Feeling upset!! :( What do you to keep yourself from binging on ....

So, I realize when I'm close to binging one of two things has to happen:
1. Severe lack of sleep (talking 2+ days of nights of less than 4 or 5 hrs of sleep)
2. Someone or something sets me off. Like to the point I am so frustrated/pissed I want to go and grab a drink to cool off or grab something naughty to eat if I haven't eaten.

Normally I would exercise as my outlet. But what happens when you cannot do that in that given moment? And please don't tell me I should go talk to a friend blah blah blah when I get frustrated/pissed. I am not the type of person to spill every stupid frustrating moment to my family members and friends. That would be annoying.

What do you guys do to keep yourself from binging on food and/or alcohol when you're feeling upset/mad/frustrated etc?

Replies

tlflag1620

I'm a smoker, so... I smoke, lol. But I don't recommend you take that up! If you know you are tired, try to get a nap (obvious, I know, but even 20-30 min might be enough to prevent a binge). If you're pissed/stressed maybe try to get into the habit of exercising - it naturally relieves stress and will help increase calories burned, so if you do end up eating something "naughty" it might offset some of that. A brisk walk, some push ups, even simple jumping jacks gets the blood flowing, takes your mind off whatever is bothering you, and releases endorphins that will help you feel better. Meditation and/or yoga is also great for stress, and can be done virtually anywhere, but doesn't burn much calories (and if you're like me, when I pissed I'm too mad to even think about deep breathing and happy places and trees falling in the forest, lol). I know you said sometimes you can't exercise in the moment, but in those moments you also can't go grab a drink or something to eat either (I'm thinking being pissed at work or in the car or whatnot), so you will be delaying your reaction anyway. When you do get the chance to react to the stress, instead of getting a drink or eating off plan, get your body moving. Exercise doesn't have to happen in a gym.

KateTii

I never really used food as an outlet, but you need to treat the cause, not the symptoms.

Am I eating because i'm bored? Instead of finding tricks to stop me from eating, I need to find something to stop the boredom.

If you're frustrated/angry at a person, a good outlet is using the notes function on your phone (or an actual notepad) and vent your frustration. It's a harmless way to get the feelings out without actually venting to someone.

shadowfax_c11

I tend not to hold onto anger anymore but when I do have trouble letting it go, I unload negative feelings at the dojo. Having a safe and controlled environment where I can physically explore violence, has helped me a lot with dealing with day to day life stress and interpersonal relationship issues.

Sailor_Moon86

Read brain over binge. Your triggers will always exist- however never forget that you don't have to follow through with what your emotional brain wants. Same way you'd want to bash someone's face in if they pissed you off...a coworker a spouse...you wouldn't do it. Look at binging that way. Finding a replacement for binging doesn't work- the urge to binge will only go away with binging. Same way the urge to smoke only goes away with smoking. You can choose to let the urges hit you just simply know you can't follow through.

joujito556

I am developing the habit of asking myself whether I Am really Hungry before eating or there is something else. This makes me think of the urge......Sometimes This works!!! It helps me realize the real cause behind this urge. If I remember that I didn't get enough sleep i just take a nap or even relax and shut my eyes for 10 min. If I was emotionally upset and frustrated from someone, then I do write journals on my phone notes. You can send them (after calming down) or just erase everything ... I sometimes keep them for myself.
As mentioned earlier by other members, you need to find what works for you.

jsidogen

Positive vibes your way. Also, I highly suggest trying to meditate. I just started myself because I do find myself stressing out especially deep in this cut. Much luck and namaste.

Francl27

I realize that eating will just make me more upset if I end up going over my goal because of it, so I don't.

eldamiano

I try not to binge on cauliflower. It tastes disgusting....

Holly_Wood_888

As a past sugar binger and boredom eater I have two new habits
1. Drinking several herbal teas in the evening ( I pick up a new tea every couple weeks to keep it more interesting - So I must own about 10 or more teas to choose from
2. I found a new candy - 'Kerrs Light smoothies (no sugar added) - I usually eat 5 of those every night when I Feel like munching - otherwise I will snack on bell peppers or eat a whole tomato .
I think its all compromise and finding new options

DaisyHamilton

I know you don't want to talk to friends, but you can try a blog. It helps. I'm a smoker, too, like someone said above, and I definitely don't suggest taking that up.

kristen6350

I'm having one of those "no sleep" days. All I can think about are milk shakes, cake and cookies. None of which I will actually let myself have because I'll be more upset that I went over goal. When you aren't at your best it's hard to care. But you know if you let it get the best of you you'll be pretty mad at yourself.

