Oh-Em-Gee - What's with the binging?!
Shadowmf023
Posts: 812 Member
This is starting to freak me out. Every night I overeat by like - 600-1000 calories. It's not that I'm hungry. I just want to eat. Anything and everything (which are all LC luckily - there's nothing else in the house, and my dad's high carb food does not seem to tempt me.) This has been going on the whole week.
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Could PMS be to blame?0
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ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Could PMS be to blame?
Maybe. But I can't say definitely. I've had one while on keto previously, and it wasn't nearly as bad.1 -
Did you binge pre-Keto? Or is this new behaviour for you?
I'm a binge eater and I still struggle with it while in ketosis, but it's nothing like it was when I ate carbs. For me, it generally happens now when I'm just utterly frustrated with life, whereas before, every feeling and emotion under the sun could trigger a binge.
Maybe try and understand the motivation behind your eating to help remedy the situation as you seem surprised by it. I know boredom is something that drives me to eat, so I go to the gym or go for a walk in the evening when I'm most likely to get bored and want to eat.
You may just need to change your food up and make sure you're eating meals that are really satisfying you. A lot of people will probably say to eat more fat, but I find that food satisfaction for me comes from eating very specific foods when I start feeling bingey. Just dobbing an extra lump of butter on the plate doesn't cut it, it has to be specific foods that I really enjoy for me to quell that urge to eat everything in sight.
Hope you find some food peace soon!
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PaleoInScotland wrote: »Did you binge pre-Keto? Or is this new behaviour for you?
I'm a binge eater and I still struggle with it while in ketosis, but it's nothing like it was when I ate carbs. For me, it generally happens now when I'm just utterly frustrated with life, whereas before, every feeling and emotion under the sun could trigger a binge.
Maybe try and understand the motivation behind your eating to help remedy the situation as you seem surprised by it. I know boredom is something that drives me to eat, so I go to the gym or go for a walk in the evening when I'm most likely to get bored and want to eat.
You may just need to change your food up and make sure you're eating meals that are really satisfying you. A lot of people will probably say to eat more fat, but I find that food satisfaction for me comes from eating very specific foods when I start feeling bingey. Just dobbing an extra lump of butter on the plate doesn't cut it, it has to be specific foods that I really enjoy for me to quell that urge to eat everything in sight.
Hope you find some food peace soon!
It was also a pre-keto behaviour yes. But keto has lessened it significantly. I went from once or twice a week (binging on sweet stuff) to once or twice a month currently. I'll see how it goes when the hormones even out. It's just really stressful right now.1 -
I know you recently stopped tracking; are you SURE you're getting enough fats at your meals? Even when I could swear up and down that I'm getting enough, bingey evenings are a sure sign that I'm actually not. Especially at dinner. Breakfast and lunch I seem to do OK but dinners are harder for me to get in a truly high amount of fat.4
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I know you recently stopped tracking; are you SURE you're getting enough fats at your meals? Even when I could swear up and down that I'm getting enough, bingey evenings are a sure sign that I'm actually not. Especially at dinner. Breakfast and lunch I seem to do OK but dinners are harder for me to get in a truly high amount of fat.
These binges typically involve high fat foods. And I do make sure to add fat to my meals as well. So I can't really see how I could not be getting enough. Because of this, protein may be a concern again. But I'm not too worried about it now. I don't think I needed as much as I was eating.0 -
well if you're binges are on high fat foods then I just wonder if that's the signal that you need more earlier in the day. I mean if the evening is your brain yelling "EAT ALL THE FAT..." I don't know, just speculating of course 2
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well if you're binges are on high fat foods then I just wonder if that's the signal that you need more earlier in the day. I mean if the evening is your brain yelling "EAT ALL THE FAT..." I don't know, just speculating of course
Mmm. I haven't thought about that. Could be. I try adding more fats earlier tomorrow.0 -
Anxiety is a binge trigger for me more than anything. I did it in a mini way last night, having a second bowl of Fiber One cereal and almond milk. It wasn't that the amount was so big---1 cup each but that I had only planned for a half cup of cereal with milk, something I budget for in my daily net carbs. And of course, that I didn't need the food.
