Tips to Kick Binge Eating for Good?

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How do I prevent myself from binge eating at night?

I do a very good job at managing my intake during the day but I seem to fall apart as soon as the sun goes down. I'm living with my parents for the time being (college student home for winter break) and I think it might have something to do with the secrecy and privacy of the kitchen.

I hate when people watch me cook.

I'm also vegan so and tips or tricks that fit my lifestyle would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies

  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    Personally, I have found that eating enough during the day-especially protein, fat and fiber-keeps me satisfied so I don't binge at night.
    Also I need to have at least one large meal a day to keep bingeing down with lots of nutrient dense food before indulging in my weakness-chocolate! If I eat this way, it really helps.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
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    Eat regular meals so you aren't hungry -- if you don't eat enough during the day your body will be starving by evening. You can fill up on low-cal high fiber food like steamed greens and other vegetables.
    Drink plenty of water.
    Set up non-food treats for yourself, something you enjoy.
    Go for a walk instead of eating or do some other exercise.
    My latest thing is sugar free gum -- I'm trying that at work where there is so much junk food and it seems to help.
  • chani8
    chani8 Posts: 946 Member
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    Decide that every night at 9pm (- for example) you're done eating for the day. It helps soooo much!

    Also, check out the "No S Diet" (http://www.nosdiet.com/) as it's helped me tremendously, especially to stop binge eating.

    eta - Whenever I'm in the middle of a binge, I try to interrupt it like a drill sergeant, "Chani8, for eating that, give me 10 pushups!" Once I've done the pushups, I usually don't go back to the binge. :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Whenever I'm in the middle of a binge, I try to interrupt it like a drill sergeant, "Chani8, for eating that, give me 10 pushups!" Once I've done the pushups, I usually don't go back to the binge. :)

    Love it!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    As I've learned to eat healthy my binge urge has went away...for the most part. Yesterday I did have the urge to binge but just got busy doing something else and forgot about it.
  • Luv2Smile55
    Luv2Smile55 Posts: 133 Member
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    This is the multi-million dollar question in my humble opinion. I am in my fifties and have dealt with this issue since I was about 7. If I had the answer I would be rich. Good luck to you and I'll be watching the replies myself. :smile:
  • focuseddiva
    focuseddiva Posts: 174 Member
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    I've heard all kinds of tips, from brushing your teeth to going for a walk. I too struggle with this -- and it's always at night as well, after a day of doing so well. The one thing that's helped me in the past is establishing a pattern of good eating habits and the passage of time. The more days that pass without a binge, the likelier I am to avoid a binge. But if I binge one night, eat well for a day or two, then binge again, I notice I set myself up for more binging. So, binging begets binging, and eating healthfully begets eating healthfully. I also noticed that after 3 days of eating healthfully, that's the point at which I am susceptible to a binge. So for 7 days in a week, I might binge two of those days. Currently, I have reduced that to one day a week and obviously my goal is NO days per week! But at least I am getting down to only one day. A binge for me is usually about 1,000 - 1,500 extra calories above my MFP calorie budget. So for right now, my calories in a given week look like: 1200, 1200, 1200, 2600, 1200, 1200, 1200, 1200 (give or take). Some people claim that an intentional cheat day/binge is actually good and can stir things up and spur weight loss. I personally have not found this to be true, but that doesn't mean it's not true! I'm just saying that past success with weight loss was when I was consistently eating 1200-1500 calories per day, with no binging. But if a cheat day/binge once a week worked for me, it would be really great because then I would feel like I could control my cravings by looking forward to a day where I could indulge them. Oh well. Hey, the good news is that if your binging is limited to the nighttime, try to do whatever you possibly can to not go into the kitchen and just go to sleep. In the morning, you will be glad that you didn't indulge!
  • MrsLannister
    MrsLannister Posts: 347 Member
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    I've found that if I eat what I want, when I want it, then I am far less likely to binge. When I end up binging is when I tell myself I can't have something and then spend a week craving it. When I finally give in, which I ALWAYS do, I end up binging and not just on the thing I was craving.
  • scottkjar
    scottkjar Posts: 346 Member
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    I have that problem. The sun goes down, I start to eat, and then I just don't stop eating until I have consumed a couple thousand calories. I rarely have a problem during the day; it's always in the evening.

