Avoiding Binges

I'm sorry for in advance for repeating others as I'm most likely about to do. I struggled with binging for many years during a really bad period of my life. I now only do it once in a blue moon and no longer feel guilty as it doesn't get the best of me.

My tried and true techniques:
- Drink water, mineral water or tea, my fav is roibos tea which doesn't contain caffeine so it's great for night time (though caffeine is good during the day as it's an appetite suppressor).
- Don't keep junk or packaged food in the house. If all food needs to be prepared you can't binge on it, unless it's fruit & veg then go for gold! (Also great for the environment).
- Try mindfulness activities, listen to music or go for a walk. (TV tends to make me want to binge).
- Sleeep! Zzzz Don't stay up late (like I'm doing now eek!)
- Shower & brush your teeth then use mouth wash (if you're at home) no one wants to binge with a minty fresh mouth!
- If you're genuinely hungry, make a smoothy or protein shake and do it quickly.
- Don't starve yourself or you'll be more likely to want to binge.
- Figure out your triggers (1 word Hormones!)
- Care for your mental and physical health.
- Exercise, it's amazing!
- Go Vegan, but first research the ethical and environmental reasons

I used to binge a lot, which led me to bulimia when I was teenager. I got help with bulimia but binging stayed with me for years. The thing that helped me the most - seriously, I think it was 90% of success- was to start eating more nutrient dense food. I don't mean "clean eating", whatever that means, but focusing on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meat (when I was eating meat, now I'm vegetarian, but that's completely personal choice). I think when I was eating lots of fast foods, sweets and things generally viewed as "unhealthy " my body was lacking nutrients and that was leading to binges. I still eat sweets, pizza and anything I like, don't get me wrong, but now those are "additions" to overall healthy, nutrient dense diet. So maybe focus more on nutrient value for now more than on calories until you feel more stable and when you'll have binging under control. Oh and restricting on next day after a binge is a bad idea, this will lead to next binges creating cycle. You have to silence that little voice in your head that tells you to starve to make up for a binge.

CiaIgle wrote: »

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.

I also find fat goes very far in helping me feel full. For me, fibre does diddly squat. However, it works for many people, so it's worth experimenting to see what works for you.

Don't have food in the house

Hello_its_Dan wrote: »

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.

thumbs up for this one - however be aware that it takes a LONG time to revert to normal eating even if you stop restricting yourself. Expect weight gain and many many months to come.

My suggestions are (based on many years of reading and trial and error), take what works for you:

1. Stop restricting yourself - however if you have already been doing so for a substantial period of time (thinking over 6 months), even if you start trying to eat normally without restriction, it will take a LONG time (we are talking about > 6 months) for you to stop having the binge urge, expect weight gain in the beginning. That's how much time it takes for your brain to rewire, sorry.

2. Distraction - I find this works the best for me as you just don't have time to binge. Finding things to take your mind off food, e.g. study, working out, shopping (not food!), hanging out with friends, talking to people, going to a class, work hard.

3. Eat what you really want to eat, NOT what you think you should eat: When I want a certain type of food, normally it is "bad" food - I try to stuff myself with healthy alternatives or even unhealthy alternatives, simply because of convenience. IT DOES NOT WORK. Your brain wants what it wants and there is NO substitution for it. Unless you have what you crave for, your urge will always be there and hit you harder each time you try to suppress it. I have tried this MANY times. So if you feel like pizza - go have a slice, or maybe two or three or four - till you are happy and content (not uncomfortably full). Then next time you will still want it but you want it less, and less, and less. The trick is every time you give your brain what you want (instead of depriving it), your brain doesn't think you are in short of supply and it will eventually relax and loose up - this is when you don't have any binge urges anymore.

4. Stop snacking - personally I would suggest ditching the "6 times a day" eating schedule (or anything similar). For people with binge eating tendency, the more you expose yourself to a potential "trigger" event (aka eating), the more likely you will start binge/having urges. Also unless you don't care about weight gain, chances you do, eating more frequently means less full each time. You need to feel full and satiated after eating. So eat less frequent but more each time, your brain will be at peace.

5. Some ppl say take 3 -4 grams of L-glutamine when you have the binge urge and in 20 minutes it will subside. Doesn't work for me but feel free to try.

6. Everything else about "drinking more water, fibre up, more protein/fat/good fat/coconut oil, sleep better etc" - they are in general good tips to keep a healthy life style, but when it comes to binge - they are completely useless for me.

Hope this helps. It takes time.

I have issues with binging on weekends! I feel I did so well on weeks that I stop restricting on the weekend and then it just goes
Completely the other way. So thanks everyone for the great comments, and for the good question:)

Yes! I have such mental cravings for chocolate and just had a baby 3 months ago so can't use pregnancy as an excuse anymore! Lol but yeah fibre! Tons of water, low calorie cereal bars and simply don't buy the bad stuff if its not there you can't have it!