binge eating/food addiction
Christine_1027
Posts: 99
my biggest obstacle with weight loss is my addiction to certain foods (especially junk foods that are loaded with salt, sugar, and fat). I also find that once I start eating these foods, it is very difficult to stop, even when I am full. food is on my mind 24/7, and I binge almost everyday, and i've tried everything I can to stop--finding distractions, listening to music, talking to friends, drinking water, getting professional help, but nothing works. it is greatly interfering with my busy daily life and getting in the way of many things, such as making me fall behind in university and failing my courses because I would be hanging out in food courts or food stores instead of studying or working on assignments. However, I am someone who cares about my health and I am determined to put an end to this FOR GOOD. I refuse to give up and let this go on. This problem does not count as emotional eating, because I still struggle with this on days when I am in a good mood or relaxed--in fact, I tend to eat less when I am dealing with negative emotions. I know I am not alone, and if there is anyone reading this who has also struggled with the same problem and was able to overcome it, can you please take a minute to share with me how you were able to stop binge eating/food addiction? any advice is greatly appreciated 
thanks guys, I wish you all good luck with reaching your goal weights!
thanks guys, I wish you all good luck with reaching your goal weights!
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Replies
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Welcome, you might find the Binge Eating Support group helpful: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/726-binge-eating-support-group0
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Many will tell you that what you need most of all is a change of lifestyle and mindset, and not think of it as a weight loss program or a diet. I don´t know sh** so will wait for the knowledgeable people in here to answer.
But wanted to say hi and tell you that being here is a very positive first step!0 -
Hello.
I think that binge eating is like every other habit. If you want to get rid of it, find another one which will keep you occupied. I stopped nail biting by playing video games.
But, seriously, I have faith that you can stop that. My answer was reading. Yes, I could read almost eight hours in the past. And, still i'm reading every day (not as much, because of the work). Also, you can try with some hobby, like gardening or something similar.
Just be persistent and don't worry if you don't see results right away.
Wish you luck!0 -
I am experimenting with delayed gratification. I say to myself if I get through the day under calories I can treat myself before I go to bed. I think if I have a small treat just before bed that will prevent me having more and more. If I have something 'naughty' (I know bad term) in the day time that's usually a trigger. But I haven't had the treat yet!0
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If you really want help with the bingeing problem, get this book: OVERCOMING OVEREATING by Hirschmann and Munter. These psychologists explain the problem and they have a radical solution that involves surrounding yourself with LOTS of every food that triggers your binges, then working through a specific technique. This ended bingeing for me all at once, without effort. I promise you will not go wrong following their advice. Oh, and by the way, ALL bingeing is emotional eating, regardless of what you think your present "mood" is .... but it is not your fault. It's a chain you can break. The book will explain. Best of luck to you and keep going.0
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I struggle with occasional nightly binges too. It's nothing huge - just a few hundred calories - but I know that they add up in weekly/montly totals.
If you find yourself under your allotted calorie goal, there is absolutely nothing wrong with treating yourself. It's all about self control. If you want your treats - take out an amount equal to the serving size and then put the rest away. DO NOT GO BACK FOR SECONDS! Take your small serving and walk away from the kitchen, and enjoy.
Your habit will not be broken overnight. Keep at it, be persistent and you will get there!0 -
I'm not sure if I ever qualified as 'addicted' but I definitely ate way, way, way too much, getting me 20kgs overweight in a years time.
To give you an idea:
- in the supermarket, I couldn't leave without visiting the snacks/chocolate/junkfood isle.
- i considered eating a fun activity and was bored when i couldn't eat. Like, watching a movie without chocolate or a bag of crisps was not an option. When I was studying for exams, I stocked up on snacks etc as a treat to get through the day.
- if there was a bag of crisps, or a pack of cookies, I'd eat them ALL. Not just one or two, or a cup. Nope, all of it.
- i could easily eat both crisps, chocolate, candies on one evening.
Then... I started logging on MFP. And my, it was confrontational. 1000 calories in one bag of crisps! And I only needed 1800 calories in a day. What the..
All the time I had been overeating, I knew deep down inside it was wrong but I never knew it was that bad! So logging, and weighing helped.
