How do you stop mindless binges?

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  • lemonlionheart
    lemonlionheart Posts: 580 Member
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    Practice Mindfulness :)
  • hamoncan
    hamoncan Posts: 148 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Force down another roasted chicken breast or something good at least when you're craving calories.

    You probably should stop allowing yourself to call them mindless binges though. Your mind is 100% involved in whatever choices you make.

    If you've got a big bag of chips in your hand, pre-log the whole bag to see what it would look like in your MFP food diary. Don't like the number? Put it back. Or not. It's all on you.
  • SoulOfRusalka
    SoulOfRusalka Posts: 1,201 Member
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    If you think you're going to binge, make yourself drink a lot of water first. Then make a cup of tea. Drink the tea (you can make it sweet if you're craving sweets- works for me. Sugar cookie tea FTW). If you need to after that, drink a mug of broth. If I do that at that point I feel too sick to eat any more, which is sort of crude but at least my calories don't go over.
    Also, if you need to, get however much food is a normal portion and then leave the kitchen so that it's harder to get up and get more. Force yourself to wait-- even 10 minutes between helpings or whatever is useful for realizing that you need to stop.
    I've "binged"--as in, continually eating when I felt really full, nearly to the point of sickness, and still not had it add up to even 100 calories. So that's a useful skill while you're figuring it out.
    It's hard.
    Good luck!
  • txteachermom
    txteachermom Posts: 83 Member
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    1. by allowing myself to eat what I like, just watching the portions
    2. By drinking water before giving in to a craving, so that I know if I'm actually hungry or really thirsty.
    3. Chewing gum or keeping fruit/veggies close by so that if I have the urge to mindlessly munch, I do it on carrots rather than cookies.
    4. like an earlier poster said, I keep a sign on my fridge. It says, "what do you want more?" That helps to remind me to keep things in perspective. Do I really want to go over on my calories today, or do I want to wear smaller jean size at this time next year? Which is more important to me?

    Good luck!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I've been haunting the community discussions long enough to be getting repeats. This is a repeat. So I blogged about this very issue this morning.

    Here are some tips I've been given.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/halting-a-binge-session-715131
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
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    I always keep healthier, satisfying options on hand like almonds, cheese, etc. on hand. That way when I'm feeling snacky, I can reach for something that's going to satiate. If after a healthy snack I still feel like eating a treat, I will still have it, but just less.

    Like others have said, if you're denying yourself and keeping too large a deficit, you are more likely to binge.
  • Aprilfoolbride
    Aprilfoolbride Posts: 552 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Thank you for posting this, the thread is very interesting. I agree with a lot of the advice above.

    I also plan one meal a week (usually Friday night) where I can eat whatever I want. Notice that I don't call it a "cheat day" because it isn’t cheating, it’s in my plan. Also when I feel like I'm cheating, I tend to go off the rails, which I don't want.

    I think for days before about what I might have (sushi, pizza, cheeseburger) or whatever. I have single-servings of sweets that trigger binges, so I buy one piece of cake or just two cookies. Then I have the meal and enjoy it. If I go over cals, I go over cals, but I just log it honestly and move on.

    I do my best not to have leftovers, and if there are I freeze them for school lunches.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Thursdays are my pizza day. 1/2 of 1/2 Quizno's Canadian Thin Crust with extra veggies.

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