please help! i cant stop bingeing!!

tink082292

Okay my eating has gotten so out of hand. I eat and eat all day long. I mean constantly munching on everything. Cookies, brownies, tuna, tomatoes, etc. It's like I'm never really full. I get headaches and feel I'll but I'll still have a cookie or two for "snack". It's like all day is food time.

Everyday I say "oh I messed up by eating blah blah, so I'll start eating better tomorrow" then I end up eating every unhealthy thing in the house. I can't keep saying it, I have to start a different lifestyle. But yet it feels so hopeless.

Any suggestions to help with stopping constant bingeing?
Any foods I could munch on that wouldn't be super high in calories but still satisfy my sweet tooth?

Thanks a million.
Tina

AmyRhubarb

I satisfy my sweet tooth a couple of ways -

Dark chocolate, the 72% cacao or darker kind. Keep it in the freezer, and only take out a square or two, and eat them one square at a time, letting it melt in your mouth. Grab a handful of raw almonds with it - tasty snack!

Or plain Greek yogurt, topped with fresh berries or other fresh fruit, and drizzled with honey. The honey & fruit makes it sweet, and a good Greek yogurt is smooth and creamy - it's like dessert.

SophieA9083

Eat two good mouthfuls of protein before you eat anything else, and then wait a bit. Drink lots of water, you will eventually start eating less, some days you may be hungry, you are welcome to look last months food diary for when I was fending for myself, don't pay attention to this month whatever you do!

mwooderson

I do the best when there is absolutely nothing in the house I would feel bad about binging on. I keep tons of fresh veggies and fruits. No processed / packaged snack food in the pantry. You can't eat what you don't have.

Debbiedebbiey

I love chocolate, so I make sure I drink 2 chocolate protein shakes a day, I buy "Epic" protein from GNC. As long as I have around 100g, protein a day, I no longer have cravings.

wjohner

Always carry water with you and a real lemon so you can squeeze some in your water. It takes my food cravings away.
Winnie

SMarie10

I have a lot of self talk when it comes to mindless eating. I've finally gotten to the point where I will eat something healthy - carrots, fruit, and wait at least 10 - 15 minutes. If I'm still hungry I go for Fiber One cereal - only 80 cal. for 3/4 cup. That usually does the trick. If you are drinking alcohol, forget having control, that will do you under every time.

marygee1951

For sweets I make sugar-free jello with lite cool whip -- almost "free" -- or I make sugar-free chocolate pudding with cool whip. Sometimes I make a WW Pumkin Mousse with pumkin, sugar-free vanilla pudding and lite cool whip -- can eat a lot of that without doing damage. But it does take will-power - no way around it.

Good luck. :flowerforyou:

Thisisnotadiet

All the above is good advice, but it's a mental thing. Work on mind most of all. I feel you totally, b/c I have a similar problem too. I have now controlled the munching by logging on MFP before to eat it. This gives you an idea of the calories. Even better, I log my entire day the day before, so if I feel I want to munch I know whether or not I can do it within my calories. Having said that, I repeat, it's a mental thing and I don't have a good advice as to how to block it. I am working on it myself. At the end of a good day, I will go over my calories even though I am not hungry anymore (diary is open, you can see good days vs bad days). One lesson that I learned here is not to hate yourself for the bad days. It is useless. Remind yourself that you are human and thus not perfect, and that it is OK. Also, I try to think why I want to munch and try to connect my feeling with the food I want to eat, and ask why I want to eat. Often I am bored, or I simply I know I have to do a job (i.e. ironing, reading, working in the evening) and I am not in the mood, thus I eat. It helps a bit. So far, it has not solved the issue totally for me, but it has helped.

Contrarian

This is not about what you are eating. It's about you not exercising any control over your own behaviour.

You may want to consider talking to a therapist.

tjsoccermom

Get rid of the junk in your house, then the temptation is gone. Sugar free jello pudding is yummy, or look on here for some great low cal desert recipes (like cake in a mug) that can take care of your sweet tooth without a lot of calories. Also, post some motivational sayings, or pictures of what you want to look like, clothes you'd like to be able to wear, etc around your kitchen to make you think before you eat. If you have a friend that can motivate, call him/her when you feel the urge to binge come on. If you just feel like you can't resist the urge, to take a walk, jump rope, so some squats, sit ups, etc. You can do this, just have to find your will-power!!