Also, making it a challenge to find healthier alternatives in the supermarket. Try them out, or combine it with something healthier. Even better: don't buy it! Tell yourself not to buy it. So much easier when it's not waiting for you in your cupboard.
About the combination, just a few ideas (to slightly get you off the overeating of unhealthy things):
- If you want, say, nachos: buy the nachos and buy (for example) 500 grams of cherry tomatoes. Tell yourself you'll start with the tomatoes, and if you're still craving, you can add a crisps. Or just cut down the portion size of the nachos, put them in a bowl with the cherry tomatoes (looks attractive too) and you'll still be binging but it will be 50% healthier.
And I PROMISE you will feel so much better.
So, binging is fine I think, just find healthy alternatives. Nuts, fruits, vegetables. It really is delicious. And once you get off that sugar/fat high (which is difficult in the beginning), you won't be graving it as much. And you will feel the difference in energy levels, digestion, bloating etc.
Sorry for the ramble :P Very passionate about this. Something else:
When you want to eat, ask yourself why. Hungry? First drink a good glass of water, wait 20 minutes. Still hungry? Choose the healthy alternative. Still craving? Finish off with a small treat, like a cup of crisps or whatever.
Hope it helps somewhat. You can change your lifestyle, trust me. You really can. You don't need all this food. You need healthy bits of food, and some treats every now and again. Feel free to add me if you want 0 -
Christine_1027 wrote: »my biggest obstacle with weight loss is my addiction to certain foods (especially junk foods that are loaded with salt, sugar, and fat). I also find that once I start eating these foods, it is very difficult to stop, even when I am full. food is on my mind 24/7, and I binge almost everyday, and i've tried everything I can to stop--finding distractions, listening to music, talking to friends, drinking water, getting professional help, but nothing works. it is greatly interfering with my busy daily life and getting in the way of many things, such as making me fall behind in university and failing my courses because I would be hanging out in food courts or food stores instead of studying or working on assignments. However, I am someone who cares about my health and I am determined to put an end to this FOR GOOD. I refuse to give up and let this go on. This problem does not count as emotional eating, because I still struggle with this on days when I am in a good mood or relaxed--in fact, I tend to eat less when I am dealing with negative emotions. I know I am not alone, and if there is anyone reading this who has also struggled with the same problem and was able to overcome it, can you please take a minute to share with me how you were able to stop binge eating/food addiction? any advice is greatly appreciated
thanks guys, I wish you all good luck with reaching your goal weights!
Way to go taking that first step. Here is what worked/works for me.... I have a personal trainer at the gym. I go to the gym 6 days per week. I find that the harder I work at the gym, the LESS good that these tempting foods taste.....with the exception of sugar! I LOVE SUGAR!!!!!!!!!! I struggle with this issue daily. Sometimes I give in. But seriously, when you have worked out to the point where your entire body feels like a wet noodle and you think you will have to call someone to drive you home from the gym because you are so freaking exhausted........ these foods are no longer quite so tasty. Then when you have not eaten them in a long while, they just simply do not taste nearly as good as you remember them tasting.
Carry on! You can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!0 -
Hey , I'm new here Just thought I'd let you know that I have been diagnosed with BED and I know EXACTLY what you are going through. It's like you don't want to eat all of the stuff you put in your mouth but there is no "full" switch. I just eat and eat and eat until I'm physically sick and then feel disgraced and disgusted afterwards...and I wonder why I have depression!
We can do this - this advice I was given was this:
Stick to a 1200-1500 calorie diet (if planning to lose weight) otherwise you need to stick with your maintenance calorie allowance.
With this, provide yourself with a certain number of calories to eat per meal so (for 1200) you'd have 200 breakfast, 300 lunch and 100 snack and 600 dinner. If you exercise too, then you want to eat back half of your calories in lean protein and fibre in the form of veggies.
Apparently sticking to the same foods for a while as your body gets used to regular, consistent eating is the best way forward!
And if I'm honest, I also LOVE chocolate. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner so by saying no to these things straightaway is not a good move. Give yourself a treat that fits in with your diet once or twice a week so that you don't crave it or find healthy alternatives like sweet potato fries instead of full fat french fries!
Anyway, good luck Here for support if you need! YOU CAN DO IT! 0 -
I call myself a volume eater.
Unless I eat at least one huge meal, I'm not satisfied and I end up eating too much throughout the day.
During the week, I eat a 400 calorie breakfast and a huge lunch with most of the remainder of my calories. If I want it, I'll have some fruit in the evening.
On weekends, I eat breakfast and my large meal at dinner.
This has worked for me in losing weight and now maintaining.
I eat lots of veggies, protein, healthy fats.
I eat treats when I want them but only after I've filled myself with nutrient dense foods.
I workout 1 hour per day-cardio and lifting 3x a week.
Perhaps this type of eating will help you.
Whatever you decide, know that there will be stumbles along the way but if you just accept these stumbles and move on from there without giving up, you will reach your goals.
Also, I noticed that the better I nourished myself, the less desire I had for chips, deep-fried foods, cakes, candies, etc., but I still treat myself when I want to.
I also only drink water, tea, vodka and wine-not too much vodka and wine.0 -
thank you so much to everyone who commented! you're all awesome 0
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It may have started as emotional eating but this can become a habit. You have to make a drastic change to the type of food you eat. You have to ban the foods that cause yourpboelsm and you may find it helps to start off with a fast. It is probably a good idea to cut carbs right back. Try to eat below 150 carbs a day and make most of them vegetables and whole grain low GI type.
That said, i know that even when you know what to do, sometimes you need a trigger to set you off in the right direction. Only you can pick your moment.
I've been through this numerous times in the past. The last time i decided to change my eating patterns and lose weight was on January 3 and since then i've been pretty good and almost reached goal.
for more on what i do to follow this program, read the other thread in the introduction forum about binging. I just wrote a long post today.
Note that to get started i did have to be in a good frame of mind but i'd been in that positive frame for some months before the moment came when i was ready to change. If you really want to make the change, then your moment will come. When it comes you need to be determined and committed and you need to be ready to do whatever it takes.
Note you do not need to get into exercise in a big way to achieve your goals.0 -
There is no such thing as a food addiction. You are just telling yourself that you are because you have no willpower and do not want to carry out the necessary steps to lose weight.-6
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This may sound crazy, but I've found that Quest bars have really helped me scale back the binge eating. Each bar has like 18 grams of fiber so they can be very filling. I find that if I woof one down, I get that uncomfortable full feeling. I chase the bar with a big cup of water. It sounds bad to purposely cause that overfull feeling, but after that I don't want to eat any more. It helps me limit the calories to the 200 or so in the bar and avoid the 1000+ calorie binge of cookies and candy!0
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Msadams224 wrote: »This may sound crazy, but I've found that Quest bars have really helped me scale back the binge eating. Each bar has like 18 grams of fiber so they can be very filling. I find that if I woof one down, I get that uncomfortable full feeling. I chase the bar with a big cup of water. It sounds bad to purposely cause that overfull feeling, but after that I don't want to eat any more. It helps me limit the calories to the 200 or so in the bar and avoid the 1000+ calorie binge of cookies and candy!
thanks so much for the advice! i will give quest bars a try 0 -
Hello, I had the same problem and still struggle with it (especially in the winter months) but I have made some massive improvements and here is how. I read a book about eating real food and at first it scared me because I was used to restricting and then binging and then restricting to compensate so the thought of eating bacon and eggs for breakfast or roast chicken with lots of vegetables cooked in olive oil scared me. I then gave it a go and found food satisfaction. I stopped craving sugar because everything I ate was real (free range eggs, bacon from the butcher, chicken, fresh vegetables and fish), fresh and filling. I didn't weigh myself as my focus was overcoming binging and not weight loss. My skin cleared, I slept better, my hair and nails grew faster and I felt confident. I went from binging 3-4 days per week to having 6 weeks binge free and my clothes definitely started to fit better. During this time I did exercise but not heavily eg go for a 30 min swim after work or a walk in the evenings but I avoided doing big runs etc for the first 6-8 weeks.
I do still binge, and like you it is a spiral effect so when I start it isn't like one evening it will last days and I will completely food focused. However, when this starts I try to curb it by doing delicious food prep eg nice stir fries with loads of veggies, chicken and buckwheat noodles. I also get up early and force myself to the gym. It is a struggle but once I have been I don't want to stuff my face with junk.
