Why do I keep binging?!

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Morty90210
Morty90210 Posts: 37 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm good for a week or so and then binge on sweets! I need to stop...and it's never small portions either. I generally stick to low carb way of eating

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited January 2017
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    Explain what you mean by "good" and "binging".

    Maybe low carb isn't your thing.
  • melaniefay82
    melaniefay82 Posts: 34 Member
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    I would suggest discussing this with a therapist instead of trying to figure it out here in cyber world. Good luck!
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Maybe instead of trying to eliminate the things you are binging on from your diet work them in in smaller amounts. I enjoy doing "cookie runs." Instead of keeping a bunch of sweet stuff around the house I'll ride my bicycle to a shop that sells cookies or ice cream. This helps prevent overindulgence and since I'm riding to a location that is fifteen miles from home I kind of burn through the excess calories anyway.
  • shanae727
    shanae727 Posts: 546 Member
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    Read Brain Over Binge...
  • doittoitgirl
    doittoitgirl Posts: 157 Member
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    For alot of people, if you tell yourself you can't have something (and you're almost completely eliminating an entire food group) it becomes the one thing on your mind you want all the time. I used to tell myself I was going to cut stuff out and binge two days later. I stopped doing that and just focused eating a balanced diet including all food groups. I currently have a half gallon of froyo in my freezer I've tucked into twice since I bought it 2 weeks ago. I know it's there and I know I CAN eat it, the urge is gone because it's not "banned". Maybe allowing yourself to eat a few more servings of carbs and sweets will help your cravings go down and you can really start moving forward.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Explain what you mean by "good" and "binging".

    Maybe low carb isn't your thing.

    This^

    Low carb isn't for everybody. I tried it, lost weight & regained it again.

    A weight loss plan should be helpful for your transition into maintenance. A weight loss plan should help you figure out where your issues are and what you need to change. Never eating sweets (and never measuring portions and never figuring out calories) is not a learning experience.

    You can't just stop low carb.....and eat normally. A (new) smaller you is going to require fewer calories to maintain.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    You probably bingeing because you are a human being--an emotional psycho-social animal with strong body-brain connectivity. It's who we are! Give yourself a break; stop beating yourself up, and try to figure out some coping strategies so you include some treats in your regular eating plan, you have some non-eating ways to deal with certin emotional triggers, and you don't feel guilt and shame for being human. :-)
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
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    Maybe you're being overly restrictive and it's causing you to lose control. You could try introducing a few "treats" here and there so you don't feel overly restricted. You could try telling yourself that while you can have those items you do not want them. Changing a few words around can make the world of a difference. It might also be worth a talk with a therapist to see if you have any underlying issues that could be causing the binge. Or speaking with a nutritionist to come up with a plan more tailored to you and your needs, one that will help you stay in your calorie goal.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    If you are interested in moderating these are some of the ways I moderate. Depending on which food I moderate differently...

    I don't buy it for the house. Eat only when out to dinner or at friends house. (Chips & Salty crackers)
    I buy 1 single serving once or twice a week. (sweets)
    I buy family portion and eat a single serving (cashews).

    I plan for these in my daily calorie allotment and I make sure that I'm not ravenously hungry when I eat them.

    Best thing to do is figure out IF you are the type that needs to eliminate or which of the above moderation methods you can stick to.

    I know every time I went on restrictive diets (no this, no that) I ended up overeating on them eventually. Now I dialed it in to what works for me to moderate.

    Hope this helps some!!!
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    Great article below from Lyle McDonald that I think is related to this behavior. If you have a rigid attitude towards your diet (and a rigid diet) it leads to an "all or nothing" approach... you try to be perfect all week and when your appetite leads you to eat a little something sweet you decide you've failed for the day and might as well pig out.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-fundamentals/an-introduction-to-dieting-part-2.html/#more-13771
  • allenpriest
    allenpriest Posts: 1,102 Member
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    Have you considered that perhaps you are half bulimic? ;)


    (I have the binging part down I just don't do the purging. )
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I suggest getting yourself a supply of sorbitol sweetened hard candies. They are guilt free so enjoy any time you want something sweet.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
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    I agree low carb isn't for everyone. It isn't for me at. all. I feel so hungry and deprived without them! And yes restricting myself too much would lead to binging. Pasta in my case. Because carbs generally mean higher in calories, depending on your daily goal it can be a challenge to make sure you get them in a way that keeps you full and in a nutritionally dense way.

    I was raised with a dessert after every dinner, and thats a holdover habit from my youth. I get my sweetness now in a morning smoothie (all that fruit its like a milkshake), stevia in my coffee, making something like hot cocoa with stevia is a sweet but low calorie option if I have that chocolate/dessert craving. Hasn't happened for awhile though, by being careful and getting over those humps, the urge does go away.

    Having "cheat" goals helps too. I'm going on vacation where I will not care a whit about logging for 8 days, therefore I'm focused with strong willpower for 6 more weeks!

    And lastly, look at your calories over a week, not a day. If you exercise a bit and don't eat back every workout calorie you have a bit of a cushion to enjoy something daily or weekly. It just depends on your goals.

  • 150poundsofme
    150poundsofme Posts: 523 Member
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    What every poster above wrote! I am just now learning all of this in addition to seeing a nutritionist and going to Overeaters Anonymous and getting a sponsor who is skilled, reading tons of books, coming on here and reading all these educated people's suggestions and a therapist. Hugs
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    Morty90210 wrote: »
    I'm good for a week or so and then binge on sweets! I need to stop...and it's never small portions either. I generally stick to low carb way of eating

    "Good" to me is a red flag that someone is under-eating, which can definitely trigger binges.

    Also, low carb may not be for you. Feeling deprived can also trigger binges. I reduced my carbs slightly and increased protein slightly and this has worked great for me.

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