Anyone have binging issues???

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BriBrat86
BriBrat86 Posts: 8 Member
in Motivation and Support
So I've been trying to lose weight for quite some time, but I have only been so successful. I do really good through the week and then the weekend hits and I BINGE like literally I eat everything unhealthy, horrible for me, and I know it will make me feel horrible, but I do it anyway. SIGH...I think it's more of a problem then I've come to terms with before this point because now I'm going on day 5 of eating crap and felling like it :( any recommendations on how to overcome? It's not as simple for me anymore just to have the willpower.
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Replies

  • ChronicOptimist
    ChronicOptimist Posts: 558 Member
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    I've struggled with Binge Eating Disorder for years and it's only been recently that I've finally been able to exercise some control over it. For me, I find thing BED behavior is far worse when I'm overly restrictive with my dieting, so it's important for me to get enough to eat and to let myself indulge in the foods I love within reason. I also have a great relationship with my primary care physician and a counselor who I see weekly who help me manage my binging, figure out the root causes, and develop strategies for overcoming urges to binge.

    Feel free to add my as a friend if you're looking for someone who's been there (and often is still there, haha)!
  • BriBrat86
    BriBrat86 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thank you so much!!!! I will add you now. It's something I have to learn to control but it seems impossible sometimes! I think I maybe I am being too restrictive with my diet....in my mind I always am more relaxed on the weekends but now it's getting crazy. Thanks for your comments, I appreciate it!
  • spickard34
    spickard34 Posts: 303 Member
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    I binge too and the one thing other then to keep busy I have done is zig zag cal count. I too do great all week then the weekend comes and BAM! So with zig zag you eat a different amount each day (workouts are worked in already) and you have a weekly avg. So doing it this way I have set up all high cal days to be Friday and Saturday so I can eat treats on the weekend if I want to. You can get a calculation at freedeiting.com. It has worked out very well for me. I still have the odd binge but not nearly as bad.
  • spickard34
    spickard34 Posts: 303 Member
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    Also it gets bad if I eat crappy food I need good wholesome foods to keep me full.
  • pickledeggy
    pickledeggy Posts: 31 Member
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    I cant help you as im in the same boat! When i moved out eating takeaways or absolute JUNK with my man was like a regular, nightly thing. like our fun time after other fun times or whatever . 2 years on and 6 stone heavier i still cant beat it. Im trying, im resisting it so bad right now.... Its like as soon as my daughters in bed. BANG. Hunger pangs. Im trying to drink loads of water but i dont think this is real hunger so its not going to help iykwim. Its so awful. The ridiculous thing is that when i was my thinnest i could literally turn down a slice of dominos waved in my face or a cake or a bag of sweets id be like Nope and not feel guilty for not eating it. Couldnt do it now. Nope. No way :(
  • CassieR6
    CassieR6 Posts: 280 Member
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    I can't help either since I do the same thing you are doing. But I can help motivate if needed. I try to do great during the week but always fall short on the weekends by a lot! I always try to start fresh on Monday's but I fail. :\
  • NicoleisQuantized
    NicoleisQuantized Posts: 344 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I have struggled with binging (and purging) on and off for years. I have been able to overcome it (six weeks ago) by planning all of my meals and ensuring that I always have a healthy snack on hand (like a protein bar). Also, as mentioned above, do not overly restrict your calories.

    The overwhelming cravings that flung me into a binge cycle had stopped once I had eliminated most* added sugar products from my diet; similarly, I greatly reduced the amount of food products with sugar substitutes (like diet sodas). My diet predominately consists of whole foods. With a more stable blood sugar level I have been able to make better decisions about the quality and amount of food I consume.

    One last piece of advise. Be kind to yourself. This transition takes a few weeks, and being angry with yourself will not help.

    *I will occasionally have dark chocolate or scotch/ wine.
  • joanna_82
    joanna_82 Posts: 151 Member
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    Do you know why you binge at weekends? I.e is it because you run out of healthy food in the house? Or is it because you go out? Or are you on your own and feeling down? If you can isolate why you binge then its easier to work out how to fix it.

    If you are eating super healthy during the week then you are more likely to want a 'treat' and then not be able to stop at just one. Restricting your diet of foods you like is going to make you want to binge.

    I deal with it my introducing foods that I like into my diet at regular intervals. But instead of having a whole packet of biscuits, I have one at work. Instead of eating a family size chocolate bar, I have a small chocolate bar. Etc. If you put the things you like in your diet in small amounts, and fit your calorie goals, you are less likely to binge on them.

    After weeks and months of eating crap, I started for a few weeks just trying to eat proper meals rather than bingeing. Then I was able to make changes to my diet and over 4 months later I am in a much better situation than I was. I feel in control of food now whereas I didn't before.
  • Tammy_1971
    Tammy_1971 Posts: 93 Member
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    So, assuming you work during the week and are busy... are you relaxing and getting bored on the weekends? Maybe boredom is fueling your binges.
  • floralfriday
    floralfriday Posts: 24 Member
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    I am in a similar situation and can't work out the best solution... To stay away from chocolate, biscuits and cakes altogether (my trigger foods) to try and curb my cravings or to have treats regularly so that I don't feel deprived.

    I feel that the former could work but don't think I have enough will power to get through the first week or so. And the latter I've been trying, but the more sugar I have, the more I want and that's when a binge happens.

    It's so frustrating isn't it :(
  • 005999Manon
    005999Manon Posts: 15 Member
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    Hi, I mentioned somewhere else already that I used to binge eat. It took me years to get it under control (and a lot of professional help) and still I'm walking a fine line.. The logging of food has helped me a lot too, just knowing what and how much I eat helps me maintain my binge-free life!

