How do you stop yourself from binging?
Replies
-
I just don't eat sugar anymore. I simply can't eat just one cookie/donut/cake/tiny scoop if ice cream. Just a taste makes me want more and more. So I eat fruit, yogurt, etc instead. What do you typically binge on? Maybe we can help with some alternatives.2
-
Geocitiesuser wrote: »If you are having a food binge 5 out of 7 days it is no longer a binge disorder and is more of a bad diet pattern. A "binge" for most people with a disorder involves eating to the point of being sick in a mental haze. If you're doing that every day you need professional help. If you're just over eating, eating sweets, and eating to satiation, that is poor diet and you need practice more will power.
Not really the nicest words but I can't really describe it any different. That's not BED.
It is important to understand the difference between BED and a sugar binge. Do you just binge on sweets or "junk food"? Do you feel an uncontrollable need to eat and then go seek out food or do you just over eat when food is offered? What happens if you don't eat 5 cupcakes? Can you stop and just want to continue eating because it taste good?
I have BED and it's an eating disorder and it's horrible. I feel the need to eat and I can tell the difference between a craving and when I'm about to binge. If I try to resist the compulsion to eat it can become a much worse situation.
If you suspect you have BED please get professional help, it's a mental health issue and those need professional assistance to cope with.1 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »I have binge eating disorder and have gone to many different health proffesionals for it and none of them were able to help me in the slightest. Not saying OP shouldn't seek proffessional help just that sometimes more is required
Same. I feel especially as a man, I am shrugged off for any sort of eating disorder. I think therapy can be helpful for some, but I've had bad experiences trying to find therapy for binge disorder. I basically have gotten an eye roll and told to eat less.
It's important to find someone familiar with BED. I found that many people even those who specialize with eating disorders have trouble treating BED.0 -
For those who have seen professionals for BED were the therapist specialist for BED? I really don't think many therapist are well trained for BED.
I was lucky and ended up in a great program for BED with a doctor who's whole career focus was BED and she was incredibly knowledgable. There were men in the groups, not many but I do think our society is slowly coming around.
My BED is pretty well under control now, I think I've only binged 3 times in this past year. That doesn't mean I have been eating healthy or within my calorie range. My treatment for BED was helpful but I also had other mental health/health things going on that limited my success.
Some oversimplified thing to do...
Don't over restrict
Keep logging
Notice your thoughts, feeling, actions
Set regular eating times 3-4 hours apart (this is important to help regulate hormones.)
Don't drink your calories.
Learning self-compassion
there are a ton of other things too. I'm sorry you and the others here are having to deal with this its such a hassle.
Best Wishes
https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/blog/2016/03/01/7-myths-of-binge-eating-disorder-dr-julie-friedman
When I received treatment the first month at the clinic I was being treated for bulimia and it wasn't going well. After a month one of the doctors recognized that I didn't have bulimia and he contacted an associate who worked with BED and I had to go to a clinic in another state but it was worth it.
I do the same things you do to cope with it and I've been doing well.2 -
I have binge eaten my entire life. In February, I cut out refined sugar. I am not saying this was easy. I also don't eat garbage any more. I am 47 and earlier this year I ate an entire box of girl scout cookies because I was bored or sad or they were just there.
1- Cutting out refined sugar has made me stop craving sugar.
2- When I do want to binge eat, I think about binging on broccoli or some other lovely food like that and I decide to pass - I also think more about why I want to binge
3- I may eat some skinny pop dusted with dark chocolate if I really feel like I need to stick something in my mouth and I get full fast - it doesn't do the same thing for me like it used to
It has only been three months. I have dreams about cookies with frosting and think about cake every once in a while. I have also lost 28 lbs. I swim almost every day. I made a choice to take control of my body and my eating.
When I think about eating a cupcake or something like that, I don't really want it.
I don't buy the junk anymore. I do have some dark chocolate and every once in a while I may have one square and I eat it slowly. But that may happen once a week or less frequently. If it isn't there, I can't eat it. I have healthy alternatives.
