how to stop binge eating ???

My nutritionist swears that if you drink green tea when you have a sweet craving, within 5 minutes your craving will go away. I think I should actually try this myself because I have the same exact problem!!!

well, that's certainly worth a try : )

This has been a problem for me since I was 9. They only way to get a grip on it is to make sure I do not have those sorts of foods in my house. It does not stop a binge, but at least when I do binge, I am eating better foods.

Also, find out what the underlying meaning is. Personally mine is anxiety, depression, PTSD and getting help with those helped the binge eating a great deal.

Usually binge eating is in combination with a mental health situation, others might just tell you to stop overeating. I can tell everyone it is a real problem.

I have found another thing that helps is to take the dogs for a walk when I feel a binge coming on or find something that keeps my hands busy. I am a writer, so I do a lot of that. Pays the bills a lot quicker!

I, like you, have binge-eating-disorder. It is not a matter of willpower for me any more than not drinking is a matter of willpower for an alcoholic. I am sure there will be those who disagree with me there. But, the fact remain that it is just not as simple as having the willpower to stop for some of us.
What helps me is trying to apply the 12 steps of AA to my B-E-D. When I start binging and feeling out of control I know that there is something in my life that I need to pay attention to. My binges usually coincide with times I am feeling lonely or afraid.
One thing that helps me a lot, also, is exercise. I know there are countless articles about the effects of regular exercise on mental health issues like depression. It is certainly true in my case. Endorphins, maybe. But it is much easier for me to control the B-E-D when I am regularly exercising.

Jumping on this boat with both of you guys. This is why I had to point out that it is not a self-control thing for many people.

i have what my roommate and i call the 'poverty line' solution. we were living pay check to paycheck and planned meals, including how long the leftovers would last. we didn't buy processed foods and we cooked everything ourselves. if we would binge...we were SOL when it came to food until the next time we could buy groceries. i think we binged once.

my other suggestion is that you get tested for wheat/flour allergies. before i cut gluten from my diet i could eat boxes of pasta, and bags of ravioli and still be hungry because my body couldn't digest/process/break down the gluten so it wasn't absorbing the nutrients. Once I cut out gluten I had a much easier time controlling my binge eating. Except when it comes to apples and spinach. I'll eat them by the bag.

I have been struggling with this my entire life... including 15 years as a bulimic...
I know that ending binges IS possible because there was a time when I thought not throwing up after my ridiculous binges wasn't, and it was...
It wasn't easy, but it was possible...
The key is finding something that you love more than what ever you hate that leads you to binge because lets face it, losing yourself in food is just that, loosing yourself because you don't like what you have in front of you.
Over the years I have learned that there are some foods that will never be safe foods for me to eat in small quantities, so either I plan a large meal with them (I refuse to call it a binge because that implies a lack of control) or I fight to avoid them.
Another thing that I found helps is forgiving yourself for all the times who were unable to control your eating and recognizing the value of the lesson learned by a) acknowledging the binge was wrong and b) getting back up and having another kick at the can.
There is nothing easy in winning this particular war, but then, by definition wars rarely are, so ask yourself, are you worth the fight?
If the answer is yes remind yourself of that each* time you go to battle.
Good Luck, you can TOTALLY do this!

-Ella

*Funny, when I reread to check for erros I had originally written eat instead of each... pretty telling typo, don't you think?

I just ate an entire pint of Froyo Half Baked (Ben and Jerrys) which is 800 calories. Hell yeah.

It's pretty simple really. Save yourself some calories for later in the day after a good hard exercise session (especially outdoors) and then chow down on your favorite ice cream or comfort food. Eat the whole tub of whatever you want and you'll still have calories left over as long as you adjust earlier in the day to leave some room.

Last summer I mountain biked every day in the sun. Every single day after mountain biking I would eat an entire pint of ice cream. I went through every Ben and Jerry's flavor. Cinnamon Bun is by far the best in case you're wondering. If you put the effort in, you can eat foods that you REALLY enjoy. Just plan around it if you think you're going to have one of those days.

I just ate an entire pint of Froyo Half Baked (Ben and Jerrys) which is 800 calories. Hell yeah.

It's pretty simple really. Save yourself some calories for later in the day after a good hard exercise session (especially outdoors) and then chow down on your favorite ice cream or comfort food. Eat the whole tub of whatever you want and you'll still have calories left over as long as you adjust earlier in the day to leave some room.

Last summer I mountain biked every day in the sun. Every single day after mountain biking I would eat an entire pint of ice cream. I went through every Ben and Jerry's flavor. Cinnamon Bun is by far the best in case you're wondering. If you put the effort in, you can eat foods that you REALLY enjoy. Just plan around it if you think you're going to have one of those days.

aaah don't listen to this ranger! if certain foods trigger you it might be best to avoid them, you can re-train your taste buds as far as satisfying a sweet craving goes. if you lower your sugar intake, you won't crave it as much. if you go overboard with food a lot there might be more to it than just an eating thing... like a psychological/emotional reason behind it.