    I think it is a good idea to seek professional help and work out with a professional what kind of problem you are experiencing and what the best solution is for you. Binge eating is a real problem and you may be suffering an eating disorder. There is no easy solution for it and one of the main reasons it stays with you is the cycle of trying to control it and losing that fight over and over..

    Feel free to add me for support or motivation!
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    spickard34 wrote: »
    Also it gets bad if I eat crappy food I need good wholesome foods to keep me full.
    ^ I'm not what I'd call hungry...more stressed or simply a habit causes it.

  • kathdela
    kathdela Posts: 148 Member
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    I'm a binger, but I've discovered that I do well on weekdays because my meals are planned. I have my lunches ready (usually left overs) and I make a meal plan for dinners throughout the week.
    I've started making a meal plan for weekends, too now. And that seems to help.
    Also helps to take up something to do other than watching t.v. (not saying you do, this is a me issue)
    When I go out or go for a walk, or knit while watching tv, or read, I tend to not mindlessly "snack"
  • AlysonG2
    AlysonG2 Posts: 713 Member
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    I have issues with this too. What I've found that works the best for me is to plan a "cheat day" into my weekly calorie deficit. So for 6 days of the week, I'll eat 1600ish calories, then one day a week, I'll allow myself to go up to more like 3000 calories. That way I know I always have that day to look forward to. Really helps me keep it in check the rest of the week.
  • 005999Manon
    005999Manon Posts: 15 Member
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    oh btw, i think there's a huge difference between binge eating and just not sticking to a restricted/healthy diet. Sure you can have a day where you don't eat that healthy, or when you crave something sweet. Especially when you are on a diet or try to lose weight or in other ways restrict what you eat. I still have days with cookies, or ice cream, or both.. But for me bingeing is when I absolutely lose control and eat anything and everything that I can get my hands on.

    I get why we use the word binge to describe different situations and in no way do I want to disrespect the feelings or situations of others.. But for me the binge-eating was definitely the out-of-control, eating so much that I made myself literally sick-situations (and oooh the guilt and shame afterwards) and not the ooh I ate a whole chocolate-bar days..

    I don't know if this makes sense to you all. And I still have (and need) those cheat-days. just not the binges anymore.
  • cakebatter07
    cakebatter07 Posts: 814 Member
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    Yes, I definitely do. They've gotten much better though. I agree about having a non-restrictive diet. That has really helped me.
  • SpikeTailTurtle
    SpikeTailTurtle Posts: 60
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    I like to think I have my binging habits under control but that is in large part due to therapy. Knowing the reasons why I was doing it helped me stop doing it. Also now when I get the urge to binge on something unhealthy (or healthy for that matter) I have a snack pack of something and then if I still feel the urge I go on a walk. I remove myself from the food for at least 30 min (preferably) an hour. Typically by the time I get back I've managed to get myself out of that mind frame. And even if I haven't I've still gotten an extra 30-60 minutes of walking in.
  • phoebejeeby
    phoebejeeby Posts: 62 Member
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    Had the same problem. Would do great all week and then binge on weekends. Read this book "How to Have Your Cake and Your Skinny Jeans Too" by Josie Spinardi Its on amazon for $9.99 in e-reader format. It's basically a breakdown of dieting psychology and how dieting leads to food obsession and binging. Teaches you techniques to get back in touch with real hunger rather than responding to physiological cravings brought on by food obsession caused by dieting. I think all dieters should read this. Helped me realize why I was binging and has made a huge difference in how i use food.
  • adamitri
    adamitri Posts: 614 Member
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    I finally went to a therapist for my bingeing and purging and she has helped me immensely. There was no way to move beyond it until I figured out the why. And yes I really want to still do it. But I have found some control. I have found that being active helps a lot. Distraction from the binge helps too. When I start going to the fridge several times in a short amount of time it's time to do something else.
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    I started out losing weight by only counting calories when I was 300 lbs, and I was eating 1500 calories a day. Then I moved to only counting calories and eating 1200 calories a day. Then I plateaued and added exercise. Eventually I moved to eating around 1000 calories and working out for around 3 hours a day when I could manage it. I thought, well, if a little exercise is good, more must be better. And if 1200 calories was good, less must be better. On top of that, I was eating very little fat. I was good for about a year, and ended up losing down to around 110. Then, out of nowhere, uncontrollable binges would start. I would go crazy with anything that contained carbs and fat. And then after my binges, I would go crazy again with over restricting and over exercising to "make up" for those binges. I got desperate because I was gaining weight back, and I just couldn't get out of the cycle, so I decided to get help (with the strong urging of several friends).

    I ended up seeing a nutritionist that specialized in eating disorders. She taught me several things that were a BIG help. The first thing was that I was sleep deprived because I was getting up at 4 am to work out, but going to bed around midnight (I had just started dating my boyfriend). Being sleep deprived can make you crave carbs. The second was that my body was going crazy craving carbs and fat because I was expending energy like crazy, but never replenishing. I needed to start eating more, and working out less.

    It's still hard to find a balance, but as long as I listened to her AND listen to my body, I have very little issues now. The below is what I try to keep in mind, and what I suggest for anyone else having problems:

    1) Make sure you get enough sleep
    2) Make sure you are eating enough (especially enough fat)
    3) Don't over exercise, and make sure you eat enough for you level of activity
    4) DON'T try to "make up" for binges.

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