Lost

Hi! You should be proud of yourself for identifying a problem in your lifestyle that you'd like to change. I feel like many people on this site (including myself) have had to fight the battle of the binge many times. You can get through it!

It's important to think about why you feel the need to binge on food. Is it truly hunger? Or does food give you some kind of relief from stress, negative emotions, depression, etc.? Many times, binging is a coping mechanism for other underlying issues. If you truly feel out of control, you could start by talking to your general practitioner or family physician to get a professional opinion. You may be experiencing an eating disorder.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bulimia/basics/definition/con-20033050

This was what I've been diagnosed with and battling for quite some time. I'd be more than happy to talk privately through messages on here if you'd like.

Starvation is never, ever the way to go. When you deprive yourself of foods you love (or food completely), it's a quick downward spiral into a slowed metabolism, a huge loss of energy, decreased muscle mass, and eventually a need to binge. Funny enough, too strict of a diet with no flexibility can also lead to a big crash-and-burn in the long run. You need to figure out what you want health-wise before you make any decisions about what to eat. For now, it may just be a matter of changing up what you "binge" on. Pick lower calorie, high-fiber foods such as vegetables (I like to just eat a bag of frozen broccoli when I have my weak moments) when you feel the need to eat a big bowl of something. If that sounds absolutely disgusting and you can't bring yourself to do it, there may be an emotional connection to food that you're not realizing.

Regardless, we're all here for you. I hope you find a happy and healthy path out of this difficult time. You can do it!!

it may be a tall order to fix within 2 months something that has been going on for 2 years. You say you don't want to deal with this when you reach college, but chances are it may still be an issue.

As others said, you have to address the underlying issue that's triggering it, not just the habits themselves.

I'd recommend getting help for it ASAP. And fortunately, at many colleges there are a lot of resources available where students can get help (speaking from personal experience here, anyway). Good luck.