Food Addiction/ Overeating and Bingeing?

I have really big problems limiting myself with food. Anyone else have this issue? I don't mean that extra piece of pizza or cake you shouldn't have. I mean serious overeating. I'm like a bulimic but I don't purge, just binge. At times I can eat thousands and thousands of calories in a binge. I feel like I next to never get full. I have eaten so much at times that I have gained 2-5 pounds in a week. I constantly fight this behavior but it is a serious as an alcoholism or drug addiction, I swear. I binged really, really bad today...I'm embarrassed at how much I ate :( and I am ruining my last year's successful 45 pound weight loss. I don't do this every day or even every week. I am successful at fighting it maybe 75% of the time but the other 25% of the time it beats me. Anyone else that has this issue, add me as a friend or post here. We need support!
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Replies

  • I do have a somewhat similar issue. I think, "ahh whats a few extra pounds? I have plenty of time to work it off and my bf thinks I'm hot so why not eat that whole pizza and say screw it". Fortunately most of the time I am pretty good at talking myself down but there are definitely the times where I go crazy and find ways to validate my behavior. What I have started to do is try and think "healthy" not "skinny". My goal is to live a healthier life so I am not always so tired. The weight loss is coming along with that but I have noticed that when faced with the prospect of poor health I tend to be stronger in my resolve to get in shape. I have always hated exercising. I joke saying that if you want me to run you are going to have to chase me with a chainsaw. I now make time to work out and I find that after burning 300 calories doing something I really didnt want to do I am less inclined to mess that up with over eatting.
  • haiku_gal
    haiku_gal Posts: 12 Member
    I believe I have this same problem. I feel like I'm always thinking about food...it consumes me. I know the feeling of being always hungry. I want to be healthy, happy, skinny, sexy but food wins every time!
  • Same here. I always seem to have the thought process that "Hey, it makes me happy, (for the time being) and it is my life and I don't care! *Enter me ordering a large extra cheese and eating almost all of it.*

    I know A LOT of this is coming from a break up a few years back and after it I think I just "gave up." Not in a "I don't need to shower anymore kinda of way" but in a "bad food is replacing my significant other." It is that instand gratification of feeling comfort and pizza is usually my downfall.

    I need to stop because this is the heaviest I have ever been and if I keep allowing food to be my Friend/lover/ I will weigh over a thousand pounds before I know it.

    So. What are the tricks in turning this around?
  • schol74
    schol74 Posts: 12 Member
    I have the same problems, I can go three or four days following a healthy eating plan, then by day five I am so hungry I just eat everything. Then I just feel horrible. It doesn't help that almost everyone I know tells me that I am skinny, so I have to diet in 'secret', or I get eye-rolls. I have a small frame, and I am almost 5'9", so I can hide the extra weight. The point is that I don't want to hide it, I want it gone!! No more muffin top!! I have such a hard time staying motivated.
  • Charlotte012
    Charlotte012 Posts: 139 Member
    I have the same problem. I am at a point where I think I need to find help but I am unsure where.. I don't want to pratice abstinence like the Overeaters Anonymus, I just want to stop bingeing and control how I eat. It's been worst lately because I am dealing with all sort of different issues and I honnestly feel miserable when it happens. I don't have any answers, but you can add me for support :)
  • momotivation
    momotivation Posts: 72 Member
    I was contemplating starting a thread very similar to this, I feel like I have to eat all my calories, and i usually go over. and even when I do I am still hungry. I think it is really all in my head. This need to eat. I even tried saving my calories to have what I would consider a normal meal, meat, potato veggie and dessert. I lasted on my set amount of calories and then when I treated myself to this normal meal it was sooooo difficult to come back to my dieting habits. It took me two days to even get back to tracking my foods. I still think that most of m being hungry is in my head, eating is a habit of mine.
    I find drinking water has really helped me actually keep my mind off of snacking. Otherwise this is still a daily struggle.
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
    You must read "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler MD. He's the former head of the FDA and he explains why it is so hard to stop obsessing about food (the way you all describe, and I'm also familiar with!). I am in the middle of the book and it is soooo enlightening. Makes you look at food very very differently. Doesn't resolve the problem by reading the book but it definitely will make you more mindful. Good luck to everyone!!!
  • HeidiRene
    HeidiRene Posts: 335 Member
    I believe I have this same problem. I feel like I'm always thinking about food...it consumes me. I know the feeling of being always hungry.