You can train your body to not want it anymore.
I eat 10 servings of veggies a day and only have a couple of servings of fruit with some veggies and protein in a smoothie after I swim each day. I limit having carbs with protein and that helps me from crashing.
Meet with a dietitian and talk through your diet. That helped me.
Good luck!0 -
endlessfall16 wrote: »Just curious, is BED possible in a home without food?
how about when the person is outside?
I know it takes a lot of consciousness of many things to order a lot of food in a restaurant. It seems difficult to happen, no?
If I have a binge compulsion and don't eat my condition worsens, my body itches uncontrollably, I get nauseous, irritable, violent, and even suicidal. The absence or presence of food does not have anything to do with it for me.
3 -
It sounds stupid but I repeat to myself food is fuel, food is fuel. It mostly works, but not when there's pizza.0
-
Rebecca0224 wrote: »endlessfall16 wrote: »Just curious, is BED possible in a home without food?
how about when the person is outside?
I know it takes a lot of consciousness of many things to order a lot of food in a restaurant. It seems difficult to happen, no?
If I have a binge compulsion and don't eat my condition worsens, my body itches uncontrollably, I get nauseous, irritable, violent, and even suicidal. The absence or presence of food does not have anything to do with it for me.
Wow that is so serious. Hope you get it under control.0 -
endlessfall16 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »endlessfall16 wrote: »Just curious, is BED possible in a home without food?
how about when the person is outside?
I know it takes a lot of consciousness of many things to order a lot of food in a restaurant. It seems difficult to happen, no?
If I have a binge compulsion and don't eat my condition worsens, my body itches uncontrollably, I get nauseous, irritable, violent, and even suicidal. The absence or presence of food does not have anything to do with it for me.
Wow that is so serious. Hope you get it under control.
I've done well with it the last few years. I spent time in a clinic, an actual clinic with specialist, and the binges haven't occurred as often and are not as intense. I learned good ways to cope and have developed a better relationship with food.
0 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »I have binge eating disorder and have gone to many different health proffesionals for it and none of them were able to help me in the slightest. Not saying OP shouldn't seek proffessional help just that sometimes more is required
Same. I feel especially as a man, I am shrugged off for any sort of eating disorder. I think therapy can be helpful for some, but I've had bad experiences trying to find therapy for binge disorder. I basically have gotten an eye roll and told to eat less.
From a doctor or counselor? Doctors can be douches when it comes to any kind of mental disorder... and frankly so can mental health professionals. It took me YEARS and numerous therapists to find my current guy, and I wouldn't trade him for the world.
It's disheartening during the search, but if you can keep trying to find someone I encourage you to do so. I never thought I would advocate therapy after the ignorant, drug pushing pieces of *kitten* I have encountered. Good therapists do exist, and they are life changing.0 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »I have binge eating disorder and have gone to many different health proffesionals for it and none of them were able to help me in the slightest. Not saying OP shouldn't seek proffessional help just that sometimes more is required
Same. I feel especially as a man, I am shrugged off for any sort of eating disorder. I think therapy can be helpful for some, but I've had bad experiences trying to find therapy for binge disorder. I basically have gotten an eye roll and told to eat less.
From a doctor or counselor? Doctors can be douches when it comes to any kind of mental disorder... and frankly so can mental health professionals. It took me YEARS and numerous therapists to find my current guy, and I wouldn't trade him for the world.
It's disheartening during the search, but if you can keep trying to find someone I encourage you to do so. I never thought I would advocate therapy after the ignorant, drug pushing pieces of *kitten* I have encountered. Good therapists do exist, and they are life changing.
This, a good doctor, therapist, or counselor won't push drugs on you and will take all concerns seriously and if they don't tell them to have a good day and walk out.0 -
Have the will to just say no from the get go. I find if I eat a little bit of a sugary treat, I just want more. Since I know what my weaknesses are, cookies and chocolate bars, I have cut them out. I keep a portioned banana bred in the feeezer. It just sweet enough, and I toast it or so takes care of the sweet and crunchy cravings.0
-
I find that the food does not taste as good as expected so it doesn't make it worth it. I just found out that some of the Danton yogurts can be frozen, that may help the ice cream craving. And when I want a sweet I will have s spoon of peanut butter and jelly, just in the spoon, the jelly is way too sweet and it takes the edge off. But I still eat too much, I need to get better at preparing easy meals.0
-
I go for a run..or walk...I've found exercise to be a good craving suppressant for me, helps with eating due to boredom as well.0
-
So many people are in a guilt/purge deprivation/binge cycle.
This whole "eat clean, eat 'healthy', eat the latest superfoods, buy my weight loss program" *kitten* the media throws at us.
We are stronger than this.
We are talented, intelligent, discerning, prudent, moderate individuals.
We are not a clichéd housewife or couch potato.
Eating a treat you've saved calories for every day is the real sort of 'healthy', dammit!3 -
i dont buy stuff i would binge on.
meaning (for me) i dont keep sweets, chips, etc in the house regularly.0 -
I find it easier not to even start than to just have a little taste, which can lead to more "little tastes." So, I'd say 8 times out of 10, my strategy is to just walk away--get out of the break room or the kitchen or walk out of that particular aisle in the grocery store. But I do occasionally give into cravings, at which point I make sure to sit down with the thing I want and enjoy EVERY LAST CRUMB, which makes needing another serving less tempting. Does that make sense? I guess just applying mindfulness to the whole process--if I'm going to make room in my daily allotment to eat something, I'm going to do it and not feel guilty. I think the guilt makes it easier to just throw in the towel and say, "Screw it! I'll have two more!"
I agree with all of this--if in fact it's just a matter of discipline and not an eating disorder. Usually I don't even walk into the kitchen when food is available. If I do eat something I sit down and tune everything out but the food and really enjoy it instead of mindlessly eating while I'm working. If I want more I tell myself I can have more in 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have passed I don't want it anymore. There has never been a time when I've gone back for food after 10 minutes. But telling myself I CAN have it in 10 minutes rather than I CAN'T have any more really helps.0 -
I struggled (and still do) with this, and one thing that helps me a lot is OA (overeaters anonymous.) They have meetings all over, google OA meeting and you might find one near you. Non-judgmental support, especially if you have a hard time seeing a therapist for financial or other reasons.0
-
I agree with some of the other posters when they report that a binge incident has actual physical symptoms - sweating, agitation, anxiety, nausea, mood changes - its not simply a matter of giving in to a particular food craving - its a lot more physical than that. I too have struggled with this and some days I come out on top, and some days the best I can do is to mitigate the damage. But for me, when I am feeling stressed and as a consequence, vulnerable or not very confident (or emotionally stable), I have to eliminate my go to foods from the house. I am in a stretch right now where my kitchen is pretty spartan, and I only have foods in the house to make meals and no treats (because who binges on vegetables, right?!) - I am not able to control the urges right now as I await 2 different surgeries, and news about a biopsy that was done recently. I have to keep telling myself that this too shall pass, and that I will find my groove again!1
-
So many people are in a guilt/purge deprivation/binge cycle.
This whole "eat clean, eat 'healthy', eat the latest superfoods, buy my weight loss program" *kitten* the media throws at us.
We are stronger than this.
We are talented, intelligent, discerning, prudent, moderate individuals.
We are not a clichéd housewife or couch potato.
Eating a treat you've saved calories for every day is the real sort of 'healthy', dammit!
Different people strokes for different folks. When I started losing weight I would eat chocolate / cookies / other sweet goodies if they were in the house. As in, they would not last one night. So, when I started losing weight, I just wouldn't buy them. Once I started eating healthier, my cravings for super-sugary foods decreased. So now I can have a box of cookies in the house without devouring them in one night.
But it took time, and it took a period of not having those foods around so I could learn better habits without distractions.
I find the fear of "depriving yourself" to be overblown.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 415 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions