How to stop binge eating?

bbgun714
bbgun714 Posts: 7 Member
edited December 2 in Health and Weight Loss
im relatively young, so my binge eating hasn't really caught up to me yet. In the past year i have gained fifteen pounds from binge eating, and it all started after a harsh breakup. After the breakup, I started eating really badly and not exersizing, and i have been trying to stop this for a while now. Let's make this clear - I am getting enough calories, just sometimes I lose control and I need methods to help me stop. I am only binging because it's a bad habit I need to get out of, any tips?

Also, the binge eatings aren't severe anymore, and they're way less frequent nowadays, I would just like to stop once in for all.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Meal plan!
  • MalcolmX1983
    MalcolmX1983 Posts: 214 Member
    Time your meals and have snacks in between.
    Log everything you eat, even if it's a salad.

    Drinking more water helped me get rid of this habit.
  • angelamurrey
    angelamurrey Posts: 4 Member
    If it really is a habit, it takes roughly 21 days to retrain your body to change. If you can get through that time frame, it will be much easier to kick it for good. Same for any routine behaviors as well. Good luck to you.
  • alyssa_rest
    alyssa_rest Posts: 276 Member
    ^^ this. Pack your meals and snacks everyday so when you do get an urge, you're more tempted to grab something you brought. I'm a sweet snacker... I can't resist... so I keep fruits on hand at all times to trump that sugar craving. It's discipline, but it's also easier when you have healthy items handy!
  • glitzy196
    glitzy196 Posts: 190 Member
    Gum, or brush your teeth. For me food just doesn't taste good then, i also buy a really over powering tooth paste.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    what are you binging on? Can you pre-portion those out somehow? Like, if it's peanut butter, for a while stop buying jars of peanut butter and buy those 200 calories single-serving thingies. Or if it's a bag of oreos, buy the bag and some ziplock baggies, then when you get home pre-portion the entire container of oreos into single serving bags. Yes, it's more expensive to buy single-serving, pre-packaged stuff and it's worse on the environment. But maybe you'll only need to do it for a couple months until your brain "sees" a single portion better and doesn't have as big of an urge to eat more than one.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    I stopped buying the foods that made me want to overeat, like chips, donuts, etc. It helps a lot.
  • benzieboxx
    benzieboxx Posts: 253 Member
    Stopping my binge habit took a lot of hard work on my end. I had to really pay attention to my moods and recognize my own behaviors that lead me to bingeing on food. Meal planning helps, having healthy snacks helps, but the main thing is to be very aware of yourself. I would start feeling bad about something or I would get stressed out from something and catch myself reaching for food. I would stop and re-evaluate why I was feeling this way. Is this stressor out of my control? Yes? Then why am I getting myself so upset? Is the stressor something you can control? Then fix it and don't hide your emotions with food. What also helped was distracting myself. I started picking up lots of different hobbies, like coloring books! Those seem to be the rage right now.
  • jaidenhales156
    jaidenhales156 Posts: 8 Member
    Time your meals throughout the day and count your calories. Try saving some of your calories for the time period you would always end up binging or feel hungry. For example I would get late night cravings so I would always leave a good amount of calories for then. Feel free to add me and ask any questions.
  • idabest777
    idabest777 Posts: 97 Member
    I used to always binge eat at night after I had my supper. I was able to stop by planning to go to the gym in the evening so that I would HAVE to stop eating by a certain time in order to actually be able to work out without cramps. I usually still have snacks after my supper, but having a specific cut off time really helped to get it under control.
  • bbgun714
    bbgun714 Posts: 7 Member
    jaidenhales156 wrote: »
    Time your meals throughout the day and count your calories. Try saving some of your calories for the time period you would always end up binging or feel hungry. For example I would get late night cravings so I would always leave a good amount of calories for then. Feel free to add me and ask any questions.

    Thanks! I'll do that! Mind if I add you for support? I usually get cravings right after I come home from work, which is usually around 3:00. I am going to start saving calories for then so I'm not hungry, it also usually happens if I find my planned dinner to be too boring or not filling enough.

  • madammags
    madammags Posts: 97 Member
    I don't know if it'll help you, but it makes a huge difference for me: Try to make sure you get enough sleep and try to minimise other stresses in your life.
    I know this is easier said than done, but I also know that for me, binges are MUCH more likely to happen if I'm tired or otherwise burnt out or upset than if I'm not.
    Good habits can reinforce each other and there is actually such a thing as 'willpower fatigue', making good decisions that aren't habitual becomes tougher when you are stressed or have already been repeatedly challenged.
  • amw8675309
    amw8675309 Posts: 95 Member
    i think it's important to figure out when the binges are being triggered and then why. and then once you figure that out, you can find an alternative activity to form a habit around (e.g. go for a walk, call a friend, etc.). i find that usually if you have a formed a behavior out of habit, in order to fully break it you need to replace it with a different (healthier) habit until the new routine becomes second nature and you no longer have the desire to binge.
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