food addict! coping after 8 am binge! seeking advice
onmyown70
Posts: 233 Member
It's working for me, to consider myself a food addict - even if food addiction doesn't exist,saying to myself that's what it is helps, for me. I'll give an example, I'l be eating my meal and thinking shall I have more, or what shall I eat next? and I have to say to myself this is addiction talking, not hunger, not need and then, for some reason, the seriousness of that stops me. I won't go into detail but when stuffing my face a week ago, watching my son watching me made me think this isn't normal, and it's not something I can just brush off.
Yesterday and today I had become more relaxed and the urge to just eat and eat was overwhelming (hormonal perhaps? and I have had two nights of broken sleep). I even woke wanting food - carbs, chocolate or cereal and lots of it- fortunately I had not kept stocks in the house, then I found my husband had brought a box of "frosted shred dies" I almost felt excited and euphoric, guys I ate the entire pack. I wasn't hungry but I was almost ripping the box open. Now, the guilt has set in, I have already eaten 2000, yes 2000 kcal's so whatever I eat today will be going over my needs and I and it's an afternoon off i.e my son goes to nursery and almost scared of myself, I already feel sluggish and sick and I knew, as I was eating I would feel like this, I knew it would make me feel lousy and sometimes the more I eat, the more I want bizarrely.
I don't know what to do for the rest of the day and any advice on how I avoid doing this again. Will power alone, or talking to myself works some days but others like today that binge urge is overwhelming- the most intense craving.
When I started MFP I knew I was gaining a lot of weight again (I used to be overweight and then managed my binge eating, but now I feel I'm doing it an awful lot again, I'm not restricting at other times so this isn't rebound bingeing in response to dieting). I think the sleep deprivation may be intensifying my cravings. Any help, even immediate advice on how to cope with the rest of today?
Thank you x
Yesterday and today I had become more relaxed and the urge to just eat and eat was overwhelming (hormonal perhaps? and I have had two nights of broken sleep). I even woke wanting food - carbs, chocolate or cereal and lots of it- fortunately I had not kept stocks in the house, then I found my husband had brought a box of "frosted shred dies" I almost felt excited and euphoric, guys I ate the entire pack. I wasn't hungry but I was almost ripping the box open. Now, the guilt has set in, I have already eaten 2000, yes 2000 kcal's so whatever I eat today will be going over my needs and I and it's an afternoon off i.e my son goes to nursery and almost scared of myself, I already feel sluggish and sick and I knew, as I was eating I would feel like this, I knew it would make me feel lousy and sometimes the more I eat, the more I want bizarrely.
I don't know what to do for the rest of the day and any advice on how I avoid doing this again. Will power alone, or talking to myself works some days but others like today that binge urge is overwhelming- the most intense craving.
When I started MFP I knew I was gaining a lot of weight again (I used to be overweight and then managed my binge eating, but now I feel I'm doing it an awful lot again, I'm not restricting at other times so this isn't rebound bingeing in response to dieting). I think the sleep deprivation may be intensifying my cravings. Any help, even immediate advice on how to cope with the rest of today?
Thank you x
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Acknowledge the guilt. Write down how you feel. And keep it. Put it on the fridge.
And then get on with your day. Get to the gym if you can. Have a bath this evening and get to bed as early as possible - 7pm if you need to.
So you fell off today - that's ok. The guilt at least should stop it happening again. Learn from it and don't let it spoil the rest of the week. Will you put weight on this week? Possibly, but that's ok. You can lose it again.
Sleep deprivation is terrible for weight loss - it's been scientifically proven time and again that sleep deprivations leads to bad food choices and weaker will power. Work on getting enough sleep and the rest of it will be heaps easier
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If you can, get out and do some cardio - go to the gym, for a run, find video clips on youtube and do a home workout. If you can do at least 30mins cardio I'm sure you will start feeling better.
You cannot change what's happened - forget this morning and move on. LOG it so you're accountable.
