Binge- feeling defeated.

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runningtowardsfitness
runningtowardsfitness Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! I am finding such a hard time staying motivated and determined. I am struggling with binge eating and feeling defeated, often. How do you find ways to stay on track? I do not restrict my food options, but for some reason, I still binge. I also eat about 1800 calories a day (including exercise calories). I am at a healthy weight, but I won't be able to stay at a healthy weight or have a healthy mind when I struggle with binging.
Thoughts?
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Replies

  • jlshea
    jlshea Posts: 494 Member
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    I struggle with the same thing. I try to not have junk food in the house if at all possible because that is my binge food go to. I know I won't binge on fresh veggies or fruit. I also try to drink a bottle of water before going right to food. I think something else that will help is to be concious of asking yourself while eating if you are full and stopping when you feel satisfied rather than disgustingly full.
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
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    I am right there with u. I go along eating right , exercising then all of a sudden, a binge. I can consume 3000 or more calories and ruin an entire week of goo work. I get pissed and depressed. I saw something on urge surfing. Looked it up. Talks about these urges (or any urge) being like a wave it comes, gets really strong and then goes. The problem is how strong and if it repeats over and over. Look it up, it might help get through the urge to binge.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    you need to address the reasons why you binge in the first place, and develop better ways of coping. All a binge is, is eating your feelings....
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Eat mindfully—enjoy your food. Eat "good" or "clean" or "healthy" (whatever those words mean to you) 80% of the time. Fit yummy, portion-controlled treats into your calorie goal. Deprivation can lead to binges. If you have "trigger" foods you can't eat in moderation, don't keep large quantities of them at home.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants
  • ajfc1971
    ajfc1971 Posts: 258 Member
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    Glad it's not just me. I have lost my mojo and need to find it fast before I seriously do damage to my weight loss. I have managed to maintain at the moment as I am good during the week and then go mad at the weekend so even's out. But since Christmas my weekends seem to be lasting longer than the week days.
    Will give myself a good shake up and think about how far I have come.
    I think this is what we all need to do and stop being so hard on ourselves. At least with me this time round I am acknowledging the fact that I am doing it and trying to stop.
  • FindingMyPerfection
    FindingMyPerfection Posts: 702 Member
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    Do you know what triggers it? He next time it happens sit down after and put pen to paper. Wright down what was going on before the binge. Include actual events, what you were thinking about, and what were your short term future stresses(1-24hrs in the future). In doing this you may font your mental trigger. Once you pinpoint the mental trigger you need to explore the emotion behind it. Be honest. I find many times my emotional trigger is anger. Once you know the emotion you can express that emotion correctly. This can greatly alleviate the need to binge.

    It's not magic, it will take time, you have created a habit of turning to food to express emotion so tow you will have to think and find ways to express it with out food. Yelling, crying, jumping, making faces in the mirror to convey the emotion are quick options. Writing or drawing take more time but are a great way to track progress.

    Hope this helps.
  • CorinneyJ
    CorinneyJ Posts: 11 Member
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    Do you have a cheat day worked in? That seems to help me, just knowing I've got to make it until Saturday helps me to power past the cravings. I've also found that when I have those "gotta' have a cheeseburger on pizza with a doughnut chaser!" feelings, if I go for about a 30 minute walk, once I get back they've passed. You're not alone in this struggle; we've all got our food demons!
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
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    Yes, you acknowledged this and are looking inside to figure out what void u r trying to fill with food. Mine is boredom and loneliness even though I am with others. U can do this. You might slip every now and then, but reduce the number of times.
  • GEMMA_2014
    GEMMA_2014 Posts: 81
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    I use to binge eat, but now I eat 8 small meals a day. So I am always getting ready for my next meal. I don't feel the need to binge because I can eat in a hour or two.

    I also gave myself permission to eat anything I want with portion control.

    I know my ticker says I have lost 10 lbs, but I have actually lost 113 lbs. I set small weight loss goals so they are achievable. I am working on losing 40 pounds now. I have lost 10 of the 40 I want to lose.

    In the past I binged on potato chips, but now I don;t have to because I can have them any time I want. I found that giving myself permission to eat anything I want took away the thrill of binge eating. Food is just something to eat.
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
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    Not getting enough sleep is sometimes associated with sugar cravings. If sweets or other carby things are what you binge on, consider whether lack of sleep may be making it more difficult than it needs to be to keep away from them.

    I find that keeping my brain and hands busy lessens my thoughts of food. Whatever it is that you are doing when the desire to binge hits, take note of it and try to replace that activity with something else.
  • Rosamia41
    Rosamia41 Posts: 17 Member
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    Binge eating is common for most of us. Believe me I do it too.
  • reesa12345
    reesa12345 Posts: 6 Member
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    I just wanted to say thank you all for sharing it really helps me not feel like a crazy damaged chic...and a pizza, cheeseburger with a donut chaser made me literally laugh out loud!!!
  • ashleydhill777
    ashleydhill777 Posts: 15 Member
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    That's a hard place to be in and definitely more common than you may think. But I agree with TavisToad, you have to figure out what triggers the binge and start to deal with those battles first. I used to binge eat. My triggers were pain, stress, anxiety, and fleeting, but overwhelming, feelings of not being good enough, pretty enough, and a lot more "not enoughs". So, food became my friend and comfortable hiding place. But I couldn't hide the weight I was gaining as a result. I've always known I could lose weight because I'd done it before, but keeping it off was the problem. I was always a few binges from putting back on what I had just lost.

