Binge eating
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@Look_Its_Kriss I was on 50 mg but after about 8 hours I would crash and have no energy to do anything, so we changed my dose to 70 mg, then that started to not be able to cover the entire day, not I take Adderall 30 mg when I wake up then 70 mg Vyvanse 3 or 4 hours later.0
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I was taking the Vyvanse at around 5:30am work and get kids by 3pm, then keep them alive and safe and bed time around 10pm to do it all over again. But by 3pm I was spent, I would come home on the 50 mg dose and have to fight to stay awake, which after a bit I called my Dr and talked about what to do, then we move me to 70 mg, and things went well until I went back to work over the summer and started taking the meds early again, I would get off work and be done, no energy no nothing. So talked with my Dr again and unlike most people who take a booster dose of a med in the afternoon, she wanted me to take Adderall as a starter dose, and then use the Vyvanse to carry my through until bedtime. So far it has been working.0
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I used to have that when I first took it, I could almost feel it kick in, like everything just became sharper and I was hyper focused, and had boundless energy, and was doing a bunch of projects around the house which I had neglected during my depression. My wife was SHOCKED!!!! It is the closest to autopilot motivation I have ever had lol. But sadly that is long gone and I miss it so much lol.0
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Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »Its up to you to decide... is it just a binge or is it binge eating disorder because for me.. no matter how much i ate, no matter what time, what foods it was.. i never was able to stop eating, i could never stop thinking about it, i was always thinking about what to eat next... it didnt matter what was in the house, i threw out ALL my food into the dumpster outside and left myself practically nothing that would make anything and i still sat down and ate an entire box of plain ice cream cones simply because, it didnt matter if i was happy, angry, sad, tired, wide awake, i could not control myself.
I'm sorry you had to go through this. I've been there sitting by the fridge eating anything I could get my hands on even when my stomach hurt and I cried and asked why God hated me why he made me this messed up, it was awful. I had to do inpatient treatment and it really helped.
People don't understand it's not just about how much you eat but also about the compulsive behavior that forces you to eat. When you have an overwhelming compulsion to eat you need professional help. As the previous poster said you have to decide if it's a binge ( I ate pizza, ice cream, wings, candy) or binge eating disorder (I ate til it hurt and couldn't stop).
If it is an eating disorder get help it's worth the time.0 -
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Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »Exactly... its great that people care enough to offer support but this whole... eat more closer to goal or write X on the package or not keep it in the house and only keep fresh fruit... or even the more god awful suggestion of chewing it and spitting it into a bag... like people with anorexia do which isnt ANYMORE healthier then the first issue... or the ones who tell you its just about saying no and practicing self control.. None of these things do ANYTHING for someone with binge eating disorder... I relate to you in the sense that i often prayed that i would go to sleep and never wake up again just so i wouldn't have to face another day... i did everything i could, i made signs i wrote on my hand, i threw out all my food... but the mental aspect is just like you are two people and you are the shadow and the mental disorder is in control and you are mute, you wanna scream and get away but you can't move you can do anything... its such a helpless sad feeling...
We get it - its awful and debilitating and affects everything in your life. Some of us have been down that road too. So what do you suggest, other than get professional help, because that isnt going to happen for anyone TODAY, unless they go to an emergency room and get a "crisis" mental health consult. And even if the OP sees her GP today, she likely wont see a specialist until months down the road. So everyone is trying to come up with some strategies she can use to get her through the time between now and the "professional help". Perhaps some things that didnt work for you will work even a little bit for her - everyone is unique. We cant say too bad so sad - just sit on your butt and suffer till you get a doctors appointment.
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For mea, a huge turn into point was when I stopped labelling food as good or bad. Food is meant to be enjoyed and shouldn't have any guilt attached. I used to overeat and then I felt such a huge amount of guilt that I just kept going. Packages of cookies, bags of chips, boxes of pudding. I do still have days where I eat more than I need to but I try not to let it bug me and just pick myself up the next day. The only food that is strictly off limits for me is gluten due to having celiac disease. Other than that, anything is fair game as long as it fits in my calories. I've lost 50 lbs over the course of a year and a half and am working on the last 20.1
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Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »There is nothing to suggest, it took 6 months for me to get the help but for those 6 months i just had to wake up and keep going.. and thats it.. i mean sure, spend the time over the next few months trying to do all the suggestions given, but failure to be able to do them only acts like another punch in the face, but honestly.. if youve had the issue for years and years, youve been trying these suggestions for a long time.. a long long time.. thats what i meant when i said often times you feel incredibly stupid because all these things seem so simple and so practical but you just can't do them..
You said it there is nothing to suggest. You can't fight a mental illness you can only treat it. Trying to fight a mental illness is not recommended because it can make the problem worse. That is what my psychiatrist told me "you can't fight a mental illness". Telling someone with binge eating disorder just not to eat is like telling someone with depression not to be depressed or someone with schizophrenia not to have hallucinations. It doesn't work because there is a deeper cause for the behavior beyond what is normal.4 -
In the U.S.A with my insurance I called a number that gave me a list of Psychiatric Doctors in my area, I began to call them and the first office I called had many Doctors and I took the first appointment they had which was less than a week after I had called. If wherever people live takes longer to get in to get help, start writing out what you were doing that led up to your binge. Start trying to pinpoint the triggers in your life so that you have information to share with your Doctor when you finally are able to see them. Start researching and learning about the disorder, start to talk about it, if you are not comfortable still, do what I did write it down. I must have looked goofy to the Doctor when I took out a paper and started to read off notes, and it got to a point when I was just talking and getting if off my chest without the paper. The paper was a crutch to get me talking.4
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In the spirit of short-term encouragement while OP is in the queue for appointments, I'll offer this observation.
I can feel ok on a big deficit for a couple days if I eat carefully (hitting minimum #s for fiber, fat and protein). But even when I'm hitting those minimums and I think I feel ok, I am a binge waiting to happen after a few days eating too low. Everyone is on the lookout for overeating when they are trying to lose fat, but the dangers of under eating often go under appreciated. I don't know what your TDEE is, OP, but 1000-1200 daily is too low for many people. I weigh 115 pounds, and it is too low for me.
In the short term, what if you re-assessed your TDEE and ate at maintenance until you get the support you need? You can break the binge-restrict cycle if you stop restricting. That doesn't guarantee binges will stop, but you will have removed one trigger, at least.
FWIW, I fit the description someone posted from the DSM for BED when I was a teen. Although I do have occasional episodes of unplanned eating now, they are much lower calorie and the pattern no longer fits the DSM description, which is to say, I still have to watch what I eat but I no longer suffer with the disorder. There is hope. Best to you!2 -
I think the OP said she was in the UK?0
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This thread makes me teary. Mainly because I am so similar in my disordered eating. I have had issues with food since my pre-teens, whether it was restriction, exercise, bingeing, etc. Finally at 32 years old and being exhausted with the diet-binge-guilt-diet cycle, I finally have started seeing a professional to help me sort out my issues and everything they entail. I know I have a long road of recovery ahead of me, but for the first time in my life I can actually say I have a little hope.
OP, I really do hope that you are able to find a therapist that specializes in eating disorders to help you work through all of this. I agree with @Look_Its_Kriss that this may run deeper than the advice that can be offered here. In the meantime, while you are waiting to meet with a professional about this, I will give you a little tip that my therapist gave me at my first appointment. When you find yourself at a crossroads or planning your next binge, ask yourself "What is the kindest thing I can do for myself in this moment?" While not magic, this little question has already had me think twice about my decision making.
However, my main advice, seek out a professional. True disordered eating is so much more than just "sticking to your calorie goal" or "planning your treats".2 -
asdjkl2726 wrote: »I have great advice for you on your binge eating.i also can't stop once I start eating and the solution I used was to just chew on the foods and then spit them out after chewing them into the plastic bags. It helped me a lot with my weight loss journey
I know that sounds super cliche but believe me it works - you don't swallow the foods but you just chew them, just taste them and then spit them out that way you won't consume calories and still be able to taste and "binge-taste"
Believe it or not, this is also considered an eating disorder- chewing and spitting. I believe it's in that class of disorders that are deemed not named because it doesn't fall within the more common ones.1 -
leejoyce31 wrote: »animatorswearbras wrote: »Obviously speak to a BED specialist if you suspect it may be disordered eating because this advice is just for slip ups most people have whilst dieting, however if you think its just over indulgence for easily accessible food because you're dieting and end up "cracking" maybe sit down and have a proper discussion with your partner to see if you can get the trigger foods out of the house, it may be slightly inconvenient for him but he can still get treats whilst hes out and it'll give you more control, for me it's like trying to quit smoking whilst you've still got a pack of cigarettes in the house, sure you might crack and go to the shops but that at least gives you some time to talk yourself out of it and stay on track instead of just opening a draw and lighting up. x
Agreed. This advice is not for someone with a BED.
As someone who has suffered with their mental health (and also found ways to cope) for the best part of 2 decades, cheers for that, but since none of us have the capacity to diagnose the OP (even if we were qualified) over a forum post, we can only give advice with what we feel helps us, I have never been diagnosed with BED but I have suffered through multiple binges to the point of purge and repeat due to anxiety and depression which I've suffered from for 19 years so know from where I speak (but only personal experience). Don't be so quick to shame those who offer advice, especially those who recognise EDs at the beginning of their post.
