Binge Eating

A_Witty_Ginger
A_Witty_Ginger Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I can make it to the gym six days a week, crush any workout, run 5 straight miles, bicycle everywhere i go, but I always fail when it comes to the food. Most days of the week i can follow a controlled daily calorie intake of 1800 to 2000, but once or twice a week i am overcome with an urge to consume mass amounts of "bad" food. Its been keeping me from my weight loss goals. I have done a lot of reading on binge eating and seen that it stems from multiple causes: psychological things such as depression, stress, emotional comfort, and physiological ones like not enough calories and not enough vitamin and nutrient intake. I posted this to reach out to like minded people who have the same problem. It helps to vent, share a story, and lets support one another to reach our goals and keep healthy.

Replies

  • xchocolategirl
    xchocolategirl Posts: 186 Member
    What's your current height and weight? Also are you eating back the calories you burned from working out?
  • A_Witty_Ginger
    A_Witty_Ginger Posts: 47 Member
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    What's your current height and weight? Also are you eating back the calories you burned from working out?
    I am 6'0, 300 lbs, but I have a lot of muscle mass. My post workout calorie intake is usually .5 cups of fat free milk with Whey Protein, a bannana, 2Tbsp of Flax Seed in a smoothie and a handful of granola. Approximately 550 calories within 30 mins of workout
  • xchocolategirl
    xchocolategirl Posts: 186 Member
    edited May 2017
    I think you should see a professional if you think you have binge eating disorder. Seeing a Registered nutritionist would be a good idea. I'm not sure of your gender, and you're not answering the question about if you or aren't eating back the calories you end up burning off leads me to think maybe you're eating less calories than you think or maybe not. I'm not sure see an expert.

    Good luck!!!
  • A_Witty_Ginger
    A_Witty_Ginger Posts: 47 Member
    I probably should have specified lol Im a male, 300lbs at 6 foot. I usually give myself 550 calories right after workout but im not sure how much i burn when i work out. Jogging is approx 300 calories but i dont know how to calculate weight lifting. I thought about a nutritionist but i feel like i can conquer it on my own with the right precautions
  • Rebecca0224
    Rebecca0224 Posts: 810 Member
    Are you eating the calories you burn from working out? What are your net calories at the end of day?

    X (calorie goal from mfp with deficit)-Y (calories burned from exercise)=Z (total calories eaten)

    If your daily goal is 1800 and burn 400 from exercise but dont eat 400 calories on top of your original goal you are netting to low.
    1800(goal)-400(exercise)=1400(net)
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    That doesn't sound like binging given your stats. It sounds like you undereat on most days which is why you have one or two days a week where your body craves more. I'm 5'3" and 113 pounds, but I still lose weight on 1800 to 2000 calories. With your activity level and stats you should be able to lose on more than that so yeah, eat more throughout the week and you should feel less of those urges.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    Don't deprive yourself of anything just eat in moderation so you don't feel that need to go crazy.

    For instance if I want two slices of pizza I'm going to have to really watch my other meals and snacks. Breakfast might be a protein shake and banana. Lunch a salad with grilled chicken and very light dressing. Dinner with that pizza...salad first, ton of water and two slices. Also keep in mind how long you have to workout to burn that off.

    I started at 354 and am now 270. It has been a pure mind game for me both with food and exercise. If you are in the US, many insurance plans cover nutritionists for free...just found that out last year. Just a few sessions might help you to better plan. Friend me if you'd like, I can share some tips :)
  • A_Witty_Ginger
    A_Witty_Ginger Posts: 47 Member
    @Rebecca...That equation helps me put it into perspective. Between daily cardio and heavy lifting i imagine I burn 800-100 calories when working out, if that sounds reasonable.I also have a labor intensive job so you could add "x" amount of calorie burning to that. MFP actually suggests over 3000calories for me to intake but that sounded line too much. Maybe i should try to reach that. Whats some good food to eat during the day to stack up on calories? Thanks

    @Maxematics...I'm beginning to think thats the problem. I thought less would make me lose the weight i wanted but yeah theres some days where portion control and inhibition go out the window lol Thanks for the advice.
  • k_nelson_24
    k_nelson_24 Posts: 251 Member
    I have found that the root cause of my bingeing episodes is being overly tired. Also, not drinking enough water will trigger carb cravings every. single. time.

    It sounds like to me you are not taking in enough calories for your activity level! I would slowly increase your intake by 100 to 200 cals at a time and see if you can get your appetite under control! Good luck. =]
  • marysforjesus
    marysforjesus Posts: 2 Member
    @maxematics I'm 53 years old female and do crossfit 3 times a week and will walk 2-3 times a week for about a total of 6 miles. I am amazed that you can lose weight at 1800 calories a day. Do you exercise every day? I'm trying to understand where I should really be calorie wise to lose weight. My fit watch shows that I burn about 1500 calories a day based on my steps which makes me wonder if I need to be intaking like 1200 calories. I also tend to do really good for 2-3 months, lose weight and then will eat bad for 2-3 months and gain it back. I don't understand why I do that. Frustrating.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    marysforjesus wrote: »
    @maxematics I'm 53 years old female and do crossfit 3 times a week and will walk 2-3 times a week for about a total of 6 miles. I am amazed that you can lose weight at 1800 calories a day. Do you exercise every day? I'm trying to understand where I should really be calorie wise to lose weight. My fit watch shows that I burn about 1500 calories a day based on my steps which makes me wonder if I need to be intaking like 1200 calories. I also tend to do really good for 2-3 months, lose weight and then will eat bad for 2-3 months and gain it back. I don't understand why I do that. Frustrating.

    I exercise for about 40 to 60 minutes six days per week. I also get around 15 to 20K steps per day. My Fitbit shows me at a TDEE of around 2300.
  • nadinecurry1
    nadinecurry1 Posts: 2 Member
    Ugh I know the struggle, I hope you find your way Witty _Ginger. I ate some pasta and a whole pizza today if it makes you feel any better. My problem is giving myself excuses, like I'll start over tomorrow. Good luck! Best advice I have is to eat most your calories during the day and the least at dinner. When I am doing good, this seems to work best for me.
  • A_Witty_Ginger
    A_Witty_Ginger Posts: 47 Member
    nadinecurry1 wrote: »
    Ugh I know the struggle, I hope you find your way Witty _Ginger. I ate some pasta and a whole pizza today if it makes you feel any better. My problem is giving myself excuses, like I'll start over tomorrow. Good luck! Best advice I have is to eat most your calories during the day and the least at dinner. When I am doing good, this seems to work best for me.

    Lol I had pizza too. My excuse was that it was too late to have dinner and now i feel like crap. Its never as satisfying as you think

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