Is binge eating disorder something you can beat yourself?

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NCmcMan
NCmcMan Posts: 36
in Health and Weight Loss
Being a 500 lb man, I have a horrible binge eating disorder. It seems the harder I try to control myself, the more I fail. This morning was a perfect example. I told myself a few hours ago that I was going to get rite back on the correct eating plan, but not an hour after that I had a terrible compulsion to go to mcdonalds. I ended up eating 5 breakfast burritos, 3 sausage mcmuffins and 2 honey buns. It's the same thing EVERY SINGLE DAY! It feels like there is no end in sight. I feel myself dying a little more every day, and I just don't know what to do anymore. Getting by in life is a struggle because I have basically alienated everyone around me, so I am basically by myself in life. It feels like the only time I can be happy is when i'm stuffing my mouth with thousands of calories. When you have a binge eating problem like I do, telling yourself NO just doesn't seem to work. There is this "dark thing" that comes over you that says "You must eat now, and eat LOTS".. When I am on my "good" eating routine, I notice that it is a lot easier to follow , but when I break off, it's so hard to get back on. Has anyone ever had anything that I am talking about? I just don't know what to do anymore. I am basically committing slow suicide, and I don't know how to stop it. I just really need some help..
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Replies

  • abbie017
    abbie017 Posts: 410
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    Admitting you need to change is a big step, so bravo to you for that!

    - I'd suggest trying to keep a very detailed food journal for a bit - include what you were doing when you got this compulsion, how you were feeling, if there were any triggers, etc to see if there is some sort of pattern you can change.
    - Obviously resisting the urge is the best bet, but I know how hard that can be. Research has shown that three bites of any food will cure a craving; maybe cut back on the quantity of what you order, eat it slowly and enjoy it, and keep cutting back until you can really cut it out completely?
    - This is really personal, so I'm not expecting a response, but putting it out for your own consideration. Is there something that happened to you that has triggered this eating compulsion? Sometimes it has to deal with control, and because your body is one thing you have total control over, it gets abused by over/under eating in times of trauma/shock/struggle.
    - Try talking to a dietician/nutritionist who can work with you about cutting back on your caloric intake, help you get into an exercise routine, and help you burn off some of the excess weight?

    Best of luck to you!
  • LolaOndine
    LolaOndine Posts: 10
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    I can't say I know exactly what you are going through, but I know what it's like to binge and have an unhealthy view of food. Have you considered counseling? A trained therapist, especially one that works with cognitive behavioral therapy, can help you "re-frame" you thoughts. Also they can help you to get in touch with other problems you might be having that make you fall into the same thought ruts again and again.
  • SlimSadieG
    SlimSadieG Posts: 323 Member
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    Bump
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    If you can afford it I would look into therapy. I've done it before and it can be an amazing help. Recognising WHY you feel the need to binge is half the battle. At least it was for me. It doesn't mean I've stayed true, but I recognised why while I was doing it :-)

    Try distractions. If you feel you MUST eat McDonald's, go on the web and read about their food. Have a glass of water. Go for a walk (AND leave your wallet at home!)

    Good luck.
  • lindalou0703
    lindalou0703 Posts: 226 Member
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    I dont really know enough about it to answer if it is something you can do on your own. What I can do is offer my support if you want it. Have you considered seeing a Dr about it?
  • justgettinstarted
    justgettinstarted Posts: 3 Member
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    OMG - I feel your pain. I know what you're talking about - I experience it. There's a reason we're overweight. I"ve tried to analyze it myself, and I think it's because, 1. food is our addiction, 2. we're afraid we'll fail anyway so we end up sabatoging it outselves and 3. we've been this way for so long now, we're afraid of the attention we might get from losing weight.
    Whatever it is, we have to get out of this mind set. It's the motivation and encouragment from others that will get us through.

    These of course are just my thoughts, I'm far from an expert.
    I think that a lot of us are in the same boat. It's difficult to see beyond today sometimes.

    Stay on these pages and hopefully you wil get the support you need.

    Next time you have a craving. Go to these pages. Go for a walk. Play a computer game. GET YOUR MIND OFF OF IT!

    You can do this!!! We all have it in us!
  • LH2011
    LH2011 Posts: 176 Member
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    Once you know you have a problem it is a really big step I definately think you need support from somewhere as you said in your title you do have an eating disorder so you need to get to the root of your over eatting so do go and find some outside support.

