Binge
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briittanyxxoo
Posts: 40 Member
How do you stop binge eating? I was doing so good then this past weekend I binged all weekend, and then today did so good then binged afrer supper...
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Are you by any change over-restricting calories? How much weight do you have to lose? How fast are you trying to lose it? Are you finding the food you eat filling? Have you felt like you need to give up foods you enjoy, and only eat "healthy" foods, or follow other strict rules to lose weight?0
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My calories a day is 1580 cals.. I have 60 pounds to lose. I do get full and enjoy the foods I eat. But I also want to eat when jm bored, sad, happy, stressed, it's almost as if I have a food addiction, always just thinking about food.
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What foods do you typically crave when you do this? Or are you not fussy and will eat pretty much anything?0
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briittanyxxoo wrote: »My calories a day is 1580 cals.. I have 60 pounds to lose. I do get full and enjoy the foods I eat. But I also want to eat when jm bored, sad, happy, stressed, it's almost as if I have a food addiction, always just thinking about food.
In that case, the most effective strategy is to begin chipping away at those issues directly. If the problem isn't food, then food isn't the solution.
For boredom, find a new hobby, or revive an old one. Particularly good are things that require clean hands (such as sketching, needlework, playing a musical instrument, etc.), or create dirty hands (like gardening, painting, carpentry, etc.), because the food/hand-washing thing adds inconvenience to snacking.
If the problem is emotional, then consider therapy, or alternative self-soothing/pampering methods. Some options are meditation (with an app, or something like http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/ ), mild exercise (walk, stretching, yoga, tai chi, . . .), bubblebath or shower, journaling, etc.
Form some new habits that help you. Just thinking about food is not helping you. Think of some better strategies. You're the one in charge here, it's not going to "just happen". You'll need to make it happen. And you can.
Best wishes!
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snickerscharlie wrote: »What foods do you typically crave when you do this? Or are you not fussy and will eat pretty much anything?
Everything. Like anything and everything.. even if I dont like it much.3 -
My truth is that I did not stop bingeing 2-3 times each month until I started doing keto. I've only been on keto for 10 days so I'm not going to claim to have cured my binge issue. It just hasn't been a temptation at all in these 10 days.7
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They say that avoiding the blood sugar spike up is one way stop binge eating. Idk. Lol i eat all the time when I’m bored, stressed or anxious. Hay. Discipline is really needed0
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When I analyze the things that trigger me to binge eat, it’s always the same short list: stress about things I cannot change. It’s hard to refocus onto a more positive activity. I love to create artwork in my studio and claim I would do it 24/7 if I didn’t need to work, but can I go make a pretty thing instead of binge eating? No! Apparently I can, because I do succeed sometimes, but still, the food can overrule.
But as I write this, it’s clear that “can” and “will” are sometimes worlds apart within me.
Little words - big effect.
I am going to chew on that today.
Good luck to us all, whatever our path !3 -
briittanyxxoo wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »What foods do you typically crave when you do this? Or are you not fussy and will eat pretty much anything?
Everything. Like anything and everything.. even if I dont like it much.
The reason I asked is because in your case it isn't necessarily the particular food that you crave and then overeat ("Give me a chocolate bar and nobody gets hurt!") as much as it is the comfort that the action of eating gives you.
I think you need to address this specifically as it is more psychological than physical. Getting to and dealing with the underlying reasons why you turn to food for comfort will be key.2 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »briittanyxxoo wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »What foods do you typically crave when you do this? Or are you not fussy and will eat pretty much anything?
Everything. Like anything and everything.. even if I dont like it much.
The reason I asked is because in your case it isn't necessarily the particular food that you crave and then overeat ("Give me a chocolate bar and nobody gets hurt!") as much as it is the comfort that the action of eating gives you.
I think you need to address this specifically as it is more psychological than physical. Getting to and dealing with the underlying reasons why you turn to food for comfort will be key.
Its definitely never a certain good. It's just any food I can eat at the moment. Anything I can get my hands on.1 -
briittanyxxoo wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »briittanyxxoo wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »What foods do you typically crave when you do this? Or are you not fussy and will eat pretty much anything?
Everything. Like anything and everything.. even if I dont like it much.
The reason I asked is because in your case it isn't necessarily the particular food that you crave and then overeat ("Give me a chocolate bar and nobody gets hurt!") as much as it is the comfort that the action of eating gives you.
I think you need to address this specifically as it is more psychological than physical. Getting to and dealing with the underlying reasons why you turn to food for comfort will be key.
Its definitely never a certain good. It's just any food I can eat at the moment. Anything I can get my hands on.
I would suggest you contact your family doctor to get a referral to a specialist familiar with binge eating issues.
In the interim, the only thing I can suggest has been noted above - you need to keep yourself busy. One thing that helped me when I had the mindless munchies was to chew sugarfree gum. No calories, flavourful and kept my mouth busy, too.1 -
Get really tough with yourself and don’t have anything unhealthy in the house? I’m terrible at ‘secret eating’ so I know if I really don’t want to devour chocolate, I need to not have it in the house. Although that does make me somewhat anxious.
I can’t be trusted with soft white bread either, so I buy those awful brown sandwich thins instead.
At least if you do this then the worst that happens is you binge on relatively healthy foods and you may well find the fact that they’re not as appealing means you’re less likely to indulge as the experience isn’t as satisfying.1 -
sarabushby wrote: »Get really tough with yourself and don’t have anything unhealthy in the house? I’m terrible at ‘secret eating’ so I know if I really don’t want to devour chocolate, I need to not have it in the house. Although that does make me somewhat anxious.
I can’t be trusted with soft white bread either, so I buy those awful brown sandwich thins instead.
At least if you do this then the worst that happens is you binge on relatively healthy foods and you may well find the fact that they’re not as appealing means you’re less likely to indulge as the experience isn’t as satisfying.
Unfortunately that's not an option for me
I have two children and a husband who wants things that i cant eat. and they shouldn't be deprived because of me1 -
The word "binge" is used a couple of different ways in society right now, unfortunately, but it sounds like you aren't using it in the more colloquial form to mean that you ate a little too much and you feel a bit bad about it. The little binges like that can sometimes be taken care of by switching your diet around a bit until you feel more satisfied. But it sounds like you're talking about the more serious type of bingeing. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/bed
When I binge, it sometimes feels like someone else has taken control of my body and I can't stop them. For me, binge eating is emotional and it almost feels more like a type of self-punishment or self-harm at times. Everyone is different with binge eating, but if you have the means and the access then a clinical therapist who has experience with BED or who practices cognitive behavioral therapy might be a good way to go because these kinds of emotional eating issues can be really insidious.
If you're not able to seek therapy, some things that helped me that may or may not help you included journaling how I felt around the times that I was eating (specifically looking for patterns and catharsis through writing instead of through eating), learning to recognize my own warning signs that a binge is coming so that I can get in front of it, particularly the acronym HALT (try not to get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired - these are times when our self-control is at its lowest), delaying tactics (okay, I can eat the ice cream but I have to wait 30 minutes, etc), and copious amounts of hot tea.
Whatever way you choose to go, I wish you luck because bingeing is miserable and everyone deserves to live a life without it.7 -
diannethegeek wrote: »The word "binge" is used a couple of different ways in society right now, unfortunately, but it sounds like you aren't using it in the more colloquial form to mean that you ate a little too much and you feel a bit bad about it. The little binges like that can sometimes be taken care of by switching your diet around a bit until you feel more satisfied. But it sounds like you're talking about the more serious type of bingeing. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/bed
When I binge, it sometimes feels like someone else has taken control of my body and I can't stop them. For me, binge eating is emotional and it almost feels more like a type of self-punishment or self-harm at times. Everyone is different with binge eating, but if you have the means and the access then a clinical therapist who has experience with BED or who practices cognitive behavioral therapy might be a good way to go because these kinds of emotional eating issues can be really insidious.
If you're not able to seek therapy, some things that helped me that may or may not help you included journaling how I felt around the times that I was eating (specifically looking for patterns and catharsis through writing instead of through eating), learning to recognize my own warning signs that a binge is coming so that I can get in front of it, particularly the acronym HALT (try not to get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired - these are times when our self-control is at its lowest), delaying tactics (okay, I can eat the ice cream but I have to wait 30 minutes, etc), and copious amounts of hot tea.
