How to avoid binge eating?

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emskinnycat
emskinnycat Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm on a 1200 cal per day diet so I'm not over-eating due to hunger. I think it's more boredom/depression. Any tips on what I can do when I catch myself in the pantry?

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  • Vaisaxena
    Vaisaxena Posts: 109 Member
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    The remedy is not to eat 1200kcal per day... eat more... feel less hungry... 1200 will get you weight loss for a a little while after which you will crash and rebound by binging... you only have to eat 20% below maintenance to lose weight... not sure why everyone here things 1200 is the magic number???
  • suejonestx
    suejonestx Posts: 256 Member
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    Have a variety of healthy go-to snacks that you can eat when you have a craving. Some low-cal examples are fruit, 100 calorie microwave popcorn, snackwells (the fudge-drizzled popcorn is to die for and only 130 cals per bag), raw almonds/nuts, frozen yogurt bars (100 cals), low-cal yogurt, etc. You can also try drinking a large glass of water or low-cal flavored drink to fill you up and give you time to use your will-power. Also, brushing your teeth can help deter snacking. Or, do 50 sit-ups whenever you get a craving (or some activity). Just getting your mind off of snacking and thinking about your goal instead can work wonders! What if you tape an unflattering picture of yourself inside the cabinet for motivation? Good luck.
  • emskinnycat
    emskinnycat Posts: 5
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    This website calculated that number for me based on my goals. That's probably why everyone here uses it as a guideline.
  • bearwith
    bearwith Posts: 525 Member
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    Walk right away and go and do some step ups on the bottom steps for 5 minutes - you will not be hungry anymore but you will be thirsty.
  • emskinnycat
    emskinnycat Posts: 5
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    Thank you suejones! I will take those great ideas and use them. I do appreciate it.

    It's good to see that not everyone on here is a cranky puss! :)
  • emskinnycat
    emskinnycat Posts: 5
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    And thanks, bearwith. Both of you have given me some good tools :)
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    It's entirely possible that hunger is an issue if you're on 1200 calories a day. If you got that goal because you told MFP you want to lose 2 lbs a week, it might be worth re-evaluating your expectations. Your ticker says you have 15 lbs to lose. If that's correct then 2 lbs a week is not a realistic or healthy rate of loss. Not cranky by the way, just been there, done that. :smile:

    If you're binging for emotional reasons, a trick I use on myself is to get myself to postpone eating whatever it is for say 10 minutes, or half an hour. I go and do something else like going for a walk, or having a bath. Distract myself. Usually, the need to overeat disappears in that time. It's just about realising that over-eating is a coping mechanism, and finding healthier ones.

    Honestly, I would consider the calorie thing though. Large calorie deficits aren't great long-term, especially for people prone to binge-eating.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    I power-chug a HUGE (24 oz) cup of water as fast as I can. Makes me feel downright bloated. .. but helps the boredome craving pass!

    I also keep needlework handy because it's a craft for which I have to keep my hands clean. It's too much work to sneak something out of the pantry and then have to keep washing my hands.
  • magpie0
    magpie0 Posts: 194 Member
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    If you're not binge eating for emotional reasons, try eating protein at the end of the day. I come home slightly ravenous but after a can of tuna with lemon juice, I'm satiated. Drink lots of water with it too. Get yourself busy too. Go on the computer to distract yourself.
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
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    I was going to suggest the hands-on hobby, too, if it's emotional eating. If your hands and brain are busy, you'll find yourself wandering to the kitchen in boredom a lot less. Needlework is great because you need to keep the fabric clean. I also do wire jewelery. No chance to dig into the chips when you have tools in each hand trying to work with tiny rings of metal wire.

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