My solution to a Binge...hopefully

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EllaPaigeNora
EllaPaigeNora Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
Tonight I went with my friends to the Cheesecake factory. I snacked on the breadbasket, barely ate the salad I ordered, but ate part of my friends hamburger bun and some of his fries.

Really, that's not a huge deal.

Then the cheesecake came. I scarfed it down in no time flat while my friends barely put a dent in there's and then had the rest boxed up. Then, I came home and chilled watching t.v. for awhile living in denial of all the fat and calories in my body and how tomorrow I would have to start back to strictly counting everything again and limiting my treats.

So you know what happened after I told myself I needed to get strict again tomorrow?

I raided the kitchen. Big time.

Still with quite a full stomach I had about a fourth of my sister's leftover cheesecake, 2-3 tablespoons of pb dipped in chocolate chips, three sheets of graham crackers, a spoonful of hot fudge, and four chocolate wafers. As I rounded out the binge with the last wafer I felt my stomach turn and looked at the cookie with serious distaste. I didn't really want it, it actually made me feel a bit queasy but I shoved it down my throat all with the belief that this was somehow the last time I was ever going to eat a cookie. I was so bad today that I had to monitor everything here on out. I felt nauseas, sick, bloated, and disgusted with myself, but my god I just had to have that last cookie.

Looking back I realized this binge ensued with the idea that I had to restrict myself again. While I am good at restricting and heavily monitoring myself for a time, I've realized that somewhere along the road I binge with this sort of weird desperation that backfires everything. But now, I've come up with a plan.

Instead of only eating a minuscule breakfast, salad for lunch, just chicken for dinner and no desserts, I'm gonna do something different. I'm gonna pack myself a pb&j for lunch, eat whatever I feel like for breakfast, snack if I feel hungry, eat a nice dinner with my family, and enjoy a leisurely dessert. I refuse to punish myself for this because that has only worsened the situation. It's only continuing the spiral. I need to teach myself I can eat whatever I want whenever, and then hopefully certain foods won't turn into sacred rarity's that I binge on.

I have no idea if this plan will work. But it's something I've never actually tried before when dealing with the aftermath of losing control.

I have hope.

Replies

  • mwooderson
    mwooderson Posts: 254 Member
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    From a binger perspective yours wasn't too bad. Those of us who have fallen off the wagon have done so with full on GUSTO!!! :) Seriously, I like your common sense approach. Best of luck.
  • janimei
    janimei Posts: 105 Member
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    On days when I begin eating at 1 p.m. or later, I am so much more apt to go off the deep end in the evening. When I have KIND low-sugar bars and raw nuts on hand for snacks (at home and in my purse), I make better choices. Over time, as I learn the nutritional values of my trigger foods, I say no to them more often (but not always).
  • klyn05
    klyn05 Posts: 88 Member
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    From a binger perspective yours wasn't too bad. Those of us who have fallen off the wagon have done so with full on GUSTO!!! :) Seriously, I like your common sense approach. Best of luck.

    I agree! I have had much worse binges than that (not proud to admit that! lol). Its good to have a plan and hope, which you do! I think the most important thing is that you get back on the wagon and don't let this hold you back. My personal approach is portion control for the most part & consistency, its whatever works for you and I have a very similar approach to what you are going to start doing. I don't hold myself back from any foods or make any foods off limits, really, and this is the thing that is so far making me more successful than any weight loss "plan" I've tried in years! All that matters is to not let yourself feel guilty & get back to it. You will feel 100x better about yourself after a couple days of eating better, etc, instead of going back to the opposite (binging, etc)! Good luck!
  • Squamation
    Squamation Posts: 522 Member
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    Instead of only eating a minuscule breakfast, salad for lunch, just chicken for dinner and no desserts, I'm gonna do something different. I'm gonna pack myself a pb&j for lunch, eat whatever I feel like for breakfast, snack if I feel hungry, eat a nice dinner with my family, and enjoy a leisurely dessert. I refuse to punish myself for this because that has only worsened the situation. It's only continuing the spiral. I need to teach myself I can eat whatever I want whenever, and then hopefully certain foods won't turn into sacred rarity's that I binge on.

    I've binged far more than I would like to admit. And while I do NOT agree 100% with the "If it fits your macros" crowd I also don't believe in having forbidden foods.

    I try to eat clean/fresh/whole foods, but every now and then (2-3 times a month) I go out and eat a burger (my personal favorite) or make cinnamon rolls (my biggest downfall) and enjoy it, then am done.

    My advice would be to make sure you're staying in your calories, hitting your other nutrition goals, but certainly eat what you love/are craving. Do your best to eat fresh/healthy versions of your favorite meals and it should cut down on the binging and feeling restricted.

    Good luck!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Your solution is perfect. Start over fresh, break the cycle, feed your body nutritiously and allow enough freedom so you don't feel deprived in the future. Sounds like you're on the right track! Congrats!
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
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    My wife sells Cheesecakes that she makes for weddings and other functions. I literally have awesome cheesecake at least one time each week. (Often more). It's a balancing act. I still lose weight and i enjoy eating delicious food. Just eat the cheesecake and move on. In fact, go eat all the cheesecake you have left in your house. It's fine as long as you balance out your calories and nutrients and ensure that your food fits into your daily Macro goals as often as possible.
  • daxnine
    daxnine Posts: 30 Member
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    i agree that the best solution to a binge is to do your best to recognize what you're doing but lay off the blame/shame altogether.

    THat said, the best way to stop myself from binging is to regulate my blood sugar by balancing protein and carbs at every meal.. if i eat too many carbs and not enough protein i seem to have the desire to binge a lot more
  • megan1869
    megan1869 Posts: 166 Member
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    I would never have the "balls" to post my binge contents on MFP... but we've ALL (well most of us) have been there!
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    Been there, done that. OP, you have the right outlook. Stop punishing yourself and break the cycle. Good luck. It's hard to learn.
  • jenna808
    jenna808 Posts: 79 Member
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    Your plan sounds good, eat what you want in moderation. I've noticed that when I'm eating balanced meals my tendency to want to binge is much lower, probably because I don't feel deprived or like there are some delicious forbidden foods that I'm missing out on. And don't worry, we all have bad days on our journeys. Sometimes I don't just fall off my health bandwagon. I drive it off a cliff. Into the ocean. And drown. Just acknowledge it, make a strategy and carry on, and it sounds like you are definitely on the right track!
  • bernicesmission
    bernicesmission Posts: 100
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    I am a complete binger, i am like you in some ways im really strict for about 2 weeks then i have a complete several thousand chocolate cake, ben and jerry melt down then i feel guilty and punish myself. After years of dieting unsuccessfully i realised i had to change so after i had all my calories for the day and have done my exercise and getting ready to watch tv.... i know i want to eat chocolate or something naughty.
    So heres my solution I have the treat BUT only if i am willing to work the calories off on that day. For example i want to eat a chocolate bar 320 calories i can only eat it if im willing to do enough exercise to burn that 320 and more.
    So most of the time i weigh up naughty foods to there exercise equivalent it helps when i think i need to walk 3 hours to burn off that pizza i usually think id rather not have it, its not worth it to me. I could have an apple and watch tv instead!
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    Depriving yourself can definitely lead to binges and to falling off the diet wagon entirely. But, it sounds like you are picking yourself up and dusting off, so to speak. But why not look into IIFYM and see if it would be a more sustainable plan for you. I DO agree 100% with that crowd, simply because it is a way of eating that I can enjoy and that I will be able to follow into maintenance and beyond. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    you decided moderation was the best way forward... shocker!
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    You binge for the dopamine, not for the calories. That's why you ate that last cookie, you brain really wanted the dopamine hit from the sugar in the cookie. It probably worked too, then you felt awful for having done it.

    I can get a really good binge on. I try to log everything. It's been years since I've made myself sick with food, but have gotten to the point of making myself sick because I ate so much. I used to go to Cracker Barrel and order 2 full breakfast combos. And then proceed to clean all the plates. It was quite the spectacle. Nothing like downing 4000+ calories in one sitting. :noway:

    Just try to log everything. Own your binge. Be like a man--men are proud that they can consume huge amounts of food if they so choose. This whole food shame that women feel is just another form of self loathing for being female. Embrace the binge, log it, and move on. No guilt, no shame. It's just a thing you did, now go do something else.
  • emmalouc93
    emmalouc93 Posts: 328 Member
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    I feel the same!

    I can go a day with eating normally and not being that hungry, but the minute I say ok have to be good today, and monitor everything, I am hungry everytime I think about food.

    It is all in the mind.

    The best thing is not to be strictly thinking of it 24/7, just keep a subtle on on WHAT you eat when you are hungry, and don't stress the rest.1
  • lindaland1
    lindaland1 Posts: 25 Member
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    I have so been there and done that!! What has been working for me lately is to have a "free day" once a week. I let myself have whatever I want, but only on that day. When I get a craving during the week, I always think.... "I am going to have that on my free day"..... but more times than not, I end up having something else. I feel its easier to get over a craving when you tell yourself that you can have it in a couple days. When I first tried this I would go crazy!!! But now it seems that my "free day" has really turned into a "free meal" I will still buy treats, but not the big bags, just the snack size. I feel so much better when I eat healthy that now I can't handle a whole day of whatever. Having healthy snacks around also helps me stay in line.

    Good luck with your plan, and I hope it works out for you. :)
  • marysidneyherbert
    marysidneyherbert Posts: 69
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    Sounds like a good plan. Let us know how it works out.
  • jessiefied
    jessiefied Posts: 167
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    I have done the same. I can do a block of chocolate, a packet of biscuits and a bag of lollies in one sitting. Id binge eat on sugar every day and even go to different supermarkets each time because i was embarrassed by it all. Disgusting! Ive struggled 3 years with my problems with binge eating, gaining over 35kgs and for me the ONLY thing that works is not eating sugar at all. Except for fruit I have now completely cut it out for the last 3 weeks. Considering how addicting it was and how much I craved it (I might win the prize for most addicted to sugar) it was actually really easy to stop eating it. If you can cut out sugar for one week then your over the worst. Now, 3 weeks in, I see sugar and it smells horrible and just looks gross, which I honestly can't believe! I know that if I started eating it again now I'd go straight back to where I was before, so I make sure I am careful what I eat, including added sugar. At a youth event I lead on Wed the youth pastor had 4 bags of lollies and chocolate he was eating in front of me and kept offering me some and I found it ok to say no!

    Anyway my point is find out the foods that trigger you to binge, it sounds like it could be sugar for you as well? But think about what you crave and can't stop eating. Give me a packet of chips and I'll snack on a few and loose interest. The one thing that has really helped me is that I haven't limited myself from snacking. I buy bags of almonds and other nuts, dried fruit, frozen berries, popcornn, no sugar yoghurt etc. If I'm hungry I snack. For a start I'm sure binging of fruit and nut is less bad than sugar/fat, but I'm also finding that I'm snacking less and less. It's more of a ill have a few crackers than I'm going to eat 3 blocks of chocolate. Today I craved a frozen berry and no sugar yoghurt smoothie!! Huge change from constantly craving sugar.

    I really wish you luck with your own binging issues and maybe what has worked for me may also work for you.:) feel free to add me as a friend anyone, hopefully I can encourage others too. :)

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