I don't know how to stop binging
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First post (although a long-term lurker) so, please, be gentle with me!
I was 120 lbs overweight and lost 100lbs of that over the space of a year. It wasn't easy, as - besides knocking on a bit (in years, but not attitude) - I have RA. Six months ago I took ill and was diagnosed with a particularly unusual and rare condition called mastocystosis. I suddenly found myself allergic to so many foods: If it ever had feather, fins or was fermented, I couldn't have it. No tomatoes! I basically have to follow a low histamine diet and also carry an Epipen at all times. That, as well as the 18 different medications I take daily.
Anyhow, I started to stuff myself with the things I COULD eat: chocolate, candy, honey, cakes - anything sweet was not safe around me. Result was I put back 50 lbs. I realized last week that, if the illness didn't kill me, then the diet I was pursuing would. So, here I am, back on MFP and RECORDING EVERY SINGLE MORSEL THAT PASSES MY LIPS! It's only a week, but already I am reaping the benefits, insofar as I now aware of the senseless course of self-destruct I was on.
Why? Well, possibly because I have no family (apart from my wonderful husband) and live fairly remote. I have no friends because I had always preferred to choose my friends rather than let them choose me. Help offered whilst I was undergoing treatment was refused because I thought I could do it alone. All this to say that the root cause of my binging was simple: I was in denial and I was feeling sorry for myself!
Sometimes you have to face up to what is REALLY AND HONESTLY the cause of your binging. It's hard, but like the quote says above, putting down my fork was easy compared to the chemo I went through. At last, I have things in perspective and I don't intend to die of a weight-related illness.0 -
I'm taking this from a thread that was posted a while back...
Enduring chemotherapy is hard.
Hitting a fast ball in the major leagues in hard.
Negotiating nuclear disarmament from a hostile nation is hard.
Saying goodbye to a loved one in the hospital or the veterinarian’s office for the last time is hard.
Putting down the fork and telling yourself to stop eating is not hard. Mind over matter. If you want to lose weight and make a change, then will it to happen and be accountable. Make the change
What a crock of absolute b...let's just call it utter nonsense.
I won't even get into how ridiculous the concept of 'mind over matter is' but perhaps you might want to look at some more recent research on cognitive science and the science of free will and habit.
But even apart from that, an addiction is an addiction. This lady has a problem. Belittling it by suggesting it's not a 'difficult' problem whilst throwing in emotive statements about death is disgusting. Jog on will you.
Now, to the matter of hand which incidentally, (if you're still reading) is of HELPING someone....
Food addiction is terrible, unlike addictions to other items such as alcohol, there's no escaping food. As well as this you also have the added issue that the marketing dollars of the food companies are conniving against you, with that kind of marketing spend and of course the design of food (the bliss point, look that up) you're basically in a REALLY difficult situation.
A few good suggestions here, I would perhaps play around with the following:
1. The Paleo diet. I'm not a huge fan of this normally BUT by removing all processed foods from your diet, eating only organic items, fish, meats, nuts and so on you'll find your satiety goes up and your need of processed junk will go down. It's a lifestyle change but it might just work. Restricting food groups isn't always wise but in your case, following a specific intervention diet could be a great way of changing your habits and your body's cravings for junk and so on.
2. You could try a combination of intermittent fasting and carb back loading. The concept behind this is that you fast at times during the where you're exposed to bad foods and then eat when you get home. As an example, perhaps you have a 16 hour fast window each day and an 8 hour feeding window. During these 8 hours you get in your daily calories and you have more control over what foods you have access to (eg only those in your cupboard) Furthermore by including carb backloading you're still getting access to treats etc but you're doing it all at the end of the day when you have full control.
Those are just a couple of suggestions for you. Good luck with it.
