I'm developing a binge eating problem
MissFlawed
Posts: 89 Member
Alright, I've always had quite an appetite. I rarely ever feel satisfied. But now I'm almost 23 and things are getting worse.
The worst part is, I don't know how to stop it. On normal days, it takes me 3000 calories (or more) to feel alright.. And I'm a 5f2 girl, not some huge bodybuilder. Of course, I'm gaining weight, rapidly.
I tried to stop it, tried to figure out where this behaviour is coming from. Got my blood results, I'm as healthy as I can be. Tried filling up on protein and fiber, this made it worse. Small meals throughout the day didn't help either.
The behaviour seems totally random. I can be doing fine for a few days.. I even had a day where I ate 1000 kcal in the morning and was totally okay with 400kcal for dinner, not feeling hungry during the day.
Then there are days where I consume 8000 kcal and I'm still feeling weak and craving more.
I literally eat until I feel sick.. And even then, I might eat more.
What I have noticed is that I eat way less while at work.. When I'm actively busy doing something and there is no food available, I feel fine. Bad thing is, the hours I spend at home, I eat.. (Even when occupied) I can't stay out of the house forever.
Emotions don't seem to influence it either.. Stressed or not, I just eat. I'm not starving myself either. My goal would be 1300kcal-1400.. I'm a small girl that isn't very active (I do walk 10k steps daily).. That shouldn't be too extreme, right? I eat plenty of fruits, eggs, tuna, lean meats and vegetables.
Any tips, advice or similar stories to share?
Sorry for my English btw, it isn't my mother tongue.
The worst part is, I don't know how to stop it. On normal days, it takes me 3000 calories (or more) to feel alright.. And I'm a 5f2 girl, not some huge bodybuilder. Of course, I'm gaining weight, rapidly.
I tried to stop it, tried to figure out where this behaviour is coming from. Got my blood results, I'm as healthy as I can be. Tried filling up on protein and fiber, this made it worse. Small meals throughout the day didn't help either.
The behaviour seems totally random. I can be doing fine for a few days.. I even had a day where I ate 1000 kcal in the morning and was totally okay with 400kcal for dinner, not feeling hungry during the day.
Then there are days where I consume 8000 kcal and I'm still feeling weak and craving more.
I literally eat until I feel sick.. And even then, I might eat more.
What I have noticed is that I eat way less while at work.. When I'm actively busy doing something and there is no food available, I feel fine. Bad thing is, the hours I spend at home, I eat.. (Even when occupied) I can't stay out of the house forever.
Emotions don't seem to influence it either.. Stressed or not, I just eat. I'm not starving myself either. My goal would be 1300kcal-1400.. I'm a small girl that isn't very active (I do walk 10k steps daily).. That shouldn't be too extreme, right? I eat plenty of fruits, eggs, tuna, lean meats and vegetables.
Any tips, advice or similar stories to share?
Sorry for my English btw, it isn't my mother tongue.
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Replies
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Are you seeing a pattern in your macros on the days you feel more satiated? (I.e., are they higher protein or higher carb?) You may want to plan your meals in advance, make sure you're eating at a frequency so you don't have time to feel hungry between meals, and full of foods that satiate you. I know everyone talks about protein being really satisfying but for me carbs fill the void, so if I'm having one of those hungry days I make sure to fill my calories with pasta.
Because you're feeling this hunger when you're at home then it sounds like you're binging out of boredom. Can you find an activity/hobby that occupies you in your free time? Not something passive like reading or watching TV, but something that requires your hands. (Knitting? Puzzles?) Then if you get the "I want it in my mouth" feeling do your hobby.0 -
You need professional help. MFP is not that.0
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I've been much like this before. I didn't even enjoy the food I was stuffing into my mouth each day. It's like trying to fill a black void in your life with food. An emptiness in your life. I personally find I'm like this when things in my life aren't all that great.
Firstly get rid of the food. If it's not there you can't eat it. I now shop twice a week and always have it delivered so I don't pick up extra things. Plan your meals and stick with the food you need. Basically if it's not there you can't eat it.
But...you have to deal with the route problem and only you know what that may be. Time for a hobbie or even some councilling maybe.
Sorry I can't be more help just mostly saying your not alone. Xx0 -
MissFlawed wrote: »What I have noticed is that I eat way less while at work.. When I'm actively busy doing something and there is no food available, I feel fine. Bad thing is, the hours I spend at home, I eat.. (Even when occupied) I can't stay out of the house forever.
One thing I do is eat very little during the day (a protein bar or protein shake lately, cup of coffee for breakfast) and save all my calories for dinner. That way I can eat a 1,000 calorie dinner quite often. I plan ahead what I'm going to eat.
Have sweets/snacks in the house means I WILL EAT THEM. So I don't have snacks in the house. But do eat big meals. In ye olden times they called this disordered eating. Now we can call it Intermittent Fasting and be cool. It works for me anyways.0 -
DearestWinter wrote: »Are you seeing a pattern in your macros on the days you feel more satiated? (I.e., are they higher protein or higher carb?) You may want to plan your meals in advance, make sure you're eating at a frequency so you don't have time to feel hungry between meals, and full of foods that satiate you. I know everyone talks about protein being really satisfying but for me carbs fill the void, so if I'm having one of those hungry days I make sure to fill my calories with pasta.
Because you're feeling this hunger when you're at home then it sounds like you're binging out of boredom. Can you find an activity/hobby that occupies you in your free time? Not something passive like reading or watching TV, but something that requires your hands. (Knitting? Puzzles?) Then if you get the "I want it in my mouth" feeling do your hobby.
It really is quite random.. Nothing makes me feel satiated. No matter what I eat or don't eat.
I do think I binge out of boredom.. Haven't found anything yet that really keeps me occupied enough.0 -
CrabNebula wrote: »You need professional help. MFP is not that.
I'm already in counseling. It's not helping much so far though.0 -
jennyduffield wrote: »I've been much like this before. I didn't even enjoy the food I was stuffing into my mouth each day. It's like trying to fill a black void in your life with food. An emptiness in your life. I personally find I'm like this when things in my life aren't all that great.
Firstly get rid of the food. If it's not there you can't eat it. I now shop twice a week and always have it delivered so I don't pick up extra things. Plan your meals and stick with the food you need. Basically if it's not there you can't eat it.
But...you have to deal with the route problem and only you know what that may be. Time for a hobbie or even some councilling maybe.
Sorry I can't be more help just mostly saying your not alone. Xx
Sounds very relatable.. The route problem is that I suffer from very serious anhedonia (an inability to feel pleasure).. However, it's been like that for quite some time (10 years) and so far it doesn't look like it will change.. It's nice to know I'm not alone though.
Food planning sounds like a good idea. I'll try making a week plan tomorrow..
As for the sweets and snacks, I have a partner who loves those... So I need to find a way how I can keep myself away from them.
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blues4miles wrote: »
One thing I do is eat very little during the day (a protein bar or protein shake lately, cup of coffee for breakfast) and save all my calories for dinner. That way I can eat a 1,000 calorie dinner quite often. I plan ahead what I'm going to eat.
Have sweets/snacks in the house means I WILL EAT THEM. So I don't have snacks in the house. But do eat big meals. In ye olden times they called this disordered eating. Now we can call it Intermittent Fasting and be cool. It works for me anyways.
Sounds like a good idea. I already noticed that getting rid of breakfast helps. If I start to eat, I start to binge.. If I don't eat however, no problem.
Perhaps I should go for a 300kcal lunch and save 1000 kcal for dinner as well. Thanks.0 -
I'm just impressed, I don't think I can eat 8000 cals in a day.
Also, small breakfast large dinner works nicely for me. Don't usually do lunch since dinner is early. Drink water and coffee.0 -
I'm just impressed, I don't think I can eat 8000 cals in a day.
Also, small breakfast large dinner works nicely for me. Don't usually do lunch since dinner is early. Drink water and coffee.
I can do 10.000. And that for a small girl.
Most impressive thing is that I'm not overweight yet, not even 'fat, just a bit chubby. That will change if I keep this up though.
Yeah, I really like the idea of having a large dinner. Will try that.. No coffee though, that makes me feel weak/hungry.0 -
MissFlawed wrote: »I'm just impressed, I don't think I can eat 8000 cals in a day.
Also, small breakfast large dinner works nicely for me. Don't usually do lunch since dinner is early. Drink water and coffee.
I can do 10.000. And that for a small girl.
Most impressive thing is that I'm not overweight yet, not even 'fat, just a bit chubby. That will change if I keep this up though.
