Binge Eating / Emotional Eating
Replies
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I usually get triggered by a high stress day at work. What I do to help combat it is I agree to let myself have a cup of chocolate frozen yogurt during lunch. It equates to about 200 calories, but usually it's enough to keep me from going nuts and making really bad decisions when I get off work (and can say, drive to a McDonald's or something similar and binge on burgers and fries).
If you frequently have these high stress/emotional days, it may be useful for you to find out what triggers it and if there are other things you can do that will make you happy. Maybe take a hot bath with scented candles or fancy bath oils? Watch your favorite movie? If you've lost weight successful and keep track of it (I keep a daily weight log), look it over and praise yourself for your success?
You can also try doing what I do and develop methods to combat binge eating too much. Like I said, having that cup of frozen yogurt in the middle of a stressful day usually keeps me from going over the edge. If you can find a way to eat a small/reasonable portion of your favorite junk food, then this may help keep you from going overboard in general.
It also helps for me that the frozen yogurt is the ONLY junk food that we keep in the house. I don't shop too far in advanced, so there is normally very little food lying around that isn't accounted for (ie: for making that day's/week's breakfasts, lunches, dinners, or are leftovers from a previous dinner.) As a result, there isn't much for me to binge on in the first place (I know for some people/families, this isn't realistic).
Hope this helps.0 -
Yes etherealglow is right. I don't go over by a little. I binge. I know some of my triggers not all. Sleep has been crap this week. I haven't thought of that because I usually sleep good. Not enough protein. Anxiety (more than stress I think) and mindless eating are big for me. Once I start it's almost like I can't stop myself. I'm much better than I used to be but still struggle
What works is eating. Water. Exercise. Go to stuff stored in my car so I don't stop and buy. And watching sodium! The processed snacky stuff is crazy for sodium! Tracking is invaluable and I track EVERYTHING0 -
I am an emotional eater too. This group is very helpful!!
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1012-emotional-eating0 -
I have had to deal with a lot of emotional baggage just to get to the place where I could even begin losing weight. Doing so has made losing sooooo much easier. I highly recommend homeopathy for helping to deal with whatever emotional issues are causing the binge eating (if they are long standing issues). It's been fast, easier, and way more productive then any counseling I ever did! If you're emotional eating from short term issues then finding distractions is always a good way to go. I also find that if I take the time to eat an apple when I feel like emotional eating, by the time I'm done with it, I no longer desire to eat anymore.0
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Fay84Vegan wrote: »Does anyone that suffers from Binge Eating KNOW what THEIR Triggers actually are...??
You have to figure that out in order to stop it. It may not be one particular thing but a cumulation of events or interactions. In my opinion you can get control through strategies before you have it all figured out. Don't wait for a big enlightening moment to start the process of stopping. In my case it's happening gradually. A key for me is to always be aware of what I am eating and why for every calorie I consume whether binging or just eating normally.
I am very committed to acknowledging when I have an episode. I log every single calorie so I am aware of exactly how I am sabotaging myself. Doing that has helped me especially when I log what's going on along with what I have eaten. If you do that long enough, you'll see patterns. The part that I am not good at is not beating myself up for the episode. The negative self talk doesn't help me.0 -
I do struggle with this and for me it usually consists of sweets. it has nothing to do with hunger and sometimes I eat and don't even enjoy or taste the food. I have increased my daily calories and protein levels which has helped a lot and also limited the amount of sugar in my diet. I do think if you restrict yourself too much, you are setting yourself up for a binge. also, food just can't fix an emotional void. we stuff ourselves and then feel worse.....I have tried to stop punishing myself. i feel more peaceful. tomorrow is always another day!! good luck.
stephanie0 -
I would echoe many of the triggers above. I had a binge last night actually, triggered by a high stress day at work (it didn't help that I was so incredibly busy/stressed that I barely ate all day). By the time I got home, I was hungry and exhausted. The idea of making chicken breast & veggies was just not going to make me feel better. And yes, sometimes I still use food to make me feel better when I shouldn't.
Personally, I feel I'm making progress because last night's binge ended last night. I woke up feeling gross, but I still weighed myself, logged it, and moved on. I also logged everything I ate last night, as accurately as possible. Taking ownership of what I did, and actually looking at those calories in my food diary helps me. I got back to my usual eating patterns & calories today. I realize now that one out of control night of eating won't undo all the good days, as long as I get back on track.