I was wondering if anyone else found that post as effed up as I did. If it wasnt hard to put down the fork, so many people wouldnt be obese. Get off your high horse.0 -
wow. you come here looking for help. a few people suggest OA meetings, telling you to make time (because it's worth it and can actually help you) and you come off all snooty and on the defensive saying how you work 55 hours a week and don't need to be preached to and don't believe in god.
you know, don't ask me tips on how to play soccer, but neglect to tell me you only have one leg.
fine, you don't want to be preached to. i get that.... wait, no i don't. you need to be 'preached to' to overcome your problem. in AA they have a 90 meetings in 90 days rules for newbies, in the hopes that it sinks in. you obviously can't make it due to your job (which we were somehow supposed to just know???). but this is just like the people who bash crossfit without ever having tried a class.
make it to a meeting once. just go. do it. in fact, go to two meetings so you can really really get a good evaluation of the thing. the closest one is 15 miles?? HOLY EFFING SQUIRRL BALLS is that really far away for you?? or are you just making another excuse not to get yourself better? just like the free snacks in the kitchen, and the whole "i sit down for work 8 hour days."
How is saying that I work a lot of hours coming off as snooty? Someone made a suggestion and I shared how it wouldn't work for me and I said "unfortunately I work 55 hours a week." Are you offended that I have an amazing job and am a workaholic? Or are you mistaking my getting pissed at people basically telling me that I'm lazy and being flat out rude when I asked for help?
I will probably never post in the forums again because of this post, the first topic I've created, getting so many *****y responses. I came here because I was under the impression that this was going to be a helpful, safe place, but clearly I was very wrong and I won't make this mistake again.
Girl! IGNORE ALL THOSE NEGATIVE PEOPLE!! Everyone has their own opinions and you don't have to acknowledge or listen to any of the ones you don't agree with!! (This is a free forum on the internet, after all, so you never know what you are gonna get.) There are plenty of nice, supportive people on MFP so don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch. (Please message or friend me or both!)
That being said, I want to say to you: KEEP TRYING!! You will have setbacks now and then but if you stick with it, you can turn those setbacks into SUCCESS!! Just the simple fact that you know you need to change is a huge step in the right direction.
While I've never struggled with serious binge eating, I've certainly struggled with eating all my life because I love food and cooking. That makes losing weight really difficult! I can also identify with changing to a desk job from an active job in a restaurant and putting on weight as a result. I've only recently had some success by FINDING A BALANCE between the healthy food that I need to eat while still allowing myself to have the little treats that make dieting not suck.
I agree with some of the suggestions people have made: Track it before you eat it. Set small goals for yourself and reward yourself (not with food) for reaching them. Get a friend or coworker involved with similar goals. Write in a journal. Go to meetings. Talk to someone (anyone!) about your struggles and feelings. If those things don't work then try something else. TRY EVERYTHING until you find what it is that WORKS FOR YOU! Remember, even small steps can lead to big changes.
YOU CAN DO IT!! DON'T BELIEVE FOR ONE MINUTE THAT YOU CAN'T!!
I want to address the rude person who wrote the above comment @ Capt_Apollo: You should be ashamed of yourself for bringing your JUDGEMENT and HATEFULNESS into this place that is supposed to be a supportive environment. Didn't your mama teach you that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?
like you said... free forum. you don't like what i said, you don't have to acknowledge it... but well, you did. you can't even follow your own advice. you, and the OP, seem to just latch on to a response that bothers you and let it twist in your head to the point where you think i'm some guy hunched over his keyboard tormenting people on the internet. when in fact i have very excellent posture.
judgement and hatefulness? the only one i see judging and hating is you... and the OP. what did i say that was so wrong? or was i just saying things that rang through in your ears?? i will call people out on their excuses forever and always.
do i believe that the OP can achieve her goals? yes. do i think that she really wants to? yes. do i think she is ready to take the steps she needs to to achieve those goals? no, not yet. but she's close.
oh, and my mother is a saint.0 -
It's pretty simple - you either master your environment and learn to function in a workplace that has constant access to snacks, you determine that you can't master the environment so you quit this job and find one that won't put you in this situation, or you give in and accept that you're going to binge eat at work and then you will try and do damage control
All 3 options are viable. I would consider the last option viable b/c if the job is amazing from a career or salary point of view you may not be in a position to quit, yet at the same time you don't think you will get over the environment. In that case just accept the situation for what it is and start doing other things to limit the damage - I'm thinking maybe something like a reverse 5:2 fast where instead you just fast on the weekends and during the week you significantly increase your calorie expenditure ..... basically something that will help push you towards a calories in = calories out balance even when overeating while at work.
Nobody here is going to be able to say the magic words that are going to trigger your brain to behave differently.
So yeah, figure out which of the 3 options is best for you and then go about making it happen.
