can't stop binging/ eating compulsively.

Chrissyy95
Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
in Motivation and Support
HELLLLLLP! HELP HELP HELP!

I CANNOT stop eating. I don't know what's wrong with me. I try ssooooo hard to live a healthy lifestyle but I always end up binging. Someone help me i fee like I've tried everything. I'm really slim so when I tell my family they brush it off but it's affecting me PSYCHOLOGICALLY. And eventually I am gonna end up fat. No one understands me because I'm underweight. No one takes me seriously. I've tried counselling and it didn't help. I've tried tapping, it didn't help. What should I do? I'm desperate. I don't want to get fat. I just want a normal relationship with food.

I used to be able to eat one biscuit and be satisfied before I lost weight. Now I have to eat half the packet or eat something else that's sugary. I don't want to continue like this. It's unhealthy. It's disgusting. I binge at least 2 times a week between 1,000-1500 calories.

Someone please help me break this habit. Please..
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Replies

  • bfanjoy1993
    bfanjoy1993 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi,
    I tend to have the same problem which is most likely the cause of my recent weight gain. I've restarted my diet and I have kind of started of things in order to trick myself. The first thing is though that it will take a lot of mental power in order to tell yourself no you don't need it, it'll put me over my count, I'm not actually hungry right now, etc. However, you just have to keep after yourself and keep your guard up.
    Some of my strategies include:
    - when you go shopping, don't allow yourself to buy any or an excess of sugary, or bingy things. This way if it's not in the house how can you eat it.
    - always keep a water bottle around. I have found that personally it's the act of just having something in your hands and it making it into your stomach. If you have the water bottle you have something to fiddle with, and when you end up drinking it, the water still adds up to 0 calories!
    - eat lots of small, low calorie items. Sometimes you and/or your body just wants the feeling of eating a lot. So if you have a lot of something small and low calorie you trick yourself into thinking that you are having a lot meanwhile it's not running up your calorie count for the day. Fruit and yogurt either together or on their own are great for this.

    I hope this helps, and if I do come up with any other I will let you know.
    Good luck!
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    Hi,

    I never buy anything sugary when i go out. I stay clean but my mum loves to buy biscuits and ice cream. these are the things i binge on. if not i'll make toast just so i can eat something. its so ****ed up.

    I've tried drinking water with no luck and usually snack on low calorie fruit throughout the day :( *sigh* i don't know what to do nothing seems to work for me. I feel hopeless.

    I don't know whether its because I'm underweight and its just "my body compensating" thats what my mum always tells me but i'm not convinced.

    I just want this cycle to end for good :(
  • cholepapi
    cholepapi Posts: 79
    Have you identified your trigger yet?
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    Have you identified your trigger yet?

    i've tried to but i dont think i have one. i just eat when i feel like it. its terrible
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    Hi,
    I tend to have the same problem which is most likely the cause of my recent weight gain. I've restarted my diet and I have kind of started of things in order to trick myself. The first thing is though that it will take a lot of mental power in order to tell yourself no you don't need it, it'll put me over my count, I'm not actually hungry right now, etc. However, you just have to keep after yourself and keep your guard up.
    Some of my strategies include:
    - when you go shopping, don't allow yourself to buy any or an excess of sugary, or bingy things. This way if it's not in the house how can you eat it.
    - always keep a water bottle around. I have found that personally it's the act of just having something in your hands and it making it into your stomach. If you have the water bottle you have something to fiddle with, and when you end up drinking it, the water still adds up to 0 calories!
    - eat lots of small, low calorie items. Sometimes you and/or your body just wants the feeling of eating a lot. So if you have a lot of something small and low calorie you trick yourself into thinking that you are having a lot meanwhile it's not running up your calorie count for the day. Fruit and yogurt either together or on their own are great for this.

    I hope this helps, and if I do come up with any other I will let you know.
    Good luck!

    I never buy anything sugary when i go out. I stay clean but my mum loves to buy biscuits and ice cream. these are the things i binge on. if not i'll make toast just so i can eat something. its so ****ed up.

    I've tried drinking water with no luck and usually snack on low calorie fruit throughout the day :( *sigh* i don't know what to do nothing seems to work for me. I feel hopeless.

    I don't know whether its because I'm underweight and its just "my body compensating" thats what my mum always tells me but i'm not convinced.

    I just want this cycle to end for good :(
  • chadtruitt
    chadtruitt Posts: 7
    lots of water and low cal vegies.... I had a bad craving last night and ended up drinking a half gallon of water and an entire bag of baby carrots....

    You have to learn will power for this to work..... having ice cream and biscuits available is really tough.... You CAN DO IT!!!!
  • cholepapi
    cholepapi Posts: 79
    No you have one. That's why you can't stop what you don't know what to catch so you can stop. I'm going to try to help you here. When was the first time you started binging?
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    lots of water and low cal vegies.... I had a bad craving last night and ended up drinking a half gallon of water and an entire bag of baby carrots....

