Open Discussion on Binge Eating

Who here struggles with binge eating?
I've been working on fixing my bingeing for about a year now, but it still amazes me how sneaky my mind can be when trying to rationalize binge behaviors.

I sometimes go into an irrational state where I feel like as long as nobody sees me eating then it's almost like I didn't really eat it. It's always after a week or two of clean eating; I start feeling it on the edge of my consciousness. It's the figurative devil on my shoulder saying that I've already had a doughnut for breakfast, so why not have a bag of chips with lunch, and helping it snowball from there.

Sometimes I pull a move where I convince my husband to overindulge with me so that I don't feel as guilty eating half a tub of ice cream. I've made him my binge buddy, which isn't cool since I know he's been trying to lose weight too.

Do these sound familiar to anyone else? What kinds of tricks does your mind play on you? What do you do to get yourself through an urge to binge?
«13

Replies

  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    I have a BED, currently in remission. I did a year of counselling to figure out why I binge, that help me to avoid situations that might make me want to binge. For me it started with deprivation. I was severely restricted in my eating as a young person. I was never allowed treats and never allowed to eat what I wanted. As soon as I was out of sight, I would sneak things. As soon as I moved out , I ate everything in sight. It took me years to rein myself in. About mind tricks: the biggest one was telling myself I deserved a treat. I should be able to eat whatever I want, whenever I want, with out restraint. Well, that lead me to weighing 431 lbs.
    The counselling helped more than I can ever say. Nothing got better until I gained insight to the cause of my illness.
    I now eat moderately, exercise, and have lost over 60lbs so far.
    Thank you for starting this discussion

    Thank you for sharing your story. I'm very happy you are moving towards better things for yourself. Taking back control over your life is such a long and difficult process. It's changing those patterns and behaviours, and harder yet, that voice inside your head.
  • edeconing
    edeconing Posts: 10 Member
    @MessyApron I completely know how you feel! I'll often be on a normal, healthy streak with my eating habits and then next moment - BOOM! I crave all kinds of junk... and then I eat and eat and eat and eat - mostly when people don't see me. It also helps not to feel as guilty.

    Since I'm new to MFP, I'm hoping that I can deduce why I go on these binges so that I can address the issue - since I'm an emotional eater.

    Nice to know I'm not alone!

    Xxx
  • MessyApron
    MessyApron Posts: 206 Member
    edited October 2017
    @edeconing Welcome to MFP! Feel free to message me if you want someone to talk to. :smile:
    I don't know if podcasts are your thing, but there's one I've been listening to that's very helpful to me. It's called Half-Size Me, and it's focused on mindset and a maintenance based approach to weight loss, and the host (Heather) has lost over a hundred pounds and has kept it off for 5 years and counting. She overcame her binge eating problems, and has on a lot of guests who struggle with it too, so it's a good resource when you're trying to figure out your relationship with food.
  • MessyApron
    MessyApron Posts: 206 Member
    @nowine4me That's a fair point. I've been working more late shifts lately, so I haven't been getting my usual amount of sleep. Thank you for pointing that out! :smile:
  • jayersmith
    jayersmith Posts: 20 Member
    I have a B.E.D! I hide my b.e.d and mostly do it at night after my husband and children are asleep. My weight has fluctuated my whole life and I'm always on a diet so I don't over eat I tell myself I'm on a diet. I do this because it helps me tell myself to binge on healthier snacks and food or to stop eating when I never feel full.
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
    I've been a binge eater for many years, lost and gained probably 100kg. I used to hide food in the car so I could eat in private, encourage the family to eat junk so I wouldn't feel so bad, replace packets of things before anyone noticed I'd eaten the whole lot, plans binges around the times when nobody was home. It sucked and I deserve better!

    There's some good advice on here. I totally agree that getting enough sleep is super important. I'm eating low carb at the moment and it's working really well. Eating high fat and less processed food keeps the cravings at bay, as does exercise. Eating mindfully and actually savoring food is useful too - not eating while watching tv or reading or driving or working.

    Best of luck.