Bingeing is a massive issue for many people and there are many ways to deal with it, but different methods work for different people. I find portioning out sweet treats is the method that works best for me. Easter for example, there's chocolate - lots of it. I love chocolate; can easily eat a whole easter egg (bars included!). I got round this by weighing out a portion of chocolate that fit into my calories and put the rest of the egg/bar away. Then I just ate what I had on the plate. If something is in front of you, chances are you will eat it. Like the box of frosted shreddies you had this morning - you could have measured out a portion and put the box away.
Unfortunately, losing weight is not an easy process and it takes a hell of a lot of willpower as temptation is EVERYWHERE. For me, working in a office is a nightmare - people always buy junk for lunch and eat at their desk so I can smell their food, always someones birthday so lots of sweet treats on offer. In situations like this I have found a novel way to stop me eating the cakes, biscuits, crisps, etc. - zero calorie soft drinks. I find that if I drink a fizzy drink it stops me feeling hungry/the desire to eat needlessly. I drink a lot of water in the day so it's also a nice way of having something that is low (or zero) calories but tastes of something. A lot of people are very anti-diet soft drinks, but it works for me.
Find out what your triggers are - tiredness? stress? boredom? Then find ways of dealing with it. Feel tired? Have a nap. Stressed? Find something that calms you - a bath, a walk, talking to a friend, etc. Bored? Find something to occupy you to take your mind off eating.
It is not easy to change your lifestyle and attitudes towards food. Try prelogging your food on MFP to help keep you on track. If you're serious about your goals you will find the inner strength and willpower.
One final point, the odd binge here and there is not going to make a massive difference long term - that is if it is only a one off and doesn't become a regular/weekly occurance.
Good luck x
(Feel free to add)0 -
I struggle with binge eating too. Sleep deprivation makes it lots worse but it's hard to get enough sleep when you've got a young child. If you've got the afternoon off then maybe sleep to catch up on some of that tiredness. Like the others have said move on - it's done now.
How to stop it happening again, I wish I knew but not getting too hungry tired or sad helps, preplan and log your food, make a pact with yourself that you deserve better than this....
Feel free to add me 0 -
Has anyone else noticed a time they binge? mine is nearly always during the day.
I brought some wholemeal pittas for my stepdaughters for the weekend at 2pm today I raided them and just thought, "I need this" and I didn't. I mean wholemeal bread! I honestly can't trust myself around food. I am of the mind frame, I want a lot, not a little but THE LOT. I think I get tree in the afternoons and my binges are nearly always two hours post breakfast (or at breakfast) or 2-3pm. If I stay in the house I will binge on anything, even stuff that appears to be healthy, like wholemeal bread.
I frustrate myself.
Thank you all of your advice!0 -
lamps, my triggers are tiredness (I'm always tired!), boredom (a big one), stress - mild chronic stress. the only thing that works seems to be keeping busy and not allowing myself access to food.0
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I will at some point, every day , absolutely convince myself that it's fine to eat a whole packet of "whatever (usually bread or cereal)" I always regret it, and feel bad, I know I will feel happier if `I practice moderation and I always think "just one". But, I have to be honest, it never is, I always want more. Unless it's greens and steamed fish!0
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get bottled water and chug 2 bottles back to back before meals........................rockstar energy drinks zero carb zero sugar works wonders for me..........................0
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Lift some weights, so the cals go to building muscles.
