Ex Binge Eaters

I'm a low-carber, so my advice might be different than others.

I am able to stop binge eating by eating a decent quality meal. Steak, asparagus, and mushrooms come in at ~1000 calories and it makes me feel full enough to avoid the binge.

Dieting is tough. Self control is tougher. You must master your domain

I use to call up my local Chinese and Japanese restaurant a place an order starting with "WE would like" knowing full well all the food was for ME and ME only. I would eat till I was almost sick. I totally get it.

For me I made it a challenge... "I can't get any takeout for 30 days" (doing that right now.. it is really hard). Then it was... "I am going to give up diet coke"... ( would go to mc donalds for a big diet coke and then leave with an extra large value meal.

How about make some challenges for yourself with moderate rewards for yourself if you match the challenge. It worked for me.

I could have written your post myself! I too sabotage myself regularly. I find if I eat one donut, I feel I might better have 4 ( can always restart again tomorrow, right?) I read some good tips in response to your question. Feel free to add me if you want someone to talk to. I

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1wx6KxI1RBLdW5nZlpsMmtYdTA/edit

This helped me more than anyone knows!
I started binging a few months ago again,a bout 3,000 - 10,000 calories a day.

Yesterday I was driving around for an hour straight on my way home -- hitting up all the gas station, fast food, and grocery stores in my capital district, consuming 7,000 calories -- then going home, drinking and eating even more to the point of being physically in excruciating pain was pretty disgustingly non-highlighted moment of my life. I think I ate from 10AM - 12AM without stopping. Woke up the next day disgusted by food, yet ate breakfast. Go figure

Read that book today, had just gotten it in the mail .. all I can say is my perception is much different!

I think Ill be able to stop now!

I just looked it up and found it online for free, so Im hoping that could help you guys?

I definitely feel your pain on this issue. I suffer with BED every day and am proud to be 43 days binge free! That may sound like nothing to some, but 43 days ago, going that long without a binge seemed impossible.

First, if you're not already in counseling, I'd really recommend it. It's been really helpful to me to have a sounding board to bounce my own ideas around about why I binge and what my triggers are. Now, when I feel that urge to binge, I try to lay down and relax and be peaceful for an hour or so. I think about what's causing the urge and try to alleviate it - I find that some of my big triggers are emotional upheaval (tough to avoid!) and frustrating changes in my schedule. Calming myself down can often tame the lion of the urge to more of an angry Maine Coon. Then, I try to work in a little of what I was craving into my daily calories in a healthful way. Just a tiny taste tends to nip the urge in the bud.

Best of luck to you! Feel free to add me as a friend. I truly, truly, truly appreciate what a beast BED can be to overcome, and like I said, I still fight it all the time!!

That was, and still is the hardest part of my weight-loss journey. I'm still finding it hard to eat ice-cream in it's serving size. I'm used to just eating it out of the container with a big spoon. Then, I would move on to something else, until I felt like a disgusting blob. I would always tell myself "Okay, I'll just finish up these douhgnuts and cookies, and I'll be done. That way there will be no junk food in the house." But I would always get more and more.

My process would always be "I deserve it, I worked out tonight!" (even though it just completely erased the workout, and added even more calories) and I just wanted to taste food. It was like the only way I could be happy. But then after, I wouldn't taste anything. So, before I binged I would think "It's NOT worth it, you don't taste anything now, and you won't taste anything after. The only diffrerence will be the fact that you just threw out a whole week of working hard, and you will hate yourself, which will make you do it again" and it helped.

Sometimes, I get the urge to binge, not just on junk food, on anything. I just want to eat. So I ALWAYS keep baby carrots in the house, and celery, lots of small veggies. For instance, an entire bag of baby carrots fills me up just like junk food, but it only has 175 calories in the whole bag, which is amazing! Keeping food that has low calories but great quantity will help you when you want to binge.

Good luck, and I hope you're able to overcome it. Keep yourself motivated and think about the bigger picture. It feels good to not just be thinner, but be healthier. Surround yourself with lovely people, and know that you're worth so much more than a tub of ice-cream and a dozen doughtnuts.