But until you draw a line in the sand and figure out which way you are going to go, then you're just going to keep digging a deeper hole for yourself.0 -
Pre-plan your food for the day. Throw out all the unhealthy stuff you have at home!0
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It sounds like you may have a food addiction. If you are unable to attend over eaters anonymous meetings, you can check out several books that address the issue you are having with food. It all boils down to your mindset. Mind over matter. You can overcome your bingeing. Good Luck!0
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Use cell tech0
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you've never worked a day in your life if you cant even stop eating. i am so mad that I have to pay for your lazy *kitten* quadruple bypasses with my HARD earned taxes dollars due to socialized healthcare. Give me a ****ing break "i work 55 hours so I cant stop eating"
ARE YOU KIDDING ME.0 -
I'm taking this from a thread that was posted a while back...
Enduring chemotherapy is hard.
Hitting a fast ball in the major leagues in hard.
Negotiating nuclear disarmament from a hostile nation is hard.
Saying goodbye to a loved one in the hospital or the veterinarian’s office for the last time is hard.
Putting down the fork and telling yourself to stop eating is not hard. Mind over matter. If you want to lose weight and make a change, then will it to happen and be accountable. Make the change
fantastic. this is good.0 -
you've never worked a day in your life if you cant even stop eating. i am so mad that I have to pay for your lazy *kitten* quadruple bypasses with my HARD earned taxes dollars due to socialized healthcare. Give me a ****ing break "i work 55 hours so I cant stop eating"
ARE YOU KIDDING ME.
whoa.0 -
Put a picture of your ideal body onto the machine.......LOL!!
Willpower........You've got to be strong, and just walk past, Got to be determined........!!!
I would pack healthy snacks, and have them at my desk with lots of water.....!!!
You can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0 -
you've never worked a day in your life if you cant even stop eating. i am so mad that I have to pay for your lazy *kitten* quadruple bypasses with my HARD earned taxes dollars due to socialized healthcare. Give me a ****ing break "i work 55 hours so I cant stop eating"
ARE YOU KIDDING ME.
whoa.
What a d-bag0 -
heya, congrats on the new job btw. Office work is hideous, its like a prison cell you cant move unless going toilet and its very mondane trust me ,,,, im in the same situation. Harder still when the influence of others eating around you make you want to scoff your face off!! i honestly belive if i changed my job the weight would fall off me again. is there anyway you can get field work?
if not small changes help a lot, heres my tips:
* park 20mins away from work and walk in and back
* walk in your lunchtime.... i go to the shop which is 30mins away and buy a walls mini milk ice lolly for only 30 cals
* sugar free jelly is your new best friend its under 10 calories and you still are eating something
* if you really cant stop eating snacks then put minty gum in your mouth the same time you want to eat a snack......it tastes disgusting!!!
hope this helps x0 -
How does one binge at work? When I think of binging I think of eating copious amounts of food at one time. For example: The last time I binged I stood at the cabinet and one at a time unwrapped and ate almost a whole box of rice crispy treats ( 180 cals per serving - ugh!) Of course my plan was to eat just one- almost in a flash, and somewhat without thought, I'd " binged".
Anyway...
When I've binged, I've usually been so ashamed that I did it in secret. My husband used to ask ( and before someone jumps down his throat, it was asked not in a mean way but curious)...how I could be overweight when I hardly ate anything <sigh>....
So back to my question- How do you binge at work? Is it binging or grazing?0 -
Ps- someone suggested reading self help books- A good one is " When Food Is Love" by Geneen Roth.0
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I'm taking this from a thread that was posted a while back...
Enduring chemotherapy is hard.
Hitting a fast ball in the major leagues in hard.
Negotiating nuclear disarmament from a hostile nation is hard.
Saying goodbye to a loved one in the hospital or the veterinarian’s office for the last time is hard.
Putting down the fork and telling yourself to stop eating is not hard. Mind over matter. If you want to lose weight and make a change, then will it to happen and be accountable. Make the change
That is a really rude thing to say to her! Who are YOU to say what is hard for someone else? Are you kidding me? Just because it may not be hard you YOU! Don't judge things that you don't understand. I am always amazed at people. Wow.0 -
I'm taking this from a thread that was posted a while back...
Enduring chemotherapy is hard.