Whatever way you choose to go, I wish you luck because bingeing is miserable and everyone deserves to live a life without it.
Great post. I've had both types of binges and you did a great job articulating their differences.- For the little binges, eating more protein does indeed help me.
- I also always recommend regular exercise, but I think that is actual helping to prevent the emotional/self-punishment type binges. Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques also help me identify my Addictive Voice, and that leads me to seek relief from exercise rather than food.
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Sorry to revive an old thread, but this is a GREAT post and awesome answers. I too suffer from binges from time to time. Just had one last night which I classify as "not eating enough". Tried to restrict too much and fear set in and all control was lost. For me, another thing that is a "downward slide" is when I start to classify my eating as "good" or "bad". Unfortunately, in judgment we will always come up short. Thus, I think guilt can be a strong motivator for binging when we finally throw in the towel and say "f-it"... Also, like others have suggested, not eating enough or purposely restricting calories BEYOND what my plan calls for is another trigger for me (like last night). Isolation is another one that can be a problem. Finally, the emotions that appear (that were long hidden) once we start to strip off the lb's (like thawing an iceburg) will have to be felt. Shall we try sitting still and let them pass? Just be gentle and forgiving always with yourself. I believe this will help us through it. Good luck in your courageous journey.2
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diannethegeek wrote: »The word "binge" is used a couple of different ways in society right now, unfortunately, but it sounds like you aren't using it in the more colloquial form to mean that you ate a little too much and you feel a bit bad about it. The little binges like that can sometimes be taken care of by switching your diet around a bit until you feel more satisfied. But it sounds like you're talking about the more serious type of bingeing. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/bed
When I binge, it sometimes feels like someone else has taken control of my body and I can't stop them. For me, binge eating is emotional and it almost feels more like a type of self-punishment or self-harm at times. Everyone is different with binge eating, but if you have the means and the access then a clinical therapist who has experience with BED or who practices cognitive behavioral therapy might be a good way to go because these kinds of emotional eating issues can be really insidious.
If you're not able to seek therapy, some things that helped me that may or may not help you included journaling how I felt around the times that I was eating (specifically looking for patterns and catharsis through writing instead of through eating), learning to recognize my own warning signs that a binge is coming so that I can get in front of it, particularly the acronym HALT (try not to get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired - these are times when our self-control is at its lowest), delaying tactics (okay, I can eat the ice cream but I have to wait 30 minutes, etc), and copious amounts of hot tea.
Whatever way you choose to go, I wish you luck because bingeing is miserable and everyone deserves to live a life without it.
I've had several 'proper' binges lately, which do as you say feel a lot like someone else has taken control of my body; I know that waiting ten minutes will make the urge pass, but it feels like there's a hook in my gut dragging me back immediately to the cupboard/fridge.
All those binges have happened when I've been really tired. In particular, when I've been really tired but couldn't go to bed, or do anything fun, because I had tedious-but-important tasks like washing up or making my packed lunch that needed to be done first. The initial snack or two came from tiredness/boredom/displacement, and then 'binge mode' triggered and I was carried helpless before it.
I'm not sure I can avoid being tired, given my current commitments and lack of anyone else to help me with anything, but I can probably avoid snacking while I put off essential tasks. I hope...1 -
Sorry to post this here, but someone just tried to friend me and I accidentally pressed the wrong button on my smart phone... (I work on PC's much better)
Disregard, I found them now. Rock on. 0 -
I've had several 'proper' binges lately, which do as you say feel a lot like someone else has taken control of my body; I know that waiting ten minutes will make the urge pass, but it feels like there's a hook in my gut dragging me back immediately to the cupboard/fridge.
I actually sat eating a bag of gluten free crisps yesterday that tasted like cardboard and with every bite was almost saying in my head "you don't like these, why are you still eating them?" but still wasn't able to stop myself eating. It's definitely like an out of body experience.
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I have a time set aside for binges. Saturday 7pm to 11pm. Anything goes. This way, I get everything out of my system, and back on schedule sunday morning. if you give yourself a time period for it, you may find you will eliminate the unscheduled instances.1
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