Eventually hoping to stop the binges completely....baby steps.0 -
I'm willing to bet that most people that are overweight are emotional eaters. I also believe that people who are tired and stay up to late eat more in search of energy.0
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If it's triggered by anxiety, then vitamin B might help.
I am having some pretty bad anxiety right now, so I am taking vitamin b every morning. I take it with 3 almonds in case it is a fat soluble vitamin. It seems to be helping.
I am also going to bed earlier and that helps.
Last night I couldn't get back to sleep around 3 am, so I moved to a space that the cat could sleep on me and he helped me regulate and go back to sleep.0 -
My trigger is absolutely Stress at work, especially when coupled with improper nutrition for the day (like if I forget my home-prepared lunch, or didn't grocery shop and had to bring something outside the norm). also, having too little fat during the day makes me grumpy and more likely to crave something fatty.
My binges are two meals: 1. chicken parm calzone or 2. general tsos chicken. Not only are they 4000+ calorie meals, they cost $20 apiece. I don't know why my two favorite meals are junk food, but man do I love those two dishes. If I'm in a frugal mood I will binge on an Entire Recipe of biscuits (I can make biscuits in about 10 minutes... ~2kcal) or an entire log of mozzarella (1200cal).
The trouble is, its barely even enjoyable. I can put down 4000cal of chinese food in under 10 minutes and still be craving more.
What has helped is to focus on how I feel after; such a large meal often impacts my ability to sleep that night, and I still feel bloated into the next day. (often so bloated I have a hard time working out with intensity, so there's some motivation not to do it... it'll screw up the rest of my week!).0 -
BoogeyBrat wrote: »Fay84Vegan wrote: »Does anyone that suffers from Binge Eating KNOW what THEIR Triggers actually are...??
I do. I have a couple and I've worked out solutions to most of them.
#1 I'll eat out of boredom. I've stopped this for the most part because now I won't eat unless I'm actually hungry. If the answer is yes, I'll eat. If not, I'll drink some water and go find something to do.
#2 I'll eat if I've had a bad day and feel like I deserve a treat. For this I'll go ahead and have my treat, but it's something that isn't going to break the bank when it comes to my calorie allotment. No ice cream, cookies, or brownies. I like Chobani coconut yogurt so that's what I'll usually have.
#3 I'll eat if I'm woken up numerous times in the night. This one I still have trouble with because I'm not awake enough to register that it's not a good idea. I'm not hungry, it's more like a tired, groggy feeling and I'll instinctively head for the fridge. I try to not keep foods that will get me in trouble in the house for this reason.
I mostly relate to #1 & #2 ...I need to get into a habit / routine of drinking water instead of eating if I'm not hungry! It's like having to relearn how my body works & what it actually wants instead of trying to 'resolve' things with food!
Thanks xxx
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afigirl113 wrote: »I'm a bored/emotional eater. My bf works nights, so I'm home alone a lot. I do fine with my eating at work, but when I'm home and I don't have anyone to talk to, I eat. When I have a rough day, it's worse. It's a hard thing to deal with, but using this app has really helped me. People on here are truly supportive and helpful.
It's good to connect with people going through similar problems
Boredom is a big one for me too!
I don't work, so have a lot of free time... I know in the past that when I have been busy with work I have found it a lot easier to control my eating habits.
It's not as simple as getting a job because I don't want to work somewhere I don't like just to keep myself busy.
I need a hobby !!0 -
I'd say that I've had problems with binge eating for a while. It tends to happen when I'm stressed, upset, bored or sometimes even when I'm happy. Whenever I was under a lot of stress I wouldn't have the energy or the motivation to cook so would go to the shop and buy things like chocolate, cakes and sweets and then binge on those instead of eating normal food. If I was feeling bored then I'd just keep snacking all day on things like crisps and sandwiches, stuff that tasted good.
It really is frustrating because I actually eat healthy most of the time, I rarely have takeaways, don't drink fizzy drinks and eat normal portions of healthy well balanced meals. I also push myself really hard at the gym. It just annoys me because that sort of stuff doesn't show, it's the binge eating that makes me put on weight and makes me have a need to diet. I'll work really hard to lose the weight, then I'll let my guard down for a few weeks and it will all spiral out of control with the binging and I'll give up with trying to be healthy. Then I'll get to the point where I realise that I've put weight on, so I have to diet to lose the weight and then the cycle begins again. It's like I could spend the whole day eating healthy food and working hard at the gym, then something will happen and I'll end up eating like 800 calories worth of chocolate. It really is frustrating.
