Once I start eating, I want to keep eating
iowalinda
Posts: 357 Member
Why does this happen? I am better off not to start eating because I feel compelled to keep eating. It's apparently the taste of the food, not hunger that is the driving force. Any tips to get this under control? Some days I feel like a food addict. Also, why, after having something salty do I crave something sweet? And vice versa.
6
Replies
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Every day? several times a week, once a week? how long has this been an issue in your life?
The formal diagnostic criteria for Binge eating disorder are:
Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:- Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances.
- A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating).
- Eating much more rapidly than normal.
- Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.
- Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry.
- Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating.
- Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterward.
The binge eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for 3 months.
The binge eating is not associated with the recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging) as in bulimia nervosa and does not occur exclusively during the course of bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa.10 -
It's appetite and it's perfectly normal and healthy. You can't get appetite under control, but you can make things easier for yourself by scheduling regular, balanced and varied meals - maybe 3 meals per day, each consisting of something salty, something sweet, something crunchy, something hot, something cold, different colors, etc.11
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Here's what helps me:
- Portion out my meals (in the correct calorie goals) for the day in advance and add them to my diary.
- Work treats into my daily calorie goal (a cookie after dinner, for example).
- Skip breakfast and eat a small lunch to save more calories for dinner and after-dinner treats.
- Brush, floss and mouth-wash immediately after my final evening treat.12 -
Make sure your weight loss goals are realistic and healthy. If so and you're truly just hungry/need to eat, load of up veggies! At least that's what I like to do. More volume and helps me feel full and satisfied for longer periods of time. Increasing water intake (but I mean don't go crazy) might help a bit too.6
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I personally have labelled myself a food addict. I know not to touch the disallowed foods or else i will relapse, just like a drug, alcohol or substance addiction. i have also psyched myself into believing ive had a gastric bypass and cannot eat anything greater than 1 cup in any 2 hour period nor eat anything greater that 250 calories per 1 cup serving. its working and have lost 50# since early september17
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How often you think about food will make helping you a lot easier. If you don't think about food all that much then it could very well be you're in a sever deficit or your food selection is impacting your appetite negativity. Increase your cals or switch up your food choices to a more nutrionally dense variety respectively.
If food does consumes your mind then the question you should ask yourself is why?2 -
llfitzgerald3578 wrote: »I personally have labelled myself a food addict. I know not to touch the disallowed foods or else i will relapse, just like a drug, alcohol or substance addiction. i have also psyched myself into believing ive had a gastric bypass and cannot eat anything greater than 1 cup in any 2 hour period nor eat anything greater that 250 calories per 1 cup serving. its working and have lost 50# since early september
How many calories are you consuming doing it this way tho? @llfitzgerald35784 -
Is it particular foods that tend to make you crave more? (If that's the case, it might be useful to not buy those particular items in more than a single serving for a while).3
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I’m the same; I find it hard to stop eating and I’m a fast eater. I’ve struggled with binge eating in the past. Here’s a couple tricks I’ve developed: I love spice. So I add a lot of hot sauce/ Tabasco to my foods. It slows down my eating. Set out your meal away from your pantry/ fridge. Gum. I always have a piece of gum handy to start chewing as soon as I’m done. It signals to my stomach I’m done eating.4
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One of the main reasons I follow 16:8 is because eating breakfast early in the morning makes me hungrier than if I just wait to lunch.
There have also been times where I wasn't hungry, but someone offered me a snack or whatever and eating that made me ravenous.5 -
I'm the same way -- when I start eating, it's hard for me to stop without an artificial limit. What has worked for me is pre-logging my meals and not eating more than that. Since I know my meals are meeting my calorie goal and nutritional needs, I know I don't need more food. If I still feel hungry, I'll have some water, tea, or diet soda.
That said, if you truly feel "compelled" to eat more (like it isn't something that you can stop), professional help is probably the best bet. There's nothing wrong with getting help from an expert when we need it.12 -
One of the main reasons I follow 16:8 is because eating breakfast early in the morning makes me hungrier than if I just wait to lunch.
There have also been times where I wasn't hungry, but someone offered me a snack or whatever and eating that made me ravenous.
That sounds a lot like me. Thank you for sharing that. May I ask what 16:8 means? I am new here.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I'm the same way -- when I start eating, it's hard for me to stop without an artificial limit. What has worked for me is pre-logging my meals and not eating more than that. Since I know my meals are meeting my calorie goal and nutritional needs, I know I don't need more food. If I still feel hungry, I'll have some water, tea, or diet soda.
Thanks for sharing those tips
I probably should stay away from certain foods because I know I have trouble stopping when I eat them. I need to get in the mindset of viewing eating food for subsistence, not as a pleasurable activity LOL.1 -
Thanks to each person who took the time to respond and offered tips and encouragement. I really appreciate it 6
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But eating is supposed to be a pleasurable activity. When you deny yourself that pleasure, that's when all those nasty things happen, like compulsion and feeling like you're addicted... to food, which is a necessity for life. This doesn't mean that it's a bad idea to limit access to the most tempting foods. Cooling down and getting in better eating habits are central parts of the advice you've received.
Thanks for sharing those tipsjanejellyroll wrote: »I'm the same way -- when I start eating, it's hard for me to stop without an artificial limit. What has worked for me is pre-logging my meals and not eating more than that. Since I know my meals are meeting my calorie goal and nutritional needs, I know I don't need more food. If I still feel hungry, I'll have some water, tea, or diet soda. I probably should stay away from certain foods because I know I have trouble stopping when I eat them. I need to get in the mindset of viewing eating food for subsistence, not as a pleasurable activity LOL.5 -
Try IF, may just be your golden ticket6
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How about eating food for good health rather than subsistence? Subsistence just sounds overly strict, punishing even. I found viewing the process as treating myself well made this less of a gruelling or punishing and temporary process, and more of a pleasant new lifestyle.
As to certain foods triggering you to overeat, I'm the same, although it's much less of a problem for me now than it once was. In the beginning it was easiest to just stay away from trigger foods. Even just pictures of certain foods caused me problems. But as time went by I found ways to have those foods occasionally. Mostly. I'm still imperfect in my ability to moderate certain foods but I'm at goal and holding so it's a lot easier to forgive myself.
I didn't have to be perfect to get to goal weight. I just had to stick with it.
Just in case, what is your calorie goal? "I am better off not to start eating" was something I might have said to myself back when I was a teenager and thought VLCDs were just fine.4 -
Why does this happen? I am better off not to start eating because I feel compelled to keep eating. It's apparently the taste of the food, not hunger that is the driving force. Any tips to get this under control? Some days I feel like a food addict. Also, why, after having something salty do I crave something sweet? And vice versa.
This is why I do IF. It is much harder for me to eat small meals and stop before getting full than to just wait and then be able to eat tell full. Fortunately I can do a 16:8 IF and maintain eating ad libitium in the evenings (eat about a 600 cal lunch) and can do a 20:4 IF and eat ad libitum in the evenings and will lose weight. Eating tell full is important for me to be able to do IF the next day.
I've never had a binging problem but on a couple of occasions where I have fasted about 20-hrs or so and didn't eat enough the day before and started eating before I got home from work, I would go on what people above described as a binge which was I'm eating about 1500 cals or so and I'm not stopping or even going to try before I feel like I can or am going to stop. I don't get that doing IF if I eat a reasonable amount the day before but that could happen if I eat too little.
Weird how things change but as a teenager and in my 20's, I was very lean and prided myself on how much I could eat. I would occasionally have competitions with my little brother to see who could eat the most. Those days are gone for sure!
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When it seems like I'm about to cave in and overeat I grab a chocolate covered nut bar. It's salty and sweet and satisfying. Problem solved!5
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One of the main reasons I follow 16:8 is because eating breakfast early in the morning makes me hungrier than if I just wait to lunch.
There have also been times where I wasn't hungry, but someone offered me a snack or whatever and eating that made me ravenous.
That sounds a lot like me. Thank you for sharing that. May I ask what 16:8 means? I am new here.
Sounds much like myself as well. So 16:8 is eating for only eight hours per day. Say, skip breakfast and only eat lunch and dinner. So a window of eating. Say you eat your first meal at noon. Then eat your last meal before eight. It’s easier for me, for ME, to not focus so much on the time, instead just eating my two meals when I’m really hungry.
Last month I started doing this. Mainly unintentionally. I just stopped eating breakfast and started focusing on eating a big lunch and a bigger dinner. And I cut out snacking. Not because snacking is ‘bad’. I am just better able to control my mindless eating habits that way. I binge eat.
I hope that helps.
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Read Lose It For Life by Steve Atterburn1
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llfitzgerald3578 wrote: »I personally have labelled myself a food addict. I know not to touch the disallowed foods or else i will relapse, just like a drug, alcohol or substance addiction. i have also psyched myself into believing ive had a gastric bypass and cannot eat anything greater than 1 cup in any 2 hour period nor eat anything greater that 250 calories per 1 cup serving. its working and have lost 50# since early september
I was on that kind of pace during September and October and then during November finally listened to reason and upped my calories and slowed my rate of loss. I lost a lot of muscle in addition to fat and I think I would have been more likely to return to binge behavior if I had stayed at the rate I was losing (I lost 32 pounds in 65 days; a very unhealthy rate). I am now eating at a level that should be causing a loss of a pound a week but I am losing a little slower than that; no doubt an effect of under eating for over 2 months.5 -
goldthistime wrote: »How about eating food for good health rather than subsistence? Subsistence just sounds overly strict, punishing even. I found viewing the process as treating myself well made this less of a gruelling or punishing and temporary process, and more of a pleasant new lifestyle.
