support for Binge Eating Disorder

Behavior_Modification

Congrats to Mrs B, you're doing great...but what about everybody else. How are you guys all doing? I hope that no one is ashamed to share their stories if you had a binge, I think if we can open up to each other, we can learn a lot from each person's individual experiences. I personally would love to read how the rest of you are doing.

Me? Doing okay. Still battling the night time cravings pretty much every day. I love love love it when I don't even have to face temptation, but most days are not that easy. Last night I had my diary all filled out and then all of a sudden right before bed I start craving the devil sugar. I so should have just gone to bed, but I foolishly tried to tame the beast with a little chocolate. Unfortunately that seemed to have made it worse and then 3 squares of chocolate and a few spoonfuls of fat free cool whip later, I felt "better" and went to bed. I feel crappy about the extra meaningless calories I ate, but I am not going to be upset with myself because it was not nearly as bad as it has been in my past. I have to remind myself where I started from. And where I started from is a scary place. But way back then I wasn't logging my food and instead of 150-200 meaningless calories, I'd probably stuff my face with like 800-1000 calories w/o blinking an eye, maybe more. Some days definitely more. With my history, I am not striving for perfection. I want to improve my awareness and learn from how I feel at those times and I will continue to log whatever I eat, even if I'm not proud of it. The fat free cool whip must go though too, no reddi whip, no cool whip, no fluffy sugary stuff anymore for my fridge. I will still continue to buy smaller amounts of chocolate and occasional low sugar ice cream, but I know I don't really even crave cool whip, I just like it because it is sweet and light, and I try to justify it since it is so low in calories, but eating spoonful after spoonful is not good and it is too many grams of sugar. The other problem with cool whip and me is that it gives me a "full" sensation after I eat a whole bunch and that is not a sensation I want to attribute to bed time anymore (see my profile for more info on this). So cool whip is out! Nutritionally, and psychologically it is not good for me. One battle at a time, one battle at a time...

Tbfree

Welcome Jamiss and Marci!!! Glad to have you join us.

Thanks for sharing Diane. I encourage you, as you said, to not beat yourself up over the "meaningless calories". They were just a couple of hundred AND you were able to stop before it became a full-on binge. You have come a long way - Great job! I support you getting rid of the coo-whip/ready-whip - Never buy that garbage again!!

I just now stopped myself from a binge. I am traveling today and am alone in the hotel and started eating food that I packed because I haven't eaten much all day. Had a fruit cup from Chickfila that I picked up earlier on the way in, a turkey snack stick, and a Larabar. That was a good meal. Then I had another Larabar and I was sufficiently full. Could have stopped at one, but 2 was ok given I haven't had much to eat today and my body probably needed it. I was full and and had definitely eaten enough, but I wanted to eat the 3rd Larabar because it was there and then all of the larabars would be gone (some kind of completion thing tied with bingeing). I picked it up was going to open it, then I just put it down. I argued in my head back and forth. Then sat down logged in to my computer and got on this site. The urge is now gone.

I will probably go over my calorie goal today, because I will be eating out for dinner, and I am having a rest day from my running plan, but that is ok. That fact will also not spur me to binge. Its ok if I go over a little bit, I won't binge just because "i blew it for today". That does not make any sense. I am on a good path now, hanging in there. Today is the 12th day I have avoided having a full-on binge. Today (just described) and day 7 were very close but I was able to stop.

I will need a lot of strength this week to not eat the wrong things and to not overeat on these wrong things. I know you are not supposed to have "good foods" and "bad foods", but I follow a Paleo-type diet that is challenging to accommodate when traveling. For me, sugar in all its forms, promotes overeating and bingeing. Being away from home, in a hotel, and having to eat out will really test me.

Behavior_Modification

Thank you for sharing also Tbfree. I applaud you for your success today saying no to those delicious little bars. You did the absolute right thing and so glad you signed into MFP when it hit. Good luck with dinner and when you're sitting in your hotel room tonight, think of your MFPeeps. I'll be thinking of you! Take good care sweetie!

P.S. Stay far away from the vending machines at the hotel

wanderinglight

Hi All. I have been back and forth, all over the map for the past few weeks. Making bad choices, having secret binges, then logging a few days of healthy eating.

