Binge Eating

Well there is nothing to be scared about here because no one judges here. The fact that you are admitting it and asking for help is a huge step and I admire you for having the courage to put it out there. I don't know much about binge eating, is there something that triggers it? Or is it all of the time?

i really wish i could tell you what to do . i have the same problem i eat alone throw away evidence. i am so embarresed. even to the point of saying i do not know why i am gaining wait i only eat a little.because nobody ever sees me eating ,so, what else can i say. i understand you 100 percent. lets keep in contact and try to support and help eachother!!!

I have the same problem. Ive never told anyone about it because Im so embarrassed of it.

I admire your courage and I think you should be very proud of yourself for making that first step, because it's the hardest one...
There's a lot of information on binge eating here : http://www.helpguide.org/mental/binge_eating_disorder.htm
But I for one think that the most effective way to cure yourself from this disease is to seek professional help. Your doctor, a therapist... It can be a long and difficult journey, but it will be all worthwhile in the end! Trust me!
You can add me as a friend if you want to talk more about this in private...:-)
Don't give up, you're in the right direction!!

Yes! I totally do this. Weekends are the worst. I'll be "good" all week. Then if we go to a festival, go out of town etc I'll go crazy. Like if I give myself a free day, I won't just have the bad meal..I'll think "Well since I ate that bad meal" and I'll go crazy. My husband's cousin died in one of the tornadoes in Alabama and we went down for the funeral. Needless to say there was tons of food after the burial. Not only did I eat four brownies, cobbler, pound cake, bbq, and fried chicken...but when everyone went to bed I had three rolls, two pieces of fried chicken, and another brownie. Unnecessary. But in my mind I think, "Ok, Lucinda. This is your last chance. It's back to non-stop working out and eating low-calorie stuff when you get back, so go NUTS!" I don't need to do that. It's so unhealthy and gross.

I'm the same way! I think for me it started when I was a kid - watching my skinny minny mom hide her snacking from my dad. The only junk food we ever had in the house was hidden away and eaten out of my dad's view. I have been snacking and hiding the evidence for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I feel like a shark on a feeding frenzy; I just go crazy eating whatever I have at home, not really craving anything in particular. The eating part is pretty fast but the guilt lasts a whole lot longer. Even when I'm eating, I'm already thinking of my next meal. All I think about is food, like it's some sort of addiction.

For me, it has really helped to write everything I eat on here. Then before I go on a binge, I tell myself "You are going to have to count every chip, every ounce, every bite. Do you really want everyone to see how badly you ate", and then I chug some water and grab some strong mint gum. Sometimes I even have to run out the door on a walk with the dogs just to get away from the food.

I finally admitted to myself that I binge eat. I broke down in tears and embarrassment and still don't like telling others that is what I do. But I have found something that helps me. Aside from logging in everything on this site, I read an article in an online newspaper. I think it was off of MSNBC.com. They recommended a book: "How to Overcome Binge Eating." The article stated that a study was done at some big college. What is important is that all the participants read and followed the book's advice. They were all tracked after the study and 63% of them did not return to binge eating. So, I bought the book. Including shipping, it was a total of $9 used off of Amazon.com. It taught me the difference between overeating and binging. It also covers information on purging for those who do that. Just that information alone was useful. But the second half of the book lays out a plan to tackle your binging problems and allows you to be flexible with how much time it takes you to take back your life and not focus on food every minute of every day (like I have been). I'm on week two of the program and I have recognized when I am most likely to binge and I have a plan in place for me to avoid doing it when I am stressed the most or just because food is available.

I binge, like many people, when I am by myself. So, when I am by myself and food is available, I have several options, written down in my pocket, every day, to help me remember I don't have to eat excessively. I can make myself go on a walk. I can take a shower, I can vacuum and dust and keep doing that while I chew gum until the urge passes. I can go window shopping or write a really pissed off letter to myself about whatever it is that is stressing me out. I can call a friend or go visit one, if the timing for them is right... The list goes on. It is really hard to cook for an entire family that does not have binging problems. I find that choosing the small plate size and leaving the kitchen and then staying out of the kitchen is the hardest thing to do. But going on that walk helps and then I can be proud of myself. And I make sure I eat small amounts every 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

What I like about the book is that it doesn't operate in extremes. The plan is realistic and makes common sense. It tackles behavior issues and helps people become self aware. There is no calorie counting at first. Not everyone who binge eats is overweight, but if you are overweight, the first thing you have to do is control the binging. After that is tackled, then you can worry about the weight and calorie counting. Apparently, the average person takes about 12 weeks to change the binging behavior, but once it's done, many people have that behavior changed for the rest of their lives.

Good luck with your effort to change. I know it takes a lot of guts to admit to others (and yourself) the things we do in private. I hope you find the additional stregnth to do something about it. I'm still struggling myself, but I'm proud to make progress, and I have! You can too!

Yes! I totally do this. Weekends are the worst. I'll be "good" all week. Then if we go to a festival, go out of town etc I'll go crazy. Like if I give myself a free day, I won't just have the bad meal..I'll think "Well since I ate that bad meal" and I'll go crazy. My husband's cousin died in one of the tornadoes in Alabama and we went down for the funeral. Needless to say there was tons of food after the burial. Not only did I eat four brownies, cobbler, pound cake, bbq, and fried chicken...but when everyone went to bed I had three rolls, two pieces of fried chicken, and another brownie. Unnecessary. But in my mind I think, "Ok, Lucinda. This is your last chance. It's back to non-stop working out and eating low-calorie stuff when you get back, so go NUTS!" I don't need to do that. It's so unhealthy and gross.

This sounds EXACTLY what my wife and I do on occasion. Thankfully, since I became active here on MFP, it hasn't happened yet. Although we have a 4 day vacation planned in June. :indifferent: