Binge Eaters....am lying in bed and can barely move

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Replies

  • chris6515
    chris6515 Posts: 131 Member
    I think you should print your own words and tape them inside a cupboard in your kitchen and read them the next time you are in the mood to binge. You need to remind yourself of how awful it feels. Everyone has offered great advice--and I think with only 9 lbs to lose, maybe you could ease up on yourself and allow more of some of the foods you enjoy so they won't seem so forbidden. And I agree with GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE and doing something fun!
  • dreamtoned10
    dreamtoned10 Posts: 163 Member
    Lol i know I have a food addiction!!!! i said that in my original post. Thats why I joined MFP!Overall I love healthy food, I dont eat fast food or take aways, and love nuts, fish, salads, all the usual healthy foods!! Its just this random thing that happens to me. NO IDEA WHY!!!! But i can tell you its absolutely horrible.
    My main priority joining MFP was to learn and try to get some control over it, and my second priority was to lose the 14 pounds Ive put on since about March! (officially my heaviest weight in years!!)

    I just had a great email from a girl re thyroid gland....I used to have a thyroid problem when I was about 14, never affected my weight, more just tiredness, being cold all the time and binge eating, but my weight never really changed. Im going to have this tested again out of curiosity. PLUS only recently started cutting gluten out of my diet completely.....anyone know if this can affect your body for a while?

    xxx
  • ttrotter1960
    ttrotter1960 Posts: 66

    hey thanks for your reply. However Im a bit at a loss on this one. I had a 1.5 litre of bottle of water with me at my job this morning, and had planned my breakfast and lunch. Although I do drink a lot of diet coke. Im definitely not depressed and dont have time to be bored, and am working 7 days a week at the moment, with a husky dog to run with every day, and I love excercise. Absolutely love it, and try do an hour to 90 mins a day. Ive a couple of days off from Monday though.

    Today I binged when I got home from work along with my carefully planned lunch. I really dont know why.Greed you might say. Perhaps too long between meals but thas not in my control due to my job on certain days. The day I binged last week and today, were very similar working days with long timeframes between breakfast and lunch.

    To be honest....and again I mean this in a very polite and appreciative way. Its not "just that simple." Its almost like its a totally different person when the binge starts and it lasts for about 40 mins. Afterwards, Im like...what the hell was that about??!!



    There is some kind of a trigger that's causing this. Try keeping a journal that you can go back to when you start to feel this way. maybe you will find some kind of trend.

    Oh another thought, this could be some kind of nutritional deficiency. I am a big believer in the idea that your body will tell you when it needs something. Are you tracking the nutrients that your taking in. I have heard that constraining carbohydrates too much can cause problems and that by adding just a bit more to the diet can cause the symptoms to go away.

    Sorry if I sounded harsh to you. There are many people out here who need tough love much more than they need a pat on the head. It sounds to me that you are not one of those so please accept my apologies.
  • Fitzgeraldguy
    Fitzgeraldguy Posts: 48
    Slip ups happen...the important thing is for you to notice if there is a factor that triggers your need to do this.

    When this happens to me I know how to handle it, I realized a long time ago that I eat when I get bored...so if I start getting bored and start thinking of food I either put one of my favorite films to watch or I go to the theater and watch a new release.

    Anyways, find your trigger and come up with a fun way of avoiding it ^__^

    Best.
  • pavlinm
    pavlinm Posts: 15
    Just my 2 cents. I was a compulsive overeater and I feel I don't have many of these binges. What I figured out they are usually a combination of physical and psychological factors. They usually occur when I am slightly hungry and approaching my meal time. Not eating enough calories a few days before or eating unbalanced diet usually triggers it. I really need to get a combination of all nutrients and enough food, so junk and sugary foods don't interest me. I know you might not want to hear advice right now but try to plan your meals ahead of time and don't let yourself get too hungry.
    Sometimes emotions like anxiety, anger and stress are usual triggers, so learn how to control these. Like someone said, when you feel antsy, write a journal or give a call to a friend or just walk around. Good luck!
  • dreamtoned10
    dreamtoned10 Posts: 163 Member

