How do I stop a binge once it's started?

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  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    what i do...

    1) take for out of mouth, put fork into sink

    2) turn the opposite direction, walk away

    3) find something to do, like scrub a toilot; no one wants to use toilot hands to grab and binge!
  • 5n0wbal1
    5n0wbal1 Posts: 429 Member
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    I feel bad about wasting food by putting it in the trash, but I would rather have the cake in the trash can then sitting as fat in my body (because that is a REAL waste!!).

    I need to remember this.
  • donna1432
    donna1432 Posts: 87 Member
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    the best advice right now is dont make them.. until you are in a place where you can say ok just one.. otherwise resist the tempation all together, sometimes its a trigger food that sets it all off ;(
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I think of my binges as grown-up temper tantrums. All the emotions, the internal shouting match between the "good eater" and the "bad eater", the guilt, the anxiety - I try to realize that my brain has gone into a chemical overdrive, like a child's tantrum, and that I need to take a moment to let it all calm down - a time out. I go sit somewhere away from food, try not to reason with my stressed out brain, until I feel calmer and my stomach unclench. Then I clean something or go for a walk, something to help lift my self esteem and distract my hands.

    Good luck!

    I think this is a good analogy. And just as a good parent sees a temper tantrum coming and heads it off, so it is probably a good idea to avoid the situation that provokes "temper tantrums" in the first place. We all must "parent" ourselves to some degree. Just because you bake them doesn't mean that you have to eat any of them. But at the beginning of strengthening your willpower, It also may be wise to avoid making them until you have overcome your tendency to binge. It is possible to overcome---I haven't had a binge in three years. Contrary to the advice from others, I have found abstaining from sugar and wheat (because both were "addictive" for me---as they are for many people) has led to much easier willpower where sweets are concerned. After a while, you will see the benefits and not want to go back to the vicious cycle of going on food benders (and they bear a close resemblance to alcoholic benders). Various peer-reviewed studies have shown that, for many people, sugar and wheat have "addictive" properties.

    Many of us have been trained since early childhood to engage in emotional eating. It is a matter of changing our attitudes about food. Instead of seeing it as a "reward" or a "comfort" we need to adopt the attitude that it is there to promote our health and longevity. You will actually enjoy eating more when it is not tainted with the vague feeling that you are harming yourself with a food that is not promoting your health. I am free to really enjoy the health-promoting foods that I eat. Once you are free of the appetite distortions caused by sweet-eating, healthy foods "pop" with delicious tastes. :smile:
  • greenandcurly
    greenandcurly Posts: 5 Member
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    This is the best idea...ever!!! I work with children, and sometimes the adult (me) goes in timeout because my emotions are out of control. Just because the kids aren't around doesn't mean I shouldn't be in time out when my emotions are out of control. Super!!! Thanks!!!
  • Morninglory81
    Morninglory81 Posts: 1,190 Member
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    I love to bake and I used to be the one to finish at least 1/2 of the treats I made. I still bake but I also love to give it all away. My neighbors love me and I get it all out of the house the same day I make it. My one rule is I don't get to have any till I have delivered all the extra. Somehow it makes it taste so much better and I feel good about it too.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
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    Two steps; 1. Shut mouth. 2. Put down fork.
  • JodehFoster
    JodehFoster Posts: 419 Member
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    exercise is one of the best ways to squash cravings. It not only reduces my appetite, but also I don't want to ruin the results of what I've just accomplished w/ it & makes me think clearer about my choices.
  • greenandcurly
    greenandcurly Posts: 5 Member
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    I think of my binges as grown-up temper tantrums. All the emotions, the internal shouting match between the "good eater" and the "bad eater", the guilt, the anxiety - I try to realize that my brain has gone into a chemical overdrive, like a child's tantrum, and that I need to take a moment to let it all calm down - a time out. I go sit somewhere away from food, try not to reason with my stressed out brain, until I feel calmer and my stomach unclench. Then I clean something or go for a walk, something to help lift my self esteem and distract my hands.

    Good luck!

    This is the best idea...ever!!! I work with children, and sometimes the adult (me) goes in timeout because my emotions are out of control. Just because the kids aren't around doesn't mean I shouldn't be in time out when my emotions are out of control. Super!!! Thanks!!!
  • metacognition
    metacognition Posts: 626 Member
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    1. Avoid the trigger food. Don't cook a large portion of junk food if you are craving it.

    2. Avoid the hormones that trigger a binge by eating a little more on all days. Large deficits trigger overeating, because your body doesn't want to lose weight. When I binged I ate at 1200 calories on other days. I average 1600 now and do not binge.

