Binge eating?

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sowrongitsemily
sowrongitsemily Posts: 25
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone have any tips for stopping binge eating? I'll have days where I'm eating great all day, and then later in the night I'll just lose control and eat a ton of food in one sitting. The other day I ate 3 granola bars in one sitting (~400 cal) and I honestly wasn't even hungry. I just wanted to eat. It's so frustrating. I've been doing it since high school - I would be fine, then take the box of poptarts out of the cupboard and eat 4 of them (800 cals?!?!?!). And now it's hard to cut down on my calories throughout the day because my body is so used to the extra food. :(

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  • get_fit_08
    get_fit_08 Posts: 4
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    I used to do this a lot, and it still happens every so often but I have some suggestions for when you get the urge. I try to drink chamomile tea at night and then brush my teeth. I'll have some gum or mints nearby too. Now if I do give into my urge, I eat the one thing I'm actually wanting or I'll end up eating everything then eventually give into the one thing. Mind over matter!
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
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    i used to binge at night pretty much daily. two things combined have helped me. first, i save some calories from my day so i can have a treat food i really like (usually cold cereal and milk) before bed. second, i let myself obsess over things i am interested in and might want to buy - i read about cameras, musical instruments and equipment or fitness equipment obsessively. i read reviews, manufacturer info, just wallow in one thing online and in catalogs. for some reason, doing this helps with my food cravings a lot.

    btw, lately i treat myself to a "shake" in the evenings - 4 ounces of non-fat milk, 2 Tb cocoa or around 1/3 tsp cinnamon, 2.5 tsp xylitol, some stevia. i blend it together, making sure the flavor component - either cocoa or cinnamon - is strong and that there's enough sweetener. then i throw in about a cup and a quarter of ice, and blend till it has the consistency of an actual shake (love my ninja!). if you add enough flavor and sweetener, it tastes actually great, comes out thick like a shake and the way i do it it's 100 calories or under.
  • HeyitsTay92
    HeyitsTay92 Posts: 14 Member
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    I chew gum and pre log everything..this helps the oral fixation and keeps me accountable
  • dancegirl0316
    dancegirl0316 Posts: 3
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    Try eating more often throughout the day. When you haven't had enough to eat for segments of the day, your body can crave as many "quick calories" (aka sugar and fat) as it can possibly get! I wouldn't blame you for binging when your body feels deprived. Have healthful snacks (with protein!) regularly throughout the day so your body will never be craving quick calories.
  • zilannoj
    zilannoj Posts: 138 Member
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    I binged almost nightly for years. I would eat almost 3,000 calories worth of McDonald's in one sitting and then feel like I didn't have control of my body. I haven't binged in almost three months and really, it was just holding myself accountable and realizing that I do control my body. I was using food as a way to deal with stress and sadness, and I found different ways to channel that stress. I learned that I absolutely love walking and cooking (which is hilarious but when I cook I can spend hours in the kitchen without eating anything... I'm just meal prepping for the week).

    Similar to basschick, I like to eat mainly at night, so I save my calories for an after dinner snack (usually something sweet). I also stopped associating certain foods with binging. I can still have pizza, burgers, chips, whatever. It's not the food that's making me fat. It's me. That no nonsense approach has helped me tremendously. This is the longest I have gone without binging ever.

