What made you stop binge eating FOR GOOD?

Identifying triggers and finding good coping mechanisms. I would binge eat whenever I was anxious or unhappy. I would also eat anything that was pre-prepared, such as chips, or microwave meals. Now I only keep around foods that I have to put an effort in to prepare, and also keep myself distracted if I am anxious. I have really bad anxiety, and also suffer from depression, so I have to keep myself motivated enough to find out WHY I am feeling that way and what I can do about it. If I am beating myself up and wallowing in self pity, I want to eat my feelings away, but now I try to clean or write or paint. It's definitely helped to keep myself accountable.

OP posted this in July of 2012.

Bump...I need to read this. My husband doesn't understand.

So unfortunately after losing around 15kgs (not even purposely) I have now become obsessed with calories and my intake. I used to work in the middle of the day and would only get one meal a day. Now, in an attempt to eat healthy, I have 3 meals a day bit its the constant snacking I cant stop and it's only when i'm at home. I hate being there and I think that's why I eat. I'll have 'just 5' almonds, and then it turns into 2 finger scrapes of ice cream, a handful of dried fruit, a handful of cereal, 2 pieces of chocolate, a spoon of peanut butter and a spoon of Nutella.
I need help.
I'm 45 kgs and terrified of gaining weight because its too hard to lose, even though I know I'm unhealthy and don't have the funds to workout hours on end everyday

Ugh. I'm typing this from my bed and I feel like dying. I ate over 5000 calories yesterday and it's like I can't even look in the mirror without being disgusted.

To give a little background on me: I'm not overweight and never have been, but I've developed a ridiculously unhealthy relationship with food. I will eat MASSIVE amounts of food - and generally do, a few times a month - but I always feel like crap afterward. I always tell myself that I'm going to stop binging and that I will eat normally and healthfully but a few days or maybe a week down the road I'll always come back to those cookies and cakes. Of course, I eat below my calorie limit for several days in a row in attempt to "make up" for these binges, but that's just textbook yo-yoing. I feel so dumb, and I feel like I'll never learn.


I'm sick of this. I'm sick of my obsession with food. I'm sick of counting calories every single day as I've done for the past 5 months - literally, I've not missed ONE day. I want to go back to the old me who knew when to stop eating, who exercised and enjoyed it and didn't use it as punishment. But it seems like no matter what I do, I can't break free from my mind. When I get in that binge zone, I am in the zone, and I go at it, hard.

To all former bingers, what did it in for you? Was it therapy? Was it something someone said? Was it the feeling after a particular binge? I'm so desperate to stop binging for good...I appreciate the support. Thank you.

I'm looking at your pics, how can you eat 5000 calories lol.....you must be doing something right because you look beautiful.
and even if you did, you must be doing pretty good on the rest of the days.....if you go nuts on calories every once in a while it won't hurt ya. all I can say is drink more water,eat more protein/protein shake and if you get the growls just go get some exercise to get your mind off of food. have a good day.

Trouble is, everyone binges for different reasons, so the best way to stop it is to find out why.

I’ve binged for years and I still suffer with it, but I’m trying not to worry about a cure and I’m trying to learn my triggers for now.

Allowing myself to get too hungry, or feeling down makes me binge. Even not having the food in the house doesn’t help; I’ll quite happily take the time to drive to the supermarket, spend £15 on cakes and sweets and crisps, come home and eat the lot, then hide the wrappers because I’m ashamed.

Try and establish why you do it, keep a diary as such, write down your feelings before and after the binge, as well as what you’ve eaten. See a doctor, it could help

Binge eating and over eating have nothing to do with will power or control. It has to do with Choice.

I have spoken at length about binge eating and over eating in this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/656765-bingers

Give it a quick read :-)

I have to say I disagree with that. Choice isn't everything. Binge eating can come from a place that you don't even know about. Choice, control and willpower are not the same thing. They're all psychological and as such are all complicated but it's not as simple as just choosing not to do something when you don't know why you're choosing to do it.

I agree that Choice isnt the issue here, and it is glib to say it is. Like telling a smoker, "Oh you should just quit!"

Hey there, I'm glad you're seeking help. Even if it's on a forum it's a big step to recovery.
I've had an eating disorder since 2 years ago. I was anorexic. I would eat almost nothing, the bare, bare minimum to survive. But that didn't bother me, it was like I lost interest in food completely. But that didn't last very long. About a year later I started having these cravings for food I have been avoiding. They were so bad I would feel sick for the whole day unless I let myself eat it. The problem was the moment I had the first bite, a binge episode would start. I would clear all the junk food in the house. I guess you could say I saved myself through my binging... I was able to gain 30 pounds and got back to a healthy weight. Yeah I was severely underweight. Okay enough about me ^^
The way I stopped binging was by eating carbs and fat. Healthy carbs and fat. Fat deprivation actually causes depression and stress and in turn leads to seeking food as a relief. So don't avoid those two food groups completely like I did in the past.
Never eat in front of the TV. You won't realize what you're doing until it's too late. Eat slow, with water in between. You'll feel satisfied sooner.
Eat with others and share your food. You'll be less likely to binge in group settings.
Differentiate between hunger and cravings. Cravings involve wanting sweets and junk food. If you open the fridge and your eyes land on cookies or cake instead of eggs and steak then you're experiencing a craving. Allow yourself to have a piece but don't take the whole box with you. Eat slowly and actually enjoy the food then finish up with some water or tea. You'll realize your craving has been satisfied and you're not actually hungry for more.

Wow I write a lot... But I hope it helps!

When I feel a binge coming on I need the "POWER" to resist it. POWER is an acronym for 5 different tools I personally use to divert my attention away from compulsive eating.


P- is for Prayer I ask my Higher Power to help take away the temptation to eat right now.

O- is for Outreach I call a friend, a sponsoror, a family member, etc. to have a chat.

W- is for Willpower No it's NOT a myth. Sometimes, I simply need to say no to foods that are counterintuitive to my recovery from food addiction.

E- is for Exercise I can go the gym or go out for a walk or drive to the mall and walk there.

R- is for Rest Sometimes, I'll just take a short nap or if I get a craving late at night, I'll just go to bed and forget about it.

Think about WHY you binge eat. Do you do it because you're hungry? Because you're sad? Lonely? Bored. Figuring out what triggers that binge is more important than finding motivation not to binge. If it's because you're hungry, then take a look at your food diaries to find out what you're lacking. If it's because you're bored, go take a walk instead. Sad, lonely, or depressed: my best advice would be to find a professional to help or enlist some close friends to talk with.