Any previous bingers out there?

Hello there,

I'm afraid I might not be much help as Inhave found that I'm still a bnger even though I'm tryng really hard to lose the weight. I've nly been dong this for a month and I've lost half a stne and thought I'd overcome those urges but they are very much still there. Tonight I've eaten.......well, n try style I can even admit it to myself!!! I thk they key for me is gong t be to accept this as part of my make-up and hope that it fades with tme. For now I just try really extra hard on the days following a binge and try to re-set my mnd int "health choice" thnking. Hoe this helps if ly t let you ow you're ot alne. We WILL overcme this it just takes time. Don' hate or punish yourself, the fac that you are here shows ow much you want to change. Well done you! Xx

Yep! Bingeing was my M.O. for the majority of my life. I started doing it as a way to cope as a child and after swinging the other way as a teen and not eating, I began binge eating again after the birth of my oldest daughter when I was 18 and continued with it until about a year ago.
My first wake up was the day that I had to admit to myself that I am a food addict. Almost like a person has to admit they are an alcoholic or a drug user. The hard part of this realization though is that you can abstain from alcohol and drugs, but you can't abstain from food.
For myself, I have had to limit what I have in my house because I KNOW if there are sweets, I will binge on them. I can't just have one or two. Instead of trying to have will power, I just stay away from the temptation.
The other thing that I've learned to do is when I feel that urge, instead of walking to my kitchen, I take a walk outside.
Learn also to give yourself some grace when you DO binge. Beating yourself up will NEVER help you break the cycle. The other bit of advice. NEVER give up. EVER... It's taken me 5yrs to lose 90lbs. I have another at least 60lbs to lose, and it may take longer than I want it to take. But I will never be content until I reach my goal weight.

I've never met a binger who hasn't ever dieted, sometimes it is just deprivation. (not all the time, just putting that out there)

Make sure to get enough protien, drink a lot of water, exercise... and eat a balanced diet. It's okay to eat candy while losing weight, it's okay to eat anything in moderation! No labeling bad and good foods.,

I struggle with emotional eating and binging some, I've been trying to get a hold of myself.


Good luck, feel free to add me.

It used to be a real problem for me and like an alcoholic I still have to be aware of the potential to become a binger again. I broke myself of the problem by doing three things, drinking lots of water (now I don't eat because I am really thirsty), chewing gum (now I don't eat just because I want to have something to chew, this is usually due to emotional triggers) and by having a weekly reward for good behavior (which eliminates the urge to eat when I am bored). My reward is a great meal out at my favorite french bakery. It is easy for me to turn down a late night nibble if i know that going over my calories will result in the loss of something that tastes SO MUCH better. It also helps to practice thinking of food as nutrition. Look at everything before you put it in your mouth and ask the question, "what will this food do for me?" If you let your nutritional needs determine your food intake you will feel better, not get hungry as often and gradually you will find yourself preferring the things that are most beneficial to your body. Stop thinking about food as emotional comfort or social interaction, because it isn't. It postpone dealing with emotion issues or awkward social situations, but it isn't a solution and it definitely comes with its own baggage. I still have to fight the urge to binge when my feelings have been hurt because that was my way of coping for years. I have to force myself to think about what that food I am holding will do for me (or TO me.) if I eat it. But the self discipline has been worth it.