Calling all Bingers
apesid
Posts: 135 Member
Where are you at in your journey? How are you faring? Any problems? Any successes?
0
Replies
-
I'm doing okay for now but I am in the midst of a huge trigger for me. I'm planning to go to Florida in a month to see my parents and siblings. My brother was diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukemia in September. He was very sick and had chemo then. He has been having pain throughout his body since then but the cancer was gone. Last week he has been passing out so they took him to the hospital yesterday. He was admitted for testing. I hope I don't have to rearrange my trip to take him to his chemo. The last time he did chemo, I flew down to be able to sit with him during his chemo treatments and cook for him afterwards. Hopefully he won't need any more chemo yet. They kind of leukemia he has is chronic and lifelong. It will come back but they expected for there to be around a 5 yr cancer free period between treatments. He had his chemo in September and should be okay for now but he has been really sick since he had the chemo. I'm so worried and usually what I would do is graze and look for snacks when I have time to think. Today I am trying to work out instead when DS is not keeping me occupied so I don't eat.0
-
I'm back and forth...the trend lately with me has been a couple binge-free days and then a day (or a couple days) where I have a binge. Saturday was ridiculous. I was at a baby shower and ate so much...and the food wasn't even that great, really. I think it was just there...and you know how showers can be (BORING!) and boredom is my biggest trigger. Yesterday was good, today I'm good. So I'm just trying to string some days together (more than 2 or 3 would be nice).
I have re-read "Breaking Free From Emotional Eating" and that seems to really help me for some reason. I think it's a good read.
I've also recently realized that the harder I struggle the more I eat, so I'm really trying to let go of the struggle and have faith that I can get better. That seems to help me as well.
I'm interested in hearing what helps others...anyone care to contribute?
0 -
last binge was thursday... so i've made it a few days. i was really sick saturday, sunday and still don't feel right today so food actually hasn't appealed to me too much. i started giving in and letting myself have a lot of treats. i'm still tracking but not letting it get the best of me. if i want something i am trying to just have 1... it's been hard. i hope to make it a full week without one. even bought hard candy hoping that would help.0
-
I'd been having a hard time (i.e. daily binges) until I got sick on Thursday - and just started eating more normal yesterday. I did have a small binge yesterday but I got it under control before it went to far.
Safire - Good luck! exercise/ being distracted is a good way to avoid binges. Your brother will be in my thoughts and prayers!
Greeky- Thanks for the book tip! I'm looking for new reads. One thing that has been helping me is to make sure that I track (and log) what I'm eating. It makes me more conscious of what I'm doing - and makes me more likely to stop earlier.
MJ- Sounds like we had the same weekend! Is the hard candy helping? I hope you can make it a full week too!0 -
I'd been having a hard time (i.e. daily binges) until I got sick on Thursday - and just started eating more normal yesterday. I did have a small binge yesterday but I got it under control before it went to far.
Safire - Good luck! exercise/ being distracted is a good way to avoid binges. Your brother will be in my thoughts and prayers!
Greeky- Thanks for the book tip! I'm looking for new reads. One thing that has been helping me is to make sure that I track (and log) what I'm eating. It makes me more conscious of what I'm doing - and makes me more likely to stop earlier.
MJ- Sounds like we had the same weekend! Is the hard candy helping? I hope you can make it a full week too!
i had some of the candy today and managed to only have 1 cookie even though i wanted to binge on them. also i have upped my calories so i think that helps me feel less deprived.
great work on correcting it before it went too far. what was helpful for you to correct it? did you say somethign to yourself or what made you stop?0 -
I'd been having a hard time (i.e. daily binges) until I got sick on Thursday - and just started eating more normal yesterday. I did have a small binge yesterday but I got it under control before it went to far.
Safire - Good luck! exercise/ being distracted is a good way to avoid binges. Your brother will be in my thoughts and prayers!
Greeky- Thanks for the book tip! I'm looking for new reads. One thing that has been helping me is to make sure that I track (and log) what I'm eating. It makes me more conscious of what I'm doing - and makes me more likely to stop earlier.
MJ- Sounds like we had the same weekend! Is the hard candy helping? I hope you can make it a full week too!
I have been working out and keeping busy today. I keep getting up to look for stuff but have been sticking with just one thing and walking away. Had a few snacks but stayed on plan.0 -
I'd been having a hard time (i.e. daily binges) until I got sick on Thursday - and just started eating more normal yesterday. I did have a small binge yesterday but I got it under control before it went to far.
Safire - Good luck! exercise/ being distracted is a good way to avoid binges. Your brother will be in my thoughts and prayers!
