binge eating
Rebecca0224
Posts: 810 Member
I have seen many post lately about binge eating and want to share how I deal with it. Today I had a binge eating episode and ate 660 calories in about 30 minutes. I did what my dietician calls a controlled binge, measure out one serving on what the food is put the container away, if I want more I measure out one serving of some other food, and continue. Today I had one serving each of frito scoops, sour cream and onion chips, cookie cereal, then I was done. My dietician said this can help control the binge because I can track it and it takes longer to weigh/measure the food so I will eat less until the compulsion to binge passes. The most important thing is to not dwell on it. Good luck everyone.
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how I deal with binge or excessive eating is I crowd out my schedule, preferably with interesting stuff.14
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Well that may be better than how I measure it. I usually weight the package or container before I pig out, then after and determine the damage.7
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endlessfall16 wrote: »how I deal with binge or excessive eating is I crowd out my schedule, preferably with interesting stuff.
So true! When I am busy I will be much less likely to binge.4 -
joshperson195 wrote: »I wouldn't call 660 calories in 30 minutes a binge.
It would have been much worse if I had not been measuring. I could have easily eaten three or four times that much but by measuring it I was able to better control how much I ate and after the cereal the "need" to binge had passed, thankfully. Binge eating also has a psychological aspect to it and is not just about how much you eat but also the compulsion to eat. When I use to have a bad binge I would eat til my stomach hurt but still have the overwhelming urge to eat more. Through inpatient treatment, therapy, and a dietician I have made great progress and am learning to cope with the compulsive behavior better.29 -
ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Well that may be better than how I measure it. I usually weight the package or container before I pig out, then after and determine the damage.
If I had the bag in my hand I would have eaten all of it. When I measure it out and put the bag away it avoids that.9 -
It's good that you measure what you are eating. Do you find you feel guilty after wards and do you eat when you feel bad or feel you need some control or that you are bored. That's when you binge eat. Do you eat when you are stressed highly stressed and hungry. My boyfriend binge eats and I don't know why or how to help him what would you suggest. What stops you is it just the measuring.2
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It's good that you measure what you are eating. Do you find you feel guilty after wards and do you eat when you feel bad or feel you need some control or that you are bored. That's when you binge eat. Do you eat when you are stressed highly stressed and hungry. My boyfriend binge eats and I don't know why or how to help him what would you suggest. What stops you is it just the measuring.
I use to binge emotionally but after therapy and a dietician I'm better about that most of the time. I don't feel guilty after that just leads to more emotional eating for me. My measuring the food before I eat it I feel more in control. Does your boyfriend want help with the binge eating? Binge eating is a compulsive behavior, the compulsion can be trigged by many things and is individual for everyone. What stops me is I measure then put the food away and just eat one serving if I still want more food I get one serving of something else. This method makes me feel like I'm eat more, I had 1 serving of chips, fritos, dip, dark chocolate, and cookie cereal with milk, it felt like a lot and after I ate the cereal I was thinking about what I was going to eat next but the compulsive need to eat had passed. We refer to it as a controlled binge because I'm controlling portion size and not trying to fight the urge to binge which leads to worse binge eating for me. This method has helped me go from binge eating until I would vomite to smaller episodes like this one.12 -
I am a recovering binge eater (never fully healed) I have learned, don't restrict yourself, eat so you lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week instead of 2 or more, if you feel hungry drink water first. Learn the difference between mind hunger and real hunger for your body. Sleep more if you can. Be more active, exercise curbs the need to eat. Try to also remember that it takes more to burn 100 calories then eat it. If you go over then burn it off. 100 calories is roughly 15 min of moderate exercise.
You got this!!!12 -
Rebecca0224 wrote: »ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Well that may be better than how I measure it. I usually weight the package or container before I pig out, then after and determine the damage.
If I had the bag in my hand I would have eaten all of it. When I measure it out and put the bag away it avoids that.