I just pre-plan what I'll eat either the night before or that morning (I have a very lax work environment and an play with my numbers while eating breakfast. If I do pre-plan I know what i can eat. If I don't, it's a total free-for-all.

85Cardinals

eldamiano wrote: »

I try not to binge on cauliflower. It tastes disgusting....

Binge cherries are pretty good though.

Afura

Refocus myself (go for a drive, read a book, watch a movie, do some at home bodyweight exercise), remind myself it's definitely something I don't want to do to myself. If I do breakdown and eat/drink something, I don't beat myself up about it and continue to try and do better, or take calories away from something else to make up for it.

sanfromny

jax_006 wrote: »

So, I realize when I'm close to binging one of two things has to happen:
1. Severe lack of sleep (talking 2+ days of nights of less than 4 or 5 hrs of sleep)
2. Someone or something sets me off. Like to the point I am so frustrated/pissed I want to go and grab a drink to cool off or grab something naughty to eat if I haven't eaten.

Normally I would exercise as my outlet. But what happens when you cannot do that in that given moment? And please don't tell me I should go talk to a friend blah blah blah when I get frustrated/pissed. I am not the type of person to spill every stupid frustrating moment to my family members and friends. That would be annoying.

What do you guys do to keep yourself from binging on food and/or alcohol when you're feeling upset/mad/frustrated etc?

If you can grab a drink when you're pissed, can you hit a workout instead? A good 20-30 minutes kickboxing video imagining knocking the cat stuffing out of someone makes me feel so much better.

After that I don't want anything to drink but water!

CChen8520

I keep snacks around. protein bars, almonds, etc. I get frustrated at work every now and then, if i don't have healthy snacks at hand I'd rush to the vending machine for chips and candy.

RoseTheWarrior

Eating doesn't solve problems. In fact, you just add guild to whatever is stressing you out already. I used to be an emotional eater. Now, I accept that I just need to deal with whatever is upsetting me, and get over it. Being fat doesn't make me feel better.

brb_2013

Ihave always used food as an outlet. Now when I'm grouchy and wanting to eat my feelings I go to my room. Yep, like a time out for a kid. I am a nanny and I work with 3.5 yo twins. When they're that upset they get what we call a breather, not a time out in a punishment sense but a "you need to be alone to sort through your feelings" for me this means talking out loud to myself or writing. I calm myself down until rational brain takes over again. There's no food in the room, the rest of my house is basically open next to the kitchen so a bedroom breather is how I have been breaking that habit.

Yesterday was a tough day for me, then came home to realize the pork for dinner had gone bad and I had to run back out to the store which I hate having to do, then for some reason roommate was home hours early so no alone time for me (very important to my mental health) then my partner came home and saw how frustrated I was with the messy kitchen no one helps with so he tried to clean while I was cooking (one person kitchen!!) Had to ask him to stop and wait so I could cook. Then I burned the yummy coating off the new pork chops and i lost it. Wanted to eat the rest of the box of oreos and cry. Instead I grabbed an ice water,turned off the stove and went to my room for 15 minutes to chill. I didn't eat the oreos and I'm pretty proud cause I usually would have eaten them all.

Stefan_Bogdan

jax_006 wrote: »

So, I realize when I'm close to binging one of two things has to happen:
1. Severe lack of sleep (talking 2+ days of nights of less than 4 or 5 hrs of sleep)
2. Someone or something sets me off. Like to the point I am so frustrated/pissed I want to go and grab a drink to cool off or grab something naughty to eat if I haven't eaten.

Normally I would exercise as my outlet. But what happens when you cannot do that in that given moment? And please don't tell me I should go talk to a friend blah blah blah when I get frustrated/pissed. I am not the type of person to spill every stupid frustrating moment to my family members and friends. That would be annoying.