    hey thanks for your reply. However Im a bit at a loss on this one. I had a 1.5 litre of bottle of water with me at my job this morning, and had planned my breakfast and lunch. Although I do drink a lot of diet coke. Im definitely not depressed and dont have time to be bored, and am working 7 days a week at the moment, with a husky dog to run with every day, and I love excercise. Absolutely love it, and try do an hour to 90 mins a day. Ive a couple of days off from Monday though.

    Today I binged when I got home from work along with my carefully planned lunch. I really dont know why.Greed you might say. Perhaps too long between meals but thas not in my control due to my job on certain days. The day I binged last week and today, were very similar working days with long timeframes between breakfast and lunch.

    To be honest....and again I mean this in a very polite and appreciative way. Its not "just that simple." Its almost like its a totally different person when the binge starts and it lasts for about 40 mins. Afterwards, Im like...what the hell was that about??!!



    There is some kind of a trigger that's causing this. Try keeping a journal that you can go back to when you start to feel this way. maybe you will find some kind of trend.

    Oh another thought, this could be some kind of nutritional deficiency. I am a big believer in the idea that your body will tell you when it needs something. Are you tracking the nutrients that your taking in. I have heard that constraining carbohydrates too much can cause problems and that by adding just a bit more to the diet can cause the symptoms to go away.

    Sorry if I sounded harsh to you. There are many people out here who need tough love much more than they need a pat on the head. It sounds to me that you are not one of those so please accept my apologies.


    Didnt sound harsh, Id be offering the same advice myself!! :)
  • dreamtoned10
    dreamtoned10 Posts: 163 Member
    Thankyou so much everyone for your emails, advice, support and general comments.

    I really appreciate the time you took to reply and the thought you put into your responses. Definitely going to write down how Ive felt this evening as a reminder if I feel this way again any time soon.

    A couple of things people have said really made sense, and helped a lot, also its good to hear about all of your experiences. Im glad I posted this topic, as there are some things Im taking from your advice etc. I suppose this is all part of the journey :) Its a lifestyle change, but not an overnight success. Its all a learning curve.
    KISSES
    xxx
  • LSMoore1983
    LSMoore1983 Posts: 4
    I know this is an old post, but I really hope you're still using myfitnesspal and hanging in there. I've been struggling with binge eating and crash dieting for years. I found this post by typing in search words to try and find some supportive mantras to focus on when I'm losing control. I know how you felt...hopefully not how you're still feeling.
  • assilembob
    assilembob Posts: 18 Member
    Honestly, you don't need for us to pat you on the head and tell you it's okay. You didn't do this to us . . . you let yourself down. I don't mean for this to sound harsh because yes, I've been there, we all have but you must get control of your emotional eating if you are going to be successful.

    A few things:

    1. Are you drinking plenty of water? If you are not properly hydrated your body will percieve it as hunger. Drink plenty of pure water. NOT DIET COKES or DIET anything - just pure water. Aspartame will mess with your insulin levels which could indirectly also make you feel hungry.

    2. You're benging for a reason . . . what is it? Are you bored? Then get busy. Are you under some kind of stress? Then find another outlet for it like extra exercise. Are you depressed? Then see a doctor. Look at yourself and figure out what is causing this destructive behavior and fix it. Yes . . . it is that simple.

    3. When you feel this benging urge coming on GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!! Take a walk. Visit a friend. Do something that will take you out of your comfort zone and away from easily available comfort food.

    You can do this. I know you can. It is totally within your control to change your entire life, your health, your appearance. You can make a whole new you if you decide to. Do it now.

