BED advice?

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lovemuffin6
lovemuffin6 Posts: 49
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 90% sure I struggle with binge eating disorder (uncontrolled binging, at least twice a week), I fit all the symptoms and despite dieting sensibly (1200-1400cals) it gets much worse when I'm on a diet, before I get professional help I'd like to at least try tackling it on my own.

I'm currently 132lbs and 5"3 so a healthy weight, my goal was 120lbs but I was thinking of starting to up my calories by a few hundred a week to focus on maintenance. Every book on BED I've read from scientific to self help book suggest beginning with keeping a food diary and looking out for patterns and I've definitely seen a link between emotions running high and binging. The books also say that in order to completely combat BED you need to give up dieting. Although I'll still be focusing on improving my running and strength ( aiming to run a 10k next September).

Does anyone have any advice for combating binge eating permanently and giving up the dieting mindset?

Replies

  • drshona
    drshona Posts: 52 Member
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    I don't have any specific advice on Binge Eating Disorder, but why are you eating 1200-1400 at your weight? As you say, you're a healthy weight, so why diet? I'd have thought that, if you're a healthy weight and eating as though trying to lose weight, you'd be bound to land up bingeing as you're effectively starving yourself.

    I only started this a couple of weeks ago, but I do know it was apparent to me within about a day that I was not going to be able to maintain an intake of only 1200 a day. I don't have Binge Eating Disorder (as far as I'm aware - don't really know much about it) and I am not a healthy weight but there's no way I'd not land up bingeing if I tried sticking to 1200-1400.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    I can relate. I have suffered from binge eating for a long time. Keeping your calories at a higher level will help with the urge. However, it isn't quite that simple. BED is an eating disorder with emotional elements to it as well. So while you could have a very proper nutritious calorie appropriate diet, you may still binge out of stress or other emotions. send me a message if you want to talk.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    If you don't buy food to binge on you can't binge..
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    If you don't buy food to binge on you can't binge..

    ahh...but anything can be a binge. a cupboard full of healthy food can turn into a binge. to truly be unable to binge, she would have to have no food in her house...not very practical if you live with other people.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    ahh...but anything can be a binge. a cupboard full of healthy food can turn into a binge. to truly be unable to binge, she would have to have no food in her house...not very practical if you live with other people.

    True, but if you have healthy foods its harder to get those calories way up there without stopping yourself.. But really lets have the OP answer..

    What is the main item you binge on?
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    My BED was diagnosed and it was every single day. It was actually a symptom of malnourishment and not a psychological disorder at all. In fact, the brain is part of the body (duh) and most problems are related to nutrition, contaminants, etc. When I changed WHAT I eat, BED vanished. As did all other illnesses and obesity.

    You may need to reassess what are "healthy" foods for you. For me, grains, unlimited fruit, and any sugary foods are a no go.

    As mentioned, if you are under-eating and dieting while at a healthy weight, that is NOT BED, that's your body telling you that it is HUNGRY. I never eat 1200 calories because it's not enough food.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    My BED was diagnosed and it was every single day. It was actually a symptom of malnourishment and not a psychological disorder at all. In fact, the brain is part of the body (duh) and most problems are related to nutrition, contaminants, etc. When I changed WHAT I eat, BED vanished. As did all other illnesses and obesity.

    You may need to reassess what are "healthy" foods for you. For me, grains, unlimited fruit, and any sugary foods are a no go.

    As mentioned, if you are under-eating and dieting while at a healthy weight, that is NOT BED, that's your body telling you that it is HUNGRY. I never eat 1200 calories because it's not enough food.

