Binge Help - 4000kcal isn't good. :(

2hdesign · February 2011

i binged yesterday. 4000 kcal. yeah - i'm that girl. why is it such a struggle? and how come it's so hard to figure out what's causing the binges? any suggestions on how to work through it? can anyone relate? please tell me i'm not alone and there's hope to get past this...

my diary is open and you'll notice i had a really crappy last week with eating out and such. what the diary won't tell you is that somehow i lost a pound last week (but i'm smart enough to stay off the scale this morning, as i only weigh once a week and i know today would just make me cry) despite crappy moods, crappy eating, etc. ugh. sorry to be whiny but i feel like such a loser. i'm about 2 months into my quest to get healthier and the last 2ish weeks it's like i've given up. except i know i haven't, or i wouldn't be posting here...

hrhwrightca · February 2011

every day is a new day - I have had a couple bad weeks - but somehow managed to fit into a smaller pair of pants - I am staying away from the scale at the moment til I get myself back on track otherwise I will for sure keep bingeing... there is no rhyme or reason I can see for my own bingeing... sometimes when I am happy and sometimes sad... sometimes cause I havent eaten enough and end up eating when i am way too hungry...
Keep your chin up - today is a new day

best of luck

curran80 · February 2011

Hi

We all have had bad days in the past, the key is to find out what is making you binge? What time of day do you binge? Is it all at once? Your dinner seems rather small last night so probably made you even hungrier, or had you already binged by then and started to feel bad about it?

Feel free to add me and we can help and motivate each other. I am bad for binging when I get bored this site is so good for keeping me occupied and not bordom binging!

2hdesign · February 2011

Dinner was small on purpose... to counter act some of the binge calories. Except it backfired.

I tend to binge in the evening, after I've had a nap and while I'm hyper focused on a good book (and twisting and twirling my hair until it's greasy and I have a headache).

I know this is a tough topic and that's why I'm here. I'm smart enough to know that there is SOMETHING behind the bingeing, i just don't know how to go about figuring out what it is and how to over come it. I guess in the meantime, along with getting rid of the binge foods, I should quit reading (which seems sad to me...), at least for a little while...

im2spooky4u · February 2011

My question would be, what are you missing in your life that you are replacing it with food? I only ask that because I'm the kind of person that will replace one addiction with another. And food is a big addiction. Alot of people think binge eaters eat just to eat, but it can actually be an addiction. As long as you're not eating like this every day, or it's not becoming a pattern, I would just do extra workouts to make up for the offset eating.

Good luck to you. I hope you find your reason for doing this and can find a way to avoid it.

kjsmith567 · February 2011

1. FIBER FIBER FIBER!! Eat foods that are high in fiber they will give you a fuller feeling.
2. I would also eat more often but way smaller portions, that way your mind will think that you are eating all day long and you will be less tempted to eat more at the end of the night.
3. Go to sleep as often as possible until your body is used to the changes in your diet you will feel fatigued and feel like you need to eat in order to get energy. Nap/Sleep instead at least until your body can get used to the low calorie diet.
4. Avoid binges by treating yourself to at least one 100 cal treat a day, no more than that. If it is a little piece of chocolate or a soda just make it one treat. Eventually you will begin to feel guilty and realize that you don't really need a treat and it isn't worth the calories.
5. Focus on a category instead of calories. For instance say to yourself "I wont go over my Carb/Sugar/Sodium goal for the day." You will notice that by controlling a category instead of the calorie count you will make healthier choices.
MOST IMPORTANT: Everyday is a new day so just forget about the past. Don't beat yourself about it otherwise it will affect the rest of your week, no bueno.

Be encouraged, you've got this!!!

suzycreamcheese · February 2011

I had a look and the scary thing is, it doesnt even look that much!! How easy is it to go over by such a huge amount - God, no wonder i was putting on weight. All it takes is eating out a few times and a couple of naughty snacks and thats it - whoops!

The truth is, dieting is hard. Takes a lot of willpower and a lot of substitute choices.