My answer might not be right for you but it has allowed me to get my life on track, most of the time. I was a slave to my eating disorder for years and it saw me go from 9stone (126 pounds) to 161 pounds. Weight gain was just one effect, I also started to suffer from sleeping problems, constipation, depression and acne because of it. I am now at 152 pounds, have a healthy and happy relationship and the motivation to keep going when I do fall for a few days.
Good luck xxx0 -
So I dont have the full answer that you are looking for all I can give is my personal experience. I binge eat as well and cannot stop. I honestly belive that it is a form of drugs. I found that if I can just cut one food out and replace it with something healthy to eat like celery or even green beans that it helps dirasticly. I will still crave that food that I cut out for a few months but after that I'm fine. After I have replaced the one food successfully I then start on another. You may still eat all the time because I do but at least it's healthy food and not potato chips and the like. Also you won't have that being bloated and as big as a house feeling all day from being full and unable to stop eating. Hope this helps someone at least a little bit.0
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"I am someone who cares about my health "
No you're not.
If you actually cared, you wouldn't be doing it.
You just like to say/think you care. But you don't.
"This problem does not count as emotional eating ..."
I wouldn't be to sure about that if I were you.-3 -
Try meditation. It's been very helpful for me in other areas of my life and I think it would work here too.0
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There is no such thing as a food addiction. You are just telling yourself that you are because you have no willpower and do not want to carry out the necessary steps to lose weight.
In what way is this comment remotely helpful or constructive? There are people who genuinely have no idea how to come with an overwhelming urge to eat because of various reasons, whether it simply be they just love the taste of something too much or have use food as an emotional coping mechanism. Either way requires learning to cope in healthy ways.0 -
I've struggled with binging for years. This year I decided it was time for me and I joined a boot camp. I find the gym gives me a boost that I don't feel the need to eat. I also found that when I tell myself I can't have something immediately my head goes into overdrive and craves. Over Christmas I bought in loads of stuff for the family and told myself I could eat what I wanted. And I did just that. I found that I didn't binge or look to binge at all. I also didn't overeat and weight wise stayed the same. I'm taking it as a sign that things are finally changing for me and I'm trying to run with it. I hope you find your way x0
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I'm guilty of the same thing. I can say that when I understood what was causing me to over eat and why I thought about food all day it helped me get a grip on it. I have lost 15 pounds so far and have a long ways to go but I know I can beat this now. Watch this documentary (hungry for change) it's on netflix but I'm sure it's other places as well. It changes me , maybe it can help you too.0
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I feel your pain. With me it's not so much eating as it is cooking. I am a chef by trade (among other things), and when I get depressed, instead of drinking, I cook. If I cook, obviously I am going to eat. I haven't found a good cure for this, yet, other than try not to get depressed.0
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I have to comment on the person who said you can't get addicted to food. .... um hello they have proven that sugar sets off the same endorphins as cocaine. The brain is addicted to sugar like a Crack head it to crack. Do some research before you say something that makes no since at all. Stay away from things high in sugar fructose and corn. Just for starters . Watch hungry for change0
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LavenderLeaves wrote: »There is no such thing as a food addiction. You are just telling yourself that you are because you have no willpower and do not want to carry out the necessary steps to lose weight.
In what way is this comment remotely helpful or constructive? There are people who genuinely have no idea how to come with an overwhelming urge to eat because of various reasons, whether it simply be they just love the taste of something too much or have use food as an emotional coping mechanism. Either way requires learning to cope in healthy ways.
I Have to comment on the person who said you can't get addicted to food. .... um hello they have proven that sugar sets off the same endorphins as cocaine. The brain is addicted to sugar like a Crack head it to crack. Do some research before you say something that makes no since at all. Stay away from things high in sugar fructose and corn. Just for starters . Watch hungry for change.JD
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Once binge-eating begins to affect your entire life in a negative way, it certainly has moved into the realm of addiction or, at the very least, addictive behavior.
Honestly, professional help + some type of medication might be best. Not weight-loss medication, but perhaps an anti-depressant or something along those lines. Getting to the root of the problem would be a good first step.0 -
I have to say I agree with it not being an addiction. I haven't seen anyone who takes out second mortgages on their house to pay for their "sugar addiction", end up be coming homeless, having sex for sugar etc.0
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