To all binge eaters only, what has worked?
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Well it all went wrong despite all your help and me understanding the realisation of it all. My little one is ill and we are housebound by 12 am (after having had breakfast and mid morning snack all low GI so can't blame blood glucose) I had the urge to binge. I had thought I had thrown out all my trigger foods but discovered more...
I got the weetabix and covered it in sugar and ate the pack!- I can't tell you why, and if I had any other sugary/carby foods I would have eaten them but Oi ate a whole box of cereal! I did it so I'm responsible but it upsets me that I didn't even see it coming.
Thanks for all your responses guys, I'm finding this very tough!0 -
I'm more of a comfort eater than a binge eater. What's worked for me is trying to fit it into my calories for the week (if not that day). Sometimes you have to treat yourself and not feel guilty about it. So you do it, document it and move on. I try to avoid purchasing certain foods if I know I can't control the over-eating. Or purchase less of the item. My biggest problem is Mexican Tamales. Thankfully they aren't openly available here (only one restaurant sells them and most of the stores don't sell the good one's). So that's helped to curb that craving, but once in a while I indulge just to make myself happy.
And when I'm stressed, or feeling the need to over indulge I will find something low in calories to snack on or will avoid the kitchen till I can better control the emotions. Good luck to you!0 -
i binged yesterday and ate 5 brownies (every one of them was delicious) i just made sure i worked off all of those extra calories to still have a good day! But for professional help, I am not sure.
I don't consider that a binge. That's more like overindulgence. A binge is when you don't even taste the food, in some cases you don't even remember eating it -- you're overcome with feelings of anxiety and panic and you just stuff your face until you feel physically ill and your belly hurts and you can't move and you can't think until you go completely numb and then you just want to crawl into a hole and die.
This exactly.0 -
I used to suffer from anorexia, which later turned into binge eating. What helped me the most was eating when I was hungry and not restricting, I made sure I was full with a lot of lean proteins and veggies. I don't skip meals and I go to therapy. I think therapy is key to the mental aspect of recovery.
I also try not to shame myself if I do binge. Things happen, no one is perfect and all you can do is learn from your mistakes and try harder tomorrow.
Good luck!0 -
Try avoiding gluten. I am amazed at how cutting it out of my life has helped decrease cravings.
Good luck!!
Jeannemarie0 -
you know what helped me with my binge eating? allowing my diet to obsess me. i log my food, i spend time on MFP, i read more about nutrition, i read reviews about any equipment i might want, like heart rate monitors, fitbits and other activity trackers, weight benches, etc. i plan what foods i can buy that will fit in with my current lower calorie eating plan. i go for walks, keeping track of the time and logging it, i come up with workouts i can do despite some physical issues.
i made a conscious decision to replace my binge eating with fitness and diet stuff. when i find myself wanting to head off the the kitchen, instead i go to amazon and read all the reviews of any HRM that i have more questions about - or i check out the threads here. it's surprisingly engrossing. i find going to reviews or threads here is faster and easier than reading manuals or doing research, so those work best when trying to replace a habit - at least, for me.0 -
I haven't read all of the other responses, so sorry if this has already been mentioned. For me, getting enough sleep is key. I'm much less likely to binge when I'm well rested. This is very hard for me sometimes since I work two jobs but I've been really making an effort to try to get at least 7 hours of shut eye every night. Also, make sure that you eat enough protein and keep your sugar intake low. High protein foods stave off cravings. Eating sugar just triggers wanting more sugar.
I don't usually get to the point where I'll drive out to the store to get something to binge on, I just binge on what's handy in the house. For that reason, I don't keep any junk food at home anymore. If my husband gets junk food for himself, I ask him to keep it out of my sight or hide it somewhere. I also have to stay away from the break room at work, where there are cakes, cookies, etc. on a daily basis.
I don't believe that there's an emotional reason for all binges. I don't binge when I'm sad or stressed, I binge when I'm sleep deprived, hormonal, or haven't gotten enough protein that day. Good luck! I know it can be a frustrating problem.0 -
Try avoiding gluten. I am amazed at how cutting it out of my life has helped decrease cravings.
Good luck!!
Jeannemarie
I have celiac disease and the only difference to my binge eating is that I now eat too much gluten-free foods. It can be chocolate, yogurt and fruit (like last night) or hummus and vegetables. It doesn't really matter what it is. I'll eat thousands and thousands of calories during a few hour binge session.
