Binge Eating

Habit begets habit, hunger begets hungers. There really is no way I've found to side step, some will suggest drinking water and by all means if you think you are dehydrated do so. Careful though if you are like me, water could give you hunger pains.

I've noticed hunger seems to stem from 2 reasons for me (all this is anecdotal and what works for _me_, it may or may not apply to you):
- 1) Boredom, I eat so many calories out of sheer boredom on the weekends but when I keep myself busy during the week I don't eat enough
- 2) Not eating within the last 4 hours, so I don't really have an answer as to the why here, but I've noticed that 3-4 hours after my last meal I start getting hungry. Carrots work really well for a cheap and easy snack (or an orange) that is filling and mostly low cal (ok the carrots more so than the orange but oranges are tastier and a little sugar before bed is nice).

That is what I did in the beginning though, I was eating an average of 4000calories a day, I cut it to 3000 than to 2000, now the idea of eating 2000 calories is hard for me to comprehend. The lesson I kept learning throughout was "hunger begets hunger" (and to spread out my meals). The more you eat, the more you will want to eat.

I'm at 1800 calories a day and I always leave myself 200 or 300 calories for a night time snack. That's really helped me from night time binge eating.

I always plan a goody for nighttime! I know that "want" for food is going to happen...so I don't fight it anymore. I just work it into my calorie goals.

Alternatively, you may not be eating enough during the first half of your day and your hunger is just building to the point where you "panic" and overeat. So make sure you're not overly restricting during the first half of your day. It can be a balancing act and you'll need to find your sweet spot, but you can do this.

It's really all in your head. I'm a big night time binger. Sometimes I like to cut up lots of veggies to munch on. That way I get to keep eating for minimal calories. Eventually I just get to a place mentally where I can say no to the excess snacking. You get used to being a little hungry.

If I'm starving I eat a few extra hundred calories than get back to normal the next day. If you're consistently hungry maybe your goal is too low. But I'm gonna guess it's just habit. Eat a snack after dinner than go to bed if that's what it takes.

I prelog my late night snacking (chocolate, salty chips, hummus, veggies) in the morning. I can usually tell by how my day is going to be if I'm going to snack or not. If I wait up until 12am for my SO to get home, I'm more likely to snack, since dinner is at 7pm. So I log a few snacks (Thin Mints, ten chips with a tablespoon of hummus, a rice cake, some carrots) and all is well. Most of the time, I end up deleting the snacks off of my diary because I don't eat them.

JudeElite wrote: »

I have struggled with binge eating most of my life and only recently have I gotten a handle on it. Here is what has helped me:


Lastly, if you can secure a prescription for adderall or any similar amphetamine from your doctor, you'd be doing yourself a great service.

I strongly but respectfully disagree with this advice. These are powerful drugs that have side effects and can be addictive. Other MFP folks have responded with a range of suggestions involving changing behaviors which is what is needed for long-term success. What works for one person, does not necessarily work for someone else, so some trial and error is necessary to figure out what will work best for you. For me, like for some of the other people who have posted, saving calories for nighttime snacks, pre-logging, and keeping trigger foods out of the house is helpful. Assessing whether, I'm actually thirsty, tired, or stressed vs. truly hungers helps too. You'll know whether or not you're truly experiencing hunger if a healthy snack satisfies you.

I cannot believe someone has seriously recommended amphetamine as a help for binge eating. Yep get so off your face that you no longer want to eat ha ha.

No. Just no.

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I log my entire day ahead of time so I know exactly what to eat, when to eat it, and when to stop eating. The best thing to do is choose foods that leave you feeling full. Plenty of protein! For me, I have days where I'm fine and then random days here and there where I go through what I can a hunger spell. That's when I could just eat everything in sight and still be hungry. But it's actually good to go over your calories every once in awhile to mix it up so you may not have to worry so much about it as long as it's not every single day. After dinner I completely shut down my kitchen for the night and brush my teeth. I never want to eat anything after brushing my teeth! Hopefully this helps!