    This
  • Fayve
    Fayve Posts: 406 Member
    Yes, I feel the same as everyone here. Really struggle with binging on a daily basis nowadays. I can't believe it's gotten this bad. I don't remember ever having serious binging tendencies until I started counting calories and becoming more aware of my food intake either, which I find weird. Someone earlier said something along the lines of "Well so and so thinks I'm perfect, so who cares if I don't lose more weight", which is exactly how almost all of my binges start. It's also hard, since a lot of my family can't relate to my binging (even though they're quite over-weight). It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who can eat thousands of calories within an hour or two without ever feeling full.
  • Beatlegirl66
    Beatlegirl66 Posts: 68 Member
    Wow. It is a comfort to know that I am not alone in this. One of my biggest issues (and according to my mom has been an issue all of my life) is that I never have that feeling of being full. If I actually feel full, that means I have ate so much that I have made myself sick. That rarely happens. I can eat boxes of Cheez-Its and want more. I have been sticking with it and have only binged twice since Jan 1. But I hate having the urge all day long. I seriously have dreams about chocolate cake and fudge. I count down the hours until I can eat again. I know I must lose weight, but I am not happy living this way either. There has to be a way to control this.

    Sara
  • UCONNCOED
    UCONNCOED Posts: 332 Member
    I definitely can relate. I do literally feel like its an addiction like an alcoholic or drug addict would have. I can go a few days and do really well, eat within my calories and workout. Then (mostly on the weekends, but even random weekdays) I will literally just go off the cliff and eat thousands of calories in 1 sitting. I do not feel full, and I have absolutely found myself eating almost an entire pizza plus dessert all on my own. I dont throw up either, but I do feel like it is the "binge" portion of what a bulimic would do.

    Does anyone have any suggestions or tips. I am really trying to get a hold of this issue too. Even just to cut down on my "binge" days would probably help with my weight loss. I could definitely use the support too in trying to overcome this.
  • aklitten
    aklitten Posts: 237 Member
    Edited to add this: add me as a friend, if you want!! (Just include a message in your request.)

    I wrote about this in my blog today, and a couple of posts ago:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/aklitten/view/will-food-ever-be-my-friend-202221
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/aklitten/view/resyncing-my-brain-and-my-body-218109


    I joined this group here on MFP:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/726-binge-eating-support-group

    I should probably re-read some of my books (Geneen Roth is great: _Breaking Free from Compulsive Eating_). It's been a rough few days for me...

    We can all help each other! This is a really good post, even though the person who posted it has a deactivated account.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/415706-the-binge
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
    Quite often this comes from denying yourself too much during your "good" diet behaviours. Do you still eat a little of what's not so good for you when you're strict with yourself?
  • I also struggled with this and then I took a food management/ nutrition class called: Down and Dirty weight loss, taught by ILene Vick who on her own lost 100 pounds in a year. Her tools helped me understand why I am a food addict and what the food industry does to fuel my addiction. Check her out on Facebook and tell her Cindy sent you.
  • sloanie1
    sloanie1 Posts: 276 Member
    You aren't alone...I'm a diagnosed food addict, food is my crack.....my binges aren't like they used to be I'm worse if I drink wine! I lose control completely then! I haven't worked it all out yet, every day is a war and I struggle constantly but I have accepted this will always be the case....if I over eat I try to make sure its healthy at least....food is the hardest thing to conquer because we have to eat to survive and it's literally every where you look....I am also an all or nothing type person so this doesn't help! hang in there, you just have to persevere and work out what triggers it...:o)
  • lrkidd
    lrkidd Posts: 74 Member
    I totally understand how you feel. I know I shouldn't do it and even while I am eating I tell myself to stop but I just don't have the willpower to and then I feel horrible after I have done it. Couple that with having insulin resistance so I have to fight twice as hard to lose a pound than the average person. I have binged the last 2 weekends and undid all of my hard work from the previous weeks. It is so nice to know I am not the only one.



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  • lauristewart
    lauristewart Posts: 379 Member
    I truly feel like it is an addiction similiar to alcholism and drug addiction. I went to couceling for over 2 yrs for binge/non purging issues. I learned to forgive myself and not beat myself up over my addictive behavior. That others do not view myself the way I vew myself. I learned to somewhat listen to my body and stop when I am full....now I am still far from that specific behavior but learning to forgive myself and not hate myself b/c of my destructive eating helped me finally get over the disorder for about 85% of the time.....I have binged maybe 5 to 6 times since August....but the last was only last week. And yes, I gained close to 9 lbs in a week! You have to take this day by day, meal by meal some days. Celebrate your successes internally, treat every day as day #1 on your healthy eating plan....eat throughout the day to not get too hungry and figure out what triggers your binges. Mine is exhaustion/being tired.....so last week, I went to a meeting, not enought sleep, too much alcohol and too much work! By Wednesday I was beyond exhausted and my 3 day binge took off.....I have 4 good days behind me now.....celebrating that and starting a new tomorrow to get these lbs off.....I would really suggestion counceling for anyone who is serious about getting over this serious disorder. It helped me so much and has allowed me to enjoy life instead of being put down by the hateful thoughts that would pass through my mind regarding myself....I am a happier, more optimistic person now.....
  • spotofdirt
    spotofdirt Posts: 9 Member
    I have the exact same issue. I feel like I cannot find a common middle ground. Either I am compulsively exercising or compulsively eating. There is no inbetween. Either I am super healthy or super unhealthy. I have gone down to 150 and up to 300 pounds about 6 times in my life now. I have a fear that I am going to kill myself one day if I keep up this habit. After I get the weight off, I try to keep to go into maintenance mode but food always wins in the end...before I know it, a year or two has passed and I gained 150 pounds...its so depressing. Right now I am back to eating really healthy and exercising as I've ballooned to 270 again...I am so frustrated with myself and just don't know what to do about it. Sometimes I wish I had a drug or alcohol habit...at least they do physically show it as easily...its the worst feeling to see friends every few years and be at drastic levels of the weight spectrum...its humiliating. And whenever I bring it up the issue to people, they tell me i'm silly...that it isn't so serious but I really feel my body can't go through these changes much longer. I know I need to keep fighting though to try to lead a balanced life and hope for the best.
  • lauristewart
    lauristewart Posts: 379 Member
    Edited to add this: add me as a friend, if you want!! (Just include a message in your request.)

    I wrote about this in my blog today, and a couple of posts ago:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/aklitten/view/will-food-ever-be-my-friend-202221
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/aklitten/view/resyncing-my-brain-and-my-body-218109


    I joined this group here on MFP:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/726-binge-eating-support-group

    I should probably re-read some of my books (Geneen Roth is great: _Breaking Free from Compulsive Eating_). It's been a rough few days for me...


    I love Geneen Roth!!! She knows her stuff and really believes in listening to your body, stopping when you are full....eating to only a mild fullness....again, I am not close to that and is why I still log my food....but she is a great resource!
  • Yes, I feel the same as everyone here. Really struggle with binging on a daily basis nowadays. I can't believe it's gotten this bad. I don't remember ever having serious binging tendencies until I started counting calories and becoming more aware of my food intake either, which I find weird. Someone earlier said something along the lines of "Well so and so thinks I'm perfect, so who cares if I don't lose more weight", which is exactly how almost all of my binges start. It's also hard, since a lot of my family can't relate to my binging (even though they're quite over-weight). It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who can eat thousands of calories within an hour or two without ever feeling full.

