Help with Binge Eating

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Mikkimeow
Mikkimeow Posts: 1,282 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey there everyone, I was looking for some advice and general tips from fellow MFPers who have dealt with bingeing on a daily/weekly basis and/or emotional eating and learned to overcome. I have been a binge eater since I was six years old. Mine stems from living with different strangers as a child and not knowing where my last meal would come from. When I was adopted by my aunt and uncle at 9, those disordered eating habits seemed to pass. When I became a teenager, for some reason my body waged an unholy war against me. I could remember waking up at 3 a.m. and stuffing myself to the point of sickness, then not eating the entire next day. I would hide food in my closet, under my bed, in between my cabinets even! I felt this ever constant need to be stuffed 24/7. Because I was very active and into sports, I stayed at healthy weight while practicing these unhealthy habits.

I went to college playing softball, and never stopped bingeing. I introduced bulimia into the cycle to cope with the stress of performing in class and on the field. It was no surprise then that when I dropped out after the first year, I gained 60 pounds in four months. A lifetime of bingeing had caught up with me.

Last May I found MFP as a last ditch effort, and a month later I was pregnant. Because I wanted my daughter to be healthy, out of sheer willpower I won my battle with bulimia. Yet, I couldn't seem to stop the almost daily cycle of eating 3,000+ calories in one sitting. I exercised every single day, and managed to keep the weight off while pregnant.

Three months after having my daughter, here I am. I lost twenty pounds after giving birth almost immediately. Yet, I have been stuck in a two month long rut of stuffing myself to the extent of sickness. The only reason I haven't gained more weight is because I bust *kitten* at the gym every single day. I have been telling myself that it is mind over matter, that I just have to stop making excuses and do it. But after twenty years of eating like this, I have been so lost as to how to defeat my own brain. Being a stay at home mom, it gets lonely, and the urge to binge is always there.

So, if there is anyone that has dealt with what I have in a similar manner, or even just knows someone who went through this and overcame, I would love help. I want to take control of my life again, to learn to not fear food or being alone in my own kitchen. I know that it is my time to be healthy and live for me, but I just don't know how.

Replies

  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    I am a very compulsive eater. I will always be a compulsive eater.

    I found a counselor who specialized in disordered eating and used cognitive behavioral therapy to help me deal with my food issues and my family of origin issues. It was the best investment I have ever made.

    I learned tools and ways of thinking to manage my compulsive eating, and gained a great deal of self-esteem and self-love. Every aspect of my life is better because of counseling.

    It sounds like your issues are very deep and go past food and occasional over eating. I strongly encourage you to find a good counselor and get some therapy.
  • ForMyTomorrow
    ForMyTomorrow Posts: 13 Member
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    My story is similar, in the binging habits. Started young and got worse when I went to college. I also gained 60 after my first year of college and getting married the same year. I eventually got 100 pounds heavier, two kids and a few years later. I'm down about half of the 100 that I gained. And one of my main goals even above losing weight is to eat like a regular person. Ill do good for a while but it is like it is building up and then ill have a period that I revert to old habits. It is an everyday struggle but I'm starting to recognize when it happens and try to do what I can to prevent. For example I know every single day at about 4 pm that the urge is going to hit me. So if I'm already prepared with a good snack or know exactly what I'm having for dinner then I can push those thoughts from my head. Also I make sure I don't keep those trigger foods in my house. Nothing that will cause me to binge. Lastly I have a few books and I try to keep my mind busy during those times or try to distract myself. I also have a good friend who deals with the same thing and we message each other a lot and talk about it. I think the main thing is changing the habit.
  • foodfastfit
    foodfastfit Posts: 154 Member
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    I had to slowly cut back my carbs. Carbs gave me an uncontrollable craving for more carbs. Another thing that helped was not eating out of the bag.
  • ChantiC
    ChantiC Posts: 137
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    I to struggle with binge eating. I go through phases where I don't and then I do for a few weeks. Its frustrating as hell and like you I go workout too at the gym and bust my butt and then come home only to eat all the cals I just worked off. It makes you angry and its almost like you feel powerless. Like someone said above about counselling, I know a few people who did that for binge eating and it really helped them. This might sound nuts but what really has helped me is hypnotism. If you go on the jon gabriel's website he has a free mp3 download and I listen to it before bed. Also the I Can Make You Thin CD helps too. What they both do essentially is help me relax before bed and they take away that anxiety around food. I dont' think about food as much. It also helps me feel better about myself. Not that I think its the end all. But I know it has really helped me and I used to binge everynight at 11pm for hours. I don't do that anymore. I still eat over my cals, but I don't sit there and have thousands of calories in one sitting since listening to those MP3's. And also like someone said, no trigger foods in house, mine is chips and dip.