    I totally agree with that. often people who are underweight and/or malnurished (for whatever reason) will find themselves raiding the cupboards at night--eating half a container of peanut butter. It is their body's way of saying..."hey, I need some protein and fat here."

    others (not trying to pigeon hole the OP) binge for emotional reasons. My bingeing was emotional.
  • dietstokes
    dietstokes Posts: 216 Member
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    I have a history of EDNOS, so I understand the binging. I would suggest increasing your calories to maintenance for a while. Increase slowly so as not to shock you body. If you can stay at maintenance without binging for several weeks, then you can slowly drop calories in increments of 50-100 calories. Maintain each drop for a week or two to see if you start to binge again. Once you get to a small enough deficit to lose half a pound a week, I would stop there. Since you are a healthy weight, you shouldn't lose too quickly. Additionally, make sure you cover your bases by taking a good multi.

    I have also found having something to occupy my hands has been really helpful. Right now it's crocheting. You might want to give that a try. If/when you do binge in the future, make sure to write down what preceded the binge, as you may find a link. And log your binges so that you can ID if they happening on specific days, after particularly low days of eating, etc.
  • lovemuffin6
    lovemuffin6 Posts: 49
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    The binging definitely gets worse if I diet but it does happen when I'm not too, I doubt I'm malnourished as I take vitamin tablets and eat fairly healthy food. In terms of what I binge on it can be literally anything I don't buy any junk food for my normal weekly shop but lots of things that are healthy in moderation such as cheese, low fat yoghurt, dried fruit, brown bread and apples can turn into binge food when that's all I have in my cupboards. The whole don't buy stuff you'll binge on doesn't work either because sometimes I'll go out and specifically buy food to binge on which would be unhealthy like pizza, crisps, chocolate etc.

    If after being at maintenance cals for a few weeks I'll probably speak to my doctor about it and see what she thinks.
  • roxylola
    roxylola Posts: 540 Member
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    1200 to 1400 calories is not a lot for you to only be losing a small amount of weight. If your bingeing is worse when you are dieting I would say you are being a bit too restrictive. Eat a bit closer to maintenance, maybe do some more exercise to try and alter your body composition more than to lose weight. See how you go on then.
    I notice you say you binge anyway but that it is worse if you are dieting. Maybe increase your calories to a little less than maintenance (like 1700 or so) and allow yourself a little more food options. It's nice to be healthy most of the time but if you restrict things like pizza and chocolate too much you may find they become more desirable. Allow one day a week where you have a pizza day, eat it in moderation, do some extra exercise and make it fit your calories for that day.
    I think you have the beginnings of BED but I also think you can control it yourself with a few small changes in how you think about your eating.
  • SusieCuteYay
    SusieCuteYay Posts: 59 Member
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    I sure hope you can find the answers to BED.
    I know i do it because i was literally starved as a child, so this strange relationship i have with food i know is abnormal,,,
  • CharChary
    CharChary Posts: 220 Member
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    If you don't buy food to binge on you can't binge..

    false! Well, depending on what you mean. People generally with BED will binge on ANY kind of food, not just junk food. It's all about the self-soothing/comfort of eating that is what happens when mindlessly binging.

    although, not buying the food that trigger binges does help!

    My advice is to just try to self-soothe other ways: hot bath, book, a brisk walk, listening to music, etc.

    I also suggest seeing a therapist. BED is a mostly mental. Binge eating can occur to help numb other things going on.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    The binging definitely gets worse if I diet but it does happen when I'm not too, I doubt I'm malnourished as I take vitamin tablets and eat fairly healthy food. In terms of what I binge on it can be literally anything I don't buy any junk food for my normal weekly shop but lots of things that are healthy in moderation such as cheese, low fat yoghurt, dried fruit, brown bread and apples can turn into binge food when that's all I have in my cupboards. The whole don't buy stuff you'll binge on doesn't work either because sometimes I'll go out and specifically buy food to binge on which would be unhealthy like pizza, crisps, chocolate etc.

    If after being at maintenance cals for a few weeks I'll probably speak to my doctor about it and see what she thinks.

    I completely relate. I would go on a shopping trip and buy things like fruits and vegetables, almonds, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, bran cereal, prunes, etc. not exactly the picture of a binge. I would sometimes eat it all in a matter of a couple days of bingeing. and yes, if my cupboards are bare...I always knew I could call for pizza.

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