The more I try to count my calories, the more I binge

I have struggled with this same issue for years. What has been most helpful to me is to come to the realization that late at night is when I REALLY want to eat. And there is nothing wrong with that as long as I have the calories left for it. Now I eat very light during the so that I will have the calories available for whatever I might want to eat late at night.

I'm really bad about snacking when I'm bored. Something that has worked for me in the past is keeping some sort of healthy snack on hand (like apples), and telling myself that if I'm still "hungry" after I have that, THEN I can go eat the thing I'm craving. That will often satisfy me enough to stop the snacking. I don't respond very well to withholding things from myself - it works better for me psychologically to have something I'm required TO eat rather than NOT ALLOWED to eat, if that makes sense.

The other thing that gets me into trouble sometimes though is getting in a cycle of craving something salty/savory, then sweet, then savory, then sweet, etc. That is the harder thing for me to stop, but it does still help to have healthier options in the house in both of these "categories" so that I'm less likely to run out and get an unhealthy option!

That being said, it does seem like possibly you just aren't eating enough early in the day.

I have been collecting low-calorie sweets recipes (thank you, Pinterest) so that when I get my late night sweets cravings, I can take some time to bake a bit of food (because, really, who feels worse after baking?) and then be able to enjoy a treat as well. And there's usually leftovers, which are good for snacks and lazy nights that I don't feel like baking. A couple I've really enjoyed are chocolate chip meringue cookies, 22 calories each, and mini blueberry muffins, 89 calories each.

Of course, it's way tempting to go for that huge piece of coconut cake that my parents have sitting in the fridge, but I feel more accomplished when I bake something myself, eat it, and get to know that it is not going to ruin my day. :-)

As for counting calories making me want to binge, I feel that way at times. But I don't restrict myself. I used to, and let me tell you, when I fell off the bandwagon, I fell hard. I've learned to control my portions, especially since I usually do feel full after eating my smaller plate, even though I thought I needed all three of those pork chops I cooked. I also keep myself occupied - that tends to help with boredom eating and stress eating. Lots of little things help keep me on track, and I feel so proud when I stay on track. But, I also do no beat myself up when I'm not on track, because then I have a harder time getting back on it. Just have to stay positive!

1. Consider raising your calorie allowance. Since you didn't state your calorie target and your diary's not open, I can't be terribly specific here, but a deficit of 500 calories might be a good moderate goal. If you are trying to lose weight FAST, remember that it just won't work if you're going to be so miserable from deprivation that you simply CAN'T adhere to your diet. Think big picture here.

2. Consider re-adjusting your meal planning to have more calories at dinner / in the evening than in the morning. There's a myth that eating calories after a certain hour is more likely to lead to fat, but it's simply not true. Meal timing does not have a significant impact on metabolism. And even if it DID, again, it doesn't do you any good to try to optimize your metabolism to increase your effective daily burn 5% if it makes you increase your daily calorie intake by 20%, right?

3. Do you pre-plan your day, or eat and log as you go? Consider pre-planning your day if you don't already, and specifically save calories all day to PLAN for a treat between dinner and bedtime. I wouldn't have made it as far as I have if I didn't plan for a 200-300 calorie treat at the end of the day. Having a piece of toast with a carefully measured tablespoon of peanut butter or a few squares of chocolate seems to send a signal to my brain "okay, you got a treat. happy? eating time is over and you can freaking RELAX now, crazy."

Boring but lots and lots of protein leave me stuffed. And I drink gallons of decaf green tea in the evening. And there are NO snacks in the house. I've tried, moderation ISN'T my middle name just yet.

Good luck.

Yep, when I upped my protein and fat intake, cravings lessened considerably. Also, staying away from the kitchen at night, if you can, is great. I have green tea at night while watching TV and have managed to stay away from evening snacks now for 6 months, except for our monthly family pizza and movie night.

Go to sleep.

THIS!!!!!! (Try some Almonds to keep the hunger pains away, if you are still thinking of food, it is probably emotional eating)

I thought the same thing.

http://www.niashanks.com/20-tips-binge-eating/

Thanks for posting this link. That's the best advice I've seen for addressing my personal binging habits. I will have to save, print, and refer back often.

A small glass of milk helps me. But I know some people consider milk the devil. It's good to fill you up a bit and feeds your muscles while you sleep.

Maybe your calorie goal is too aggressive. 1200 can be hard to do. If it's making you binge, maybe try 1500.

^^^ this

because overeating and binge eating are a normal survival response to eating too little (in some cases it's emotional but in most cases it's the direct result of eating too little). Most women seem to underestimate how many calories they need. There's a thread on here "your guide on your path to sexypants" which explains how to calculate how many calories you should eat for slow and steady fat loss, while eating enough that you don't succumb to issues like rebound overeating and binge eating.