Tips to keep from bingeing

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lalaloserpants
lalaloserpants Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hey, I'm just wondering if anyone out there has any tips to keep from bingeing cause it's getting really hard for me to stop myself.

Replies

  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I wouldn't mind picking up a few tips myself! Here's hoping for a response other than drink water!
  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 919 Member
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    If you're like me, you binge because you are eating instead of letting yourself feel whatever is going on in your life. If you're frustrated, sad, lonely, even happy - it's a feeling that you're suppressing and eating your emotions instead.

    I've spent a year in counseling to understand that and RARELY binge now - but I had to figure out what on earth I was not allowing myself to feel. And after a year I can say it's shame - when someone would see "the fat girl" eating candy I would feel ashamed, or when I would eat 2 rows of oreos I would feel ashamed. I am much better now about recognizing when I am supressing a feeling and make a conscious decision to NOT use food to cope.

    It's not something you can fix overnight, but I would urge you to consider talking to someone about this before it gets out of control. And please feel free to message me if you want to talk about it!!
  • Fayve
    Fayve Posts: 411 Member
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    For me... the only method that I find helps (90% of the time), is to simply not allow myself to have the food available. I absolutely hate that it's my "go-to" option, since it hardly makes me feel like I'm actually in control of myself. And on the flipside, being a baker/cook, its fairly easy for me to make something I'm craving out of unassuming ingredients that I need to have around the house.

    Other than that, I don't binge if I'm busy. Boredom is what gets me, like most. I have a job that has me working 2PM-10:30PM two nights a week (and early shifts on the other 3 days), but I always do the best avoiding binging on those days.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    Prepare everything except dinner the night before.
    Limit yourself to what you make!

    That way you can enter everything before youve eaten it!
    Makes life easier.

    If you are going to binge you want to eat lighter caloric food.
    Id rather see you binge on a plate full of peas than a plate full of french fries!

    Another thing is to try to get in at least 30g protein first thing in the morning.
    If you feel full because your bodys thermic effect is in full throttle you are less likely to want to stuff the face later.
    So for instance the sandwich you had with 17g protein could be followed by a scoop of vanilla whey protein in water or milk adding another 23g.
    Its easier to get down and it takes hours for the body to digest and assimilate it.

    Oh!
    And make 1 day a week your cheat day where everything is open game!
    Log it all!
  • MollyDukes
    MollyDukes Posts: 233 Member
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    Variety. Don't eat the same foods day in and day out because you know they "work" for you. Try new recipes and change things up every once and a while so you don't get bored of the same foods.

    Also, if you feel a binge coming on, get up and do something to keep busy. Go for a walk, drink some water, do something and chances are by the time you are done (unless you are truely hungry) you wont want to eat or wont remember you were going to eat.

    You can also try to eat more smaller meals throughout the day to keep you fuller throughout the day leaving less room to feel the need to binge and keep healthy snacks around.

    Lastly as someone had mentioned...try and figure out what triggers the binge...is it boredom, is it because something upset you...why? I just read an article that said, when you feel the need to binge, stop for one minute and think what caused you to have this feeling ...that way you can find other ways to deal with this feeling than having to resort to food.
  • mruntidy
    mruntidy Posts: 1,015 Member
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    I agree theres some good advice here already, I am a sucker for sweets and biscuits and things like that. I found that firstly this site is good because you have to log everything so you are seeing what you eat which puts you off. If you can't do that though it is always worth having some quick fry steak or roast chicken ready to go in the fridge.

    You satisfy your need to eat and its all high in protein low in fat and quick to prepare and there are seasonings you can add that make it taste better than simply chicken or steak if the taste puts you off. Like Helloitsdan said because it is protein you feel fuller for longer and so won't tend to want to binge again later if you get another craving.

    Hope this helps?
  • mad4beinhere
    mad4beinhere Posts: 63 Member
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    Great idea Helloitsdan.
    If i log before I go to work I don't cheat then because I have to stick to it. Its like a contract with myself.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    At some point in all of our journeys we decide on what outcome we want.
    To win this game we have to look 2 years into the future and try to imagine what we will look like.
    Take that image and hold onto it for dear life!
    In 2 years time ill pack on another 5-10lbs of lean muscle.
    I like the way that looks in my head.
    I cant look like that if I eat poorly every day.

    So while this is a physical game we play...its the mental side that wins...or makes us lose!