    You have to learn will power for this to work..... having ice cream and biscuits available is really tough.... You CAN DO IT!!!!

    thanks i'll just keep trying
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    No you have one. That's why you can't stop what you don't know what to catch so you can stop. I'm going to try to help you here. When was the first time you started binging?

    the first time was last September.. after i had my lunch after school
  • cholepapi
    cholepapi Posts: 79
    What was happening at that specific time? Try to think very specifically.
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    What was happening at that specific time? Try to think very specifically.

    i was about to do some studying.. and then i just started reaching for biscuits and couldnt stop
  • chelso0o
    chelso0o Posts: 366 Member
    If you only tried counseling with one counselor a couple of times, perhaps it wasn't a good fit. It took me a year of therapy before I felt okay. Maybe try a different therapist. You won't know if something works unless you give it an earnest try.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    When you binge, you eat 1,000 - 1,500 calories? Thats not a binge. How much do you eat on your none binge days? 400 calories?
  • cholepapi
    cholepapi Posts: 79
    Before that specific day....what was eating a meal like?
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    If you only tried counseling with one counselor a couple of times, perhaps it wasn't a good fit. It took me a year of therapy before I felt okay. Maybe try a different therapist. You won't know if something works unless you give it an earnest try.

    thanks, i've tried two local counselors and they haven't worked. if anything, they've made it worse and made excuses for my binging. i don't know where else to turn there's no other counselors near where i live
  • BioticMatriarch
    BioticMatriarch Posts: 4
    I totally understand where you are coming from about binge eating. As someone stated before, finding your triggers is a major help.

    Are you under a lot of stress? Minor/major stressors like school, family, or personal issues have a way of sneaking in and can make us binge without us realizing it.

    I find that if I have a sign with the word HALT I made hung up on the fridge helps me cope with binging.

    HALT:
    Are you Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

    Here is a little infographic I found that helps.
    http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/46/cc/90/46cc9000457370ce55489e3cb92df743.jpg

    If you need someone to talk to about it, I'm here :)
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    When you binge, you eat 1,000 - 1,500 calories? Thats not a binge. How much do you eat on your none binge days? 400 calories?

    i eat that amount in one sitting on non binge days. when i don't binge i typically eat anywhere between 1,000 - 1,500 calories in total depending on the day
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    Before that specific day....what was eating a meal like?

    normal i guess. I started restricting my calories to lose weight and so had been eating strict low calorie meals but I was happy and felt good. meals were good.
  • cholepapi
    cholepapi Posts: 79
    You can add me on MFP. It's very hard to talk to you through everyone's post.
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    I totally understand where you are coming from about binge eating. As someone stated before, finding your triggers is a major help.

    Are you under a lot of stress? Minor/major stressors like school, family, or personal issues have a way of sneaking in and can make us binge without us realizing it.

    I find that if I have a sign with the word HALT I made hung up on the fridge helps me cope with binging.

    HALT:
    Are you Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

    Thank you so much :) i'll see if its helpful

    thank you so much I'll try this
    Here is a little infographic I found that helps.
    http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/46/cc/90/46cc9000457370ce55489e3cb92df743.jpg

    If you need someone to talk to about it, I'm here :)
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    When you binge, you eat 1,000 - 1,500 calories? Thats not a binge. How much do you eat on your none binge days? 400 calories?

    i eat that amount in one sitting on non binge days. when i don't binge i typically eat anywhere between 1,000 - 1,500 calories in total depending on the day

    Most people binge because they restrict themselves too much and categorize foods as "clean" or "dirty", when food is really just energy. If you hit your proteins, fats and micros, you can fill the rest with "junk" food and still get great results.
  • samanthaxb
    samanthaxb Posts: 54 Member
    Have you identified your trigger yet?

    i've tried to but i dont think i have one. i just eat when i feel like it. its terrible

    This sounds like me, my main trigger is boredom.
  • mrsburghart
    mrsburghart Posts: 166 Member
    I was binge eating 5-6 days per week (and sometime well over 1500 calories in a sitting) and I felt like CRAP physically and emotionally. I went to see a therapist who sent me to a nutritionist. She recommended I try Intuitive eating. Now I don't follow the principals exactly, it's more of a day to day thing, but overall it did stop me from binge eating. I haven't done it in two months. You might give it a look and see if it would work for you? Here's the link:

    http://www.intuitiveeating.com/
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    I was binge eating 5-6 days per week (and sometime well over 1500 calories in a sitting) and I felt like CRAP physically and emotionally. I went to see a therapist who sent me to a nutritionist. She recommended I try Intuitive eating. Now I don't follow the principals exactly, it's more of a day to day thing, but overall it did stop me from binge eating. I haven't done it in two months. You might give it a look and see if it would work for you? Here's the link:

    http://www.intuitiveeating.com/

    thank you so much I'll try it
  • xscat
    xscat Posts: 80 Member
    1. You are 18 and underweight;
    2. On a normal day you eat 1000-1500kcal and still restricting your calories