I think the best thing to do, is forget about last week. Wipe the slate clean, and give it another go.
Up your exercise so that youve got a few more calories to play with too

We all have bad weeks. I know when its coming up to my period all i wanna do is eat eat eat

jkestens63 · February 2011

Weight loss is really hard and success fluctuates. I've had a tough month - haven't lost anything and since TOM is coming, gained! But I don't take it as failure, just another day in a lifelong battle. I have such poor eating habits that have become deeply embedded over 44 years, they are not going to change in 3 without a huge struggle and many ups and downs. But as it says in my signature: Persistance, not perfection. So if I have a bad day one day, the next day is the opportunity to try again. If I'm not successful, then the next, until I am back on track. Giving up is when we have been defeated and failed.

I know a lot of people try to figure out why they binge.. I've kept logs of how I was feeling, what I was craving, etc. For me, none of it really helped. What I find is that if I plan my "heaviest" eating in the evening then I can satisfy the urge to binge/graze in a controlled manner. So:

6:00 pm - Cup of tea with a slice of peanut butter toast or social tea bisquits
7:00 pm - Piece of Fruit
8:00 pm - Salad
9:00 pm - Dinner
10:00 pm - if I need a snack, I have piece of fruit
Before bed: glass of skim milk and a 100 calorie snack pack

There's probably a lot of people cringing seeing how much I eat at night but it helps me maintain control as long as I follow this pattern. Besides, I believe its basically a matter of calories in vs. calories out and it doesn't make that big a difference when you eat them.

The other thing is that I exercise hard so I have a lot of calories to play with. Most days I do eat back my exercise calories because if I don't, I get really hungry and start binging - not necessarily that same day but in the next day or two I do. Its like my body is trying to make up for the deficit in calories.

Its all trial and error - find what works for you and you will, as long as you stick with it.

wanitalilly · February 2011

Hi! I loved seeing your post because I do the SAME thing!! What I have figured out is that...
First, food is not a reward. If i do well all day my reward should not be an ice cream or a bag of chips! Reward yourself for doing well. Paint your toes...take a bubble bath....make a list of things you love and do one of those things. ( teaching yourself emotions don't have to be tied into food)
Second, if I plan ahead I give myself the best opportunity to eat healthy. So, plan your night to include healthy snacks and cut your calories earlier in the day. Maybe your body just needs more energy later in the evening...but make it a part of your calories so you don't feel guilty and then beat yourself up over it.
Third, Forgive yourself. Love yourself!! You are a beautiful creation and a miracle, no matter what you weigh!! Never forget that.
Lastly, think of this as an opportunity. It is a chance for you to grow. This is YOUR life...Not a diet, not a fad....you can learn from this and be better for it. Who knows, someday you can respond to someone's post telling THEM how you overcame this hurdle!!

dogwalk · February 2011

Hey your not a lone,I'm been eating good all week until today,It's binge day,I wish I had the answers but i don't I've struggled with binges to ,so NO your not alone,I know i do it when i'm bored,when i think its O.K. because i had a bad day It seems like if i'm on a diet and i know what and when i'm going to eat i' ok.When i stop it's all over,I'm over 50 so youd think i grow out of it,anyway i did binge today so off to the gym today to work some of the damage off !

Warmbloodwear · February 2011

You have my respect cause you logged it, you were honest and your diary is public....You can't diet 365 days a year...Your human just keep the end result in sight

you will get there....Cheers:drinker:

sweebum · February 2011

From a glance at each day, I would say you are insulin resistant. Everyday you are very high on carbs. This will lead to cravings for more carbs/sugar and neither is filling at all.

Over Christmas I ate higher than normal carbs/sugar for 2 weeks. I was depressed, no energy, gaining rapidly and craving sugar like crazy. Could you try something like the south beach diet for 2 weeks to kick the cravings and then go on a more balanced diet?

You're craving the foods you are from the sugar high you're getting.:flowerforyou:

suzycreamcheese · February 2011

and just remember, that if none of us ever binged, or ate crap, then there would be no need for sites like this in the first place.
We're all here because we want to lose weight or have had to lose weight and want to maintain it. We're all trying hard to keep on track, and we ALL have tough days xx

2hdesign · February 2011

Thanks again everyone for your kind, honest support.

Logging the binge foods as accurate as I could was HARD - it hurt! But I did it on purpose and that's how I know things are different and that I am really seaking a healthier lifestyle. And besides, it makes me feel like crap. Funny how we do things over and over again and expect the same results (ahem).