Hitting a fast ball in the major leagues in hard.
Negotiating nuclear disarmament from a hostile nation is hard.
Saying goodbye to a loved one in the hospital or the veterinarian’s office for the last time is hard.
Putting down the fork and telling yourself to stop eating is not hard. Mind over matter. If you want to lose weight and make a change, then will it to happen and be accountable. Make the change
That is a really rude thing to say to her! Who are YOU to say what is hard for someone else? Are you kidding me? Just because it may not be hard you YOU! Don't judge things that you don't understand. I am always amazed at people. Wow.
Most people that post things like that actually do understand.
Your reaction to that post is an indication that you do not.0 -
I'm taking this from a thread that was posted a while back...
Enduring chemotherapy is hard.
Hitting a fast ball in the major leagues in hard.
Negotiating nuclear disarmament from a hostile nation is hard.
Saying goodbye to a loved one in the hospital or the veterinarian’s office for the last time is hard.
Putting down the fork and telling yourself to stop eating is not hard. Mind over matter. If you want to lose weight and make a change, then will it to happen and be accountable. Make the change
I don't have a dog in this fight but .......having just finished chemo ( in February) and recently burying my dad( August) and putting down my dog of 15 years ( July) .....I do find putting the fork down very hard. I've heard that food releases chemicals that cause a " high"...sorta like the quick fix a junky might get when he shoots up. I think it does that for me.....and it's exactly why I'm on MFP trying to figure the whole crazy weightloss/exerise/ heathly lifestyle thing out.0 -
You don't need any sort of meetings or counseling. You just need a serious wake up call. Other people have acknowledged that you have a mental problem, but I don't believe in that. Once you believe you have some sort of mental problem or uncontrollable addiction, you believe that you are incapable of fixing it because its out of your control. You are welcoming weakness. And if you welcome that weakness, you deserve what it brings with it. If you want to stay overweight, keep going to work, eating a bunch of free snacks, then go home and eat a whole box of cheez-its, and then get online and say that you know you have a problem but you just can't stop doing it.
Just because you were weak in the past does not mean you have to stay weak forever. Everybody has periods of weakness, it's unavoidable. But you cannot wallow in it or sustain it indefinitely, you have to LEARN from it. Make today the day that you give that weak **** up.
Start better habits today. Use a TDEE method to set your daily calorie goals, using a sedentary lifestyle and a 20% deficit. This will still give you plenty of calories to consume in a day. If you don't understand what that means, ask for help and there are many MFPers who would gladly help you. Don't think losing weight is limiting yourself to eating chicken breasts and vegetables at every meal. Eat your favorite foods, just more responsible portions of it. Buy yourself a food scale and weigh EVERYTHING before you put it in your mouth. Track the food daily on your MFP food diary, and make your diary public so when you post, everybody can see what you're doing. Weigh yourself weekly and track it in MFP so you can see what course you're on. As you read this, you're already making excuses in your head. Do you want to be weak and overweight forever?
If you want a serious psychological impact to get your *kitten* in gear, do all of your binging in front of a mirror. Next time you get the urge to down an entire box of cheese snacks, take that box into your bedroom, lock the door, and stand in front of a mirror in your underwear as you eat them. When you can see the effect those little cheese snacks has already had, does eating a whole box of them still make you happy? Take a small mirror to work to place on your desk, and when you can't stop snacking away on free junk food and slush drinks, watch yourself binge away. Look yourself right in the eyes and try to convince yourself that you know its a problem but you just can't stop it. I know you won't be able to, because you're not convincing me either.
Its your mind and you're free to control it. Stop telling yourself you're a victim of disorder or addiction. Stop telling yourself you don't know how to stop binging. Stop making excuses because nobody is going to buy into them. Stop trying to fool yourself because you already know there's a problem. Stop accepting weakness as a way of life.
Embrace your strength. Embrace truth. Embrace change.
^^ THIS MAN SPEAKS THE TRUTH!!! What you wrote was long but well worth reading!
I agree love this idea actually.0 -
Track everything you eat. Make a print out and post it in a prominent place in your home.
Find a therapist who will do some phone sessions.
Set a timer and take a short walk every 30 minutes--in the direction opposite of the kitchen.
Explore the possibility of a standing desk so you are not sitting all the time.0
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