Binge Eating Disorder and Dieting

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  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
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    ChristinaFever wrote: »
    This can be so difficult to deal with! I agree with everyone who has suggested looking for the root of the binge eating through therapy, self-exploration, etc. it's such an important first step. I've suffered from an ED for years that manifests itself through seemingly uncontrollable binges followed by purge episodes - it hasn't been pretty, but therapy and medical assistance have been a huge help. I know suggesting medication isn't necessarily a popular idea on threads like these, but medications like Topomax can be really beneficial in controlling binge eating - granted this doesn't help the root cause at all, but at least helps to relieve this symptom of the underlying issue.

    Topamax for binge eating disorder? Been taking it for migraines for YEARS and it hasn't made a difference in my binge eating behavior at all. IMHO it's psychological. Topamax is not the miracle weight loss drug so many people keep posting about. You still gotta do the work. I lose, I gain, I fluctuate. 70 lbs and counting.
  • little_b_9_7_94
    little_b_9_7_94 Posts: 9 Member
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    Another couple of things that I think have really helped me with the binge eating:
    1. Counting calories to the dot. This helps me think about the things I'm eating, and also.. it makes me think about something else. It's kind of funny, because though I'm counting the calories, I'm obsessing so much over specific amounts that I think less about stuffing my face.
    2. Eating beans with an outside "peel" like garbanzo beans and lima beans. I tend to like to "peel" these with my teeth as I chew on them, and you kind of have to play with them one at time to do so. It has helped me think less about eating.
    3. Using exercise calories as a reward for exercise. Some thinks this kind of negates the point, but that's not true! Exercise is so good for your body, and you still have the same calorie deficit if you do eat these calories, so you will still lose!! It's quite nice too, because it makes me "earn" my overeating, and then it's not really overeating. I mean obviously you can't earn 2000 calories to binge on, but you can earn something healthy and filling.
    4. Making sure that I am able to feel "stuffed" occasionally... because for some reason this is my biggest craving when I binge. Not the food in itself, but the feeling of actually not being able to eat anymore... This can be done with very few calories actually, if done with the right foods.

    This is just a little of what has helped me... and still does(I'm currently munching garbanzo beans).
  • crooked_left_hook
    crooked_left_hook Posts: 364 Member
    edited March 2017
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    little_b_9_7_94 wrote: »
    Another couple of things that I think have really helped me with the binge eating:
    1. Counting calories to the dot. This helps me think about the things I'm eating, and also.. it makes me think about something else. It's kind of funny, because though I'm counting the calories, I'm obsessing so much over specific amounts that I think less about stuffing my face.
    2. Eating beans with an outside "peel" like garbanzo beans and lima beans. I tend to like to "peel" these with my teeth as I chew on them, and you kind of have to play with them one at time to do so. It has helped me think less about eating.
    3. Using exercise calories as a reward for exercise. Some thinks this kind of negates the point, but that's not true! Exercise is so good for your body, and you still have the same calorie deficit if you do eat these calories, so you will still lose!! It's quite nice too, because it makes me "earn" my overeating, and then it's not really overeating. I mean obviously you can't earn 2000 calories to binge on, but you can earn something healthy and filling.
    4. Making sure that I am able to feel "stuffed" occasionally... because for some reason this is my biggest craving when I binge. Not the food in itself, but the feeling of actually not being able to eat anymore... This can be done with very few calories actually, if done with the right foods.

    This is just a little of what has helped me... and still does(I'm currently munching garbanzo beans).

    Regarding point #3- The ONLY way I will get my butt out of bed at 5am to run is knowing that I will log about 15K steps for the day, which gives me about 500 extra exercise calories, which means I get something with chocolate at the end of the day (I try to only eat about 150 of those calories). Yes, I run for chocolate and I have no shame about it. If that's what it takes to get me to exercise, that's just the way it's going to be!
  • DannyYMi54321
    DannyYMi54321 Posts: 77 Member
    edited March 2017
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    GemstoneofHeart wrote: »
    Interesting that it's mostly women who are commenting about this. Do women have a higher rate of BED or are men just not chiming in?

    Well .., gut instinct tells me most men would deny BED like they deny other medical-psychological problems if and for ad long as possible. I did for decades in some ways. I addressed my BED - sort of - by doing things like weight watchers, weight loss clinics, seeing psychologists and discussing weight, work, family problems but refusing to even open the door to what was the root of BED and everything else in my life, being abused in every way by my father. Just couldn't go there and admit it happened even to a therapist.

  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
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    I started binge eating as a teen. It's been a long road and it evolved over time. It was a coping mechanism to deal with any sadness, boredom, madness or any feelings really, then I'd binge feel horrible and do it again. I felt I could never have will power to not binge. Until I tried to diet for real and discovered I could not eat. But then I had to learn how to portion control bc not eating was as bad as overeating ( but my thoughts were always consumed by food what I was eating when I'd eat next etc). So distraction is key for me to go walking when I'm thinking of eating ( when I ate already) read weight loss stories, inspiration pictures, documentary, watching Chris Powell tv show on weight loss.

    My journey started with sweets or trigger foods I'd binge on. Like Nutella or pb. So my tricks when I'm in that mode is to have the kids snacks hidden from me or not buy the item that's triggering for awhile. Out of sight out of mind, put in a place I cannot visually see.

    Now for feeling full I had to learn to get that feeling from other things like water, and to readjust to being no longer hungry and listening to my body and it became normal eventually.

    Discovered what real portion look like not what I thought was a healthy portion ( portion distortion) I did Chris Powell book choose more lose more and it taught me how to do this correctly.

    Overall I learned my hard exercise was ultimately not worth eating a whole cake, brownie box etc. or one of those trips in the parking lot with 10 kinds of chocolate or a box of donuts, or even trips to 3different fast food places. ( to break that I had to leave my wallet or money home til I felt I could control myself). However I can reward with 3 oreos fit into my calories for the day. Or one of something ( but it took awhile to get to this point)

    I had to learn how to speak my emotions as I'm feeling them ( if I'm mad I say I'm getting mad, or that hurt me, or this is bothering me) I had to learn to stand up to my mom who always intimidated me and if I was hurt or whatever say so ( this dramatically changed my need for Foods, and dealing with why I wanted to eat what bothered me ( bc at first I had no idea most the time what my emotions were bc I'd numbed them so long)

    It's been a very long journey for me but I can go months or years without binging and what a binge today looks like is nothing like it used to ( like one two pack of donuts or hohos) and the foods don't taste good no more after eating healthy awhile so I guess that helped too. But changing the mindset, doing inner work, and outer work really changed it for me. Sometimes after a bad day I crave a chocolate or a Starbucks special drink. But I know a road down sugar road leads me back into an addiction of it so I've in a great while is ok.

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