How do you prevent binges?

_JumpingBean_

I'm sorry if a topic of this vein has been posted before - moderators, please feel free to edit.

So over the last few months, I've been exercising relatively regularly however my eating habits have been rather awful. I manage to go about three days eating really healthy food, and then suddenly I binge, and I feel absolutely awful. These overindulgent snacking periods also coincide with other nasty habits I have, such as nail biting and hair twisting, and usually happens when the rest of the family is not at home. Whenever this happens (such as tonight) I feel incredibly frustrated because I feel all the hard work I've put in in the preceding few days has just gone to waste.
Do any of you have similar experiences or suggestions? Thanks

KarenJanine

I can't see your diary so I don't know how much you're eating, but binges tend to occur because you are not eating enough proper food. Restricting your cals too much will lead to hunger and cravings and potentially binges.

Eat at a small deficit with a good range of nutritious food and a decent amount of protein and fibre.

fihealth

There are very good reasons why you're doing this, and by figuring them out and learning different techniques for coping, you can shift well away from these behaviours.

Pick up 'Food: the good girl's drug..' and honestly read it! It talks about why we emotionally eat, success stories of people who manage it and other related behaviours to change their lives, and most helpful of all... tried and true techniques to replace bingeing!

You've trained your body into this habit and you can train it into better replacement habits. To stop bingeing you need to replace it with other things, because as you said, willpower not to binge can only last a few days at a time!

fihealth

I can't see your diary so I don't know how much you're eating, but binges tend to occur because you are not eating enough proper food. Restricting your cals too much will lead to hunger and cravings and potentially binges.

Eat at a small deficit with a good range of nutritious food and a decent amount of protein and fibre.

This is a wonderful point. Binge eating is also part of emotional eating disorder - people do it even when they're not hungry and in calorie surplus.

neandermagnon

A lot of people who binge do so because it's a natural survival response in humans, from eating too few calories for a prolonged period of time. It's frequently blamed on psychology or weak will etc, when it's actually a normal physiological response. If this is what's happening then you can prevent it by not eating too little to begin with. Reset your weight loss goals to lose 1lb a week and eat back your exercise calories (or maybe just 80% of your exercise calories as this website tends to overestimate them) also do a search for "eat more to weigh less" and for the thread "in place of a road map" for information about how many calories you should eat for slow, steady and sustainable fat loss. These methods mean that you lose the weight more slowly, however you do it in a way that does not involve self deprivation and self torture, and so it's a lot easier to sustain your new weight for the long term, and a lot easier to stick to, and you avoid problems like bingeing

Some bingeing is a psychological problem, e.g. binge eating disorder, emotional eating (where people eat to make themselves feel better not because they're actually hungry) and similar, so what I wrote above does not apply to everyone who has a problem with bingeing, however it is common and IMO it should be ruled out before anyone resorts to psychology to try to fix what may well be a normal physiological response to too few calories.

Cr01502

A lot of people who binge do so because it's a natural survival response in humans, from eating too few calories for a prolonged period of time. It's frequently blamed on psychology or weak will etc, when it's actually a normal physiological response. If this is what's happening then you can prevent it by not eating too little to begin with. Reset your weight loss goals to lose 1lb a week and eat back your exercise calories (or maybe just 80% of your exercise calories as this website tends to overestimate them) also do a search for "eat more to weigh less" and for the thread "in place of a road map" for information about how many calories you should eat for slow, steady and sustainable fat loss. These methods mean that you lose the weight more slowly, however you do it in a way that does not involve self deprivation and self torture, and so it's a lot easier to sustain your new weight for the long term, and a lot easier to stick to, and you avoid problems like bingeing

Some bingeing is a psychological problem, e.g. binge eating disorder, emotional eating (where people eat to make themselves feel better not because they're actually hungry) and similar, so what I wrote above does not apply to everyone who has a problem with bingeing, however it is common and IMO it should be ruled out before anyone resorts to psychology to try to fix what may well be a normal physiological response to too few calories.