I empathise with you!
We have to recognise the triggers that make us binge in order to prevent it from continuing so we don't get caught in a cycle of binging & dieting! ...you've noticed that your binge eating is triggered by emotions, like mine too!
There must be a way to stop it from happening ?
We know how to make it continue... By doing what we have been doing! So... Something has to change in order to create a different pathway to have balanced eating habits, right!?0 -
Etherealglow wrote: »some people think binge eating is like several 100 cals over ... if you're like me ... I can eat and eat and eat and eat when this happens and its nothing. Neither full nor satisfied and I don't know why, but its like a frenzy. I literally feel out of control and just can't seem to stop.
About 2 weeks ago -- I tried to log every bit of it just to see -- I'm sure I missed some -- but it was like 4,000+ cals
My triggers seem to be when I'm too tired. I try to get as much sleep as I can, but my daughter has a condition which doesn't allow that most nights. Other triggers, food was withheld when a child. I literally got about 200cals a day for months ... now it's like I have to eat it all when these feelings come on. Other triggers are boredom and just feeling lonely or isolated. Also, I stopped my birth control. That has surprisingly helped.
I've learned that sometimes I can evade these binges when I stop, breath and pray. I've taken on a 30 day yoga boot camp challenge (just doing it by myself in my home) and it has helped SOOOOO much!!! I'm on day 17 and I'm feeling so much better.
That's Great !!0 -
JessicaOnFitTrip wrote: »Fay84Vegan wrote: »Does anyone that suffers from Binge Eating KNOW what THEIR Triggers actually are...??
Definitely.
Stress, Anger, Loneliness, Overwhelming emotions.
I use overeating/binge eating/emotional eating to soothe myself when there's nothing going right.
What helps me is realizing that maybe I really don't want to eat that full pizza, I just really want to get a handle on whatever it is that's bugging me.
Then I move onto, can I control this situation I'm in or not? Thinking it through helps me realize I'm not hungry/craving it, just trying to soothe my emotions.
I also binge on junk food/comfort foods up to 6,000 calories in one sitting. I'm not proud of it, but I have reduced the instances.
Exactly... I try to Soothe myself with Food !!
I was suffering quite badly with stomach pain the other week and I was rocking with a hot water bottle on my tummy and eating food at the same time. My husband thought I was crazy... And told me to "stop eating, eating won't help!" But it's just a habit I have gotten into to try and make myself feel better ! ...I compare it to people taking drugs or drinking to escape their problems.0 -
AmandaOmega wrote: »I usually get triggered by a high stress day at work. What I do to help combat it is I agree to let myself have a cup of chocolate frozen yogurt during lunch. It equates to about 200 calories, but usually it's enough to keep me from going nuts and making really bad decisions when I get off work (and can say, drive to a McDonald's or something similar and binge on burgers and fries).
If you frequently have these high stress/emotional days, it may be useful for you to find out what triggers it and if there are other things you can do that will make you happy. Maybe take a hot bath with scented candles or fancy bath oils? Watch your favorite movie? If you've lost weight successful and keep track of it (I keep a daily weight log), look it over and praise yourself for your success?
You can also try doing what I do and develop methods to combat binge eating too much. Like I said, having that cup of frozen yogurt in the middle of a stressful day usually keeps me from going over the edge. If you can find a way to eat a small/reasonable portion of your favorite junk food, then this may help keep you from going overboard in general.
It also helps for me that the frozen yogurt is the ONLY junk food that we keep in the house. I don't shop too far in advanced, so there is normally very little food lying around that isn't accounted for (ie: for making that day's/week's breakfasts, lunches, dinners, or are leftovers from a previous dinner.) As a result, there isn't much for me to binge on in the first place (I know for some people/families, this isn't realistic).
Hope this helps.
Thank You !!0 -
I am an emotional eater too. This group is very helpful!!