AddyMaeMomma

I have no "hide the ice cream from yourself and then be very introspective before you tear into it" advice. I was at about the same place as you before I started this (153) in February and I just stopped eating the junk. I lost a few pounds, I felt better, I looked better and then it got easier to stop eating the junk because I didn't want to go back to 153. Just. Stop. Eating. It. Regardless of what I just said, I'm not a jerk and I would love to help you fight the crappy stuff, so friend me if you like!

141by2016

You are set to 1200/day, and for many that is just too low. You may be binging because you aren't eating enough regularly. Look at this http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0?hl=Place+of+the+road and think about eating more. Good luck!

Pink_turnip

at the start of this, i used to want to snack ALL THE TIME so I started drinking more tea. You can get it in every flavor imaginable, my favorite is love tea #7 from david's tea. It has chocolate, strawberries, and rose petals in it.
Really helped me with my snacking.

Graelwyn75

You might find this Mfp group helpful.
Lots of us there struggling with the same sort of issue, and we have a challenge each month to beat the 'binge monster', so to speak.
It is a very supportive group.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/743-binge-eating-support-group

ClearNotCloudyMind

Try intermittent fasting? Doesn't need robe drastic, just block off a part of the day in which you DO NOT EAT. I find if I've made the decision not to eat until noon then I can walk past the biscuit tin whereas before I was a monster!

Good luck with it

Graelwyn75

Try intermittent fasting? Doesn't need robe drastic, just block off a part of the day in which you DO NOT EAT. I find if I've made the decision not to eat until noon then I can walk past the biscuit tin whereas before I was a monster!

Good luck with it

This too. I started 16/8 IF six days ago, and have not had a binge since.

Masalamommy

join OA

maginsburg

What works for me is to just keep busy--go for a walk, drive, ride your bike or go visit a friend. If you stay home STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN!

Energizer06

THIS

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/946082-for-all-you-binge-eaters

keem88

get that bad food out of the house! if you live with others and they eat it, tell them and have them either remove it or someplace where you cannot find it.
drink drink drink that water. fill up on that to leave less room.
find something to keep you busy. are you bored a lot? stressed? depressed? happy? find out what it is going on emotionally causing you to binge, and try to work on that.
go for a long walk. keep your hands busy. doing a gel mani yourself is time consuming, if you get a uv light, regular nail polish and the gel coat, it takes an hour for the regular color to fully dry before you can seal it so for that hour u cant use your hands.
make some crafts, if i have the urge to binge i start making a friendship bracelet, bc they keep my hands busy and can take a few hrs depending how many colors i use.
try and go out with people to keep your mind off things.
read a book, play a sport, go for a walk with the dog, do exercises, take a long drive.
also, there are over eater annonymous groups that meet in person, online and the phone. also the eda has phone meetings, in person and online too if you want support and advice from others going through the same thing
good luck!

FrancklySara

Have you ever though of trying an Overearters Anonymous meeting? For some of us, certain foods trigger a reaction in our bodies that is very simular to what happens when an alcoholic drinks alcohol. Two of my big triggers are sugar and MSG, but yours might be different. This may be more that a will power issue - maybe you need some help and support.

scubachick2287

IF is what helped me too. It isn't easy by any means but it helped me realize that I could control my behavior. A challenge so to say. I no longer do IF but still have the ability to control myself. Aside from the other good suggestions the truth is, you have to really want to stop. There is no magical ingredient that will make you stop overeating. You could try keeping yourself busy and away from food sources. I clean my house when I feel the urge to sit around and eat. Also as someone else said, don't keep junk food in your house.

Mind over matter.

You can do it!!

Car0lynnM

Get rid of the 'bad food', make sure your calorie goal is appropriate and you're getting all the nutrients you need, and find a hobby. sounds like you're bored.

GracefulDancer4Christ

journaling

take a 3 ring binder, some dividers, filler paper

divide in 3 sections

section 1 thankful section when you are tempted to binge write down 5 things you are thankful for

section 2 mind dumping journal write down anything you may be feeling, or why you think you are binge eating or want to.

section 3 positive affirmation write 5 things you like about yourself

sometimes we binge because we are not eating enough through the day or are dealing with stress, emotional issues etc

they have some binge eating groups here on mfp also

binge eating support, binge eating challenging, etc.

jyneefur

There are a couple of things I've started doing to fix the same problem.. Maybe they could work for you, maybe not. Everyone's different.

- I started eating breakfast within an hour of waking up (ideally within 30 minutes for better results). This breakfast usually has over 30g of protein (think: eggs), some beans for calories and the "full" feeling, and veggies to round it out.

- Water. Lots and lots of water. While the 8x8oz guideline is better than what most people drink, many reports show that people need even more than that. I've been trying to drink around 12-8oz servings.

