Binge fighters united!

Hey,

I'm on the way to figuring out what my triggers really are. I'm trying hypnotherapy via youtube (lots of free vids) and I think it's helping. Determined to focus on getting a more nutritious way of eating and a better relationship with food.

When a binge takes hold food is my friend after the binge and the inevitable guilt food becomes the enemy again. It's a cycle that is going to be tough to break. I've been doing really good for three days - a tiny drop in the ocean but a step in the right direction.

I buy lots of carb laden things like cookies and scones and then I sit for hours just picking the chocolate chips or raisins out - I guess i try and entertain myself but overall I end up eating thousands of calories. Then I feel as if I have to restrict myself to make up for it.

Triggers: Stress, boredom, slipping up on an eating plan, deluding myself that there aren't as many calories as there really are
Binge period lasts: An evening usually and then repeats for about 4-5 days in a row - daytime I seem to be able to control it better
Binge food: Cookies, toast, bread of any kind. Unable to have an open packet of something in the house without finishing it.
Fasting afterwards: Yes.

Triggers: Stress/weight gain (ironic,no?)
Binge period lasts: 1-2 days
Binge food: Literally anything I can find
Fasting afterwards: 1-2 days

I completely empathize with everyone who has posted on this forum, but also find relief and hope that I'm not the only one experiencing this torture. My story is another verse of the same song; feel great all day, motivated, in 'control", commit to not binge eating after dinner etc. Things are going great, then it starts. The pep talk I gave myself earlier escapes my mind entirely, I go into trance mode, numb I shove whatever food I find (preferably a carb) into my mouth until its gone. For some reason I perpetually lie to myself at night, "Just have one..." Insanity; doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome! I know much of this behavior is habitual, routine.

Something that would help me and maybe others is a reminder to be true to yourself, especially around the time binge is about to start. Would anyone like to turn this forum into a night time encouragement forum? Not a "challenge", we have enough challenges to worry about. Not a place to look for sympathy or to post your "failures", but a place where one can sign on and see an encouraging qoute or message from other people going through the same thing. By signing on for five minutes each night we will be forming a new, replacement habit/routine. By directing your efforts to helping someone else, you're indirectly helping yourself. It takes 21 days to break a habit. We could keep this up for 21 days.

If anyone is interested, let's do it.

lol its funny how i find this thread after almost going toe to toe with a freshly opened jar of peanut butter.

triggers: whenever i'm really sleepy and have been stressing
binge period: recently just 1 day, used to be 2-3
Binge food: whole boxes of pizza, dozens of donuts, basically just obscene amounts of junk
fasting afterwards: Try not to but i end up not being too hungry on days following binges

I will say lately i've been having more success by just accepting the fact that i will binge, and trying to focus it. For the past month whenever i've binged i've made sure it was on fruit, whole grain cereals, greek yogurt, things of that nature. I end up getting extremely full before i do too much damage.