support for Binge Eating Disorder

I, too, am quite relieved to see this topic being explored so openly. I actually bought a few books on binge eating, but I have them hidden away so my boyfriend doesn't see them. Although I don't doubt he has a clue. He has seen me in one of my binges. It always made me cringe when people would say, "Wow! You must have been HUNGRY!" right after I'd consumed a gynormous meal. Yeah, that's when I started binging alone, or with other bingers.
I remember the day I discovered that I was a binger (vs an overeater). I was in college, moving from one apartment to another, and I had just discovered that I turned my electricity off in my old apartment a few days too early. Food was still in the fridge and freezer, and it was ROTTED. I had a whole day of cleaning ahead of me, in an apartment with no electricity, and I was beyond stressed. I decided to "grab some lunch" before I tackled this job. So I went to Subway and got a 6-in sub, went to McDonald's and got a Big Mac and fries, and went to Arby's for a beef n' cheddar and curly fries. And I brought it home and ate the whole thing. I remember being surrounded with empty food wrappers and thinking, "What the hell did I just do?" That is what made me decide to start doing some research. Although I've yet to seek therapy, the research I've conducted has led to me to believe that I'm a binger.
While I still binge occassionally, recognizing the behavior has helped me control it. I can no longer excuse it by telling myself that I skipped lunch or worked out really hard. I know a binge when it's happening. One thing I've done that has made a big difference is identifying my binge foods, and trying to keep them out of the house when possible. My binge foods are rice and rice noodles (I'm Asian, so these are the comfort foods of my childhood), so now I only buy buckwheat noodles (not the same binge appeal), and either brown rice or microwavable rice in those 2 serving packages. By the time I think about going to to the store to buy my binge foods, often times the urge to binge will pass.
I also made a binge worksheet. It's a one page questionaire that I make myself fill out before every binge. I have to record how hungry I REALLY am on a scale of 1-10, am I feeling stressed and why, what did I last eat and when, and how do I think I'll feel after the binge. More often that not, I found other ways to relieve my stress.

Do you really want freedom from this? Read my story

Well girls...I suffered w/bulimia for 7 years. Struggled w/weight & self esteem issues as a young girl( beginning in the 2nd grade), even starved myself for a few days in jr high...my mother & grandmother stopped me...and into high school and my twenties I struggled. In my mid 20's I watched a news program about eating disorders. I thought, hmm, if I did it(binged & purged) just to lose weight and then I'd stop...I was clueless about how my body worked. I became addicted.

Let me share with you a few of my reality moments:

1st reality moment: I'd been to a counseling clinic, a psychologist on a regular basis, a psychiatrist for both counseling and meds, and had been treated by my family doctor who was wanting me to go back to a counselor. That day I was rock bottom. I called my husband home from work, who came to my bedside as I cried for 2 hours. He didn't know what to say. Finally, he told me this. I had to take every thought captive and bring them into submission to the Word of God(Holy Bible). I had the power to turn the channel in my head. I have the ability to control what I think. I had to start believing what God thinks about me and throw out the lies that Satan wanted me to believe. All the lies that I wasn't good enough, wasn't pretty enough, wasn't thin enough. Whatever the lies were. I had to realize that if it was negative towards me and not true then I had to throw it out of my head!

Then, my husband made me stand in front of a mirror and tell myself that I was pretty. Bless his heart

2nd reality moment: Sept 11, 2001...I stood in front of the mirror naked and my life flashed before me. I thought, "Oh, it doesn't matter how much I weigh or what my hair looks like...I'm here for God's glory."

3rd reality moment: It was a process...but I can share with you that on the day that I had my final reality moment, I realized that God had a plan and purpose for my life, and satan wanted me dead and I was killing myself by doing this to myself. I couldn't accomplish God's plan & purpose for my life with the addiction. I was furiously angry!!!

Now, within a few months of completely giving it up...I was tempted a few times after that but I'd quickly remind myself that satan wanted me dead and I couldn't accomplish what God had for me. I'd get so mad!!!! I'd get furious and say, "NO!"

My husband watched the very first Discovery Health Body Challenge in 2001. We watched the program and applied what we learned. It was count calories, eat low fat and exercise...within 12 weeks I lost 40 pounds! I was in awe. I'd struggled all my life and was able to have the victory, not only over the addiction but my weight!!!