    This is good advice. It can help some, but for me, none of the above (including doctors, medication, therapy) have worked long term because I have yet to find the real issue causing me to binge/purge. For me, it happens at random times. If I don't eat what I want or crave for instance, I risk "blackout binges" as my therapist used to call them. I would buy and binge on food and have no memory of it. Getting out of the house doesn't work because if I'm about to binge, I'm riddled with anxiety and literally can not get out.

    For me, steady exercise daily is the only thing that has helped at all, and I still have moderate binges if something triggers, like an emotional occurrence, major stress, hormonal imbalance...

    To the OP: get blood levels checked - thyroid function, vitamin levels etc. My binges are more frequent and severe when something is out of balance. Start talking to someone if you haven't. First, that you're telling us about it is a big step. I hid in darkness for 12 years. I did major damage to my body and my psyche. Second, keep talking. Journaling helped me some, but if it's only private it may not be constructive.
  • LadyBirdGo
    LadyBirdGo Posts: 39 Member
    I hope I don't sound offensive when I recommend this (some people get touchy about recommending anything involving therapy or anything) but you might also want to consider looking into going to some OA (overeaters anonymous) meetings if you feel this is a real problem for you. Binge eating is a real eating disorder. Some people just think bulimia and anorexia are 'real' eating disorders which is completely untrue. I have heard of other people who suffer from binge eating finding great help from OA. Whatever you choose, it is good to just look for support from others (like you are doing right now on this forum). it helps to know that you aren't the only one who suffers with binge eating.
  • ASmiles
    ASmiles Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you for posting this. It is something I struggle with every time I try to make changes to my lifestyle. I've found that if I wait too long to eat -- and get just a little bit too hungry -- I will make an excuse to eat ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING I want. That is something I am really working on. I have to make sure I feed the hunger a nice healthy snack as SOON as it starts so I don't get to the point of going overboard. It helps me to know that others struggle with this too.
  • mwooderson
    mwooderson Posts: 254 Member
    In case this may help ANYONE -- here are some quotes/guidelines/words of wisdom that I have swirling in my head that help me if I feel a binge mood coming on...

    1. Eat good, healthy foods
    2. Eat appropriate portions
    3. Work on your issues
    4. EXERCISE

    "Everything I put into my mouth will either bring me closer to what I want or will delay me from reaching my goals"

    "Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign that something is eating us"

    "Happy is Healthy. Healthy is Happy"

    and of course the good ol'.... "Nothing tastes as good as HEALTHY feels"

    "Food does't have to equal failure... failures do not have to equal forever"

    "I am allowed to fail but ONE failure does not justify continued failure"

    "You cannot value success without first experiencing failure"

    "The past does not equal or dictate the future"

    "Achievement is surround by desire"

    "Weak desire = weak results"

    "My body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what I write down"

    "You may delay but time will not"

    Thank you for sharing. It is so difficult to keep a binge from happening and they come on strong. Within 90 minutes I can can go through 2 or 3 days worth of calories. Focusing on how hard I've worked to get the weight off and how good it feels does help.
  • peachstategal
    peachstategal Posts: 398 Member
    As you already recognize, you seem to be doing the binging when you are not getting time to eat your planned meals. Just try your best to find a few minutes every few hours to get a healthy snack. My sister works 12 shifts as a nurse and I know she often says that the cannot eat sometimes when they are busy.

    You have done really well and I applaud your success.
  • committed120
    committed120 Posts: 23
    Wow! I know exactly how you feel. I lost my mind this past weekend.

    Now, I typically only binge when I'm stressed out. I'm an emotional eater. I've been learning to control that since last April, but this weekend I just lost my mind. I've gained 6 lbs over the last 2 weeks and I'm trying to get it in control again. I can't keep snack stuff in the house either. I really don't even like it anymore. But when I'm stressed I overeat.

    However, I'm determined I will not regain another pound and I will lose this last 50 lbs.

    Hang in there and don't beat yourself up about it. Just refocus as best you can and if you have to, start small and rebuild. You can do it!
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