Having trouble with binges.

I try to distract myself by cleaning out the junk drawer or going for a walk....it usually passes.

i have trouble at night as well. I force myself to go to bed. I'd rather be in the pantry but I literally MAKE myself go to bed and stay there. works for me..

I'm right there with you. Last week was my Spring Break. I went home from college and pretty much binged non-stop every day. It really depresses me, makes me feel sick and irritable.
I'm just trying to maintain weight. I don't care what the scale shows, as long as I feel good and look good. It's easier for me to avoid binges when I'm in college because I'll keep trigger foods out of the dorm. I pretty much just keep soymilk and fruit on-hand.
The trouble is mindset... being able to sit down and say "I'm going to do this and won't even think about eating until it's dinner time." and then once you start eating, to be able to say, "I ate a good, solid amount of food. I'm satisfied and my body doesn't need any more."
So much easier said than done, though.
Good luck!

You need to really find out what is triggering them...and then attack it straight on.

You may really need a GOAL to push yourself- I saw on your profile that you want to do a 5k- well Spring is the time. Go to Active.com and sign up...and use THAT as your incentive to really get this done, and stay on track!


PS... I do find that air popped popcorn is a GREAT snack when i want to binge...and you can easily wean off the butter and the salt and go it plain.

Add me if you want- I will help push you if you are serious!

I have a really unflattering picture on my fridge. It's kept me from ordering a pizza, or going out for one, or eating whatever I can find, many times already. It's amazing what a picture at my largest does to my appetite!

Hi Suzanne! I have trouble with these as well. In my experience, binges come from one of two things: not having eaten enough and thus feeling true hunger to "make up" for a minimum of calories, OR something emotional that I am trying to numb out with food. I try to avoid the first type of binge by keeping my calorie range in a decent area - 13-1400 calories seems to work for me. But I eat a little more if I need it, exactly for the reason that I don't want to wind up in a binge later.

For the second type of binge, which is sounds like yours is (boredom), I try to look at what's behind the eating. I highly recommend Geneen Roth (Women, Food and God), but a simple suggestion from her book is to try meditation. Sitting quietly, paying attention to your breath. Letting all thoughts and judgments go. Trying to sense what is going on in your body. When we numb our bodies with food for many years, it's hard to hear subtle cues. But they are there if we can take the time to listen.

I don't think binges can be "controlled", but I do think they can be released and that we can be free of them. Lots of love - Sophia

This used to be a huge problem for me before I joined MFP. I would eat nonstop all night until I would fall asleep in front of the TV. What worked for me is going to bed, brushing my teeth, drinking tea, keeping my hands busy (hello knitting), standing and marching in place while watching TV, going outside, being on the phone (cant talk and eat at same time), etc. Set aside 1 snack per night that is delicious but also good for you (I love fiber 1 chocolate and peanut butter bars) and get ice water and dont let yourself go near the kitchen after that.

Good Luck - this habit is breakable.

I control my binging by buying a lot of fruits! Binging usually comes with a sweet tooth, so fruits do the trick for me!

Hi Suzanne! I have trouble with these as well. In my experience, binges come from one of two things: not having eaten enough and thus feeling true hunger to "make up" for a minimum of calories, OR something emotional that I am trying to numb out with food. I try to avoid the first type of binge by keeping my calorie range in a decent area - 13-1400 calories seems to work for me. But I eat a little more if I need it, exactly for the reason that I don't want to wind up in a binge later.

For the second type of binge, which is sounds like yours is (boredom), I try to look at what's behind the eating. I highly recommend Geneen Roth (Women, Food and God), but a simple suggestion from her book is to try meditation. Sitting quietly, paying attention to your breath. Letting all thoughts and judgments go. Trying to sense what is going on in your body. When we numb our bodies with food for many years, it's hard to hear subtle cues. But they are there if we can take the time to listen.

I don't think binges can be "controlled", but I do think they can be released and that we can be free of them. Lots of love - Sophia

I like this post. I used to binge (sometimes it still happens by accident) all the time due to the first reason. Well actually my theory is that my stomach doesn't tell my brain when it's full so I eat a ridiculous amount of food when I'm really hungry. I was never one to eat due to boredom but when I sat down for a meal I could eat very large quantities. What helps for me is to eat small snacks between my meals along with drinking a lot of water. I eat breakfast around 8:30, have a snack around 11, lunch around 12:30, snack at 3, dinner at 6, workout at 8:30, and then another small snack at 10. Over the day I usually drink between 10-12 cups of water too.

If I skip one of those snacks or I eat a meal later than planned, I tend to overeat. One way I try to control that is to eat very slowly and to eat a small amount and wait to see if my stomach feels full after 10 minutes or so. I find that sometimes I finish a small portion and still feel really hungry but if I stop eating I will feel completely satisfied within about 10 minutes. It's all a mind game with your own body and you have to constantly battle it to win. I'm hoping that as I lose weight my stomach will shrink to the point that I will actually feel full from a small meal.

My last tip is I used to eat "comfort food" whenever I was stressed out which usually meant a 3,000 calorie dinner at Outback or something. I found that my determination to lose weight, small portions throughout the day, and regular exercise make me less likely to turn to food when stressed..

At the beginning of the year when I got serious about losing weight, I quit buying anything unhealthy, that includes snack foods. , I'd go to the pantry or the fridge and there was literally nothing to binge on. I'd have to cook something if I wanted to eat and I'd realize that it wasn't worth it. I'd get some water and walk away and wait until dinner or snack time and have something healthy. The worst was when I craved chocolate, so I'd make myself a chocolate Shakeology. It was healthy and it satasified my sweet tooth.

I have 3 boys, and they started complaining that they didn't have anything to snack on after school because I quit buying junk food. I got them to eat string cheese, yogurt, or fruit to satisify them until dinner. It's either eat healthy or don't eat at all. It's become a family effort. I told them when they get old enough, move out, and they buy the groceries, they can buy junk food then. Hopefully I have installed good eating habits with them by then and they won't want it.

I'm not letting my kids, my husband, or anyone else tempt me by the foods they want. I'm the cook, so they'll eat what I fix. I try to make everyone happy but with better options. I don't want to be responsible for my chiild becoming obese just because I didn't want to tell them NO. I get them involved in picking out foods at the store that are healthy and that they'd like for a snack. You'd be amazed at what they choose if they get to make the choice.

So now I have no excuses or temptations to binge. The bad food is gone and I don't have those cravings anymore. Good luck.

I so sympathise with you on this!! I have the same problem and sometimes I feel like i have tackled it but then a weekend or evenig at home will roll around and I totally sabatoge what I have been doing. While I've definately not conquered it, I have developed some tips:

1. If its not in the house, I can't eat it.
2. Tea, sometimes plain, sometimes flavoured.
3. Its like smoking I figure so I keep my hands busy, I have taken up cross stitching!
4. Cleaning (but not the kitchen!)
5. Sparkling water - gives you that full feeling faster

Hope it helps, good luck with tackling those binges.