I didn't even struggle with myself too much, it's like I knew I needed nerve "medicine" and I went and got it. I was clearly trying to numb myself in order to sleep----I was watching mindless TV, I was a wreck, anxious and angry. Had spent the evening with my aging parents talking about difficult subjects, one of which was final wishes and one of which was my son with bipolar disorder. They turned on the worry button for me big time.
In future, I will set a timer, meditate 5 minutes, then write in my journal, then eat if I still need to. I would like, at age 61, to evolve beyond this coping mechanism, and I am seeing it actually as a spiritual journey. What else can Rosey do when anxious, angry, upset besides eat?
I hope you find a good response to your triggers, whether they be physical or emotional. And maybe we can share what works!
Susie
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Roseygirl1 wrote: »Anxiety is a binge trigger for me more than anything. I did it in a mini way last night, having a second bowl of Fiber One cereal and almond milk. It wasn't that the amount was so big---1 cup each but that I had only planned for a half cup of cereal with milk, something I budget for in my daily net carbs. And of course, that I didn't need the food.
I didn't even struggle with myself too much, it's like I knew I needed nerve "medicine" and I went and got it. I was clearly trying to numb myself in order to sleep----I was watching mindless TV, I was a wreck, anxious and angry. Had spent the evening with my aging parents talking about difficult subjects, one of which was final wishes and one of which was my son with bipolar disorder. They turned on the worry button for me big time.
In future, I will set a timer, meditate 5 minutes, then write in my journal, then eat if I still need to. I would like, at age 61, to evolve beyond this coping mechanism, and I am seeing it actually as a spiritual journey. What else can Rosey do when anxious, angry, upset besides eat?
I hope you find a good response to your triggers, whether they be physical or emotional. And maybe we can share what works!
Susie
Thanks so much! I actually have no idea what my triggers are. I'm such a mindless person. I forget everything. Maybe that's even part of the problem. The fact that I find it hard to pay attention outside of studying time. I just go about life without really thinking anything through.
I suppose the only odd bit then is the fact that I actually realize that I've overeaten once it's done, and not during. What makes the "after" more attention-worthy than the "during" in my mind is a mystery to me.0 -
After supper eating was hard to break, for me! The habit was the hardest part! I had/have a mantra that I use. It's simple, but it's worked! I tell myself,"I'm making the choice for me!", and it's worked! I repeat it whenever I feel I need it!
Good luck with breaking your habit!4 -
Shadow I really feel you on this one. Geez it is so hard sometimes. Like a lot of you I'm still having a hard time 'realizing' when I'm not hungry? Sometimes I wonder if this is just a defective mechanism in some of us bingers. God forbid anyone TELL me to quit b/c then I'm gonna eat no matter what. I dunno why, but that is how my brain chemistry works. So annoying. I feel like I'm going over my calorie goal a lot but I keep it keto friendly so I've been trying not to worry about it. I do think it gets worse when my cycles 'would have' happened (hysterectomy but still have overies). It's only been a year since my hysterectomy so I feel kinda disconnected with what 'used to' work.2
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Persephone7676 wrote: »Shadow I really feel you on this one. Geez it is so hard sometimes. Like a lot of you I'm still having a hard time 'realizing' when I'm not hungry? Sometimes I wonder if this is just a defective mechanism in some of us bingers. God forbid anyone TELL me to quit b/c then I'm gonna eat no matter what. I dunno why, but that is how my brain chemistry works. So annoying. I feel like I'm going over my calorie goal a lot but I keep it keto friendly so I've been trying not to worry about it. I do think it gets worse when my cycles 'would have' happened (hysterectomy but still have overies). It's only been a year since my hysterectomy so I feel kinda disconnected with what 'used to' work.