    I think the binging tendencies are more common than we realize but "normal" people just move on--they don't think about it, restrict (consciously), or compensate. How many times have you and a friend polished off a pizza? or gone to a buffet? (a non dieting friend)...do they count the calories, obsess over how much they ate? probably not. counting calories makes you hyper aware of your intake and it becomes a judgment call when you ate "too much" and that spurs the feelings of being out of control.
  • 2istheperfect1
    2istheperfect1 Posts: 7 Member
    Exactly the same for me too. I lost 40 lbs and put it all back on because of binging. I am fine until I have that first bite of food. Starting over tomorrow.
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
    I've definitely struggled with this throughout my life. Only recently (last 7-8 months) do I feel like I have gotten it under control. Here is what worked for me.

    1. Really truly decided enough was enough. This is easier said than done right?!

    2. Eliminated 90% of my alcohol intake. My binges were often facilitated by drinking.

    3. Only buy good food. If I only buy healthy stuff, I can only eat healthy stuff.

    4. Understand that sometimes I will overeat. When I do, I overeat on fruit and veggies. Much better to take in a huge plate of raw vegetables, fruit etc. Combine this "modified binge" with a liter of water (or more) and I get that same stuffed feeling without the thousands of calories.

    5. Make yourself remember how awful you feel after you binge. Burn that memory of shame and guilt into your mind and call it up when you feel yourself on the edge. Do the same with that great feeling you have when you make the right choices. Learn to call up these memories when your brain starts telling you to binge and use them as fuel for making better choices. Stop letting your mind trick you into short term satisfaction.

    #4 is never a to-do, but more of a harm-mitigation technique. #5 took me a long time to get good at. Your mind can be a very convincing bad influence.

    Re-reading what I wrote above makes me realize that it alot of it can end up sounding like psychology babble, but I don't know any other way to describe what worked for me. Best of luck to everyone who struggles with this everyday... you can overcome it!
  • I have been feeling the same way for a very long time. I just don't know why I work so hard, and then sabotage myself ALL the time. It's been consuming me lately, to the point where I'm ready to talk to a counselor or something about it. I feel like I can't control myself- even though I know what I "should" be doing. I'm glad you brought up this thread- I haven't had the courage to do it myself. Feel free to add me- I need all the support I can get! Good luck everyone! We can get through this! :)

    Amanda
  • lauristewart
    lauristewart Posts: 379 Member
    I've definitely struggled with this throughout my life. Only recently (last 7-8 months) do I feel like I have gotten it under control. Here is what worked for me.

    1. Really truly decided enough was enough. This is easier said than done right?!

    2. Eliminated 90% of my alcohol intake. My binges were often facilitated by drinking.

    3. Only buy good food. If I only buy healthy stuff, I can only eat healthy stuff.

    4. Understand that sometimes I will overeat. When I do, I overeat on fruit and veggies. Much better to take in a huge plate of raw vegetables, fruit etc. Combine this "modified binge" with a liter of water (or more) and I get that same stuffed feeling without the thousands of calories.

    5. Make yourself remember how awful you feel after you binge. Burn that memory of shame and guilt into your mind and call it up when you feel yourself on the edge. Do the same with that great feeling you have when you make the right choices. Learn to call up these memories when your brain starts telling you to binge and use them as fuel for making better choices. Stop letting your mind trick you into short term satisfaction.

    #4 is never a to-do, but more of a harm-mitigation technique. #5 took me a long time to get good at. Your mind can be a very convincing bad influence.

    Re-reading what I wrote above makes me realize that it alot of it can end up sounding like psychology babble, but I don't know any other way to describe what worked for me. Best of luck to everyone who struggles with this everyday... you can overcome it!

    This is SO RIGHT on!!!!! I do most of this myself....stop drinking for a few weeks until I feel it is under control....remember how ad I felt after a binge....buy only good food....I used to leave my house to buy Little Debbie's....can't do that now with a hubby and 2 kids. I wil stare at the pantry and there is nothing to binge on....go to bed! LOL! Learn to be proud of over coming the urge and take it day by day....it gets easier after awhile!
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
    This is SO RIGHT on!!!!! I do most of this myself....stop drinking for a few weeks until I feel it is under control....remember how ad I felt after a binge....buy only good food....I used to leave my house to buy Little Debbie's....can't do that now with a hubby and 2 kids. I wil stare at the pantry and there is nothing to binge on....go to bed! LOL! Learn to be proud of over coming the urge and take it day by day....it gets easier after awhile!

