How do you define "binge?"

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  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
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    I have a specific pattern that I go through when I binge. I eat a salty/savory food, then a sweet, then a salty/savory, then a sweet, and the cycle continues. Calorie counts don't matter for me - it's this pattern. I've binged on just 800 calories worth of food, but it was very, very difficult to stop the pattern.
  • Lind140
    Lind140 Posts: 140 Member
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    The DSM4 defines binge eating as so;


    1. Recurrent episodes of binge eating characterized by BOTH of the following:
    a. Eating in a discrete amount of time (within a 2 hour period), an amount that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar time period.
    b. Sense of lack of control over eating during an episode.

    2. Binge eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the following:
    a. Eating much more rapidly than normal.
    b. Eating until uncomfortably full.
    c. Eating large amounts of food when not hungry.
    d. Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating.
    e. Feeling disgust with oneself, depressed, or guilty after overeating.

    3. Marked distress regarding binge eating is present.

    4. The binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months.

    5. The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g. purging, fasting, compulsive exercising).

    Depending on the counsellor you are seeing, this is what they should be following...(yes i realize there is difference of opinion, this just the professional standard used in diagnosing disorders)

    This! It sums it up rather well, and match what I consider my own symtoms of binge eating.
  • mjcat002
    mjcat002 Posts: 15
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    I found this article its interesting and gives some insight;
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/490211-sugar-salt-cravings/
  • a18cey
    a18cey Posts: 5
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    If you look at the term on it's own a "Binge is any behaviour indulged to excess" now this is the intersting part because the term "excess" will always be subjective. Your excess may be smaller or greater than my excess so what I think is a binge may not translate to another person.

    However, I like to take a scientific aproach to most things so my definition of a binge is taking your behaviour way past the point where you are getting any real benefit.

    take binge eating for example, every week I calculate the daily macros I am going to consume and split them down for each meal. currently I am consuming 2500-2800 kcals a day sometimes a touch more and sometimes a touch less, if I was to eat say 3000kcals in a day I wouldnt be particularly bothered but if i was to eat say 4000kcal in a day I would consider that way in excess of what I need and therefore a binge because my body will only take those excess kcals and store them as fat and not use them for what I need.

    the same goes for alcohol consumption, I very rarely drink alcohol but when I do I generally end up getting drunk, I know when I am drunk and therefore know my own limit. If I was to carry on past this limit and keep drinking I consider that to be a binge because I have already got the desired effect from the alcohol.

    So I suppose really, my definition of a binge is taking your behaviour beyond the point where you get any real benefit from it.
  • aTallLiam
    aTallLiam Posts: 75
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    It's basically eating more than you really needed to.
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    To be it may be healthy food and it may be a realitely small amount. The important thing is that's it's eaten quickly, often not really enjoyed, and definitely out of control.

    Fo instance. I may have had egg on toast and a yogurt for lunch but then stuffed down another yogurt and two satsumas. That's a binge for me. However going for a meal out and having a big three course meal but eating it slowly and enjoying it has loads more calories, but isn't a binge.

    Yes! Out of control-- you can't stop yourself. You trudge back to the kitchen yet again with a sad face on because you know you should stop and want to stop but can't. Doesn't matter what the food is, it's a feeling. IMO.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    I would define it as more than over-eating or pigging out, although one might feel guilty about those behaviors. It's compulsive uncontrollable eating far beyond enjoyment, at times of food one doesn't enjoy.
  • NadineSabbagh
    NadineSabbagh Posts: 142 Member
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    For me, a binge is when I uncontrollably just stuff food in my face. It doesn't matter whether it's healthy or not - I see a binge as being the process of mindlessly eating quickly, regardless of whether I want the food or not. In fact, when I'm 'binging' I frequently tell myself that I don't want the food, that I'll regret it after and that I should stop, but I don't listen to myself. It's almost like I have no control, like an external force is physically forcing my hand to pick up the food and put it in my mouth. (I know that it is all down to me, that I am the one who willingly eats the food, but that's just what the experience feels like to me).