OP dependant on your area there are CBT services and general counselling you can access through the NHS, luckily my area (Wilmslow) offers this for free with fairly short waiting lists, it's worth enquiring about. There should be better mental health services nationwide on the NHS but unfortunately the tories have gutted most of them and you can only access them privately or through GP referral which may be a long wait unless they consider it life threatening in the short term (Actually mental health waiting lists have always been long regardless of party in power if you're not at immediate threat of suicide, harm to others or death). I hope you do find the help you need. X
Ps Also if you or your husband work for a large company they sometimes have access to private health care services.0 -
fourtherecord wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »fourtherecord wrote: »Last week I ate over 2200 in 1h
I ate about 3000 total that day because the bung happened about noon, so restricted myself afterwards.
I suppose what I class as a binge rather than just over eating for a reason is how it happens. I wasn't even hungry, but as soon as the idea had came into my head it is very difficult to not do it. My husband and son had went out and I ate anything I could get my hands on that didn't require preparation, so crisps, chocolate, biscuits etc. I only stopped when I felt physically ill. When I've eaten a similar number of calories because I have been out for a meal and had dessert, wine etc, I don't feel the shame and physical pain that I do after a binge
Like I said before, in a binge last week I ate over 2200 calories in about an hour (I couldn't remember everything when I tried to log it). I don't know enough to know it that is normal or disordered.
I struggled with a severe binge eating disorder for 3 years but have gotten better in the last year so I can relate to the feelings of extreme shame, helplessness and desperation. I never pictured myself as the kind of person to have an eating disorder but having one has made me realize almost anyone can develop one and as I opened up about it I realized so many people who I know and respect struggle with similar things. I had BED for over a year before I finely realized what it was I was dealing with when I looked up eating disorder symptoms and saw that I had every single one. To me what clearly shows you are dealing with BED and not just over eating is the shame associated with a binge and the inability to stop or to remember what you ate afterwards. When I binged I felt high, it was hard to remember it properly afterwards, almost like it was someone else in my body forcing my hand as my head screamed no. The constant obsession with food (not able to think about anything else) is another key sign and I found to be one of the hardest parts because it means you are never free from food even between eating.
Although I agree with Look_its_Kriss that advice can be disheartening because it seems so simple to your reasonable self and yet it is impossible to follow when the urge to binge hits, I do think there are things that can help.
Talking about it
I also found reading advice or deciding new things to try gave me hope which is important. I found something that kickstarted my recovery was learning to talk about it. Even if it is only with one or two close friends or people on MFP this can start to help overcome the shame associated with it and may help you to get to a point where you can seek help or simply feel less ashamed in general and therefor less likely to binge.
Researching
I found it helpful to do research about what is going on medically. It can help you start to understand (if only in principle) that this really is a medical condition helped me feel a bit less helpless because at least I understood what was happening to me.
Drinking water and tea
I try and drink 4lt/day because when I start to get thirsty I would (and still do) crave food instead of water by not letting myself get thirsty I avoid this and also feel better all around. Tea with honey and milk is tasty and fills you up quickly so I found it helpful if I knew I was going to want to binge to drink a full pot because even if this is an uncomfortable amount of liquid it's better than the whole loaf of bread slathered in butter and honey.
Replace binge inducing foods
I know getting rid of foods may not be possible and if like other people have said when someone is determined to binge they can go buy it but not having these foods readily available creates one more step between yourself and the item. Going out to purchase also means going into the public world which can sometimes change how much you want it because binging is a secretive thing. Since your husband likes having foods you struggle with I actually think putting a lock on the door to it is a good idea, not having physical access does help (I still get my boyfriend to hide things sometimes it reduces the number of times I have to decide NOT to eat something). However, these foods need to be replaced with healthy, satisfying, tasty alternatives. This will help you feel less cheated and desperate to binge, I was always planning how much less I would eat the next day which made me more likely to panic and eat all of the things I felt like I could never eat again. Unfortunately, food is not something anyone can just decide to quit so retraining your cravings will take time and eating goals need to be sustainable.
Getting help
If you don't want to see a Dr there are also eating disorder support organizations in almost every major city. I found this more helpful and it also gave me hope because the people running it are all people who are recovering or recovered from an eating disorder so there is less shame because they understand. They organize services such as peer tutoring where you meet once a month or every week (up to you) with someone who has recovered from an eating disorder or larger support groups.
