Binge eating/other issues

bradbabs93
bradbabs93 Posts: 7
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been on and off using MyFitnessPal for a long time. Over the last couple of years, I've lost over 60 pounds and over that process, gained a huge amount of muscle, so the actual fat loss is greater than that. But I'm still chubbier then I'd like to be, and I've been struggling a lot with getting the last 10 or so pounds off. My issues are generally this: I eat very well during the day, make smart, low calorie choices, eating nutrient dense foods, and then I always end up going into out of control binge spirals at night. Some of the time I eat well, just a lot (last night I had a disgusting amount of whole wheat/whole grain cereal and nuts) but sometimes it is unhealthy foods (grilled cheese, pop tarts, snickers bar, what have you). I need help controlling those so that I can finally get down to a weight I am truly happy with. Thanks!

SIdenote: I'm a college student, if that's at all relevant.

Replies

  • LH2011
    LH2011 Posts: 176 Member
    Bump!! - No advise I'm sorry but a bit like you really good during the day but find nights really hard so interested to see what people say
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
    A few things that have helped me:

    1) don't have as much unhealthy stuff around
    2) prepare meals in advance and pre-portion into storage containers (may be difficult if college student)
    3) brush your teeth as soon as you feel "full", then don't eat again after you brush your teeth
    4) are you exercising a lot? Maybe your body does need more calories. If not, then try the above.

    Hopefully you find something helpful. Good luck!
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
    First - get rid of the junk - less temptation! I find that a hot VERY flavorful tea helps me at night. Good Earth makes a Caffeine free in sweet & spicy original - my favorite binge controller. 0 calories too! Also - Diet Swiss Miss (the 25 calorie one - not the 60 calorie). Both work well for me. Generally, I believe, we are seeking comfort. Oh - by the way - I was never a tea drinker but it really works
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
    You can not gain a HUGE amount of muscle!!!!! It take a very very very long time to gain a few lbs of lean muscle!!!
  • Fockertots
    Fockertots Posts: 221
    I had this exact same problem in college. The only thing that worked for me was to simply not keep types of foods in my apartment. Does that mean that on nighs I was determined to eat something that I didn't go get it or order it in? No, but it detoured me a lot of other times when I was too lazy to do those things. If horrible food wasn't in apartment, I had a way better chance of not eating horrible food.
    Knowing your cravings/weaknesses are goal. I love cereal; so I only bought Special K and I'd get two different ones for variety. I love peaunut butter, so I found a recipe for homemade peanut butter so that I could control the amount of sugar. I LOVE bread, so I bought the 45 calories Sara Lee bread. and so on...
  • Nicholec2003
    Nicholec2003 Posts: 158 Member
    I used to do the same thing in college. =( try eating more protein and drinking more water during the day. Also, do you take a good vitamin? I have heard that sometimes when you have cravings for a lot of a certain food, you could be low in a nutrient. I had to eventually get most of the junk food out of the house then make myself busy with active things, like folding laundry and such. It's hard to not eat when you are just sitting there watching TV...even studying! I had a really hard time with that. I gained a lot of weight during college. Night is the worste time. I started to do a little running at night then drinking some good tasting herbal tea. It helped some.
  • Naughtybiscuit
    Naughtybiscuit Posts: 71 Member
    I'm the same, I know I eat more in the evenings so I eat less calories during the day to compensate. I also split my meal up at night, so I'll eat a low cal soup or salad, then a bit later a main, then a bit later a dessert. Drag it out a bit.
  • bradbabs93
    bradbabs93 Posts: 7
    A few things that have helped me:

    1) don't have as much unhealthy stuff around
    2) prepare meals in advance and pre-portion into storage containers (may be difficult if college student)
    3) brush your teeth as soon as you feel "full", then don't eat again after you brush your teeth
    4) are you exercising a lot? Maybe your body does need more calories. If not, then try the above.

    Hopefully you find something helpful. Good luck!

    Most of the unhealthy stuff isn't mine. The poptarts are my roommates, snickers bars from vending machine, things like that. The foods that I put in my dorm are healthy ones (very few with added sugars, all whole grain or almost all natural). But thanks for the other advice!
  • bradbabs93
    bradbabs93 Posts: 7
    I used to do the same thing in college. =( try eating more protein and drinking more water during the day. Also, do you take a good vitamin? I have heard that sometimes when you have cravings for a lot of a certain food, you could be low in a nutrient. I had to eventually get most of the junk food out of the house then make myself busy with active things, like folding laundry and such. It's hard to not eat when you are just sitting there watching TV...even studying! I had a really hard time with that. I gained a lot of weight during college.

