Can you really get over binging?

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Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
in Motivation and Support
I know there are 1000 threads about this, but is it really something you can cure, and not just try to keep in check?

It's actually interesting because, before reading these forums, I always kinda assumed that everyone binged at one point or another, that it's pretty much a normal thing. Obviously everyone doesn't have the same notion of what a 'binge' is, but I've yet to meet anyone who hasn't said at one point that they should not have eaten so much... but they just kept eating because it was good. The only difference is that the thin people I know just typically skip a meal to make up for it, while the heavier ones don't.

So... do you think it's possible to stop? I've thought and thought about what triggers binges for me and frankly, I have nothing, except that the food is delicious and I want more.
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Replies

  • blktngldhrt
    blktngldhrt Posts: 1,053 Member
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    Yes. I think it's possible. It's all about self control. I have no urge to binge anymore.

    .. And this is coming from a hypoglycemic who used to binge when low to feel immediate relief from hypo symptoms.
  • DanniB423
    DanniB423 Posts: 776 Member
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    Please let me know when you find the magical cure!!! :|
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    blktngldhrt wrote: »
    Yes. I think it's possible. It's all about self control. I have no urge to binge anymore.

    .. And this is coming from a hypoglycemic who used to binge when low to feel immediate relief from hypo symptoms.

    Yes but forever? I mean, the first year I started losing weight, self control was not an issue at all, but as I got closer and closer to my goal, it's been more lacking.
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

    Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

    There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

    For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

    Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,712 Member
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    Raynne413 wrote: »
    The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

    Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

    There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

    For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

    Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

    Yes, I agree with this. Good, common sense post.

    Also, I don't know if I'd call it a "cure" but I think it's important to remember and associate that horrible, full, uncomfortable feeling you get after a binge and remind yourself of it BEFORE a binge. Eventually, you just get so tired of having that feeling that the food (in that quantity) isn't worth it anymore.

    Kind of simplistic, but it's kind of like, how many times to you have to burn your finger before you know you dislike the feeling of a burn? Somewhat of the same logic can be applied here.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    BZAH10 wrote: »
    Raynne413 wrote: »
    The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

    Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

    There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

    For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

    Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

    Yes, I agree with this. Good, common sense post.

    Also, I don't know if I'd call it a "cure" but I think it's important to remember and associate that horrible, full, uncomfortable feeling you get after a binge and remind yourself of it BEFORE a binge. Eventually, you just get so tired of having that feeling that the food (in that quantity) isn't worth it anymore.

    Kind of simplistic, but it's kind of like, how many times to you have to burn your finger before you know you dislike the feeling of a burn? Somewhat of the same logic can be applied here.

    That's what motivated me to start losing weight in the first place, I made myself sick of food, lol. I don't binge to the point of being sick anymore though (only done it once really since I started). I just don't feel 'satisfied' until I've eaten too much food.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,712 Member
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    Good for you, then! Sounds like you are on the right track.

    Something else I discovered was that often we eat by habit. For example I'd always have 2 burritos from Taco Bell or 2 pieces of toast or whatever. I started having just one, waiting 15 - 20 min. and then see how I felt. I always told myself I could eat the remaining portion if I was still truly hungry. Most of the time I wasn't. Sometimes I was. It's about being mindful, aware, and balanced. Easier said than done!
  • alyssareyans
    alyssareyans Posts: 88 Member
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    I just fell off the wagon today. For me it's still something I keep in check. I hope one day it's something I don't have to think about. Food has been my comfort for my entire life. Until ten months ago when I started a new approach to food. Today was the first time I can say I've truly binged. I ate not because I was hungry but because I was so stressed out. I feel sick and the main reason I posted about it was to hold myself accountable. I don't binge because I love food or because I want more. I binge to become numb to the emotional pain I feel. The main reason I posted about it was to hold myself publicly accountable because I eat in private so I don't have to feel ashamed. I've done really good for the last several months. I don't want to let this one slip up drag me too far down.
  • daydreams_of_pretty
    daydreams_of_pretty Posts: 506 Member
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    Raynne413 wrote: »
    The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

    Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

    There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

    For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

    Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL

    +1

    You have to approach it from a mental health standpoint. Binging is not just about self control or willpower.

