Binge eaters only. Loving food, too much, managing stress hormone over earing

wibblewobblejellyontheplate
wibblewobblejellyontheplate Posts: 58 Member
edited November 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I love food. In the morning I think about my breakfast, then a snack then my lunch then my tea. It’s frustrating as as my stress levels increase or hormones (monthly time) go out of whack I just want the eat, a lot.

I want to eat when I get in from work and it’s gotten worse recently. I have young children so can’t just go out swimming or to the gym.

Any ideas? Or support? Bingers only please x
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Replies

  • fatvegan88
    fatvegan88 Posts: 71 Member
    Intermittent fasting helped me to stop thinking about food 24/7.
    I fast for 16 hours and I never eat breakfast because it makes me hungrier throughout the day.
    I eat my first meal at noon and my second at 6 and I feel a lot less hungry than when I was eating 3 meals a day. I don’t go to bed dreaming of pancakes or something anymore and I just drink water if I am hungry.
  • littlebabekitty
    littlebabekitty Posts: 398 Member
    I suffer from this and emotional eating. I am starting to incorporate healthy habits to try to change. Like eatinh fruits instead of sweets. Less bread and wheat products. More veggies and protein ( i am vegan) and meditation. U can add me for ideas and support. I am working with a buddy i communicate by messenger and having that person as an accountability partner has helped tremendously. We check in daily and support eachother
  • wibblewobblejellyontheplate
    wibblewobblejellyontheplate Posts: 58 Member
    I also wanted to add I used to run a lot but alas injuries mean that’s not an option any more , and little people limit my spare time. I can’t blame others though even on my free time I’m doing the supermarket trip, excited chucking in all those carbs...
  • wibblewobblejellyontheplate
    wibblewobblejellyontheplate Posts: 58 Member
    Interesting one poster put about breakfast. My binges are currently starting as soon as I wake up- 5.20 am. I have half an hour before dropping children off at childcare and I start the day with coffee and chocolate, protein bars. I think it’s because I’m slightly dreading the day. I then arrive at work tired needing more coffee and food. I never feel motivated and have that oomph as often I’m working in. My spare time as I feel I plod along at work and feeel guilty later that I’m being paid and need to give them their moneys worth!
  • julia96gp
    julia96gp Posts: 6 Member
    Hello! I am a binge eater too, though I have faith in my progressive recovery. Binge eating is like deep deeeeep hole you fall into, and you have to climb back up. You see the light up there and believe you'll be there in a second, but the way up is long, and different for everyone, and you're still in it while you're climbing. So now I know I must not blame myself for binge eating again: I know I've learnt so many clues to get out and some day I will be free. And, somehow I know I am reducing the frequency and sice of the binges. That's what one must focus on!!

    What is helping me right now is:
    - When binge eating, I try not to repeat foods.W hen I've tasted them all and can't repeat I feel so empty and sad, and so I can reconnect with myself (as binges feel like zombie mode...). But many times I just fall into repeating one food. Anyway this helped me the first days to reduce the calorie amount
    - Continuing like nothing happened. W hen I used to fast the next day I started binge eating with a frequency that took me back to my starting weight and more. I wish I'd never done. Now I just continue like nothing, have my breakfast next day and realize I didn't binge everyday, maybe only every other day. Think it wasn't that bad. We need positive thinking!! That's the next thing:
    - Having a diary. I can see I went from binging everyday to binging every three days. This is encouraging!!
    - Writing down my feelings before, during and after the binge. I can also call my best friends, they listen to my problems and we think of a solution together. This gives me back HOPE in life. A little light is what we need to go on with our objectives, in health, in studies... When I don't, I just feel devastated and keep eating to cover the sadness. Calling or meeting someone avoids that :)
    - Being realistic: my goal is not to NEVER binge eat again, but doing it ONCE a week. This way I know I can lose weight. And one day, I might not binge eat again, but that must came alone...
    - Seeing a therapist: essential.

