When I drink - I binge.

I find that I do really well until I start drinking alcohol. Even a couple of drinks will make me feel a huge urge to binge. Last night I ate pizza, a sandwich, cookies, & cereal until I was uncomfortably full. I have struggled with ED in the past. Does anyone else have this problem? I'm feeling so discouraged today like I blew my entire weeks worth of exercise and healthy eating. Help :(

Replies

  • GG82Green
    GG82Green Posts: 15 Member
    Try following each drink with a glass of water. I (personally) can't eat greasy food and water so that might help. Also, you could try to have a healthier option on hand (like veggies or even a healthy sandwich). Also, pre-logging your food might help. Best of luck!
  • marie3221
    marie3221 Posts: 77 Member
    oh my, me too! I have made the choice today that I will not drink anymore until I reach my goal. To be honest, it has gotten a bit out of control and my health and weight is suffering. I am going to be selfish, I want to look a certain way and alcohol is not worth it to me anymore. Write a list of what you want and what your goals are, and I am going to bet that drinking alcohol will not be on the list. Good luck!!!!
  • biodigit
    biodigit Posts: 145 Member
    I was in a similar situation as yourself. You know what really stopped it? it was practically just taking a very long break from drinking. I'm not going to say that I won't drink again, but it's been few months now that I haven't had a glass/bottle. Maybe go a day or two without drinking? If you can muster up even more courage, try not drinking for a week or two, and see how everything pans out then.
  • LoneWolfRunner
    LoneWolfRunner Posts: 1,160 Member
    I like drinking. A lot. I don't know that it necessarily makes me hungry for crap, but it certainly lowers my inhibitions about making poor choices.... food and otherwise... lol.. "Pringles? Pizza? Cheez-Its? What the hell... I'l just run extra tomorrow..."

    I usually (but certainly not always) get around that by doing what the previous poster said.... I just keep healthy food around. Not that I eat it....who the hell wants to eat carrots and celery with Jameson? So I just don't eat anythingl.... until I fix a good meal or go to bed, depending on when I'm drinking.
  • Here is how you should look at it... You need to forgive yourself for eating like that, you didn't ruin a week of working out. In fact, your body will use alot of that food to repair itself and if you work out the next day, hard, then that meal will be digested and used easly. Your body needs fuel, food is not bad but actually very good.

    No need to worry.. forgive yourself, move on, and enjoy your life.
  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
    I usually only drink at home, one drink in the evening before bed. What I do is first have dinner, and a full glass of water with dinner. Then I have my one drink and go directly to bed after that. My stomach is already full with water and dinner so I am not tempted to binge on food while having my drink.
  • essjay76
    essjay76 Posts: 465 Member
    That was one of my biggest problems. Though I'm not perfect, I have come as close to moderation as I possibly can. This goes not only with alcohol, but everything.

    If it's something you simply can not eliminate, don't. Have a little of it. Fit it into your calories. Otherwise, if you restrict yourself too much, you'll binge drink.

    Are you drinking to oblivion? Often times, if you drink to that point, it's easy to eat to oblivion as well.

    I struggled with an ED in the past, so I know what it's like to want that control over food. Drinking a lot of alcohol takes that control and power over you.

    As someone stated, drink water with your alcohol. For every glass of alcohol, have two glasses of water. Savor the drink. Pre-log how many drinks you'll have and stick to it.

    It's hard but it can be done.
  • ajnb88
    ajnb88 Posts: 339 Member
    About once a month, (around payday) we'll get pizza, and tbh there's no point messing about with it, if I'm getting a pizza, I'm getting a huge pizza. Once a month IMO doesn't undo all the healthy choices I've made.
  • radmack
    radmack Posts: 272 Member
    Drinking and munching sort of go together for me. Tough one. I don't give it up completely but have to be more careful.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,996 Member
    We are creatures of habit. The association of drinking and eating together are your habit (and many others too). So either you change that habit when you drink, or you continue. Disassociation of drinking and food together is tough though.
    Personally for me, I quit drinking altogether (in my late 20's) because I didn't feel it helped me in anyway. Getting drunk just had me make a lot of dumb decisions that I would never make while sober and I didn't want that affect my life in the long run.
    Maybe try eating first before you drink. Sometimes a fuller stomach will help with the amount of alcohol you drink.

