Binge eating is a major problem & I'm trying to overcome it?

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Hopeful_
Hopeful_ Posts: 39 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've had this problem for so long and the last 10 days of so it's been everyday, and I feel disgusting. I get up with determination, and eat a healthy, relatively calorie rich breakfast, and then by the afternoon I lose all my resolve and will power. Today was the worst day of the year, I had lunch of 500 calories to stop me from snacking, but maybe 30 minutes later I binged and ate another 500 and then 300 late afternoon! Which put me well over my 1200 goal before I'd even had dinner! Then at night my determination comes back (like right now) and I plan meals and exercise, but the next day I start well, yet it all ends in guilt, regret, and disappointment.

I've put about 5+lbs on since Christmas, but I don't feel constantly bloated or full, in fact I feel like I could just keep eating, I'm never satisfied whereas 2 weeks ago I was. Is this because my stomach's "stretching" and my appetite's getting bigger each time I binge?
I'm currently at home studying for exams, I think this is why the binges have been occurring daily, because I'm 'stressed'? Although I don't feel consciously stressed out, so I wonder if they're because of emotions that haven't been fully realised or tackled yet?
Most of all, I just want to be happy again. I need to do something about it, before it takes over my health and I go right back to the start. I've decreased my goal from 2lbs weightloss to 1lb per week, so the calorie limit isnt so daunting anymore, I hope this will help trick my mind. (I can't eat 6 small meals per day instead, because usually I'm not at home.) I can't even express how grateful I'd be for any help or advice, whether or not you deal with it too, I'd really appreciate to hear from you.
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Replies

  • Hopeful_
    Hopeful_ Posts: 39 Member
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    I'm also happy to friend anyone else who needs support or encouragement. :)
  • ekrivera84
    ekrivera84 Posts: 9 Member
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    I have the same problem! I start out great every morning them after lunch I totally blow it. I hope someone has some tips for us!
  • bearwith
    bearwith Posts: 525 Member
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    Focus on exercise rather than the food then you will feel good and not crave the bad foods.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    Increase your protein in the AM.
    Eat smaller amounts through out the day - 5 smaller meals.
    Take a multi-vitamin to deter cravings.
  • ktied
    ktied Posts: 137 Member
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    I could never survive on 1200 cals. That would make me want to binge eat too. Which I have a serious history with. I have a pretty high calorie goal, but well below my total daily expenditure, That way I'm never hungry. I have my cals set to about 1600, but i exercise so i usually eat around 2000 + calories a day. I'm losing 1-2 pounds a week like this. I also go to bed early because my binge eating cravings come at nightime. If i'm asleep, I cant eat, right? lol
  • Hopeful_
    Hopeful_ Posts: 39 Member
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    I was thinking of doing exercise in the morning and getting the day off to a start I could be proud of, instead of starting the day sedentary and doing work for hours. Thank you, I'll see how this goes!
  • Kath1391
    Kath1391 Posts: 138
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    I know how you feel,I've only recently starting taking control of my weight & I am struggling to say no to things like chocolate.The problem for me is I'll say I'll only have one piece of chocolate then I end up scoffing my face.I'd definitely have small meals often during the day that's really helping me :) best of luck! X
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
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    I used to feel this way about food, so I get it. You can try many different things and see what works for you.
    1200 is very low...I would try 1400 and see how you feel.

    Also something that helped me was having coffee for breakfast, and saving my calories for later in the day, when i LOVE to eat.
    It has worked very well for me. Snacking at night used to be my downfall and I always felt guilty. Now I dont.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    I used to feel this way about food, so I get it. You can try many different things and see what works for you.
    1200 is very low...I would try 1400 and see how you feel.

    Also something that helped me was having coffee for breakfast, and saving my calories for later in the day, when i LOVE to eat.
    It has worked very well for me. Snacking at night used to be my downfall and I always felt guilty. Now I dont.

    What Crankstr says.
    I would also suggest you try to increase your protein - saw a couple of days where you are not reaching protein goals which are already set low -> this will induce hunger faster.
  • Mcmilligen
    Mcmilligen Posts: 332 Member
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    Do you listen to podcasts? There are "Overeaters Anonymous" podcasts I've gotten really in to. I used to suffer from an eating disorder, and it covers some good pointers for people who have issues with food mentally. I personally like listening to the success stories (usually a 40 min talk from one member, that goes over why they have succeeded and where they came from), there's at least one person in there that I feel anyone who even remotely has some sort of eating 'disorder' can relate to. (There are talks from compulsive over-eaters (aka, binge eating), bulimics, anorexics, restrictive eaters etc).

    I have no idea if this will be right for you, but all I know is that it helps me in knowing there are people who have gone through similar issues.

    Good luck! :)
  • kungfuflyer
    kungfuflyer Posts: 29 Member
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    Do you have a daily plan and know the meals you are eating the next day ahead of time?
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    I used to feel this way about food, so I get it. You can try many different things and see what works for you.
    1200 is very low...I would try 1400 and see how you feel.

