Binger's Remorse

JessieMichelle1979
JessieMichelle1979 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I tried to fight it and managed to just put it off. I took a walk. I brushed my teeth. Still wanted SOMETHING to binge on. Tried to talk myself out of it and considered phoning a friend. Do those cravings pass like cigarette cravings pass? I remember quitting smoking and knew cravings passed in 20-30 minutes. What is the anatomy of food cravings? I'm tired of this cycle. Now that I know I have Binge Eating Disorder, (BED- funny acronym to me since I end up passed clean out after a sugar crash, only on my couch instead of on my bed.) I need to learn more about it. I did not like Over Eater's Anonymous because they have a mile long list of foods to never eat again. No way. Don't even try to convince me to do that. Anyway, anyone with advice, tricks, similar issues, etc. let me know. Thanks. My big issues are sugar and starches, BTW. :indifferent:

Replies

  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    100 calorie microwave popcorn is a good way to quiet a raging tummy. :flowerforyou:
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    What has helped me to not binge on sugar is to eat plenty of different veggies, fruits and proteins and some good whole grains and drink lots of water. If i do this, oftentimes, I'm able to just eat a regular portion of chocolate or ice cream.
    Not eating enough of a varied amount of good foods, gets me into bingeing trouble.
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
    I sympathize. I wish I knew the answer. I've been struggling with BED for years now. the longest I went without a binge was 8 months back in 2012.

    Someone posted something recently about this. Did you catch it? I found it very helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1136806-what-i-did-about-my-never-ending-battle-with-binge-eating

    Good luck you're not alone
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
    I also wanted to add what helped me stay binge free for that 8 months was having a moderate calorie deficit and eating exercise cals back. I did TDEE -20% and I found I was still able to eat what I wanted and satisfy my cravings with a larger calorie goal to play around with (1700-2200 cals a day). I lost 64 pounds in 8 months. I gained it back due to BED coming back after my dad passed. emotional eating , blah blah blah...
  • JessieMichelle1979
    JessieMichelle1979 Posts: 4
    Oh I have a couple other issues too- IBS and missing molars. I can't eat popcorn or lettuce without paying dearly later and I can't chew crunchy things like raw veggies or I will possibly choke. :grumble:
  • tlark88
    tlark88 Posts: 11 Member
    I used to binge all the time. I would get home and no one would be there, I'd be lonely so I would eat. Or I would be happy that I did good on an exam so I would eat. Or I would have an emotion so I would eat.

    Even though I started my weight loss journey almost a year ago, I still have cravings. I still get that empty feeling that screams fill me with food. I had to just start thinking, #1 am I really hungry? #2 if I'm not hungry, what am I feeling, and what is actually going to help me feel better? If I couldn't figure it out, I did an exercise video.

    Not sure, if that helps, but it worked for me. I just needed to find out what was going on with me. Kind of like a journey of self-discovery.
  • andreagenther
    andreagenther Posts: 67 Member
    I give myself a cheat day each week to have ONE serving of whatever I have been craving for the week. Sometimes I crave pizza, brownies, and potato soup so I have those on my cheat day for the week. Some weeks I just want a caramel mocha. Each week is different. I also save my cheat day for parties or family dinners.

    It is really important to me to never rule out any foods. That doesn't seem like a long term goal. Instead I am trying to learn how to enjoy food without binging.

    I read somewhere that will power is like a muscle. It gets stronger the more you use it but you have to set yourself up for success. Don't go hungry for to long. Keep healthy snacks around. Avoid exposing yourself to your triggers. Don't tempt yourself when you know you are week. Maybe snack on carrots and hummus while watching a movie if you must eat while watching a movie. Take a different rout home if you always "HAVE TO" stop at that fast food restaurant when you drive by after work.

    Always make sure you are hydrated and have enough protein and fiber to satisfy your hunger.

    Good luck.
  • Guinivere
    Guinivere Posts: 357 Member
    Take it one day at a time and rewards should be non-food related. Plan in treat meals once a week, decide on what your rules are.

    E.g. Do you want to be the person who doesn't eat sugar or wheat products?

    When I stopped eating both completely, my desire to binge fell away and my IBS disappeared.

    I've lost over two stone since June (34lbs) just by having some rules. No diet. And they work for me.

    My best advice is to experiment, try some techniques out for a week at a time, give them a chance. It takes about three days to kick sugar out of your body. You'll get headaches, shakes, you'll be moody but it will pass. Then you will feel great.
    I've had BED and anorexia athletic for most of my life and this a technique that helped me gain back control.

    Your IBS might be related to lactose intolerance, so why not try cutting that out for a week, then reintroducing and noting any changes

    Hope this helps. Happy to support as a friend :-)
  • Guinivere
    Guinivere Posts: 357 Member
    I give myself a cheat day each week to have ONE serving of whatever I have been craving for the week. Sometimes I crave pizza, brownies, and potato soup so I have those on my cheat day for the week. Some weeks I just want a caramel mocha. Each week is different. I also save my cheat day for parties or family dinners.

    It is really important to me to never rule out any foods. That doesn't seem like a long term goal. Instead I am trying to learn how to enjoy food without binging.