I agree with this.

fihealth

A lot of people who binge do so because it's a natural survival response in humans, from eating too few calories for a prolonged period of time. It's frequently blamed on psychology or weak will etc, when it's actually a normal physiological response. If this is what's happening then you can prevent it by not eating too little to begin with. Reset your weight loss goals to lose 1lb a week and eat back your exercise calories (or maybe just 80% of your exercise calories as this website tends to overestimate them) also do a search for "eat more to weigh less" and for the thread "in place of a road map" for information about how many calories you should eat for slow, steady and sustainable fat loss. These methods mean that you lose the weight more slowly, however you do it in a way that does not involve self deprivation and self torture, and so it's a lot easier to sustain your new weight for the long term, and a lot easier to stick to, and you avoid problems like bingeing

Some bingeing is a psychological problem, e.g. binge eating disorder, emotional eating (where people eat to make themselves feel better not because they're actually hungry) and similar, so what I wrote above does not apply to everyone who has a problem with bingeing, however it is common and IMO it should be ruled out before anyone resorts to psychology to try to fix what may well be a normal physiological response to too few calories.

Another great point. People who binge from biological compulsion have been shown to self-regulate over the long term - i.e. bingeing more leading up to winter or associated with periods of intense exercise, but then naturally eat fewer calories at other times as compensation, listening to their bodies. Someone who is bingeing frequently and is very overweight does not typically fall into this category and usually is somewhere on the continuum of a compulsive eating disorder. It's most wise to investigate all possible causal agents to get help more quickly rather than faffing about in denial thinking it's just physiology - if it were, then the person's physiology would also be regulating in the other direction because the body has biochemical signals that do this following eating at surplus. But paying attention to what you mention here and the body's urges is incredibly important to learning how to regulate nutrition as part of a wider health plan that addresses ALL the reasons why eating has become about more than fuelling the body.

terilou87

i find i do it when i am depriving myself of things, i find if i allow myself to have the chocolate biscuit when i want it and work it into my diet allowance i don't binge out on everything. my partner tells me i should have a "cheat" meal once a week aswel to stop me eating all the crap, but i don't know if that would be a good idea. i'm no expert just my thoughts.

fihealth

i find i do it when i am depriving myself of things, i find if i allow myself to have the chocolate biscuit when i want it and work it into my diet allowance i don't binge out on everything. my partner tells me i should have a "cheat" meal once a week aswel to stop me eating all the crap, but i don't know if that would be a good idea. i'm no expert just my thoughts.

So true. This has been shown to be more successful than constant calorie deficit over long duration! I like to call it my indulgence day because 'cheat' has a negative connotation for me. I've lost and maintained 50 lbs with this strategy for years and after dealing with some serious health issues I'm excited to finish with the rest! Feel free to add me.

tndejong

i am not perfect in this journey. but i do find that if i am real about the foods im eating and not treat this as a diet, then i dont feel the need to binge. i think some people take this way to serious. i hear of people using scales and getting so picky that they want to know before and after measurements of things. i want to train myself to where i can eventually live without having to log my food everyday. i want to be able to make foods healthier and to understand and follow labels. i like junkfood and pizza. i am human and eat out. i get so tired of people saying your on a diet and cant eat that. i like the challenge of making a nice dinner or last night i made a yummy choc cake and pointing out that its low in calories. i think in order to avoid the binges we have to live. exercise more when we know were going to have that naughty pizza. keep extra choc in the fridge for an occasional treat. plan our meals to where we can enjoy wine at the end of the day. now i look forward to these treats rather then just indulge in them like i use to daily. follow your cravings and learn portion control. and if you must binge, grab healthier items to indulge rather then the stuff you did before. i have type 2 diabetes and i get stupid sometimes and not eat and then want to eat everything in the fridge. sometimes you can trick yourself and grab strawberries and bananas rather then those cookies and be satisfied. we have to find what works for us.

Mjhnbgff

I can't see your diary so I don't know how much you're eating, but binges tend to occur because you are not eating enough proper food. Restricting your cals too much will lead to hunger and cravings and potentially binges.

Eat at a small deficit with a good range of nutritious food and a decent amount of protein and fibre.

Completely not true. I binge when I'm anxious. Sometimes I recognize the warning signs before a binge but sometimes it comes on without any warning after several days of eating perfectly and working out. It's only afterwards when I revisit what led to the binge that I realize I had some anxiety about something.

