Tips for the Binge Eater/Compulsive Overeater/Food Addict
turnarounddontlookback
Posts: 13
Hi Everyone,
Looking through some old notes from a time where I had making great progress in overcoming my binge eating habits and losing weight. I'm trying to get back to that place so I'm making a list of things that worked for me before. Thought I would share them with you all in case they ring true for anyone:
-FINDING A PHYSICAL REPLACEMENT FOR THE ACT OF BINGE EATING
Most binge eaters report going into a trance like state during a binge. During a trance state, we don’t have to worry, or think. We leave behind our conscious state, and enter an unconscious state where our thoughts do not race, our fears do not shout and our energy is instead focused on the task at hand – in this case bingeing. Entering this unconscious state relieves stress a person It’s the exact same force that drives alcohol and drug abuse, self harm, hair pulling and skin picking, etc. Understanding this concept means there is a way to find a solution!!! YAY!!! The good news is that there are hundreds of replacements you can utilize when you are on your journey towards conquering binge eating. What you need to do is try out some physical replacements for bingeeating. Here is a list of activities that I think can offer the same ‘’trancelike’’ state in which stress is alleviated.
-deep cleaning in your place…..Seriously, it is very therapeutic to turn on the stereo, don some rubber gloves get your cleaning supplies out and get in there. Clean your toilet, your tub, get into the scrubbing, take your time and do a really good job. Or do your cupboards and pantries - shelves and drawers. Stuff like that. Pick a project and get set up and then just get into it. Your mind is focusing on repetitive motions like scrubbing etc. It’s great ! Plus when your finished – your house is clean! Bonus! The feeling of accomplishing something useful, like cleaning your house, is a positive one, so this is what I like to call a Positive Habit. Unlike bingeing, where immediately after the binge, you experience deep shame, self-hate, disgust. These feelings simply settle down and create a thick layer of stress, of anger, and shame that in turn stimulates more binge eating behaviour, perpetuating this Negative Habit cycle.
-Another thing is doing a simple home project such as painting walls. You get into the painting zone, and really just focus on getting it done.
-Try eating a huge plates of baby carrots, celery or other fresh vegetable. The repitive chewing is just what you need, and its great for your health.
-Drink tea. Obsessively. Holding the hot cup is relaxing and sipping hot tea is repetitive enough. And the health benefits of different kinds of teas are all undless. Just watch out for teas containing caffeine if you are caffeine sensitive or for night time tea drinking.
-House chores like mowing the lawn, shoveling the snow, raking leaves, weeding the garden, etc.
-Creative projects are very therapeutic in their own right, but the actual act of keeping your hands busy is part of the reason. Playing an instrument, painting, drawing, knitting, sewing,
This is one of my favorite quotes: “The hardest thing about taking a walk is putting your shoes on.” Just go put your shoes on and literally go for a walk around the block. Seriously go for a ten minutes only. After you’ve been walking for 10 min you feel fine.
-Use the 1-day goal. Forget about your “end goal” for a minute, and just make a one day goal. Mine is usually, Write down everything I eat today and stay within my weight watchers points budgets – for just one day. Or, go for a 60 minute walk today – no matter what. I use the one day goal after I screw up and have a junk food day or after I have a few consecutive lazy days where I make up excuses for not exercising. The one day goal gets me back on track….and reminds me that change is possible and that it happens one day at a time. Don’t make your one day goal be, “have a perfect day” just pick ONE thing you want to do for just ONE day and forget about the future thinking for a minute. Write it down tonight, do it tomorrow, and then reflect the next day……(did I do it? YES! Yay me!!) it’s a great feeling and it’s a motivator too.
- Bananas, Potatoes, Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Corn on the cob. All of these deliciously starchy fruits and vegetables are cheap, filling, sweet, and breadlike. Abuse as desired! Yes there is calories in these bad boys, more than most fruit veg, yes yes, but your body uses more energy to digest these fibrelicious beauts and it also has nutrients and vitamins not in processed foods, and it also gets you subconsciously reaching for the fruit and vegs. Better than cake.
-If you are hungry at night time………..that sucks. So try to eat a decent dinner. But if you are a night time eater a good way to break the habit is to leave yourself some calories or points in your food budget for night time snack. Then choose something not awful like chips. I like to have a instant porridge packet and a banana. Or some almonds. Or some popcorn. Or nonfat greek yogurt.
-Journal Journal Journal Journal. I find the most important part of my journal is the purge style writing. If I don’t get that yucky stuff out of my brain then I end up drowning it in food. Purge journalling is where you take a few minutes and put pen to paper and just write out all the angry, sad, evil thoughts in your head about anything and anyone. Then when you are done, don't even read it. Just close the book and carry on.
