Tips to stop binge eating
courtneyallisonatx
Posts: 133 Member
Hello All -
Asking because I have no idea how to quit. I binge eat.. I'll do good with eating for a while and then get a craving and will polish off a box of sweets before I know it, If we don't have sweets then its something else. I feel great while I am eating it then the second I am done I want to cry from guilt.
Would love to know what others have don't to stop binging and stay in control of food.
Asking because I have no idea how to quit. I binge eat.. I'll do good with eating for a while and then get a craving and will polish off a box of sweets before I know it, If we don't have sweets then its something else. I feel great while I am eating it then the second I am done I want to cry from guilt.
Would love to know what others have don't to stop binging and stay in control of food.
2
Replies
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Most often there are underlying issues leading to the behavior...those have to be addressed in order to address the behavior.2
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So there are a few questions, each type of binge eating (that I have dealt with) comes from a different place.
Cravings? Are you depriving yourself of chocolate/sweets/whatever? The best way I found to deal with this is to buy small single serving desserts. Don't eat any sweets through the day, and let yourself have the single serving for dessert. This gives you a psychological release so you don't feel deprived. Plus it gives you a little treat at the end of the day, for making it through another day well.
Are you eating proper meals? One of the reasons I binge is because I don't always eat when I'm supposed to. I'll forget my breakfast/lunch and get super hungry and just pig out. For that type of binge you really have to just set an eating schedule and stick with it. If you have problems, like I do, with getting food on time then pre-make your meals. But STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE.8 -
I feel for you. And I'm not an expert, but I understand the struggle and the yo-yo effect. I'm working on cleaning up my act as well. It's far too easy for me to grab a package of Oreos and go to town on it until there's nothing but crumbs.
The only thing I think I might compare a food addiction to is, maybe, alcoholism or drugs. They say that fatty/greasy/sugary foods can actually create an addiction affect and chemical release in your brain very similar to a heroin addiction.
Yes. YES. Sugary/greasy foods can make you crave them like you're waiting for a hit of freaking HEROIN. So you desperately clamor to get your hit, and the addiction just keeps growing because you keep pumping that stuff into your system and it floods its way to your brain.
A couple weeks ago after a bit of my own binge eating, I got so mad and upset with myself, I pretty much quit cold turkey. Well, not exactly cold turkey, but I SIGNIFICANTLY scaled it back. I started being a calorie Nazi and logging everything I put in my mouth. And then I also saw my physician. She reviewed my records for my weight gain, and indeed, in about 4 years' time I packed on 40 pounds. So, she prescribed Phentermine to me to help curb some hunger pains. I've been on it for two weeks and it has helped. I've also increased my physical activity and work out several times a week.
I had a craving last night for something sugary. We didn't have anything in the house, and I was hungry. I ended up eating 10 servings of steamed broccoli. According to the nutrition label, all that broccoli amounted to 150 calories. I was a bit disappointed in my sweets craving going unfulfilled, but I certainly wasn't hungry after 10 freaking servings of broccoli.
I think the important thing first is to break the addiction, to remind yourself that you are the one that is in control. Right now, your addiction is controlling you, it's seemingly robbing you of choice. Once you admit that the food is hurting you and warping your brain function, and you commit to walking past the sweets aisle at the grocery store without stopping, you can begin to break the addiction. It's so hard, so very hard. Especially when your entire day seems to be consumed with thoughts of food and wondering when you'll eat that greasy burger or chocolate shake next. Once you can successfully redirect your thoughts toward your health goals and weight loss progress, just do what you can to keep the positive momentum going.
Talk to your doctor. Nobody deserves to be a wreck. Your doctor can come up with different suggestions, tactics, and solutions to assist you. All you have to do is be willing and determined to stick to it, and to not let the addiction win. You're the winner. You're the master. You're in control.6 -
Don't be good with eating. Don't try to stay in control of food. Eating is an instinct you can't stop. But you can stop the behavior that is harming you. Eat enough food and food you like that satisfies you. Don't keep available food you don't intend on eating. Buy the amount you want to eat, eat it and enjoy it. Stop having guilt for eating. Get enough sleep and rest. Exercise moderately. Destress, have some fun, do something difficult every day.3
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I'm still working on controlling my binges. I don't keep my trigger foods in the house which helps and I have noticed if my calories are too low for more than 3 days I tend to get into a binge mindset. I am trying to up my calories by 200-300 a day and see if that helps curb my cravings.2
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I used to exist in this vicious cycle where I would eat a bunch of junk food knowing it was junk as well as too much of it, then feel disgusting, then eat more to comfort myself only to feel even more disgusting, over and over. Once all the tasty junk food I was "comforting" myself with was gone, I'd spend the rest of the evening castigating myself for eating it all until I finally decided I'd had enough and decided to make a change. I started using a food scale and logging my food and calories. Suddenly it became difficult to binge eat because it was all sitting there staring me in the face. No longer could I kid myself about the quantity I ate or how many calories it amounted to.
