I was doing so well... until I wasn't

dragonbug300
dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member
edited September 27 in Motivation and Support
So here goes:
I struggle with binge eating this year. The last 4 years it was anorexia, but now I've come to college and things changed.

It's the worst when I return to my parents' house for breaks. I went home for a 2-week break earlier in the month and gained 6 pounds! I came back to school on monday determined to change things. I exercised, went to class, worked, and felt great. I ate like a saint for 4 days.
Until today :(
I came back from class, ate an entire jar of cocoa almonds and proceeded to snack on anything and everything within reach. Even my roommate's food (good thing she shops Costco--she won't notice 6 cups gone from her 10-pound bag of bugles).
I feel awful. I can't bear to add in what I've eaten to my diary (although I will... planning on weakening the blow by distributing the calories throughout the next few days).

I wonder if I did something wrong earlier in the week to set me up for failure?
Here's my normal schedule:
7am-- wake up, shower, coffee with soymilk and sweet n' low, a fruit
8am-9:30am-- class
9:30-10:20am-- break for bathroom, get iced coffee from Dunkin' with 2 packets of sweetener; get one packet of pistachios (all of this requires walking around campus for about 1.5 miles)
10:20am-12:30pm-- class (usually drinking a diet dr. pepper throughout to keep me awake)
1pm-- lunch of canned tuna, whole bag of steamed veggies (about 3 cups) and a sweet potato + 1-2 cups of frozen blueberries and a peach
2pm--gym for strength training
4pm-9pm--working (I'm a hostess at the Flying Biscuit--mostly on my feet; we get free drinks so i'll have unsweet tea and diet coke; also munch on burnt fries from the discard pile)
9:30pm--I get a free meal after work: summer chicken salad sans cheese and dressing (comes with grilled chicken, dried fruit, strawberries, walnuts, and tons of lettuce)
usually I get to bed between 11pm-1am


Already I've noticed: that's a lot of artificial sweetener. Does anyone else experience cravings from artificial sweeteners?

Replies

  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Girl i dont know if it is anything you ate that made you go into that stage. I do that from time to time. I will eat fine and then all of a sudden i am snacking on chips and cookies and God help the frig!

    I dont know why this happens to you but a lot of time for me it happens because of a change in my lifestyle..for instance from going from a crazy schedule to a slow past one. I eat when i am bored.
  • registers
    registers Posts: 782 Member
    okay, things happen in life, you can't let them get to you. if you get down you'd feel worse and probably eat more junk food. Just brush it off your shoulder new day tomorrow. It's not a big deal. When you live with other people it's hard when they have unhealthy food that you like staring at you in your face. Best you can do is to ask them to keep it out of sight if possible. You shouldn't let food control how you feel. Focus on eating good, and do your best. If you slip up, don't get down on yourself. There is always tomorrow. I think you might be binging cause you're hungry, you may not be eating enough calories.
  • sunrise84
    sunrise84 Posts: 18
    It could be the stress of going back home for a little while that brought up something. Do you keep a diary/journal or some other way of chronicling your feelings?

    Do you normally consume a lot of artificial sweetener? I know I do (and I'm trying my best to limit it to one diet soda or glass of tea). When I do, I tend to eat more sweet things. This is a hard thing to realize, but since I have, I'm either going to have to switch back to sugar, try one of those natural, plant based sweeteners (Truvia or Stevia?) or learn to like unsweetened tea. I've also heard of people using honey, but IDK about that.
  • peanutrenee
    peanutrenee Posts: 179
    yea its rly hard to break so its gonna take some time to get off it..try to get off it slowly.. like cut out something a week..
  • Justamom410
    Justamom410 Posts: 90 Member
    I think you need to eat more at breakfast than a fruit and coffee. You need some protein to get you through until your 1pm lunchtime. Fruit isn't going to do it. Try a hard boiled egg (it's easy to eat while walking/on the run) or some yogurt with granola. They have fiber and protein which will keep you full longer.
  • registers
    registers Posts: 782 Member
    Girl i dont know if it is anything you ate that made you go into that stage. I do that from time to time. I will eat fine and then all of a sudden i am snacking on chips and cookies and God help the frig!

