Any tips for binge eaters?

mgsimon

I would do that alot as well. Last night, for instance. I got MAD munchies, and went into the fridge to raid it.
But than I stopped for a second, and thought do i REALLY want the extra calories before I go to bed?
I'm not any expert, im new to this, but I know eating a bunch of junk food before bed is a no-no.
So, i got a glass of water and drank that and the munchies went away. It was tough but it might work for you.
Just remember tomorrow is a new day, and always keep working. Were humans, bound to mess up.
Dont take it to heart and dont give up,.

Thanks for your reply!
Yes, you're totally wright.
Problem with me is in cases like this I just can't control myself. As if I HAD TO eat all these, I'm not myself anymore
But anyway, I'll try the glass of water trick next time.
As you said, tomorrow is a new day

I'm a binger...big time. First off, always record the binge. That is eye opening. Even if you don't try to do anything to stop it. Record it and feel the results as you go through the exercise of putting each calorie/item in your diary. Then, try to do better next time AND, most importantly, get right back on track. Don't let one night's binge derail you, especially from any exercise program. While 80% of what you do for weight loss is away from the gym, I feel the act of going, working out etc eventually brings you to a point where you can't overeat and feel ok about going to the gym because you will be bloated, sluggish etc. While it could work the other way, meaning if you feel bloated, sluggish etc you WON'T go to the gym, I've found it works best to make myself go and the eating gets under control. I want to eat better after a workout. Finally, practical advice during the trip to the cabinet or refrigerator or drive thru lane. Try to understand what you are doing, try to understand the consequence, and go ahead and eat something. But try really hard to make it a better choice. If I'm craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I'll try to go with a few peanuts. Or, half a wheat thin with a little bit of peanut butter on it instead of making a whole sandwich. If I'm at In n Out, I'll get the single cheeseburger and no fries and no spread vs. double double with spread and french fries. Just try to always make better decisions. You'll find yourself actually driving away from the fast food place to go get a boneless/skinless chicken breast lettuce wrap, or opening up the refrigerator and having an apple instead of the piece of pie.

I'm no expert. I'm just doing it one day at a time (actually, 97 days in a row!!) and learning as I go. This is my 10th attempt at losing and I have no illusions that there might be an 11th. But, for some reason (exercise, higher level of commitment, losing for the "right reasons" ) this one feels different. Small victories, never a finish line, and just try to be better tomorrow, especially if you weren't today. Good luck.

longboardingtiger

Totally recovered binge eater here.

The only thing that eliminated my need to binge was changing WHAT I eat. Really. Changing what I eat also cured depression, anxiety, intestinal disorders, metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes), chronic joint pain, allergies, frequent illness/infection, sleep apnea, etc, etc, etc. And obesity is being cured as well, but it's taking longer that the others, of course.

I have discovered that my "binge eating disorder" was NOT a psychological issue, but a physical symptom of poor diet. I was completely malnourished and my body was trying desperately to obtain adequate nutrition. (Yes, one can be obese and malnourished; look around.)

(Possibly not what you wanted to hear.)

^^This. There is a biochemical reason why people binge. Google 'sugar addiction radiant recovery' and see what comes up

Super interesting! First time I hear about that..!

longboardingtiger

I would do that alot as well. Last night, for instance. I got MAD munchies, and went into the fridge to raid it.
But than I stopped for a second, and thought do i REALLY want the extra calories before I go to bed?
I'm not any expert, im new to this, but I know eating a bunch of junk food before bed is a no-no.
So, i got a glass of water and drank that and the munchies went away. It was tough but it might work for you.
Just remember tomorrow is a new day, and always keep working. Were humans, bound to mess up.
Dont take it to heart and dont give up,.

Thanks for your reply!
Yes, you're totally wright.
Problem with me is in cases like this I just can't control myself. As if I HAD TO eat all these, I'm not myself anymore
But anyway, I'll try the glass of water trick next time.
As you said, tomorrow is a new day

I'm a binger...big time. First off, always record the binge. That is eye opening. Even if you don't try to do anything to stop it. Record it and feel the results as you go through the exercise of putting each calorie/item in your diary. Then, try to do better next time AND, most importantly, get right back on track. Don't let one night's binge derail you, especially from any exercise program. While 80% of what you do for weight loss is away from the gym, I feel the act of going, working out etc eventually brings you to a point where you can't overeat and feel ok about going to the gym because you will be bloated, sluggish etc. While it could work the other way, meaning if you feel bloated, sluggish etc you WON'T go to the gym, I've found it works best to make myself go and the eating gets under control. I want to eat better after a workout. Finally, practical advice during the trip to the cabinet or refrigerator or drive thru lane. Try to understand what you are doing, try to understand the consequence, and go ahead and eat something. But try really hard to make it a better choice. If I'm craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I'll try to go with a few peanuts. Or, half a wheat thin with a little bit of peanut butter on it instead of making a whole sandwich. If I'm at In n Out, I'll get the single cheeseburger and no fries and no spread vs. double double with spread and french fries. Just try to always make better decisions. You'll find yourself actually driving away from the fast food place to go get a boneless/skinless chicken breast lettuce wrap, or opening up the refrigerator and having an apple instead of the piece of pie.

