Confessions of a binge eater....

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rainbows1994
rainbows1994 Posts: 30
in Health and Weight Loss
I am writing this to see if anyone else has this problem.

I feel that some days I will be going on track, eating my 1400 calories (which really is enough for me) and exercising. I will feel so good about myself, and think about how I am going to lose weight and finally get healthy and get the body i want.

Then its like I just de-rail. I see something that looks delicious (like a cupcake, chips, fast food), or I go out to a restaurant with some friends and think "oh this won't be so bad, just eat what they are eating!". or I do it out of plain old boredom.

One bite of a chocolate sends me flying off the handle and then I eat everything that is "bad" in sight. This happens at least 3 times a week. I feel like a yo-yo that is bouncing between dieting and binge eating.

I can even go a whole day eating healthy, even get in my work-out; but when dinner time rolls around I eat too much and then just think to myself "well I have already eaten to much - what is the point now? Might as well binge".

I know this sounds crazy. I am hoping I am not the only one with this problem. I am not a binge and purger by no means!! Just a binge-eater. I don't do it because I am hungry. It could be a combination of things.

Anyone have any advice?

Replies

  • MichelleAnn10
    MichelleAnn10 Posts: 13
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    Bump
  • ssami_89
    ssami_89 Posts: 79
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    Make yourself throw up!



    I'm just kidding, Chew gum thats what I do I chew gum and keep myself occupied(my house has been super clean lately lol). Try not to keep the bad foods in your house get alot of fruits and veggies like grapes or snap peas little things you can snack on all you want with minimal calories.
  • tigermom12
    tigermom12 Posts: 39
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    I've been doing the same thing for the last month or so. I've been sooo good and was so in the zone but lately it's been bad in the evenings. I really have no advice either. I just start over the next day. :smile:
  • mydeloo78
    mydeloo78 Posts: 328 Member
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    If you dropped one egg on the floor would you throw the other 11 after it? Get out of the all or nothing mentality. Slip ups happen.. its inevitable, doesn't mean you have to throw away your entire week. Set limits for yourself. you get one "treat" meal a week.. everything else has to be one plan. Its all about discipline. Willpower is a muscle we build overtime. Until you get stronger perhaps avoid situations that will tempt you and definitely don't keep bad foods in the house.
  • ssami_89
    ssami_89 Posts: 79
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    Also, try not to eat past a certain time. I try not to eat past 8pm it helps me with my control thats what I did first for self control. I may have binge ate but not past 8 now I'm getting better controlling my binge eating now that I'm used to not eating past 8.
  • MsLadytray
    MsLadytray Posts: 12 Member
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    Also, try not to eat past a certain time. I try not to eat past 8pm it helps me with my control thats what I did first for self control. I may have binge ate but not past 8 now I'm getting better controlling my binge eating now that I'm used to not eating past 8.

    I think this a good idea. I used to stop eating after 7pm but lately it's been a free for all so I think i'll return to my no eating after 7pm because that worked for me. Thanks
  • anazombee
    anazombee Posts: 31
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    define binge eating to you. R u eating until your stomach is swollen and painful or are you just having a few cupcakes and feeling bad about it?
    If it is the latter then you are simply eating junk and it isn't a binge. The mind is stronger than the body, maybe your being restrictive. If you have one cupcake or one bar of chocolate it isn't a reason to forsake all your hard work. allow yourself this indulgence and move on.
    If you are truly binging and eating a whole cake a whole muffin wrack all the cookies in the jar and anything else you can stuff in your face that is within reach then you need to go to the doctor or a counselor of some sort cuz you have a disorder.

    It is your mind so further restricting isn't going to help, you need to learn balance. No food it bad so just cuz you ate something doesn't mean all is lost and you might as well stuff your face and sabatoge your work. Allow yourself an indulgence now and then so you don't break and then move on.
  • kmccormick42
    kmccormick42 Posts: 78 Member
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    I am so much better at being able to say no these days. I'm finally happy with what I see in the mirror and how I feel and that's much more important than a "treat". I don't totally deny myself but now I'll eat one or two cookies instead of six. Or I'll have 1 piece of Dove dark chocolate instead of a half a bag. I think it's just a mindset that I had to reach and now hopefully I'll be able to stay that way.
  • rainbows1994
    rainbows1994 Posts: 30
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    define binge eating to you. R u eating until your stomach is swollen and painful or are you just having a few cupcakes and feeling bad about it?
    If it is the latter then you are simply eating junk and it isn't a binge. The mind is stronger than the body, maybe your being restrictive. If you have one cupcake or one bar of chocolate it isn't a reason to forsake all your hard work. allow yourself this indulgence and move on.
    If you are truly binging and eating a whole cake a whole muffin wrack all the cookies in the jar and anything else you can stuff in your face that is within reach then you need to go to the doctor or a counselor of some sort cuz you have a disorder.