That has never helped me not eat the whole bag. I will go to the trouble and eventually just eat it out of the bag anyway. However I don't have a regular binging problem anymore. It used to be a daily event. Sometimes several times a day of uncontrolled, puppet on a string all out pigging out. Now I only do it around PMS time when my hormones are doing their thing. And it is never anything like it used to be.3 -
Thank you so much for sharing your helpful tip. I am only just really working on getting rid of my binge eating disorder. Dietician, therapist and Overeaters Anonymous with a sponsor who is great. Since the dietician has me eating more carbs, I have since relaxed on "my rules" (the one full carb a day). She wants me to eat carbs at all meals which I had to talk with her and we had to tweek that because it was not comfortable for me. It is interesting that you measure out your binge food. Put it away. And then not to go back to the same food. You need/want/urge more, you go for something different and repeat the process. What I have always done is when I binge, and it might not have even started out as a binge, just eating that one extra carb could throw me off. So pretty soon I would stop tracking. Stop exercising. It was always all or nothing. I have also been told to call them when I feel the binge monster stirring inside of me. As of Jan. 9 I have not binged. I love your tip and thank you for it. A very big learning process.6
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150poundsofme wrote: »Thank you so much for sharing your helpful tip. I am only just really working on getting rid of my binge eating disorder. Dietician, therapist and Overeaters Anonymous with a sponsor who is great. Since the dietician has me eating more carbs, I have since relaxed on "my rules" (the one full carb a day). She wants me to eat carbs at all meals which I had to talk with her and we had to tweek that because it was not comfortable for me. It is interesting that you measure out your binge food. Put it away. And then not to go back to the same food. You need/want/urge more, you go for something different and repeat the process. What I have always done is when I binge, and it might not have even started out as a binge, just eating that one extra carb could throw me off. So pretty soon I would stop tracking. Stop exercising. It was always all or nothing. I have also been told to call them when I feel the binge monster stirring inside of me. As of Jan. 9 I have not binged. I love your tip and thank you for it. A very big learning process.
I'm glad I could help. I would do what you do it wouldn't always start as a binge just sitting down with a bag of chips, one of the first things my dietician said was never eat out of the container. I would eat the chips all of them and the empty bag would make me want more, now knowing I ate one serving of the food helps me not to want more and having a serving of something else makes me feel like I'm not denying myself anything. I still have some control and I'm taking responsibility for what I'm eating so after it happens i don't feel like I failed but I succeeded because I kept track of it. Good luck.9 -
I am glad to read this. I binge really badly sometimes, and this gives me hope I can stop. I am terrified of this weekend when my binging will be worse, but I want to try your method.4
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I am glad to read this. I binge really badly sometimes, and this gives me hope I can stop. I am terrified of this weekend when my binging will be worse, but I want to try your method.
If you need someone to talk to you can add me as a friend or send me messages. I still struggle but I'm getting better the binge eating is less often and not as bad.1 -
I am glad to read this. I binge really badly sometimes, and this gives me hope I can stop. I am terrified of this weekend when my binging will be worse, but I want to try your method.
Perhaps more structured weekends would be helpful for you? Join a gym, take a class, go for a hike, do volunteer work?2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I am glad to read this. I binge really badly sometimes, and this gives me hope I can stop. I am terrified of this weekend when my binging will be worse, but I want to try your method.
Perhaps more structured weekends would be helpful for you? Join a gym, take a class, go for a hike, do volunteer work?
Volunteer work helps me. I never want to eat after cleaning bathrooms at the shelter5 -
That is good advice.0
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Im glad you posted this even though it is old. I binged last night because I had way too much junk in the house and I was tired of eating within calories. I have always wondered how to manage this especially with hormonal fluctuations (sometimes I stay in calories easy and sometimes I can eat every bit of junk I see). I like the idea of measuring it out since most of the time I plan it mentally anyway and just don't care until the next morning.0
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Thank you for this thread.
I have a severe problem with binge-eating as well. I recently started to see a specialist about the issue, but I think she is hesitant to diagnose me with a full-fledged disorder. I am unsure whether this is because my symptoms are too mild (although they feel pretty uncontrollable to me at times), or whether this is because I am not overweight. I know that in India, which is where I am from, psychiatrists and specialists are a lot less likely to offer a straight-up diagnosis than they are in the US (I know of people being diagnosed with mental health issues by the end of the first session itself, in the US; conversely I know of people who suffer for years in India before a doctor takes their symptoms seriously).
The point to my ramble is this - I think the tips on this thread to curtail a binge-episode are really useful, and the next time I feel an impulse I will certainly give them a try. Measuring portions would certainly stop me from eating too much, or at least slow me down enough that I don't eat myself to the "catastrophe" stage where I feel so guilty and so helpless that I spend the rest of the day eating junk cause "what's the point now, anyway."
