What is wrong with me? Why do I overeat?

MP022012
MP022012 Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have a problem with overeating. I don't eat 6000 calories in one sitting per se, so I don't know if I'm a defined "binger." But I can do well with nutritious eating all day and then completely blow it at night. I have an unhealthy habit of eating dessert every night (II feel like I NEED dessert), and I can't settle at just one dessert. I'll start with some yogurt or ice cream and then raid my cabinets for cookies or any other sweet snack food. I'll try to distract myself but it's like my brain shuts down during my crazy eating episodes and I suddenly don't care about all of my goals. Even if I exercise hard that day, I don't care. I have tried getting rid of everything that I "binge" on, but then I feel restricted. When I have access to those foods somewhere else, I completely go crazy. I have also tried giving up dessert cold turkey, but eventually found my way back to the feeling of NEEDING something sweet after dinner. I've tried eating more throughout the day so I'm not craving so much after dinner, but I just end up eating the same amount after dinner anyways. I don't know what to do. I've researched and researched binge eating and articles advise me to recognize my triggers. I've written down many triggers, but I can't avoid all of them. For instance, I'm in college and my parent's house is huge trigger. I can't just NOT go to my parent's house though. How do I find out what is psychologically wrong with me? There's got to be something in my head that isn't right. What has helped you guys with this problem? Any help is so much appreciated!!! I've been trying to lose weight for the past year now and haven't lost a single pound due to this habit of mine. I've stopped counting calories on MFP because I became obsessed and my obsession is what started my binging problem in the first place. I'm just so frustrated.

PS: A typical day might go something like this...

Breakfast: Oatmeal with peanut butter and walnuts, greek yogurt ( about 7:30 or 8 AM)
Lunch: Hardboiled egg sandwich, baby carrots, brussel sprouts (about noon)
Dinner: Turkey meatballs in a whole-wheat tortilla with 1 serving of cheese, special K chips, brocolli (about 5:00 PM)
Snacks: Quest bar, greek yogurt, protein shake, fruit, etc (usually only one snack) (anytime throughout the day)
Dessert: Greek yogurt, chocolate chips, gingerbread cookies, thinmint cookies, ice cream, sweetened goldfish, dark chocolate, quest bar, bites of everything in my cabinet or fridge; pretty much anything I can get my hands on (about 7-9 PM)

Finally I'll have enough and brush my teeth. This doesn't happen every day, but most days of the week :/ BTW, I'm a 19 year old female, 149 pounds, exercise (cardio & strength) about 5 days per week; EDIT: I'm 5'5"

Thanks everyone!!

Replies

  • DevinJean123
    DevinJean123 Posts: 18 Member
    How many calories before 7 are you eating? maybe if you increased the amounts earlier, ditch any tempting bad things in your kitchen and stock your cabinets with healthy yummy snacks you can kind of binge on w/o the guilt? Good luck!
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    How tall are you? Could 149 lbs be where you should be and that's why you are hungry and eating in the evenings?

    If not try doing something else between 7 and 9. Can you take a walk? Go for a bike ride? Clean your oven? Take up knitting? Call a friend?
    Something to keep your mind and hands occupied.
  • Acaputa
    Acaputa Posts: 9 Member
    Hi I think overeating is a really difficult thing to overcome and you'll probably have to take it day by day. And that's OK. My suggestion is to REALLY fill up on protein, especially at dinner since night time eating seems to be your pattern. I think it is perfectly fine to enjoy something sweet at the end of the night, if done right. I like to eat sweet protein-strong desserts like greek yogurt I sweeten myself with stevia and some berries or a tiny bit of granola and some times some mini dark chocolate chips. Instead of bites of this and that, make a nice size dessert that contains protein (protein powder mixed in oatmeal with a touch of sweetener and berries?). Apple slices and cheese? Then see if you still want the snack foods in your cupboards. Along those lines, keep foods you don't want to reach for out of sight, if possible. Lastly, I can relate to wanting to eat a sweet food, then follow it up with a salty food, then back to sweet, etc. I've noticed eating enough at dinner (protein, fiber and good fats like avocado) really helps satisfy me for the night. One last thing I do is mouthwash (when I'm lazy) or brush teeth when I want to be done with eating for the night (or any time of day) and maybe have some tea (Numi makes a chocolate tea!)...but these "tricks" only work if you're not physically hungry. Try really hard to give yourself time between meals or snacks to feel your hunger level. Long winded, but I hope this helped :) Never stop trying!
  • ParkerH47
    ParkerH47 Posts: 463 Member
    If you find you kinda graze your cupboards at night eating anything you can get your hands on with out making a meal of it... this is my suggestion