My binge eating was triggered many years ago (over 40) by not having a diagnosis of celiac. I would stop eating if I had to be out of my home - work, school, a social function - so I wouldn't suffer the horrendous after-effects of having a meal. The weekends were 'safe' times to eat as I would be able to stay home. In a weekend, I could eat 30 to 40 thousand calories (not exaggerating). I would be sicker than sick, but at least I got to eat something. I never put on too much weight as the food would go straight through me within a few hours. Not a pleasant way to live, believe me. The only diagnosis I was ever given was "IBS" and told that it was my "normal" and I'd have to learn to live with it. So I tried.
There isn't enough room on the entire Internet for me to explain in writing how 40 years of this affected me. Suffice it to say that it's a daily struggle and I never know when the next binge will hit. I will be eating and suddenly I realize I'm in the middle of one. It can last a day, or three. Then it's as if a switch flips and it's over.....until the next time.
OP, this doesn't in any way help you with your issue, and for that I apologize. I hope it IS helpful for you to see that you are far from alone. :flowerforyou:0 -
How have they helped Kate? I'm god you are doing better, and sorry to hear you were an inpatient.
I noticed even today I wake up craving food!
They have helped teach me CBT techniques to combat cognitive errors (it's just this once, it will make me feel better, I am helpless over this, etc), DBT techniques for emotion/mood regulation, and helped me tackle self-esteem problems and my own history which was really the root of why I was doing the behaviour.0 -
Several things have helped me....
*I started eating small meals 6 times a day, each with approx. 15 g. protein and 1 serving fresh fruit or 2 servings fresh veggie. Eliminated grains and sweets. Every now and then I will eat a grain and it has triggered overeating (or the occasional binge) every.single.time. I swear I feel like a crack addict because I cannot have any processed carbs or grains without this happening.
* I started and completed couch-to-5k. I had never been a runner even though I had tried on multiple occasions. Completing the C25k program has given me a tremendous sense of pride and I find myself thinking about what I need to eat to improve my running rather than thinking about what I want to eat to make my tastebuds and brain happy.
*I remind myself at the beginning of each and every day that if I put one of the triggers into my mouth, it will end well. It is about 1000x easier for me to eat no candy than it is for me to eat only one piece of candy.
*If DH brings a trigger into the house, I ask him to hide it and not tell me where it is. I want him to be able to enjoy things in moderation but I don't want access.
*I weigh myself once a year at my annual doctor's visit. Beyond that, I go off of clothing size/fit to determine how I'm doing. I know that others have a friendlier relationship with the scale but it has been my experience over the last 20 years of my adult life that I cannot handle it. No matter what it says, it results in my eating too much so I don't weigh in.
*Finally, I practice self-forgiveness. It is easy for me to get wrapped up in a cycle of shame that leads to further binging. I have to forgive myself so I can start fresh and move on.
The result of all of these efforts has been a loss of about 10 lbs. over the last 3 years. Granted, this is not stellar BUT I also haven't gained more than a lb. or two at any given time in this time frame either. I'm 37 now and this is the first time since I was about 12 that I can say that. To me, this is a huge victory and I'll take it.0 -
wow the grain and sweets thing is something to think about. I have done low carb many times and that helps but then you can't have fruit either. low carb works and you don't binge but you feel deprived. I might just try to get rid of processed grains and sweets. thanks for the info.0
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Just finished reading Brain over Binge last night and I have to say that I am already using the techniques from the book. These are different from the techniques I would usually use ( distraction, trigger identification, etc) and I am finding already that I feel less exhausted and as if I am giving less power to the urges and recognising them as what they are, brain junk. Works for me but I do appreciate everyone is so very different. I feel really optimistic about this approach as it reminds me of some of the techniques I used to stop smoking. Fingers crossed. I have put twenty pounds on in the last year because of my binge, restrict cycle and I feel very hopeful today for the first time in ages. Yippee.0
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I know how you feel. I've been so ill after my binges, stomach cramps, palpitations etc.
What's really helped me is Increasing the amount of food I eat for once, but really upped the protein and amount of veggies. It's really cut my binges. Of course there will always be bad days and it'll be a constant battle but I'm feeling so much better lately. I used to restrict after binging but it only furthered the cycle.0 -
I was a binge water for 10 years, recovered for 7. Getting pregnant and then pregnant/breastfeeding for six years ( three kids each 22 months apart) really helped me start to think of my body as a temple. I couldn't stop for myself but I did stop for them. It was so hard to stop binging and like an alcoholic I feel I'll never be fully recovered. Here are some things that helped in the beginning.