For the OP, binges will happen so don't beat yourself up after a binge. Sure, you feel awful (physically and emotionally) but just dust yourself off and try again the next day. Some of us with eating issues have had these problems for years so it's going to take some time to unlearn this behavior. The worst thing you can do is give up and go off the rails. One binge is okay but days of bingeing is not. Hope that helps.

LLaceFace

Binge eating can come from several different areas and have several causes. I agree that eating too few calories is a common one and if that doesn't seem to be the issue for you then it is probably caused by your nerves and anxiety.

I used to be an emotional eater at 250 pounds and the thing I found most helpful was to drink more water and find snacks that I can continuously eat for a long period of time to help me feel satisfied.... In the evening I eat a cup of multigrain Cheerios and eat them one at a time... This satisfies my need to eat and by eating one at a time they last for nearly an hour... I know it is a silly habit but I find little things that seem to work for me just as others do for themselves... If you seem to binge a lot when you are alone, try to do things that occupy you during your alone time and keep your mind off of food.... Try herbal teas and such too... These have a calming effect and also help to fight off cravings to eat.

I am not a fitness professional, I am just making suggestions based off my own struggles... I have lost 81 pounds using my own methods so it has worked for me.

Reza151

A lot of people who binge do so because it's a natural survival response in humans, from eating too few calories for a prolonged period of time. It's frequently blamed on psychology or weak will etc, when it's actually a normal physiological response. If this is what's happening then you can prevent it by not eating too little to begin with. Reset your weight loss goals to lose 1lb a week and eat back your exercise calories (or maybe just 80% of your exercise calories as this website tends to overestimate them) also do a search for "eat more to weigh less" and for the thread "in place of a road map" for information about how many calories you should eat for slow, steady and sustainable fat loss. These methods mean that you lose the weight more slowly, however you do it in a way that does not involve self deprivation and self torture, and so it's a lot easier to sustain your new weight for the long term, and a lot easier to stick to, and you avoid problems like bingeing

Very true. I read in a magazine that a study was released in which they found that the participants who came from low-income families and backgrounds which they struggled to make ends meet and feed mouths, they ended up eating MUCH more. Evoultuionarily speaking, it makes sense---because these participants were subconsciously afraid that they wouldn't be presented with another opportunity to eat again.


By the way, I've found it difficult to control my binges, though mine tend to stem from emotional and control issues (Im a perfectionist and dont give myself much time to do things I WANT, so I let loose on food. ) Since it's hard to stop binging, ive found that I can mitigate the binges by choosing water-dense, low calorie foods, such as celery or carrots (with cream cheese for flavor). And for your sweet tooth: Extra has a line of sugarless gum called Dessert Sensations. (or delights?) THey have flavors such as mint chocolate chip, lemon square, key lime pie, orange cream, and root beer float (i havent tried the last one).

A01fe

Pick up 'Food: the good girl's drug..' and honestly read it! It talks about why we emotionally eat, success stories of people who manage it and other related behaviours to change their lives, and most helpful of all... tried and true techniques to replace bingeing!

I've just looked this book up on Amazon and it looks really good. I've had disordered eating and ruined my good work with binges for years. This behaviour just sends you into a spiral where you think you will never be able to lose the weight. I would be thrilled if I can break this sell defeating spiral once and for all

KarenJanine

I can't see your diary so I don't know how much you're eating, but binges tend to occur because you are not eating enough proper food. Restricting your cals too much will lead to hunger and cravings and potentially binges.

Eat at a small deficit with a good range of nutritious food and a decent amount of protein and fibre.

Completely not true. I binge when I'm anxious. Sometimes I recognize the warning signs before a binge but sometimes it comes on without any warning after several days of eating perfectly and working out. It's only afterwards when I revisit what led to the binge that I realize I had some anxiety about something.

For the OP, binges will happen so don't beat yourself up after a binge. Sure, you feel awful (physically and emotionally) but just dust yourself off and try again the next day. Some of us with eating issues have had these problems for years so it's going to take some time to unlearn this behavior. The worst thing you can do is give up and go off the rails. One binge is okay but days of bingeing is not. Hope that helps.

Of course, sorry I omitted to say that there are obviously many causes of binges, but on a fitness forum where most people have come to lose weight eating too little would strike me as the most likely cause. And from personal experience that's what led to me bingeing in the past.

fihealth

Pick up 'Food: the good girl's drug..' and honestly read it! It talks about why we emotionally eat, success stories of people who manage it and other related behaviours to change their lives, and most helpful of all... tried and true techniques to replace bingeing!

