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I am really struggling with binge eating.

julie_jackson2
julie_jackson2 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have struggled with binge eating my whole life. I recently started exercising again (6 months ago) and quit smoking 6 months ago. I can't lose weight because my binge eating is out of control. If anyone has tips I would love to hear then.

Answers

  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,650 Member
    Card-carrying Chocoholic right here. I can do some serious damage to myself (and the chocolate), and while I don't think I'll ever get this habit completely under control, there are some workarounds. First of all, if it's a food that you find "difficult to moderate," get it out of the house. Not forever, but at least for now when you're changing the way you eat.

    Second, delay the binge until you've eaten a proper meal. I love to cook our dinners every night, but a strange byproduct of that is that I want easy & fast for lunch, and whaddaya know: a giant hunk of chocolate is easy and fast and delicious. But it's not a meal (no matter how I try to justify it.) If I eat a meal that has some beneficial nutrition, I'm less likely to reach for the giant hunk. So feed yourself properly. Doesn't have to be monumental - a grilled cheese sandwich with some fresh fruit is a fine lunch and I find it filling.

    Third, give yourself a lot of time to make big changes. Start, yes. But don't be looking for "voila! I have changed my way of eating and now I'm cured!" because life rarely works that way. Make your changes gradually, if you can, and forget perfection. There are fails along the way, but keep the big picture in
    mind and get right back on the horse.
  • LiveOnceBeHappy
    LiveOnceBeHappy Posts: 449 Member
    It really sounds like you need a therapist. There's a reason you do what you do, and you want to stop. If you can't will yourself to stop, then it seems like you need help. Call today and book an appointment. It will be a significant wait likely to get in to one, so you may as well get on the schedule ASAP.
  • Hobartlemagne
    Hobartlemagne Posts: 491 Member
    +1 on the therapist. This sounds like a behavior that needs more help than we can offer here.
    I'll say this though- dont keep ANY binge-foods at home or in your workplace.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    I counted 1500 calories from candy two days in a row at Halloween one year. It was painful to keep logging, but I made myself do it. The next major holiday I aimed for half that in sweets. The next year, I logged the 500 calories of Halloween candy, and patted myself on the back. No candy at all is easier than logging all those mini bites, fun bites, etc., so I’m down to whatever fits into my calories around my healthy meals. For me, logging is key.
  • oakster69
    oakster69 Posts: 70 Member
    I have listened to a few pod casts recently and since this is writing instead of talking, and I dont have the luxury of 20 minutes to go through it, I will keep it short and brief. The summary is that we have to not have decisions about will power, binging etc with ourselves. Sure it happens occasionally, but the example they used is our current (US) emotionally charged presidential election. Many love their side and would rather hit their thumb with a hammer many times over than vote for the other side. Negotiating with yourself every time a donut shows up or you walk by a candy jar is a recipe for losing. Vote for your self. If you give in with some sort of justification, you are voting for the person you are if you are unsuccessful. If you vote for yourself, as your future you, and eliminate the conversation with yourself, you will stay on track much more often and get to your end goal.
  • CrazyMermaid1
    CrazyMermaid1 Posts: 353 Member
    There is a binge eating forum on here in the community. Check it out. I belong to it. My trigger is stress. I had been binge-free for over a year until a recent encounter with some major stress. And voila back came the binge. So the comments about investigating the source is spot-on.
  • MaxSchmidt2024
    MaxSchmidt2024 Posts: 1 Member
    I used to really struggle with binge eating, I found that eating lots of calories early in the day (lots of fat and protein) helped me feel better mentally and satiated me throughout the day so I didn’t have the urge to binge at all.
  • MattFieleke
    MattFieleke Posts: 10 Member
    Agree with stress being a trigger. Consider talking with a counselor or friend and coming up with a plan next time you find yourself in that situation. A healthy snack? A walk outside?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,053 Member
    edited August 14
    CrazyMermaid1 wrote: »
    There is a binge eating forum on here in the community. Check it out. I belong to it. My trigger is stress. I had been binge-free for over a year until a recent encounter with some major stress. And voila back came the binge. So the comments about investigating the source is spot-on.

    @CrazyMermaid1 I think you meant "group" as opposed to "forum." Is it this one? https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/726-binge-eating-support-group
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,053 Member
    I agree with the others to seek therapy, preferably Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and in the meantime make sure you're not doing this:

    https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/

    sjal7cf2h0l3.png

    While you're waiting to get in with a therapist, experiment with your macros. Are you meeting or exceeding your protein goal and fiber goals every day? I can certainly eat and eat and eat if I have too much carbs and fat and not enough protein. Fiber helps get and keep me full.
  • sonofjack88
    sonofjack88 Posts: 2 Member
    I found once I was on the right anxiety medication my desire to binge eat was gone
  • jess2023mac
    jess2023mac Posts: 41 Member
    edited August 16
    Argh bingeing...that uncontrollable urge to wolf down anything and everything in sight, even if you don't like it all that much. :( I, too, suffer from it.

    I'm sure therapy would help some people; not sure it would for me. :/

    I HAVE to keep trigger foods out of the house. Unfortunately, my most common one is peanut butter and dh has it every morning. It's impossible to rid my house of that one. It's the one food item I have to heavily monitor or I could easily eat 1000 cal a day just with pb alone. :( A lot of stuff he buys for himself I make him put it in his room so I don't even see it.

    I do a lot of self talk, convincing myself to keep my eyes on the goal of feeling better, moving easier, fitting into my jeans better, etc. Another thing I do is eat a LOT of crunchy veggies to give me that oral fixation. They have to be veggies I really like because if I try to stuff celery down, unless it's filled with pb, :) it won't work. I also think about the foods that I love, like ice cream, and try to come up with substitutions for it. I've picked Stonyfield 0 % fat yogurt and then doctor it up a bit. It works for me.

    Bingeing is such a complex issue. :( Lots of reasons why people do it, psychologically and physically. For me, I think it's the 'feel good' factor when I'm not feeling good emotionally.

    Wishing you the best of luck conquering and living with bingeing!!

    ETA: Congratulations on quitting cigarettes!! For you, maybe chewing gum or sipping a hot drink might help?

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