The book feeding the hungry heart. Online support. Telling my husband every time. Giving myself permission to eat anything; no restricted eating. No chronic cardio. Keeping a journal. Prayer. Walking after meals. Eating frequently.0 -
After 6 moths of Broken marriage, my husband left me with two kids, I felt like ending it all, i almost committed suicide because he left us with nothing, i was emotionally down all this while. Thanks to a prophet called saibaba of saibaba temple which i met online. On one faithful day, as I was browsing through the internet, I came across several of testimonies about this particular prophet. Some people testified that he brought their Ex lover back, some testified that he restores womb,cure cancer,and other sickness, some testified that he prayed to stop divorce and get a good paid job so on. He is amazing, i also come across one particular testimony, it was about a woman called trisha , she testified about how he brought back her Ex lover in less than 2 days, and at the end of her testimony she dropped his email.After reading all these, I decided to give it a try. I contacted him via email and explained my problem to him. In just 48hours, my husband came back to me. We resolved our issues, and we are even happier than ever. prophet saibaba you are a gifted man and thank you for everything you had done in my life. If you have a problem and you are looking for a real and genuine prophet, Try him anytime, he is the answer to your problems. you can contact him on templesaibaba@yahoo.com0
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It was so hard to stop binging and like an alcoholic I feel I'll never be fully recovered. Here are some things that helped in the beginning.
The book feeding the hungry heart. Online support. Telling my husband every time. Giving myself permission to eat anything; no restricted eating. No chronic cardio. Keeping a journal. Prayer. Walking after meals. Eating frequently.
THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I feel like I know exactly how you feel, I cant open the fridge without picking at something, my weakness is.mostly for sweets. One small thing that has helped me is to keep a bag of teeny tiny chocolate chips in the fridge... whenever i get that craving instead if reaching for an entire browny or 2... I grab 2 or 3 chocolate chips. Maybe by the end of the day ive had 5 or 6 cravings and had anywhere from 10-20 mini chocolate chips which in my opinion isnt too bad at all.... its certainly better than knowing that i had 6 whole brownies or cookies on top of my meals in just 1 day...0
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I feel like I know exactly how you feel, I cant open the fridge without picking at something, my weakness is.mostly for sweets. One small thing that has helped me is to keep a bag of teeny tiny chocolate chips in the fridge... whenever i get that craving instead if reaching for an entire browny or 2... I grab 2 or 3 chocolate chips. Maybe by the end of the day ive had 5 or 6 cravings and had anywhere from 10-20 mini chocolate chips which in my opinion isnt too bad at all.... its certainly better than knowing that i had 6 whole brownies or cookies on top of my meals in just 1 day...
I'm with you here...
Ghiradelli white chocolate chips only have something like 70 calories in 22 chips! yay... lol!0 -
I never learned to control it. All the therapy and techniques didn't help. I finally gave up and had weight loss surgery. Now I physically cannot binge and that's the only thing that helped me conquor it.0
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Bump0
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The thing that has worried me about therapy is it's not easy for me to get to/pay for. The NHS has a long waiting list and understandably the Gp just wanted me to "get a grip".
I paid for one CBT session, it cost a fortune and he told me it would take at least six sessions before I made progress. I now have a child and food is everywhere and I don't get hardly any time on my own - I was hoping there might be an online forum.
I don't know if it's psychological, or a "food addiction" I don't eat all the bags of sugar in the house, so it can't be sugar addiction. I do always overeat on carbohydrates though, it's hardly ever protein, fat (surprisingly!).
I eat when low, anxious, very happy, bored (a buggy), and tiredness is something I'm finding very tough (as husband and child don't sleep well).
I am also finding if I take my mind of the focus I'm getting into a pickle i.e. If I haven't planned, and there is cereal/bread available and I'm at a low point I binge. So avoiding those scenarios seems to help. At the same time, planning too many meals and snacks is a nightmare too as I keep thinking about my next meal/snack and getting excited about it, and then it's all I can think about and I go and eat it anyway.
I frustrate myself, especially as once in that "zone" I will do anything to eat that pack of bagels, no amount of reasoning or forethought about the consequences (a ruined day because I feel sick and tired) affects me, I just eat and eat...