As to certain foods triggering you to overeat, I'm the same, although it's much less of a problem for me now than it once was. In the beginning it was easiest to just stay away from trigger foods. Even just pictures of certain foods caused me problems. But as time went by I found ways to have those foods occasionally. Mostly. I'm still imperfect in my ability to moderate certain foods but I'm at goal and holding so it's a lot easier to forgive myself.
I didn't have to be perfect to get to goal weight. I just had to stick with it.
Just in case, what is your calorie goal? "I am better off not to start eating" was something I might have said to myself back when I was a teenager and thought VLCDs were just fine.
I had to look up IF, as I had not heard of that before. I think I have been doing that instinctively, on & off, for quite a few years. I am trying to eat in the 1500 calorie range daily. Speaking of trigger foods, I felt like I was doing really well yesterday until supper time when I ate a Christmas cookie brought over by a neighbor. Before I knew it, I had inhaled a half dozen of them. I never should have taken that first bite. I want to lose 25-30 lbs.1 -
This time of year is always a struggle for me with all the sweets and goodies around. And then there are the food pushers.3
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This time of year is always a struggle for me with all the sweets and goodies around. And then there are the food pushers.
Food pushers? What an odd phrase. Sounds like a total victim statement to me, unless they are literally holding you down and pushing food down your throat. And if they are, you should probably call the police and report assault and battery.
Victim statements help hold us in our ruts. Seeing people as "food pushers" puts the blame that you ate the food on them, instead of on you where it belongs. I'm not saying eating the food is even inherently wrong. I'm saying the mindset needs changed in order to be successful.21 -
DebLaBounty wrote: »When it seems like I'm about to cave in and overeat I grab a chocolate covered nut bar. It's salty and sweet and satisfying. Problem solved!
The problem for me is that I can't stop at just one. It sets up an intense craving for more
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I get this way occasionally. You really do have to experiment and find what works for you. Everybody has different appetites and things that keep them satisfied. Find your balance. Try intermittent fasting if that sounds appealing. Try playing with your macro ratios (fats, carbohydrates, proteins). Don't beat yourself up when you eat more than you know you should. Don't beat yourself up for feeling this way either. Many people struggle to find a style of eating that works for them, and many people overindulge in foods they find enjoyable.
Sometimes there is no "reason" for the feeling. Sometimes I've looked back at what I've been eating/doing/feeling recently and been able to pinpoint where the desire to keep eating was born. Recognize the feeling; accept it; move on. Own your feelings and choices.4 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »This time of year is always a struggle for me with all the sweets and goodies around. And then there are the food pushers.
Food pushers? What an odd phrase. Sounds like a total victim statement to me, unless they are literally holding you down and pushing food down your throat. And if they are, you should probably call the police and report assault and battery.
Victim statements help hold us in our ruts. Seeing people as "food pushers" puts the blame that you ate the food on them, instead of on you where it belongs. I'm not saying eating the food is even inherently wrong. I'm saying the mindset needs changed in order to be successful.
Although I agree with you on the mind-set point, "food pusher" perfectly describes a woman I work with. Yesterday she walked up to my desk, handed me a cookie, then stood there until I took a bite.4 -
This is why I do IF. It is much harder for me to eat small meals and stop before getting full than to just wait and then be able to eat tell full. Fortunately I can do a 16:8 IF and maintain eating ad libitium in the evenings (eat about a 600 cal lunch) and can do a 20:4 IF and eat ad libitum in the evenings and will lose weight. Eating tell full is important for me to be able to do IF the next day.
I've never had a binging problem but on a couple of occasions where I have fasted about 20-hrs or so and didn't eat enough the day before and started eating before I got home from work, I would go on what people above described as a binge which was I'm eating about 1500 cals or so and I'm not stopping or even going to try before I feel like I can or am going to stop. I don't get that doing IF if I eat a reasonable amount the day before but that could happen if I eat too little.
Weird how things change but as a teenager and in my 20's, I was very lean and prided myself on how much I could eat. I would occasionally have competitions with my little brother to see who could eat the most. Those days are gone for sure!
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Thank you for sharing this. I always felt like I was an oddball with my eating issues, but your post and some of the others rings a bell with me. As an example of well meaning people who have given advice: Some (not in this group) have insisted to me that I MUST eat breakfast. I am never hungry at breakfast time, so it causes 2 issues for me: unwanted calorie intake AND it sets me up to overeat that day. The other thing you mentioned that rings true with me is the multiple small meals thing. That does NOT work for me either
I could eat anything when I was younger, too. Didn't start to have a weight problem until after I had my first child. Then it was just 5 or 10 lbs. It started really being a problem keeping my weight down after 40 for me.
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DebLaBounty wrote: »When it seems like I'm about to cave in and overeat I grab a chocolate covered nut bar. It's salty and sweet and satisfying. Problem solved!
The problem for me is that I can't stop at just one. It sets up an intense craving for more
As crazy as it sounds, when I wasn't eating enough I wasn't nearly as hungry as I have been since I upped my calories to a healthy level and started allowing some treats. I know sometimes it is craving, not hunger. People who haven't experienced BED think it is as simple as just stopping at one...6
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