    Thankfully I don't binge all that often, but when I do I try to at least keep track of the calories I'm stuffing in my face. Usually it turns out that I haven't done quite as much damage as I think I've done. The other day I'd had a very healthy day, I'd eaten around 1400 calories of 'clean' food and was sitting watching TV after my tea. Then suddenly I just felt myself stand up, go to the fridge and start eating everything in sight! I couldn't stop for some reason, so I counted the calories and it came to about 2200 for the whole day. Before, if I'd had a binge I would have given up, thought I was a failure, and carried on my unhealthy lifestyle. But by keeping track of the calories I realised that I had eaten the same amount that TDEE calculators predict I burn in a day, so in reality I shouldn't have really done any damage.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Eating when/amounts/things I know I shouldn't be eating.

    unless you have intolerance to something theres nothing you 'shouldnt' eat...
    I'm somewhat intolerant/sensitive to dairy and there have been times where I'll eat way too much ice cream and feel sick. For regular dairy ice cream I can only handle 1/4 cup before I start to feel sick. I'll still eat 1/2 cup sometimes because ice cream.
  • LenaCara
    LenaCara Posts: 8
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    For me it's just eating a rediculous portion size because the food tastes so good. A few nights ago I sat down and a small tub of mustard potato salad. It should have been 4 servings but it was so good that I ate it all at once. I don't feel guilty about it because I think it's a waste to eat food if your not going to enjoy it. I usually realize what I'm doing, put that on the list of things I shouldn't buy for a while, then eat away. I find that once I actually started enjoying my binges, they didn't happen as often. When it did, it would be the one thing that I was eating and once that was gone it was done. If I let myself get all upset about it, I always ended up finding more food and making the situation worse.
  • kaybeau
    kaybeau Posts: 198 Member
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    I feel like a walking binge today bar pasta I actually havn't had a meal! its been crisps, bread while the toaster is toasting stealing my hubby's curly wurly the kids sausage rolls and the daughter's crisps... I have logged it all and the only reason I have 200 cals left for the day is that I fed half of whatever I ate to the dog! Half a curly wurly is better than a whole one I guess. There is nothing stopping me attacking the ice cream in the freezer next, cause I get that 'well I mucked up already may as well carry on attitude'.

    I would go and make a cup of tea but there is food in that kitchen, and the only way to avoid a night time binge is to go to bed early tonight. What a waste of a day, it's been all I can think about. Just in case you think it's all imaginary I turned the car away from mcdonald's this afternoon and had a cup of tea from an ice cream van while my son tried an ice pop. He's not well and left half of it...thank god for the dog...it also helped that the lolly was bright blue.. It's the only food I do not do, bright blue food!
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    I would define bingeing (for me) as times when I eat a lot of something (completely unplanned) when I KNOW I'm not hungry but just eating for the sake of eating. It happens once in a blue moon for me and my binges aren't 1000-5000 calorie epic binges. For me, it's several bowls of cereal in a row, a large amount of bread or a few candybars.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    For me a binge is defined by being out of control of my eating. The word is thrown around way to casually.

    There are times that I know I shouldn't have that chocolate cake but make a conscious decision to eat too much of it anyway. This is not a binge. I made the decision and I will accept the consequences like an adult.

    When I'm binging there's a little voice in the back of my head begging me to stop, to drink water, to fill up on veggie, to walk out of the house, to wait an hour, to breathe, anything. But that voice has no control over my body. I don't even recognize it as being a part of myself. I'm not eating for taste. I'm not even eating because it feels good. I'm eating to fill an emotional black hole that can never be filled. At that point I usually feel bloated and overly full. And I don't mean oh no! I had a big dinner fullness. I'm talking about feeling like one more bite will make me pop. And then I eat two more sandwiches. With peanut butter and cream cheese on them. And maybe some raspberries for the vitamins.

    I once traveled to Kyoto during cherry blossom season. They had attendants at the train station to pack as many people onto the public buses as possible. Then we stopped at three more bus stops and even more people got onto the bus and then more and more. I couldn't move, could barely breathe. This is what a binge feels like. I just want the food out of my stomach at that point but I keep eating more, keep packing it in. I can't sit down without serious discomfort. I can't breathe without discomfort.

    Binging is about more than just guilt. At the end, I still feel empty inside even though I'm so full. I feel disgusted and disgusting. I don't want to face myself and I can't stand the thought of anyone finding out what I just did.