I just stopped myself tonight from a binge as well. I found myself thinking that my boyfriend will be out for a few hours -- that's long enough for me to stuff my face and be done before he's home. Then I got disgusted with myself for planning my own self-destruction. I wandered out to the garden instead, cut some mint, brewed a cup of mint tea and logged on to this site. It was enough to stop it tonight.

it is a daily struggle for me though. I think I have the same issues where a little bit of sugar ALWAYS seems to lead to a full-fledged binge. I wish I weren't so all or nothing.

MrsBattousai

Hey wanderinglight!

Nice job with the not binging keep it up! Keep your self busy that's what I do it really works. And remember you are worth it never forget that and you own it to yourself to take care of you!

Good luck!

Behavior_Modification

Wandering light-- I am so glad to see you on this thread, thanks for posting. yeah, that all or nothing sugar thing is so totally bogus.

So last night I did good, I completely stayed away from all temptations and just went to bed., I didn't even have a little of anything. It feels good to log a whole day of healthful food!

abbiez

hey everyone, just want to make my presence known :-) i had to pieces of cheese bread last night, i didnt feel guilty and beat ymself up about it for once! i didnt cry or hate myself. it was still bad to eat it but im glad that i didnt get depressed.

gonna work it off tonight!
ill check back in late,r on my way out the door to work "yay":noway:

hopeitworks

Hi all. I haven't checked in for a while. I havent had too many good days recently so I didn't even log in. I'm getting so disappointed with myself and am beginning to wonder how I ever even lost the 18 pounds that I did lose. Sometimes I feel like such a loser. But anyway, I am SO GLAD to you see how well some of you are doing. I really enjoy reading about all of your successes. Keep up the great work.

Behavior_Modification

Hi everyone. I've been doing really well the past few days. I have avoided the chocolates, the ice creams, the cool whips, all of it. I think that will be a better approach than trying to just have a little because that sends me into a yearning craving state of mind that is frankly really annoying and when it happens I just want it to go away. But I've noticed these past 3 days that if I don't even indulge a little at night I feel almost normal...almost. AND that I can go a whole day w/o eating any of those bad things. That in itself is a revelation. I will pay more and more attention to my actual cravings and not eat "just a little" just because I want it.

hopeitworks

Good job dianeg! What you're doing sounds like a great idea. I'm going to try your method and see if it works for me. What do you do to keep your mind and body away from all the sweets? Keep up the good work.

Behavior_Modification

Hi Hope--To keep my body away from sweets, I severely limit what I will even bring into the house. As of right now, I've got some plain chocolate squares, fat free cool whip (which I will not be buying any more of), and some sugar free whitman's chocolates that have been sitting in the pantry for a few months because they're not great, more like emergency chocolate. I finished the no sugar added ice cream last week or the week b4 and have not bought anymore of that yet. I'll probably wait for it to go on sale. I decided it was not something I needed to keep in the house all the time and if I really want ice cream I'll go to McD's for a 49 cent cone. I am not willing to give up the stash of chocolate though. It is better for me to have it, than try to fill the craving with something else. If it gets to be a problem sometimes I'll throw the chocolate up on the way top shelf that I need a stepladder to get anything off of.

To keep my mind off it, there is nothing that I can do as a reaction, once the craving hits, it's go time. At first I try to ignore it, but sometimes it can be so overwhelming that it interferes with my train of thought and when I can't shake it off, I do indulge. I try very hard to keep it to a minimum and I eat very very slowly, so it doesn't even feel uncontrolled. So since I usually can't make the craving go away once it's hit, it has to be what I do beforehand to prevent the craving from even coming on. And as I've mentioned before over the past 6 months this has gotten easier and easier. I never thought a day would go by w/o me feeling an overwhelming urge to eat sugar. But with proper nutrition and following all my "rules", I really don't crave sugar that much (maybe 3-4X per week or less). It's when I have some that I can't seem to stop. But if I don't even have any "naughty" foods at all and just stick to my fuel foods, I'm usually safe. The way the nutrition coach has me eating is how I want to eat now forever because it is WORKING. Yes I'm losing weight and that is great, but I've been dealing with this eating disorder for too long now and I love that it seems to be getting better and better. This has been a problem for me for too long and I thought it was hopeless, but it isn't hopeless at all, I just didn't have the right tools and educations about food, but I do now. And I FEEL good. Healthy feels good. I like it a lot! Never in my whole life have I had a period of time where I only ate healthy foods and I really feel totally different.