Yeah, I really like the idea of having a large dinner. Will try that.. No coffee though, that makes me feel weak/hungry.
I like that feeling of eating a big meal sometimes, which I think you understand. I found that once I stopped eating a lot every meal, I didn't crave the large meals all the time - my body is more indifferent to food if I'm not exercising. Eventually I found out when I was actually hungry, and when I was eating to just eat. So I get by with the minimum on breakfast to satisfy me and let myself enjoy dinner. I don't count calories and just keep myself feeling satisfied during the day and lost a decent bit of weight just doing that.0 -
MissFlawed wrote: »DearestWinter wrote: »Are you seeing a pattern in your macros on the days you feel more satiated? (I.e., are they higher protein or higher carb?) You may want to plan your meals in advance, make sure you're eating at a frequency so you don't have time to feel hungry between meals, and full of foods that satiate you. I know everyone talks about protein being really satisfying but for me carbs fill the void, so if I'm having one of those hungry days I make sure to fill my calories with pasta.
Because you're feeling this hunger when you're at home then it sounds like you're binging out of boredom. Can you find an activity/hobby that occupies you in your free time? Not something passive like reading or watching TV, but something that requires your hands. (Knitting? Puzzles?) Then if you get the "I want it in my mouth" feeling do your hobby.
It really is quite random.. Nothing makes me feel satiated. No matter what I eat or don't eat.
I do think I binge out of boredom.. Haven't found anything yet that really keeps me occupied enough.
I don't think you know what satiated means. It doesn't mean that you feel incapable of eating or that food doesn't sound good anymore. It means you're not hungry. Does a bowl of ice cream sound good? Sure. When does that not sound good? You're not starving however. Try fasting till dinner. Seriously. Wake up in the morning and eat nothing (Unless you're diabetic). You'll feel "hungry" at first but then eventually you'll really be hungry and you'll learn the difference.
Something that helped me out a lot was trying Intermittent Fasting for a few months. I only ate between 2 pm and 10 pm. I think that opened my eyes up to the difference between hungry and actually needing food. I eventually got to the point that some days it would be 4pm, 2 hours past my eating window, and I still hadn't had a bite. I just didn't feel it yet. It's pretty difficult to eat 3000 calories in that amount of time too unless you're eating very calorie dense foods.
the only down-side I found was that I liked to workout in the evening and some days I would be too full to be comfortable doing so. I had to switch back to eating breakfast too so that I could comfortably consume the calories I needed.0 -
I have the exact same problems; I'm also 22 and 5'2'! Unfortunately, I haven't figured out a "cure" for it yet, but just know you aren't alone. I tend to do alright on weekdays when I work and have a schedule, but on the weekends I'm just a mess.0
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I see Monday you had a much smaller breakfast than other days and you ate a much higher percentage of protein that meal. I suggest you pay attention to your macros and satiety for each meal - write down the ratios and how full you feel afterwards. See if you can find a connection.
Also, how are you sleeping? I want to eat and eat and eat on days I am sleep deprived.0 -
MissFlawed wrote: »CrabNebula wrote: »You need professional help. MFP is not that.
I'm already in counseling. It's not helping much so far though.
Have you told your counselor you can binge 8000 calories a day? You need to be upfront about that, if you haven't been.0 -
I don't recognize a lot of the foods you eat - if you're a vegan, my vegan friends base their diet around legumes and seitan. If you're a vegetarian, that plus eggs. If you're an omnivore, eat more meat.
I did figure out two things you eat for breakfast is quite a lot of bread plus a chocolate/nut spread like Nutella. I wouldn't find that satiating either. If you eat eggs, try eggs and veggies and beans or a high fiber bread - just one slice.0 -
I don't think you know what satiated means. It doesn't mean that you feel incapable of eating or that food doesn't sound good anymore. It means you're not hungry. Does a bowl of ice cream sound good? Sure. When does that not sound good? You're not starving however. Try fasting till dinner. Seriously. Wake up in the morning and eat nothing (Unless you're diabetic). You'll feel "hungry" at first but then eventually you'll really be hungry and you'll learn the difference.
Trying it out today, we'll see if I can keep it up.Something that helped me out a lot was trying Intermittent Fasting for a few months. I only ate between 2 pm and 10 pm. I think that opened my eyes up to the difference between hungry and actually needing food. I eventually got to the point that some days it would be 4pm, 2 hours past my eating window, and I still hadn't had a bite. I just didn't feel it yet. It's pretty difficult to eat 3000 calories in that amount of time too unless you're eating very calorie dense foods.
