Binge eating....

theworldofjel13 · February 2015

I feel so pathetic right now, I totally just went on a binge. I hate when that happens because i feel like that puts me two steps behind!

_John_ · February 2015

_runnerbean_ · February 2015

Well you have noted it - draw a line under it and move on. It happens to me sometimes too. What helps me stay on track is to have a little treat planned into my day so I don't feel deprived- eg a low fat hot chocolate and small chocolate bar/biscuit.

Raynne413 · February 2015

Unfortunately I have a lot of experience with binging, and people that haven't ever had the issue don't understand how HARD it is to stop or redirect when the urge starts. It's not just a matter of self control.

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.

arlenewla · February 2015

I relate. I have a problem sleeping and that's when, if I'm going binge, I do it. It's disgusting and it has to be sweet, chocolate preferably.

jennifer_417 · February 2015

It happens. Log it honestly, learn what you can, FORGIVE YOURSELF, and carry on with your regularly scheduled calorie deficit.

Hanging on to negative feelings about will just make things more difficult. Believe me, I speak from experience.

jenna80302 · February 2015

I agree with @jennifer_417 .. Drink some water and go for a walk or a bike ride (or something else that you enjoy). Tomorrow is a new day!

morgo20 · February 2015

Raynne413 wrote: »

Unfortunately I have a lot of experience with binging, and people that haven't ever had the issue don't understand how HARD it is to stop or redirect when the urge starts. It's not just a matter of self control.

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.

awesome.. so true.. I used to try starve myself the next day if i binged, but it just creates a huge vicious cycle.. best thing to do is own it, and eat healthy, good amount of cals and work out next day.. you may feel bloated for a day or two.. and then you wil return to normal.. i still have binges once in a while.. it extremely hard to stop.

MaggieLoo79 · February 2015

I just ordered this book, "Food Triggers: End your Cravings. Eat Well and Live Better," after seeing someone mention it in a comment of a thread. I'm only a few chapters in, but I hope it will help. Binging sucks! I'm learning that moderation just doesn't work for me. Sad but true (for me).

theworldofjel13 · February 2015

Thanks ladies for the support and encouraging words. I'm drinking lots of water to hopefully flush it out. I hate that I beat myself up for it, but i just wish it was something I could control. Unfortunately its something i struggle with daily.

new2canada · February 2015

I used to be a chronic binger for most of my life but I feel I have gotten so much better. If I'm going to 'binge' it will most likely be on veg or fruit. I look at my bf who always eats in moderation too which has on a way shamed me into doing the same, I didn't want him to think of me as a pig who couldn't control myself. After eating in moderation now for many months, I just feel so much better about myself! Sure I get times where I could eat an entire cake but I then realize where all those calories can go on my body and that's when I stop myself.
It's a habit you can learn to break overtime, you just need to stick with it.

Francl27 · February 2015

I still binge (I had a 1000 calories cookie binge last week)... but I've still managed to lose 80 pounds. What matters is your weekly average... so if you go over one day, it's not the end of the world.

theworldofjel13 · February 2015

I know I can eventually learn to control it. I also binged on cookies, I have a major sweet tooth, which at times I hate. On top of binge eating, I'm also an emotional eater. I just love food period, I have a love/hate relationship with it.

jenna80302 · February 2015

@theworldofjel13‌ have you ever thought about cutting out refined sugar from your diet completely? Maybe by making a drastic change it will help to control cravings! Just a thought.

mandykent111 · February 2015

It happens to all of us. The important thing now is to go back to eating healthy. Don't think that since you binged right now you can continue to do so the rest of the day. Just keep going and think about your goals! You can get through it. One bad binge will not break you.

JPW1990 · February 2015

theworldofjel13 wrote: »

Thanks ladies for the support and encouraging words. I'm drinking lots of water to hopefully flush it out. I hate that I beat myself up for it, but i just wish it was something I could control. Unfortunately its something i struggle with daily.

Have you considered counseling? Years ago, I would go straight out autopilot. I'd get up from watching tv or reading, 10 minutes later an entire new bag of chips, or half a leftover whole ham would be gone, and I wouldn't even be conscious of eating them. It wasn't sleepwalking, and I don't think Ambien had even been invented yet.

It helped, both in working through why I'd do it, and in coming up with ways to stop it.

theworldofjel13 · February 2015

I haven't about cutting out refined sugar, how would i even go about that? And yes I have thought about counseling. I think the reason I havent gone is because I'm embarrassed. I'm already overweight and I dont want them to think Its just an excuse.

JPW1990 · February 2015

theworldofjel13 wrote: »

I haven't about cutting out refined sugar, how would i even go about that? And yes I have thought about counseling. I think the reason I havent gone is because I'm embarrassed. I'm already overweight and I dont want them to think Its just an excuse.

They're not paid to do that, they're paid to help you fix it. Remember that, ultimately, they're your employee, not your judge.

melimomTARDIS · February 2015

Francl27 wrote: »

I still binge (I had a 1000 calories cookie binge last week)... but I've still managed to lose 80 pounds. What matters is your weekly average... so if you go over one day, it's not the end of the world.

samesies.

DeWoSa · February 2015

I joined Overeaters Anonymous 10 years ago, stopped eating my trigger foods, got a sponsor, followed a food plan, and worked the steps. It was free mental health counseling for me.

Other people have gone to OA and have found it wasn't for them.

Either way, getting some mental health counseling is really important.

Here's a list of things I used to do:

binge
toss food in the garbage then fish it out and eat it
steal co-worker's food
lie about how much I was eating both to myself and others
feel shame when eating in front of other people
steal money to buy treats from the vending machine
eat entire meals out of the vending machine
eat and cry about eating at the same time
hate food
look in the mirror and call myself horrible names
hate myself

Once I got help, I stopped doing all of those things.

Today, I've added my trigger foods back into my diet because I have so much better mental health and self-esteem.

Best of luck to you.

sengalissa · February 2015

Raynne413 wrote: »

Unfortunately I have a lot of experience with binging, and people that haven't ever had the issue don't understand how HARD it is to stop or redirect when the urge starts. It's not just a matter of self control.

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.

Thank you. That helped me.

My trigger for binges is when one of my children is sick. You're up all kind, then stuck inside (no exercise, and very lonely) entertaining cranky kids. I resort to eating in those moments. Maybe it will help me to BE AWARE that it is the lack of sleep that makes me crave sugar.

Also, I binged today. Was thinking about exercising on my rest day tomorrow. You convinced me not to. Got it.

Binge eating....

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