Binge eaters out there needing support

I'm a binge eater too and once I start, it's hard to get back on track. We were on a cruise and vacation for almost 3 weeks starting Dec 24 and I binged almost the whole time. I knew I would do it too so I ate healthy up until then and brought clothes of varying sizes to accommodate the binge eating. It was so bad that the dress I had planned to wear on New Year's Eve ( day 5 of cruise) had to be worn on day 2 because it was already too tight.

I used to be a poor single mom in my 20s and when I'm somewhere at a buffet or on a cruise where there is an abundance of food, my brain automatically goes into this mode of thinking I have to eat everything or I may not have enough to eat again and I have to get my money's worth.
Each night on the cruise, I would eat 2-3 desserts 1 hr before dinner, order 2-3 appitizers, 3-4 mains, and 2-3 desserts. And this happens all the time when we cruise that my boyfriend has to tell them to bring the dishes out one at a time so we don't have a million dishes on the table at once.

At least I have recognized that this happens and try to avoid buffets and situations like that as much as possible.

It took me 4 weeks to get back to my pre holiday weight and it was really hard to cut out all that sugar/salt again.

I know I'll always have cravings so I plan for treats with healthier alternatives:

At work I keep Quest brownie protein bars for my planned afternoon snack. I warm up half in the microwave for 15 seconds and it tastes like a warm brownie. This keeps me away from all the candy/chocolate bowls at work.

I also have a few bags of Simply Protein chips in my office for when I really have a craving for something salty and crunchy and its a better alternative albeit more expensive.

The 80 calorie fudgsciles and SkinnyPop popcorn are also staples at home to curb my cravings.

alphastarz & vannyn42, you both give some great, healthy alternatives, suggestions for beating OR satisfying an urge/binge. thanks. I've seriously considered putting yellow caution tape or post-it notes all over my kitchen. Too bad my kitchen does not have it's own door. It'd would be locked when I am home alone.

Last night after I closed my diary - was about 300 over for the day - went back to get 2 single size serving bags of Fritos, and 2 servings of mixed nuts. I'm guessing that was 500-600 more. Had an almost 11 hr day at work, did perfect. A low water intake day. Then this. I'm thinking I was bored, tired, lonely. I was definitely not hungry. Trying to get back into the rule of no eating past 7pm, when bedtime is 9-10.

Happy Valentine's Day folks!

This is what I do when there are high calorie and extremely tempting food out eg donuts:

1- ask to share a piece with others
2- if nobody wants to share or there isn't anyone there I cut a 1/4 or 1/3 piece and eat my share and leave the rest there.

This helps me not to feel deprived. Otherwise, I can go on to dream about that one food item which can lead to a binge. Feeling satisfied is key to my eating. Other than that it's sheer willpower- love food!!!

I am with all of you guys. It seems like the more I concentrate on eating healthy the more I want junk food. I have never been like this or thought about food this much until the last 2 years. Now I binge eat junk food.... today was another bad day and I feel like I gained 10 pounds (probably did since I have been eating like crap the last 3 weeks). I have an event coming up in the beginning of May and I need to lose the 10. So I will definitely need a support group because all the other alternatives are not working

I've had a couple of large meals this weekend due to seeing my gran, some friends and a wedding. I had a healthy tea of chicken, new potatoes and salad and I'm already thinking about food. Trying to stay vigilant but it's hard

Adamsa1969 wrote: »

Wow! This post has been going for days, and I am so glad that I am not alone.

I find that when I drink diet soda, I tend to binge. Does anyone else find that diet soda is a trigger?

Yes I do. I used to think it was the sugar causing my cravings , however even sugar free stuff cause me to crave food as it's sweet , so I try to stick to more savory foods , which are much easier for me to recognize that I am full and stop eating

Hi everyone, it's been so emotional reading your responses here - thanks ab6046 for starting the thread! If anyone wants to add me as a friend, please do. I've been binging since I was about fifteen and had disposable income - infuriatingly, it seems to be worse the stricter my diet is, and one thing leads to another.

Dr Avena found behaviors and attitudes toward some foods closely mirror addiction patterns. The most addictive foods are the ones which are high on the glycemic index (the naughty foods in the snack pantry).

"Several studies really do suggest that highly-palatable, highly-processed foods can produce behaviors and changes in the brain that one would use to diagnose an addiction, like drugs and alcohol," Avena says.

It is said that it can take six weeks to kick a sugar addiction, and you can experience strong cravings almost like a drug withdrawal.

If you want to kick the addiction, you have to eliminate all processed foods high in carbs. Carbs cause a release of serotonin and Dopamine in the brain, which are known as the "happy hormones". They also help to regulate moods, temper, anxiety and relieve depression. When one doesn't eat a healthy diet clear of processed foods for a while they can cause an imbalance of these hormones from the normal range- which will then lead to binging (like self medication). Even if you go on a diet and eat better for a period of time, it can take many weeks of clean eating to rebalance... but the withdrawal can be brutal, as the body has seemingly "adapted" to the high serotonin/dopamine etc. levels.

If you are dealing with binging, chances are it means your neurotransmitter hormones are off balance (wanting to be higher than normal because of past eating patterns), which then sends an alarm (cravings) to take in foods to raise the levels. Just like drugs.. After time, the body signals the craving to get a fix because the hormones it triggers are off balance (though once again, the balance its requiring is not normal range).

Having done a low carb WOE since 2012 (most time on but some off), I find this to be very true. I have also found that the most powerful way to defeat it is through fasting. Fasting gave me a reset (for hormone levels etc.) and a restart. It gave me the power to overcome food addiction. No more cravings, a smaller appetite and a bigger appreciation for healthier foods.

Addiction is like being a prisoner in your own body. It's not easy to overcome and may require more for some than others. I have shared the key that opened the cell door for me (fasting), but I'll tell you, it is the most difficult to follow through with. In the end, it was also the most powerful.

Thank you everyone for being open and honest. I feel like so many of you often. I have a great day, stay within my calories, then blow it with a full on binge of whatever I have. Then feel so much guilt and disgust. I was wondering have any of you tried OA? Do any of you practice abstinence of certain foods?