overcoming binge eating

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  • downongreenacres
    downongreenacres Posts: 327 Member
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    jessicaliong1 wrote: »
    Today was fine. Though I did have the urge, it was controllable and I was able to refrain myself from binging. I realised that if I concentrate on myself more and ignore what others think about me, I am able to control and handle my binging well. However, right now, I am unable to do that if I have to communicate and interact with them. So, I tend to cut myself from them and did not attempt to contact with them. Especially my mother. But I think it is the first step to overcome my binging. I have to gain control of myself first before being able to control my surrounding. I hope tomorrow will be another good day.
    That's good insight :smile:

  • amgibson1980
    amgibson1980 Posts: 8 Member
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    Jessica, your posts are inspirational! You are doing a fantastic job! I think everyone who has issues with weight knows how it feels to have that urge to binge once and a while. Creating this post was a great idea. This will definitely help you to keep everything in check, and when you have a bad day, you can look back at your other posts and tell yourself "it's okay, look how well I have done on all of these other days."

    Support is so crucial when dieting and trying to fight something as strong as binge eating. If cutting your family out is the only way right now, you have to do what you have to do, but perhaps you can talk to them instead?? Let them know how much of a problem this is for you and how their comments don't help. Let them know what you need instead. You are obviously a strong person. You will find what is right for you. Keep up the good work. You have a lot of people on here rooting for you!
  • jessicaliong1
    jessicaliong1 Posts: 24 Member
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    @downongreenacres Thank you :)

    @amgibson1980 Thank you so much! This really gives me strength:D Yeap, I am trying to keep on making my binge free days longer. Sometimes cutting connection with other people allow me to concentrate efforts to myself only. I find it stressful if I have to interact with other people and have to cater to them. And stress can make me binge. I tried asking my mum if it is a must for me to be thin and slim because I am fine just the way I am. And she was kind of angry at me for saying that because she thought that I as rude to her for saying that(?) and disrespectful. She told me that if I got fatter, it would stress her out and I will disappoint her and all those stuffs and I really do not want her to feel that way about me. That is why I always got stressed out and become low every time I talk to her since she will always be asking me about my diet, how do I look now, whether my clothes still fit me and all those talks. Is kind of making me have a very low self-esteem about myself:(
  • angellak
    angellak Posts: 68 Member
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    Omg! I'm sorry, but who says that to their daughter. It should not matter how much you weigh or what size you are. You are still her daughter and she should love you just the way you are. It sounds like she is the one that has the issue with weight. I'm sorry. I had to vent. I am a single mother of a 22 year old son and I would never say or act that way with my son...or my daughter if I had a daughter . You are perfectly beautiful just the way you are and if you want to lose weight do it for yourself and NOBODY else.
  • quintinmasonjr24
    quintinmasonjr24 Posts: 45 Member
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    Balance is the most important thing. You will be fine. You personally know all your weaknesses and all your strengths. You can be your own worst enemy or your best ally. Continue to make smart healthy choices and continue to build momentum.
  • jessicaliong1
    jessicaliong1 Posts: 24 Member
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    @quintinmasonjr24 Thank you for your advise:) I am planning to change my diet into something healthier. Usually, carbohydrates take a big portion to my main meals but I always feel bloated after that. So, I am thinking to lessen my carbohydrates intake and add more vegetables and protein instead. And I hope this change will also reduce my cravings on binging. I hope. Thank you for your encouragement:)

    @angellak I think it might be towards an Asian mentality where you have to be thin and slim. I was overweight when I was young and I slim down to the point of being anorexic. She did not know and she thought I looks the best then. And when I gain weight, I think she thought that I will be overweight again and she got stressed out and worried by that. My mum has been slim all her life and she does have a bit of eating problem where she view carbohydrates as enemy and that I should not eat them at all. I know what she did is for my own good and is a way to show that she cares for me. But, I cannot bear to tell her that it is giving me a hard time. But, thank you for your encouragement:) I feel motivated and warm from hearing it:):) I will try to get better.
  • MadtownMadisonian
    MadtownMadisonian Posts: 66 Member
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    For me, shopping is the key. If I have healthy grab and go snacks, like baby carrots and apples and bags of salad, I have been able to redirect binge impulses towards those foods -- so at least the binge isn't so harmful -- and over time the fact that these foods are not triggers means I will eat them but then stop long before it would be a binge. So for me, the binge is stopped in the supermarket aisles hours or even days before the urge.
  • jessicaliong1
    jessicaliong1 Posts: 24 Member
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    These few days weren't good for me. The tendency to binge is building up. I think is from the stress of having to go back to school and meeting with people. I have always felt so pressured because I always felt that people are looking at me with those judgemental eyes. I am trying to take control of my life but I am afraid that I will lose it sooner or later now....
  • psychonurse00
    psychonurse00 Posts: 12 Member
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    I need help because I take a sleeping pill at night otherwise I can not sleep. After I take it I stay up until it kicks in but for whatever reason I fall asleep in the chair then I get up to goto bed and go eat bad food first :( I dont realize I did it till the next moring. Its so frustrating!
  • jeharrell13
    jeharrell13 Posts: 6 Member
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    @psychonurse00 I know what you mean. I used to fall asleep on the couch and wake up around midnight. I would eat whatever I could find quickly then go to bed. I could have stayed within my calories all day but I would blow it in 10 minutes standing in front of the fridge :/ Eventually I was able to get a handle on it though. I started adding that food to the next day's log so that it was accounted for. I also posted the number of lbs I have lost on the fridge so that I see it every time I open the door. And if I do wake up, I drink a huge glass of water. That usually does the trick, then I go to bed. A lot of times our bodies mistake thirst for hunger.

    @jessicaliong1 You are doing amazing! Binge eating is so difficult to overcome. I struggle with it myself. Just stay positive and don't beat yourself up. I added you. Message me if you ever want to talk!
  • psychonurse00
    psychonurse00 Posts: 12 Member
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    @jeharrell13 Thanks! I will try that
  • cjsacto
    cjsacto Posts: 1,421 Member
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    You may find OA (Overeaters Anonymous) helpful. There are so many who struggle with this. There's an active group here. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/101992-overeaters-anonymous
  • Rosie943
    Rosie943 Posts: 3 Member
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    We can support each other! I'm celebrating each small victory, every day I go binge free is one day more!
  • jessicaliong1
    jessicaliong1 Posts: 24 Member
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    Thank you for everyone's support and encouragement! We shall get through this together:) Though I still have temptation to binge everyday, especially when I am under stress or pressure. However, I would always stir myself to think away from bingeing. It is so hard, and it gets more difficult day by day. But, I think that we should not let those binge eating guilt trip us. Though we might binge some days, treat it as a slip up or a treat and then resume again the next day. Do not let one binge bother you and make yourself hate yourself and lock yourself in a room.

    I am trying to muster up courage to get out more often, to meet friends and go to classes (yes, I have skipped tons of classes because of my binge eating and feeling guilty and sick of myself). It is difficult and some days, I will make excuses not to go and will often feel pressurized when I know I have to go. But, I am starting to go out to feel normal. But I would like to learn how to enjoy myself outside too. Slowly.

    @Rosie943 Yeap:) I like to see that I go binge free by another day. And even if I have temptation to do it today, I will be like just don't binge today, and binge tomorrow. And I will restrain myself today for tomorrow, and I will do it again the next day, saying that I am able to not binge the other day, so is possible for now too. We can do it:D
  • Dinotopian
    Dinotopian Posts: 5 Member
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    I have struggled with this my whole life. I feel your pain! Looks like a lot of us do. What gets me down is when I feel like a failure from setting unattainable expectations and focus on long term goals too much. Break it down and set yourself up for frequent successes. It's all about the short game. Try a reward system, not food of course, with short goals to get you going. You got to 6 days that's fantastic. So make it a weekly thing. Each 7days clean earns you...something. I am a sucker for a pedicure so that works for me. Do whatever you love, but don't get to do often enough. It's worth a try. :)

    And remember...progress, not perfection.
  • Dinotopian
    Dinotopian Posts: 5 Member
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    I have struggled with this my whole life. I feel your pain! Looks like a lot of us do. What gets me down is when I feel like a failure from setting unattainable expectations and focus on long term goals too much. Break it down and set yourself up for success in the short
  • Allterrain_Lady
    Allterrain_Lady Posts: 421 Member
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    A few tips that help me to not binge, maybe they can be helpful to you.

    - Acknowledge the triggers. Mine are boredom and emotionnal pain. When I'm bored out of my mind or in a bad place in my life, chocolate candies are the only thing I can think about. it's really hard to get over it but it's doable.
    Knowing what triggers the binge allows you to stay in control. It's never about food. Something else is going on. Take a few minutes to really understand what's happening. Are you upset? Sad? Bored? And then deal with the real issue. That's how binges are cured.

    - Do something. Anything. A phone call, a movie, a walk, write an email, look at the success stories here... If you
    can postpone the start of the binge for 15 minutes, you most likely won't do it.

    - Always acknowledge the binge. Count the calories you've ate and log them. It will put things into perspective.

    - If hunger is not the problem, then food is not the solution. Remember that.

    - Take a few minutes to convert what you want to eat into the amount of exercise needed to get rid of it. 1 hour and a half on the treadmill for some Nutella?! Don't think so!

    - Don't think about any food as "bad". Human beings are twisted. If it's forbidden, you'll want it. It takes time but you can learn to enjoy a bite or two of what you like then move on.

    - If it fits your calories allowance, you don't need to beat yourself up for having it.

    - Drink some water. Sometimes, we're only thirsty and think we're hungry.

    - There's a big difference between binges, slip ups and treats. Binges are emotionnal, the food only is the symptom. Slip ups will happen because life happens (Birthday party, drinks with friends and so on). Log it and move on. Treats are crucial to a healthy diet, on a regular basis. Because this has to be a lifetime thing. Iclude them into your calories allowance.
    I do the 80/20. 80% of my daily calories are healthy, useful, good-for-you calories. 20% (330 calories) are pure treat (chocolate, ice cream, cheese... You name it)

    This is all I can think about so far. Hope it helps.
    And congrats on the 7 days binge-free!

    Vanessa

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