How do YOU define a binge?

I've been there. I find that because we went down to one vehicle instead of two and less driving= less times to get fast food. I now know...absolutely know I don't have a choice to prep and pack TONS of food if I go out or else I will do the fast food route often. The only thing that is helping is that I have severe stomach issues now, and IBS and I was so sick after eating that I had to go on a low fodmap diet which forced me to not eat things that have wheat, lactose, etc in it and trying to prevent horrible stomach pain by eating things that won't make me feel like crap. I'm lucky for that because I don't know how else I would have stopped. I am trying to develop new habits-one little one at a time, not huge ones. Starting over is great but maybe it's too stressful for you ? Can you do something smaller like okay, I'm doing the fast food like norm but I'm going to commit to two prepared at home snacks or one meal or something that adds a tiny bit of "not bingey foods you like" in your day, and see if you can build slowly on that? Not worrying each time you are eating all those things but focusing on the small other goal you have during the day? Not sure that would work though.

From my experiences (and still struggle with it), I would describe it as uncontrollably eating food for a period of time. When I started binging (after completing my first, very strict diet) on food I would simply taste any sweet food, then soon after will head to the kitchen and empty the fridge (without intentially doing so). Nearly two years later, it developed to the point where a binge eating session will be on my mind for most of the day and eventually give into the urge to eat. I am ashamed of eating in front of others and will go out of my way and consume a large amount of food in my car, or somewhere private. During a binge with me I tend to blank out and the only thing on my mind is shoving food down my throat. I estimate that I can consume 4000 calories in one binge session (3000 usually being minimum). Thankfully I have managed to prevent myself from putting on too much weight as I will also go periods of low calorie dieting, however this generally is short lived and will return to binge eating after a week of healthy eating.

I am now dieting again to return to my original weight before the binge eating began, however struggle with the temptation on a regular basis and find it very stressful. I have developed ways to cope with preventing a binge eat, however my stress levels will often be sky high if resisting the urge to binge. The best for me to keeping this under control is meal plans and monitoring calorie intake, and avoiding sugar.

stephanieluvspb wrote: »

In my own experience, eating when your not really hungry, eating until I'm sick to my stomach, hiding shoving food in my mouth from others

This almost exactly. It's something I struggle with everyday. Grazing I would say is different (unless its uncontrollable and in abnormally large quantities). I definitely think they can coincide with each other though. A lot of times a little snack here or there for me turns into a binge and I can end up eating 2k/3k/4k in calories.

I used to be in a bad binge cycle. You have to break the habits and change your mindset over time. I found eating well prepared snacks that I can enjoy and planning my meals helped. Not removing too much of the things I enjoy. Not having a too large deficit helped me a lot. You have to just get into the habit of getting back on track as soon as possible.

Forgiving yourself and learning from every instance is important. Listening to your body after these binges, it most likely reacts quite badly when you check in with everything. Every time you say no to an opportunity to binge you get stronger everytime and reinforce breaking that habit.

One thing I have to say is, for me personally. I really enjoy doritos or a big bar of chocolate I can't usually just have a small bar or a small bag of them and I would rather actually plan to have the big size and make it fit. You often find it's just not worth making it fit and you have them much less often over time. I find if I have just a taste of these foods I will ultimately go and get more and my will power can go through the window. I have a day each week usually the day after my weigh in where I will eat my maintenance calories (I have a good dial in on this because I use a fitbit) and I will fit whatever I may have been craving in that set amount. It allows me a large portion of what I want but still a limit that is respectable that I can maintain when I reach maintenance. Hope this helps. x

Edit: I have also found on said maintenance days I actually rarely ever pick these foods anymore. I usually pick a good quality meal from a respectable restaurant instead.

Binge is eating 3-5000 calories in a day. This would be a package of fig newtons, a sleeve is a portion right? A few candy bars, a bag of donettes and all the regular food. It's eating with out regard to how much. Ive done alot of that and I hope to not do it any longer. But, come Oktoberfest, a schnitzel, a black forest piece of cake, an apple strudel, 2 liters of bier and a shot of schnapps later, I might be ready for a brat! *all rules are out the door ...well at least the bier rules.