I decided that day that it was all or nothing and I've given it my all. You'd be blown away to know all the things that I've gotten to do because of that moment. I'm just excited thinking about it!!!! Within 3 months I was driving a 6 hour round trip to counsel women with eating disorders at a drug rehab center. The directors told me there wasn't anyone else that would come. I guess not for free ) I think that year of commuting every month solidified it all in me as I had to share with those women. Then the doors started opening even more. I was invited to share my story at a women's conference in Athens, Greece. I shared my story in Colombia. Now I live full time in Mexico!!! I've got to do some BIG things!!! And had I never given it over to God that day, I'd can't even imagine where I'd be today, but it wouldn't be here. I have a wonderful full complete and joyful life!

So what were some of the things I'd teach the ladies at the rehab center?

I said look...you're passionate about being addicted to this. It's bad for you. The bile from your stomach will erode the enamel off of your teeth. You will grow peach fuzz prematurely on your face like an old lady. You run the risk of erupting your esophagus.

You have what it takes to overcome this girls...You've already got it inside of you. With the same passion & drive you have to be addicted to this. Be addicted and passionate for what's going to be beneficial to you!!! The adventure has gotten even more exciting for me in the past year!!! Even today!!! Obsessed?? Be obsessed with what is good for you!! Research ladies. google the info that you need. Find out what foods are good for your body. Be all that you can be!!!

16 months ago, I was 40 years old and I felt like an old lady. I was eating so much processed food and eating out so much that I felt terrible. I had no energy. I still counted calories but the problem was what I was eating. I was inspired, once again, by a program that I'd seen on tv. Google David Murdock's interview w/Oprah. I looked at that clip and was done in! We went and bought a juicer. When he said we don't need supplements because we CAN get our nutrition from food, I was in!

Now I make everything from ketchup to pasta...I even learned how to grind my own whole wheat flour, planted a vegetable/herb garden and got 5 chicks!!!! lol Life is awesome!!! You can do it. Decide today that you're done w/this binge eating and move on to your new, happy, wonderful life!!!

I love food! lol I eat a little too much of it and that's why I'm here.

Last Saturday, I wrote out what I want from myself. Here's my list:

I will weigh 145 lbs by Dec 10th, 2010
Go to bed at 10 p.m
Get up at 7 a.m. coffee/journal/Bible

Workout 5 days a week
Walk Bruno 6 days a week
Ride bike 3 days a week

Not eat after 7 p.m.

Drink 10 glasses of water a day

1200-1400 calories a day
one day 1800 calories ok

Ladies, I'm challenging you! Who do you want to be? What do you want from yourself. Grab it and become it!!! You've got it inside of you. You've already proven you've got the drive...you just need to drive it in the right direction

add me if you want...

Hey!

screwed up today and binged really bad and the sad thing is I don't even remember all the crap I ate today. It started out with wanting choclate but didn't have any so I binged on every kind of sugar I could find in the house. If I keep this up I will never lose this weight. I feel like locking myself in a room and throwing away the key. Just can't find that balance in my diet and to top it off hubby went and bought a 24 pack of cholates and ate them all around me. Man alive I hate food and the fact I have no self-control. One good thing is I went to the gym and did weights and cardio. Even though I just put it all back on again. Trying not to beat myself up about it and trying to move on.

I still have the rest of the day to make good choices and I will do it.

Melissa

Hey!

He is also a binge eater too, so it does not help. That why I'm looking into getting some help from a counlser I'm on a wait list to get to the bottom of why I turn to food when stressed or for comfort. It really sucks, my goal right know is to try to eat a healthy breakfast and get as much fruit and vegs in and try to cut out the extra sugar in my diet, I eat way to much like sugar cearal and sugar on oatmeal just bad. I'm hoping if I use naturaly sweeted fruit will help cut the sugar fix I hope it works.

Sry about the spelling and tks for caring,
Melissa

Thank you thank you thank you!

I can not have any type of sugar in the house I tried honey and I ate the whole bottle in a week. I'm keeping my diet pop and I love chocolate so I'm going buy those Jello choclate pudding cups. I would treat myself once a day after the kids are in bed it gave me something to look forward to so I'm going to try that again. And only have 1-2 cans a pop a day. I have been learning what has set me off and I'm learning from every binge. Today I waited to long between meals and I was way to hungry. So I will eat smaller meals every 2-4 hours I find that has helped.