Greeky- Thanks for the book tip! I'm looking for new reads. One thing that has been helping me is to make sure that I track (and log) what I'm eating. It makes me more conscious of what I'm doing - and makes me more likely to stop earlier.
MJ- Sounds like we had the same weekend! Is the hard candy helping? I hope you can make it a full week too!
I have been working out and keeping busy today. I keep getting up to look for stuff but have been sticking with just one thing and walking away. Had a few snacks but stayed on plan.
i love that idea. sticking with one thing! i think that's where i start to go wrong. if i just stop with the one thing i could much more easily stay on track.0 -
great work on correcting it before it went too far. what was helpful for you to correct it? did you say somethign to yourself or what made you stop?
The main thing that has been helping is me being conscious while I'm in a binge - and tracking what I'm eating as I'm eating it. Normally, I get in this "haze" where I'm just shoving food in my mouth and at the end I truly have no idea how much I actually ate. The tracking is making me more aware I guess. It doesn't make me not want to binge - but it has helped to make the binge not as bad. Baby steps, right?0 -
That's what I need to do when I feel myself in binge mode - log my food either BEFORE or as I'm eating it....not AFTER like I usually do! When I log it after, it's too late, the damage is done! Logging before or as I'm eating it should make me more conscious of how much I'm eating.
I haven't had a binge since Saturday and I'm feeling really good about it! Three days isn't much, I know, but when you've been bingeing daily like I had been it's a big deal!
I hope everyone is doing well today. 0 -
I've been binge free for about 3 days now..learning to work through my stress with proper meditation and exercise..talking to family/friends. So far, its helping. :bigsmile:0
-
uhg....I was doing sooo good until.....Monday and then somehow it all went down hill and I just feel AWFUL today. Sorry, I don't have much encouragement. Tomorrow I WILL be back to logging. If I don't log I Binge.0
-
I just joined this group after a few hard days over the past couple of weeks. I've been fairly binge free for the past 6 months but since the first of the year things hit pretty hard. I am making progress with respect to how I feel about my weight and how strong my body is and I am not always tied to the scale like I used to be. I am weighing myself twice a week, which is really hard, but I think my obsession with my weight was greatly impacting my desire/inclination to binge. I am up a little since the beginning of the week, but Valentine's Day was out of control for me. But exercise has really helped me keep bingeing at bay. Slowly but surely.
It's weird, a lot of people say, "You didn't become an emotional eater overnight," but in a way I did. So this is a very hard journey for me.0 -
Been pretty down here.
Binged late last night. Never was a late night binger until about two-three months ago. Now, instead of even trying to sleep, I eat until I just about pass out. I'll even eat in the pitch black dark so as not to even count or see what I am eating. I wake up feeling like I have a hangover and absolutely no motivation. Logging used to help. But, now at night, I can pretend like it didn't happen.. If I log what I ate at 1am today, then I'm already over 600+ calories for the day.
What does one do about that?
Right now, I keep pressing the start over button because restricting will only make me binge during the day right alongside with this new late late night habit.
I really have to start looking at why night is my new trigger, why I started all this back up after having successfully lost 30 pounds. I wish someone could just slap the binge out of me or that I could just wash the binge right outta my hair.
Well, new day. New beginning. While writing this, I already drank 4 cups of water to counteract the salt pulsating through my veins and head. Hopefully the salt and sugar hangover headache will be gone before classes start up.
That's the end of my confession.
Good luck everyone.0 -
Just joined this group, it looks like a great place for support. My story is written on my profile, and I'd love to have some friends in similar situations, so feel free to send friend requests my way!
I started following the plan in the book 'Overcoming Binge Eating' on Saturday. (I'd recommend this book as a great self-help tool by the way - my doctor recommended it to me. There's lots of helpful information and advice in the first part, and the second part is a six-step plan. I find having structure is really helpful.) Since then I have had one very, very bad binge, and one day where I started to binge, but STOPPED myself and went to the gym to do some exercise instead. I'm very proud of myself for this and feel it's a big step forward. Since that day, I haven't binged. (I know it's only 2 days, but still!) I even went out for dinner with my friends and resisted eating afterwards. I'm feeling really positive today.
I totally get what people are saying about wishing they could just wash the binge out of their hair. It's a part of me I really want to get rid of and I sometimes ask myself why I don't just stop?! But of course it's not that easy!
Hope you are all having a happy and healthy day - remember to be kind to your body 0 -
I started following the plan in the book 'Overcoming Binge Eating' on Saturday. (I'd recommend this book as a great self-help tool by the way - my doctor recommended it to me. There's lots of helpful information and advice in the first part, and the second part is a six-step plan. I find having structure is really helpful.)