    One way I combat it is by eating at specific times each day, with those times get closer together in the evening. I eat at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 6pm, and 8pm. I make sure that I get lots of protein at 3pm, to set me up for being full later. I make sure I get my protein again at 6pm, and I know that I will get to eat again in 2 hours so I only need a little bit of willpower to stop my 6pm eating. And then at 8pm, the protein I ate at 3pm and 6pm is working its way into my system so I feel less hungry at 8pm than I did right after I ate at 6pm. And again, I try to get a lot of protein at 8pm.

    So I can stop eating when I hit my calorie and macro target at 6pm, knowing I will eat again in 2 hours. And I can control my eating at 8pm because I am less full when I start at 8pm than I was when I started at 6pm.

    On those occasions when I do still eat a ton of calories in the evening, I try to eat from everything in the house. I figure maybe my body is telling me that I didn't give it some specific nutrient -- maybe it wants more niacin, or B-12, or Omega-3, or iron, etc. So instead of eating one thing (e.g., all the leftover pasta), I eat a bunch of different things -- tuna, beans, oatmeal, almonds, broccoli, salmon, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. If I am going to binge, at least I am going to cover all my macronutrients and micronutrients while I do it. Sometimes, that prevents the problem from recurring the next day, so maybe my body wanted something, and I finally provided it, so my body quit demanding more.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
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    Decide that every night at 9pm (- for example) you're done eating for the day. It helps soooo much!

    Also, check out the "No S Diet" (http://www.nosdiet.com/) as it's helped me tremendously, especially to stop binge eating.

    eta - Whenever I'm in the middle of a binge, I try to interrupt it like a drill sergeant, "Chani8, for eating that, give me 10 pushups!" Once I've done the pushups, I usually don't go back to the binge. :)

    awesome!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    How do I prevent myself from binge eating at night?

    You can't "prevent". Think 12 step - one day at a time. It's a continuous process of continuously making "right" choices. And it will never end.

    That's why we take it one day at a time.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    OP, I notice on your profile it says, "And don't worry about my low calorie in-take. I don't have much of an appetite naturally." Do you think this may be some of the problem? You become overly hungry ?

    I find that if I eat a moderate, balanced dinner it helps to overcome my binge eating disorder. I also need to have something to drink at night usually water and diet soda, and chewing sugarless gum helps. I also find if I have the mentality after dinner the kitchen is closed that helps to overcome the night time eating.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    How do I prevent myself from binge eating at night?

    You can't "prevent". Think 12 step - one day at a time. It's a continuous process of continuously making "right" choices. And it will never end.

    That's why we take it one day at a time.

    And Mr. Knight here is a 100% correct a true disorder can only be managed one day at a time (one meal at a time, one minute at a time) every day trying to succeed.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    OP, I notice on your profile it says, "And don't worry about my low calorie in-take. I don't have much of an appetite naturally." Do you think this may be some of the problem? You become overly hungry ?

    I find that if I eat a moderate, balanced dinner it helps to overcome my binge eating disorder. I also need to have something to drink at night usually water and diet soda, and chewing sugarless gum helps. I also find if I have the mentality after dinner the kitchen is closed that helps to overcome the night time eating.


    ^this

    Seems to be a correlation (in many cases) between too large of a deficit and binge eating. Try eating a (measured) little more on the other days and see if the urge diminishes.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,119 Member
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    Set a reasonable calorie amount.

    Eat enough protein, fat, and fiber to reach this goal by 6PM.

    Go to bed by 10PM.

    Bam.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,119 Member
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    Ok. You guys paid way more attention than I did...

    WTH is this AV??

    53837585_474.jpg

    OP, if that is you - you need way more than binge eating advice.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,119 Member
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    at this point, I'm more about post-count
  • Dissecti0n
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    I think a lot of people binge eat. I have always had a love affair with soda from a very young age I LOVE pepsi only pepsi though. I was addicted like a straight fiend. When I decided I needed to cut the bull**** I couldn't just reward myself with pepsi, I had to cut it off cold turkey. That worked best for me. Like if you aren't at the point where you favorite chips or cookies can be in the house with out you eating them all in one sitting I SEE NOTHING wrong with just not buying them.....Like I work on my self control by not being stupid enough to have the **** right in my face. I use my self control while shopping.

    For me binging is about my own self control. If I am hungry at night its probably because I am bored, I will drink some green tea or something...You shouldn't be legitimately starving at 8pm if you had a good dinner.

    Personally if I binge on chips, cookies, crackers with cheese, ect I just want to eat more. Where as if I simply eat a piece of fruit or some nuts, the hunger goes away and I dont get that fiend for more feeling.