How do I stop binging?
intheaeroplaneoverthesea
Posts: 7
In the past two weeks, despite my motivation for eating healthily, I've binged 10 times, and I feel so ashamed. I never feel full, and I seem to just lose myself in the food. I'm contemplating seeing a counselor about this, but I have a lot on my plate right now (no pun intended), and I'm not sure if I can make the commitment amidst everything else I'm doing. I really want to lose weight and get in shape, but I just feel like it isn't up to me, and there are greater forces determining my habits. How can I finally confront this problem and take control of my eating?
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Replies
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seeing a counsellor is a great idea, you need to address the reasons behind why you binge, and develop new coping mechanisms in order to be able to stop bingeing.0
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Hi. I sometimes have the same problem. I would eat when I have a lot on my plate or emotional. Its okay. Do you have a friend or family member that you can talk to? A lot times we just need to vent and you will feel better. Find something that will keep your mind busy off of food, like going for a walk or reading a good book. Do not feel bad. Every day or every meal is a new start. Do not give up. Just start again. Write down why you binge and what can you do the next time you want to. It is working for me. Keep your head up!0
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Yes, you need to know why you binge. Seeing a counsellor can help you figure that out.0
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This is just my experience, but I spoke to a professional about binging to try to get to the root of my bad habits. I found it painful, but very helpful. If this is something you think you need, then you just have to make the time. Your health and mental well-being are so important.
I thought I knew a fair amount about nutrition too, but it turns out I didn't. For me personally, I was eating way too many carbs. It's not that all carbs are bad for you, but even if I was eating a healthy option like fruit, I was creating a peak in energy followed by a slump. So I thought I was being 'good' but I was making life difficult for myself, because the slump often led to a binge of 'not so healthy' food!
We worked on trying to level out my food intake and energy levels across the day. What worked for me was (1) making sure I ate breakfast, even if it was when I got to work (2) scheduling a snack mid-morning and another mid-afternoon (3) paying particular attention to cutting down my Nemesis - bread, and (4) upping the protein content of my food vs. carbs, including for the snacks, as protein is generally more filling and less 'peak and slump'.
We've also been working on accepting the feeling of hunger and telling my stomach it can wait another hour until dinner (I'm not going to die if I'm hungry for an hour or two!); drinking more water and fewer soft drinks (even the sugar-free ones seem to create a peak with me); and being much more forgiving of myself if I do go a bit off course.
I found the first two to three weeks very hard (like breaking any habit), but it has got easier since. The longer term aim is cut down the snacks, but for the moment this approach keeps me level and my eating much more under control.
I'm also now religiously weighing and logging my food on MFP. It really makes me consider what I'm putting in my body and I feel much more accountable for it. I now have loads of Christmas chocolate in the house (received as gifts) and I am only eating what's within my calorie allowance. I never thought this would be possible!
As I say, I'm no expert, but this is what's working for me.
Best of luck. It is possible for you to beat this.0 -
If you can't see a counsellor you could look at triggers. Keep a journal and note how you feel before, during and after so you can reflect on it and look for patterns. No one else is going to read this journal so it's your chance to be completely honest.
I found this helpful.
I also asked a friend of mine to be there for me if I needed distraction or someone to talk me out of it. That helped too.
Then I gave up processed sugar as it's my biggest trigger.
Find what works for you. Friend me if you want more support/ info. :-)0 -
You definitely want to speak with a professional & seek help for your bingeing. No matter how busy or how full your plate is you need to take care of your health. There are many places that can help you. You are not alone. Good luck
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It is something you can get rid of. Being here and talk about it is a great start.
Seeing a counselor is the right thing to do if don't know how to get all of this under control. Keep a diary about what you eat, when, how (I mean describe the urges, the feeling before/while/after doing it) and the context. It will help you to figure out what's going on in your mind and what triggers thoses binges.
Here's part of my story, for motivation:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1127935-bingeing-and-i-broke-up-and-had-closure
DON'T GIVE UP!0 -
If you cannot swing a councilor right now I found "the Beck Diet Solution" helpful. It is not a diet but full of strategies and solutions on staying on a diet. It is helpful of any eating disorders. You don't need both the work book and book. They are pretty much the same. Maybe your library has a copy?0
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Hi, I have binge eating disorder but have not binged for several years.
I highly recommend the book 'Beyond Chocolate' by Sophie and Audrey Boss.
It literally changed my life.
If you want to know anything else then don't be afraid to message me!
Good Luck!0 -
bump! thank you - helpful posts!0
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Make sure you are eating enough.
very often when we are dieting, we tend to try starving. This DOESN'T work. Your food needs to be planned and sufficient for your lifestyle along with a "treat" that you can remind yourself you can have it again tomorrow!
