How do you stop binge eating?

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Sandrea1981
Sandrea1981 Posts: 20 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

I keep doing well most days of the week, but then I have crazy a binge day. I eat over 3000 calories. Its like I have one bad thing, then I go mad cause I think the day is already lost.

It is really frustrating.

Any ideas on how to stop this stupid cycle?

Sandrea

Replies

  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    As somebody who had a binge yesterday, I can tell you my reasons. There are a few reasons.

    Not enough planning: If I dont plan my major meals of the day, I will feel hungry, and at the end of the day binge. I didnt ate much during the day yesterday and ended up paying for it

    You're not eating a balanced diet: Having a balanced diet is good. Sure you can have a protein heavy diet (like I try to do) but dont mean cut out the carbs completely...your body craving for those items is its way of telling you that you need those carbs. While you shouldnt use this as an excuse to grab those donuts...try adding whole wheats and keep the diet balanced

    Stress or other triggers: My last binge before yesterday (which was due to poor planning) was literally from watching a youtube video where the girl reminded me of my ex-gf. Thats a trigger I need to seperate myself from. You will have triggers too. Stress is a big trigger. Important thing to remember is, eating wont solve anything.

    So in short, eat enough during the day, try to stay away from stress, workout a little and keep a balanced diet and you will succeed. Good luck in your journey :)
  • Lolli1986
    Lolli1986 Posts: 500 Member
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    I have always done mad chocolate binges. Only recently I found something that works for me - eat two grapes. I think i'm a bit like pavlov's dog... when the bell rings my mouth waters. There seems to be some physiological reactions that literally happen in my mouth which make it more difficult to sit and ignore it... so i satisfying it by giving it sugar, but it is sugar in a form that I don't wish to gorge on.

    Logging ALL your food on MFP really helps to stop the 'oh well, the day is ruined~' feeling, because you are COUNTING EVERYTHING, so you know the day is not ruined by one 'bad' meal. you know that you can move a bit more, eat a tiny bit less at the next meals and it will balance back out.

    Good luck! Hope this helped a bit.

    EDIT: omg... i thought it said you joined MFP march 2012, lol. have you been counting everything, even on days that you feel are ruined?
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    btw, couple of things that've helped me alot. Eating fruits (I like bananas). Logging the good, the bad and the ugly. When you got logging in your mind always and you make it a habit, you automatically start thinking twice about eating. Another thing that have helped me overall, though not again binging, is that when I have a bad day, instead of just shrugging it off like "oh I had a bad day, oh well" I go outside and workout till I can afford that over eating. Yesterdays overeating meant me working out extra today (since yesterdays binging took place right before I hit the bed)
  • dennydifferent
    dennydifferent Posts: 135 Member
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    You're not eating a balanced diet: Having a balanced diet is good. Sure you can have a protein heavy diet (like I try to do) but dont mean cut out the carbs completely...your body craving for those items is its way of telling you that you need those carbs. While you shouldnt use this as an excuse to grab those donuts...try adding whole wheats and keep the diet balanced

    I found the opposite. When I cut the carbs I craved from my diet, after a few days of strong cravings I found I didn't want them anymore, at all. I can live quite happily without them now and have done for months. That was how I stopped bingeing, by not eating the foods that made me binge. Cravings don't necessarily indicate that you need something- people can crave nicotine or crack. Even sugar- it has no nutritional value whatsoever, it's literally empty calories, yet people can crave it.
  • blueham5
    blueham5 Posts: 67 Member
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    In China, people practice a philosophy of eating to 70% fullness. I think this is helpful especially if bingeing for you is periods of under eating followed by periods of overeating. 70% fullness is a good middle ground and you can use that sensation in your stomach to train yourself to stop.

    Also, eating fruit and putting a lock on the pantry helps.

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