    Lots of luck and love on your journey this is a great website so with will-power, determination, some outside support and alot and I mean alot of hard work you can make the change.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    Hey...I see that you're a fan of Jesus...I love him too. That said, this is not something you should try to do on your own. Have you ever heard of Celebrate Recovery? It's a Christ Based 12 Step Program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. My husband and I are on the leadership team for the ministry at our church. The program is written in a way to encompass really any issue someone is going through, including food addiction/bingeing to chemical dependency to sexual issues and on and on. I have been a part of it for two years and I have seen lives change. There are over 13,000 churches in the world that have the ministry. If you go to their website www.celebraterecovery.com and select your state under Group Finder you should be able to find one near you. It's free to go to and you'll be able to work through the underlying issues that have led you to eating this way! Please add me as a friend if you'd like! :)
  • superhippiechik
    superhippiechik Posts: 1,044 Member
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    I am a binge eater and what works for me is allowing myself to eat a small meal every 2-3 hours and writing down my feelings when I eat. If I feel a binge coming I reach out on MFP (the people in my reral life know nothing of my disorder) and express what I am feeling,sometimes it works,sometimes it does not,either way I am fighting it and I am not alone. YOu are not alone either.:flowerforyou:
  • justleeanne
    justleeanne Posts: 251 Member
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    I don't have any experience with this kind of thing but I just wanted to let you know that I have read your post and it made me really sad.

    I don't know about your history etc and what help you have had in the past but have you sought any medical help with your problem?

    I really hope that you make it down the path to a better future for yourself because it would be a tragedy for you to carry on like this and end up killing yourself. :(

    You need to turn this around and focus every little bit of your being on beating this, every second of every day!

    It would be easy for any of us to give you advice like; when you feel like a binge why don't you exercise instead, but I suspect you know what it is you need to do, eat better, cleaner, healthier, move more etc

    There are people out there who have lost seriously huge amounts of weight and you CAN do it too!!
  • kngarber
    kngarber Posts: 227
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    I also have a huge issue with binging and have since I was a teenager. It got especially bad when I was pregnant, because I used it as an excuse and I gained 100 pounds. :( I still struggle with it every day. I can go all day being absolutely perfect and then I will just shove everthing I can in my face. I don't know why I do it. It makes me feel good for 5 minutes and then I am miserable in so many ways. I wish I had amazing advice for you, but all in all I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone.
  • kristyvere
    kristyvere Posts: 13 Member
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    Hello there, this sounds like the way I used to feel & behave. For me the turning point was the first bit of good news, and I had to make my goals smaller to get to them. I was a 'celebratory/commiseratory/bored/happy/procrastinator/in-lieu-of-any-other-activity' eater..... didn't need any reason to eat, and had no idea of what each piece of food contained really. I had an app on my phone, and I logged in one day, saw what my calories should be, and recorded what I'd eaten for breakfast that day - luckily it was under a third of my allowance, so it was like a little victory already (something to feel good about!)... then it kind of snowballed, and it was breakfast-check! lunch-check! 1lb off-check!
    Then.... we went on holiday :S My app didn't work while we were away, so I was kind of guessing, and by the time we came back, I was eating the same kind of food as my pro-rugby player 20st husband..... when I should be eating about a third of his allowance :( I tried getting back in to it the night we came back, but I have that mentality where it's ok to binge for the rest of the day if you already ruined the morning..... I'm working on that!
    Anyway, in the end I logged my weight as it was the day we came back, and saw the total lost went down.... which was really upsetting, because it wasn't bloody easy to lose any of it! (btw - I have lost over 100lbs now, not just the bit recorded on here) So small steps, tried to eat a good breakfast and then recorded it.... on track...... eat a good lunch... on track... etc etc, and make sure I congratulate myself for those little victories again. You gotta give yourself credit for the times you do get it right, and hopefully it becomes a little addictive and you keep losing.
    Really hope you find your groove again, hang in there, you've already done well :) xx
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
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    Sign up for BL mate. Not joking, I've found the program inspirational and if Damien Wickes can lose 1/3 of his weight in a relatively short time, so can you.
  • kristyvere
    kristyvere Posts: 13 Member
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    I also have a huge issue with binging and have since I was a teenager. It got especially bad when I was pregnant, because I used it as an excuse and I gained 100 pounds. :( I still struggle with it every day. I can go all day being absolutely perfect and then I will just shove everthing I can in my face. I don't know why I do it. It makes me feel good for 5 minutes and then I am miserable in so many ways. I wish I had amazing advice for you, but all in all I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone.