    I know its a daily struggle and its exhausting too. I think counselling will probably he your best bet. Feel free to add me if you like to talk :):flowerforyou:
  • cheerbabe080790
    cheerbabe080790 Posts: 86 Member
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    I used to binge eat terribly! I had graves disease and it became a learned behavior, because I felt so hungry all the time when my thyroid was too fast. When my thyroid slowed down i continued to eat, and it spiraled out of control over the years. I fixed it by becoming a high carb raw vegan. I eat as many raw fruits and veggies as I want until Im full, and sometimes for dinner I have a cooked portion of potato, root veggies, veggie soup, quinoa, lentils, nuts and seeds etc. along with a huge salad, No portions are restricted, no calories controlled. I usually end up eating around 1500 calories now naturally, because thats what my body naturally wants. But its such an easy lifestyle. It detoxed me, helped me control my cravings, cleared my skin, helped my hair and nails grow, gives me ample vitamins and minerals, and I no longer binged on this diet because i am satisfied. Also, the emotional aspect became fixed too, because my hormones balanced out. I dont eat processed food or meat, so my ph is always balanced, i am not inflammed, etc. This lifestyle is the best Ive ever found. :) you should try it.
  • levicrouch
    levicrouch Posts: 99
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    I think your question is above most of our pay grades here on MFP :smile: . Sounds like you have a specific need for professional assistance for a specific challenge.

    That said...


    You are making a great first step, you recognize the issue you want to attack and are seeking out assistance. I am confident that with the right help you can beat this and be a great role model for your daughter.
  • emy61032
    emy61032 Posts: 10 Member
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    I struggle wth binge-eating as well. I have also found that not having trigger foods in the house (no more Nutella for me, b/c the whole jar would be gone very quickly. Also, I try to keep sweets in the house to a minimum). I think that learning when I'm actually hungry physically, and trying to keep myself full with the right kinds of foods so that I don't get to the place where I feel like I'm starving also helps. Also, allowing a few favorite foods in moderation (on this MFP diet, I eat an occasionl Hershey's bliss (35 calories), or have an ice cream bar for dessert (120 calories) if my calorie allottment allows it. Please add me if you would like. I hear ya about the emotional eating, and not knowing how to stop that urge. It is tough.
  • kaylabrose
    kaylabrose Posts: 71
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    I stopped counting calories and stopped binging.
  • DTBurroughs
    DTBurroughs Posts: 21 Member
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    I second the suggestion for finding a counselor. I still struggle with binge eating, but I'm starting to realize it's not about willpower. There is something there that that behavior (binging) is feeding, and just restricting your eating is not going to meet it. Check out "breaking free from emotional eating" by Geneen Roth. It really changed the way I thought about binging and weight loss.
  • WildcatMom82
    WildcatMom82 Posts: 564 Member
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    It has taken me YEARS to find what will work for me. This is the first year I can count on one hand the number of binges I've had (so far). I've heard wonderful things about OA (overeaters anonymous) and have completely identified with some of the radio bytes on their site. If you could find a meeting in addition to counseling maybe that support would help? For me the main things I've found that help are not restricting calories too much, working out almost every day, not keeping trigger foods in the house, and saving a good chunk of calories for the after dinner time. I know a lot of people say don't eat in the evening, but if I don't save around 500 cals I'm far more likely to binge and eat a lot more than that. I feel like having my kids was a HUGE shift for me as well because I wanted them to grow up healthier than I did and when my first started on solid foods we started eating a lot differently.

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