-Plan your food for the next day to a T. Plate it out in advance and pack your lunch.. Don’t be skimpy. But pick healthy filling foods. Now for one day, stick to the plan and say no to whatever temptation that may arise – no matter what. After you do this for a day you will feel like a stronger person. Guess what – when a friend asks you for a beer after work, YOU CAN go and choose to drink a soda water or diet coke. People might initially ask you whats up but usually a “I just don’t feel like drinking right now” or a straight up” I reallyw anted to hang out with you but right now Im watching my weight” is enough to shut them up and then after that, no one even notices what your drinking. Guess what else…when people order food, you can say, NO THANKs my dinner is waiting for me at home in the fridge. YES U CAN. Or just order a salad with grilled chicken, oil and vinegar on the side. You'll live.
Walk walk walk walk and walk. Walking is so great. Even the extremely obese can do it. Its free, it can be for 5 minutes or for 95. It can be slow or fast. It can be steady of uphill. You can do it with a friend, a dog, with an ipod or alone. You can do it in the mall, at the gym, or outside. Just get moving. Instead of going for coffees or beers with your friends, why not suggest a walk. Most people are keen to get more exercise and fresh air. If your friends or walking pal is busy, plug in your ipod and get some perspective as u jam to tunes and take in the sights of your local area. If your busy, just head out for a quick nip around the block. Walk instead of drive to the corner store. Also in winter months, head to the biggest mall and walk indoors.
-If you are a fast food junkie like me, take your debit and credit cards out of the wallet and leave them at home. Of course, fill up your gas tank first. I wrote down my credit card details in case of emergency and put it in my wallet - no way I can hit mcdonalds with that but just in case something happens, it's there.
Looking through some old notes from a time where I had making great progress in overcoming my binge eating habits and losing weight. I'm trying to get back to that place so I'm making a list of things that worked for me before. Thought I would share them with you all in case they ring true for anyone:
-FINDING A PHYSICAL REPLACEMENT FOR THE ACT OF BINGE EATING
Most binge eaters report going into a trance like state during a binge. During a trance state, we don’t have to worry, or think. We leave behind our conscious state, and enter an unconscious state where our thoughts do not race, our fears do not shout and our energy is instead focused on the task at hand – in this case bingeing. Entering this unconscious state relieves stress a person It’s the exact same force that drives alcohol and drug abuse, self harm, hair pulling and skin picking, etc. Understanding this concept means there is a way to find a solution!!! YAY!!! The good news is that there are hundreds of replacements you can utilize when you are on your journey towards conquering binge eating. What you need to do is try out some physical replacements for bingeeating. Here is a list of activities that I think can offer the same ‘’trancelike’’ state in which stress is alleviated.
-deep cleaning in your place…..Seriously, it is very therapeutic to turn on the stereo, don some rubber gloves get your cleaning supplies out and get in there. Clean your toilet, your tub, get into the scrubbing, take your time and do a really good job. Or do your cupboards and pantries - shelves and drawers. Stuff like that. Pick a project and get set up and then just get into it. Your mind is focusing on repetitive motions like scrubbing etc. It’s great ! Plus when your finished – your house is clean! Bonus! The feeling of accomplishing something useful, like cleaning your house, is a positive one, so this is what I like to call a Positive Habit. Unlike bingeing, where immediately after the binge, you experience deep shame, self-hate, disgust. These feelings simply settle down and create a thick layer of stress, of anger, and shame that in turn stimulates more binge eating behaviour, perpetuating this Negative Habit cycle.
-Another thing is doing a simple home project such as painting walls. You get into the painting zone, and really just focus on getting it done.
-Try eating a huge plates of baby carrots, celery or other fresh vegetable. The repitive chewing is just what you need, and its great for your health.
-Drink tea. Obsessively. Holding the hot cup is relaxing and sipping hot tea is repetitive enough. And the health benefits of different kinds of teas are all undless. Just watch out for teas containing caffeine if you are caffeine sensitive or for night time tea drinking.
-House chores like mowing the lawn, shoveling the snow, raking leaves, weeding the garden, etc.
-Creative projects are very therapeutic in their own right, but the actual act of keeping your hands busy is part of the reason. Playing an instrument, painting, drawing, knitting, sewing,
This is one of my favorite quotes: “The hardest thing about taking a walk is putting your shoes on.” Just go put your shoes on and literally go for a walk around the block. Seriously go for a ten minutes only. After you’ve been walking for 10 min you feel fine.