However - this is something I have realised about myself recently - is sometimes I actually actively ENJOY binging (until after the binge of course, which is when I feel like crap). I'll know, for example, that I am going to be home alone one night, and I will specifically go to the grocery store, buy a huge bag of chips and dip and a family pack of ice-cream, and settle myself into the binge, as if it is a treat to myself. I know it's wrong, I know I am going to feel awfully sick by the end of it, but I do it anyway, because there's this voice in my head (not literally) that won't shut up until I give in. And my logic is - if I eat so many chips now that I am sick, or eat so much chocolate now that I disgust myself, I won't feel like eating it again for a long time, so in a way, the binge is actually good for my long-term healthy eating. It's a messed up mental process, I know. I want to know if anyone else experiences this?
Also, shame-eating: During the peak of my binge-eating issues, I used to find it very difficult to eat in front of other people, and a good indication that I am entering a binge-eating phase again is that I am trying to eat alone more and more; even sometimes hiding food from people. Can anyone relate?13 -
avantikaashankar1 wrote: »
However - this is something I have realised about myself recently - is sometimes I actually actively ENJOY binging (until after the binge of course, which is when I feel like crap). I'll know, for example, that I am going to be home alone one night, and I will specifically go to the grocery store, buy a huge bag of chips and dip and a family pack of ice-cream, and settle myself into the binge, as if it is a treat to myself. I know it's wrong, I know I am going to feel awfully sick by the end of it, but I do it anyway, because there's this voice in my head (not literally) that won't shut up until I give in. And my logic is - if I eat so many chips now that I am sick, or eat so much chocolate now that I disgust myself, I won't feel like eating it again for a long time, so in a way, the binge is actually good for my long-term healthy eating. It's a messed up mental process, I know. I want to know if anyone else experiences this?
I can absolutely relate to this part. I'm still struggling with binging (three days clean lol) and one day a few weeks ago when I was asking myself the standard question "Why do you do this to yourself?" a new answer popped up "because you enjoy it". Which didn't feel good, as a realisation, because why on earth would anyone enjoy going to bed with a basketball in their stomach and feeling sick? But now I don't think it's the actual binging I enjoy, I think it's tied into general control issues for me (food, alcohol, behaviour in general). It weirdly helped me because I am not really "out of control" I just enjoy feeling like I am, if that makes sense? I haven't developed this whole new eating disorder, it's just the same old issues showing themselves in different ways now that I don't drink so much. It's different for everyone of course but every little "Oh!" moment you have like that gets you a bit closer to knowing what the real problem is, and closer to a solution.
What helped me feel less shame about it was just telling people what was happening. You're never going to binge in front of them, they never need to see it and you can keep the details vague but just knowing that it's not a secret anymore removed a lot of the shame for me. You need to find the right trusted person to tell of course, who will be sensitive and supportive, for me it was my sister.
I hope your specialist is able to give you some real solid help soon but I think you are taking the right self-reflective steps to also help yourself2 -
I can totally relate to this. I enjoy the binge too - that's the problem!
Last night I ate a pizza (a whole one, over 1000 calories), 5 jam doughnuts, a packet of biscuits and three chocolate bars. 12 hours later and I'm sitting here thinking about doing it again. All I want to do is stuff my face.8 -
I am another "measure it and log it" mostly former binge eater. I am not sure I should call it fortunate, but I also tend to obsess, and when weight loss became my obsession I went a few months without a binge. In maintenance I have had a few but so far I have been able to stay in my range. I pretty much always even out the calories within a few days.5
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My binge eating falls into 2 categories: The really nasty one is bread - good quality bread, that is. Fresh out of the (preferably wood fired) oven and crunchy - I can easily eat a loaf - about 1 kg or 2.2 pounds. And it wouldn't end there - all the delicious stuff I can pile onto every single slice: butter, mayonnaise, ham, salami, roast beef, cheese, smoked salmon, sardines - you name it, I can pile it up high. So bread as my worst trigger food is out; I just replace it with lots of different salads and vegetables and than I can control my portions easily. I also used to binge eat when I had not eaten a certain food item for some time. I have changed to a balanced meal plan (WITHOUT THE BREAD...) 5 months ago and don't miss anything - no more urge to binge there.3
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Rebecca0224 wrote: »I have seen many post lately about binge eating and want to share how I deal with it. Today I had a binge eating episode and ate 660 calories in about 30 minutes. I did what my dietician calls a controlled binge, measure out one serving on what the food is put the container away, if I want more I measure out one serving of some other food, and continue. Today I had one serving each of frito scoops, sour cream and onion chips, cookie cereal, then I was done. My dietician said this can help control the binge because I can track it and it takes longer to weigh/measure the food so I will eat less until the compulsion to binge passes. The most important thing is to not dwell on it. Good luck everyone.