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1012-emotional-eating
Thank You, this is Great!!!0 -
The relationship between food and emotions is fraught with difficulty. I try to approach it with all the logic I can muster. If I am angry, I used to eat it - but then I thought heck, I am now still angry AND I've just sabotaged myself by binging - now I am even angrier! If I am lonely, having a meal doesnt magically produce someone to talk to. So I have had to learn new strategies for dealing with these emotions. Oh heavens I am just a work in progress, and by no means have this perfected in any way! But I try to talk myself through it, and try to avoid as much damage to my self worth, wallet and eating plan as I can!0
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Fay84Vegan wrote: »Has anyone got issues with Binge eating / Emotional Eating?
I had a great week last week but this week I've got a cold and my emotions are getting the better of me and eating is what I do to 'feel better'.
I Binge on Healthy Food most of the time but that still puts me over my calories & wrecks my day because I find it extremely challenging to stop!
YES!!! I binge eat when my emotions and moods are manic. I am a recovering drug addict. I have been clean for 12 yrs. I transferred my addiction to food. Sweet food, I gained over 100 lbs in one year. It was a sudden and dramatic change that sent me into an all time low. Over time I added another 63 lbs. Eating what I wanted and when I wanted was the one thing I could control. I would go all day without eating anything. Then around 10pm I would get hungry. I was craving sugar because of the effect it had on my brain like drugs did. At 10 I would eat a little something { sweet } then after everyone was in bed it was on. I would eat sweets until I was sick. 1whole family pack of oreos 48 cookies, Then almost a whole box of baked brownies. Not to mention the milk I had with all that.My physical health was affected and I,m bi polar I had no control of my emotions and moods. I was miserable. It took me several years to get this under control. I am now on the proper medication for my bi Polar and OCD. I made a decision to get my life back, my health back and to get my weight under control as well. I educated myself on weight loss and excersise I Learned what foods were a healthy choice. How sugar,carbs and calories effect the body and weight. Tracking my food and calories helps me to see exactly how much I,m eating and what kinds of food I eat and it helps me pay attention to the calories and fat thats in the food I eat. Discovering MFP was the best thing I could have done. I started only 18 days ago. I lost 29lbs and 9 inches in the first two weeks. I am determined to see this through. My first goal is 150lbs. I have 94 to go. I weigh in once a week and measure once every two weeks. My emotions try to get the best of me. I still have mood swings and the first thing I want to do is eat something sweet because I always used food to feel better. I stop and think about how miserable I have been, how over weight and unattractive I have became. I think about my health and how I ache all the time how I have no energy and I just don,t want to live like that anymore. I realized I am the only person in this world who can change me. I have control over my happiness and health no one but myself. I realized there is no magic pill, drink or machine that is gonna do it for me. I know it will be difficult at times and it won,t happen over night. By next year this time I will look back and see that it was possible. My goal is reachable and I can do it. I know that now. I understand the effects that uncontrollable emotions can have on someone. If you ever need to vent, cry, yell, get angry or whatever you are welcome to e mail me or message me any time you need to. I will just listen and if you want advice I will offer the best I can. I know you don,t know me, but I will encourage you. I will support you and help you along your journey. I apologize for the long detailed reply. I am a talker, your question and comment hit home. If you decide not to respond to my offer I wish you the best. All this is probably to much information and again I apologize. It,s just a topic that really affected my life and I can relate to. Good Luck in your journey!!0 -
Love this post and reading about other people's struggles with binge eating. Makes you realize your not the only one struggling with it. I'm a binge eater. It's usually healthy foods though (I e I'll make a salad chicken wrap, but eat two, then have two big bowls of fruit, then cashews, protein shake etc...) I seem to be able to eat and eat and eat and not get full. I can't have bad food in the house, or eat bad food in moderation.. because if I have one biscuit, I can't stop thinking about the rest of the packet. It drives me a little crazy.
I did a couple of things that seem to work. I started writing a diary of my food, and when I did binge I wrote down my triggers straight away or how I was feeling. I noticed I did it when I was tired, watching movies or bored. So I've tried to improve in those areas. I also have a thing with my friend where we send each other daily food updates. This helps me be accountable for my food too, as I become embarresed and therefore think twice about eating it as I write it down to her.. drinking water helps too. When I'm dying to binge, I drink like a litre of water, which bloats me well before I can eat too much. It's a mental thing too. You gotta be strong, breathe, think hard about what your about to eat and if you will regret it. That works sometimes for me too! I think the main thing for me is distraction.. if I'm not thinking about someone or something, I'm thinking about food!
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