WHY HAVE I NO CONTROL OVER WHAT I EAT?? :((

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JohnnyKitty
JohnnyKitty Posts: 117 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just binged. I'm so sad. I didn't purge though so that''s an improvement.
How can I get myself to not eat when I'm not supposed to?
It's like all of a sudden I can't control myself. It starts with one cracker and then I'm eating the whole package.
Do appetite suppressants work?
Please help.

Replies

  • sferguson65
    sferguson65 Posts: 59 Member
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    Please don't feel too guilty. This is a lifestyle change. It took years for something to click within me. Diet pills scare me. When my kids were little I was bullimic. Lost weight but was very sick. When we mess up we got to forgive ourselves and do better next time. Just remind yourself that you want to be healthy. Chin up and stand proud of what you have done so far. You can do this!!!
  • ModoVincere
    ModoVincere Posts: 530 Member
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    might I suggest that before you eat anything, ask yourself the following question: "Will this help me reach my goals?"
    If an honest answer is yes, then by all means, eat the meal.
    If an honest answer is no, then maybe drink a glass of water.
  • Kebby83
    Kebby83 Posts: 232 Member
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    I was having that problem. Just take it one day, one moment at a time. Plan food - "in an hour I am going to eat this dinner, so I can wait for that". I plan my whole day. I am literally tweaking for a donut right now but I had a frozen yogurt thing instead and it was good
  • welsh_lass86
    welsh_lass86 Posts: 27 Member
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    Hi I have the same problem with binges, mostly it's a winter thing for me though so I guess I'm lucky in a way.
    Any way I found that CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) can really help. Just take a moment when you feel the binge urge and try and figure out what's really upsetting you (it helps me if I write this down), try to realise that binging will only make you feel worse in the long run and if you can, think of a more positive way to relieve the emotional stress your under.
    E.g. Vent to a friend, turn your favourite song up LOUD, go for a walk

    This has helped me sooo much honestly. I still have days where I mess up but generally I now feel in control of my emotions rather than my emotions controlling me.

    Hope that helps :smile:
  • natachan
    natachan Posts: 149
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    I know this feeling. Some people will tell you "well just use will power" but it's not quite that simple.

    First, DON'T STARVE YOURSELF. Remember, that evolution has programmed us to eat whenever we can. This is a survival mechanism formed when food was scarce and hard to get. When we were hunter/gatherers eating as much as we could meant that we could survive longer periods of scarcity. When you starve yourself your body believes you are going into a period of scarcity, and it tells you to eat more and store fat. So DON'T STARVE YOURSELF.

    Something that works for me: set a schedule for eating and stick to it. Your body will adjust to feel hungry when you are used to eating. It won't feel hungry as much when you aren't supposed to eat if you are eating on a regular schedule.

    Also, carrots and fruit. Keep them close on hand, and eat whenever you feel like the munchies are coming on (real fruit, raisins and dehydrated fruit add up REAL quick, but fresh fruit will fill you up before you max out your calories). Keep your bottle of water on hand as well, and drink up.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    You DO have control.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    food addiction is so rough.
    for me, ketosis is the only thing that makes me have enough self control not to binge.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
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    Only keep healthy food in the house. If you're going to end up eating a whole box of crackers, don't buy them in the first place. Replace with healthier alternative.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
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    Only keep healthy food in the house. If you're going to end up eating a whole box of crackers, don't buy them in the first place. Replace with healthier alternative.

    I agree with this. I have had to do this with a number of foods. It really does come down to having self control but it takes time.
  • silverbellesue
    silverbellesue Posts: 3 Member
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    I drink a tall glass of water and grab a list that I have made of things to do when I get the urge. Usually the temptation is gone and I have found this to work quite well.
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Don't sit down with a box of crackers. Instead, count out 10 crackers or so and then go sit somewhere else to eat them with a bottle of water or something.
    Pre-planning REALLY helps me. I literally log everything before I eat it. If I feel hungry, I go to MFP and add it.. if it doesn't fit within my goals then I decrease the volume of other things and make it fit so I CAN have whatever I want.

    I know it sounds obvious/repetitive but it really helps a ton! I haven't had any binges since I started. Good luck!
  • tinabell153
    tinabell153 Posts: 298 Member
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    I know this feeling. Some people will tell you "well just use will power" but it's not quite that simple.