What do you guys do to keep yourself from binging on food and/or alcohol when you're feeling upset/mad/frustrated etc?

Call somebody , or write to somebody , or watch a youtube with fail compilations

Or talk to good looking guys , like me haha

JeromeBarry1

You have described a sleep problem. Have you tried addressing that one independently?

You have also described relationship problems. Have you tried addressing those independently?

Addressing a second-order eating problem is not going to fix your first-order problems.

kshama2001

jax_006 wrote: »

So, I realize when I'm close to binging one of two things has to happen:
1. Severe lack of sleep (talking 2+ days of nights of less than 4 or 5 hrs of sleep)
2. Someone or something sets me off. Like to the point I am so frustrated/pissed I want to go and grab a drink to cool off or grab something naughty to eat if I haven't eaten.

Normally I would exercise as my outlet. But what happens when you cannot do that in that given moment? And please don't tell me I should go talk to a friend blah blah blah when I get frustrated/pissed. I am not the type of person to spill every stupid frustrating moment to my family members and friends. That would be annoying.

What do you guys do to keep yourself from binging on food and/or alcohol when you're feeling upset/mad/frustrated etc?

I too use exercise to relieve stress. I can't picture a scenarios where I could binge on food or booze but not go for a walk.

kshama2001

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

You have described a sleep problem. Have you tried addressing that one independently?

You have also described relationship problems. Have you tried addressing those independently?

Addressing a second-order eating problem is not going to fix your first-order problems.

Agreed.

Chargunshow

Understanding your triggers is the first step in making a change. So that's great...I am a boredom eater and a stress eater. Knowing that and being aware sometimes helps me make better choices. I think it's a process to rewire our brains to make different choices. Basically, we need a new list of things to try when our first inclination is to eat all the food. Some of the other responses listed great options...tea, ice water, time out, a walk, writing out the feelings. I suggest you come up with a list of things you can try.

On another note, while dealing with the root cause is often a viable option, sometimes it is not. My ex is not going away and I don't hold much hope that he is going to change his narcissist controlling ways and I have to deal with him as long as we are both raising our son. In this case, reading, going to counseling, talking to friends have all helped me to understand his dysfunction and my reaction to it. Doesn't lessen the frustration or anger...but that's where my list sometimes helps.

Cathscottage

This is a really fascinating topic and I can see that everyone handles stress in different ways. Thank you for all sharing. I am currently doing a 12 week fitness challenge and the focus is on curbing the binges by doing something active. After all it is the endorphins that make us feel great during and after a workout. Also have included green tea, water and just hanging on for ten minutes and deep breathing. I think it is a matter of finding what works for you. If you were to binge then eat something healthy according to my food coach. It is not easy to change a lifetime of eating habits, but we are all on the same page. Everyone has different solutions for binge restraint and it is a matter of finding what your triggers are and avoiding those triggers or having options in place to help yourself. It also takes time to develop new habits 21 days the experts say. Remember please try and keep in mind that you deserve to be fit, healthy and worthy or a great body and mind. Only you can make that happen

Springfield1970

Study mindfulness. It makes your pre frontal cortex more activated so you are less likely to resort to impulse. Also the act of meditation stops you avoiding or obsessing and brings anxiety levels to minimum.

I studied the 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, I believe you can also do it online.

It's changed everything. I still want to binge, but I have an armour now.

I also use it to get back to sleep as I am often wide awake in the middle of the night (which is quite natural by the way, look up bi phasal sleeping).

cbihatt

Turn the radio on, top volume, and scream out the lyrics to some rock songs. Write in a journal. Take a drive or a walk. Get on MFP and read the message boards. Pet a cat or dog. Play Mah Jong. Chug some water.

I think the main thing is to recognize that eating a ton of food will ultimately make you feel worse. Pick a few strategies and try one after the other until you find something that works for you.

zyxst

Say what you want out loud. Myself, I vent out loud and go punch something inanimate.

alittlelife14

I have this same issue and am trying to get better sleep. When I feel myself about to turn to food I try hard to chew on gum brush teeth or chug wster hardcore or drink a diet soda. Sometimes helps.