@sweebum - I've wondered about the whole insulin resistance and how that works. I'm wiling to make a plan, but I just don't know where to start (what's off limits, etc)

blessedwith3boys · February 2011

You must forgive yourself and keep trying . We all have bad days. I'm havng so much party mix today! I just keep eating it......then my son didn't want the rest of his so he game me his. Carbohydrates are very hard for me to stay away from. Trust me, your not alone on this! Just keep on keeping on. You can do it!

callipygianchronicle · February 2011

First, I want to applaud you for confronting it head on. For logging everything and for taking action immediately and coming out to this wide audience and asking for support. We are all here to support you and I have your back 100%. I wouldn’t have even found this site if it wasn’t for your posting about it on Cathy’s blog. And this place has seriously changed my life. So thank you!

But let’s acknowledge that the binge probably didn’t happen in isolation. It was probably triggered a day or more before either by something you are then, or something you experienced. Finding out what that was is critical, but it’s important that when we get introspective, we do so without shaming or judging ourselves.

Bad eating and failing to exercise are all a part of this process, too. We look at it, we acknowledge it, but we don’t have to beat ourselves up over it. We are not bad people because we sometimes fail to eat healthy and weigh more than the charts say we should.

Know that you are good, even when you are imperfect.

Also know that we can’t undo what we’ve done. We can only make a different choice Today—for this meal, right now. I have made bad choices myself all week long, and I am having some long conversations with myself about why I’m self-punishing and celebrating with food. But learning to do that, without calling myself a failure—or worse—trying convince myself that this minor weight-loss is actually good enough, well that’s the much harder work.

But we are worth this hard work.

You deserve a healthier, smaller body. And you can give it to yourself.

Do NOT give up.

fearlessly · February 2011

I've started and ended dieting so many times due to binging, I can totally understand. My thing is I always binge late at night (like midnight-ish). I try to stop eating by 8:00 PM, but due to a handful of sleep disorders, I typically can't fall asleep until 3 AM-ish. What I do now is make sure that dinner is always my biggest meal. I do 200 calories for breakfast, around 300 for lunch (with a small, 100 calorie snack inbetween each meal) and then 500-600 for dinner. If, by 11, I'm either hungry or have some unquenchable urge to eat (that's what really gets me) and can't sleep, I pop a single-portion 100 calorie bag of popcorn, which is light and doesn't really make me feel energetic, but it takes a while to eat it and I feel full afterwards. Also, my house really doesn't have any snacks that are bad for you floating around - I'd have to eat like ten granola bars or yogurts or bags of pretzels to really binge significantly, which I don't think even I'm crazy enough to do. Hope that sort of helps?

4theking · February 2011

I totally understand. I have struggled with this all my life. I simply love to eat and can eat 7,000-8000 calories a day pretty easily. I used to be your typical yo yo dieter. Go on a diet, lose weight, cave in and have a whole pizza and donuts and then it was over, I gave up. I stumbled across the spike diet last year and it changed my life. Now, once a week I get to indulge myself in the forbidden foods and lots of them, and I still lose weight. Rather than fight against my cravings, I use them to my advantage and enjoy every minute of it.

I started losing weight five weeks ago getting ready for summer, and I am already down 9.5lbs. I can't recommend it enough. I love it!

gypsyrosedog · February 2011

I have the exact same problem and agree with all the advice and encouraging words already posted. I wish I knew how to combat the reasons I often eat this way. I find it really wacky and self destructive. I looked at your diary for a couple weeks back and I think sweebum has a key point. I am no expert but have lost a lot compared with how I used to be (over 50 lbs.) by following a diet based on the low G.I. foods (glycemic index). You may find some ideas looking that up. I can try and help too if you want to add me. I think a good idea would be to add sugar to the nutrients you have on your diary. This has helped me a lot...like I said I am no expert but my experience seems to match the advice that high GI foods like sugars and other simple carbs just result in more cravings. I am rarely on target for sugar because I love chocolate etc. but am trying my darndest to keep trying to find ways to stay low on sugar by making choices not based on calories alone. I also noticed your protein is low frequently.

Binge Help - 4000kcal isn't good. :(

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