    First, DON'T STARVE YOURSELF. Remember, that evolution has programmed us to eat whenever we can. This is a survival mechanism formed when food was scarce and hard to get. When we were hunter/gatherers eating as much as we could meant that we could survive longer periods of scarcity. When you starve yourself your body believes you are going into a period of scarcity, and it tells you to eat more and store fat. So DON'T STARVE YOURSELF.

    Something that works for me: set a schedule for eating and stick to it. Your body will adjust to feel hungry when you are used to eating. It won't feel hungry as much when you aren't supposed to eat if you are eating on a regular schedule.

    Also, carrots and fruit. Keep them close on hand, and eat whenever you feel like the munchies are coming on (real fruit, raisins and dehydrated fruit add up REAL quick, but fresh fruit will fill you up before you max out your calories). Keep your bottle of water on hand as well, and drink up.

    ^This. I agree. Do not starve yourself or you will put your body in starvation mode and will want to eat everything in site. I set a schedule for my food and it has helped a lot.

    7AM - Breakfast
    10:30AM - Light Snack
    12:30PM - Lunch
    3:30PM - Light Snack
    7PM - Dinner

    Total Calories to maintain weight: 1,400

    My body only gets hungry around those times because I pretty much have it programmed into my day.
  • waj_b
    waj_b Posts: 45 Member
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    dont label food as 'good' or 'bad' .. food is food. what you eat dont matter its the quantities.

    so.. track your MACROS (protein/fats/carbs)
    get 0.7-1g of protein per pound of lean bodyweight
    get some healthy fats and saturated fats in.. (stay away from saturated fats)

    eat atleast 2 pieces of fruit and 2 portions of veg a day.. and take a multivitamin is you feel you dont get enough.. you can also take a good fish oil for the healthy fats etc.

    then with your remaining calories eat whatever you want!
    whatever carb you eat is going to be registered as practically the same thing by the body.

    so you dont have to eat chicken brown rice and broccoli all the time.
    this way you dont feel like ur restraining yourself from certain foods which make the temptation even more! just watch the quantities you eat..
    and sometimes if you craving maybe chocolate.. you could jus b craving sugar.. so have some fruit.. some berries maybe.

    all that matters is your caloric balance over a week or a month.. if you go under today u can go over tomorrow and vice versa.. if you want to eat more.. exercise.. the more you exercise the more you can eat.. this can just be a brisk walk up and down your hallway.
  • waj_b
    waj_b Posts: 45 Member
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    also when you eat doesnt matter... your metabolism WILL NOT slow down lol!
    you cant increase your basal metabolism.. the only way to do it is to build muscle.. even that is insignificant as 1lb of muscle burns 5 calories.. so 10lbs of muscle would only burn 50 calories at rest.. and 10lbs takes ages to build...
    so basically forget about metabolsim

    no one is fat becuase 'o i have a slow metabolism unlike you skinny people' no its because you over ate for a long period of time.

    you can have 1 2 3 4 5 6 or 7 meals a day.. just eat when its convenient for it.. but make sure in a day you get all the macros
  • DaysFlyBy
    DaysFlyBy Posts: 243 Member
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    Only keep healthy food in the house. If you're going to end up eating a whole box of crackers, don't buy them in the first place. Replace with healthier alternative.

    This is EXACTLY what I have to do to keep from bingeing. For 10 days before TOM I won't even allow myself into a grocery store. Yeah that takes some careful planning but it keeps me from shopping in a vulnerable state and coming home with crap I don't need and will only binge on. I can't eat what isn't here and I won't binge on things I don't crave. This is literally the only thing I've found that keeps me in-check. The other thing I do is only buy a single serving of a treat I crave that way I eat it and it's gone, there's not any left over to potentially binge on later. I also learned how to make 'cookies/brownies in-a-cup' in the microwave so when my kids want a homemade treat I make them each a treat in a cup instead of baking a batch of cookies and having a dozen sitting in my house to tempt me. Lame for them but it saves me, lol.
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
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    I just binged. I'm so sad. I didn't purge though so that''s an improvement.
    How can I get myself to not eat when I'm not supposed to?
    It's like all of a sudden I can't control myself. It starts with one cracker and then I'm eating the whole package.
    Do appetite suppressants work?
    Please help.
    Binging and purging at your young age is a definite danger sign! Seek counseling before you do anymore dieting/ weightloss!

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