    Please, I believe we can help each other so much!! Maybe we can support ourselves by chat, please don't doubt in sending a message to me :)

    Btw I'm Júlia and I live in Barcelona
    My biggest luck to all of you, we are fighters! Never lose faith.
  • twoboysnmygirl
    twoboysnmygirl Posts: 161 Member
    I recentlly read Brain Over Binge and not to be dramatic, but it was a bit of an epiphany for me. You might want to check it out, it really clicked in my head and changed so much for me.
  • datum9
    datum9 Posts: 3 Member
    emotional eating is hard to defeat. For me, I realized that whether I ate or didn't, it wouldn't make the situation better. You may try another approach. It's like smoking or anything else. Fixes nothing. You have to rewire yourself on a low level and change habits. It's that simple and that complex.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    wibblewobblejellyontheplate wrote: »
    Interesting one poster put about breakfast. My binges are currently starting as soon as I wake up- 5.20 am. I have half an hour before dropping children off at childcare and I start the day with coffee and chocolate, protein bars. I think it’s because I’m slightly dreading the day. I then arrive at work tired needing more coffee and food. I never feel motivated and have that oomph as often I’m working in. My spare time as I feel I plod along at work and feeel guilty later that I’m being paid and need to give them their moneys worth!

    How many calories, and grams of protein and carbs are in the protein bars? I've seen posters refer to low protein items as protein bars when they were actually just granola/snack bars. How many calories and carbs in the chocolate?

    Try having eggs for breakfast and see if you feel differently afterwards.
  • ilovejasonlantz
    ilovejasonlantz Posts: 1 Member
    Intermittent fasting helped me to stop thinking about food 24/7.
    I fast for 16 hours and I never eat breakfast because it makes me hungrier throughout the day.
    I eat my first meal at noon and my second at 6 and I feel a lot less hungry than when I was eating 3 meals a day. I don’t go to bed dreaming of pancakes or something anymore and I just drink water if I am hungry.

    this! i have been researching this for myself and believe i need to learn to do this. I tend to binge during the week before TOM ( ugh ) but the other 3 weeks i do great. I think i can relearn this behavior with fasting to retrain my brain. thanks!
  • azkabanned
    azkabanned Posts: 79 Member
    edited January 2018
    It’s just one of those weeks. Had a *kitten* Saturday, wanted to order pizza but held off every day till today, though still went over calories almost everyday and ate some pretty unhealthy crap. Finally ordered the pizza just now. Large extra cheese extra pepperoni half pineapple. Gonna eat the damn thing so I can stop thinking about it every meal. I kept telling myself I’ll feel better about myself if I stick to healthy foods, but’s it’s been almost a week and I just wish I ordered the pizza earlier.

    I stress eat and emotionally eat on the regular, but it’s usually stuff like sashimi which doesn’t do much damage...salmon, tuna, shrimp, scallops... healthy fats and protein. Pizza, I don’t even particularly like but I needed to get this one out of the way.

    Emotional eating aside, food has always been really important to me. I travel to Asia and Europe every year and 50% of the good experiences have to do with food. So whoever said food is not entertainment...couldn’t be more wrong, entertainment is also an understatement. There’s nothing like connecting to a culture in an izakaya over sake and skewers, or a in Mediterranean garden with local wine and a spread of seafood. I went to Kobe Japan in November, specifically to eat real Kobe beef. I can only wishhhhh to have great food like that everyday, and probably wouldn’t mind gaining a few pounds.

    Gaining the pounds over papa johns on the other hand, makes me sad. I love good food, but I can tell when I’m just binge eating vs when I’m actually enjoying food. The two don’t have much to do with each other.
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    edited January 2018
    meloyellow27 wrote: »
    Binge eater here... I'm now 50+ lbs down and I still struggle with my food issues, more so on the weekends. I've now have a handle on the weekdays by keeping busy with work, housework and my kids. As soon as Saturday hits, there is something that switches in my brain that makes me want to eat everything in sight. I typically can now control myself on Sundays on maintenance mode then back on the grind come Monday. I try not to beat myself up too much and usually try to go heavy on my strength training on those binge days with the hopes of building some muscle with those extra calories.