Behavior_Modification

How's everybody doing?

IsMollyReallyHungry

bump!

MrsBattousai

Hey!

I thought I would check in and see how you guys are doing? I'm going strong I think I have kicked binging out of my life for good. I'm 3 weeks and going strong. What I have been doing is keeping myself really busy and only eating when I'm hungry and eating slowly and stopping when I'm full! I still have times when I feel binging coming on but I try to find some else to do and change things up so I'm not tempted to binge. I hope everyone else is doing well! And good luck!

Behavior_Modification

Good for you Mrs B!

lovehappinessed

Hey guys!
I found this board. I've been struggling with binge eating for a couple years now and I want it out of my life! Night time is the worst!! Any tips or things you guys have done that has helped?

Thanks

Behavior_Modification

Hi Love, welcome to the board. What has been helpful to me so far is nourishing my body with all the good foods that are full of fiber & protein throughout the day and then by the time the night comes around I'm not craving food because I'm already satisfied. My problem seems to be at night too and I've noticed that on the days that I don't have even a little sugar at night I'm better.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Hello:

I have not had a real binge in a while but I do struggle with it. I am also a compulsive over eater. The 2 go hand in hand, right. I just wanted to say hi and I am lurking here, even though I do not have the time to post regularly.

Everyone keep up the good work! And we can do this! :flowerforyou:

Hugs,

lovehappinessed

Ah last night was bad and I can't seem to stop all this!! Its stinks

Behavior_Modification

Ah last night was bad and I can't seem to stop all this!! Its stinks

Sorry to hear. What's going on in your life? Can you find the root of what's causing it?

RachelH25

Support for BED .... sign me up! I've been reading everyones responds and its nice to know I'm not the only one dealing with this.
I started bingeing right after I got married. My husband sarted getting on my case about everything I put in my mouth. All the guys he knew told him that once he married me I would get fat. Even though I was skinny and happy with where my body was at the time I let him get to me. I felt like I couldn't eat anything around him so I started eating when he wasn't around.This led to eating as much as I could as fast as I could just on the weekends then slowly every other day of the week. I started exerciseing more to make up for it until all I was doing was eating and working out. I compleatly exusted myself.

I ended up gaining 15 pounds in 4 years until just before we dicided to geat peragnet. I lost 5lbs in 4 weeks. Then gained 50lbs during my peragnancy.

So now here I am eight weeks post pardom dealing with this all over again!

Behavior_Modification

Support for BED .... sign me up! I've been reading everyones responds and its nice to know I'm not the only one dealing with this.
I started bingeing right after I got married. My husband sarted getting on my case about everything I put in my mouth. All the guys he knew told him that once he married me I would get fat. Even though I was skinny and happy with where my body was at the time I let him get to me. I felt like I couldn't eat anything around him so I started eating when he wasn't around.This led to eating as much as I could as fast as I could just on the weekends then slowly every other day of the week. I started exerciseing more to make up for it until all I was doing was eating and working out. I compleatly exusted myself.

I ended up gaining 15 pounds in 4 years until just before we dicided to geat peragnet. I lost 5lbs in 4 weeks. Then gained 50lbs during my peragnancy.

So now here I am eight weeks post pardom dealing with this all over again!

Welcome Rachel! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Binge eating is a behavior that took over my control with food for far too long. I'm so glad I'm on the road to recovery and having people who really know what it's like to share experiences with is very important. I don't know that I will ever NEVER have the urge to binge, but if I can learn to deal with the emotions and feelings when they come up and have a good support system to turn to, i know that I can overcome this disease that has burdened me for the majority of my life.

Lately I've been doing well overall. I have noticed that once I start it is hard to stop, so sometimes the easiest method of combat is to distract myself from it completely. Unfortunately sometimes that is easier said than done and then I have to work on tactics to stop myself from continuing once I've begun.

And hormones SUCK! Mine have been all over the place since I started losing weight. Fat cells store estrogen and as I burn the fat off, the estrogen gets released into my body and well my body doesn't know what to do with all that extra stuff. I think my body thinks chocolate is the answer.

That's all for now.

Hoping we can get some more people to join the thread...support is needed!

