Binge eating. Would like advice.

KristyDonovan
KristyDonovan Posts: 67 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Over the last year I have successfully lost 60lbs. I went from 200lbs to 140. I'm so proud of myself. During that time I had iron willpower and skill power. Almost nothing could tempt me or keep me from my goals.

Now I am an exercise junkie. I have upped my calories from 1500 to 1650 because I was starving all the time. I'm not really interested in losing any more weight but doing body recomp.

However, over the last few months I've developed a habit of stuffing myself until I am practically sick. I am more stressed than usual and have been diagnosed with PMDD. I know why I binge but cannot get myself to stop. Luckily I have not gained much weight from this. But I imagine it's a slippery slope.

Does anyone have any experience and advice for me? I'm going to talk to my Pdoc about it. But until my appointment I would appreciate the support of the MFP community. Thanks everyone!

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I agree that 1650 isn't enough, find maintenance and see if that helps stop the binges.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    Setting aside the question of whether you are eating enough or not here are the things I have noticed that cause me to overeat. Not enough vegetables. When I find myself too hungry often it is because I have fallen back to old habits and eat alot of carbs and not enough veggies. Fruits and vegetables add bulk and seem to help me to be more satisfied. The other one is not enough protein. I have eaten carbs all along my journey but when they become too prominent I find I fall into over indulging. The last thing is what everyone else is saying. If I am eating too little for a few days I tend to splurge and eat too much. Keeping my blood sugar balanced by eating regularly seems to help. Good luck and congratulations on a wonderful loss!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    I agree with everyone above, and to add to cheryldumais I would say that I find it difficult to maintain any kind of a deficit without paying really close attention to macros. If they get too far out of whack and if I am not eating enough vegetables and a variety of foods, I will start having binge days. (a binge to me is 1000+ calories over.)

    I've read it various places that without the needed nutrients, the hunger drive is increased. I don't know if that's true, but it resonates with me.

  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    No one can offer any meaningful advice without knowing WHY you binge. If you don't want to share that, then that's more than fine... but that's the crux of this whole conversation. You say you know why you are binging... is there a better response to that than by eating? If it's stress, can you better manage your stress? If it's sadness/depression, is there a better outlet for those feelings? If it's cravings, is there a more strategic approach you can take? I could keep going, but you the point.
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
    Too many carbs definitely has me binging and feeling starved when I shouldn't be. Veggies make a great filler but if that don't work, try sautéing them in olive oil or butter to add fat. Fat and protein can help you feel fuller. If you look at my diary, my over 2k calorie says all have a high carb count. My under 2k days (some under 1k!!) are low carb high fat and mid protein.
  • KristyDonovan
    KristyDonovan Posts: 67 Member
    For a very long time my new lifestyle journey has created great purpose to my life. I am very ill and in a lot of pain and the stress has me bingeing. I also think I am probably not eating enough. I have been changing up my macros to see if that helps but no luck so far. I don't have a hard time eating enough filling food. I am vegetarian and I consume a wide variety of fruits, veggies, and whole grains everyday. I'm addressing the stress with the assistance of professionals and I have a great support system. I also do endurance training (inline skating). Everyone's support has been great!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    KristyDonovan wrote: »
    For a very long time my new lifestyle journey has created great purpose to my life. I am very ill and in a lot of pain and the stress has me bingeing. I also think I am probably not eating enough. I have been changing up my macros to see if that helps but no luck so far. I don't have a hard time eating enough filling food. I am vegetarian and I consume a wide variety of fruits, veggies, and whole grains everyday. I'm addressing the stress with the assistance of professionals and I have a great support system. I also do endurance training (inline skating). Everyone's support has been great!

    peanut butter
  • KristyDonovan
    KristyDonovan Posts: 67 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »

    peanut butter

    One of my favorite things!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    For me, the only time I've been able to stop a binge is to get in front of it and recognize the kinds of feelings I have when they're about to start. Recognizing and naming the emotions gives me ammunition and some control over the binge. "I don't want to eat, this is just anxiety. I don't need that food, this is just about xyz. No really, we'll get over this." And so on. It's still going to be a long night fighting it. The feelings can consume my life for hours when I'm trying to stop a binge. There are times when I think it would be easier to just binge (but not better).

    HALT is an acronym I learned here. Don't let yourself get too Hungry Angry Lonely or Tired. These are times we're more likely to binge. I add an extra A for Anxiety for myself. Getting in front of those things can help some.
  • silvy1013
    silvy1013 Posts: 6 Member
    Are you getting enough rest? I noticed that when I stay up too late I tend to binge and then make poor decisions the following day. Once I started going to bed at 9pm the binging ended.

    Another thing that could be helpful would be to add in a refeed day or two each week. Up your calories by 300 and make them come from carbs. It's not a free for all cheat day or cheat meal. You still eat healthy, but just a little more. It maybe be helpful.
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