How did you help yourself stop binge eating?

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  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    ....you really need to get at the root cause of your binging. Just telling you to not have certain foods around you may be like telling an alcoholic not to have booze in the house. While this is good advice, it won't stop them from binging.

    Amen. You need to heal the disease/wound, not just put a band aid over it.
  • rk_19
    rk_19 Posts: 92
    whenever i crave chocolate, i eat an apple. the fiber keeps you satisfied for a long time and the sugar/sweetness cuts off the craving for the sweetness in chocolate.

    oh and i dont stock any chocolate/chips etc at home so its harder to binge. if the foods right in front of you its easier to eat it as opposed to going out in the freezing cold to buy it
  • Charlottesometimes23
    Charlottesometimes23 Posts: 687 Member
    I have struggled with binge eating for all my adult life, mine is usually linked to emotional situations (that time of the month, upset, happiness or at the moment, frustration) but I have managed to get a handle on it (most of the time) and now I am always honest with my family when & if I do binge (I did recently, a whole 378g box of Thorntons Classic Collection chocolates, it's linked to the problems at work and the fact that I hate my job and it's dragging me down right now).

    I would say that (as everyone else has already said) avoid keeping the tempting foods in the house (my box of chocolates was a thank you gift from one of my service users & I pigged out on it before my family got home, but I kept the box and showed them the evidence - including the gift tag to prove I hadn't bought them myself - as soon as they got home).

    My binge food is chocolate, it is the only thing I've ever binged on, so now I allow myself 3 little pieces of Green & Black's 70% cocoa chocolate every day (I buy a 100g bar and eat 3 pieces at a time, which amounts to 10g) and it seems to quench my desire to want chocolate and it makes me thirsty, so I follow it with a large glass of water (which is very filling too).

    If I get the urge to binge I sit down and write my feelings down (I keep a mood diary to record feelings, progress and just anything that has an impact on my food intake) I try to work out what has caused my urge to binge and I look for ways to distract my attention; exercise is a great side tracker for me....

    My final piece of advice is.... There is no such thing as bad foods, we can eat whatever we want to eat, the problems lie in our mindset that screams "Ooh that's BAD...." whenever we fall of the wagon (so to speak).... So you've over eaten on your calories today.... so what.... exercise a little harder later the same day or the next day.... plus tomorrow is another day....

    I don't believe in denial, denial leads to desire....
    I don't believe in diets, they don't work....
    I believe that if your body is craving something, it is trying to tell you something; there is no early warning signs for thirst, so therefore our body sends the hungry message, it's up to us to translate that message....

    I heard a fantastic motto a few years ago and it has been a life saver for me on this journey: "Don't turn a bad day into a bad week...."

    xXx

    Fantastic advice IMO. :flowerforyou:
  • GBPackerFan14
    GBPackerFan14 Posts: 55 Member
    Bump because I need some more tips. I just cannot break the cycle, I logged everything from last nights binge as breakfast today and it was over 8,000 cals and that is a bit in the higher end for me but the typical binge is 3k+ and happens multiple times a week. I am not overweight and I a marathon runner (M, 5'10" 150, although probably around 155 now, too scared to check). I try to eat healthy satisfying meals but I cannot seem to stop and innocent dessert or snack from turning into this. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
  • Frank_Just_Frank
    Frank_Just_Frank Posts: 454 Member
    I always binged at night. In time I came to believe my body was hungry for something it wasn't getting and it wanted to be fed at night…so that's what I did.

    The better books I read (meaning, helped my appetite better) were Perfect Health Diet and Simple Science Of Slim. Omnivorous, whole foods works for me.

    I also realized I'm not hungry in the morning but I am hungry at night, so that's how I eat…rarely have breakfast, big lunch, bugger supper.

    You need to tinker around with finding what satisfies your body and eat according to your hunger. It takes time but you'll get it. Good luck!
  • Hartman1986
    Hartman1986 Posts: 45 Member
    First, relax. With your weight where it is at, the bingeing does not seem to be a major problem for weight loss as your are right in the middle of the heathy BMI scale. If the bingeing worries you, then get rid of the foods that you like to binge on. Such as the Ice cream.
    If you take out the ice cream and the extra box of cereal your cal count would be 1866. For me that is a pretty reasonable binge. You can reduce that even further by buying those premeasured cups of cereal and then keep only one of those in a place that is easy to access.

    If you plan out what you are going to eat each day you can lock up the rest in a place that is hard to get to.

    What does your daily exercise level look like? Do you work out heavily? Is your job an active one? It is possible that you are bingeing because you are burning up all of your calories in training and work.
  • callyart
    callyart Posts: 209
    Whenever I fancied something unhealthy I would eat some fruit and drink some water, it takes the edge off.

    It worked for me, anyway!
  • BOC57
    BOC57 Posts: 44 Member
    Great Ideas here. I don't know that I have much to add. Just today I put "limit uncontrolled eating" as one of my goals. I had several action steps that are the same as others here. Keeping trigger foods out of the house, or at least out of sight. Eating some protein with every snack or meal, logging everything no matter what..