My copy is supposed to be here today! I'm glad to hear (another!) good review!0 -
Been pretty down here.
Binged late last night. Never was a late night binger until about two-three months ago. Now, instead of even trying to sleep, I eat until I just about pass out. I'll even eat in the pitch black dark so as not to even count or see what I am eating. I wake up feeling like I have a hangover and absolutely no motivation. Logging used to help. But, now at night, I can pretend like it didn't happen.. If I log what I ate at 1am today, then I'm already over 600+ calories for the day.
What does one do about that?
Lock the kitchen?
All kidding aside - I think you are already on the right track. Taking it one day at a time and not restricting. I think you need to figure out the WHY of the late night binge before you can change it. Good luck!0 -
I've been binge free for about 3 days now..learning to work through my stress with proper meditation and exercise..talking to family/friends. So far, its helping. :bigsmile:
YAY!! Good for you!0 -
uhg....I was doing sooo good until.....Monday and then somehow it all went down hill and I just feel AWFUL today. Sorry, I don't have much encouragement. Tomorrow I WILL be back to logging. If I don't log I Binge.
How's your logging today? Keep at it 0 -
I just joined this group after a few hard days over the past couple of weeks. I've been fairly binge free for the past 6 months but since the first of the year things hit pretty hard. I am making progress with respect to how I feel about my weight and how strong my body is and I am not always tied to the scale like I used to be. I am weighing myself twice a week, which is really hard, but I think my obsession with my weight was greatly impacting my desire/inclination to binge. I am up a little since the beginning of the week, but Valentine's Day was out of control for me. But exercise has really helped me keep bingeing at bay. Slowly but surely.
It's weird, a lot of people say, "You didn't become an emotional eater overnight," but in a way I did. So this is a very hard journey for me.
It's sounds like you've made awesome progress - I can't wait until I can say I've been binge free for a week even! Don't let Valentine's day get you down - we all mess up, it's in the starting over that really counts.0 -
I'm so glad to see all these posts!! I haven't had a binge since Saturday!!! This is huge for me to go through the work week without bingeing at work. I did go over my calories yesterday but I don't consider it a binge (it was only a few hundred calories and since I just lowered them again I think it's fine). I feel SOOO much better when I'm not bingeing and it sucks when I go back to it.
BED, or any eating disorder, in my opinion, is NOT easy to overcome and it won't happen overnight. Let's keep plugging away at it! Every day is a new day, a new opportunity to work on ourselves.
I'm so glad you all are here!!!!! 0 -
I am really encouraged by these posts too. if i may ask, what exactly is the plan they outline in the book you are talking about? can it be summarized here or not really b/c i'd love to know.
i just bought a book called "why weight? a guide to ending compulsive eating" it is all about bingeing and dieting and how we look at food. it's by geneen roth. she has a lot of other good books too. i have been learning a lot from this one.
what is funny is when i started out on MFP i remembered how i "used to have binges" back when i had an eating disorder in my teens. i remember the real binging part didn't start until i was almost at the end of my weight loss, just like now. only before, i was aiming for a really unhealthy weight (way too low) and maybe the binges were the way of my body fighting back. this time i am at a healthy weight so i didn't really understand why i was having the binges. my body shoudl be happy now, right? well i also found out i had a vitamin deficiency and i've been working hard to take all my supplements to get myself back on track. that has been about 2 weeks ago and i feel a lot better about food somehow now... they say vitamins/minerals affect your mood so i wonder if my binges were part emotional, part that i was lacking something nutritionally? just something else to explore. btw, my dr just tested my blood and told me i was vit d deficient. but i figure not taking the multivitamin for about a year may have contributed to other deficiencies too.
i've been binge free for about a week now. my last one was last thursday... i just staved one off a minute ago by having a werther's candy. i was so close to a full out binge. so i know it's not all about vitamins/nutrition but i wonder if that ever contributes to them. i think a lot of it for me is a mindset. once i start it's hard to stop myself... i like the ideas on here. logging as your binging - brilliant. i will have to remember that one! just picking one thing to binge on... like that idea too. but i was curious about what the plan is in the book you are all reading b/c i can use any help! and i want to get through geneen roth's book first because i have heard great things about her.0 -
I have been reading Geneen Roth's "Breaking free from emotional eating" which is awesome! It does cover bingeing in it as well. I've read an excerpt from why weight and it sounds great too! I highly recommend her books!0
-
Hi everyone - well done for all your successes and binge-free streaks! Hopefully they will get longer and longer in time.
