Is this what is known as binging??

2

Replies

  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    I have really bad night eating issues - I'll blow through 1600-1700 calories every evening, after doing so well all day! :(

    I feel your pain!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I try and leave 500-600 calories for dinner. This way I can eat what I want for dinner and usually as a snack later.
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    First of all, 400 calories is NOT a binge. 4000 might be...

    Secondly, I would guess 1450 is too low of a goal since you are still hungry. Calculate TDEE and eat at a deficit from there. Mine is over 2000 and I am 5'2", female, 42 years old.

    I went back and redid my TDEE (-20%) and I should be at 1567....
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I'm currently losing weight on 2,000 a day, and my BMI is in the normal range. No need to eat so little.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Save 400 calories for eating at night.
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
    you can cheat here and there and be fine. eat like two brownies, not a pan boo lol
  • jiggy_gibby
    jiggy_gibby Posts: 197
    Add chia seeds to the shakes (to up protein), eat some healthy fats like raw, plain avocado 2-3 times a week, and try a week of eating at 1700-2000 everyday.
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    Try upping your calories and eating more protein and oatmeal -- filling foods. But I'm not an expert.

    Oatmeal has a crazy amount of calories...
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I think we all have a time of day when our worst habits are hardest to resist. For me, it's late afternoons. I'd snack nonstop from about 2:00 PM through dinner if I didn't care about all this fat. What works best for me is to get busy with something else that gets me away from food and keeps my hands busy. Unfortunately, during the work week I'm stuck here at the computer (like now), only 10 steps from the kitchen and bored out of my skull. I tell myself I can wait. Over and over and over, I say to myself "you can wait until dinner; you can wait until dinner .....". Meanwhile, I drink water and try to believe myself.
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    Add chia seeds to the shakes (to up protein), eat some healthy fats like raw, plain avocado 2-3 times a week, and try a week of eating at 1700-2000 everyday.

    My protein shakes are at about 40g at breakfast and 25g each for lunch & midday--that seems like alot to me, maybe I need even more??

    Since I haven't been able to eat at my lower cal levels I AM NOW eating at 1700 to 2000 a day for the past week or so and my weight loss has stalled...
  • jiggy_gibby
    jiggy_gibby Posts: 197
    Try upping your calories and eating more protein and oatmeal -- filling foods. But I'm not an expert.

    Oatmeal has a crazy amount of calories...


    Crazy amount of calories??? Uh, no. A banana split has a crazy amount of calories.
    It takes your body longer to digest oatmeal - and you don't feel hungry.
    Try it in the afternoon a few days.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    Try upping your calories and eating more protein and oatmeal -- filling foods. But I'm not an expert.

    Oatmeal has a crazy amount of calories...

    150 calories (dry measure 1/2 cup) for about 1.25 cups of prepared oatmeal (for me - old fashioned oats) isn't what I'd call a crazy amount of calories. Add 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter (about 50 calories) and it's very filling and tasty. Sometimes for a change of pace, I have it with 1 tsp brown sugar and 1/4 to 1/2 cup frozen/thawed dark cherries - super delicious! - and still not a crazy amount of calories.
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    I think we all have a time of day when our worst habits are hardest to resist. For me, it's late afternoons. I'd snack nonstop from about 2:00 PM through dinner if I didn't care about all this fat. What works best for me is to get busy with something else that gets me away from food and keeps my hands busy. Unfortunately, during the work week I'm stuck here at the computer (like now), only 10 steps from the kitchen and bored out of my skull. I tell myself I can wait. Over and over and over, I say to myself "you can wait until dinner; you can wait until dinner .....". Meanwhile, I drink water and try to believe myself.

    Sounds like hell, but I admire your persistence and that is what is going to pay off :smile:
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
    Is it REALLY hunger you're feeling? If so, eat a bowl of Fiber One cereal, drink a glass of water, then another glass of water 30 minutes later--then wait for 20 minutes. If you are still HUNGRY, eat an apple and do the same again with the water, then get ready for bed by brushing your teeth and taking a warm bath.

