I'm a compulsive eater and I'm just venting...

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  • MKPRN
    MKPRN Posts: 46 Member
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    I am a huge binge eater too. It completely goes along with my mood also but I really like to eat. Stress and depression are my main triggers.

    Something that has really helped me is starting the Clean Eating Diet by Tosca Reno. I have tried to eliminate a lot of processed foods out of my diet. Following this eating plan lets me eat a lot more than I was and I find that I don't have the binges as severe as I did before. I also find that it gives me a lot more energy too. So when I do get stressed I don't immediately turn to food. I might get on a treadmill or go for a walk to help work things out. The other benefit that I found is my skin is looking great!

    The plan isn't easy and does take some prep work and creative planning but it really is worth it. Hopefully this idea can help you.
  • legsfordays
    legsfordays Posts: 32
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    i eat a lot when i am bored or stressed. am i a compulsive or emotional eater? :huh:

    Maybe, if you feel out of control when you're eating.

    what's the diff between compulsive & emotional eater?

    I'm not sure, to be honest. I've always called myself both, seeing as they both go hand-in-hand. Some days I would binge because I was depressed and stressed out. Others, like tonight, I binged for the sake of chewing, swallowing, and consuming something. Do you find yourself having binging episodes daily?
  • legsfordays
    legsfordays Posts: 32
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    I am a huge binge eater too. It completely goes along with my mood also but I really like to eat. Stress and depression are my main triggers.

    Something that has really helped me is starting the Clean Eating Diet by Tosca Reno. I have tried to eliminate a lot of processed foods out of my diet. Following this eating plan lets me eat a lot more than I was and I find that I don't have the binges as severe as I did before. I also find that it gives me a lot more energy too. So when I do get stressed I don't immediately turn to food. I might get on a treadmill or go for a walk to help work things out. The other benefit that I found is my skin is looking great!

    The plan isn't easy and does take some prep work and creative planning but it really is worth it. Hopefully this idea can help you.

    I definitely need to be eating better. It's hard for me because I am living on my own and am currently jobless, and healthy foods are hard to come by. My mom bought me the snacks I have currently, but that's no excuse.
  • legsfordays
    legsfordays Posts: 32
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    I don't have anything really helpful to add, but I will say that I am a binge eater. A little less than a year ago I was 15 pounds lighter than I am right now after spending a few months logging on MFP and now, after a 3-4 month hiatus from logging and regular binging I am really struggling :(
    But, today is my day 1 with no binges and if I am lucky tomorrow will be day 2 and for now that's all I can do.

    That's great! I try to challenge myself and see how many days I can go without binging. My record since I started counting is 8 days. I gained back 10 lbs. of the 15 that I lost this year due to my binging habits, so I know how you feel. It's so discouraging, but it's only going to get worse if the habit isn't broken. Best of luck with you.
  • tkacomet
    tkacomet Posts: 73 Member
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    re: OA being religiously affiliated:
    no, they just need donated space and churches usually do that. AA and other Anon groups often meet at churches, also. It's merely about donating space to a good cause.
  • dckim
    dckim Posts: 311 Member
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    i eat a lot when i am bored or stressed. am i a compulsive or emotional eater? :huh:

    Maybe, if you feel out of control when you're eating.

    what's the diff between compulsive & emotional eater?

    I'm not sure, to be honest. I've always called myself both, seeing as they both go hand-in-hand. Some days I would binge because I was depressed and stressed out. Others, like tonight, I binged for the sake of chewing, swallowing, and consuming something. Do you find yourself having binging episodes daily?

    i binge eat occasionally, but there is always a trigger - sad, depressed, stressed, bored, etc. i sometimes don't eat or very little for days, then boom! i can knock down 6000 cal a day. i know it's outta control...
  • dckim
    dckim Posts: 311 Member
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    re: OA being religiously affiliated:
    no, they just need donated space and churches usually do that. AA and other Anon groups often meet at churches, also. It's merely about donating space to a good cause.

    i m a GA member and go to meeting weekly. it's similar to AA and OA. same serenity prayer and the 12 steps. it seems to work so far... :flowerforyou: "a day at a time"
  • legsfordays
    legsfordays Posts: 32
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    re: OA being religiously affiliated:
    no, they just need donated space and churches usually do that. AA and other Anon groups often meet at churches, also. It's merely about donating space to a good cause.