    For me, a minor binge is 3000 calories over maintenance. It is not a single cupcake.
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
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  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
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    I would say a binge, for me, is either unplanned eating that comes on from seemingly nowhere or an event where i began to eat "normally" but once the food hit my mouth (usually processed sugars/simple carbohydrates) I have an extremely difficult time discontinuing eating, despite no longer being hungry. I
    also tend to notice, no matter how I try to talk myself off the binge limb, i cannot seem to pull myself back in until i physically cannot eat anymore, despite pain and discomfort. I often will go into an eating "trance", where i am not even aware of how much i am putting into my mouth. I will just keep shoveling food in.. Totally mindless...not tasting a darn thing on my tongue.
    I will also begin to obsess and fixate about wanting more food especially if something/someone interrupts my eating before I consider myself done with the food binge. I will also become irritable and cranky if I was unable to complete my binge, "properly".
    This past weekend i binged so much that my stomach organ and peristalsis muscles were actually going into major involuntary spasms.. It was a first for me and I felt absolutely awful, and despite that, within a half hour I was eating again!!
    Binges always come with an emotional and mental price tag... I have been trying to be more kind to myself after such events.. I also try to not eat foods that i KNOW will trigger the potential to binge like baked goods, candy, ice cream, garlic bread etc. there is a saying in AA, "one drink is too many and a thousand is never enough." Thats a binge!
  • gettingfit65
    gettingfit65 Posts: 349 Member
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    I think Im doing that right now.

    3 Turkey Meat balls w/Red Sauce
    Rice Cake & Pb
    Cinnamann Toast Crunch w/1% Milk
    String Cheese and Cheeze Itz
    I think I'll move onto the Doritos Next


    Above is what I think a binge is. Eating pretty much one of everything in the house with no rhyme or reason. I can have a great day calorie wise up until supper or after and then proceed to eat nonstop...
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    I don't really know exactly what a binge is. But, I know I don't like when part of the definition is feeling out of control A lot of people could feel like they are out of control and that they ate way more than they should have it's really not a binge at all, they are just not used to eating at maintenance. Or someone that is battling with coming out of an ED might feel out of control when they are eating normal portion sizes and within a normal/healthy calorie range. Or you could feel out of control because you really really like hummus and crackers or pita chips but really you can manage to fit all that into your macros and still lose/maintain.

    To me a binge would be an epic eating session that will be very difficult to deal with (fit into your macros) even over the course of a couple of days. IE 2000 or more over your daily calorie allowance. Sure it can be done and you could in theory exercise a whole lot more than usual and cut a whole lot more than usual, but like I said that is a difficulty.

    Also, I think binge foods have to almost by definition be foods that are high cal/ low nutrients. Because almost no one binges on carrots. It's nearly impossible to eat so many carrots that would put you so far over in your calories that an extra half an hour work out wouldn't fix it.
  • JessieTangerine
    JessieTangerine Posts: 91 Member
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    For me a binge is defined by being out of control of my eating. The word is thrown around way to casually.

    There are times that I know I shouldn't have that chocolate cake but make a conscious decision to eat too much of it anyway. This is not a binge. I made the decision and I will accept the consequences like an adult.

    When I'm binging there's a little voice in the back of my head begging me to stop, to drink water, to fill up on veggie, to walk out of the house, to wait an hour, to breathe, anything. But that voice has no control over my body. I don't even recognize it as being a part of myself. I'm not eating for taste. I'm not even eating because it feels good. I'm eating to fill an emotional black hole that can never be filled. At that point I usually feel bloated and overly full. And I don't mean oh no! I had a big dinner fullness. I'm talking about feeling like one more bite will make me pop. And then I eat two more sandwiches. With peanut butter and cream cheese on them. And maybe some raspberries for the vitamins.

    I once traveled to Kyoto during cherry blossom season. They had attendants at the train station to pack as many people onto the public buses as possible. Then we stopped at three more bus stops and even more people got onto the bus and then more and more. I couldn't move, could barely breathe. This is what a binge feels like. I just want the food out of my stomach at that point but I keep eating more, keep packing it in. I can't sit down without serious discomfort. I can't breathe without discomfort.

    Binging is about more than just guilt. At the end, I still feel empty inside even though I'm so full. I feel disgusted and disgusting. I don't want to face myself and I can't stand the thought of anyone finding out what I just did.

    For me, a minor binge is 3000 calories over maintenance. It is not a single cupcake.


    Just wanted to repost this because I felt like this was so well written and perfectly described what I think of as a binge.

    I have never binged, but have spoken with others with binge eating disorder and to me there is a definite difference between what they go through and what the definition of a binge seems to be on MFP. A binge is not some voice inside of you hijacking your body and saying "No more diet for me, I will eat the forbidden food." :devil: Nor is it you eating the entire plate of brownies because they just taste so darn good, its impossible to stop at one! A binge can be a thousand or more calories over maintenance and not being able to stop despite every part of your body crying for you to as well as the guilt that can go along with knowing you could not stop it.

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