Bingeing around exam time

MissLucyDee

Hello everybody!

Up until about two weeks ago I'd been really good in terms of not binge eating - I thought that was long in the past. Have been on mfp for a year now, and have lost some, but not a load of weight (I didn't have a lot to lose in the first place).

However, recently I've been feeling AWFUL about my body. I get dressed quickly, and can't bear to look in the mirror. I feel paranoid that my boyfriend will be disgusted by me, even though I have maybe only put on about two pounds.

The main problem, however, is binge eating. Recently I've been just binge eating all my calories by mid-day or earlier, and feeling awful. I am so embarrassed and anxious. I think it might be to do with the pressure around exam times (I'm at university).

Does anybody have any tips to beat bingeing?

Thanks x

CoffeeLaceAddict157

To beat binging I usually try to distract myself with another activity? Or sometimes I grab a stick of gum or a mint and by the time I'm done with the mint/gum I don't want to binge anymore (:
Hope this helps!

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Oh! and I don't know if you use tumblr or not, I don't have one I just go on fitblr blogs lol.
But this one is really great for clean eating motivation!
http://fruityfruityfruit.tumblr.com/

vivaldirules

Oh, boy. I remember studying for an organic chem final and told myself I needed a doughnut to make it through the night. A dozen glazed doughnuts later, I was so sick to my stomach that I went to bed and slept through the exam which started at noon the next day. Obviously, this was an extreme case of bingeing and was purely psychological. 35 years later, I still am susceptible to bingeing but at no time has it been as bad as it was in college for me. Reminding myself of that fact helps me if I can "catch" myself starting to do that again. I tend to be a bit more rational and think first if I do become aware of it happening first. Sometimes I will still binge but at least it is less severe. I wish you the best of luck!

AA1ex

I drink a crap ton of water! I have a 32oz water bottle I carry around at all times and that I think is one of the best things I have ever bought.

JesterMFP

Are you logging everything you eat? If not, that's something I've found really helpful. Either pre-logging, to put me off over-eating or, if you can't stop yourself at the time, then at least logging it afterwards. Not as a way to shame yourself, but seeing the reality of the numbers can help prevent it happening next time.

And... if you are logging everything, then you're under-eating by a fair amount every day. Which can lead to binges.

MissLucyDee

I often don't log when I feel like I have "mucked up"... so a lot of the time I have about half a day

JesterMFP

I often don't log when I feel like I have "mucked up"... so a lot of the time I have about half a day

Maybe that's something to try then. Be more conscious of what you are actually eating. Like I said, try to stay away from using it to beat yourself up or feel ashamed, but use the diary to hold yourself accountable. It really helped me.

Another thing to consider is to just eat at maintenance while you're doing exams. Exams make you stressed which makes you overeat (and raises your cortisol levels, which doesn't help), overeating then adds to your stress which can't be good for your state of mind when you're trying to study. No harm in eating at maintenance for a while - it actually has physiological benefits too if you've been dieting for a while.

MissLucyDee

Yeah I'm setting it to maintenance at the moment. Too much pressure to do anything else I think. Thanks very much

BoogeyBrat

I usually binge when I'm stressed and especially around exam time. I counter it with lots of water. It fills me up and makes the idea of eating anything on top of a stomach full of water unappealing.

shelbymkoenig

If it goes any farther I'd suggest talking to a counselor or something. Eating disorders, even the beginnings of one are serious things. I am not making any judgements about you based on a single post, it's just the impression I have from reading your post. I hope it's not the case. Finals are stressful, mine are next week. Whoever said the carry water around, that's what I do. Or Vitamin Zero water, whatever has no calories. Good luck You'll do fine.

lovemitch125

When I study I'll grab a Monster Rehab (20 cals) for energy and a whole lot of water. That a lone usually keeps me full. Also, I log everything, even if I have no idea what the cal count is, I'll estimate from other people's logs. I log on my phone which I have on me at all times and it doesn't take more than a few seconds, so I do it several times a day and have not missed a day since I started in January.
Good Luck on your exams, I know I'll need luck on mine... :ohwell:

iSpeakLife

I remember having a senior project that went haywire less than 12 hours before the due date. It was an all night library session. Not to mention, this same project had taken over my life for the ENTIRE SEMESTER! However, I learned a few things.