Amazingly I don't do this every day, most days but not every day. I used to do a spot of walking and running which helped, but nowadays I can't just go for a run every time a trigger occurs. It's hard with a little one too as I start polishing off what they eat.
I wonder if it's actually easier not eating all day (I mean I have to) my mind id always on food, I wish I could switch it to something else. Yet if I take my mind off food, I then eat anything and everything - my own internal "I am full now stop eating" switch isn't there.
I find being mindful hard work, but I think I have to be mindful every second... sigh.
Thank you for listening and all your replies.0 -
Dear MSPUnkyone - where did you find support online (apart from the MFP group - I can't keep hassling these kind guys!)0
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Being on a low-carb diet has helped me a lot, but it is only under control. It is still always there...the thinking about it, you know? Good luck to you.0
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I eat when low, anxious, very happy, bored (a buggy), and tiredness is something I'm finding very tough (as husband and child don't sleep well).
When we have a default coping mechanism, it's really easy to just default to it. There are other ways to cope with these feelings. Sometimes you just breathe deeply and experience the feeling. It's ok to be anxious for a few minutes. You won't die. If you can't afford or wait for CBT, then try other things on your own.
-Whenever you feel anxious, close your eyes and breathe deeply for a count of 10 breaths.
-Whenever you're happy, write down what it was that made you happy -- that way you can refer to the list when you're sad
-Make a list of 100 things you need to do that take 5 minutes (carry something to the attic, weed the front walk, whatever) and when you're bored, check one or two things off the list.
-When you're sad, read the list of things that made you happy (see #2 above)
These are just examples. It takes practice, I know. It doesn't happen overnight. But EVERY SINGLE TIME you don't fall into your old coping habit of eating, you're one step closer to it not being your default coping mechanism anymore.0 -
A couple of things have helped me.
1) Chewing gum when I get the urge to eat but am clearly not hungry.
2) Sucking (not chewing!) hard candy when I have a sweet craving.
3) Not starting eating when I have the urge to binge. I feel like I want to eat 20 cookies? I know (from experience) that eating 1 cookie will not make me feel better, and in fact, it may very well make the urge worse. Therefore, I can't have even 1 cookie. Acknowledge that I'm having the urge, acknowledge that nothing (including binging) will make it go away, and simply go do something else while I wait for it to pass. Key to this step is knowing that not even doing something else will make the urge pass; I'm simply going to have to suffer for a good long while until it goes away on it's own. It may not even go away for the whole day.0 -
I over-restricted calories for years, and over exercised, losing about 180 lbs, before it caught up to me and I started having crazy cravings and binging. Then I'd restrict after the binge to try to "make up" for it, and the cycle would continue. I finally got desperate enough to seek therapy and my therapist recommended seeing a nutritionist who specialized in eating disorders. The first thing she did was tell me to stop working out, get more sleep, and up my calories. I fought it for a long time, but the more I listened to her, the better I got. I rarely have a problem now. And when I notice those cravings start again, I generally know either I am short on sleep, working out too much, or eating too little.
Hopefully this advice will help others having the same issue.0 -
Nothing has worked. I seem to have a switch in my brain that I cannot control. Either I binge eat nearly every day for several months, or I starve myself for several months. Things are not as bad now that I have kids. It used to be either 400kcal/day or 10,000. Now it is more like either 1200 or 5000.
Counselling has not helped.
Low-carbing curbs the urges to binge, but I cannot low-carb when I am in a binging phase.0 -
There are many small things you can do that have been suggested but there are two things to think of.
Stomach restriction surgery should be a last resort option (not saying negatives to any who got it - it's a life saving surgery and it's wonderful and I hope it helps, but it shouldnt happen for everybody).
Counselling will help wonders but you will never 'get over it'. Like any addiction, you will have to live with it.
Now, you're on the right track with admitting it - the biggest thing to do is try to read some books on the subject and distract yourself if you want to binge. Chewing gum and walking is a huge help to many, but find what works for you.
Best of luck!0 -
Intermittent Fasting.
#problemsolved0 -
Identifying my trigger foods has helped me the most, and those are sugar and dairy in any form whatsoever. Trigger foods will be different for all binge eaters, but I have found through reading and asking others that sugar seems to be a common one. Identifying my non-food triggers has also helped... I have found that right after my work shift or right after a stressful family event are my most likely times to binge. Binge eating is so painful, and something that is hard for others to understand. Best of success to you- sending you lots of good wishes and support!!0
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