I've just looked this book up on Amazon and it looks really good. I've had disordered eating and ruined my good work with binges for years. This behaviour just sends you into a spiral where you think you will never be able to lose the weight. I would be thrilled if I can break this sell defeating spiral once and for all

It's really worth the read. And it's realistic as hell. There's no magical cure, it's a lifelong journey, just like with alcoholics anonymous. Over years the brain has been wired to go to food to regulate mood, so that tendency will always be there -- like smokers. But there ARE effective ways to manage the urges and prevent constant relapsing, and importantly, to create new brain wiring so we develop new behavioural tendencies that replace the emotional eating!

ghostwor1d

I also like to over indulge in the evenings, and if I eat after 8pm, I always gain weight. I have found little tricks that work for me, and keep me from eating after the magic hour. First, I brush my teeth after I've hit my caloric goal for the day. Then when I think about eating, I try to remind myself I'll have to brush my teeth again. I've also started drinking a lot of tea. I'll try anything, but my favorite is decaf green tea with blackberries. As long as you don't put anything in it, you can have as much as you want.

Finally, finding a hobby I can do in the evening has helped a lot. I taught myself how to play the ukulele, and I'm going back to school!

When you have a food craving, they say you should wait half an hour before going for it. By then, the craving should be gone.

And don't forget to let yourself indulge occasionally....no one likes to have to strictly regulate themselves all the time.

_JumpingBean_

Wow - thanks for all the responses guys - you're truly inspirational and helpful too!

@KarenJanine - excellent advice - I think I may have to incorporate more protein and fibre. Really good suggestion, thank you!

@fionadesein - Thank you, I'll definitely check out that book. Going to the library tomorrow I do think it has something to do with my emotions - often I'm really tired, or bored, or I feel that just because I've already eaten one biscuit I may as well 'finish the half-eaten packet'. I'll look into remedying that And thanks for the advice about cheat meals - I'm now going to incorporate them into my plan (though in moderation, haha).

@mutahammis - Thank you for the great advice, that's a really good idea. I'll look into my weight loss goals - I need to actually determine my weight properly - last time I checked it was significantly different to that a few days ago. I'm not sure if the scales are the problem, but I'm rather confused at the moment. I'll definitely try to make more realistic goals though. Thanks for the search options! Looking at them at the moment - I'll definitely peruse them in greater depth later.

@terilou - I totally understand where you're coming from - in fact, today I had some smarties (even though I wasn't really hungry) so that I wouldn't go overboard if I later became hungrier. It's working so far

@tndejong - thanks for all the fantastic ideas! I mgiht actually go out and buy some dark chocolate like you suggested - I've found before that a few pieces usually satisfy my awful desire for chocolate, as well as being 'healthier' because dark chocolate has less sugar than regular. I've also been snacking on bluberries today - they're quite healthy and super sweet, and so far, I haven't felt like any 'bad' food at all (Apart from the smarties, ahha)

@nhiaj - I do understand where you're coming from, and I'll try not to beat myself up after a binge in the future! Luckily, mine so far have only been small evening periods, and I guess, in the grand scheme of things, they're not too serious, because I don't actually eat thaaaat much, and it's not for long periods of time anyway. I won't give up! Thanks for the motivation!

@LLaceFace - I understand what you mean about emotional eating - I used to do it all the time last year, especially around my study time because I had such hard exams that I felt depressed all the time. I'm under way less stress now, but as uni starts soon I'll be careful not to let myself get into that awful habit again, so thanks for your advice - I'll definitely follow it regarding your small snack tips! And yeah, I'm loving those herbal teas! It's so exciting going out and buying them - trying new flavours and all

@Reza151 - awesome idea about the celery and carrots - I'll definitely try that out! I really love hummus, so I'll dip the carrot sticks in that - sounds yummy!

@A01f - Fantastic, I will check it out I do hope you can break the spiral! If you need any encouragement, feel free to talk to me any time

@ghostwor1d - fantastic idea about the teeth-brushing! I'll definitely try it out. And the waiting tip - next time I have a craving I'll just wait for half an hour! thanks