-Use the 1-day goal. Forget about your “end goal” for a minute, and just make a one day goal. Mine is usually, Write down everything I eat today and stay within my weight watchers points budgets – for just one day. Or, go for a 60 minute walk today – no matter what. I use the one day goal after I screw up and have a junk food day or after I have a few consecutive lazy days where I make up excuses for not exercising. The one day goal gets me back on track….and reminds me that change is possible and that it happens one day at a time. Don’t make your one day goal be, “have a perfect day” just pick ONE thing you want to do for just ONE day and forget about the future thinking for a minute. Write it down tonight, do it tomorrow, and then reflect the next day……(did I do it? YES! Yay me!!) it’s a great feeling and it’s a motivator too.
- Bananas, Potatoes, Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Corn on the cob. All of these deliciously starchy fruits and vegetables are cheap, filling, sweet, and breadlike. Abuse as desired! Yes there is calories in these bad boys, more than most fruit veg, yes yes, but your body uses more energy to digest these fibrelicious beauts and it also has nutrients and vitamins not in processed foods, and it also gets you subconsciously reaching for the fruit and vegs. Better than cake.
-If you are hungry at night time………..that sucks. So try to eat a decent dinner. But if you are a night time eater a good way to break the habit is to leave yourself some calories or points in your food budget for night time snack. Then choose something not awful like chips. I like to have a instant porridge packet and a banana. Or some almonds. Or some popcorn. Or nonfat greek yogurt.
-Journal Journal Journal Journal. I find the most important part of my journal is the purge style writing. If I don’t get that yucky stuff out of my brain then I end up drowning it in food. Purge journalling is where you take a few minutes and put pen to paper and just write out all the angry, sad, evil thoughts in your head about anything and anyone. Then when you are done, don't even read it. Just close the book and carry on.
-Plan your food for the next day to a T. Plate it out in advance and pack your lunch.. Don’t be skimpy. But pick healthy filling foods. Now for one day, stick to the plan and say no to whatever temptation that may arise – no matter what. After you do this for a day you will feel like a stronger person. Guess what – when a friend asks you for a beer after work, YOU CAN go and choose to drink a soda water or diet coke. People might initially ask you whats up but usually a “I just don’t feel like drinking right now” or a straight up” I reallyw anted to hang out with you but right now Im watching my weight” is enough to shut them up and then after that, no one even notices what your drinking. Guess what else…when people order food, you can say, NO THANKs my dinner is waiting for me at home in the fridge. YES U CAN. Or just order a salad with grilled chicken, oil and vinegar on the side. You'll live.
Walk walk walk walk and walk. Walking is so great. Even the extremely obese can do it. Its free, it can be for 5 minutes or for 95. It can be slow or fast. It can be steady of uphill. You can do it with a friend, a dog, with an ipod or alone. You can do it in the mall, at the gym, or outside. Just get moving. Instead of going for coffees or beers with your friends, why not suggest a walk. Most people are keen to get more exercise and fresh air. If your friends or walking pal is busy, plug in your ipod and get some perspective as u jam to tunes and take in the sights of your local area. If your busy, just head out for a quick nip around the block. Walk instead of drive to the corner store. Also in winter months, head to the biggest mall and walk indoors.
-If you are a fast food junkie like me, take your debit and credit cards out of the wallet and leave them at home. Of course, fill up your gas tank first. I wrote down my credit card details in case of emergency and put it in my wallet - no way I can hit mcdonalds with that but just in case something happens, it's there.
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Replies
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Thanks for sharing, some useful ideas here. Certainly agree with walking, I used to walk for hours, lost in my music and my own world, but the weather here has been terrible for sometime now and I hate crowds and shops. Cycling is another one that most people can do, and can give a real sense of freedom, especially if it takes you to a new place.
I would not go out for a meal etc, if I was just going to sit there and order salad. That would lead to a sense of deprivation and non normality, and make it seem like a diet rather than a lifestyle, if I could never go have a meal I wanted, especially for someone who does not eat out often anyway.
I find journalling difficult. I tried, and always found myself feeling stupid for the emotions I spewed out, and guilty about any negative thoughts or feelings I had about other people. I used to keep reams of journals when younger. But I think they sort of reminded me I was somehow messed up, and I have barely written since.
Food planning is hard for me because I tend to crave different foods each day, depending on what workout I have done. I might plan to have something vegetarian, do a hard strength workout, then find I crave chicken or fish.0 -
Great thread! I totally relate to the trance. And sometimes i have to break the day into 15 minute goals - no binging for 15 min, then I'll re-evaluate. Thanks for posting!0
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Thanks for sharing these tips.
I find that leaving my purse at home and taking my food with me when I go to work really helps
I find that because I can't go and buy the bad food, I don't really think about it much as I can't buy it!'
I might have to start this again from Monday!!0