    Yes, it's possible to overcome it.
  • AwkwardSprinkle
    AwkwardSprinkle Posts: 21 Member
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    Raynne413 wrote: »
    The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

    Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

    There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

    For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

    Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL


    Goodness this can't be true enough. Binge Eating can go as far as being an eating disorder. You really need to determine the WHY you are binging before you can learn how to stop doing it. It's probably not because you're hungry, that's for sure.
  • SylviazSpirit
    SylviazSpirit Posts: 694 Member
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    Yes, yes, 1000x times yes! I promise that it is because I am living proof. I am absolutely not where I want to be weight wise but I am soooo far from where I began. As a teen, I would eat until it hurt. I would literally make myself sick eating. And then as soon as I felt better, I would eat more and start the whole process over. It even got to a point where I would binge then throw up. Then binge again. It was really bad. But several years ago I made the conscious decision to STOP! I told myself that this felt horrible, this was not OK, this was not the way I wanted to be or feel. And I made an effort to stop. Now, I find that I stay within my calories pretty easily and don't overeat without much effort at all. It's just normal and natural now. I can even go to a buffet and stop when I'm full. Only binge eaters would realize what a huge step and goal that is! One of the biggest things for me is making sure I eat at least three meals throughout the day. When I don't eat a meal, I do tend to want to eat more at once. So, eating frequently combats that. But, yes it can be conquered, one day at a time.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    I think so. I used to binge a lot. Not sure what happened but now I don't have that urge anymore. The sick feeling I get afterward of being stuffed just isn't worth it because I know I'm going to regret it and I know I'm going to be really uncomfortable for a good 2 to 3 hours.
  • SylviazSpirit
    SylviazSpirit Posts: 694 Member
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    Also, I think a lot of times it can be emotional, linked to emotions. As bad as this sounds, I think my living situation with my mom and the stress around that could have also been why I binged like I did. I can't even come up with a "why" But, can really see that as a trigger for me. I think now I have support and love that I don't turn to food for it. At least that was just my experience.
  • ShannonS921
    ShannonS921 Posts: 194
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    If you want to know if it is possible to stop binging and never do it again, I honestly don't know the answer. I do know that I was bulimic for 10 years and never ate unless it was binge eating. That all stopped when I got pregnant in 2003. However, I have still binged since then...it's just not a common thing. I don't know if there will ever come a time that I never binge again, because I'm an emotional eater and it happens. I really do think that self-control and willpower go a LONG way here.
  • a_stronger_me13
    a_stronger_me13 Posts: 812 Member
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    For me it's become less frequent and I am triggered by much fewer things than I have been in the past. And you're right, I think after a certain point it just becomes a habit and you can just eat for the sake of eating and because food tastes good. Most people seem to just do it less and less frequently until it becomes almost non-existent. Others are able to quit cold turkey. Personally, finding an eating schedule that works well with my daily schedule and natural hunger cues has helped quite a bit as well as making sure I don't have too drastic of a calorie deficit. I've also found myself feeling like I need to binge but substitute in other activities like walking or lifting or reading until the urge goes away.
  • EvelineUK
    EvelineUK Posts: 97
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    I used to suffer from binge eating disorder, or emotional overeating. Therapy helped me sort out why I ate, what emotions I was trying to numb by stuffing my face.

    Try keeping a diary of what you eat, what you think and do before you eat, how you feel after. Maybe you can figure out a pattern. It might be as simple as boredom. Once you've found your triggers, you can deal with them.

    Best of luck!
  • ShammaarB
    ShammaarB Posts: 14 Member
    edited October 2014
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    a
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
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    i hope so. but, i'm inclined to say no.
  • ShammaarB
    ShammaarB Posts: 14 Member
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    AwkwardSprinkle wrote: »
    Raynne413 wrote: »
    The thing that people don't understand that there is a difference between overeating and binging. I overate on vacation when I had a large breakfast, noodles and a candy bar for lunch, candy bar for a snack, hamburger, fries and dessert for dinner, and a snack later that night even though I wasn't hungry.

    Binging was when I ate an entire small pizza, 4 large cookies, and 1/2 dozen donuts. I wasn't hungry but I couldn't stop.

    There is a MAJOR difference between the two, and self control has NOTHING to do with a real binge.

    For me, binging is a physiological problem. I have the urge if I short on sleep, have been working out too much or not eating enough, or I haven't been eating enough fat. As long as I keep those in check I have no issues anymore with binging.

    Overeating, on the other hand is a totally different story! LOL


    Yes, there is a difference between the two, but you are wrong about self control. Believe me I used to binge, not over eat, BINGE, and you can train your body and mind to stop. A lot of the training is subconsciously hapening as you lose weight. If you start to enjoy the fruitage of your hard work, you will start to be happier too. The more content you are, not just with food, but with life, it can surpress those feelings of "I need to eat more even though I'm full". I'm not sure if you can ever get rid of the thought of eating more. But you certainly can move them to the back of your mind to the point where you focus on the benefits of NOT binging. I haven't reached my goals yet, but I can stil say that from experience.
  • rrowdiness
    rrowdiness Posts: 119 Member
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    I tend to find that I feel really, really ill after a genuine binge - even having overly fatty or salty foods in a single meal can make me physically sick.

    While not preventing the craving for food, knowing it'll not end well certainly helps in tapering the binge back to a few hundred calories of excess.

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