    It is your mind so further restricting isn't going to help, you need to learn balance. No food it bad so just cuz you ate something doesn't mean all is lost and you might as well stuff your face and sabatoge your work. Allow yourself an indulgence now and then so you don't break and then move on.

    I am binge eating until my stomach is swollen and I can barely walk. I am not just eating a few cupcakes and feeling sorry for myself.
  • Melissa11412
    Melissa11412 Posts: 145 Member
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    if 1400 was really enough maybe you wouldn't be bingeing......i should know, i went through the same scenario. first i did the 1200 thing, i may have been eating loads of veggies and been "stuffed, oh i can't eat another thing!!" , but i still felt deprived. so i would binge and "punish" myself by eating even less.

    i then moved up to the 1400-1500 range. closer to 1400. restless, irritable and discontented. not really enough energy to support weight training and running, but powering through anyway. Then chilling at home watching tv and having that tiredness overcome me. feeling like i want to be comforted because, after all, i've worked sooooooo hard and restricted my cals so much, SURELY i deserve a little treat, right?? LOL 3 binged out days later i'm full of regret and restricting (punishing) yet again.

    i'm currently in the 1700-1800 range, MINIMUM 1700. i log consistently, and i have one day (Sunday) where i relax and eat what i want. i train heavy and run 3x a week. i'm not starving, and i'm finding the binges are not happening. do i slip up every once in a while and have a treat during the week? yes, but i'm not beating myself up about it anymore. just logging and moving on. putting down the hammer and picking up a feather (when beating myself up LOL) is working for me.

    for me, getting a handle and working on what is going on inside (feelings, emotions, punishing myself, perfection issues, etc) helps tremendously in gaining control over the outside issues (food, shopping, sex, or whatever we use to feel good)
  • pavingnewpaths
    pavingnewpaths Posts: 367 Member
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    I have (had) the same exact issue.

    What I did (and it's been about a month or so and it's been working great for me - I also used to be like you, happened at least twice a week):

    1) Threw out every source of junk in my house. Not kidding. Every ounce of it. If you have kids/other family members that eat this stuff then put all the junk in a cabinet, buy a lock, give them the keys. It sounds extreme but I promise you that it's worth it. If you don't even have access to the food, you can't eat it - right?
    2) Don't eat out. Seriously, it's really REALLY not worth it. Aside from the fact that it's almost impossible not to over-eat, restaurant food is really gross. If you want to hang out with friends you could meet up with them to do something that doesn't involve eating out?
    3) Don't eat after 8, and if possible, go to bed before 10. Make sure to have a late dinner though (around 6/7) so you don't feel hungry and/or get late night cravings for sweets.
    4) Most people would advise against this. But it works for me: have a cheat meal once a week. Don't go overboard. Still restrict your calories but keep it at about 300 above your normal calories. So allow yourself a piece of pie or cake or whatever, eventually you won't even need to do this anymore (I didn't bother with this after the third week!)
    5) Lastly, and most importantly, KICK THE MENTALITY. I promise you that binge eating has A LOT to do with the way you think. Especially that "Oh, what's the point if I already screwed up?" - I think the exact same way and most people don't really understand that it's not a thought you can actually control. But what i'm suggesting is to stop way before you reach that point. As soon as you consider eating something you should stop, take a breath, and ask yourself two questions: "Is it worth it?" and "Will I regret this decision tomorrow morning?"

    These sound sort of ridiculous, but the key point is to remain aware and don't do anything without thinking. If you're aware of your surroundings/feelings/and what you NEED as opposed to what you WANT, you'll be able to get rid of that habit :)
  • rainbows1994
    rainbows1994 Posts: 30
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    I have (had) the same exact issue.

    What I did (and it's been about a month or so and it's been working great for me - I also used to be like you, happened at least twice a week):

    1) Threw out every source of junk in my house. Not kidding. Every ounce of it. If you have kids/other family members that eat this stuff then put all the junk in a cabinet, buy a lock, give them the keys. It sounds extreme but I promise you that it's worth it. If you don't even have access to the food, you can't eat it - right?
    2) Don't eat out. Seriously, it's really REALLY not worth it. Aside from the fact that it's almost impossible not to over-eat, restaurant food is really gross. If you want to hang out with friends you could meet up with them to do something that doesn't involve eating out?
    3) Don't eat after 8, and if possible, go to bed before 10. Make sure to have a late dinner though (around 6/7) so you don't feel hungry and/or get late night cravings for sweets.
    4) Most people would advise against this. But it works for me: have a cheat meal once a week. Don't go overboard. Still restrict your calories but keep it at about 300 above your normal calories. So allow yourself a piece of pie or cake or whatever, eventually you won't even need to do this anymore (I didn't bother with this after the third week!)
    5) Lastly, and most importantly, KICK THE MENTALITY. I promise you that binge eating has A LOT to do with the way you think. Especially that "Oh, what's the point if I already screwed up?" - I think the exact same way and most people don't really understand that it's not a thought you can actually control. But what i'm suggesting is to stop way before you reach that point. As soon as you consider eating something you should stop, take a breath, and ask yourself two questions: "Is it worth it?" and "Will I regret this decision tomorrow morning?"

    These sound sort of ridiculous, but the key point is to remain aware and don't do anything without thinking. If you're aware of your surroundings/feelings/and what you NEED as opposed to what you WANT, you'll be able to get rid of that habit :)

    Thank you so much!
  • jjenks3
    jjenks3 Posts: 45
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    I curb my cravings with a cheat meal, not a cheat day mind you, once a week. Saturday nights I get to go out and eat something...less than desirable. By scheduling a cheat meal once a week I'm able to say to myself "That cake looks so good I'm totally going to have a piece saturday", and it gives me something to look forward to.

    Depriving yourself is a recipe for failure for the average person. There's no sense in it when you could just make choices about what you are going to eat and when.

    Which reminds me, that chili's 2 steaks and a cheese fries for 20$ is calling me...oh tomorrow is gonna rock.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    With binge eating it's really important to find out what's happening in your brain that's causing you to binge. Because all the gum chewing and water drinking in the world won't stop me when I'm feeling depressed and exposed or stressed out or whatever it is that's going on in my life. There's a bit of wiring in my brain that makes me think food will solve all my problems. If I can just pack in enough Swiss Cake Rolls everything will be fine. I find that I'm a lot more successful if I can identify the problem I'm trying to solve and fix it before I get to the binging stage.
  • ktostoich
    ktostoich Posts: 3 Member
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    These are great tips! I have struggled (and still do) with this too and something that has helped me is to find the pattern that made this a habit. For example, after I eat dinner I would immediately start eating dessert and go waaay overboard. So I started making myself sit in my chair or stay in front of the tv for 20-30 minutes, literally not allowing myself to get up. It sounds so stupid, but it's a little mental game. When I do this, I've found that my craving for sweets went away or if I still want it, I can think rationally about it and avoid a binge. Sadly, while little tricks like this help in the short run, there are probably some emotional issues behind the behavior. Use whatever physical trick you can to be successful until you have the time and energy to work on the inside stuff. Good luck!
  • rainbows1994
    rainbows1994 Posts: 30
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    bump
  • FixIngMe13
    FixIngMe13 Posts: 405 Member
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    I'm a serious binge eater... and not because I want to be. I don't purge, but I get so sick I feel like throwing up. I do this at least 3 times a week anymore. I work 3-12 hour midnight shifts... and when I'm at work I am fine. In fact I feel more than fine and I don't even really think about my next meal. On my nights off I'm a hot mess. I binge til the wee hours of the morning... then go to bed sobbing because I not only feel sick to my stomach but I also hate myself. :ohwell: I'm speaking the whole truth.... and let me say that when someone tells me to chew gum, or drink more water.. I get highly upset. Not because it isn't good advice, but because if it was that easy I would have mastered it and moved on and not be sitting where I'm at now reading and trying to cope once again.

    Mine is obviously got some major mental issues behind the willpower/dedication as some of you call it. I'm depressed 95% of the time, and have been for years. I'm not well actually... to the point I had a stroke 3 weeks back and I'm still recovering from that. Thank God it didn't do any nerve damage and I'm able to do what I was able to do before the stroke....but it was a HUGE wake up call for me!!!! I've been having more chest pain, and my jaw has had moments where I can't move it at all while basking in cold/clammy sweats.

    I agree with what someone said above... that there is more to it than just binge eating.... I agree 100%. I'm an emotional wreck and I use food to comfort most of the time, but it even goes a little beyond that. When I eat like that (always late at night) I've got too much time on my hands apparently. My financial situation.... my kids.... lack of motivation.... lack of willpower. As for sleeping... that doesn't happen because I'm on the nightshift schedule... meaning that on my nights off I'm in no way going to bed at 10pm like normal folks... and don't think I haven't tried. I would sleep for a few hours than be back up pacing and eating again. I don't even bother going to bed at 10pm anymore.

    This post actually gave me a little hope... that someone else understands completely what I'm going through. I'm not alone after all.
    I am talking to my doctor Wednesday to see what (if anything) can be done to help me with the binge eating... because it is consuming my life and I fear I'm going to have a heart attack at the rate I'm going from all the stress I'm putting myself through. I do know that sometimes Dr.s prescribe anti-depressants to not only help with the depression, but has been proven to help with binge eaters also... probably because you're helping one problem that is lending a helping hand to the other problem.

    I btw agree with the person that said hide the junk food or get rid of it. Thing is... I don't binge on that stuff... I will binge on the most stupidest things....seriously.... like ramen noodles, or baked potatoes... and it always seems that I binge on STARCHY things. Blah... I feel sick just reading that.

    Anyhow... I'm sending you a FR... because I would love to know how you are coping and maybe we could support each other. :flowerforyou:

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