That is not a binge.8 -
This is exactly me. I'll be heading home after work, and then I'll stop at the supermarket, buy my favourite dip and a box of crackers, a family sized bar of chocolate or a packet of biscuits, and something to wash it all down with and away I go. Thoroughly enjoy myself. Until the next day when I have a food hangover and I can't poop properly 😒 But I know I'll do it all again in the near future. It gets tiring to be honest.avantikaashankar1 wrote: »However - this is something I have realised about myself recently - is sometimes I actually actively ENJOY binging (until after the binge of course, which is when I feel like crap). I'll know, for example, that I am going to be home alone one night, and I will specifically go to the grocery store, buy a huge bag of chips and dip and a family pack of ice-cream, and settle myself into the binge, as if it is a treat to myself. I know it's wrong, I know I am going to feel awfully sick by the end of it, but I do it anyway, because there's this voice in my head (not literally) that won't shut up until I give in.
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avantikaashankar1 wrote: »Thank you for this thread.
I have a severe problem with binge-eating as well. I recently started to see a specialist about the issue, but I think she is hesitant to diagnose me with a full-fledged disorder. I am unsure whether this is because my symptoms are too mild (although they feel pretty uncontrollable to me at times), or whether this is because I am not overweight. I know that in India, which is where I am from, psychiatrists and specialists are a lot less likely to offer a straight-up diagnosis than they are in the US (I know of people being diagnosed with mental health issues by the end of the first session itself, in the US; conversely I know of people who suffer for years in India before a doctor takes their symptoms seriously).
The point to my ramble is this - I think the tips on this thread to curtail a binge-episode are really useful, and the next time I feel an impulse I will certainly give them a try. Measuring portions would certainly stop me from eating too much, or at least slow me down enough that I don't eat myself to the "catastrophe" stage where I feel so guilty and so helpless that I spend the rest of the day eating junk cause "what's the point now, anyway."
However - this is something I have realised about myself recently - is sometimes I actually actively ENJOY binging (until after the binge of course, which is when I feel like crap). I'll know, for example, that I am going to be home alone one night, and I will specifically go to the grocery store, buy a huge bag of chips and dip and a family pack of ice-cream, and settle myself into the binge, as if it is a treat to myself. I know it's wrong, I know I am going to feel awfully sick by the end of it, but I do it anyway, because there's this voice in my head (not literally) that won't shut up until I give in. And my logic is - if I eat so many chips now that I am sick, or eat so much chocolate now that I disgust myself, I won't feel like eating it again for a long time, so in a way, the binge is actually good for my long-term healthy eating. It's a messed up mental process, I know. I want to know if anyone else experiences this?
Also, shame-eating: During the peak of my binge-eating issues, I used to find it very difficult to eat in front of other people, and a good indication that I am entering a binge-eating phase again is that I am trying to eat alone more and more; even sometimes hiding food from people. Can anyone relate?
Girl, yes.0 -
This is exactly me. I'll be heading home after work, and then I'll stop at the supermarket, buy my favourite dip and a box of crackers, a family sized bar of chocolate or a packet of biscuits, and something to wash it all down with and away I go. Thoroughly enjoy myself. Until the next day when I have a food hangover and I can't poop properly 😒 But I know I'll do it all again in the near future. It gets tiring to be honest.
I had that same problem. I'd call it a triggered habit. I have a 90 minute commute home to a boring dinner after no breakfast and a 450 calorie lunch. If I needed energy to fix dinner for the rest of the family it was worse. It was a hard habit to break, but I did!
This helped me...
> I forced myself to eat a small breakfast, 60-150 calories, and eat it real slow while I drive in.
> Lunch was unchanged, about 450 calories
> I brought an apple to eat at the beginning of my commute home
> I changed where I stopped for gas because they had fewer tempting habit foods.
> We started planning with platejoy.com so I knew dinner wasn't going to be boring and I wanted to be hungry for it.
It was still hard. One day the rain turned my commute into 3 hours. I stopped and looked for something in the store, thinking perhaps pork rinds. I was happy to see only 90 cal, until I saw there were 4 servings in the little bag. I left without making a purchase, really hungry but more determined.
Everyday the habit got weaker until after a few months I didn't think about it any longer.
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Never Binge Again by Glenn Livingston is free on Amazon to download. It may not be for everyone, but that book is having a huge impact on my binge/overeating behaviour. Did I mention it's free?!1
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