I have struggled with binge eating as well. In fact, I find that portion control is my biggest downfall. But instead of eating giant burritos, multiple burgers or thousands of calories worth of chocolate chip cookies, I am making myself 400 calorie salads. That way I have large portions, but don't feel sluggish and guilty and gross afterward. Are you exercising? I just started up again and today I finally made it to 10k steps. The more I exercise and release endorphins, the less I feel like I have to binge to feel better. I use food to celebrate my wins and comfort my losses, when I am happy, when I am sad, as a punishment and as a reward. I am trying to stop using food emotionally. I am actually down 12 pounds (I started a little before I got on MFP) and every pound I lose give me more motivation to keep going. I think it is a matter of getting into a groove.

This thread has been very encouraging to read. Sounds like a lot of people with this issue.
I have tendencies to do a little of everything: binge on a high calorie, fatty food when bored or stressed or tired; eat ANYTHING until I feel disgustingly full; eat three helpings of all "expensive" food when at a buffet or a birthday party (as though I am getting a good bang for my buck).
Then, of course, I am frustrated and annoyed at myself.
I am still working out how to beat this urge to eat, eat, eat but I know that being on MFP and logging is the first step.

One day at a time, I think is a good way to approach it. There will be setbacks and slip ups but I think if 80% of the time, you're on the right track and eating healthy things you'll succeed in your goals.

Good luck

bump, need to read this when i feel like going overboard

The most important thing with binge eating is getting to the root of the problem and working out why you are doing it in the first place. In my experience, it is rarely a case of binge eating for the sake of it - there are usually psychological reasons behind it causing you to do it. Unless you confront those reasons and try and tackle them, the problem will just keep happening. I know, because this has been an issue for my whole adult life and the reasons I binge eat are emotional. I eat to console myself, and I eat to 'reward' myself (though usually just five minutes after it no longer feels like a reward). I suffer from severe clinical depression and the binge eating rears its ugly head when I am on a downward spiral. However, in recent months I have been more successful at recognising my mood changes and the triggers that cause them, and that in turn is helping me with my eating habits. I know this is something that will be a struggle/temptation all my life, just like the depression, but you can control it and in turn take control of your life - you just have to have faith in yourself! One of the most important things to remember: if you slip up and have a binge eating session, DO NOT castigate yourself. Do not hate yourself for what is a simple mistake. No one is perfect and there will always be temptations. If you do happen to have a slip up, just chalk it up to experience and move on.

I need to read this board. Thank you.

This post was written just for me. I have been struggling with binge eating for the last month. I discovered some cocoa flavored peanuts and instead of eating the recommended serving size of 40 I find myself looking at the bottom of the can after 30 minutes. I CRAVE the!. At one point I had about 25 cans in the pantry. Every day I was going to the store buying 2 and three cans at a time. I am down to one can now and have to force myself not to buy more. This one can of nuts is 960 calories! I have been fooling myself that these are FREE calories because I worked out with extra intensity, but deep down I know better. I wouldn't even log them in to MFP because I knew I would be over my calorie limit. I am now trying to curb the cravings by eating the chocolate PB2 and found that it helps.

SW: 260
CW: 195
LW: 185
GW: 175
UGW: 160

It am glad to know I am not alone. Sometimes the simplest food items can cause someone to binge eat. I have discovered do it when I am bored. Now that I have found my trigger, I have to consciously change my behavior to resist that can of peanuts.

I am an ex binge eater. Carbs were my downfall also. I had to take drastic measures. I completely cut out all "bad" carbs like breads pasta rice etc for over a year. Once I had my eating in control and actually understood what portions were and what it felt like when I was truly satisfied vs over filled I then started adding those carbs back in with moderation. I know it's not for everyone but it is what I had to do to gain control of my binges. I did not buy sweets or things like that and did not keep them in my house. Now that I can have them in moderation it is a different story

Your avatar pics show an amazing transformation! I'm just starting a similar process as what you describe. I got rid of all the foods that make me more hungry after I eat them instead of less hungry.

So far so good. But it's only been a month, although I did lose weight on low carb in the past, which was by its nature the same thing, since I never went for Atkins bars or anything.

I'm a binge eater. Most of the stuff i eat don't even make sense. Never actually a meal just food that i find around the house. I have spent hundreds of dollars a month eating out while my husband was at work, if i had a few hours to myself and I would eat until I puked. I mean really, I would fill myself up so much I would be barfing before I got it all down. I haven't done it in a while.