Tips and Tricks you use to stop yourself bingeing

This is something I struggle with daily. I want to hear what all of you do when faced with that moment of choice: How do you stop yourself? Do you have a phrase you repeat, a mental image you bring up, or something else? Let's make a huge list!!

Replies

  • WDWBean
    WDWBean Posts: 2
    So happy to have found this group! Yesterday was my first day back on MFP in *years!!* ... I did GREAT until before bed time.

    I made really not-great choices throughout the day yesterday, leaving me with very little food that took up all of my calories. I tried to just tell myself "too bad, I'll have to suffer and be hungry now" as my 'punishment' - WOW. That was the wrong thing to do. I ended up eating SOO much because I let myself get overly hungry.

    Today I woke up and decided that I just can't let that happen again. I too struggle with it often and wanted to come up with a plan.... I looked back at yesterday and realized that if I had made better choices, I'd have had calories left over and could have had something to satisfy myself BEFORE getting so hungry! .... Today I'm going grocery shopping for lower calorie things. I really love caramel rice cakes and they ones I buy are only 50cal each.

    Then I came on here to see if there was a group where I could find some advice, and lo and behold - here it is. Hopefully my idea of just making good choices & not getting to the starvation point will help someone... and I can't wait to hear what others have to say!

    (Other things I've thought of in the past - go out for a walk when I'm feeling that way. Brush my teeth, take a shower, chew minty gum...etc... anything to distract myself. Hasn't worked lol)
  • That's awesome! I have a list hanging in my wall of "step by step instructions" of what to do when I feel that tempting wave of wanting to binge overcome me... It tells me to drink a full glass of water and wait 10 minutes, while I'm waiting it says to read this forum, look for support in MFP, read articles & bible verses I have collected about oer coming binge/unhealthy eating , look at my "before" pictures, paint my nails, shower...etc. when the 10 minutes are up If I still feel this "wave" I'll allow myself 2 big bites of my craving, if this isn't satisfying and if I'm simply not going to overcome it (we all know what that feels like ): I restrict myself to veggies & fruit. I also have notes hanging to remind myself if I'm really hungry or just bored, tired, lonely...etc. another reminds me that I AM in control of myself and what gets put into my mouth even though when that wave hots it doesnt always feel like it, but I AM! and that if I binge I am only hurting myself, I'm not helping the situation I'm making it worse!


    keep up the support and sharing!!
  • DucksandOranges
    DucksandOranges Posts: 96 Member
    That's awesome! I have a list hanging in my wall of "step by step instructions" of what to do when I feel that tempting wave of wanting to binge overcome me... It tells me to drink a full glass of water and wait 10 minutes, while I'm waiting it says to read this forum, look for support in MFP, read articles & bible verses I have collected about oer coming binge/unhealthy eating , look at my "before" pictures, paint my nails, shower...etc. when the 10 minutes are up If I still feel this "wave" I'll allow myself 2 big bites of my craving, if this isn't satisfying and if I'm simply not going to overcome it (we all know what that feels like ): I restrict myself to veggies & fruit. I also have notes hanging to remind myself if I'm really hungry or just bored, tired, lonely...etc. another reminds me that I AM in control of myself and what gets put into my mouth even though when that wave hots it doesnt always feel like it, but I AM! and that if I binge I am only hurting myself, I'm not helping the situation I'm making it worse!


    keep up the support and sharing!!

    this is a great idea! I'm going to start collecting my pictures, articles, etc to help!
  • tequila09
    tequila09 Posts: 764 Member
    Knowing that deep down it is a choice I am making whether I give in or not I am not helpless.
  • franch71
    franch71 Posts: 60 Member
    Here's the EMERGENCY list I have saved in my phone:

    1. avoid looking at/thinking about/smelling trigger foods
    2. step away from the food - leave the room
    3. alternatives: tea, cocoa, gum
    4. l-glutamine (1000-2000mg, every couple of hours as necessary - supposedly helps cravings)
    5. brush teeth
    6. relax: read, meditate
    7. stretch daily
    8. read recovery literature
    9. post on MFP
    10. dump trigger food (bin, washing up liquid, etc)
    11. tell people
    12. POSTPONE eating seconds for 20 mins


    * Take a “breathing break”. Find a quiet spot, get comfortable and sit for a few minutes and focus on your breath. After a few minutes of this, the craving will pass.
    * Distract yourself. Go for a walk, if possible, in nature. Cravings usually last for 10-20 minutes maximum. If you can distract yourself with something else, it often passes. The more you do this, the easier it gets and the cravings get easier to deal with.
    * Drink lots of water. Sometimes drinking water or seltzer water can help with the sugar cravings. Also sometimes what we perceive as a food craving is really thirst.
    * Have a piece of fruit. If you give in to your cravings, have a piece of fruit, it should satisfy a sweet craving and is much healthier.
  • WDWBean
    WDWBean Posts: 2
    I love all of these ideas! I love having a step by step plan to follow! ....

    Dumping the food is probably a really great idea. I have this issue with "wasting" food, so I tend to feel like I HAVE TO eat everything on my plate, even if I'm not hungry anymore. I've done this to the point where I've gotten sick (and I'm not proud of it)... I asked my husband when we go out to eat if he would please dump his soda on my plate after he hears me say how full I am the 1st time (if it's something I am not going to eat left over, or else I'll box 1/2 up for later)...

    At home is another story though... I over load my plate (mistake #1) and then feel the need to eat it all (mistake #2)... I think I def need to follow the "dump the food" step! ... When I'm full, just get up and dump it!

    Thanks for the fantastic ideas.
    Printing out a 'step by step' plan right now!
  • Something else I do when a binge has happened, I grab a pen and paper or open my notebook app in my phone and jot down how I'm feeling: was the food as good as I remindered? How do I feel physically? Emotionally?... I refer back to this list during my "10 minute waiting period" before a binge. It's an excellent reminder of how crappy I feel when i give in, and puts some use to that binge I'm already feeling so down about
  • nickyfm
    nickyfm Posts: 1,214 Member
    I seriously just have to be firm with myself. Avoidance procedures have never worked for me in the long run, sadly. I just say NO Nicky. And I remind myself how badly I want the results I'm working hard to get. Tha, drinking tea ad staying AWAY from the kitchen does the trick.
  • eddie8131
    eddie8131 Posts: 600 Member
    I simply ask myself, are you really, truly hungry? Are you just trying to make yourself feel better? It helps that I am now 35 days binge free, so I also ask myself, do you really want to throw all that hard work away? So questions mainly, that helps me. And just being kind to myself. I don't believe in beating myself up about the bingeing, that only makes me feel worse.
  • edolan13
    edolan13 Posts: 1
    Thank you for the tips! I am going to try what you said tonight! I always get up in the middle of the night and eat half my fridge. I am eating fine during the day and am not starving myself. I just can't stop myself at night. It is so frusterating
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    Knowing that deep down it is a choice I am making whether I give in or not I am not helpless.

    THIS. I JUST binged this morning. It's 8am only and I have ingested more than 1000 calories. Always happen the morning after going out late drinking the night before. But I thought of how much time I have spent avoiding binges and reading up on all these and I realize it's just my own hand that keeps stuffing these crackers in my mouth and realized that I can just STOP. Just. Stop. Now.
  • idahomommy
    idahomommy Posts: 28 Member
    I need to bookmark this but I have no idea how to do it other than type a response and have it show up in "my topics". Thanks! :)
  • bluecrush84
    bluecrush84 Posts: 77 Member
    These are all great strategies. I wait for 10-30min and see if the cravings go away...if not i try, herbal fruit tea, walking, and calling someone.

    I also take St.John's wort and a small dose of 5htp daily. I had the worst trouble not going to mcDonalds and buying a lot of candy after work or on my days off. I did this every day and broke my diet every day, I could never stick to a diet...I would get a tightness in my stomach that would not go away unless I binge ate.

    Sick and tired a yo yo dieting for years and years, I gave in and decided I needed some help and looked into why I may be binge eating so much. I considered, depression, anxiety, and low serotonin levels. Doing my research on myself I am very certain I have mild and anxiety and very mild depression. A lot of highs and lows for years. Bouncing back from being happy then ten minutes later the smallest thing would make me depressed and OCD. I thought it was normal. Eating helped take the edge off. I would spend hours eating and thinking of what next I could gorge myself on. But I loathe my lack of will power.

    Any woo...I tried st.johns wort and the binging stopped from the first day I took one. I still had an appetite but I could stop after one serving without feeling like I was missing out. So I continued taking them, it has been 8 weeks and I have not binge ate once and I am praying to God I won't ever again. I believe the reason why this change has happened is because my serotonin levels were chronically low.

    I still get anxiety but not as much as I used to. When I have a cravings I can stop at one or half a serving. It still takes will power but I don't have the tightness in my stomach or the lump in my throat beckoning me to binge, that won't go away.

    I will add that St.johns wort worked for me but it may not be healthy for others. SJW interacts with a lot of medications so you should consult your doctor before taking it. It can also cause photo sensitivity and other mild side effects, this has not been the case with me. I don't take any other medications at all, even before taking SJW, so I did not have to worry about drug interactions.

    5thp has also helped me.

    url=http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker]36337443.png[/url]
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  • ObtainingBalance
    ObtainingBalance Posts: 1,446 Member
    Hey! We did an escape plan forum post months back, thought I should share... might help. :flowerforyou:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/861265-do-you-have-a-binge-escape-plan

    :heart:
  • It's complicated but do-able.I tend to make good food choices all throughout the day but after dinner and before bed, it just goes down hill. One thing I try to do is being fully aware of what I am eating and how I am feeling when I feel a "binge" coming on. My feelings tend to be very down and that reflects my bad food choices. So if I feeI like crap I take it out on food but eating more foods that make me feel even worse about myself. I try to turn my attention towards happy feelings like watching something funny. Or, I'll avoid the kitchen at all costs for the rest of the night and promise myself that I can eat in the morning. Green tea tends to do the trick for me also. I like to read about health if I feel a binge coming on, or go to a blog that promotes a healthy lifestyle.

