to binge when I wasn't getting enough B12 and iron from meat/dairy sources.

BeautifulAmazonGoddess

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lukeevans85

I spent the last year working on binge eating issues with a therapist. I recommend reading Christopher Fairburn's Overcoming Binge Eating and Anita Johnston's Eating in the Light of the Moon. Be warned that the key to overcoming binge eating and the guilt associated with it is that you'll probably need to stop dieting for awhile and then introduce modest cuts - for example I am only aiming for a 500 calorie deficit with no more than 250 from calories. Also, I recommend tracking micronutrients. I found I tended to binge when I wasn't getting enough B12 and iron from meat/dairy sources.

This is very helpful. I'm going to add these books to my amazon wish list and start on them soon. I've been really struggling with this and have considered trying to get some help but I don't even know where to start. In some ways I'm afraid to get help because I feel like I should be able to overcome it on my own...but that's obviously not working.

McShell12

I highly recommend the Beck Diet Solution!!!!!! There is a book and a workbook that has 42 days of mental exercises to change your way of thinking. You can also subscribe to daily helpful tips on Facebook, and they have an email newsletter. This program has really helped me change my way of thinking, and believe me, I had really hit rock bottom. I felt like a drug addict with food being my drug of choice.

Lesa_Sass

I spent the last year working on binge eating issues with a therapist. I recommend reading Christopher Fairburn's Overcoming Binge Eating and Anita Johnston's Eating in the Light of the Moon. Be warned that the key to overcoming binge eating and the guilt associated with it is that you'll probably need to stop dieting for awhile and then introduce modest cuts - for example I am only aiming for a 500 calorie deficit with no more than 250 from calories. Also, I recommend tracking micronutrients. I found I tended to binge when I wasn't getting enough B12 and iron from meat/dairy sources.

This is very helpful. I'm going to add these books to my amazon wish list and start on them soon. I've been really struggling with this and have considered trying to get some help but I don't even know where to start. In some ways I'm afraid to get help because I feel like I should be able to overcome it on my own...but that's obviously not working.

It is incredibly hard to reach out for help as I was conditioned that it was a sign of weakness. I can say that reaching out for help for my binge drinking was the best thing I ever did for myself in my entire life. And by asking for help, I was actually helping another person and blessing them, just as it blesses me when people reach out to me for help with their drinking.

There is no shame in asking for help, as a matter of fact, I think it shows great courage.

I know that many of my problems with binge drinking were my "thinking" problems. I found by working the steps that I was able to live life on life terms and accept responsibility for myself and my actions, and even better, I came to realize that I could not control anyone else. This put a dent in my thinking of being able to get drunk at someone that made me mad or hurt my feelings.

Learning to feel feeling with out stuffing them down with something was hard, but totally worth it.

I am 5 years and one month sober today and I am a very happy girl.

I recommend therapy or a OA program to teach responsibility. There is a recovery website called InTheRooms.com that can get the process started for anyone that has fear of doing something in person at this point. There is a group for over eaters.

castell5

Overcome the binges and you'll overcome the guilt. No binge, no guilt.
I used to say stupid things, ( I even said them out loud) like "there are no calories on birthdays" "there are no calories on holidays" "there are no calories on vacation" Well, if there were "no calories" why did my *kitten* get as big as it did?

I stopped that nonsense. The last 2 times I went on vacation, I not only watched what I ate, but I exercised each morning early before I started my lazing at the beach. I felt so much better about myself, and when I came home from those two different 10 day vacations, I had still lost one pound each time. That really made me feel good about myself and I also proved to myself, it can be done.

I only need to lose 5 more lbs and then I need to learn to maintain. I hope this site that I am new to, helps me do just that.
The first time I actually ran a full 2 miles nonstop, I was in 7th heaven and so proud of myself! That feels SO much better then when you beat yourself up for binging.

You must have a goal weight. Treat it like prison if you have to, you can have a LIFE sentence (which no one wants) or you can have a 6 months sentence.. all depends on your own behavior. Good behavior (control of what you eat) will get you "out" quicker. Be warden of your own body. Dig deep and find the willpower. If you can do one day, you can do two, if you can do one week, you can do two.

McShell12

You must have a goal weight. Treat it like prison if you have to, you can have a LIFE sentence (which no one wants) or you can have a 6 months sentence.. all depends on your own behavior. Good behavior (control of what you eat) will get you "out" quicker. Be warden of your own body. Dig deep and find the willpower. If you can do one day, you can do two, if you can do one week, you can do two.

This is great!!! Thanks for the motivating idea!!!!!!