    If you are eating properly throughout the day and HUNGRY at night, I suspect it's one of two things, (1) you are tired and the body is wanting some energy to stay awake--in which case you need to go to bed..or (2) You are emotional eating to calm your fears or fill a void...in which case you need to address the issues that are causing you to medicate with food (I recommend you check out the book "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle).
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    Try upping your calories and eating more protein and oatmeal -- filling foods. But I'm not an expert.

    Oatmeal has a crazy amount of calories...

    150 calories (dry measure 1/2 cup) for about 1.25 cups of prepared oatmeal (for me - old fashioned oats) isn't what I'd call a crazy amount of calories. Add 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter (about 50 calories) and it's very filling and tasty. Sometimes for a change of pace, I have it with 1 tsp brown sugar and 1/4 to 1/2 cup frozen/thawed dark cherries - super delicious! - and still not a crazy amount of calories.

    Your recipe sounds delicious but it absolutely would not fill me up and now I've consumed 300 calories and am still hungry...I eat a protein smoothie for breakfast (5 cups of water, 2 scoops spirutein protein powder, 1 tbs ground flax, 3 tbs steel cut oats, 1 splenda packet, 5tbs sugar free torani vanilla syrup, 1 tsp psyllium husk, and 1 tsp guar gum (for thickening) at 380 cal total) and this concoction keeps me satisfied for about 3.5 hours...
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    Is it REALLY hunger you're feeling? If so, eat a bowl of Fiber One cereal, drink a glass of water, then another glass of water 30 minutes later--then wait for 20 minutes. If you are still HUNGRY, eat an apple and do the same again with the water, then get ready for bed by brushing your teeth and taking a warm bath.

    If you are eating properly throughout the day and HUNGRY at night, I suspect it's one of two things, (1) you are tired and the body is wanting some energy to stay awake--in which case you need to go to bed..or (2) You are emotional eating to calm your fears or fill a void...in which case you need to address the issues that are causing you to medicate with food (I recommend you check out the book "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle).

    You might be onto something here...I am emotionally wiped out & exhausted by the time I get home. I'll try tomorrow to go to bed sooner and see if that helps. Thank you for the suggestion. Isn't Eckhart Tolle a Scientologist?
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    First of all, 400 calories is NOT a binge. 4000 might be...

    Secondly, I would guess 1450 is too low of a goal since you are still hungry. Calculate TDEE and eat at a deficit from there. Mine is over 2000 and I am 5'2", female, 42 years old.

    I agree with this. I think you are just hungry because you are on a diet. 400 calories added to 1450, is still only 1850 and very well is still a deficit and not even maintenance.
  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
    Binging is stuffing in as much as you can as fast as you can. I suggest you try to control it before it controls you.
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,080 Member


    Oatmeal has a crazy amount of calories...

    Um...nope! 35g made with water is 124 cals. With double cream 30ml mine comes to 258 cals. How is that crazy?! What are you eating that certain things are lots of cals...methinks you are eating too little...once again...as I said it before...
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
    I stopped binging when I started eating enough food to support my activity level. You could do a smaller deficit, lose weight more slowly, and maintain more of your lean body mass.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    1450 might not be right for your activity level; look at your TDEE again. Shoot for 100 cals more for a week, maybe?

    Thanks for the suggestion, I went back and redid my TDEE (-20%) and I should be at 1567....
    I think I'll still shoot for 1450 since I can't seem to stay at that anyway, sorta like setting my clock forward 15 minutes so I'm never late :)
    But I'll try to get as discouraged

    Try eating TDEE - 10% (1817 cals my best guess) or take 250 cals off your TDEE since you're shooting for 8# loss.
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
    You might be onto something here...I am emotionally wiped out & exhausted by the time I get home. I'll try tomorrow to go to bed sooner and see if that helps. Thank you for the suggestion. Isn't Eckhart Tolle a Scientologist?

    No, Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher.

    Another recommendation to read about emotional eating is a book called 'Women, Food and God' by Geneen Roth (It's not as religious as it sounds).
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    No, binging is not eating 400 extra calories. Binging is eating 3000 extra calories.

    If you can afford it, get a fitbit to see how much you move. You may be surprised to find out you are burning more calories than you think.