I'm no expert. I'm just doing it one day at a time (actually, 97 days in a row!!) and learning as I go. This is my 10th attempt at losing and I have no illusions that there might be an 11th. But, for some reason (exercise, higher level of commitment, losing for the "right reasons" ) this one feels different. Small victories, never a finish line, and just try to be better tomorrow, especially if you weren't today. Good luck.

Thanks for all the great tips.
I really feel the same way about exercising. And I did not exercice today. But I did the last 4 days. Must be related.
97 days in a row...you're my hero!!

remcobob

Find and read "Sugar Blues" by William Duffy and "Food Rules" by Michael Polland.(both on Amazon).

Sugar, salt, and fat trigger the happy portion of the brain. They becomes addicting like heroin. This is why it is so hard to stop because your brain needs that fix. It takes months to go off and not crave that high (takes 3 years to not want a cigarette after quitting). Use Food Rules as a guide, just add one chapter into your life at a time and it will make a difference (Real food does not come out of a window).

Remember, there are guys (historically guys) that spend their lives figuring out how to get you to eat crap that costs them pennies (sugar, fat,salt) and hook you on it so they can make money off of you. They really are callous about this. They won't feed it to their children, they know better.

It's not about calories, it's about your health and quality of life,

Good Luck

I'm 67, 5'8", got out of basic training at 160 lbs, up to 204 (about 8 years ago, a slice of Costco pepperoni pizza for lunch every week day for about 2 years), down to 182 about 6 years ago (hiked Mt. Whitney) down to 157 now, heading for sub 150 in about 2-3 months.

I don't eat out unless absolutely necessary (too much food and salt, doesn't taste good anymore). No milk (casein, whey,cheese, yogurt,etc.), no added salt, no wheat (cheek breaks out, allergy I think). It is very hard to change but once you get it, it becomes obvious. Try to find bread that doesn't have milk in it (Trader Joe's only has ONE loaf of wheat bread that is milk free but I switched to rice based bread recently anyway).

hunger4love

I am a terrific binge eater. Seriously, I should get an award or something.

I think I try to numb out with food. I definitely binge in response to stress and loneliness.
And then comes the shame and guilt and fear and there I am, bloated and uncomfortable at the gym, doing an hour of cardio and hating myself the whole time....

It's a vicious cycle. I'm a woman of extremes.

I binge in response to loneliness and then feel so ashamed of myself that I isolate myself. It's sad.

I am trying to view feeding myself as an act of love and see food as a blessing, which it is.

Just today I decided to allow myself to eat more every day. I'm increasing my calories from 1200 to 1600. I think the deprivation of dieting contributed to my last (2 weeks) long binge. I regained everything I had lost. So this time I'm going for slower weight loss - a lifestyle change rather than a diet.

And, as others have said, keep the junk out of the house. I wish I had more control over this, personally. My roommate dumpster dives and brings home insane amounts of crap that I would never in a million years have at home if it was just me living there (seriously - dozens of cupcakes, pies, things like that). Oh, and he loves to make homemade ice cream and white bread. And he totally doesn't get my food issues and why it bothers me that he fills the cupboards and fridge with empty calories. SO. FRUSTRATING.

But yeah, show that body some love. Good luck!

lambchoplewis

I am getting much better at stopping my binging. I weigh myself every morning and I know that if I start a binge, it gets bad and the next morning I will be sad and mad!! I can feel a binge coming on and need to get out of house or area I am in. I need to really think about why I am doing this. Usually boredom.

I take baths, chew gum, drink hot tea, walk on treadmill anything. If I do binge, I make sure to get right back on track the next day even though I feel like crap for a few days. I get on the scale and make sure to think about the increase and how it makes me feel. I have reduced the binges to one per month MAX!!!! This is great for me. My goal is to be able to go out, eat a little of something and STOP!!!!

joybell32

Totally recovered binge eater here.

The only thing that eliminated my need to binge was changing WHAT I eat. Really. Changing what I eat also cured depression, anxiety, intestinal disorders, metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes), chronic joint pain, allergies, frequent illness/infection, sleep apnea, etc, etc, etc. And obesity is being cured as well, but it's taking longer that the others, of course.

I have discovered that my "binge eating disorder" was NOT a psychological issue, but a physical symptom of poor diet. I was completely malnourished and my body was trying desperately to obtain adequate nutrition. (Yes, one can be obese and malnourished; look around.)

(Possibly not what you wanted to hear.)

Probably the best reply of this entire post!!!

Carmella9

I defiantly love to binge however the one thing I find that stopped this is going to the gym, I can go in there craving everything under the sun then leave not caring! I've tracked my diet ad exercise over the past 3 months and the pattern shows that when I have not gone to the gym (usually between 5.30-7.30) I eat a lot more and a lot worse, this is probably due to being preoccupies with something else other than the fridge when I get back from work! I ten eat about 7.30 and alow a desert after it

lithezebra

I have discovered that my "binge eating disorder" was NOT a psychological issue, but a physical symptom of poor diet. I was completely malnourished and my body was trying desperately to obtain adequate nutrition. (Yes, one can be obese and malnourished; look around.)

