Serial Binger... this isn't normal surely?!

Options
jackdaniels1234123
jackdaniels1234123 Posts: 89 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a serial binger and it's getting worse. It started friday night with chocolate/sweets...i eat a whole box of milk-tray in secret and continued the whole weekend. Yesterday for example i had about a whole pack of biscuits, 1/2 tub of natural yog, about 3 or 4 chocolate bars (clubs) , handful of maltesers, big sunday roast beef incl yorkshire pudding/roasties, sticky toffee pudding with ice-cream, 2 pork sandwiches with apple sauce/butter, liquorice, boiled sweets, crisps, 1/2 pot of honey (i will literally eat it off the spoon!!!) then a whole bottle of toffee sauce (i will again eat it off the spoon!!) i couldn't stop! ... is it emotional? is it because i know i can't/shouldn't have them? is it b'cos i hate my body so much i know it will make no difference? is it because i am stressed? is it because i know i wont allow myself to eat like this forever?

What the heck is wrong with me? i have put 3/4 of a stone on since friday!! serves me right but i need to get to the bottom of this! ...have i got a problem?

Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Options
    I went through your food diary (weeks and weeks back) and you rarely log. When you do log, you are consistently under your 1200 calorie goal.

    Maybe your body is trying to tell you that the rest of the days of the week, you're simply not getting enough calories to sustain yourself?

    Chronically under eating can cause a cycle of starve/binge.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Options
    You feel bad about your binging, so you decide to not add it in the tracker? Thats what it seems. It's all about holding yourself accountable. So even if you track everything - except your occasional binge- you're just lying to yourself.

    Why not increase your calorie intake by a few hundred and slowly (weekly) drop it 50 calories.

    Food addiction is real. Chemicals in the food trigger responses in your brain - so trying to cut cold turkey might be best. It might suck for the first week or two, but you'll get over it.
  • jackdaniels1234123
    jackdaniels1234123 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    You feel bad about your binging, so you decide to not add it in the tracker? Thats what it seems. It's all about holding yourself accountable. So even if you track everything - except your occasional binge- you're just lying to yourself.

    Why not increase your calorie intake by a few hundred and slowly (weekly) drop it 50 calories.

    Food addiction is real. Chemicals in the food trigger responses in your brain - so trying to cut cold turkey might be best. It might suck for the first week or two, but you'll get over it.

    When i binge eat, i dont come on here, i just dont have any desire to read about diets etc.It doesnt even enter my head to come on here. What are you suggesting i go cold turkey on?
  • jackdaniels1234123
    jackdaniels1234123 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    Maybe your body is trying to tell you that the rest of the days of the week, you're simply not getting enough calories to sustain yourself?

    IMO...doubtful. Those binges seem absolutely mental and not a reaction to her body saying it needs more calories. I used to be a classic emotional eater/binger. I'd eat more food in one sitting than maybe people ate in a few days time. I would eat so fast I would actually have a hard time breathing....because I wasn't giving my windpipe time to actually suck down air. Yep, it was that bad. I would hide food from people....a lot.

    I'm happy to say that I no longer do that. However, it took a lot of work....mental work. For me....losing weight by going low carb made all the difference to me. The food I would look to binge on would usually be those processed carbs. So by going low carb....it was kind of like going to rehab from the food that I used to abuse myself. I forced myself to find other ways to cope and to heal myself.

    Now...I can eat carbs in moderation, but I know I can't have those trigger foods when I am stressed, emotional, sad, angry, etc. It's just the way life is for me. I battled my brain and the "I WANT I WANT" mentality....when it is never enough and on most days and in most ways, I won.

    In all seriousness....I'd also recommend going to see a counselor or therapist to work through all the issues and feelings that may or may not drive you to binge.

    Hugs,

    Thanks. See i dont eat carbs like bread/pasta/rice ever but when i binge i will happily munch my way through the biscuit barrell or chocolates!!
  • bradburyc
    bradburyc Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    Possibly the first stage is to put all of your calories on - try to put your binges on - once you've taken that step it will be easier to look at how and where to cut down. It looks as if you will have to take it a step at a time - so start by putting EVERYTHING on
  • laylaness
    laylaness Posts: 262 Member
    Options
    I hold myself accountable by logging everything. After I started doing that instead of "cheat day" logging with some made-up, mythical number, I was embarrassed with myself when I saw what I was shovelling down into my gaping maw. Now, when I go over calories, it's a decision I made to do so, and I know how much splurging I'll allow myself beforehand.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    Options
    I suggest that you work on the mental of why you are doing this. Eating this much in excess is not caused by hunger. It's a mental decision to do so, even if you may feel like it's out of your control or that you can't help yourself.

    I recommend the book "The Beck Diet Solution" or anything similar that approaches dealing with weight loss with cognative behavioral therapy (CBT). It helps you examine the reasons you eat and overeat or binge. If you faitfully work through the CBT exercises and are honest with yourself, you can learn a lot about yourself and why you are doing what you are doing.

    I've worked through many of the CBT exercises many times over the past year and have learned a lot and have come a long way. I rarely ever binge any more and when I do I am conscious of my doing so and my internal dialogue along the way.

    It can also help you get over the "should have" or "shouldn't haves" OR "good" and "bad" when it comes to food. Food is not good or bad and eating a certain thing doesn't make you good or bad. Unless you have a medical condition, there shouldn't be foods that are on a "list" of what you can or can't have or should or shouldn't have. You have to learn to accept that food is a source of nutrition to help your body run and it has no merit other than that.

Categories