    Also something that helped me was having coffee for breakfast, and saving my calories for later in the day, when i LOVE to eat.
    It has worked very well for me. Snacking at night used to be my downfall and I always felt guilty. Now I dont.

    I still have issues with bingeing, but it's a few times a month rather than every day now. There are days when I do what Cransktr suggested and just have coffee in the morning (with protein powder added), and some days I wake up famished and eat a big, protein-laden breakfast. Both of these things have helped me take control over urges to binge. One thing that is an absolute MUST for me to avoid binges is to stay physically active and to plan, plan, plan my food. If I have to overthink it I end up thinking about food constantly and set myself up for a fall. When I plan ahead, I'm on autopilot, I stayed fueled and satisfied, and the urge either doesn't come or doesn't feel so overwhelming.

    ETA: I have kept careful track over the past year as to when I get the strongest urges to binge. That happens when I am feeling very drained of energy, either from lack of good sleep or from over-exercising/training. Just something else to consider.
  • Hopeful_
    Hopeful_ Posts: 39 Member
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    I personally like listening to the success stories (usually a 40 min talk from one member, that goes over why they have succeeded and where they came from), there's at least one person in there that I feel anyone who even remotely has some sort of eating 'disorder' can relate to.

    I will definitely look this up, thank you so much, i think this could be really useful.
  • Hopeful_
    Hopeful_ Posts: 39 Member
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    Do you have a daily plan and know the meals you are eating the next day ahead of time?

    Sometimes I plan my meals at night for the following day. I usually have a rough guide, such as 350-400 cals for AM, 400 for lunch, 400 for dinner. although I don't seem to have the will power to stick to them, or I do until late afternoon... But I'll take on the advice here into my plans, and try to change my habits!
  • tigtigs
    tigtigs Posts: 52
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    Definitely work out in the morning...get your fat burning furnace turned up early...then eat a good combination of good carbohydrates and protein for breakfast...I like scrambled eggs and steel cut oats...and then a morning snack, a good sized healthy lunch...I try to eat more calories for lunch than dinner...and a light dinner. I too could never survive on 1200 calories...I am at about 2200 with my working out!! I definitely lose slowly...but I am totally fine with that...I would always binge if I felt starving all the time!! :-) Good luck!!
  • Hopeful_
    Hopeful_ Posts: 39 Member
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    Also something that helped me was having coffee for breakfast, and saving my calories for later in the day, when i LOVE to eat.
    It has worked very well for me.

    This is true, my urges come later in the day! Thank you!
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    May I suggest something which may sound a bit weird?

    Try setting your goal to maintenance for a couple of weeks. If you've been eating enough to gain recently, it may be a way to halt the gain without feeling like you're punishing yourself. You may even lose: many people keep losing when they start maintenance, myself included. After you find out if you lose, gain or maintain on your maintenance calories, you can start deducting calories from there, gradually.

    This may sound weird, but my optimum intake for (slow) loss seems to be around 2400kcal (no exercise calories), because if I try staying any lower I will have days of eating 2700-3000kcal, which balances out at maintenance.

    ETA: my ticker is set for gaining at the moment. I have lost on 2400kcal!
  • JennaferKareen
    JennaferKareen Posts: 2
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    This sounds like a problem similar to mine. I know on the days when I eat high amounts of protein I am not as likely to go back for more. My doctor just informed me that I have the beginnings of diabetes. My desire to binge usually falls about 30-45 minutes after a simple carb heavy meal. You may want to make sure the calories are coming from food that is not spiking your blood sugar. Just an idea, not a doctor.
  • Hopeful_
    Hopeful_ Posts: 39 Member
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    This sounds like a problem similar to mine. I know on the days when I eat high amounts of protein I am not as likely to go back for more. My doctor just informed me that I have the beginnings of diabetes. My desire to binge usually falls about 30-45 minutes after a simple carb heavy meal. You may want to make sure the calories are coming from food that is not spiking your blood sugar. Just an idea, not a doctor.

    This is quite profound. I also tend to binge after simple carbs and often resort to sugary foods, so thank you for sharing this, as I realise how dangerous this habit can be. I hope your condition doesn't get any worse, and that whatever you're doing now is helping you.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    I think you probably should talk to a doctor about your relationship with food because on the 4th January you said this..."Let myself down eat by eating pudding and big dinner! Feel guilty, won't be doing that again especially after working out so hard in the morning!"

    Your dinner was only 414 calories for some veggies with noodles which is not much at all and your pudding was only 20 grams of Christmas cake at 73 calories! That should not make you feel guilty!!! That is quite a normal if not smallish amount to eat.

    What crankster said also is true, you need to be eating more everyday so up your calories and you may not feel like bingeing because you aren't so hungry. Good luck!

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