Best of luck, I know its hard..if you want, message me bc I have some tools for this (worksheets)0 -
I'd like to suggest two resources for you to consider:
1.) Joining an Overeaters Anonymous support group - its an amazing community that TOTALLY gets where you're coming from and has lots of great literature and suggestions for recovering from binge disorder (which is known as compulsive overeating). You can find a meeting here: http://www.oa.org/membersgroups/find-a-meeting/
And the Big Book (the book that describes the program and the twelve steps) here: http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_tableofcnt.cfm
2.) I was just turned onto this gal this past week and apparently she's a major expert in binge and compulsive eating (she is one herself, overcame it, and is now a doctor specializing in it). Here's a link to her site and book. I just ordered the book myself: http://www.rhonaepstein.com/book.php
You CAN be free from this. I was just like you once. If I am not careful, I could go back to it as well. but I've learned to manage it and keep myself free for two years. Lost 70 lbs in the process, but that was just icing on the cake. The freedom is what I truly desired. You can have it. Don't give up.0 -
Please read 'Brain over binge'. I can't stress enough how much this might help you0
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Bump to have in my topics so I can look up these books. Thanks for all the suggestions. I struggle with sweets at my office all the time.0
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1 when you think you feel hungry first drink 12 oz of water
2 find what you want and log a serving
3 measure your serving
4 eat it in a different room/location.
5 do not eat in car
6 do not eat from multiple serving containers
filling veggies are great for belly packing... steamed broccoli is about 30 calories per cup...0 -
I find that I binge the most when I don't have balanced meals throughout the day or when I'm deficient in a specific nutrient/vitamin. Your body's constantly looking for that one nutrient it needs and it does this by making you crave foods and it'll continue making you crave certain things until it gets the nutrient it needs. So I advise you to check all your vitamins and minerals; make sure you're getting enough micros and macros. You can try eating 5 small meals a day as opposed to 3 big meals if you're not already doing this. Binging is also linked to low levels of serotonin in the brain (usually found in few foods with tryptophan). Make sure you're getting enough of that too. I feel your pain though. I've been a binge eater for quite a while and am currently on the path towards finding a "cure".0
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A 'couple' of things that I learned from my Lunch and Learn series:
1. Try the "If....Then..." strategy. For example: "If I 'm going to have a piece of birthday cake, then I'm going to make sure I get in a 30-minutes walk today." Better yet, don't eat any cake and just go for the walk. Exercise is a natural craving and binge controller.
2. When you feel a craving or binge coming on, wait 15 minutes. During that time, distract yourself with another activity like walking your dog, calling/texting a friend, tackling your "To Do" list, or doing your favorite hobby.
3. Chew sugar-free gum or chew a cinnamon flavored toothpick (this is what I do since I can't have aspartame which is in most sugar free gums). These will keep your mouth busy, reduce your craving, suppress your appetite, and help you reduce the desire for frequent snacking or to binge.
4. Binges usually start with cravings. Realize that it is the first three bites that satisfy your craving. All the rest are just extra bites and chewing. They do nothing as far as satisfying the body or mind. Small candy bars can meet the need to satisfy a craving for chocolate. Savor each bite and enjoy the flavor. (If you don't like dark chocolate, don't eat it just because it is healthier. The goal is to satisfy your craving. Eating something you dislike will not do that.)
5. Keep a journal. Write down what you eat and how you are feeling at the time. This will help you discover triggers such as emotions, people, places, activities, etc.
6. Find someone that can go for a ride with you. Get out of the house and away from the source of food. Don't go to a restaurant. Instead, go to a park, museum, or some other place that doesn't have food or the ability to eat food while you walk around.
7. Plan your meals. Eat breakfast, but eat it later in the morning. This reduces hunger in the mid-morning. I eat mine at work around 8:30 or 9:00.
8. I have found that eating more protein reduces my binging. I don't know why it works, but it probably has something to do with the highs and lows of blood sugar.
9. Don't eat fruit after noon. Eat your fruits before noon because they have higher sugar/carbs. This helps you to control your blood sugars in the afternoon.
10. Plan snacks. Don't skip them. Go for quality and enjoyment and enjoy every bite. Savor each bite, the texture, etc.
11. Don't keep any of your favorite binge foods in the house or at work. Don't take money to work to use in the vending machine. Make it difficult to binge, giving you time to catch yourself.
12. Don't beat yourself up. No one is perfect when it comes to eating. Just realize that tomorrow is another day.0 -
This is just my experience, but I spoke to a professional about binging to try to get to the root of my bad habits. I found it painful, but very helpful. If this is something you think you need, then you just have to make the time. Your health and mental well-being are so important.
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How did you start looking for a professional? What kind of professional did you go to? Mental health or dietician?0 -
This is just my experience, but I spoke to a professional about binging to try to get to the root of my bad habits. I found it painful, but very helpful. If this is something you think you need, then you just have to make the time. Your health and mental well-being are so important.
...
How did you start looking for a professional? What kind of professional did you go to? Mental health or dietician?
I looked up counselling in my area for overeating. She's actually a hypnotherapist, but to be honest we didn't really do much in the way of that, and I'm not a big fan of it. We mostly talked about triggers, habit-forming and breaking, forgiving myself, and where the root of the behaviour might be. She works closely with a nutritionist so was able to cover both mental/emotional and nutritional aspects.0 -
You're not alone - I think a lot of people struggle with this, especially those of us who diet as dieting seems to bring it on. I binge even more than you - twice a week and it's not pretty - but am on the road to recovery (it's a long slow process!) and here's what's helped so far:
I'm seeing a therapist who helps me understand the emotional reasons behind my binging - perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking, body image issues... as well as a nutritionist who's helping me to understand the physiological reasons - turns out I wasn't eating enough carbs and my body was desperate for energy (glucose gives us energy and comes from carbs).
I've also read a lot of books on the subject, but my favorite was Brain Over Binge.
Find what works for you - for many eating 5-6 small meals a day helps ward off the hunger that can trigger binges. For me, the more I eat the more I think/obsess about food and the more times a day I have to get myself to stop eating, so eating 3 larger meals actually works better (snacking/snack foods are my downfall). Also, for many eating intuitively helps because it stops the restriction mentality. For me intuitive eating caused me to gain 10 additional pounds, so tracking what I eat actually helps me stay accountable and make sure I'm eating enough calories, carbs, and protein (if I don't I'm sure to binge later on).
Good luck - we CAN beat this!0 -
I've been seeing a counselor who works with weight loss issues. in this we found the root causes and I am now working on overcoming those issues. It was and is difficult for me to bring back these issues and confront them. But, it's the best thing I've done so far. There are a couple of books I've read, "50 ways to self soothe" and "Mindful Eating" they have helped me be aware of what I'm doing and gave ideas on how to redirect.
One other thing that has helped me a lot on this journey, is when I do think about eating the entire kitchen, I log on to MFP and read my pal's posts and message boards. It does help me stay grounded.
You can work thru this, just remember it wont be overnight.0 -
I can't speak to the effectiveness of a counselor, but what I've done to help control binging by myself is the following:
- Know how many calories you should be getting to meet your goals - and also the number of macros (ratio of carbs/protein/fat). I've used the Scooby calculator to do this. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
- To meet your calorie/macros goals, plan your meals ahead of time, then prep your meals for the week so it's a simple matter of "grab and go". Planning your meals (for me) also means identifying specific times at which you will eat said meals. This helps provide my body a consistent stream of calories and nutrients throughout the day so I don't experience sudden dips in energy or wild cravings. For me, I eat breakfast around 7am, snack at 10, lunch at 1, snack at 4, dinner at 7, and small, protein-packed snack about 2-3 hours before bed (around 8pm).
- If you live by yourself, get rid of all the unhealthy food in your house and/or your "trigger foods" - those foods you simply cannot control yourself around (e.g. for me, that means no peanut butter, no chocolate/candy, no breads). One thing I've found is that if it's easy to get to, you'll eat it. Get rid of it, and the temptation is much harder to act on...I mean, who wants to trek all the way to the grocery for an ice cream craving? No thanks. Instead, replace the positive nutrients of those foods you're getting rid of with healthier alternatives. For example, for the healthy fats, protein and fiber benefits of peanut butter, I sub roasted almonds that I portion out into 1 oz. servings - much easier to control eating these for me.
- In general, a low sugar/lower carb, high protein and fiber diet works well for me in controlling cravings. If I'm eating a TON of sugar/carbs consistently, I find myself wanting them more and more. If you gradually reduce the amount of sugar and carbs in your diet (note that you will still need carbs - so please don't eliminate them completely), you may notice a positive difference in the cravings you have.
Hopefully this helps!0 -
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A counselor or therapist is a great help. I had never been to one before but went for several reasons. We ended up discussing my binging problem and just talking about it and admitting I had a problem really helped. It was hard to realize what the real issue was (not food) but really helped when I did find out.
Good luck!0 -
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