    Hear hear re: pregnancy as an excuse! I remember those days, and it's so sad that I'm almost missing them just for the food :S Well done on all you've lost so far and good luck for the rest :)
  • crobinson53
    crobinson53 Posts: 164
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    I believe that you can beat this alone but your chances for success would increase if you actually addressed the reasons behind your addiction.

    My experience with this is I was terribly depressed and I would self medicate with food and alcohol. I went to several doctors until I found one that I liked and that I trusted. I told them the truth behind my excessive weight gain and that I wanted help. I went to therapy and to see a nutritionist. I use MFP to hold myself accountable for what I put in my mouth. Good days or bad days I log it. I workout hard to eat delicious food and indulge in expensive beer.

    I surrounded myself with positive people that continue to support me through the process of quitting my destructive behavior. They hold me accountable for my actions. The memories are still fresh and I know I cannot go back to my old ways or I too will die slowly.

    In a nutshell I was unhappy with myself. Eating and drinking was a temporary feel good. I would feel disgusted with myself afterwards. I came to that fork in the road and asked myself "Do I want to live and be healthy and happy? Or do I want to die alone here in this house, fat and alone?" I chose to be happy and fit.

    Let me know if there's anyway I can help you. Feel free to add me as friend and we can do this together. I believe in you and there's still time to make a big difference in your life.
  • gritgirl
    gritgirl Posts: 95 Member
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    My mother almost died from her food addiction and found help and serenity using the Overeaters Anonymous program. Saved her life and she was the happiest I ever saw her. She was finally able to live a life that was not taken over by food and it was a beautiful life. Sadly, she died only 3 years after finding this at age 71 but I'm grateful that she had those three years.
  • sister_bear
    sister_bear Posts: 529 Member
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    Binge eating usually has some psychological roots. It's going to take more than breaking bad habits and making a new routine. It's still an achievable goal though, so don't get discouraged.

    I'll second the notion to work with a doctor, dietician, and a psychologist might be a good idea too. If you can't afford it, look into Over Eaters Anonymous. Depending on the reason why you're binge eating, over eating can be no different than a drug addiction. It's something you can beat, but give yourself the support you need to make it possible. Don't make this harder than it already is and like someone else already said, knowing it's a problem is the first step.

    I'll second the food journal - document what you were doing/thinking/feeling when you started eating. Once I started to identify my issues, I could retrain myself to do something else at those times. It also made my moments of weakness more predictable. I'm starting to believe that I was really trying to kill myself by my former eating habits.

    There is hope. And as always, don't let one bad meal, one bad day, or even a bad week, ruin tomorrow or even your next meal. Go forward and stay positive. Make next time better and celebrate the smallest victories. I celebrate every time I pass McDonald's and don't stop. :smile:

    You can do this.
  • tracidphipps
    tracidphipps Posts: 6
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    sorry...signed on as wrong person...
  • olyrose
    olyrose Posts: 569 Member
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    I know I've already commented to you, but I just want to say that you aren't alone, and I see you really wanting to make a change. My issues with eating aren't as severe, but I also had the same triggers, the same emotional response to eating - happy, sad, depressed, mad, lonely, all those feelings would lead to eating a lot, making myself sick, and still eating.

    It takes real effort to be able to move past it, but it also requires some sort of emotional insight and help. I know going to a professional is not an option right now, but you could go check out / buy some books on the subject that speak to you and get start there. Or start/find a thread here that offers support and advice for people in the same situation.

    I think that you know you have some challenges with food, and you are willing to make changes. That is the first step that's needed, and you've got it. Now it's finding little alternatives, motivations, and things to feel good about. You can also try looking at it in a different way, like start saving up all the money you didn't use on binge eating, and use it for something you want more, something tangible that you can look at and get pride/joy from.

    More than anything, I hope you keep trying. It will probably take a few more stops and starts, and plans, and adjustments, but I know you feel it will be worth it to you in the end.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
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    I did the same thing, I got addicted to mcdonalds, ended up having a LOT at one go, in the end I actually ended up bulimic cos I couldn't stop the compulsion. I'd be driving past mcd and be so resolved, not gonna go there not gonna go there, then just as I drive past I lose all I'll power and almost handbrake turn, go in and spend a lot of money. And I feel crap afterwards. I can't offer much advice to you, and god never go down the bulimic route! Two things worked for me. Firstly I realized that 90% of my binging was mcd, so I said to myself I can have ANYTHING other than mcd, so I and choc crisps etc, still bad, but it was considerably less than a mcd binge. Then I started leaving my wallet at home, so I couldn't buy one, try that

    Good luck dude

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