    I would LOVE to say that dealing with your emotional baggage is simple as pie, and that it goes away like smoke. But that's just not true. But I will say, YOU CAN DO IT! Yep, it's hard work, and takes gut-level honesty about where you are. But I can tell you from experience, when you dump and deal with the emotional crap, the weight loss process is SO much more rewarding, and even enjoyable because you feel like you are losing weight for YOU and to satisfy this craving to be beautiful, or special, or acceptable. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, SPECIAL AND ACCEPTABLE NO MATTER WHAT YOU WEIGH! Your worth and value has NOTHING to do with your weight. Know that, trust that, and believe that. It took me a while to get to this place, and I am determined to stay here. This is the best I have felt in LIFE, and this journey is so rewarding.

    "Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." - Marilyn vos Savant

    ((( Hugs )))
  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
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    "Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." - Marilyn vos Savant



    LOVE THIS!!!!
  • greej
    greej Posts: 37 Member
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    If you want a book to read, try "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It's a program that was terrifying at first to me, but has really helped curb my emotional eating habits (unless I'm prepping for an oral presentation... then all bets are off : P). Although they advise not calorie counting while doing the program, I believe parts of it are definitely compatible.
  • runningtowardsfitness
    runningtowardsfitness Posts: 6
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    I am so blessed by all these responses! Thank you to those who contributed! Are there any more thoughts out there?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I always think it's important to figure out what's causing the binge (some good ideas up thread) and get in front of it. I'm an anxiety eater. If I can recognize and comfort the anxiety before I reach for the food I'm much more likely to avoid a binge. (Though my diary will tell you it didn't work this weekend)

    Someone on these boards introduced me to the HALT acronym. Don't let yourself get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. These are the times we're more likely to reach for food to comfort or give us energy.

    Have a back-up plan. If you can recognize the feelings before a binge then find something else to do. Call a friend and hang out, go for a walk, go to a movie, clean out the basement. Anything that keeps you busy and away from the food.

    Most important, for me, is to recognize that we're all a work in progress. If binging is a problem for you then it's just going to happen sometimes. Do everything you can to stop it. Learn everything you can when you have one. And then forgive yourself and start fresh.
  • ajsdream
    ajsdream Posts: 223 Member
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    I struggle with binge eating too. What has helped me this time is to stagger my calories so that I can have a couple of high calorie days in a week. I also log EVERYTHING, even on days when I go over my calories. In the past, if I was going to have a binge day, I wouldn't log it - this would lead to me feeling like I'd "blown it", and quite often turn an afternoon binge into a multiple day binge.
  • Seabully
    Seabully Posts: 22 Member
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    Be honest with yourself. Figure out what triggers the binging.
  • bryannakay
    bryannakay Posts: 198 Member
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    I used to be a big binge eater.....but to be honest, I don't anymore. I realized I was more sad when I did it then I was thinking about doing it.....here are some things that I did to end my binge eating battle....

    1. Eat ALOT of small meals....this is a typical day for me and I eat around 1500 calories. I am 5'2" (barely) and weigh 171 pounds.

    Morning: Nature Valley Protein Granola Bar (chocolate chip kinda YUMMY) 190 calories
    Mid Morning Snack: Cottage Cheese (measured 1/2 cup) 110 calories
    Light String Cheese (1 stick) 50 calories
    Lunch: Ham Sandwich (2 slices country hearth bread, 4 slices of fresh ham, 1/2 TBL I can't believe it's not butter) 190 calories
    Tostitos Chips (24 counted out into a bag) 140 calories
    Salsa (2 TBL) 20 calories
    Mid Afternoon Snack: Fit and Active Greek Yogurt (YUM) 80 calories
    Supper: Chicken Stir Fry (rice 300 calories, chicken 140 calories, vegetables 20 calories, sauce 50 calories
    Late Night Snack: Popcorn 2 cups 110 calories

    To me this sounds like a day where I am full! I felt like eating these small meals helps because I am CONSTANTLY putting something in my mouth! There are days where I am not even that hungry for a certain snack period so I wait until later or don't even eat it!

    2. Tell yourself that you are allowed to eat what you want to eat IF you go workout for an hour....now some of you are thinking...WHAT? Well, to be honest, when you go workout for an hour, you come back home and realize that whatever it is you want to eat, either ISN'T worth eating now after you worked your butt off.....OR.....you don't have the guilty feeling of eating it because you worked out instead of skipping that calorie burn!

    3. Started to drink more water. I drink 3 Nalgene bottles a day and can compete with any pregnant woman when it comes to the bathroom breaks haha!!! It helps to flush out negative things in your body/mind when you have that much water in you. Plus, I feel very refreshed.

    4. I became OBSESSED with the success stories on MFP.....you should try it....wake up in the morning and read 2 or 3 success stories...or right before you want to binge...it will help you to realize that they were once RIGHT where you are now!!!!

    5. DO NOT KEEP SOMETHING YOU CAN'T PUT DOWN IN THE HOUSE.....my thing? Cool Ranch Doritos....weird I know...but, I LOVE them so much.....and with a diet dew....UGH!! I can't even type about it without gaining weight.....yummy...moving on now!

    I have lost 41 pounds and still have about 35 to go....its not easy and there are days where I down right SUCK at weight loss!!!! I let it win....BUT....I know what I want to do and that is to remain healthy more days than not....

    Good luck and try to keep your head high!!!

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