I do know that HCLF doesn't work for me anymore. I haven't lost weight on it for like, 3 years. At least my binges are a lot less frequent on keto. And a lot smaller. Well, sort of.1 -
I too had a pattern of binge eating pre and post keto. For me, the only thing that worked was to just not give in to it. It was difficult. I stopped trying to figure out why I was bingeing and just forced myself not to eat. I usually went to bed. I have not binged in quite a while. I wish you well with this. I know how awful it is.2
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Something that may help here. A cup of some sort of tea. I find that has helped me a bit. It makes me feel like I'm getting something.0
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ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Something that may help here. A cup of some sort of tea. I find that has helped me a bit. It makes me feel like I'm getting something.
Lol yes, I drink a lot of tea and coffee these days to try and control it. There's only one problem.. I can't stomach them without milk or cream. I add milk to every cup, because I can't do that with cream. But the carbs still add up.0 -
Something that seems to be helping me is "something cold". I had a serious ice cream binge habit. I began substituting full fat Greek yogurt and mounds of frozen nuts and frozen shredded coconut which helped keep it more keto friendly but definitely did not help regarding calories. I then substituted sugar free jello. While I question my use of aspertame, the COLD jello has kept me away from high calorie alternatives when that binge behavior surface. Might help if you're willing to sub. and use artificial sweeteners.2
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Something that seems to be helping me is "something cold". I had a serious ice cream binge habit. I began substituting full fat Greek yogurt and mounds of frozen nuts and frozen shredded coconut which helped keep it more keto friendly but definitely did not help regarding calories. I then substituted sugar free jello. While I question my use of aspertame, the COLD jello has kept me away from high calorie alternatives when that binge behavior surface. Might help if you're willing to sub. and use artificial sweeteners.
Mm. I've got some low carb flavoured drink powder (sweetened with Erythritol), perhaps I could mix that with gelatine and some stevia-erythritol blend and make my own jello?
I've noticed some sugar free jello brands here, I use some of it in my keto 'oatmeal'. I don't know what they're sweetened with, but I'm pretty sure it's not aspartame. (Not that I'm scared of it, just I heard artificial sweeteners can cause cravings, supposedly stevia and 'natural' sweeteners don't cause them as bad)1 -
@Shadowmf023 All commercially available gellatins that are available to purchase at grocery stores are sweetened with aspartame. The ONLY kind I've found which is not is this kind and you can only order it directly from the company (specifically their sugar-free gelatin):
http://www.gagefoods.com/Products.aspx?hierarchyKey=671 -
Sometimes binge eating is just you like to combine two pleasures at once. It is to elevate the semi boring thing up to next level. Netflix is great but hey night after night? So I would watch a movie AND eat popcorn 2 favourite but common things have now become a pretty good thing. Was I even the least bit hungry absolutely not - often it was a struggle to eat the stuff. So why do it? Habit - I tried to not eat during movies but I spent all my time thinking about "No I am not going to eat that" and an activity which was only semi entertaining at best now is a misery. So on WOE of eating I am trying to save some of my carbs for movie watching and get a small picky thing like sunflower seeds or pumpkins seeds so it seems like I am eating for a long time. Boredom or semi boredom is a BIG cause of binge eating. "Get a new life" you say. Hey, I am trying.4
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Sometimes binge eating is just you like to combine two pleasures at once. It is to elevate the semi boring thing up to next level. Netflix is great but hey night after night? So I would watch a movie AND eat popcorn 2 favourite but common things have now become a pretty good thing. Was I even the least bit hungry absolutely not - often it was a struggle to eat the stuff. So why do it? Habit - I tried to not eat during movies but I spent all my time thinking about "No I am not going to eat that" and an activity which was only semi entertaining at best now is a misery. So on WOE of eating I am trying to save some of my carbs for movie watching and get a small picky thing like sunflower seeds or pumpkins seeds so it seems like I am eating for a long time. Boredom or semi boredom is a BIG cause of binge eating. "Get a new life" you say. Hey, I am trying.
So true for me. And stress. I was just telling my husband last night that there were days on my way home from work I was so stressed that I would buy a candy bar...I wasn't hungry, it didn't taste good, but I would eat it because it helped my mood.
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I just binged on the whole lot of chia pudding I made earlier. And you know what? I feel okay with it. Actually i feel great. I'm full and sleepy. Stupid special lady time.