I know some of these tips may seem cliche but I really did find them to be helpful sometimes. Please feel free to friend and message me. The most important thing to realize is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE and that you deserve to be free from this terrible trap. Talking about it and getting support is a super super important step and I would love to help you in any way I can.0 -
fourtherecord wrote: »Thank you. I am reluctant to seek professional help, partly because I am embarrassed, and partly because I have seeked help for some diagnosed MH issues (depression and social phobia) and never found it very useful
It's very important to find the right therapist to help you. You might need to try different ones before you find the one. Don't give up, you're worth your time and effort, look forthw one that you can connect with and who will guide you out of this situation. It's not all in pills, in my opinion, pills should be a last resort because they will mess with your body's chemistry. Try therapy first, but be prepared to put work into it. Best of luck, OP0 -
Find a best friend that can txt you every day and make sure you're sticking to your goal. Also someone who can have lunch with you to make sure you're not going out and cheating, it would be a plus if they normally eat healthy foods so they already know where to go and what to get.0
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animatorswearbras wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »animatorswearbras wrote: »Obviously speak to a BED specialist if you suspect it may be disordered eating because this advice is just for slip ups most people have whilst dieting, however if you think its just over indulgence for easily accessible food because you're dieting and end up "cracking" maybe sit down and have a proper discussion with your partner to see if you can get the trigger foods out of the house, it may be slightly inconvenient for him but he can still get treats whilst hes out and it'll give you more control, for me it's like trying to quit smoking whilst you've still got a pack of cigarettes in the house, sure you might crack and go to the shops but that at least gives you some time to talk yourself out of it and stay on track instead of just opening a draw and lighting up. x
Agreed. This advice is not for someone with a BED.
As someone who has suffered with their mental health (and also found ways to cope) for the best part of 2 decades, cheers for that, but since none of us have the capacity to diagnose the OP (even if we were qualified) over a forum post, we can only give advice with what we feel helps us, I have never been diagnosed with BED but I have suffered through multiple binges to the point of purge and repeat due to anxiety and depression which I've suffered from for 19 years so know from where I speak (but only personal experience). Don't be so quick to shame those who offer advice, especially those who recognise EDs at the beginning of their post.
OP dependant on your area there are CBT services and general counselling you can access through the NHS, luckily my area (Wilmslow) offers this for free with fairly short waiting lists, it's worth enquiring about. There should be better mental health services nationwide on the NHS but unfortunately the tories have gutted most of them and you can only access them privately or through GP referral which may be a long wait unless they consider it life threatening in the short term (Actually mental health waiting lists have always been long regardless of party in power if you're not at immediate threat of suicide, harm to others or death). I hope you do find the help you need. X
Ps Also if you or your husband work for a large company they sometimes have access to private health care services.
I was not shaming anyone. I as some others believe that those suggestions are not for people with mental disorders.0 -
I was thinking of you and found this group on MFP community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/726-binge-eating-support-group1
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daniellockridge wrote: »Find a best friend that can txt you every day and make sure you're sticking to your goal. Also someone who can have lunch with you to make sure you're not going out and cheating, it would be a plus if they normally eat healthy foods so they already know where to go and what to get.
Sadly most people who suffer with Binge Eating Disorder can check in with people a million times a day, but that does not mean anything. For myself I lied to so many people then ate things in secret shame. I got busted once leaving a store and wolfing down doughnuts in my car, and was seen by one of my wife's co-workers who told my wife. I was supposed to be on a diet at the time so she sends me a text asking how the doughnut was I told her I only had one, when in reality I ate 4. So it is much harder to diet and lose weight when your own mind is working against you.3 -
daniellockridge wrote: »Find a best friend that can txt you every day and make sure you're sticking to your goal. Also someone who can have lunch with you to make sure you're not going out and cheating, it would be a plus if they normally eat healthy foods so they already know where to go and what to get.
Sadly most people who suffer with Binge Eating Disorder can check in with people a million times a day, but that does not mean anything. For myself I lied to so many people then ate things in secret shame. I got busted once leaving a store and wolfing down doughnuts in my car, and was seen by one of my wife's co-workers who told my wife. I was supposed to be on a diet at the time so she sends me a text asking how the doughnut was I told her I only had one, when in reality I ate 4. So it is much harder to diet and lose weight when your own mind is working against you.
Yep. NOTHING really stopped my compulsion to binge until I was finally given a prescription for a medication to treat it. I did all the little tips in this thread, plus Overeaters Anonymous, therapy, every kind of diet imaginable, installed locks on my fridge and gave the keys to my family, carried no money or credit cards with me so I couldn't buy food - you name it. Didn't work. I might would stop for a short time, but only temporarily.
Unless a person actually has BED, they probably can't really understand how incredibly powerful it is. There is a big difference between having BED and simply having poor eating habits. The shame, frustration, hopelessness, and despair that comes with BED can be absolutely overwhelming. This medication is a miracle to me - now I know how a normal person feels, not continually having to fight my own brain with all my might to not gorge myself into an early grave, which is exactly what was happening, because this disorder took a deadly toll on my health.2 -
@ActionAnnieJXN If I may ask, what medication are you taking? I myself am on Vyvanse.0
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