    I've already won but the ending buzzer is another 2 years away!
    =D

    PS: It took 2 weight loss plateaus and 1 muscle gaining plateau to get to this state of mind.
    If you guys get stuck please ask questions and only take advice from people who are doing it right!
  • brendabuckeye
    brendabuckeye Posts: 53 Member
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    I try to ALWAYS have a pack of gum with me, and leave the candy/chocolate/snacks at the store. If you don't buy it, you can't eat it!
  • mjbrenner
    mjbrenner Posts: 222 Member
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    I had to drastically cut my carbs to prevent binging. Finally breaking my sugar addiction is what I needed, but it really depends how much of your binging is craving vs. emotional. I still emotionally binge on a rare occasion, but it is much less frequent without the carb compulsion.

    Of course, not everyone's body responds to carbs the same way.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    I would do 2 things without carbs.

    1) hurt people

    2) fall asleep
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
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    My latest diversion from evening binging is to walk into the living room when I get the urge to munch and practice a rudimentary Tai Chi move. I am also doing this when I find myself stressing about something (which often leads to the munchathon). I am had the very beginning of stages of Tai Chi and really bad at it. So it takes all my concentration mind and body for a few moments clearing my focus. Mostly I am diverted. If not, carrot time (some times three in a row, hope we don't find a connection with carrots to some obscure health issue). When the Tai Chi technique no longer works (its inevitable) , I am thinking of having a coloring book handy. Alas, i suspect part of my new lifestyle will be finding evening diversions for the rest of my life.
  • lalaloserpants
    lalaloserpants Posts: 32 Member
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    you know what out of all these I like that idea the best, the colouring in, I love that xD
    I'd love to do tai chi too
  • MoonShadow_1au
    MoonShadow_1au Posts: 149 Member
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    I hate bingeing too. I eat like that when I am tired (normally late at night when I should really go to bed).

    One thing I heard (TV ACA) was that diet drinks can trigger binge eating. Basically they work like this; the brain registers the taste of sugar and spikes for the craved sugars, there are none so the brain goes into overdrive and demands more .... you eat.

    People reported when they went from diet drinks to normal drinks they lost weight as their eating dropped. But they were talking about 10 - 20 glasses of diet drink a day (probably went to 5 - 10 normal drinks).
  • logicandlove
    logicandlove Posts: 191 Member
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    I would do 2 things without carbs.

    1) hurt people

    2) fall asleep

    This is ridiculously accurate. I have a friend on a low carb, low protein high fat diet (similar to atkins) and I just...don't know how he does it, although it's made him lose 20 pounds.

    I know someone here mentioned cheat days, and that's my trick. For example, I haven't had an In-N-Out burger in months, and I was craving one today. Instead of going and getting a burger and milkshake and fries or whatever it is I want every time it pops into my head, I remind myself that Sunday is my cheat day. Granted, I'll probably stick to a something with less cheese or a patty less than what I could eat, but I'll be able to have what I want, and knowing that keeps my brain from thinking that it's off-limits and bad for me, which would push me to find it and eat as much as possible.

    Other than that, keeping busy is super helpful. I'm not gonna say "go work out when you feel like binging", because that sounds great, but probably isn't realistic considering the mindset you're in when you want to binge. Instead, I'll get a healthy snack so that I am eating, and sit down with a few episodes of a favorite tv show, or a book, or a video game. It keeps me entertained and happily busy until the urge passes.
  • lesleyb3368
    lesleyb3368 Posts: 6 Member
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    I agree with this, i fill the food diary in as soon as i get to work and then i am likely to stick to it. I think some days are really hard (especially for us hormone ridden women!) and all you can do is minimise the damage by not having the real bad stuff available.
  • aaleigha1
    aaleigha1 Posts: 408 Member
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    I plan my food the night before - this is really helping me stick to my plan

    I ask myself if I am really hungry or if I want to eat if I have eaten within the last three hours I know I should not be hungry so I have a drink and if not at work I pick up some knitting or crochet I have started and do that - I buy expensive yarn so I wont want to get food on that :)
  • IndigoFlowers
    IndigoFlowers Posts: 221 Member
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    I take a bath! :) ... Which isn't always the logical or reasonable thing to do, but if I have the time, and I am bored, I'll take one to prevent me eating...

    Or I will text a friend, go on skype with my LDR boyfriend, read a book, play a game...

    Water never ever helps me :(
  • meg_jesse
    meg_jesse Posts: 11
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    I find that if Im out of routine I tend to binge more than I would normally. Over xmas has been realy bed, with the kids being of school and my partner being of work (only going back today). I think I have cooked only 3 meals in the last 2 weeks, and my partners mum cooking 2. All the rest we have eaten out or had take away. I know when I do have junk food I will binge in the night. So my plan from today onwards is nice meals 3 times a day. Toast for breakfast, something for lunch and pasta for tea. Fruit or water if im feeling like I will snack

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