    I dont know why this happens to you but a lot of time for me it happens because of a change in my lifestyle..for instance from going from a crazy schedule to a slow past one. I eat when i am bored.

    I think a big part of why this happens is due to the type of calories you eat. If you eat sugary food, such as cookies or cakes or candy bars. They cause an immediate spike in insulin, and they have also been shown to stimulate the part of the brain that is responsible for sexual activity. It can be an addiction.

    You do that because you're craving a quick solution to how you feel... It's pretty much a biochemical mood swing. The thing to do is to eat slow eating carbs throughout the day. So your insulin doesn't plummet too much.
  • notredame2011
    notredame2011 Posts: 17
    Yeah for me the main triggers of a binge episode are -

    boredom / procrastination
    emotional issue - any time that I am personally upset over something I turn to food (e.g. Ex boyfriend messages me but just to check on if I'd sent some of his stuff back)...

    So did something that day or afternoon that sent you for comfort food? Sometimes it's only really small, but it might help to recognise it so that you know for next time.
  • jeneskelsen
    jeneskelsen Posts: 1 Member
    Stop the soda! I know it is only diet soda. That's how I was, too. I quit drinking soda and it really helped me with cravings for sweet things so I dropped the pounds. Don't reward yourself with bad foods. I like to chew sweet gum. It has calories but you burn more chewing it than is in the piece of gum. Don't put yourself down!
  • kristiedavis1
    kristiedavis1 Posts: 95
    Binge eating happens to many of us at different times in our life and college is one of those. Stress levels are up, sleep time is decreased, and usually meals are not at scheduled times. I agree that maybe some of your eating is because you're hungry and possibly your body is not getting something it is craving. From looking at the day you listed I definately suggest more protein!!! That will usually stop the binge for me.The other thing I would encourage you to think about is the amount of caffeine you are consuming. Especially for women, that is not always the best thing for our health. It's obvious that I am no expert, but I've learned many things over the years that I just haven't always practiced. Just hang in there and change one thing at a time until you figure out what works for you.
  • dragonbug300
    dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member
    Thanks for the support, everyone. I'm going to the gym now (I can only hope it helps alleviate some guilt).

    I'll try to cut down on the caffeine and sweetener... well, the sweetener at least. I'll try to get more sleep as well.
    Also someone mentioned upping protein.. I always assume I'm getting plenty, but I might not be (5 oz tuna, 1.5oz pistachios, plus extra from steamed veggies like broccoli and edamame, but I might need more since I'm weight lifting).
    Tomorrow's a new day, I know. I'm just so disappointed. I've undone all the good I did earlier this week and I'm back to square one :(
  • registers
    registers Posts: 782 Member
    Thanks for the support, everyone. I'm going to the gym now (I can only hope it helps alleviate some guilt).

    I'll try to cut down on the caffeine and sweetener... well, the sweetener at least. I'll try to get more sleep as well.
    Also someone mentioned upping protein.. I always assume I'm getting plenty, but I might not be (5 oz tuna, 1.5oz pistachios, plus extra from steamed veggies like broccoli and edamame, but I might need more since I'm weight lifting).
    Tomorrow's a new day, I know. I'm just so disappointed. I've undone all the good I did earlier this week and I'm back to square one :(

    If you up your protien you'll up your calories, reduce your carbs and get the same effect without the extra calories.
  • drosario1204
    drosario1204 Posts: 33
    maybe you need more protin in your diet..also..dont let yourself get too hungry before you eat again...when your hungry your brain craves high calorie foods. Good luck!
  • dragonbug300
    dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member

    If you up your protien you'll up your calories, reduce your carbs and get the same effect without the extra calories.

    I figure that if I up my protein, the carb reduction will come naturally. I'm not trying to lose weight. Since I've been overeating constantly for a little over two weeks, I am aiming for a 100-200 fewer calories below maintenance cals for another couple of weeks--or at least until my weight returns to normal. Anyways, I have quite a bit of wiggle room on a normal day. The problem is junk food and high-calorie foods (like nuts and chocolate). I eat them in excess compulsively every chance I get.
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