    I do all my workouts at home with videos and weights. My 4 and 6 year olds have their own 1 lb weights and 3 lb kettle bell when they want to join me in my workouts.

    My advice would be to keep busy and leave the house when you can, with or without your kiddos. And when you do binge, just get back on track as soon as possible, whether that means the next meal or the next day. We can only take it day by day...

    This is too cute!!
  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    Binge and over eater here .... although weighing what I weigh now I think I have it under control, bar the odd slip up

    Personally I blame your kids !!! .. mine is certainly a cause of my slip ups. Sure everyone loves there children with a love so unconditional it hurts thinking about it .... but crap on a stick if the font on a daily basis stress you out, bore you, tired you out, numb your adult brain and leave you wanting some kind of stimulation or personal time - bring on the instant gratification and dopamine hit from the food. Trust me unless you are a complete moron, playing make believe paw patrol for hours on end where you are told what to say WILL kill your brain and why wouldn’t it, you are an adult with a developed mind, not a child, you brain needs a different stimulation.

    Now don’t totally blame your kids, if you are susceptible to requiring instant gratification and dopamine, it will be more than just your kids that set it off.

    Logging food ??? Doesn’t help, a binge is a binge, the log goes in the bin. But being able to see a week of good work and 1 binge can motivate that it’s just a blip

    Use your children ... mine tells me not to eat that .. doesn’t help when she goes to bed though

    Do more for your self ... find hobby, I started taking the photos I had of kiddy and using photoshop learning how to manipulate pictures, make better images, remove content ... stimulation of your brain and some “me” time really helps keep my binges away.

    My advice .... make sure you are getting enough sleep, stimulate your brain, don’t get too dictated to by your kids, control the games yourself a bit

    Good luck
  • kksmom1789
    kksmom1789 Posts: 281 Member
    I am also a binge eater I noticed I was a binge eater when I started on my weight loss journey and I started logging all my foods. I also do really well during the week when I have my routine with work & my kids but as soon as the weekend hits all hell breaks lose and I just eat and eat and eat with the family. I have also noticed how because I am so vocal with my goals to my husband and family I will hide and eat food when I am feeling emotional.
  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    ha .. yes the hiding food .. its taken me two weeks of logging to stop hiding stuff from the MFP diary .. still hide eating from my wife though
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited January 2018
    For me...

    First, I have to recognize the temptation/desire to eat/binge before it's too late.
    Second, I know I only have so much will-power. If I sit around tempting food, it will eventually win. So I have to distract myself, or take myself out of that environment.
  • jsminer827
    jsminer827 Posts: 62 Member
    Even after losing about 50 pounds in the last 6 months, I still go on an occasional binge. It's usually after several days of denying myself something because it doesn't fit in the plan. So I log it. Even when, afterwards, I realize that I blew my entire deficit for the week, I log it. And then I get back on the wagon and try again at the next meal. The commitment to logging is what makes me aware of it, because I'm surely not bingeing because the food is so delicious. I'm bingeing because I had a bad day or my feelings are hurt or whatever other excuse I could find to stuff my face with something unhealthy.

    I have found that if I binge and then try to restrict to get myself back on track, it's a recipe for continued failure. Give yourself some grace - we all make mistakes, whatever the reason for the binge, it's done now. So start back with you next meal being balanced and carry-on. Over months and months it will be but a blip in the radar every so often...

    It wasn't the blips that made me fat... it was the upward trajectory of calories overall - reversing that trend was the first step. The blips are just signs that we're humans, even when we know food is fuel and not going to make us feel better because we had a crap day, I'm still a human. 50 pounds proves I can do it, even though I still make mistakes.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Find a gym that has babysitting. It was a LIFESAVER for me.
  • jivedancer
    jivedancer Posts: 1 Member
    I'm a binge eater. It's an emotional thing with me. When upset/bored then either I don't want to eat or I can't stop. One trick is to keep busy but that's not always possible. Another is to tell yourself that if you're still desperate for that that slice of bread/cream cake/packet of crisps/anything edible in half an hour then you can have it. Sometimes nothing works and the binge happens. If that's the case don't beat yourself up about it. Get back onto the healthy eating when the binge is over. Weight loss is a long term process. An occasional slip up won't stop it as long as you eat healthily more often than you binge.
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
    I'm a binge eater myself. Something that has helped me was learning that research indicates that our peak enjoyment of our food happens within the first few bites.

    Practicing more mindful eating can be helpful. If I'm going to eat a cookie, I sit down and I savor the cookie because it's a treat. When it turns into just gulping down as many cookies as I can before I get sick to my stomach, I know I'm not doing it because it tastes good or because I want food.

    Also the earlier in the day that I eat, the harder it is to stick to my meal plan so I try to postpone breakfast as long as possible. I time my meals and snacks to try to head off my "weakest moments." So for me, the late afternoon is prime binge time. If I schedule a satisfying snack for around 3 or 4, I tend to do better than if I try to make it from lunch to dinner without eating anything.

    What works for me might not work for you but I think if you're mindful of your eating habits and log honestly every day, you'll see where you're struggling and you can work through it.
  • amh927
    amh927 Posts: 33 Member
    To be honest, I felt the exact same way until I cut back gluten and highly refined foods. (I have celiac for the gluten). My body reacts very strongly to sugar so for me if I go down the rabbit hole of trying to lose weight but sticking to a high carb lifestyle it won't happen. I will obsess over food, and be HANGRY. When I focus on protein first and carbs from whole unrefined sources a lot of those obsessions and desires pass. I don't focus on "low carb" I simply prioritize protein.
  • ms_havisham
    ms_havisham Posts: 42 Member
    I'm a binge eater. I would rather not eat throughout the day so I could have an enormous and satisfying meal. 1 sandwich is never as good as 2 or 3. Being strict with my calories initially has helped my stomach shrink and I feel better now eating less than I do more. I am still an emotional eater, but I have to say as much as I didn't believe it, exercise seems to help keep me on a more even keel. I didn't cut any specific foods out, I just learned to budget in what I really want, and forgive myself the occasional day I go over...in fact, I plan for them. (I am totally eating half a key lime pie on my birthday in 5 months.)
    bethannien wrote: »
    I'm a binge eater myself. Something that has helped me was learning that research indicates that our peak enjoyment of our food happens within the first few bites.

    Practicing more mindful eating can be helpful. If I'm going to eat a cookie, I sit down and I savor the cookie because it's a treat. When it turns into just gulping down as many cookies as I can before I get sick to my stomach, I know I'm not doing it because it tastes good or because I want food.

    Also the earlier in the day that I eat, the harder it is to stick to my meal plan so I try to postpone breakfast as long as possible. I time my meals and snacks to try to head off my "weakest moments." So for me, the late afternoon is prime binge time. If I schedule a satisfying snack for around 3 or 4, I tend to do better than if I try to make it from lunch to dinner without eating anything.

    What works for me might not work for you but I think if you're mindful of your eating habits and log honestly every day, you'll see where you're struggling and you can work through it.

    That is the truth. If I am having something that pushes my calories over, then I make sure it is something I am going to enjoy enough to make it worth it. I am doing this to be happier, and feeling deprived isn't happy.
  • 150poundsofme
    150poundsofme Posts: 523 Member
    Hi, Binge eater/dieter (yo-yoing) for 45 years! I never once ate a "normal" meal; either binging or dieting. Since October I started eating a "normal" meal for lunch or dinner. I do write my food in a notebook the night before so I can see what I will have the next day. If I need to make changes the day of, I do. How about with your kids putting on music and dancing around the house? I started going to Overeaters Anonymous (OA). They have some meetings with babysitters. I have been binge free for 90 days. One thing when I was binging is not to keep your trigger foods in the house. If I do want potato chips, you can get an individual portion. Because when I said I would start my diet the next day, usually a Monday, I would go out and get all my favorite binge foods (and that's a lot). But guess what, there would still be some in the house on Monday so I wouldn't start the diet. Clear out your house of whatever you binge on. The kids and you can eat healthy snacks. It is really, really hard but you can do this. So wish I was able to succeed at a much earlier age. Hugs
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