Avoiding Binges
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MaddieRainbowHealth
Posts: 81 Member
Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for keeping binges at bay.
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Replies
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There are TWO elements in the diet that help in making you feel full and can provide more time between foods, so helping in avoiding binges:
- Protein: it takes more time to digest prots that carbs and fats.
- Fiber: fiber is an element associated with carbs.
So my recommendations
- Try to keep protein consumption at the MFP suggested levels (around 1 gram per pound)
- Eat fiber rich carbs: whole breads, fruit WITH peel, vegs, etc.5 -
@Cialgle Ah, okay, I'll try that! Thanks for the suggestions! Do you have any tips for when a craving to binge hits suddenly? I typically will have a harder time stopping a binge at night...0
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Eat enough. Eat nourishing food. Eat food you like. Enjoy your food. Then stop using food to manage stress, anxiety, depression and boredom.12
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I have to just not buy it in the first place. If bad food is in the house I will eat the entire pack so I make sure not to buy it in the first place. Also, drinking water helps me feel full between meals.4
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@kommodevaran Very good and practical advice there! Thanks. It's definitely easy to use food as a distraction from other feelings, but it's important to fight the urge and examine why it's there to begin with. And obviously, if you enjoy the food you eat, that probably helps as well.1
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...Try to keep protein consumption at the MFP suggested levels (around 1 gram per pound)...
The "official" MFP protein recommendation is simply that 20% of your calories should come from protein. But you can make adjustments. The RDA for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Don't forget to convert your weight into kilograms if you use that recommendation. The RDA is probably fine if you're sedentary, but it's a little low for me, IMO... Many fitness/nutrition "experts" suggest 1 gram of protein per pound of lean mass, not per pound of total mass. You probably don't need that much if you aren't weight training or athletic. You need to know your body fat % in order to calculate your lean mass to figure out your protein needs if you go by that recommendation.
I agree with the advice of making sure you are getting adequate protein and fiber.
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Don't let yourself get really hungry..if I miss lunch or don't eat dinner till too late I will binge. It's like my body goes mental and wants all the fat and sugar. I've started carrying fruit and cereal bars with me, in case I'm busy and can't stick to a certain meal.4
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I have to just not buy it in the first place. If bad food is in the house I will eat the entire pack so I make sure not to buy it in the first place. Also, drinking water helps me feel full between meals.
I do this, and it works great most of the time.
The problem is when I stay at my parents' place. I sometimes rent out my flat on airbnb when they are away, and stay there. Their house have lots and lots of food and always some candy/snacks available. Practically every time I end up binging and hate myself for the next few days. It's like I go into 'vacation mode' when I am there
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@HM2206 I know what you mean. I currently live with my parents, and they control what groceries come into the house, so it's a constant battle of temptation and not giving in for me too.0
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@FruityFridays Good practical idea there! I do think that sometimes it's easy to let yourself get hungrier than you realize, so carrying around healthy snacks is a really good tool that I can use to combat those pesky binging urges! Thanks!0
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...Try to keep protein consumption at the MFP suggested levels (around 1 gram per pound)...
The "official" MFP protein recommendation is simply that 20% of your calories should come from protein. But you can make adjustments. The RDA for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Don't forget to convert your weight into kilograms if you use that recommendation. The RDA is probably fine if you're sedentary, but it's a little low for me, IMO... Many fitness/nutrition "experts" suggest 1 gram of protein per pound of lean mass, not per pound of total mass. You probably don't need that much if you aren't weight training or athletic. You need to know your body fat % in order to calculate your lean mass to figure out your protein needs if you go by that recommendation.
I agree with the advice of making sure you are getting adequate protein and fiber.
Sorry my mistake in the grams per pound, I should state "by kilogram", thanks for noticing.0 -
Maddiebubbles23 wrote: »@Cialgle Ah, okay, I'll try that! Thanks for the suggestions! Do you have any tips for when a craving to binge hits suddenly? I typically will have a harder time stopping a binge at night...
Difficult question, I can provide my advise regarding how to reduce the frequency on craving. But once the fact is evident ... is hard ... in my case I split. Sometimes I surrender, sometimes the craving surrended
It's always a question of balance.
PD: please see in my first reply I made a mistake, when it reads:
Try to keep protein consumption at the MFP suggested levels (around 1 gram per pound)
Should read
Try to keep protein consumption at the MFP suggested levels (around 1 gram per KILO)2 -
The biggest thing that helps me is following a 'clean eating' diet. before I consume anything I read the ingredient list and nutritional facts and if there are things I can't pronounce or tons of calories/fat/sodium ... I just won't eat it! But that said always keep acceptable snacks with you ... this helps control what I feed my body. Good luck2
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The biggest thing that helps me is following a 'clean eating' diet. before I consume anything I read the ingredient list and nutritional facts and if there are things I can't pronounce or tons of calories/fat/sodium ... I just won't eat it! But that said always keep acceptable snacks with you ... this helps control what I feed my body. Good luck
I'd think this feeds into a restrictive attitude which in some people could lead to worse binging. But that's just my opinion.5 -
@sunfastrose I think that's a good point! Eating healthy is good, but we also don't want to deprive ourselves of so-called "unhealthy" food to the point where it actually increases our desires to binge. It's a balance.2
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I've struggled with binges pretty much since I hit puberty, and 15 years on I'm finally starting to get help with it.
The most important thing is to work out why you binge, because there can be a multitude of reasons. Keep a food diary - not just for calories, but note down how you feel at the time, and you'll start to notice trends.
If you find you binge because you've let yourself get too hungry, then plan regular meal times. If it's because you're bored, look at the trigger - often sitting in front of the TV can lead to mindless eating, so call a friend, or pamper yourself for a bit (face mask, paint nails, etc), go for a walk, even do some housework!
If you eat it just because it's there, then make sure it's not in the house.
If you do fall off the wagon, don't hate or be horrible to yourself. Take the motto of if you wouldn't say it to your friend, don't say it to yourself. People with binge eating problems often suffer with low self esteem and we can be our own worst enemies.
Lastly, if you do really struggle, get some help. It's not so taboo any more and I'd starting to become more understood. Don't be ashamed to go to your doctor. Good luck.4 -
@lauren3101 Thanks for the tips! I have struggled with food issues in the past, but I'm doing much better now.0
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Maddiebubbles23 wrote: »Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for keeping binges at bay.
Stop the restriction cycle and the binge cycles tend to go away.1 -
@Hello_its_Dan Thanks, that's a good tip there. I actually don't restrict, so no worries there. For me, binging typically hits late at night, and I'm currently dealing with a very stressful situation, in which I don't have a lot of control. So I don't struggle with the urge to binge every day, just typically when I'm stressed.1
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Maddiebubbles23 wrote: »@Hello_its_Dan Thanks, that's a good tip there. I actually don't restrict, so no worries there. For me, binging typically hits late at night, and I'm currently dealing with a very stressful situation, in which I don't have a lot of control. So I don't struggle with the urge to binge every day, just typically when I'm stressed.
You know the cause of your binges and when they are likely to hit, so you can work to avoid them.
1) reduce the stresses that cause the binges
2)If Option 1 is not realistic, then figure out other coping mechanisms
3) Remove all "binge" food and stock up on zero calorie drinks and snacks.1
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