    I drink a fair amount of protein shakes (I'm a vegetarian, making geting protein hard, especially at school), and I drink an almost insane amount of water, but I think that goes by the way side at night, so I'll try to add more in during the evening hours. But I take an Iron pill, a Vitamin D pill and a Multi.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    I sent you a PM, cause it was a long message
  • bradbabs93
    bradbabs93 Posts: 7
    You can not gain a HUGE amount of muscle!!!!! It take a very very very long time to gain a few lbs of lean muscle!!!

    Fine, so it's relative. Went from bicep curling 20s to bicep curling 50s, leg pressing 200 to leg pressing 370. Whatever that amount of muscle is.
  • Nicholec2003
    Nicholec2003 Posts: 158 Member
    You can not gain a HUGE amount of muscle!!!!! It take a very very very long time to gain a few lbs of lean muscle!!!

    Fine, so it's relative. Went from bicep curling 20s to bicep curling 50s, leg pressing 200 to leg pressing 370. Whatever that amount of muscle is.

    Sounds like a lot to me....
  • Silvercivic
    Silvercivic Posts: 156 Member
    I find that routine really helps me. Find something you really like and stick to it. Like "every night after dinner I will have 1 pop tart." I realize that that may not be the healthiest routine, but my point is that 1 pop tart is way better than 2 pop tarts, a snickers bar, a bag of chips and a coke! Get excited about that pop tart. Plan for it. Enjoy it. And then when it is over you can click "done for the day!" on MFP and brush your teeth and be done. No surprises, nothing to think about- just routine. As that routine begins to replace the binge routine, maybe you can make the switch from 1 pop tart to something more nutritious. But I find that if you don't have to think about what you are putting in your mouth it is way easier to be in control. My routine for after dinner is to have a cup of sleepytime tea and a serving of something to go with it. (last night it was a cup of multigrain cheerios. The night before it was 16 animal crackers. yes, I eat toddler food.) :) Binge eating and I were pretty tight in college- very difficult to break the habit- good luck!
  • curvykent
    curvykent Posts: 140 Member
    UGH college sucks. I had so many issues in college and binge eating was one of them. I feel for you.

    I love what people have suggested and would say give them all a try.

    It's my experience that I had to change the behavior pattern, it wasn't going to change on its own. And that's hard because it becomes addictive.

    Maybe you're tired and you're body wants to compensate, if this may be true try to get a full 7 or 8 hours of sleep.
    Try to do an evening workout, sometimes this helps me fight off hunger or fatigue. And if you have to eat at least you've earned more calories.

    Definitely replace the bad with good, eat a fiber one bar instead of a snickers. And then drink a bunch of water after. That's a great way to fill up.

    I do feel for you. It's so hard to get used to being hungry. I struggle with feelings of hunger every day but in order to stay on track I just have to deal with them.

    Good luck.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    I see a lot of great advice here and just wanted to add one bit:

    brushing your teeth to avoid eating again is an awesome piece of advice, but please be careful not to brush your teeth too soon after you eat. When you eat, the bits of food stick on your teeth and eat at the enamel and make it soft for a short period of time (I dunno, maybe an hour?)

    if you brush during this time, you are likely brushing against your teeth, as in a struggle. Your teeth are soft at that time and the act of brushing is a harsh abrasive maneuver and can cause damage to your enamel.

    This is still speculation but it is something to avoid because it might be true after more research!

    a link to a similar post from a dentistry office:
    http://rosevillefamilydentist.com/2010/11/to-brush-or-not-to-brush-after-eating/
  • AngieDee12
    AngieDee12 Posts: 41 Member
    bump
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member
    Geneen Roth is a coach and therapist who has written numerous books about emotional eating etc. Im currently reading Breaking free from emotional eating and my friends have had huge sucess with another of her books, Women food and God. Maybe something to look into?
  • souki19
    souki19 Posts: 58
    i am a college student too and it is so hard to eat clean. my only advice is take everything that is junky out of your place and don't drink a lot. also being tired makes me want to eat more and no matter how much i eat , it is not enough. so having enough rest would help control you're appetite( from my experience)
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