    I read somewhere about healthy eating..It went something like,
    "Healthy eating is eating and enjoying everything about your food. Healthy eating is making wise food choices. Healthy eating is sometimes eating so much you feel uncomfortable and not beating yourself up. Healthy eating is eating something incredibly tasty but stopping when your full, because you know you can always eat some more later"
  • I am reading through this thread, and some of the tips and lists seem really helpful. I have been struggling with binge eating a lot. I'd say for my whole life. I won't go into a loooong story, but lately I have been getting migraines and I think the binging is getting worse due to my migraine symptoms. Every day, when I wake up after having binged the night before, I think to myself "I will NOT binge today. Today WILL be different!" I end up having a great morning after doing my daily walk. I am VERY new to the idea of opening up about my binge eating so I really appreciate the feedback. I hate my relationship with food :( I mean, don't get me wrong: I really enjoy food, but sometimes when life gets hard, I take my eating to the next level in order to cope with problems. I'm sure a lot of people on here can relate. I'd really appreciate some tips/suggestions. What's worked for you to help you walk away from a binge and/or prevent one from happening?

    I just ate almost half of a birthday cake and I am not exaggerating. I feel so embarrassed and ashamed. I need to STOP and am determined, all I am asking for is some support. Thanks to all in advance! :)
  • nihaotina
    nihaotina Posts: 25
    Here's the EMERGENCY list I have saved in my phone:

    1. avoid looking at/thinking about/smelling trigger foods
    2. step away from the food - leave the room
    3. alternatives: tea, cocoa, gum
    4. l-glutamine (1000-2000mg, every couple of hours as necessary - supposedly helps cravings)
    5. brush teeth
    6. relax: read, meditate
    7. stretch daily
    8. read recovery literature
    9. post on MFP
    10. dump trigger food (bin, washing up liquid, etc)
    11. tell people
    12. POSTPONE eating seconds for 20 mins


    * Take a “breathing break”. Find a quiet spot, get comfortable and sit for a few minutes and focus on your breath. After a few minutes of this, the craving will pass.
    * Distract yourself. Go for a walk, if possible, in nature. Cravings usually last for 10-20 minutes maximum. If you can distract yourself with something else, it often passes. The more you do this, the easier it gets and the cravings get easier to deal with.
    * Drink lots of water. Sometimes drinking water or seltzer water can help with the sugar cravings. Also sometimes what we perceive as a food craving is really thirst.
    * Have a piece of fruit. If you give in to your cravings, have a piece of fruit, it should satisfy a sweet craving and is much healthier.

    I love this.
  • Here's the EMERGENCY list I have saved in my phone:

    1. avoid looking at/thinking about/smelling trigger foods
    2. step away from the food - leave the room
    3. alternatives: tea, cocoa, gum
    4. l-glutamine (1000-2000mg, every couple of hours as necessary - supposedly helps cravings)
    5. brush teeth
    6. relax: read, meditate
    7. stretch daily
    8. read recovery literature
    9. post on MFP
    10. dump trigger food (bin, washing up liquid, etc)
    11. tell people
    12. POSTPONE eating seconds for 20 mins


    * Take a “breathing break”. Find a quiet spot, get comfortable and sit for a few minutes and focus on your breath. After a few minutes of this, the craving will pass.
    * Distract yourself. Go for a walk, if possible, in nature. Cravings usually last for 10-20 minutes maximum. If you can distract yourself with something else, it often passes. The more you do this, the easier it gets and the cravings get easier to deal with.
    * Drink lots of water. Sometimes drinking water or seltzer water can help with the sugar cravings. Also sometimes what we perceive as a food craving is really thirst.
    * Have a piece of fruit. If you give in to your cravings, have a piece of fruit, it should satisfy a sweet craving and is much healthier.

    I love this.

    Thank you!! I'm emailing this list to my phone :)
  • idahomommy
    idahomommy Posts: 28 Member
    One thing I try to do is eat pickles.
    1. They fill a salty craving if that's what I'm about to binge on (unfortunately for me it's usually sweets I'm after)
    2. They have almost no calories so even if you eat a whole jar, it's not that bad
    3. The taste doesn't mix well with other foods. I have found that Nalley makes a Zesty/Spicy pickle- that really helps stop me - it leaves my mouth a little hot as well.
    4. Depending on how long it takes you to eat them, you might be around that 20 min mark and maybe your craving to binge is gone?
  • eso2012
    eso2012 Posts: 337 Member
    2 things
    1. I have a taste. To NOT eat will only build up my anxiety. It is difficult but with practice, that taste will satisfy my "brain" without descending to a full blown binge.

    2. I move or workout and go to sleep (I tend to binge at night)