I'm in a downward spiral of binge eating and I can't get out

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I don't know how to stop overeating. I have overeaten for months now. 99% of the time.

I get started eating healthy but then I eat until I am sick. Rinse, repeat, daily.

I'm trapped and scared. I'm gaining weight every single day. I even had a goal just to maintain weight at first, and I can't even do that.

Replies

  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
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    It sounds like you don't have a strong motivation to lose weight and get healthy. Your motivation has to be strong enough to break your bad habits.

    Try makin the transition to picking healthier choices, but eat as much as you want, this will at least break your cravings for calorie dense foods, even if you don't lose any weight. This means getting the high calorie stuff out of the house.

    Next, keep eating nutrient dense foods, and focus on eating in a small deficit. You can still eat some of the "junk" foods once in a while as a treat.

    Most of this is building habits. Repetition. If you make a habit of eating potato chips and drinking beer while watching a movie every night, it can be tough to break the habit. But once you do, you won't really crave it.
  • Cadelay
    Cadelay Posts: 2 Member
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    It sounds like you don't have a strong motivation to lose weight and get healthy. Your motivation has to be strong enough to break your bad habits.

    Try makin the transition to picking healthier choices, but eat as much as you want, this will at least break your cravings for calorie dense foods, even if you don't lose any weight. This means getting the high calorie stuff out of the house.

    Next, keep eating nutrient dense foods, and focus on eating in a small deficit. You can still eat some of the "junk" foods once in a while as a treat.

    Most of this is building habits. Repetition. If you make a habit of eating potato chips and drinking beer while watching a movie every night, it can be tough to break the habit. But once you do, you won't really crave it.

    Thank you. I have been diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder so that doesn't help things. Therapy is not really helping me. I am seeing a dietitian though, and I'm going to read some more books on it.
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
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    Cadelay wrote: »
    It sounds like you don't have a strong motivation to lose weight and get healthy. Your motivation has to be strong enough to break your bad habits.

    Try makin the transition to picking healthier choices, but eat as much as you want, this will at least break your cravings for calorie dense foods, even if you don't lose any weight. This means getting the high calorie stuff out of the house.

    Next, keep eating nutrient dense foods, and focus on eating in a small deficit. You can still eat some of the "junk" foods once in a while as a treat.

    Most of this is building habits. Repetition. If you make a habit of eating potato chips and drinking beer while watching a movie every night, it can be tough to break the habit. But once you do, you won't really crave it.

    Thank you. I have been diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder so that doesn't help things. Therapy is not really helping me. I am seeing a dietitian though, and I'm going to read some more books on it.

    Find a new therapist. True Binge Eating Disorder goes way beyond a habit.
  • ng123ng
    ng123ng Posts: 5 Member
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    Stop thinking about food in general. When you start thinking about food, decipher if its true hunger or just boredom or habit. Set a timer for 20 minutes and preoccupy your mind until it goes off. If you're still craving food, then eat. If not, do something. Draw, color, go outside, read, etc...I find if I start thinking about food and don't do anything to stop the thoughts is when I get out of control with food. I also find logging everything I eat prevents me from binging. It kind of scares me out of it, for instance if its 3 pm and I'm 300 calories from my daily calorie goal, I say "oh *kitten*," snap out of it, and allow myself to still eat later on. By doing this, I control my calorie overage by a lot. A couple hundred isn't going to do much damage but 1500 over might.
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
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    Try overeaters anonymous. Google their site for meetings near you.
  • ProvenceBelle
    ProvenceBelle Posts: 38 Member
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    Overeaters Anon is fantastic advice. They can help. You may have to travel to find group in nearby town. It is worth it.
  • cbeau1991
    cbeau1991 Posts: 19 Member
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    I'm sorry you're struggling. Binge Eating Disorder is so debilitating. One thing that you might start thinking about is if something "triggers" the binging (e.g. strong negative emotions, stressful events, tiredness, etc). Learning what your triggers are may help you figure out what you can do to stop them.
  • emmerrs
    emmerrs Posts: 158 Member
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  • Skillet007
    Skillet007 Posts: 55 Member
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    Hey man (or gal). You can beat this, trust me. I know the feeling. It's like you're trapped inside your own body watching yourself from inside your head while you just throw the food back. It's that endorphin rush of getting that *one* thing that you are craving only to start binging as soon as you get it. Man, I know that feeling. I fight it almost every day. I know that you can beat it. You gotta find that foundation inside you and you have to be FIRM. You can't bargain with yourself. When you get that feeling you have to say NO and be done with it. Keep saying NO and it WILL get easier. When I feel the signs of a binge coming on, I'll drink a glass of water. After that I do make sure that I'm hungry and not bored or stress (which is my big trigger). I try to mitigate those and I'll have a snack. 9/10 times this will ground me and I can start thinking about eating dinner or lunch or whatever meal is next. Another thing that happens to me is that if I let myself get hungry, it'll trigger the binge feeling. I try to just have a bite of something every once in a while. Add me as a friend if you want to and I'll try to help you the best I can whenever you feel something coming on. I have been beating the binge for 70 days and counting now. It's getting easier. You can do it as well. I have faith in you. You just need to find your foundation, become resolute, and MAKE A PLAN. You got this!!!!!!
  • KasalovaJas
    KasalovaJas Posts: 6 Member
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    OA doesn't work for everyone, but you may very well find it to be the exact thing you need! I agree with another poster - start with small, realistic goals that have nothing to do with the scale. Eat as much as you want, but make healthier choices based on your goal way of eating. If you try and make all the necessary changes at one time, you will not succeed, but with small changes on a daily basis, and HONEST analysis of yourself, you will break this.

    Overcoming Binge Eating by Christopher Fairburn is a great book that was recommended to me by a doctor at an eating disorder clinic.

    I also follow a KETO way of eating - I find it much easier to handle as a person who has had issues with binge eating and compulsive overeating.

    Good luck, peace!