    I read somewhere that will power is like a muscle. It gets stronger the more you use it but you have to set yourself up for success. Don't go hungry for to long. Keep healthy snacks around. Avoid exposing yourself to your triggers. Don't tempt yourself when you know you are week. Maybe snack on carrots and hummus while watching a movie if you must eat while watching a movie. Take a different rout home if you always "HAVE TO" stop at that fast food restaurant when you drive by after work.

    Always make sure you are hydrated and have enough protein and fiber to satisfy your hunger.

    Good luck.

    And this ^^^^^ :-)
  • jmiguy
    jmiguy Posts: 11 Member
    I grab a hot cup (or two) of green tea between meals if I start feeling hungry.
  • jenna762001
    jenna762001 Posts: 27 Member
    Ive always struggled with binging, at different times the reasons seem to be different as to why I give in to it, but the fact is the cravings were and are always there. Here are several things that help me... the food log for sure. I feel defeated if I would have to write down 9 servings of doritos so committing to keeping the log keeps me in check. Gum. I am a huge fan of chewing gum if I'm feeling deprived. Water. Lots of water. And decaf tea. High protein, nutrient rich meals will help prevent cravings. If you are satisfied you're less likely to crave the garbage. Portion control. I weigh nearly everything I eat. Most dqys i prelog my dinner too so that i can plan and know what i have left for snacks and where my macros are at. Logging in advance helps me to stick to what i said id do. And when you are craving that binge and can't let it go, measure or weigh your portion and put the rest away immediately. Don't eat straight from the bag or have the oreos open in front of you. For me that's a recipe for disaster. Dont deprive yourself too much either. Plan for moderation and treats in your daily menu. Food is meant to be enjoyed in my opinion. Mealtime shouldnt be a punishment. And be conscious of the fact that you can overcome anything and every moment is a fresh opportunity to make healthy choices. If you mess up, don't beat yourself up! It happens, just learn from it and get right back on the wagon.
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
    I did not like Over Eater's Anonymous because they have a mile long list of foods to never eat again. No way. Don't even try to convince me to do that.

    I am not trying to convince you of anything, but just FYI - OA does not endorse ANY plan of eating, and does not require anyone to cut out anything. I'm not sure what kind of meeting you attended, but there is no "OA approved" list of foods to avoid(or eat). All that being said, OA is not for me, either, but not for the same reasons. I recommend the book "Brain Over Binge." It really helped me.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I may not be much help since I do not actually have a real problem with binges. But tonight I was super hungry after dinner, which very rarely happens. I was craving fries (which I rarely eat and don't even like much) and pie or custard. I wound up satisfying those cravings with a boiled egg sprinkled with a bit of salt & pepper, followed by a Clif Kids Z bar. I seriously considered going to get fast food or custard but I knew once I got some more protein and satisfied my sweet tooth, I'd be good to go. Sometimes for me it's a matter of listening to those cravings and having a slightly better version. I don't mean crave a Snickers bar and eat a celery stick. That won't work for anyone ;-)
  • aarar
    aarar Posts: 684 Member
    I've struggled big time with binging all my life. I've lost weight many times in the past by being too restrictive and it's always the same in the end whether it's weeks or months into the 'diet': I get hungry, I crave something, I binge and I don't stop. I actually mean that literally, like I'd eat until I got physically ill and then continue. I gained back all the weight I lost for my wedding (nearly 70lbs) in less than a year and a half. I've lost and gained 40lbs-70lbs at least 6 times in my life (not even counting pregnancies).

    For me these are what helped me learn to stop:

    - eat as much as I can while still in a calorie deficit so that I'm never hungry
    - eat regularly throughout the day (again, so that I don't get hungry)
    - nothing is off limits. In fact I eat chocolate every single day.
    - Log EVERYTHING. The days I go over and want to forget about are the days I need to log the most (you should see my food diary from last week when I was in Italy!)
    - I enjoy holidays/birthdays/date nights and don't starve myself before or after them (back to the whole 'not letting myself ever get hungry' thing).
    - in the first weeks of MFP I prelogged my food for the day so that I didn't have to stand in the kitchen and decide what to eat. I knew ahead of time and mentally prepared myself for it.

    As a result I've lost over 90lbs and finally feel in control. It doesn't mean I haven't gone over my calories but I no longer experience that out of control urge to eat as much as I can whether I'm hungry or not anymore.

    Running has also helped me more than I ever imagined when I first started because now when I'm stressed or whatever I crave a run instead of food (I have to say that that didn't happen overnight and only very recently this has started happening).

    Good luck, you can do it! Don't let one bad decision send you spiraling out of control, just log it and move on.
  • IsaacHudson
    IsaacHudson Posts: 33 Member
    Do it, binge and go crazy. Just make sure you LOG IT.

    You have nothing to feel guilty about, as long as you LOG IT.

    It's amazing what logging the calories you don't want to log does over time.
  • JessieMichelle1979
    JessieMichelle1979 Posts: 4
    Wow, thank you for your wonderful responses! I never thought to pre-log a meal! great idea. :) I will go over these responses regularly so I can never forget what your ideas are. Thanks again. :happy:

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