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UPDATE - Yesterday my friend took my out to a milkshake. After which I proceeded to binge on cookies, chocolate, ice cream with her(all the usual suspects) .... - with a slight difference than I used to have back in the day.... I was feeling pukey ALL. DAMN. NIGHT.
This morning I woke up with the worst cramps, stomach feels super bloated and still feel pukey. (I know it's called nauseous, I just want to add a little Leana-flare to the post). I am not going to the gym today. I have a fear of puking in public. Lol. Oh and another thing.
Back in the day, when I would really go at the sugar binges, like yesterday, my blood sugar would, throughout the next day, randomly drop very quickly (that's what I think happens anyway), and I would feel like fainting, feels like the earth is 'pulling my body down', and my vision and hearing fades for about a minute, and I'd break out in sweat all while shaking from cold.
I really don't want to drive anywhere knowing that that might happen.1 -
@Shadowmf023 : Binge-eating with friends, those were the days. (Insert sweet music here). Honestly, I have found keeping all my binge foods out of the house is a big help, it forces me to occasionaly binge on lc food. Hubby has carbs in house, but I consider those "his" and not "mine." Hate to say "glad you woke up feeling crappy" but it did reinforce something, I hope. Anyway, a new day, a new road to take. Hang in there! Back to your plan.1
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If someone said "increase your fat intake" anywhere above, I second it!2
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Shadowmf023 wrote: »This is starting to freak me out. Every night I overeat by like - 600-1000 calories. It's not that I'm hungry. I just want to eat. Anything and everything (which are all LC luckily - there's nothing else in the house, and my dad's high carb food does not seem to tempt me.) This has been going on the whole week.
I don't know about your eating habits but I typically always ate a ton at night, so what I did was I'd skip breakfast, have a small lunch between 11-12, and then eat most of my calories at night. That way I could have a big dinner and a snack. It takes awhile to get used to but it can be done.
I also echo everyone elses advice on checking your protein and fats, make sure you're getting enough!0 -
Shadowmf023 wrote: »UPDATE - Yesterday my friend took my out to a milkshake. After which I proceeded to binge on cookies, chocolate, ice cream with her(all the usual suspects) .... - with a slight difference than I used to have back in the day.... I was feeling pukey ALL. DAMN. NIGHT.
This morning I woke up with the worst cramps, stomach feels super bloated and still feel pukey. (I know it's called nauseous, I just want to add a little Leana-flare to the post). I am not going to the gym today. I have a fear of puking in public. Lol. Oh and another thing.
Back in the day, when I would really go at the sugar binges, like yesterday, my blood sugar would, throughout the next day, randomly drop very quickly (that's what I think happens anyway), and I would feel like fainting, feels like the earth is 'pulling my body down', and my vision and hearing fades for about a minute, and I'd break out in sweat all while shaking from cold.
I really don't want to drive anywhere knowing that that might happen.
Ah yes the sugar binge... I would cut out eating all sugar if that's your case. Having a handful of raspberries or blackberries would sometimes send me into a crazy sugar binge, my brain would be like AHH I remember this, EAT ALL THE SWEETS! Have you tried fat bombs?
Until you can control it of course, then enjoy low carb sweets in moderation 0 -
Binging for me seems to be related to coming out of my fatshell and taking new risks in my social life. I may be overdoing it, but I press on because I feel a very strong need to be connected after so many years of isolation and lonliness.
The anxiety of putting my heart on the line can drive me into ferocious, unstoppable binging. Mostly weekends are bad for me, and I just keep on reading others comments and trying new strategies in order to get a handle on it. Sooner or later, I believe something will click, or my fears will abate. In the meantime I have promised myself not to stop trying no matter what.
The health and weightloss benefits are too amazing to give up, and what would be the point of getting to this point and not trying to also feel happy? So just keep at it is my answer.
I like toadqueen's solution of just not giving in and just go to bed. I might do that tonite!1 -
I've been out of control the last few weeks. Definitely stressed, but I need to get a grip. Thanks for posting this. Knowing I'm not alone makes me feel like I can get back on the horse.3