I was a health food binge eater. I didn't finish quarts of ice cream. I ate fruit, yogurt, veggie soup, tofu, tempeh and whole grains.

weeto1

I would do that alot as well. Last night, for instance. I got MAD munchies, and went into the fridge to raid it.
But than I stopped for a second, and thought do i REALLY want the extra calories before I go to bed?
I'm not any expert, im new to this, but I know eating a bunch of junk food before bed is a no-no.
So, i got a glass of water and drank that and the munchies went away. It was tough but it might work for you.
Just remember tomorrow is a new day, and always keep working. Were humans, bound to mess up.
Dont take it to heart and dont give up,.

This is exactly where I've ended up. I get a craving for an unhealthy snack, pause, get some water, stop thinking about the temptation, sorted!

rawhidenadz

intermittent fasting + volumetrics + exercise + lots of water help me keep it in check for the most part. I still binge twice a month or so.

Also I try to keep my calories as high as I possibly can while still losing weight. Restricting too much definitely causes me to binge.

yesmikan

There's a Binge Eating Support Group forum here on MFP that I'd recommend joining
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/743-binge-eating-support-group

ladytinkerbell99

Getting over my eating disorder was a spiritual experience. It wasn't any one thing that I did. I started wanting to be healthy, after years of beating up my body. I did seek therapy. I wanted the way that I feed myself to be an expression of love. That worked for me. I haven't binged, starved, or done anything worse, since I was 19.

Sometimes I think of my body as a loyal dog that would do anything possible to obey me. I can't mistreat a pet.

^Interesting spin on this subject. I really like this. Thank you.:flowerforyou:

Maggie1moo

bump!

penneyEmma

im the queen of binge eating. i find i have to monitor every. single. thing. i put into my mouth. one mess up and im out of commission from a week to a couple months at least. i tell myself its okay, whats one meal? truth is, it turns into much more than that.

i eat for comfort. i am in love with food. we have a relationship. its mostly one sided. food gives and gives and i keep taking. ive gained almost half the weight back i lost. sad day.

saw a few skinny pictures of myself the other day. since then ive done wonderfully. i went immediately to the grocery store and bought good for me food.

i literally just discovered today, that if i eat a small meal every few hours, i dont think about food as much. i also started drinking a ton of water. i must say, i feel a lot better. my face is even skinnier than just last week.

i want to be skinny again. i dont want to worry about whether or not you can see my backfat through my shirt. or if i sit down do i have that roll. or if the bra's too tight you can see the fat above the bra and under my arm pits.

i cant fit any of my old clothes, and i refuse to buy bigger. its a frame of mind. food doesnt love you back.

This is actually me. If I deviate even slightly from my eating plan then I completely lose control and it takes me ages to get it back. On Wednesday I was given a Hummingbirds cupcake http://hummingbirdbakery.com/order/cupcakes/classic-cupcakes/red-velvet-cupcakes/ and it was delicious, I couldnt resist it but then that marked the brink of a very slippery slope that I am currently sliding down. I am in freefall right now. My binge eating disgusts me yet I cannot stop - its like I am possessed.

Sigh, just dont know how to combat it. So fed up right now

lambchoplewis

I know that "binge demon" that posses your body. It is like you are not even there and food is getting shoved into your mouth. You look for the stingiest - best tasting foods in the house. I hate this. I have been getting much better at it but... it does happen about once a month. Usually after a few glasses of wine at an event.... I cannot deviate from my routine as I never know if the "demon" will take over.

I do know that IF this happens, the only thing to do is get right back on track. It will take 2-3 days to feel better and for me, a week to get back to pre-binge weight. I do find that weighing myself every morning helps stop me from stuffing things into my mouth that I should not eat as I know I will have to face the scale in the morning and I like to see a "happy number".

angiechimpanzee

Do you think you might be eating too few of calories? Maybe your body is trying to tell you it needs more. If you're too scared to do that, try eating a meal that lasts at least 20 minutes since that's how long it takes for your brain to process if you're full or not

This might not be true for everyone but I know most peoples' binges aren't hunger-based, they're psychological. Even if her body is getting enough food & calories physiologically, she might feel deprived simply because she knows she's on a diet, meaning she's not "allowed" to eat certain foods or certain amounts of food. These leads to random compulsive urges to eat excessive amounts. Almost all dieters binge. And running away from your "binge foods" won't help either. Not keeping them in the house even further enforces the thought that you can't control yourself, and that certain foods are off limits, giving them a stronger hold on you.

Sizethree4Ever

MFP has been an eye opener for me. I have discovered that my binging episodes was due to my normal diet being completely inadequate. When I started logging my food I realized I was only consuming about 800 calories a day and exercising on top of that. (MFP has given me 1200) My body was not getting enough nutrients or fuel. I would keep this up for a few weeks and then one day just binge and not stop. I would binge for a few weeks and eventually start feeling guilty and hate myself and then starve again. Vicious cycle. So check your diet, make sure you are consuming the correct amount of calories and that your food choices are good healthy one. Hope this helps.

This!