    Second, get rid of the 100 calorie and sugar free crap. Eat real foods with real calories and I am willing to bet you will find that you are more satisfied.

    I just freed myself of the chains of trying to fit my nutrition into a daily "goal". I eat when I am hungry, period. I eat only whole foods, nothing processed or refined. I just gained 3 lbs of MUSCLE! WOOHOO! My body is cutting up beautifully. If I was still trying to eat to fit things into my maintenance calories, I would be skinny, but thats it. My legs look fan freaking tastic, and it is all because I am fueling my body with what is necessary. Now, after saying that, I also logged food for over a year and know exactly what I am putting into my body.
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
    Well so far one of the biggest stomach fillers for me is broccoli, if you have a good cooking sauce that you can add with it ... Man, they can taste brilliant and fill you up very quickly because its got the density to fill your gut but not the calories!
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
    open your diary
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    Well so far one of the biggest stomach fillers for me is broccoli, if you have a good cooking sauce that you can add with it ... Man, they can taste brilliant and fill you up very quickly because its got the density to fill your gut but not the calories!

    Thanks for the idea, I'll try that--broccoli is very good for you and I agree it will be filling too especially as a warm food
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    open your diary

    ok I did, just ignore today and yesterday because I ate a whole pan of brownies :(
    and just said screw it today
    Tomorrow I'll start again...
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
    No, binging is not eating 400 extra calories. Binging is eating 3000 extra calories.

    If you can afford it, get a fitbit to see how much you move. You may be surprised to find out you are burning more calories than you think.

    Second, get rid of the 100 calorie and sugar free crap. Eat real foods with real calories and I am willing to bet you will find that you are more satisfied.

    I just freed myself of the chains of trying to fit my nutrition into a daily "goal". I eat when I am hungry, period. I eat only whole foods, nothing processed or refined. I just gained 3 lbs of MUSCLE! WOOHOO! My body is cutting up beautifully. If I was still trying to eat to fit things into my maintenance calories, I would be skinny, but thats it. My legs look fan freaking tastic, and it is all because I am fueling my body with what is necessary. Now, after saying that, I also logged food for over a year and know exactly what I am putting into my body.

    thanks but I don't really eat junk, microwave popcorn is low calorie and good fiber that's the only 100 calorie thing I have in the house...
  • CheriLMT
    CheriLMT Posts: 220 Member
    In my opinion, as a binger, this is not a binge....a binge is thousands of calories in one sitting...you almost go into like state of being unaware of your surroundings and before you know the oreos are all gone..
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    No, binging is not eating 400 extra calories. Binging is eating 3000 extra calories.

    If you can afford it, get a fitbit to see how much you move. You may be surprised to find out you are burning more calories than you think.

    Second, get rid of the 100 calorie and sugar free crap. Eat real foods with real calories and I am willing to bet you will find that you are more satisfied.

    I just freed myself of the chains of trying to fit my nutrition into a daily "goal". I eat when I am hungry, period. I eat only whole foods, nothing processed or refined. I just gained 3 lbs of MUSCLE! WOOHOO! My body is cutting up beautifully. If I was still trying to eat to fit things into my maintenance calories, I would be skinny, but thats it. My legs look fan freaking tastic, and it is all because I am fueling my body with what is necessary. Now, after saying that, I also logged food for over a year and know exactly what I am putting into my body.

    thanks but I don't really eat junk, microwave popcorn is low calorie and good fiber that's the only 100 calorie thing I have in the house...

    I am speaking of sugar free jello and laughing cow cheese. But even at that, it is not a binge, you are hungry.

    I just recently went from 112 to 115 by eating more whole foods, the thing is, I am the exact same size, my muscles are more pronounced. So when I went on what I thought was maintenance, I was still at a deficit. Instead of calculating my TDEE on a website, I started going by what my fitbit calorie adjustment said.

    I also was stalled for months(last year) at 1200 until I raised my calorie goal to 1500 plus exercise cals and then met goal weight. I am 44 years old so it should be way easier for you.

    Get a fitbit and see how much you move and burn. You may be very surprised at how much more you can eat and still lose fat and gain muscle.