MrsBattousai

Well guys I have not binged in over a month but I binged tonight! I feel crappy after doing it but one lesson learned I have to let myself have a little sugar a day of bam I will binge. I have not been giving myself treats at all bad idea. Time to strat all over again. Damn I was over a month without binging. start again I quess. I hope others are having better luck.

Melissa

Behavior_Modification

Hi Melissa! Another successful learning experience; you did so great! You should be very proud of your accomplishment of eating better for a healthier you. I cannot say that I've been doing super great, but overall okay. I had to put down my orange cat on Friday and I took Fri-Mon off from MFP and logging my food. I ate several things in a larger quantity than I would have otherwise and I definitely did not have enough fruits & veggies. But overall I did eat very mindfully and mostly just was having a problem with ice cream. That stems back a long way in my life. Ice cream is the heal all in my family. Ice cream makes everything better. And it has been a very sad time for me these past few days. I am doing better, I am logging my food again and staying away from too much sugar.

MrsBattousai

Hey!

Tks! I know we can do it one day at a time! Stress is a huge factor I'm trying to keep myself really busy so I'm not turning to food. Good luck to you as well!

IsMollyReallyHungry

Hello Everyone,

I have been lurking here. I still binge on occasion and I know the desire to binge may not ever go away completely, but logging helps keep me on track most days now. I have read several books on this matter over the years.

This weekend I had semi binges but I was able to stop myself before going into a full blown binge. I still have the tendencies for sure.

I was in therphy for this order for about 4 years in my late 20's. I still use some of the statergies I learned now to battle BED.

Right now I do Overeaters Anonoymous (OA) on line and face to face once a week to remain mindful and control my binges. I am still recovering. BED and compulsive overeating go hand and hand. For me they are one in the same because a COE is the beginning of a binge most times.

Sorry if preachy or repetive....:-) Keep up the good work and do not dispair when struggling. Just never give up and you will gain control. We can do this. Do not beat yourself up when you fail or struggle. Get back up and keep on keeping on.

Hugs, Molly

IsMollyReallyHungry

RECOVERY MEDITATIONS
One Day at a Time
September 7, 2010

~ HONESTY ~

:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:

"If it is not right do not do it;
if it is not true do not say it."

Marcus Aurelius

:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:

Honesty of all sorts is important, but
honesty with ourselves is
foundational. With everything that was
in me, I resisted the notion that I had
an eating disorder. Everybody else had a
problem with my eating, not me. But when
I finally faced the painful truth, I
began the journey to freedom, from not
merely overeating, but from all the
underlying bondage that had caused me to
stuff my feelings.

What power comes from honesty! I used to
be afraid of truth, but truth is becoming my friend.

ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .

Today I will not let myself hide
from truth simply to be comfortable;
I will use truth as a tool for freedom

Behavior_Modification

Our dearest Mollie, your words are always so helpful. Honesty is very powerful. I see how I wasn't really being honest about a lot of things in regards to weight loss success before. Or perhaps it was just selective memory. Now that I am logging everything I eat (good or bad) I really see how different it is and how it has to be that way in order to lose weight.

MrsBattousai

Hey!

Tks so much for the post. It is so true being honest to myself and others have really helped me with this. Talking it out with someone trying to solve the problem or getting to the bottom of it. I'm really looking forward to going to this program for addicting behaivers I think it will help me alot. The past 3 days have been hell for me. Stress is getting to me and I keep turning to food. I think one of the problems is I'm not eating a well balaned diet so I'm using the Canada's food guide to get everything in to see if that helps. Because I was not eating everything I should and not eating dairy and to much fruit and vegs. And not enough good grains. So we will see. I also gave up gum on Saturday I think that was other problem instead of chewing gum I was eating to much food mostly sugar. So I put gum back in to see if that helps I'm just going to not go overboard. I can do this it is just trying to find a balance in my food.

Melissa

hopeitworks

Diane - So sorry to hear about your cat. I will be going through a similar experience soon. My dog of 15 years is suffering from kidney failure.
Mrs. B - Hope you are back on track. You did so well and I know you can do it again.
Even though I don't know you guys personally, I do think about all of you on this site struggling with binging. I really wish the best for all of you.
As for me, I have some good days and I have some bad days. It's so hard to understand how some days I can keep a handle on the binging and other days it's like some demon monster inside me who wants to eat everything in sight. Hopefully some day I will figure it out, but in the meantime, all we can do is the best that we can.