- WRITE IT DOWN! When I go into the kitchen to refill my water cup, I see things that my brain is like "Ooooh.. WANT TO EAT RAWR!!" I haven't thrown away all the bad stuff in my house because I'm not the only one that lives here. But what I started to do is write down when I get a really strong craving to eat something bad. On my lifestyle-diet, I have a "cheat" day in which I can eat the bad stuff on the list... if I still want to by the time that day comes around. Knowing that I'll be able to eat the cupcakes later is like a promise to my brain and I can keep myself from bingeing on it right then and there. Come cheat day, I don't even want to eat half the things on the list anymore.

- Another thing I've started to do when food occupies my mind is exercise. That's pretty cliche, but it makes my brain concentrate on meeting my exercise goal (mph, distance, repetitions, etc) and then it's no longer thinking about wanting to eat all of Olive Garden. After the workout, I'm on an endorphine high and I'm glowing from meeting whatever goals I had set for myself.. I'm too busy basking in the glory to think about eating an entire restaurant.

Whatever you find helps you on your journey, stick with it. Good luck!

redheaddee

I see you have many empty days in your food diary. You must log even the binge days. Every bite in your m outh goes in your log. It can be quite shocking to see but I know it helps me keep things under control. Numbers don't lie.

kevinrbarger

There are a couple of things I agree with that I've picked up around here, but I am by no means a nutritionist:

1) Eat more protein. Not only does it fill you up faster, but it also stays with you longer.

2) Drink more water. A lot of times we mistake thirst for hunger, and considering that approximately 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, this is probably happening to you.

3) Make small changes because they last longer. What I mean by that is getting it into your head that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet. In order to keep your new lifestyle going, you should not deprive yourself of foods that you love. Just be conscious of exactly how much you're eating. You have a sweet tooth, awesome! Have some cake! But also recognize how many calories are in that piece of cake, and adjust the rest of your diet throughout the day accordingly.

4) This kinda goes back to the protein thing, but learn what foods fill you up the fastest and stay with you the longest and center your main diet around those foods. Make them your biggest meals and just kind of fit your snack calories somewhere between them.

EDIT: 5) I'm highly guilty of this so I forgot to include it, but make absolutely sure that you log absolutely everything you eat. It's jarring, yes, but it's also a learning tool. You will eventually see your "problem foods" and learn to either stay away from them or how to eat around them.

Akimajuktuq

Has it occurred to you that "satisfying your sweet tooth" may not be working for you? Yeah, crazy, I know. Sometimes avoiding problematic foods is the only way to go. But others will tell you it's just "willpower". Figure out how it is for you, deal with it, or don't. Up to you.

Raeambi

I have a problem with this too. I used to be constantly wanting food, even all the tips for "have dark chocolate to help that sweet tooth" or "eat more protein" didn't help as I wasn't actually hungry just wanted food, but I found a few things which helped.

I'm sure you heard before but have lots of water. Have a glass with you at all times. Drink a glass before and after each meal and inbetween.

Second, is not something which I'm going to tell you to do as different people have different ways. But I found that when I started eating breakfast that I constantly wanted food through out the day. So I went back to what my body was used to and what I always did, which was to not eat until 1ish in the day. I don't have a set time when I stop eating in the evening and usually eat until late, but I found that this helped dramatically. I'm not saying to go out and do this if you are used to eating breakfast, but just listen to your body and find out what's best.

I plan out my meals, or at least have a fair idea on what Im going to eat and when. I usually eat at 1ish, 5ish, 7ish and at 9ish. But if im peckish in between I do let myself have it just try and keep within calorie goal. I also have a black coffee at 3ish to keep me going till my next meal. I find this easier as then I know, that I only have to wait a certain time until I eat again.
I have my biggest meal at 4, which is when I tend to start binging the most.
I've recently started exercising and I find that the days when I do that, I'm less hungry through out the day. I usually exercise at 2-3, so it fills that gap between meals.

A big thing I will say is to not deprive yourself of sweet stuff and tasty snacks, but to actually plan them and fit them in with your diary. I always have something sweet every day and most says I leave this until my last "meal" and fit it in. I find that if I include the snack in the meal then I don't want to go back for seconds when its full. E.G If I'm having an apple with peanut butter and toast then I also put the biscuit on the plate with them rather than picking in the biscuit tin later. Its an odd trick, but I find it works.

Oh and do the usual, eat slowly and take your time so you feel fuller.

It gets easier, I promise.

shutupandlift13

Intermittent fasting for the win! I love it and its really helped with my bingeing.