It was helpful that my food journal was open to my trainer so I knew that she could see everything I was able to lie to myself about and hide from my husband through surreptitious purchases and strategic wrapper hiding. Now that I've had some success and lost weight through calorie counting, I am able to keep from sliding back into old habits because I know what it will cost me, how much hard work and diligence I will be discarding if I do. It also helped that I work with a very supportive bunch of people and I made sure they all knew that I was supposed to stay away from the junk food at work. Another helpful thing was that I stopped bringing the foods I like to binge on into the house. If it's in the house, I am likely to eat it but if it's not, the hassle of getting it is often enough to keep me from eating it.
It's been a slow process that depended on some outside accountability at first but has cascaded into a full-on lifestyle change for me where I feel like I am responsible only to myself these days.4 -
KassyDoodlePants wrote: »I feel for you. And I'm not an expert, but I understand the struggle and the yo-yo effect. I'm working on cleaning up my act as well. It's far too easy for me to grab a package of Oreos and go to town on it until there's nothing but crumbs.
The only thing I think I might compare a food addiction to is, maybe, alcoholism or drugs. They say that fatty/greasy/sugary foods can actually create an addiction affect and chemical release in your brain very similar to a heroin addiction.
Yes. YES. Sugary/greasy foods can make you crave them like you're waiting for a hit of freaking HEROIN. So you desperately clamor to get your hit, and the addiction just keeps growing because you keep pumping that stuff into your system and it floods its way to your brain.
A couple weeks ago after a bit of my own binge eating, I got so mad and upset with myself, I pretty much quit cold turkey. Well, not exactly cold turkey, but I SIGNIFICANTLY scaled it back. I started being a calorie Nazi and logging everything I put in my mouth. And then I also saw my physician. She reviewed my records for my weight gain, and indeed, in about 4 years' time I packed on 40 pounds. So, she prescribed Phentermine to me to help curb some hunger pains. I've been on it for two weeks and it has helped. I've also increased my physical activity and work out several times a week.
I had a craving last night for something sugary. We didn't have anything in the house, and I was hungry. I ended up eating 10 servings of steamed broccoli. According to the nutrition label, all that broccoli amounted to 150 calories. I was a bit disappointed in my sweets craving going unfulfilled, but I certainly wasn't hungry after 10 freaking servings of broccoli.
I think the important thing first is to break the addiction, to remind yourself that you are the one that is in control. Right now, your addiction is controlling you, it's seemingly robbing you of choice. Once you admit that the food is hurting you and warping your brain function, and you commit to walking past the sweets aisle at the grocery store without stopping, you can begin to break the addiction. It's so hard, so very hard. Especially when your entire day seems to be consumed with thoughts of food and wondering when you'll eat that greasy burger or chocolate shake next. Once you can successfully redirect your thoughts toward your health goals and weight loss progress, just do what you can to keep the positive momentum going.
Talk to your doctor. Nobody deserves to be a wreck. Your doctor can come up with different suggestions, tactics, and solutions to assist you. All you have to do is be willing and determined to stick to it, and to not let the addiction win. You're the winner. You're the master. You're in control.
This is a very good post. It describes the feelings of food addiction precisely.
One thing that helps me is to make sure I have decent food ready at home and to never leave the house hungry. Filling up on steamed kale is like an inoculation against the flu.1 -
I eat away my stress and feelings a lot too. While it would be great if you could identify the source of why you're binging at the time that would be great, but life isn't always so kind.....most people realize during or afterwards what led to the binge....if they realize it at all.
THere's things I do to try to alleviate the badness of the binge if I can....drink at least 16 oz of water ( I add crystal light pink lemonade and enough protein powder and fiber powder to get about 5 g of each respectively), have something that's protein - yogurt, hard boiled eggs, cheese. THEN if I still can't ward off the binge, I'll go get something sweet. I try not to keep them in the house, but sometimes can't help it. That way I have to actually go out and get it. But by doing all that, it wards off binging so much for me.