Drink water and eat veggies if you're hungry. One bag of steam ready frozen veggies is like 100 calories, and it'll put some decent food density into your stomach.0 -
Are you logging your food? I weigh and measure everything and try to stay in my macros. Some people find planning out their whole day ahead of time works too. Water. Clean food. Get moving. Bored? Try volunteer work. Good luck .0
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honestly I feel the same! I don't have the answers but I am on the same journey. I am constantly trying different ways to manage the urge to almost constantly eat and I don't think it will ever change, I'm starting to accept that for me I think it will always be this way as a human being with a sweet tooth. I think it's my circumstances of my day to day living that encourages it. If I have a lot of work to do on the computer and at home = non stop eating. I do exercise everyday too. The only thing that changes the mind frame is being busy with other things, which luckily for me my work means I am out of the home mostly, but Ihave weeks at home too were I meet my food cravings big time - its me and the fridge! I'm not sure there really is a cure for this. It is something I find an absolute mood killer and bloater! Amazing how bloated my stomach is like a mood barometer for me. Flat = happy. Bloated = grumpy. If I look back over time I do have periods of being good and bad. I'm in a bad one at the mo. But I know I'll get sick of it and be good again soon. It is a journey as they say. No one is perfect. As long as you have will and are not giving up even after a binge you are still on the right journey. Til then I'll just keep trying tips - I've just given up chocolate again - I didn't eat it for years and started at Easter..omg - it ignighted something in me! So I'm abstaining as an addict! All these feelings remind me so much of when I gave up smoking years ago. It's tough! But you are not on your own *hug*0
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I feel the same way, as I sit here eating a package of Chocolate Non-Pariels and feeling awful. My triggers are so simple: breathing. I am doing so good for so long and then, bam, I'm off the wagon. Food addiction sucks. I've battled binge eating since I was a kid and yet never had the weight problem until my mid 20's. Now I'm 40+ and it is even harder. I know what I need to do but I just can't keep my head out of my @$$ it seems. Sorry for being blunt but today I am very mad at myself. DH and I are trying for baby #2 and I know being healthy is the ONLY way it will happen and the ONLY way I won't end up on bed rest again. Yet, here I am. AGAIN.
Been to therapy, been honest w/ my friends, my husband and family. But it is up to ME. Gack. It sucks.
Sorry. I'm not much help today, more of a vent. Feel free to friend me.0 -
Who says food addiction isn't real? Addiction has to do with "reward" signals in your brain. If food triggers those for you, it can certainly be addictive. The only problem a food addict has is that you can't just quit eating.
I can't tell you if you have an addiction or not but there are some basic things you can do that may help.
After a binge, move on. Admit the laps but don't stay down over it, it will just trigger another one.
So you ate 2000 calories. It takes 3500 to gain a single pound of fat so not that big a deal if it's just ones.
Don't skip the rest of your meals, just make them healthy and light.
Now, ones you feel a little better, and yes as suggested, exercise will help with that, see if you can find out what your triggers are.
Get your family involved to help you avoid them.
You know what works for you. Call it what you want.0 -
There is some great advice above, the water thing is a great idea as are the weights.
What scares me is sometimes I just want to eat, and eat and eat, at that point in time, I want nothing else but food. It doesn't feel like much of a life.. I have phases of being like this and when food becomes my only enjoyment I feel such guilt, as after a binge I look at my children and all the things/people I love and wonder why I can't focus on them at the time.
I feel at a loss, I find the urge to binge absolutely overwhelming, like nothing else. I think triggers are like someone else said, breathing!!! Any mild stress.
When I think of what has worked before, I think keeping busy, making sure I am not at home or have free access to food during binge periods. Exercise...
Franklep73 I'm sorry you feel this way. This isn't a happy place to be, so it seems insane to keep eating! I don't know what the answer is but all I can say is at the moment it's making me deeply unhappy.0 -
You are not alone. Binge eating is a eating disorder. I've struggled with it for the past 5 years. I've finally got determined and motivated enough (after looking at recent pics that were taken of me) to fight for a healthier life. I've been watching my diet very closely and exercising for a month now and I must say I've done well. I probably binged maybe twice this past month but no where near what I used to. A lot of people don't understand binge eating and they will tell you just stop eating or just don't do that when it reality it's easier said then done because you absolutely lose control and no one in their right mind binge eat because they want to point blank. Just a couple of helpful things that has helped me:
1. When you start to feel bored or like your going to binge GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! Go to a friend house or a family member house so they can keep you company. (I'm sure it's unlikely that you will binge in front of them as most of us binge eaters do it in private).
2. DONT GO GROCERY SHOPPING when your hungry.
3. STOP buying the food that you binge on. REPLACE those foods with healthier options like almonds, fruits, yogurt, etc.
4. Find the worst picture of you (at your heaviest) and place it where it is noticeable and when you start to think of picking up something that your probably going to lose control with (bag of Cheetos) go visit that picture.