    What are you trying to achieve? I'm guessing 1000~1500kcal a day isn't your maintenance calories unless you are very petite. So that combined with your "binge" barely makes 1500*7+1500*2=13,500 kcal on the high end, which is less than 2000kcal a day average. Have you tried just eat 1500~2000kcal a day? That way you are eating a sensible and stable amount of food that is sufficient for your body and you don't have the stress and guilt with binging...
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    When you binge, you eat 1,000 - 1,500 calories? Thats not a binge. How much do you eat on your none binge days? 400 calories?

    i eat that amount in one sitting on non binge days. when i don't binge i typically eat anywhere between 1,000 - 1,500 calories in total depending on the day

    Most people binge because they restrict themselves too much and categorize foods as "clean" or "dirty", when food is really just energy. If you hit your proteins, fats and micros, you can fill the rest with "junk" food and still get great results.

    i've tried doing that too. I honestly try so hard to eat healthy balanced meals with lots of protein, carbs (not enough healthy fats but im working on that) but it doesn't work for me. i never even used to eat fish but i started eating that and boiled egg whites to get my protein up. it hasn't worked
  • vhietpas
    vhietpas Posts: 1 Member
    Do you have any friends that could be an accountability partner? It has to be someone that would be seriously tough and tell you how it is. I have a personal trainer that I send pictures of my meals to and that has helped me a great deal. It makes me think about how many calories I'm putting in my body, and it also gives a second pair of eyes that will tell you that's too much food or not the correct type of food. Everyone on here may not need a babysitter, but it's really helped me. Good Luck! You sound very frustrated and I truly hope you find what's driving your eating habits.
  • fleuriefirst
    fleuriefirst Posts: 12 Member
    Oh I so have the same problem! I have found increasing nibbling raw carrots, substituting honey-and-applevinegar as a hot drink (clean teeth soon after), banana (one small to medium), diet sodas, meat consommé-type soup (miso, Bonox,) and other vegetable-based thinnish soups, even protein drinks (I use skinny milk in mine) or even nibble cheese- not all together!!!! - all help! Naughty fat in the form of a dob of cream or a little butter on bread or biscuit also seems to be an option for the short term -the fat makes the tum feel fuller for longer so don't see it as an enemy.

    I'm sure a sugar addiction is the cause (oh and chocolate addiction) - for me anyway - and avoiding these and breaking the cycle is possible though for me I can still go back to the bad old days if I don't stay reasonably watchful once that cycle is cracked.
    Good luck with beating it but not beating yourself up so much - honest that only makes it worse as you concentrate on the bad and not the good - and enjoy the good - all of the rest of the 'goods' in your life - they each act as a biiiig distraction! - and keep us posted:happy:
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    When you binge, you eat 1,000 - 1,500 calories? Thats not a binge. How much do you eat on your none binge days? 400 calories?

    i eat that amount in one sitting on non binge days. when i don't binge i typically eat anywhere between 1,000 - 1,500 calories in total depending on the day

    Eat more, because most binge eating is nothing more than a survival instinct kicking in, in response to eating too little. This is not emotional, no amount of counselling will "fix" it........ it doesn't need fixing, it's not broken, it's normal human physiology. Eat too little, as far as your body's concerned, the reason is that food isn't available. So your instincts to eat as much as possible when food is available kick in. hence overeating and binge eating.

    Your posts indicate a complete lack of emotional triggers for this, which is why I'm suggesting that it's 100% physiological caused by eating too little. Even if you were fine on the number of calories you were eating for a while before the binge eating kicked in, that doesn't mean you weren't undereating. It can take a while for the body to get to the point where these instincts kick in. You used to be able to eat just one biscuit and leave it at that, because you were well fed before. No survival instincts kicking in when you ate biscuits. But now, this instinct is kicking in telling you to eat all the biscuits because as far as your body's concerned, it doesn't know when the next opportunity to eat something as high calorie as biscuits is going to be.

    1000 calories in one day is way too little. 1500 may also be too little, especially if you're very active. Recalculate your calories. Try to find the *highest* number of calories you can eat while still steadily losing weight. Don't eat less than that number. Also, plan your meals so that you can fit in all the foods that you want to eat. There's a thread "your guide to sexypants" or similar title, that explains how to calculate your calories.
  • Chrissyy95
    Chrissyy95 Posts: 19
    1. You are 18 and underweight;
    2. On a normal day you eat 1000-1500kcal and still restricting your calories

    What are you trying to achieve? I'm guessing 1000~1500kcal a day isn't your maintenance calories unless you are very petite. So that combined with your "binge" barely makes 1500*7+1500*2=13,500 kcal on the high end, which is less than 2000kcal a day average. Have you tried just eat 1500~2000kcal a day? That way you are eating a sensible and stable amount of food that is sufficient for your body and you don't have the stress and guilt with binging...

    i haven't tried to eat above 1500 cals everyday because I find it hard. I don't have much of an appetite except for when i binge. I dont TRY to make my cals so low, it just works out that way

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