Just need some motivation.

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Brooke4206
Brooke4206 Posts: 140 Member
in Getting Started
I used to be big into exercise. Lost twenty pounds, got the six pack and what not. I had to quit exercising due to medical issues and it has been for months. Now I'm almost twenty pounds back up.. I let my healthy habits go, I binge it, I let food control me. I'm restarting today.. Still can't exercise until March but I can choose to eat healthy.

Does anyone have any suggestions with binge eating? It's an everyday struggle. I already did this morning.. But despite that I am going to start today and make healthier decisions the rest of the day.

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  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    buy food that wont wreck you if you binge on it!
  • NotGuiltylawyer
    NotGuiltylawyer Posts: 39 Member
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    i have this problem as well. Drink lots and lots of water. When i get stressed out and feel the need to eat, i take a hot bubble bath. If i MUST eat something, i cave but try to portion control. You are welcome to add me.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
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    If it ain't in the house, I can't eat it.

    When my spouse does not bring home chips I am much more successful. I have to be more emphatic. Very tactfully.
  • eeelizabeth2012
    eeelizabeth2012 Posts: 132 Member
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    I am an emotional eater and wind up binging, especially if I have access to it. I feel like I cannot stop once I start. I try to eliminate foods that keep me craving like sugar, salt, and greasy stuff. In the evenings if I am craving something I have a piece of fruit or a tortilla cut up and baked with olive oil and seasoning. I try and drink a lot of water and slow down when I eat. Also, I try to not let myself get hungry. When I am hungry I am vulnerable and have less will power. So, I snack healthily throughout the day. Counselling could be helpful too since sometimes binging can be a coping strategy or a way to self-soothe for something else going on.
  • GoPerfectHealth
    GoPerfectHealth Posts: 254 Member
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    Put whatever you can between yourself and the binge.
    1. Buy single serving sizes of foods you binge on, or don't keep those foods around at all.
    2. Reward yourself for not binging. Create a reward plan starting with minutes, then hours then days as you work to lengthen the time between binges.
    3. Identify your triggers and change your environment. For example, if you drive by a doughnut shop and always stop there, try taking a different route home. If you are prone to driving to the convenience store to load up on sweets and chips, identify an alternative activity during the time that you would find yourself driving to fulfill your urge. Then when the urge strikes, tell yourself to engage in the alternative activity.
    4. Use cognitive behavior techniques which help you change your thinking.
    5. Plan your food carefully. Eat a regular intervals so you don't get hungry.
    6. Some therapists specialize in treating binge eating which some people find helpful
    7. I know some people who lock up the food in their house that they don't want to binge on. Other family members have the combination.
    8. Take care of your physical and mental health. Since dopamine is involved with binge eating, actively combat depression.
    9. Use H.A.L.T. This stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. In that split second before you reach for food, ask yourself if you are hungry, angry, lonely or tired. If you are hungry, nourish your body with healthy food. But if you are angry, lonely or tired, address those needs.
    10. Reduce stress as much as possible.
    For some people, it is best to avoid binge foods altogether. But some experts say that can lead to feelings of deprivation and binging even more. There is a very interesting book called The End of Overeating written by a doctor who talks about the food industry and his own personal struggle with binge foods. He talks about how we only have a split second to choose not to binge, and how we can make that split second count.

    There are a lot of us who find it pretty darn hard to eat one cookie. And no wonder, a few studies have shown that sugar is as addictive as heroin. I haven't made a vow to give up all sweets, but I know that if I eat a cookie, I'll want five or six, or maybe two dozen. So, if my son or daughter makes chocolate chip cookies and I have one, all bets are off if I don't somehow control myself. Sometimes I can have the cookies sitting around and they don't bother me, but other times -- wow -- they become an obsession!

    I am just ten days in to MFP. I've logged every day, and have not binged once. I attribute that to being intentional about staying in my calorie range, logging on every single day and interacting with people with the same goals, following the good example of my friends, and avoiding binge foods almost altogether.

    All of this is easier said than done. It takes commitment to break habits and you'll find a lot of support on MFP.

    Hope this helps!


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