1. Be real with yourself - if you have to allow yourself a sweet or something a night, do it! Giving yourself an allowance in high pressure situations keeps you from loading on the food in a binge matter later on

2. Don't stress - I learned then and now that STRESS can kill you if you let it. That feeling of anxiousness that you were speaking about sounds like stress. Not that you're "Stressed Out" but that you're "Stressing": there's a difference. If something is always on your mind and you don't have peace, you're stressing about it. Take time to de-program. Go for a walk, do some yoga, pray, clean your dorm, watch tv....something to get your mind off of what you are doing. Having a clear headspace is very important to losing weight!

3. Schedule your workouts - Around exam time, it's hard to give yourself a mental break, but it is necessary. If you have to make time for your workout, do it.

School is very important. I had to put MyFitnessPal on the back burner while my project was finishing up because I needed a good grade. Healthy living will always be there, but college won't. I am now back on my healthy living kick and gained about 8 lbs since my last semester. However, my group was the only group to receive a perfect score on our senior project, so the trade off was worth it.

Be blessed!

JoanieJustice

Hi, I think firstly you need to do the opposite of getting dressed quickly. When you look at yourself more , the more you'll see the areas you need to work on. Soon or later you'll get fed up of looking that way and you'll put extra effort in to stop bingeing.I lost 38 lbs about two years ago and I walked around naked quite often just to ensure that I was seeing myself and when I started losing the weight I loved my body so much that I refused to put anything inside that would make me love it less. I am a student so I know exactly what you are talking about. It's mostly stress that's driving you to binge. Calm down. This is what I do, I removed all high calorie foods from my apartment. I only have fruits vegetables, water and vitamins! That way, no matter how hungry I get, I am forced to eat what is in the apartment while still getting the required brain food to be able to study and retain. I mean, we are students first aren't we? Start your day off with atleast two glasses of water or some low caloric tea. Preferably tea first so that you can have a clean stomach before having the water. That would definitely full you to a certain degree from the get-go. Have your breakfast but keep it simple. throughout the day just stay in the books. Try and keep your mind as occupied as you can. That always works for me. Sometimes I forget to eat at two hour intervals because of how busy I am. Try and have a glass of water before everything you eat. That way you will definitely eat less. I hope these tips work. Wishing you the best with your finals.

JesterMFP

Hi, I think firstly you need to do the opposite of getting dressed quickly. When you look at yourself more , the more you'll see the areas you need to work on. Soon or later you'll get fed up of looking that way and you'll put extra effort in to stop bingeing.I lost 38 lbs about two years ago and I walked around naked quite often just to ensure that I was seeing myself and when I started losing the weight I loved my body so much that I refused to put anything inside that would make me love it less. I am a student so I know exactly what you are talking about. It's mostly stress that's driving you to binge. Calm down. This is what I do, I removed all high calorie foods from my apartment. I only have fruits vegetables, water and vitamins! That way, no matter how hungry I get, I am forced to eat what is in the apartment while still getting the required brain food to be able to study and retain. I mean, we are students first aren't we? Start your day off with atleast two glasses of water or some low caloric tea. Preferably tea first so that you can have a clean stomach before having the water. That would definitely full you to a certain degree from the get-go. Have your breakfast but keep it simple. throughout the day just stay in the books. Try and keep your mind as occupied as you can. That always works for me. Sometimes I forget to eat at two hour intervals because of how busy I am. Try and have a glass of water before everything you eat. That way you will definitely eat less. I hope these tips work. Wishing you the best with your finals.

I'm also a student, and I need a whole lot more than just vegetables, water and vitamins to keep me going. Your diet sounds incredibly lacking.