    Thanks and nice work! One of the keys for me was simply learning more about myself... developing all these little tricks was basically just self-discovery.

    None of them work all the time, but together they can be very effective. The more you learn to ignore the little voice that tells you to "drink this" or "eat that", the quieter and quieter it becomes, at least for me.
  • lizzybethclaire
    lizzybethclaire Posts: 849 Member
    I am struggling with this myself. It is really, really hard to stop binge eating. I tend to do it when I know no one else will be home because I feel like I am giving myself a treat. It was to the point where I kept eating even though my stomach hurt. That is what made me step aside and realize that it is wrong.
    for me, night time is the hardest and when I want to binge eat the most. I was thining about joining overeaters anonomys. Anybody else given that any consideration?
    I seem to have an easier time if I eat mini meals. Also, eating something when I walk in the door helps.
  • lizzybethclaire
    lizzybethclaire Posts: 849 Member
    You know what helps too? Realizing what foods make you binge and not eating foods that don't make you feel full. For example, a nice sized piece of pound cake will fill me up. A donut will not. Pop-tarts do not fill me up. Some junky breakfast cereal with almond milk will fill me up. I even started a list on my blog! I will not eat pretzels cause they don't fill me up, but tortilla chips with dip made from greek yogurt does the trick.
  • chelleann777
    chelleann777 Posts: 94 Member
    My binge problem is when I start craving either salt or chocolate (my two weaknesses!). So I don't buy chips because I will eat the entire bag by myself or other stuff that is really easy to eat all of (snackcakes, candy, cookies, chips, etc.)

    Also another problem for me is when I am really having a craving, I will go through everything in the house trying to satisfy it. If I ahve one of these cravings I get out of the kitchen and do something like watch TV, take the dog out, or read a book (my hobbies) and if I am still having a craving after a while then I eat a low calorie, individually bagged version. Sometimes if the salt craving is really bad I will put a little salt in my hand and eat it (Bad right!?), but for me that has helped and keeps me from eating everything in the house trying to fill my void.

    I think it is just finding some tricks that work for you. Try a few different things. Self-control is not something that you can just develop. Lastly, some who never fill full may want to talk to your doctor to see if there is a bigger problem at work.
  • lizzybethclaire
    lizzybethclaire Posts: 849 Member
    I've definitely struggled with this throughout my life. Only recently (last 7-8 months) do I feel like I have gotten it under control. Here is what worked for me.

    1. Really truly decided enough was enough. This is easier said than done right?!

    2. Eliminated 90% of my alcohol intake. My binges were often facilitated by drinking.

    3. Only buy good food. If I only buy healthy stuff, I can only eat healthy stuff.

    4. Understand that sometimes I will overeat. When I do, I overeat on fruit and veggies. Much better to take in a huge plate of raw vegetables, fruit etc. Combine this "modified binge" with a liter of water (or more) and I get that same stuffed feeling without the thousands of calories.

    5. Make yourself remember how awful you feel after you binge. Burn that memory of shame and guilt into your mind and call it up when you feel yourself on the edge. Do the same with that great feeling you have when you make the right choices. Learn to call up these memories when your brain starts telling you to binge and use them as fuel for making better choices. Stop letting your mind trick you into short term satisfaction.

    #4 is never a to-do, but more of a harm-mitigation technique. #5 took me a long time to get good at. Your mind can be a very convincing bad influence.

    Re-reading what I wrote above makes me realize that it alot of it can end up sounding like psychology babble, but I don't know any other way to describe what worked for me. Best of luck to everyone who struggles with this everyday... you can overcome it!

    Thank you so much for the tips! I try not to have junk in the house, but it is hard when you have kids.
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
    Thank you so much for the tips! I try not to have junk in the house, but it is hard when you have kids.

    You are very welcome. My sister and her two children just moved in with me while they sort of out some recent events, so I'm starting to get very familiar with learning to avoid all sorts of new food temptations.

    I try and visualize myself literally stealing food off their dinner plates. This helps motivate me to not eat their snacks! haha :bigsmile: