Binge eating; HOW TO STOP

I am terrible with obsessing over things that I know are in the pantry like potato chips (hubby has them with his lunch) Only problem is I can't just eat one or two it has to be all of them. The other day I went through and worked out the calories of the junk in the pantry and put post it notes on them with how many calories was in them all. Totally worked for putting me off eating it (for that day at least.)

Depends on you and your triggers. I eat when stressed. However, once I start eating sugary foods, that's it, game over. So for me, I've given up processed foods. I last binged about 2 months ago, but was away from home helping family deal with life threatening emergency - so extenuating circumstances and I'm not beating myself up about that. I've found just plain cutting grains/processed foods and eating more healthy fat keeps me full. Also exercise helps my mental health and helps to keep me on the straight and narrow. The combination means I just don't eat cheap chocolate - I still have a bit of 80 - 90% dark choc, but that's it. I look to paleo for ideas, but really for me it's keep it simple and focus on whole foods that I've prepared my self. I am not obsessed about it and don't think I'm allergic to wheat, but I do find I'm more likely to go way off balance if I eat it - so don't!

For others the opposite works, they need to plan in a little of what they fancy. But my feeling is anyone that binge eats, eating food like that is setting off a trigger.

There have still been days where I've over eaten - say I've had 3 pears or apples in a row, or something like that....so I'm not going to claim I'm perfect. But really 3 pears once a week or twice a month will not completely derail me. I'm more likely to go out for a run.

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- Jen

My suggestion is to aim for the source, your emotions. Pick up a book and begin learning what's going on inside of you that you're using food to hide from. A book by Susan Jeffers called "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" is a great beginning point.

Here's what works for me; I portion those foods into little bags as soon as it comes into the house and then I only allow myself one of the snack baggies each day. I try to only have one sort of food like that in the house at a time, right now it's gummy bears and there's 5 sacks in my fridge, each one weighs 100 grams and because there's only the gummy bears they last longer because it's just not something I crave each day. When the bears are sadly extinct, I'll get a new snack food if I want. I keep and reuse my bags too so throughout the day I see that little empty bear death sack to remind me that I've already done my part to rid the world of their sweet tastiness.

I think of it as a kind of addiction.
I am better than I used to be but I still do it occassionally.
What I do now is:
Recognise trigger points - for me it's if I feel I've been a bit of a failure or if I'm feeling lonely. Acknowledge the craving for food but tell yourself you won't eat for the next 30 minutes. Find something to do in that 30 minutes (in my case, the dog often gets an extra walk or if its late in the evening I'll have a bath or a face pack or something). At the end of the 30 minutes ask yourself if you still feel the same way - if you do, tell yourself you will start eating but in 30 minutes.... Distract yourself again for 30 minutes (at that stage I normally get the Wii out and start doing some of the daft balance games).
Quite often the distraction technique works and you put off bingeing.

On the occassion where I have binged, I actually work out the calories I've consumed then I spread them across 2-3 days of the rest of the week and reduce my calorie intake for that week only (I'm doing that this week, as it happens as I had a bit of a blow-out on Sunday evening. Didn't use the distraction technique, I just went for it and hoovered up most of the Christmas goodies that were left over). It's ok but not ideal. It does mean you don't put weight on that week though, which is a relief come weigh-day.

If I feel myself wanting something I will just have a small amount to curb my craving but stay under my calories. This is how i am managing.

I used to let myself get starving before cooking, so I would cook really quick unhealthy junk to eat fast! Now I plan my meals and allow time so i am not getting too hungry to let my stomach rule over my mind!

- Keep junk out of the house.
- Look up what your cravings mean. If you crave chips, you may be craving the sodium in them, this can be found in healthier ways. Chocolate, may be the iron or the sugar or the calcium - look online and see what things you can switch with. I did this not long ago and it's amazing what things can mean, sometimes my body wants something I would never have thought of - like the potassium in something etc.
- Allow yourself the food you like, regularly, as part of a regulated diet - you'll be less likely to binge. I am obsessed with chips/crisps and could eat huge bags in one go. Instead, I have smaller, healthier bags often - I don't binge on big packs anymore.
- Realise when you need help - coming online and posting or talking to someone when you're struggling can really help.
- Chin up - dieting isn't easy, especially at first. We have to learn to control our cravings and we do! It just takes time.

I've had the same issues since my teens and it's taken 10 years to really work out the triggers and what originally caused it. I'm a complete emotional eater and the evenings and weekends are the worst for me.
Currently, when I get a craving to eat something bad I think about how I'll feel afterwards and if it's worth it, plus I also look at the 'big' pictures of me on Facebook, etc. Helps motivate me to stick with it. Also, recently, I've taken to playing solitaire on my ipad to distract me from any major cravings.

I've just started reading a book called NLP for weight loss. Its good so far, maybe you could look at buying a book like that?

I've had binge eating disorder, but haven't binged for several years thanks to a book called 'Beyond Chocolate' by Sophie and Audrey Boss.

It did literally change my life. It you want to know anything else please don't hesitate to message me.

xx