Hopes this help. And like others stated when you do lose control and binged don't let it ruin your day or streak just dust yourself off and start again. Its a true battle.0 -
Beautiful, that's really helpful. Thank you.
That's amazing, twice in a month. I'm in a really bad patch at the moment, and it's every day. The craving even starts first thing. I don't think broken sleep helps. I made the mistake this afternoon of staying in with my son, and I had just brought loads f food for the family for the weekend and I started and didn't stop.
I hate feeling overwhelmed. I have always had periods of binge eating, often correlating with low mood and hormone fluctuations, but not always. It's odd because those around me think it will help by saying "just have one" whereas I keep trying that and it's not working. I've tried not caring about what I eat and not worrying about it, that doesn't work- I just eat all day. i have tried dieting, that helps for the temporary but not long term, when I have been really happy and been on a health kick and been busy each day tho shaw been when I have been at my best, but to be honest I can't tell you or anyone else why i do it. All I know is it becomes overwhelming and I just want to eat and not stop!0 -
Another controversial thing I have tried was to not allow myself access to food during the day- nothing apart from hot milk in a drink, then I would have 2000kcal in the evening (I don't binge in the evening) this worked for the short time that I tried it. I don't know why it worked but i got so fed up of the way food was dominating my thoughts and taking up my whole day, I gave up on it. obviously still needing food, I just ate a huge meal with my husband in the evening. It was almost a huge relief... but not sustainable.0
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Is there somethin that is triggerin this binge eating from your past perhaps? I FEEL This is an internal situation because so many things that limit us from being the best human possible are within our minds. When I was younger I was annorexic and didn't think much of it but after going into treatment and Doing some self study I came to realize that My childhood was based on perfection and being planned out and nevrr failing and thus I turned to the one thing I could control which was my food intake. If you have minute next time you are Over doing it take a moment and think about if this is what relly defines you as youand if this eating is really gonna make all your percived issues go away or if eating will comfort you for now. MAYBE you are bored so the next time you think of eating beyond your means grab a book or listen to an ebook and try to fall back asleep. Make a todo list of workouts that you are excited about venturing into but can't do it until the weight comes off a bit morr. There are ways to overcome this and please feel free to message me for more advice I am here to help. Goodluck.0
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING
I have such a problem with binge eating I actually went to a psychiatrist - to be honest these forums help WAY more than his expensive sessions did.
I'm addicted to the 'omg im so full and satisfied and sleepy' carbs = melatonin = natural sleep accelerant.
I binge after a long day - I push myself and sacrifice all day and now I reward myself with my favorite relaxation
advice = the water thing is GREAT - I keep a huge water bottle with me all the time - chug when youre bored, and never eat until you have chugged as much water as physically possible - you will get that omg so full feeling and then if youre still hungry after you will eat less.
-but what can i do when I am bored and then want to eat - people say get out of the house - what if I cant ? Its during the workday ?0 -
I grew up with food as "everything" to me.
"You did great on a test? Awesome, let's get ice cream!"
"You did bad on a test? That's too bad, let's get ice cream to make you feel better."
If I was mad, sad, nervous, tired (insert 12 more emotions here...) food was ALWAYS there for me. If I am not "full" I am not happy. If I eat and am merely "not hungry," I am not satisfied and so I have to eat more. Eating and being full has always been a huge source of comfort for me.
I am sitting here with tons of food surrounding me and I feel like a nervous wreck because I am not eating anything. I am trying my hardest to not binge and eat 100% according to my journal.
I recently found "Overeaters Anonymous" but have unfortunately not attended a meeting in the past few months. I can't say it was working wonders for me, but I think if I let myself follow the steps to recovery, then it might work. OA is not just for overeaters, but for anyone who has an unhealthy relationship with food including anorexics and bulimics.0 -
Food Addiction is definitely real, many studies have proven it. For your reference, there are some support groups.