That's in the immediate realm. Other things t hat help me is to keep up my protein and fiber totals for the day. That way I don't get hungry and don't constantly say to myself "what can I eat next?"
I also have a "snack box" with 100-ish calorie snacks in it that I can hit without feeling guilty. Pretzels, protein/fiber bars, fiber clusters. Funny thing is, my daughters have begun raiding my pretzels and having I them with a "Jif - to-go" container. Or they'll raid my string cheese.
For what it's worth....
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I have been thinking, and I actually think some of the advice that has come up, is bad advice. Binging on broccoli is still binging, and eating ten servings in one go is nowhere near normal eating. Appetite suppressants to stop hunger pangs? You aren't hungry, you have cravings. You may be eating unbalanced, but your appetite is a tool to lead you to eat the right things. Don't mess with it.
Instead I would recommend this (in addition to what I said upthread):
Plan three or four normal sized meals per day, of a selection of real foods you like, at regular intervals.
Make sure you have the meal ready in time, or all the ingredients and time to prepare and eat the meal.
Sit down without distractions and enjoy your meal.
When the meal is eaten, assess how you are feeling. Are you content? Or did you really want something else? Put that into the plan for the upcoming days.
Don't base your eating decisions entirely on what you desire at the moment. Your cravings are disproportionate to the enjoyment the foods you crave, give. I doubt that you are enjoying the overeating, I think you do it just to stop the nagging. In fact, you realize that you hate it, afterwards. Remind yourself of that discomfort before you start a binge.4 -
Cravings are hunger pure and simple. If you've been overweight you won't recognise what hunger feels like. It's a good feeling. It means your diet is working. You are starting to feel the twin emotions of hunger and satiety that slim people feel.
Your problem is that you don't know yet what to do when you feel hungry. The solution is a regular high quality, well balanced nutrition. For the time being stick to regular meal times, don't skip meals and don't overwork (or over exercise). Make sure you eat from each of the five main food groups EVERY day (Protein, carbs, veg, dairy and fruit) and watch those macros.
If you come home starving in the evening you could work a mid afternoon snack into your calorie allowance. And plan. Buy food in advance and have immediate easy meals at hand like omelette and salad, or stir-fry for those times when you feel too tired to cook.
If you find binging is associated with alcohol - quit drinking.
If you find binging is associated with socialising -recruit your friends to help you. (Lose any friends who try to sabotage you)
Also don't deny yourself any particular food. If you like chocolate, break up a bar of very expensive organic dark chocolate into one square pieces and work out the nutrition. Allow yourself one piece at the end of every day (if your calorie allowance will stand it)
Also don't yo-yo calories. Try to eat about the same each day.
Be kind to yourself.2 -
Vegplotter wrote: »Cravings are hunger pure and simple. If you've been overweight you won't recognise what hunger feels like. It's a good feeling. It means your diet is working. You are starting to feel the twin emotions of hunger and satiety that slim people feel.
Your problem is that you don't know yet what to do when you feel hungry. The solution is a regular high quality, well balanced nutrition. For the time being stick to regular meal times, don't skip meals and don't overwork (or over exercise). Make sure you eat from each of the five main food groups EVERY day (Protein, carbs, veg, dairy and fruit) and watch those macros.
If you come home starving in the evening you could work a mid afternoon snack into your calorie allowance. And plan. Buy food in advance and have immediate easy meals at hand like omelette and salad, or stir-fry for those times when you feel too tired to cook.
If you find binging is associated with alcohol - quit drinking.
If you find binging is associated with socialising -recruit your friends to help you. (Lose any friends who try to sabotage you)
Also don't deny yourself any particular food. If you like chocolate, break up a bar of very expensive organic dark chocolate into one square pieces and work out the nutrition. Allow yourself one piece at the end of every day (if your calorie allowance will stand it)
Also don't yo-yo calories. Try to eat about the same each day.
Be kind to yourself.
THIS is actually excellent advice. Sensible, concrete, doable actions. This is what I have implemented for myself, and I have found food peace, I have lost weight, and maintain, effortlessly, doing this. We need some structure and self-care.