    One thing I have changed about my logging is that I no longer log Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Instead I log time periods 5 am to 9 am, 9 am to 1 pm, 1pm to 5pm and 5pm to 9pm. I find this has been helpful because it helps me to see my hunger/ eating in terms of 4 hour increments. I think this is what is really helping me to avoid getting overly hungry. Also I feel freer to eat whatever I feel like without it needing to be a breakfast food or dinner food.

    I added a couple of other actions steps as well. One is to avoid alcohol 6 out of 7 days. All it takes is one glass of wine or a beer to suddenly make me lose my perspective.

    Also be sure you are eating enough calories up front! For years I feared being hungry at night and so would limit my calorie intake at the start of the day figuring I had an extra calorie buffer. But when I do this, there never seems to be enough to fill me up. I end up with this insatiable hunger at night. So now I'm learning to eat more in the morning to avoid the late night bingeing. It's taking time. Be patient and kind with yourself.
  • chachicopley
    chachicopley Posts: 9
    Lots of the old school tips didn't work for me. And I am a creature of habit and laziness, so I used them to my advantage. Cut up all veggies the day we buy them, so we can just grab and go. Keep fruit near the cookie bin. Keep often-sought foods in parts of the kitchen and basement I rarely touch. And JUST SAY NO. Late night, instead of binging, I go walking for a bit instead. And, using my stubborness, I just say no, and think before eating, calories refused easier than calories to have to burn later. :)
  • GBPackerFan14
    GBPackerFan14 Posts: 55 Member
    Edit: Meant this part to be @Hartmann I was running about 70 miles per week + lifting 4 days per week leading up to a marathon I ran recently last weekend but I cut back mileage a bit. I am not even trying to lose weight but I know this cannot be healthy no matter what the person's weight is.

    Recently I had a plasma test done and they said I was protein deficient which really surprised me, great tips though from people. I think I need to keep certain foods like ice cream and cereal out of the house for now (normally don't have that much in the house but it was on sale and I thought I would "stock up")

    Thanks for the tips would always appreciate more.
  • Hartman1986
    Hartman1986 Posts: 45 Member
    Yea, at that training level you need the extra calories. I don't know what the rest of your diet looks like so I'm not sure what else you are eating. To raise you protein level i would try things like peanut butter, Beef jerky, and protein shakes, Other may have other suggestions for high protein foods. The Hungry Man tv dinners seem to be fairly high in protein as well.

    Given that your exercise regimen is outside the norm I would check with a diet specialist to see what your cal count should look like. The cookie cutter responses just don't apply to you. Try and find one that deals with athletes regularly.

    Also, I've learned to ignore the sales. A sale isn't a sale If i eat my entire stockpile in one go. Which is why I only buy pizzas one at a time now and never when I'm hungry. Which is also a good Idea. Never go shopping when you are hungry. :)
  • seasonsanna
    seasonsanna Posts: 53
    I log everything right after I eat it then set my timer for an hour or two. when the timer goes off I can eat something else (but usually when the timers gone off ive forgotten about food and im doing something else and not interested in eating anymore) pay attention to my belly. am I actually hungry? or just bored?

    I have been really on track the last few weeks, but last night I binged on pizza. well 2 slices, but it was too much and I had the worst stomach ache and couldn't sleep. totally reminded me how bad binging makes me feel physically and mentally. I used to do it almost every day.
  • GBPackerFan14
    GBPackerFan14 Posts: 55 Member
    Yea, at that training level you need the extra calories. I don't know what the rest of your diet looks like so I'm not sure what else you are eating. To raise you protein level i would try things like peanut butter, Beef jerky, and protein shakes, Other may have other suggestions for high protein foods. The Hungry Man tv dinners seem to be fairly high in protein as well.

    Given that your exercise regimen is outside the norm I would check with a diet specialist to see what your cal count should look like. The cookie cutter responses just don't apply to you. Try and find one that deals with athletes regularly.

    Also, I've learned to ignore the sales. A sale isn't a sale If i eat my entire stockpile in one go. Which is why I only buy pizzas one at a time now and never when I'm hungry. Which is also a good Idea. Never go shopping when you are hungry. :)

    Thanks for the tips, I really didn't save any money on the ice cream at all just $12 gone in three days lol.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I still do it. I did today. Managed to stop myself after 300 calories though, so I guess it could have been worse. Typically the only way is to get my mind off food... Either go read a book (doesn't always work) or go for a walk (wasn't convenient at all today).
  • GBPackerFan14
    GBPackerFan14 Posts: 55 Member
    I still do it. I did today. Managed to stop myself after 300 calories though, so I guess it could have been worse. Typically the only way is to get my mind off food... Either go read a book (doesn't always work) or go for a walk (wasn't convenient at all today).

    Yeah it is a challenge, I'll try to play video games or something but its hard because it doesn't always occupy my mind enough. Wish I could go for a walk but I live in Wisconsin and it is dangerously cold outside.
  • Skarlet13
    Skarlet13 Posts: 146 Member
    As some have said, eat at a smaller deficit. Now that I eat a reasonable amount of food, I don't binge. I also eat something if I'm truly hungry.

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