    3. Another option is to keep eating until you feel slightly satisfied, but log it so you are only doing X amount of excess calories and can work it off within a couple of days. Slow down your eating, enjoy the taste of the food, and drink water with it. Don't binge on the absolute worst foods for you, find something middle of the range so you aren't inhaling a ton of calories (for example instead of cream cheese cake with a mega ton of calories, try a few lower calorie fruit / granola bars if they will satisfy you). This is not the most effective or healthy response but helps with damage control if you find it very hard to stop eating. Ideally though you wouldn't feel so hungry / craving to spur a binge.
  • backpacker44
    backpacker44 Posts: 160 Member
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    I talked to someone who was a contestant on the Biggest Loser several seasons ago, and she said if she wants a peice of cake she will take the caloric value of that peice of cake and ask herself if it's worth an EXTRA hour in the gym. If she thinks it is, she will have it and add that time to her gym schedule for the day.
  • Lil_Linds
    Lil_Linds Posts: 16 Member
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    knock yourself out, enjoy the treat, and make up for it over the course of the next few days. Cut an additional 500 cals per day over the next 3-4 days, and toss in a couple extra workouts. It will all balance out, and become meaningless after the fact. Makes you feel normal!

    Having a sweet now and then is normal, sure. Binging uncontrollably is a whole different issue though.
  • sc10985
    sc10985 Posts: 347 Member
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    Stop. Have a glass of water and brush your teeth/mouth. I find that the aftertaste of delicious treats makes me want more.


    ^^ THIS!! Brush your teeth or chew some strong mint gum to get the sweet taste out of your mouth. Or, like someone else posted, throw it in the trash. My daughter made mini cupcakes and I was allowing myself one a day (~50 calories). But then she left for the weekend. I know my propensity to binge, so I threw them in the trash and immediately took the trash out!


    Yep. Throw it out. Had to do the same thing with the easter candy my mom gave me lol. I put a few things I really liked aside and threw the rest out. I felt kinda bad but it was for the best!!
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    I have found when I get really hungry, only a strong protein like tuna or peanut butter satisfies me. So try those first.
  • walsh842
    walsh842 Posts: 1
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    What would happen if you made a decision to have a certain amount of cookies, now that you know that can be an issue. Chances are you know what your trigger foods or situations are, so you would have an idea of what chances you would be taking. This is about being mindful, not being judgemental. Once you have that amount, stop and take a break to think about what you are wanting for yourself. Do a lot of talking to yourself!
  • ctpeace
    ctpeace Posts: 327 Member
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    Didn't read through all, but some good suggestions. I like to bake too, and my husband enjoys the tasty treats, but we now limit baking to times when I can take most of it to work, an event, or a friend's. When you know that a certain number of cookies need to be around for the event you're going to, the 2 extra you eat won't be so bad. If you have a plan for those tasty treats, they won't be sitting there calling to you. Also, I don't keep the most tempting foods in the house. I figure it's better to go out for one scoop of icecream with my family than buy a whole tub and have it just sitting there, waiting to be eaten! Binges can be mitigated by being strong at the store once a week rather than having to be strong every day with it in the house.
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
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    I think of my binges as grown-up temper tantrums. All the emotions, the internal shouting match between the "good eater" and the "bad eater", the guilt, the anxiety - I try to realize that my brain has gone into a chemical overdrive, like a child's tantrum, and that I need to take a moment to let it all calm down - a time out. I go sit somewhere away from food, try not to reason with my stressed out brain, until I feel calmer and my stomach unclench. Then I clean something or go for a walk, something to help lift my self esteem and distract my hands.

    Good luck!

    I LOVE this!!! Genius!!! This is exactly what I needed to hear! I have to be the parent to myself and so "NO! You've had enough!"
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    If I can get away from the "scene of the crime" - and no, I don't literally think it's a crime to binge - then I can stop it. I throw a mental noose around my own neck and drag myself out to walk the dog, weed a garden bed, clean out that closet that throws something on top of my head every time I open it, etc. You get the idea. Sometimes what I need is a nap, so I go take it.

    There are times when a binge just has to play itself out, though. Much as I hate it and myself for doing it, I put it behind me as soon as I possibly can and get on with my life.
  • pestopoli
    pestopoli Posts: 111 Member
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    Just stop~

    I can't tell you how much this answer helped me. I have been battling binge eating for decades. Wow "just stop" why didn't I think of that. .... Thank you so much.

    :D:D "just stop" ...good lord.
  • Andrew_peter
    Andrew_peter Posts: 94 Member
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    If you feel at risk for binging leave the enviornment for a while to think things through. Go for a walk/drive/etc. Craving cookies while standing around the kitchen elbow deep in cookie dough would kill anyone's willpower, and sticking around the house trying to think things through may be a mistake!!

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