FAA: http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/
OVA:http://www.oa.org/
I started listening to the FAA calls every couple nights, its helpful but I'm not a fan of "surrendering to a higher power" thing.0 -
I don't necessarily struggle with binge eating, but I do struggle with mindless eating (eating 2,000 calories without noticing because I'm bored). This has been what's helpful:
1. Figure out why you're craving. Usually my reason is because I'm not in control of something else emotionally, so I comfort with food. Most frequent culprit is stress from work.
2. Pre-log your main meals for the day (typically breakfast, lunch, dinner). Use MFP. Whenever you get the urge to eat, go to your log, see if you have room for it (or maybe part of it) as a snack. If so, eat the part you have room for, if not, swap out your meal plan to see if you can fit some in, but also recognize that you need to fuel your body for the rest of the day, so taking out your entire dinner for a few cookies isn't going to work.
3. No trigger foods in the house. No eating directly out of the bag/box/whatever. Pull out a serving size and put the rest away. My husband even hides foods which trigger me so he can have them and I am not bothered by them. The funny thing is, if I happen upon his hiding spot by accident, I still won't eat it - I think it's sweet that he took the effort to hide it from me, and I don't want to bum him out by eating it after he made that effort.
4. Recognize that willpower is like a glass. You can keep that glass full by feeling good about yourself. By working out, feeling proud about your body (even if it's not perfect, it's still a work in progress), eating healthy, dressing nice, accomplishing goals, etc. But there are lots of things that empty the glass - stress, negative emotions, bad feelings. If you focus on keeping your willpower glass full, it's easier to avoid temptation. When your glass gets a little empty, it's harder (so if you're stressed, or bored, that empties your glass; it's then much harder to avoid temptation. Instead of letting the glass empty, go fill it up with something - even a glass of real water!).
5. If you binge, MOVE ON. It is not an excuse to eat bad the rest of the day. Someone once said to me, so if you tripped on one stair, would you fling yourself down the rest of them? No, then don't eat like crap the rest of the day because you screwed up one meal.
Think about talking to someone about why you might binge; finding the underlying cause will help. Good luck.0 -
Have you ever tried charting your binges on your monthly cycle? Balancing periods where you might have an easier time staying on track with a period when you know you tend to go high on consumption?
I dont have a binge problem per say, but I do really notice that I am prone to urges to eat more and hunger starting 8 days before TOM is expected. That increased urge sticks around for me until about half way thru his visit. I've been logging for over 8months now and I can tell you that a majority of the days that I go over my calorie goals are within this period- I actually have 3 spikes in each cycle and they almost always happen in the same day(s) in that cycle. My goal is set to 1889 and has been higher when I was heavier so there is a lot of room for extras already built in. If I wasn't trying to stay within my goals, I think I can safely say that I would be eating about 1000-1500 calories more than I aim for during my spikes.
I bring my calories with me to work so I am limited by what I have with me that day and that enforces some control for me. This works for me for when I am at home: filling half your dinner plate with steamed veggies gives me the bulk and volume I need to get full without messing with my calorie goal for the day. If I am not full then I really have to fight the urge to pull out the bag of chips after dinner. I dont have any useful suggestions for the emotional components of binge eating...sorry.0 -
I'm feeling your pain right now. It's absolutely miserable and depressing.
I'm so mad at myself right now for binging on something this afternoon that I NEVER eat and haven't touched since I was a child....a whole box of Little Debbie cakes! I don't know what got into me today. I went to the store to buy a bar of dark chocolate to help get rid of my sweet cravings today.
I bought the dark chocolate, but on the way to the register I spotted a shelf full of Little Debbie boxes. Normally I have no interest in those types of foods, but for some reason I grabbed a damn box and came back to my office with them. I had one pack and felt fine about it. Then every time I came back to my desk and started working I couldn't stop thinking about the box of junk in the back room.
I think my biggest trigger is stress, and I use food as a distraction so I can stop the work that's stressing me out and force myself to take a break. Normally this isn't a big deal beacuse I'm *usually* pretty good about only buying healty foods to snack on. But ENTIRE box of Little Debbie snack cakes!?!?