    Also, I workout a lot. I do love eating, and I have to earn those calories. One time, I counted the calories for what I wanted to binge on and before I allowed myself to eat the food, I would go on a walk until I burned how many calories I needed. It made me realize how easy it was to gain weight when I was eating so much. And I didn't end up binging.
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
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    gum so helps that and tootsie midgets..you can pop 10 and feel like you stuffed your mouth and your done popping stuff in your mouth so its low calorie too….how about not buying the granola bars or pop tarts
    I love those and i don't ever get them ever-but man when i pass them at the grocery store breakfast/snack isle I eye those suckers up and down and keep walking BUAHAHAHAHA. sORRY BUT I do:frown: anyways yeah if you feel like a snack monster grab some gum or fat free hard candy to suck on
    Or next time you go out pay extra for the single pop tart and ENJOY that 1 pop tart for that week..its what i do. I won't by box of brownies but if i feel the need i will by it on the road for that moment only and i will be ok and not think about it until way later. That way you have your fix and its out of the house and out of your mind!!!! Also get healthier options if you still snack like i do
    Yogurts, cheese, crackers, good deli meats salsa and chips. Tortilla chips and salsa will forever be a staple in our home…its so better than fried, sweet, gooey food.
    Make rice crispy treats at home as the one treat to have around versus granola stuff. Its easy cheap and the rice crisps do feel like a real sweet treat granola "healthy " treat and your tooth doesn't feel satisfied from it…
    Trail mix is pricey but if you can get trail mixes, sesame sticks are def. good. higher in calories but you get energy thats better for you so it should be guilt free because it will burn the cravings by the protein the peanuts give..
  • zericaaaaa
    zericaaaaa Posts: 313 Member
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    I agree with leaving a certain amount of calories for my night time snacks. I usually don't get home from work til around 10:30-11 and I almost always want to eat at least a lil something before I go to bed. usually i'll make a giant plate of egg whites with some cheese and salsa, and then a piece of toast with a little bit of nutella and some of my pb2 for a nice treat. one thing I've found to help is to try to chew each bite for much longer than I normally would and then take a drink of water after every bite. I typically only do this with my night time snack because its the time when I want to binge the most. another thing I've tried is eating with my left hand instead of my right hand (or right hand if you're left handed.) it slows things down a little bit so you can enjoy your food without over indulging :) I'm hoping i'll just be able to eat without thinking but at this point I know that is way too detrimental for me lol so for now, these things have helped me to understand when I'm full and when I'm just bored
  • LeslieTSUK
    LeslieTSUK Posts: 215 Member
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    Only thing that has worked for me is:

    1st: keeping all sugars between 7 & 10
    2nd: Keeping my carbs around 150 ish
    3rd: Making sure I don't keep anything in house that I can just go grab and eat cold, be it tinned stuff or fresh or pre-packed.

    Everything I buy now has to be cooked, so when that urge to binge comes on, I know it going to be a good 20 to 40 mins to make something, so simply can't be bothered to go do it.

    Plus I try to stick to a stable sleep routine as well.

    And a good 3 cups of coffee a day, seems to help me, but I do love it too.

    Nothing else I tried ever seemed to work for me, but so far so good with current lifestyle.
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
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    I agree with leaving a certain amount of calories for my night time snacks. I usually don't get home from work til around 10:30-11 and I almost always want to eat at least a lil something before I go to bed. usually i'll make a giant plate of egg whites with some cheese and salsa, and then a piece of toast with a little bit of nutella and some of my pb2 for a nice treat. one thing I've found to help is to try to chew each bite for much longer than I normally would and then take a drink of water after every bite. I typically only do this with my night time snack because its the time when I want to binge the most. another thing I've tried is eating with my left hand instead of my right hand (or right hand if you're left handed.) it slows things down a little bit so you can enjoy your food without over indulging :) I'm hoping i'll just be able to eat without thinking but at this point I know that is way too detrimental for me lol so for now, these things have helped me to understand when I'm full and when I'm just bored
    This is great advice! I don't snack EVERY night but overall how i learned to eat- slower -and i am fuller in the long run b/c of it…brilliant
    Second the sleep as well as someone noted =)
  • Sophiareed218
    Sophiareed218 Posts: 145 Member
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    I'm kind of the same way. I get my cravings late at night. Either allow calories so that you can have a small " meal" at that time or a satisfying snack. Keep away from the pop tarts! Seriously! Don't even buy them. If it's not in the house you can't eat it. If you live with others then you can't control that as well but you can control yourself! Find lower calorie versions of what you like and substitute. Sugar free chocolate pudding cup instead of a chocolate bar. Popcorn instead of chips. Frozen Greek yogurt instead of ice cream. Suck on a few hard candies if you have a sugar craving instead of binging on sweets.
    It's an adjustment, I won't lie. It takes time to get used to having those foods instead of your favorites. It also takes time to get used to portion control. I like sugar free jello when I just get the urge to eat. You can blow through a few of those and barely use up any calories. Gum helps too when you just need to chew on something. Good luck!
  • brewinggirl_butskinnier
    brewinggirl_butskinnier Posts: 108 Member
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    btw, lately i treat myself to a "shake" in the evenings - 4 ounces of non-fat milk, 2 Tb cocoa or around 1/3 tsp cinnamon, 2.5 tsp xylitol, some stevia. i blend it together, making sure the flavor component - either cocoa or cinnamon - is strong and that there's enough sweetener. then i throw in about a cup and a quarter of ice, and blend till it has the consistency of an actual shake (love my ninja!). if you add enough flavor and sweetener, it tastes actually great, comes out thick like a shake and the way i do it it's 100 calories or under.