I just ate an entire pint of Froyo Half Baked (Ben and Jerrys) which is 800 calories. Hell yeah.

It's pretty simple really. Save yourself some calories for later in the day after a good hard exercise session (especially outdoors) and then chow down on your favorite ice cream or comfort food. Eat the whole tub of whatever you want and you'll still have calories left over as long as you adjust earlier in the day to leave some room.

Last summer I mountain biked every day in the sun. Every single day after mountain biking I would eat an entire pint of ice cream. I went through every Ben and Jerry's flavor. Cinnamon Bun is by far the best in case you're wondering. If you put the effort in, you can eat foods that you REALLY enjoy. Just plan around it if you think you're going to have one of those days.

aaah don't listen to this ranger! if certain foods trigger you it might be best to avoid them, you can re-train your taste buds as far as satisfying a sweet craving goes. if you lower your sugar intake, you won't crave it as much. if you go overboard with food a lot there might be more to it than just an eating thing... like a psychological/emotional reason behind it.

Fair enough. I'm just not a fan of restricting foods that are enjoyable, especially for long term happiness/eating habits. I like eating veggies and all the healthy stuff but sometimes after a long day in the sun, Ben and Jerry's becomes a staple food. It must be a California thing. ;-)

didn't read all the posts...too much to read before bed :-) BUT i will say that avoiding buying trigger foods for home is a good first step. i stopped buying juice and soda bc i'll drink those before drinking water. if i ONLY have water in the house then i'll ONLY drink water.

another tool is to allow yourself to go OUT to buy a special food, but get the child size (i.e. kid's frosty) and if the place is within walking distance walk there and ONLY carry enough money to get the smallest item (like no more than $5).

finally, my cousin has a weakness for sweets (especially cupcakes). let's say she buys a dozen cupcakes in a moment of weakness and brings them home. she'll give herself permission to eat a few and then WINDEX the rest before throwing them away. it sounds silly/gross, but it makes it impossible to say "oh, they're still in the box, they're not REALLY in the trash"

baring any diagnosable impulse control problems it'll get easier. make small goals and remember to PRAISE YOURSELF when you exercise control over the binge!

The answers on this thread are a great help and comfort to me. I've only just realized what a problem my compulsive overeating had become, and how my whole life is designed around food. Leanne says it well- I just want to stop thinking about food all the time, I just want to wake up one day and not care what I'll have to eat that day. Arwen, I had a trail mix binge last week too!

This has been a problem for me since I was 9. They only way to get a grip on it is to make sure I do not have those sorts of foods in my house. It does not stop a binge, but at least when I do binge, I am eating better foods.

Also, find out what the underlying meaning is. Personally mine is anxiety, depression, PTSD and getting help with those helped the binge eating a great deal.

Usually binge eating is in combination with a mental health situation, others might just tell you to stop overeating. I can tell everyone it is a real problem.

I have found another thing that helps is to take the dogs for a walk when I feel a binge coming on or find something that keeps my hands busy. I am a writer, so I do a lot of that. Pays the bills a lot quicker!

I, like you, have binge-eating-disorder. It is not a matter of willpower for me any more than not drinking is a matter of willpower for an alcoholic. I am sure there will be those who disagree with me there. But, the fact remain that it is just not as simple as having the willpower to stop for some of us.
What helps me is trying to apply the 12 steps of AA to my B-E-D. When I start binging and feeling out of control I know that there is something in my life that I need to pay attention to. My binges usually coincide with times I am feeling lonely or afraid.
One thing that helps me a lot, also, is exercise. I know there are countless articles about the effects of regular exercise on mental health issues like depression. It is certainly true in my case. Endorphins, maybe. But it is much easier for me to control the B-E-D when I am regularly exercising.

Jumping on this boat with both of you guys. This is why I had to point out that it is not a self-control thing for many people.

Add me to this bandwagon. For me binging has nothing to do with actually eating and everything to do with emotions. Mine specifically are anxiety and loneliness. I can pretty easily put some congnitive therapy tools to work when I'm fully rested, etc. Exercise is HUGE for me also. When I'm in a good exercise routine, I don't feel the need to binge near as much. But, get me tired, having a bad day, been too busy to workout for a day or two and feeling sorry for myself and it's a recipe for disaster. It happens much less for me now - but it still happens. In fact, it just happened last night. I binged less than normal, but I binged. Luckily for me my binges are just a few hour occurence usually, but I easily eat 2,000 calories during those two hours.

For some people (like the four of us), it certainly isn't as easy as "get some self control," you have to recognize it is not about food and deal with the underlaying issue. If this is your issue, I think you know it in your gut - there is a big difference between eating because you want a few cookies and binging because of emotional issues.

Your're not alone, i have that problem. Try and do something to distract you? Like have a bath or brush your teeth, go for a run? I know its hard, my self control goes out the window sometimes. I think its ok to have the off bad days as long as you get back on track and appreciate the good days x