    Push all your meals a bit later if you can or at least have a later dinner. this will at least shrink the amount of time you have for dessert snacking. Then - pre log a good dessert, like a individually packaged lava cake or a ice-cream (individual packages might help to reduce the need to keep snacking). put it on an actual plate call it dessert, truly savour it (instead of just hand to mouth habits) and then brush your teeth right after.
  • ybmagpye
    ybmagpye Posts: 11 Member
    My first thought is, why are there so many sweets in the house? Even if you have kids or others in the house, do they really those kind of sweets? Maybe a good fruit cocktail could keep them happy, or a bowl of popcorn. Then there would be less around to temp you. Would you jump in the car and go buy sweets? Then have someone hide you car keys for you.

    I'm lucky. As I'm the only one I have to live with, having sweets in the house is my choice. Right now, the poor cupboards are bare - of unhealthy snacks.

    I sincerely hope you figure this problem out and the unhealthy late night snacking stops.
  • bheili
    bheili Posts: 4 Member
    I would suggest only buying 1 kind of sweet treat each week. This might help teach you to moderate the foods you love without feeling deprived. If you eat them all the first night or the first two nights, you will have to live with the consequences ( no dessert for the rest of the week). This would certainly motivate me to be smart about how many sweets I'm eating after dinner!
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Instead of having a dessert right after dinner, hold off til later, closer to bedtime, and have it then, along with some healthy snack like carrots with hummus, or a high protein yoghurt or cottage cheese. You will not want to eat so much right before bed.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Nothing wrong with a sweet tooth. Make a smart choice - that is, something that fits in your calorie goals and enjoy it! You shouldn't feel restricted just because the sweets are not in the house. Especially if you can either walk or drive to get it. That 15-30 minutes of separation between craving and chowing down could be everything.

    I make single serve deserts sometimes when I want one. I do a mug coffee cake occasionally or a single serving brownie. If these cakes and brownies were sitting full size and fully made, they'd get devoured in day(s)

    If you're getting frustrated with your calorie goals and not hitting them, they may be set too aggressively. At your weight I would set it to 0.5 lb a week and call it good. It can be discouraging to not hit a massive goal but you can be encouraged by consistently hitting a smaller one :smile:

    Being at someone else's house...hmm. I haven't really figured this one out yet. I go bat **** crazy and eat all my favorite things that they have there. If I'm staying over an extended period or visit often, I may stock the house with things I eat, that way perhaps I could choose carrots over icecream and cookies sometimes maybe. If just a day trip, eating before you go or taking a healthy snack for everyone might help direct the mindless eating to said snack. All else fails, plan for the deliciousness in your calorie goals for the day/week/month and try to make it work!!
  • hollytrolly91
    hollytrolly91 Posts: 50 Member
    Hi, I always need something sweet after dinner too, and used to eat far too much. I've found that having a low calorie hot chocolate after dinner is good; if after 20-30 minutes I feel like something else, then I'll have a weighed out portion of chocolate.

    Also, filling out your diary before you start snacking on the sweet things helps keep me in check
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    say no to yourself....

    I mean come on you make the choice to graze on sweet stuff at night.

    I like sweet stuff after dinner as well so I usually dish out a serving and eat it. Then say no to myself if I don't have the calories left.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    The first thing you really should do is open your diary if you need proper advice. Perhaps you are eating too few calories but not sure what your serving sizes are. You can consider if you are a breakfast person or not. If you really don't like breakfast then skip it since studies now say we don't have to keep eating 3-6 meals a day to keep boosting our metabolism and you can use those calories for when you get your cravings later at night. Nothing wrong with some ice cream if it fits your macros for the day. I have seen some of the people with the best losses and best looking bodies on here that eat it all the time.
  • zenalasca
    zenalasca Posts: 563 Member
    Why don't you ditch the daily snack and trade it with a daily treat? It's easier to manage your calories then, and you have something really nice to look forward to each day. It works for me. I also let myself have as much fruit, tea and chewing gum as I feel like if they are available. So in reality I have snacks, just not ones that impede my ability to have some naughty and worthwhile treat. I call it "treat" instead of "dessert" cause I would think about it too much if I could only have it after dinner.

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