I've been an emotional eater since I was a child. Luckily, I was very active through college and never was fat, but after 2 children and a desk job, I'm really struggling to get into shape and have been stuck at a size 14 for a long time now. I did log everything I ate today to hold myself accountable and recommend you do the same. I'm going to try to do 100 burpees or some other very high intensity exercise today to burn some of those calories.
Are you physically active at all? If boredom is one of your triggers, try to find a physical activity, even if it's just walking in a park, that you can do during times of boredom to burn some calories and keep you busy so you're not eating. Good luck to you!0 -
To Onmyown70: Hey, just a thought, but some people have great success with hypnosis. Perhaps it might be worth going to some sessions with a good hypnotist? It can help change the part of your mind that overwhelms your willpower. Those "pro-binge" thought only have to win against your willpower for a few minutes in order to mess up your plans.
Don't give up, just get back on track!! 0 -
I have posted on here and it is great to hear all these people sharing the same problems - well obvioudly not great we have a problem but it is nice to share the very real upset of feeling out of control with food. I have had eventual sucess in dealing with anxiety adn panic attacks by trying over and over and over again with different methods and I am happy to keep trying until the problem goes away. So I am going to try just one thing to help me this week that I have read about - as I'm working at the computer and that is a place that triggers me ( problem solving at the computer) my rule is - don't eat at the computer. Maybe start with one rule where there is a trigger point - seems simple.0
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Sorry did I say I was just going to try one thing? Also this week I am going to try and eat what I fancy (which is sometimes what is on my partners dinner plate and I feel a pang of sadness and REAL stress inside me because I want that but tell myself I can't have it).
Point being - I find that I 'eat around' what I REALLY want - eg I want toast and honey - but because its high carb and not best choice, I eat a tuna salad, maybe a ryvita cracker and pate and then hoping an orange will put a full stop to it.... and then after consuming 400 cals or so of good food choices, still unsatisfied - I have the toast and honey! Ok the others are healthier options but, like I said I end up overeating my cals by not just eating what I wanted.
I also often end up not burning off my over indulgenece (maybe too busy, too late in the day, tired, sick, whatever) So this week, I'm going to try and satisfy apetite in what it asks for, I'm not worried I will be eating toast and honey 24/7 coz I love veggies, salad and fruit and my exercise too. Maybe in the long run I need to cut down on sweet things all together as I think they do make the body just ask for more. But I find fruit and yog as a dessert (less sugary than a tiramasu say) keeps the body a bit calmer. So maybe limit the amount of sugar per serving say less than 12g sugar in any sweet treat. But if you are like me then you think about ways of fixing and managing food addictions all the time 'problem solving', then trying it, then forgetting what you were supposed to be trying this week eg. less sugar, eating without TV. But I'm hoping my next plan will help with all of the autopilot overthinking food in the long term.
I'm going to take a look at this book 'Eat, Drink and be Mindful' by Susan Albers and consider starting my own mindful eating group. I have been running a mindfulness group with a friend for 3 years or so, it says the 10week course should be for licensed health professionals but I feel confident and mature enough to start a small informal local group.
If a group isn't a realistic option then just take a peek at this download, its notes for a 10 week course, full of useful thought provoking things and to me I think the really most useful thing on this download is the chart on page 24, it looks like a car speedo that you fill in to see when you eat mindlessly and when you eat well... here is the link. Really worth a read if you are interested in mindful type things.
http://eatingmindfully.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/eatdrinkbemindfulsupportgroupalbers.pdf
It's basically buy the book, work through it in a group. You prob could do it on your own - there is a special app to support the course/mindful eating too if you like that type of thing. She has a great website too that is worth a look at.
http://eatingmindfully.com/
Also here is a printable poster for mindful eating from her website you can stick on your kitchen fridge (and cupboard, and pantry, and freezer all the places you keep food)!
http://mindfuleatingcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/appleposter.pdf
Ok, that's my plan this week - sorry if I've rambled or hogged the post! I hope someone gets something out of it.0
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