Tks,
Melissa

Great job Mel! I also had a binge free day yesterday, but I attribute it to going to bed right when I got home from work because of a headache. Monday night was a bad binge night and I ended up consuming several 100 calories late at night and then just went to bed at 10pm cuz I couldn't get myself to stop shoving food in. I was searching the cupboards for junk food. Luckily there wasn't any but that didn't stop me from shoving in pretzels, grapes, yogurt, cheese, oh geez I don't even know what else now. Today I'm doing good so far but usually do until the evenings. Tonight me and my sister are going out to dinner but it is a place that I know I can get healthy choices at. I will be fine

Have a great evening everyone!

I'm a former sufferer. Geneen Roth's 'Women Food and God' changed my life. I'd love to be a part of this group

Charmagne

Welcome Charmagne!

I've had a bunch of good days recently, and then today turned into a not-so-good one. I was in denial for a long time, but I've finally come to accept that refined carbs are my archnemeses!

I'm coming to terms with the fact that I need to cut sugar and other refined carbs out of my diet COMPLETELY. I have been avoiding them for the past six weeks, but I would allow myself the occasinal ice cream bar or single serving bag of chips or crackers as treats. But I realized today that I simply can't do this. While these little treats don't always lead to a binge, my binges are always triggered by these little treats.

I'm doing well on my 1st goal of no restricting, so here comes goal #2: No more sugar or refined carbs! Period. This is gonna be a tough one for me, but I'm going to give it my all!

In addition to frequently triggering binges, I've been noticing that refined carbs also make me cRaZy! Moody, grumpy, generally unpleasant. So good riddance to the little nasties!

Hey!

No binging Day 2 yay!!!!!!!!! Man it hard but I did not give in. Tomorrow will be good. I did eat alot of fruit today but it was better then eating tons of refined sugar. I'm so proud of my self for not giving in.

Melissa

Hello everyone!! I just want to pop in to post an inspiration that I think is very helpful for us with BED. I will try to catch up with posts over the weekend!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

HERE IS THE THOUGHT I AM POSTING FROM -- Overeaters Anoymous Today

When much is expected of an individual, he may rise to the level of events and make the dream come true.

The best person to expect anything from is myself. Yet the very thought of excelling makes me shrink back and say, “I can’t.” I have experienced the joy of jumping in without self-consciousness and rising to my own and others’ expectations. What keeps me from attaining my full potential most of the time is the negativity of self-obsession. When my attention is constantly focused on myself and my performance, I am strangely hobbled. Getting out of my own way give me the freedom to rise to the highest level of which I am capable.

For Today: Step 3 is the compulsive overeater’s prescription for making the dream come true. I turn everything over to God as I understand God, and take the plunge.

……..from For Today, Oct. 6

Another binge free day but oh man was it difficult. At 9:00 I was very hungry so I ate something and after that I was insatiable. I flossed and brushed hoping that would help but my jaw just really wanted something to gnaw on so I chewed some gum and that helped a little too. I went to bed early again too. I had an emotional day yesterday which didn't help. had to take my sis to take her cat to the vet to be put down after work.

I will write my confessional another day but my story began when I was 8 and my father decided to start weighing me and restrict my food intake based on what the scale said.

Thanks Mel. :flowerforyou:

i too suffer from BED and have for about 2 years. finally taking charge of it. i see someone and am using mfp to track what i eat, which deters me from eating slightly, cuz then i wud have to put it all here.

sometimes it's such a battle with yourself, it's really hard to overcome this, and it take real strength to make that first step!

Hey Niques86 and skheather,

We are all here for ya! the first step is to say you have a problem and are doing something good job! Just remember you are always worth more then the food you want. Just think of how crappy you will feel after giving in. What I have found worked is to change things up. If I'm bored I will go do something in other room to take my mind off it. Just keep busy to keep your mind off the food. Just keep trying you can do it!

By the way day number 3 no binging and no sugar it is getting easyier, but I know as soon as I get to relaxed I will want to slip up. So I will keep on track hour by hour and day by day!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Melissa

Hey!

Other binge free day, day number 4 yesterday. I had a cheat meal though because we went out to eat. But I shared the meal with hubby so not as much cals and I skipped on dessert so I was very proud of myself. It was really hard yesterday to not eat alot on when out but I did it! And only had a few fries off my childrens plate so no binging yay!!!!!!!!!

Melissa