    That sounds pretty darn good.

    OP, I just tend to eat the majority of calories for dinner. I find it's easier to eat less during the day because I'm running around crazy at work (I try to have some protein before or shortly after my workout but meh if I'm not terribly hungry I don't). I'm not a huge sweets eater so a bite or 2 of the kids dessert usually makes me happy enough.
  • lisainpotown
    lisainpotown Posts: 18 Member
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    Good advice on this thread! I don't keep food in the house that I will not be able to control myself with. Instead, I try to plan eating that will satisfy me. I drink Shakeology and enjoy that sometimes instead of ice cream or a sweet treat, have carrots or skinny pop, herbal tea, or just go to bed. Bananas, peanut butter, and 85% dark (Lighter will get eaten faster) can be slippery foods at night when there is nothing else. I have accepted that sometimes I just want to eat and eat, and sometimes I allow myself to do that and just put it down in my food diary (which is public and kind of embarrassing, but oh well, I am just being real). I try not to make it too much of a habit, because eventually my desire to be fit and lean outweighs my desire to go crazy with food like I used to. Getting on the scale can also be a rude awakening and bring me back to recall what is more important than the few minutes of pleasure I will get from overeating.
  • sowrongitsemily
    sowrongitsemily Posts: 25
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    Thanks for all the great advice guys! More sleep would definitely help, and I'll have to try all these ideas. I know that drinking tea/keurig apple cider helped me feel full in the past, so I should do that more often.

    And for the record, the pop tarts were a past example. I haven't touched a pop tart in a long time. I was just saying that in high school a few years ago it's something I would binge on because my mom bought them all the time.
  • sallybaine
    sallybaine Posts: 15 Member
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    So many great tips here! Binge eating is my biggest downfall. I can only go about 7 days without screwing it all up. I eat back everything I've lost and then some. I'm so gut-wrenchingly disappointed and ashamed of myself for days . And it's so hard to get back on the horse after a binge.

    Last Saturday I ate a piece of toast smothered in peanut butter as a reward for a week of perfecting dieting, then thought what the hell just one more. I ended up eating peanut butter and nutella straight from the jar, a bag full of choc chip cookies, 2 more slices of bread. It's like 1 step forward, 2 steps back. My mindset during a binge is 'Well I've just stuffed my diet, so I may aswell keep going.'

    I'm also a sneaky binger. My husband knows to stop me so I'll do it before he gets home from work.
  • Kealihc
    Kealihc Posts: 39
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    Out of sight, out of mind...the only thing that works for me!
    I stopped buying junk and sweets that sort of trigger my binges, anyways I went a whole month without them! Then, I thought I had come so far mentally, I should be able to make a pan of brownies and be responsible, right? Wrong! I had them eaten within a day and a half...
    Maybe I will eventually be able to control myself lol but for now, I just can't have it around me! It's a sad reality, but if that's what it takes to be healthier...alright!

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