Not sure whether I'm allowed to post this as it's copyright...but here's a summarised version of the plan in 'Overcoming Binge Eating'):
1. Getting Started: self-monitoring and weekly weighing
2. Regular Eating: establishing a regular eating pattern and stopping purging
3. Alternatives to Binge Eating: substituting alternative activities
4. Problem Solving and Taking Stock: practicing problem solving and reviewing progress
5. Dieting and Related Forms of Avoidance: tackling the three forms of dieting and other forms of avoidance of eating
6. What Next?: preventing relapse and dealing with other problems.
I'm just on the first stage, where I keep a food journal (separate to MFP) logging everything I eat and drink. The book recommends you do this on paper in a grid format: so each day I draw out a page with columns for time, food, place, and thoughts/feelings about what I ate. There is a separate column to put an asterisk in after any food you feel is excessive (so a binge will look like a chain of asterisks down the page), and if you have problems with vomiting or laxatives, another column headed 'V/L' where you record if you purged after eating. It is advised to carry this journal everywhere, and to write what you have eaten as soon as possible after you eat. At this stage, the book doesn't advise you to change anything about your eating - just accurately monitor yourself, and look for patterns. I also have to weigh myself no more than once a week (HARD!).
The plan is meant to take four or five months to complete. It's frustrating accepting that success won't come overnight, but we have to be patient!
I'll post again when I move onto the next step (whenever I feel ready) - but I really recommend that you buy the book, as the information is just as important and helpful as the actual plan.
I'm thinking about buying a Geneen Roth book - which of 'Why Weight' or 'Emotional Eating' would you recommend? Have they helped you?
Hope everyone has a great day and remember that you deserve to treat yourself well 0 -
Thanks for the summary...
so i think #2 is kind of setting up when you'll eat the meals, staying on a schedule
#3 sounds like thinking of other things you can do besides binge. like other fun activities or something...
#4 looking at how you're doing, solving any problems that come up...
5 - what are the 3 forms of dieting? would like to know more about this... and avoidance of eating, seems like restricting yourself to not eat certain things, etc... am i wrong?
6 what next... dealing with relapse sounds pretty self explanantory
so in the book "why weight" she has you approach food from a completely different perspective. you get to do some workbook activities either in the book or on a seperate piece of paper... you think about the thin self, fat self, what are your forbidden foods, it really helps you analyze and look at what you think of yourself in relation to food. it's been pretty interesting. so i would recommend it. i like the workbook format of it too.0 -
Hi!
You've got it, it's pretty simple, but just working through slowly and carefully I think is the key...
Basically the message is that any form of dieting can make you prone to binging, and that you need to stop dieting if you really want to stop binging. So I don't think the book is so good for people who are trying to lose weight. The three types of dieting are
1. Trying not to eat for long periods at a time
2. Trying to restrict the overall amount of food you eat (setting a calorie limit)
3. Trying to avoid certain types of food ('bad' foods or 'trigger' foods)
Some other related forms of avoidance are not eating out with friends, not eating foods you don't know the calorie content of, etc.
The book recommends that you gradually tackle these behaviours. I know even though I'm officially in maintenance I still practise 2 and 3, and I still avoid foods I don't know the calories of.
Sounds really interesting. I really enjoy having a 'workbook' style book to fill in too, makes me feel like I'm actively solving problems, just like doing maths homework haha... The idea of 'forbidden foods' is in this book too, in stage 5 - you make a list of the foods you don't allow yourself to eat, rank them from easy to hard, and work through eating each one of them. This is going to be a hard part for me!
By the way, I might have to try your Werther's trick!0 -
Hi!
You've got it, it's pretty simple, but just working through slowly and carefully I think is the key...
Basically the message is that any form of dieting can make you prone to binging, and that you need to stop dieting if you really want to stop binging. So I don't think the book is so good for people who are trying to lose weight. The three types of dieting are
1. Trying not to eat for long periods at a time
2. Trying to restrict the overall amount of food you eat (setting a calorie limit)
3. Trying to avoid certain types of food ('bad' foods or 'trigger' foods)
Some other related forms of avoidance are not eating out with friends, not eating foods you don't know the calorie content of, etc.
The book recommends that you gradually tackle these behaviours. I know even though I'm officially in maintenance I still practise 2 and 3, and I still avoid foods I don't know the calories of.
Sounds really interesting. I really enjoy having a 'workbook' style book to fill in too, makes me feel like I'm actively solving problems, just like doing maths homework haha... The idea of 'forbidden foods' is in this book too, in stage 5 - you make a list of the foods you don't allow yourself to eat, rank them from easy to hard, and work through eating each one of them. This is going to be a hard part for me!