    Thank you for getting back at that. I'm really considering going, it's just a matter of mustering up the courage to going there on my own...
  • legsfordays
    legsfordays Posts: 32
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    i eat a lot when i am bored or stressed. am i a compulsive or emotional eater? :huh:

    Maybe, if you feel out of control when you're eating.

    what's the diff between compulsive & emotional eater?

    I'm not sure, to be honest. I've always called myself both, seeing as they both go hand-in-hand. Some days I would binge because I was depressed and stressed out. Others, like tonight, I binged for the sake of chewing, swallowing, and consuming something. Do you find yourself having binging episodes daily?

    i binge eat occasionally, but there is always a trigger - sad, depressed, stressed, bored, etc. i sometimes don't eat or very little for days, then boom! i can knock down 6000 cal a day. i know it's outta control...

    Hmmm... I used to do that in the beginning of my dieting days. I started getting depressed/stressed out daily though, and so I would binge almost everyday... It's so hard to stop, too. Eating feels good, why should I stop? Then your belly expands to maximum capacity and suddenly you don't feel so good anymore, so you keep eating anyway, because you already blew it and you already feel worthless so why not just look as bad as you feel, ya know?
  • hippotx72
    hippotx72 Posts: 30
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    http://www.shrinkyourself.com
    try this, its helping me, its for emotional eating, I am getting better, I am not 100% there yet, but I am able to stop myself much earlier than I used to

    Thanks for sharing the link.
    The only thing I saw in answering the questions is that they all focus on negative feelings. Although I do experience some of that, such as eating when I'm nervous or anxious about something, I also tend to eat in response to some very positive emotions, like when I'm happy, when I have completed a project or something positive in my life happens. Anyone else experience that?
  • Ayla20103005
    Ayla20103005 Posts: 104 Member
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    that program also deals with that. I eat for all emotions.
  • legsfordays
    legsfordays Posts: 32
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    http://www.shrinkyourself.com
    try this, its helping me, its for emotional eating, I am getting better, I am not 100% there yet, but I am able to stop myself much earlier than I used to

    Thanks for sharing the link.
    The only thing I saw in answering the questions is that they all focus on negative feelings. Although I do experience some of that, such as eating when I'm nervous or anxious about something, I also tend to eat in response to some very positive emotions, like when I'm happy, when I have completed a project or something positive in my life happens. Anyone else experience that?

    I do too, sometimes. Like, after a week of eating well and exercising, I'll look in the mirror and look/feel skinnier, so that day I tend to overeat just because I think I can.
  • exiledforestfan
    exiledforestfan Posts: 15
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    This is a great book for binge eaters - gettingb etter bit(e) by bit(e) by Janet Treasure and Ulrike Schmidt. it is available on Amazon. It is a few years old but it is the book recommended by my local eating disorders team. I am using it to work with someone who binge eats and they are finding it helpful.

    Good luck
  • Booboo78
    Booboo78 Posts: 169
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    Posted this on another thread about compulsive/binge eating:

    One book I can recommend is The Yo-Yo Diet Syndrome - by Doreen Virtue. It is SUCH an eye opener, the author is really onto something! noway

    It goes into WHY you binge-eat, the different types of binge-eaters (there are 5: binge-eating, emotional eaters, stress eaters, self-esteem eaters, and snowball eaters), and the emotional and psychological reasons behind binge-eating.

    She even breaks it down to what kind of food you 'crave' and the emotions behind it. She's got another book as well, Constant Craving - which goes into very minute detail about that.

    Been reading both these books - it can be quite intense and almost uncomfortable to read as it forces you to confront your emotions, but hey, I'm starting to drop the lbs now, and haven't binged in a while.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Constant-Craving-What-Cravings-Overcome/dp/1848505906/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1318773689&sr=8-6

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yo-Yo-Diet-Syndrome-Stabilize-Appetite/dp/1401923232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318773722&sr=8-1
  • dckim
    dckim Posts: 311 Member
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    "It goes into WHY you binge-eat, the different types of binge-eaters (there are 5: binge-eating, emotional eaters, stress eaters, self-esteem eaters, and snowball eaters), and the emotional and psychological reasons behind binge-eating. "

    ^ things get complicated all by itself doesn't it. why don't we just call it - eating freaking too much! :sick:
  • jolt9157
    jolt9157 Posts: 2
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    I really know nothing about compulsive eating, but I thought I would stop by and share my two cents. I've been dysthymic for at least the last 13 years. But now, I'm finally doing better. I've lost a good chunk of weight (plan to lose more), I'm happy, and I'm more productive with my days.