(I feel a need to withdraw my earlier statement about bingers not being hungry. We are hungry when we haven't eaten all that we need, even though we have eaten enough calories and our belly is full. Cravings are telling us that we need something else. But if we aren't used to listening, we don't always understand what they mean. Being hungry is also normal and not dangerous. Starving is dangerous. But we should eat regularly, and in our time and in our parts of the world, we are lucky enough to be able to do that - and feeling hungry before meals and the relieving that hunger, can be a real pleasure.)3 -
Thanks for endorsing my comments Komnodevaran. Do feel free to friend. (I can't find you on the system - but guess that I'm just bad at this app)0
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Distraction helps reorganize a room, paint your nails, take a bath, call someone, go for a leisurely stroll etc until the feelings pass and most importantly purge your home off all bad foods I know I'm much less likely to binge when I have to go buy the food instead of walking 30ft and pulling it out my fridge and cabinets plus binging on cucumbers or carrots is much better than on pastries sodas and other calorie dense and over processed chemical packed foods1
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Make sure you eat enough during the day. 100% of the times that I binged was because I waited too long to eat so I felt famished. Following IIFYM helps me immensely. Every day I eat a little something such as candy or ice cream so I don't crave such things anymore since I eat them regularly.2
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aloranger7708 wrote: »Make sure you eat enough during the day. 100% of the times that I binged was because I waited too long to eat so I felt famished. Following IIFYM helps me immensely. Every day I eat a little something such as candy or ice cream so I don't crave such things anymore since I eat them regularly.
This is exactly what I came here to say. I've fought binge eating for over 10 years, and I've been binge-free for 4 months now. I eat enough, get some walks in to be able to eat a treat each day, and don't cut certain food groups from my diet. It's worked very well for me.2 -
courtneyallisonatx wrote: »Hello All -
Asking because I have no idea how to quit. I binge eat.. I'll do good with eating for a while and then get a craving and will polish off a box of sweets before I know it, If we don't have sweets then its something else. I feel great while I am eating it then the second I am done I want to cry from guilt.
Would love to know what others have don't to stop binging and stay in control of food.
I talked to my therapist about my binge eating and she and I worked to find the root of the issue and develop strategies to deal with it.1 -
I am so touched by all of these responses, Sorry i was unable to respond earlier, I have not been able to get here. I am still taking some time to reread responses but from what I have read so far I for once do not feel alone in this situation, and it is nice to see people who have overcome this.2
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I started a support group on here for people who struggle with Binge Eating, and Binge Eating Disorder.
Here is the link to the group.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/112095-binge-eating-disorder0 -
Check out Isbell foxen duke, gene Roth, and evalyn tribole. Intuitive eating. Rules of normal eating. How to have your cake and eat it too by an author I don't remember.2
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I don't restrict myself anymore. I haven't binged in almost 100 days because I follow IIFYM and just eat in moderation and maintain a calorie deficit. In the beginning when I felt like binging I would get out of my house, go walking or go take a shower or nap. Redirection helped a ton.2
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Log it while you do it. Stops me in my tracks.3
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Greatly lower your carbs and increase your "healthy" fats--watch the portions but get into "fat".1
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All above and I remind myself to HALT-B when feeling a binge. Think to yourself -
Am I Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired
Bored?
And try to spend the time analyzing these thoughts and let the binge urges subside instead of giving into them.1 -
Eat 300 calories below maintenance don't go any lower than that that should do the trick0
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I started to binge eat when I was prepping for a contest. Badly. So I stopped.
I was basically starved.
Better to eat more calories and not feel deprives/starved than binge!
However - as mentioned above, many times there are undelying issues that need to be dealt with and restrict trigger foods in the house (I ate everything so now there's nothing left and I won't buy anymore LOL)
Agree with the brocolli binge too. Still a binge even though it's brocolli.
Single serve deserts - awesome.
Protein treat - get a single serve pot of plain yoghurt (150g ish) and scoop in a scoop of chocolate (or caramel or whatever you like) protein powder. It's a nice sweet desert that fills you up - chop up some strawberries on top and even more bliss.
When I have been in a normal mindset and I feel like a sweet treat I will have one. ONE. single serve is the key. I don't buy a packet of biscuits because I know I will eat the whole entire thing in one sitting. So I buy ONE slice of cake (or whatever) and eat that. And don't keep it in the house for when I 'might' want it. I buy it on the day at the time that I want it.1
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