By the way, I might have to try your Werther's trick!
yeah it woudl be hard with the 3 types of dieting to not do them. because i usually eat at the same times of day and have certain things i eat for each meal... i can stick with my schedule usually. but i have problems in the evening.
trigger foods are interesting... i do have some of those taht i dont' eat anymore. one big one is cake. i completely avoid it. maybe i just need to have a piece of cake sometime. then i'll see it's not so bad. also donuts. i'm worried those two foods would set me back. luckily they are not in my house too much so it's pretty easy to avoid them.0 -
That is awesome...I'm going to have to try a distraction like this next time I get bingy.I have had one very, very bad binge, and one day where I started to binge, but STOPPED myself and went to the gym to do some exercise instead. I'm very proud of myself for this and feel it's a big step forward. Since that day, I haven't binged.
I've been on MFP now for 3 weeks and have been doing really well (down 7.2 pounds yay!) But the other day when I was home alone I started to graze and ate well over what I should have for the day.
What I do love about this site is how it gives me the power to make the right choices by truely understanding what I'm consuming....the bordem binging however I'm going to have to work on. going to take your suggestion and get up off my bum an do something....even if it's just practing some bellydance in the mirror.
:flowerforyou: hope everone has a wonderful day0 -
Hi!
You've got it, it's pretty simple, but just working through slowly and carefully I think is the key...
Basically the message is that any form of dieting can make you prone to binging, and that you need to stop dieting if you really want to stop binging. So I don't think the book is so good for people who are trying to lose weight. The three types of dieting are
1. Trying not to eat for long periods at a time
2. Trying to restrict the overall amount of food you eat (setting a calorie limit)
3. Trying to avoid certain types of food ('bad' foods or 'trigger' foods)
Some other related forms of avoidance are not eating out with friends, not eating foods you don't know the calorie content of, etc.
The book recommends that you gradually tackle these behaviours. I know even though I'm officially in maintenance I still practise 2 and 3, and I still avoid foods I don't know the calories of.
Sounds really interesting. I really enjoy having a 'workbook' style book to fill in too, makes me feel like I'm actively solving problems, just like doing maths homework haha... The idea of 'forbidden foods' is in this book too, in stage 5 - you make a list of the foods you don't allow yourself to eat, rank them from easy to hard, and work through eating each one of them. This is going to be a hard part for me!
By the way, I might have to try your Werther's trick!
yeah it woudl be hard with the 3 types of dieting to not do them. because i usually eat at the same times of day and have certain things i eat for each meal... i can stick with my schedule usually. but i have problems in the evening.
trigger foods are interesting... i do have some of those taht i dont' eat anymore. one big one is cake. i completely avoid it. maybe i just need to have a piece of cake sometime. then i'll see it's not so bad. also donuts. i'm worried those two foods would set me back. luckily they are not in my house too much so it's pretty easy to avoid them.
The premise of these books sound very similar...in "Breaking Free from Emotional Eating", Geneen talks about stopping dieting, eating whatever you want WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY (because dieting and not eating what we really want is a trigger to bingeing), stopping when you've had enough, knowing when enough is enough, the "hunger scale", emotional eating and/or eating when not hungry and what to do, what to do when stuck in the cycle of bingeing, not weighing yourself, etc....she gives you homework in this too (I haven't done it, but I did a LOT of stepwork in OA meetings, which is why I didn't want a workbook hahha).
All of the books sound great and I think the solution is similar. I think we have to really look and see what's going on with us inside, as bingeing is a solution (albeit a BAD solution) and/or symptom of the real problem.
I do believe that some foods are physically addictive though and I try to completely stay away from them because once I start it is incredibly hard to stop until I'm completely stuffed and/or the food runs out. The book touches on this but not a lot.
They all sound great to me! And helpful, I'm sure, if you do the work. Ugh, work...LOL.0 -
I don't feel i'm going anywhere. I do good for maybe 3-4 days then binge. It's been this way since i was 17, now 22. At least I have cut the purging after mostly out.0
-
I'm 28 now and have had this since I was about 11... today was a bad day as I did 600 calories but it was also a good day as I stopped at 600 calories. There was a time when I'd eat an entire packet of biscuits and still not throw up. I'm about 9-10lbs away from my goal weight and I hope a flat stomach but I don't understand why I seem to sabotage myself by eating like this.
It's almost like every day is a new fight and work doesn't help as I get bored and then think about food. I don't think I'll ever get the better of this completely but logging my food has definitely made me better about not going as overboard as I used to. If anyone has the time to be a cheerleader for me that would be great as sometimes this feels like a really lonely path to be on0
This discussion has been closed.