Food Addiction/ Overeating and Bingeing?
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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.0
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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!0 -
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!
Amanda0 -
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!0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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:0 -
I joined this group here on MFP:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/726-binge-eating-support-group
Great group.0 -
I joined this site today after downing 1000 calories in one go. I seem to be constantly hungry for some reason. I come back from studying all day long and all I want to do is eat.0
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I have been hospitalized several times for my ED. Initially it was anorexia, and as I aged, I became bulimic. I have not binged in the almost two weeks since I joined MFP. It is definitely a mind over matter thing. I don't know how long this will last, but I'm happily riding the train as far as it will take me. Some people say they are bingers - in my mind you do not qualify as a binger unless you consume 1000's of calories within a 30 minute time frame. It is frenzied eating, panicked eating, blocking out the rest of the world eating. The intensity of the focus is scary. I believe MFP has helped me along, as no food group is prohibited.0
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If you really do feel as if you are never full, visit your doctor.0
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i can relate to this. i have struggeled with eating disorders since i was 6 years old. however what i call a binge is obviously very differnt to what you would all call a binge. i count 3 rice cakes maybe a slice of bread and a slice of cheese a binge, and get full of extreeem guilt and sickness. i know that my binges dont even cost me 200 calories, but my point is its all a pscy thing really. and there are varying degrees, and i think that over eating is just as serious as under eating and people should see its not always greed (im not saying anyone on this feed has) .............. well my comment makes 0 sense ahah as normal!!!!0
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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!!!
Thanks! I'm going to get this tonight on my Nook!0 -
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!
It's not the food that's addicting. Its the sugar and the carbs (and yes even the whole grains). I believe that alcoholism is actually a severe carbohydrate addiction. What happens when those people stop drinking? They develop a "sweet tooth". (Carbs travel the same brain pathways as opiate drugs and grains contain "exorphins" which are morphine-like compounds).
The feeling of fullness is just a signal your brain gets from leptin. Leptin is released from your adipose tissue. Eating carbohydrates do not make your fat tissue release the leptin. So you will eat and eat and eat the carbs and not feel full (I would eat until my stomach was bloated up and painful - and would still want to keep eating).
But this is just my beliefs (from my last year and a half of reading and research). Not everyone believes this.
I'm actually a fat-burner now. My body wants nothing to do with carbs (all non-fiber carbs convert to glucose - except fructose which goes straight to the liver and is converted to fat).
And a lot of the weight from those binges is water weight. Carbs also cause the body to retain sodium and to balance that out it will retain water.0 -
Can definitly relate. Add me too for support. I struggle everyday as well, some times worse then others but Im gaining more control.0
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hpsnickers, Excellent post. I believe this is true, as well.0
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I TOTALLY used to do this too. It was beyond self-control.
I found myself mostly cured when I went on a low-glycemic diet. It stopped the insulin spikes that threw my appetite out of control. I use the Paleo diet now, which is high-protein and low-glycemic. I think it is worth a try for anyone with carb addiction.
Food impulses are neurologically and hormonally influenced, it is not all a matter of willpower.0
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