    How is this possible? Lots of help. I've been seeing counselors off and on since I was 19. I saw a counselor in undergrad sporadically throughout my four years. During professional school, I saw a psychotherapist regularly during my last two years. However, I waited two years after graduation to see a counselor again. She sent me to a doctor who discussed the benefits and drawbacks to adjunctive medication. And while it took 12 months of tweaking things to find the right regimen, I'm doing a lot better and have dropped down from seeing the therapist from 3-4 times per month to once per month.

    Anyway, my point is that your compulsive eating likely has an emotional origin and it would be helpful to sit down with a trained professional and have a honest discussion about your choices. I used to try to get better on my own, fail, and beat myself up - I understand that. But now I'm so happy that I made the choice to set aside the resources to help myself get better.

    Convince yourself you're worth it, because you are! You can do this, you just need a little help!

    I put myself into counseling this month, and honestly, she did not help me at all. She retired now, so they are scheduling me with someone else, but I am skeptical. I'm hoping my new counselor will be more supportive and helpful. Like I said, no one I talked to (beside my boyfriend, who has seen me REALLY hit rock bottom) sees this as a severe thing, but not only does it make me feel bad about myself, I know it is bad for my health in the long run as well.


    Not all therapists are created equal. You have to find the right one to fit your needs. Like I said, I went through a lot of counselors beforehand. You can also discuss your overeating with your physician, who might recommend medication and possibly some therapists with experience in that area. Don't give up!
  • Booboo78
    Booboo78 Posts: 169
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    "It goes into WHY you binge-eat, the different types of binge-eaters (there are 5: binge-eating, emotional eaters, stress eaters, self-esteem eaters, and snowball eaters), and the emotional and psychological reasons behind binge-eating. "

    ^ things get complicated all by itself doesn't it. why don't we just call it - eating freaking too much! :sick:

    And just leave it at that? No questioning it at all? How does that solve the issue?

    I'm the type of person that wants to know the whys, whats, hows, when, etc. Like WHY do we 'eat freaking too much'? WHY is there a widescale obesity problem? WHY is 'eating less and moving more' not as simple as that? And so on.
  • allie1904
    allie1904 Posts: 248
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    I am a binger eater and have basically stopped buying anything binge worthy when I go shopping..

    Only thing which seems to work for me.
  • Jean410
    Jean410 Posts: 104
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    I feel for you! I binge too. Secretly. I hide the "evidence" so nobody knows. I eat because I'm "hungry", bored, sad, stressed, excited, overwhelmed... or just because the food is there calling my name - taunting me!

    This is what I've done lately and I can't say it's a permanent solution, but more of a work in progress. I refuse to buy junk food at the store. I make sure I've had a meal or snack before grocery shopping. At night (my weak time) I eat a low calorie brownie or a 100cal pack of cheese and I make myself some delicious tasting tea to help curb the binge. I don't deprive myself, but I do not allow the temptation into my house.

    There is a psychological component. Get counseling if you can, not every counselor works for everybody, may have to try a few.
  • christydufrene78
    christydufrene78 Posts: 52
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    Hey girl, I am with you 100%! I am an binge eater and I have admitted it. Its all in your mind and until you find out what is causing it mentally it will never stop! Yes temporary it willl TILL the next time(whenever that maybe). Tell yourself you can overcome this and nothing will stop you! Keep your mind busy and replace that eating with something that you enjoy to do! I am working on my issue girl and it is hard but remember! "the only thing to fear is fear" so lets begin and healthy journey! I know myself when i am doing well i feel great but I always got that constant fear of it beginning again and will it ever stop! DONT FEAR TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME< ONE DAY DOWN IS A DAY HEALTHIER! ALL THE BEST WISHES AND MENTAL TAKE THAT CHALLENGE!

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