Remember that 8000 kcal? I ate that in three hours. So even if I could eat for only an hour a day, it's about self control...the only down-side I found was that I liked to workout in the evening and some days I would be too full to be comfortable doing so. I had to switch back to eating breakfast too so that I could comfortably consume the calories I needed.
Yeah, I was thinking about that as well. I work out when I have the time for it, which is usually in the morning or during lunch break, won't I feel very weak if I don't eat?0 -
shelbyrose93 wrote: »I have the exact same problems; I'm also 22 and 5'2'! Unfortunately, I haven't figured out a "cure" for it yet, but just know you aren't alone. I tend to do alright on weekdays when I work and have a schedule, but on the weekends I'm just a mess.
I work during the weekends, which explains why I'm a mess during the week (I'm a college student).
Sad to hear that you're having the same problem, how long has it been this way?0 -
ClosetBayesian wrote: »MissFlawed wrote: »CrabNebula wrote: »You need professional help. MFP is not that.
I'm already in counseling. It's not helping much so far though.
Have you told your counselor you can binge 8000 calories a day? You need to be upfront about that, if you haven't been.
I have. I've been as upfront as I can be. I even told him that so far his techniques aren't working for me.. But he doesn't really seem to know another way to help.. I might go to another one.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I see Monday you had a much smaller breakfast than other days and you ate a much higher percentage of protein that meal. I suggest you pay attention to your macros and satiety for each meal - write down the ratios and how full you feel afterwards. See if you can find a connection.
Also, how are you sleeping? I want to eat and eat and eat on days I am sleep deprived.
It seems that when I eat breakfast, I'm hungrier throughout the day. That's one thing I'm sure of.
I'll write everything down and see if I can find anything else, thanks for the advice.
Yeah, I eat more when I'm tired as well.. Bad thing is that I'm always tired. Not because of sleep deprivation though.
I also notice that if I have one of those slow mornings (where I'm not productive untill 2 pm), I'll binge. My mornings really depend my mood. If I can't get moving, I feel defeated for the rest of the day.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I don't recognize a lot of the foods you eat - if you're a vegan, my vegan friends base their diet around legumes and seitan. If you're a vegetarian, that plus eggs. If you're an omnivore, eat more meat.
That's just the Dutch language I think
. I'm vegan for one day a week, vegetarian for three days a week and on the other days I eat fish and poultry.
kshama2001 wrote: »I did figure out two things you eat for breakfast is quite a lot of bread plus a chocolate/nut spread like Nutella. I wouldn't find that satiating either. If you eat eggs, try eggs and veggies and beans or a high fiber bread - just one slice.
Yeah, that was the day I binged the 8000 kcal. Normally, I avoid bread like a plague. I have a partner however, who eats bread and chocolate spread for lunch at work. So bread is available again in my house and I binged on it.
I put it in the freezer yesterday evening so it won't be available as easily.0 -
MissFlawed wrote: »shelbyrose93 wrote: »I have the exact same problems; I'm also 22 and 5'2'! Unfortunately, I haven't figured out a "cure" for it yet, but just know you aren't alone. I tend to do alright on weekdays when I work and have a schedule, but on the weekends I'm just a mess.
I work during the weekends, which explains why I'm a mess during the week (I'm a college student).
Sad to hear that you're having the same problem, how long has it been this way?
About 5 years
but over time I've somehow managed to control it a little better. I gained a lot of weight my first year of college, but I've lost it since then. I think it's because I now tend to binge on things that aren't as dense in calories?? For instance, my freshman year in college a Papa John's was steps away from my dorm.... you do the math haha. Instead of gaining these days, I tend to yo-yo up and down weekly. 0 -
The more you do that the more youre stretching out your stretching out your stomach making more room for food.0
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Keep a lot of healthy snacks around. Veggies and hummus or greek yogurt...then at least when you binge, you wont consume 8000+ calories. Are you getting enough fat in your diet? Sometimes when you eat all low fat, it doesn't satiate as much. Also, try playing video games. I know it's a weird suggestion, but it will keep both your mind and hands occupied.0
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It may be an idea to try and distract yourself when you are at home like doing jobs around the house, going for a short walk etc.0
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