    Here's the double whammy: alcohol inhibits any fat burning till it's used from the body. So the more one drinks, the less body fat one burns.

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • kait_marie24
    kait_marie24 Posts: 99 Member
    Thanks everybody for the support/advice. Greatly appreciated.
  • persistentsoul
    persistentsoul Posts: 268 Member
    Me too, a coulpe of drinks and my will power goes out the window. I have decided I can no longer have my weekly couple of drinks. I will miss them but it is not worth the price i pay. I think i will still drink sometimes but not until i have shed a good percentage of the excess wieght and it might be a monthly treat after that instead of a weekly one.
  • becs3578
    becs3578 Posts: 836 Member
    Me too... I went thought 3 times last week (which never happens) and every time I got fast food on the way home. It was terrible and I was so mad at myself the following mornings. I have decided to keep some "nature valley almond bars" in my glove box. So next time I will just reach for one of those. Its my attempt as rewiring my brain. First test in about a week.
  • ktaylor1188
    ktaylor1188 Posts: 141 Member
    i have this problem also. i drink and all care goes out the window. thankfully i dont allow myself to drink often because of this. i tend to be an all or nothing person lol... and since i share the same problem i cant really give advice. the main thing that helps me is A. not drinking lol...or B. if i really decide i want to drink i prelog my drinks and tell myself "no food". sometimes this works, and sometimes not :P
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    I like drinking. A lot. I don't know that it necessarily makes me hungry for crap, but it certainly lowers my inhibitions about making poor choices.... food and otherwise... lol.. "Pringles? Pizza? Cheez-Its? What the hell... I'l just run extra tomorrow..."

    I usually (but certainly not always) get around that by doing what the previous poster said.... I just keep healthy food around. Not that I eat it....who the hell wants to eat carrots and celery with Jameson? So I just don't eat anythingl.... until I fix a good meal or go to bed, depending on when I'm drinking.

    ditto!
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member

    Here's the double whammy: alcohol inhibits any fat burning till it's used from the body. So the more one drinks, the less body fat one burns.

    Unless one stays within one's calorie allowance for the day. In which case it really shouldn't matter.
  • aprilxlee
    aprilxlee Posts: 4 Member
    I quit drinking altogether. I know for some people this seems extreme and I know others really do enjoy drinking. But it was doing nothing for me. I found I could dress up, go out and still have the same amount of fun, wake up in the AM without a hangover & without any food regrets :) before I quit, though, I used to put an alarm on my phone. I do that now for sugar cravings, because I used to eat sugar at 3pm & 6pm for some reason. My brain still craves that, so the alarm kind of brings me into awareness and I go take a walk instead.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,996 Member
    Unless one stays within one's calorie allowance for the day. In which case it really shouldn't matter.
    Theoritically yes, however alcohol is nutrient deficient and as I've mentioned doesn't allow for any other energy source to be utilized until it's metabolized out of the body. This disrupts burns at rest where fat is 100% the main source for energy (again unless there's alcohol in one's system).

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,996 Member
    I quit drinking altogether. I know for some people this seems extreme and I know others really do enjoy drinking. But it was doing nothing for me. I found I could dress up, go out and still have the same amount of fun, wake up in the AM without a hangover & without any food regrets :) before I quit, though, I used to put an alarm on my phone. I do that now for sugar cravings, because I used to eat sugar at 3pm & 6pm for some reason. My brain still craves that, so the alarm kind of brings me into awareness and I go take a walk instead.
    This was for me too. Lol, plus it got expensive. At least now I can say that I'm the DD for every occasion friends go out and want to get smashed, but still need to get home.

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • dm33s
    dm33s Posts: 4
    same here binged so hard last night
  • Kel1677
    Kel1677 Posts: 76 Member
    I went to a metal fest last night. Beer, soco, Smirnoff grape, mcdonalds at 4am. Feel horrible.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    SO stop drinking. Ta-da! Problem solved. Drinking is counterproductive to weightloss and fitness, anyway. It makes the battle unnecessarily harder. I don't miss it.