Binge Eating , Please Help Me

Options
Dahllywood
Dahllywood Posts: 642 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey all,

I joined MFP about 10 days ago, and overall I have been pretty good about my diet. Quick background, I have already reached my goal and I'm just trying to keep the weight off and maybe add a few lbs in muscle mass.

Now the difficult part. The past few months I have been continually binge eating 1-2 days out of the week (usually the weekends). Since I've started MFP I have been recording these binges. They are not just little meals every now and then, they are all out slaughters on my weekly progress. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I suddenly get the urge to start eating and before I know it I can't stop. It doesn't help that a lot of my eating comes from social events, snacking, and late night munchies and drinking.

It's especially hard for me right now because I am on spring break and I'm with a bunch of my friends who are drinking and snacking non-stop, and I don't want to feel left out and not have fun with them. But still, bottom line, I don't know how to stop or how to fix it. if anyone can give me advice I would be appreciative. Thank you.
«1

Replies

  • munchkinhugs
    munchkinhugs Posts: 278 Member
    Options
    You reached your goal in ten days... :noway:
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
    Options
    On every day I looked at before today, your net has been extremely low. That's not a good thing. I find that when I net too low, I seem to have a day where I just lose control because my body needs fuel that it hadn't been getting. Try eating more on the average day rather than waiting for your body to feel the need to take everything it can get.
  • Birder150
    Birder150 Posts: 677 Member
    Options
    I increased my calorie allowance and have not binged since doing so.
    I come from the 'eat less to lose more' school and it was difficult for me to grasp the concept of 'eat more to lose more'.

    I now realize that all the bingeing I've done over the decades was not a result of weakness but the result of not eating enough food to begin with.

    Go to the tools section and figure out what your BMR is and don't eat less than that. Eat back your exercise calories.

    For my age and height and weight, my BMR is 1798 calories.

    Be well and don't fret about eating more than you are each day. Your body needs the fuel.
    You may find like I did that your bingeing will stop or decrease significantly.

    Be well.
  • Dahllywood
    Dahllywood Posts: 642 Member
    Options
    You reached your goal in ten days... :noway:

    No you misunderstand, I had already reached my goal before joining MFP. Now I'm just trying to keep it off. Trust me it didn't take 10 days :P, actually a little over a year.
  • Dahllywood
    Dahllywood Posts: 642 Member
    Options
    Thank you for the input so far. With the "eat more" advice, I understand where you are coming from, but when I eat I feel so full already. I make massive sandwiches for lunch (my friends make fun of me haha) and huge meals for dinner, and I don't feel hungry at all during the week. The only time I really feel these junk food hunger urges is during the weekends or when I go out with friends.
  • drmattski
    drmattski Posts: 124 Member
    Options
    Ditto what others have said - you don't want to go into starvation mode. Your body will crave all sorts of junk and you won't know when you are full becasue your body wants you to eat becasue it is tasty (this "reward mechanism" is built into our brains so that we survive a sa species ...not too much of a problem these days LOL)

    I have found two main reasons for my past binge eating:
    1) Mindless eating because it tastes good
    2) Starvation (intended or otherwise) leading to ovecrompensation eating

    I find that eating enough protein and fat (not too much and preferably unsaturated) CONSISTENTLY throughout the day helps keep me off the binge wagon. I have tried the "eat fruit and veggies" type diets before and always wound up pigging out because I was never satisfied. My new way of eating (not a diet) allows for chocolate and almonds, so I don't feel deprived at all. It is called "eating right" and I am trying to make it alife-long habit :bigsmile:

    Best of Luck,
    Matt
  • danmoffett
    danmoffett Posts: 110
    Options
    The best help I can give and the best you'll get is to read the book called "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis. This book will change your life. Read "Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It" by Gary Taubes.

    I've lost 155 pounds in the past 24 months. No cravings at all. I can miss meals and not notice.

    Read my blog for my story.

    http://danmoffett.blogspot.com/

    I have nothing to sell, you won't find any ads on the blog, just FREEDOM.
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
    Options
    What time of day/night do you start to binge? I have learned that for me- if I don't plan filling food and carbs in the evening- I will binge and once I start I won't stop till I'm so full I feel sick. So I plan my calories so that the bulk is in the evening (goes against conventional advice but works for me). I have also come to realize that depriving myself of things I want leads to binges as well- so if I really want something I either have a big bite or find a way to work in a healthy version into my cals (IE: I <3 ice cream and LOTS of it so I starting making my own Greek fro-yo every night and eat 2-3 cups at a time!).
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    Options
    If you undereat most of the week, it will trigger binges. If you cut out the binges and spread a thousand or so extra calories out over the week instead, you may be less inclined to have said binges. I have problems with binging too and it's usually when I try to keep my calories too low. I upped my calories by a few hundred a day and still come out less in my weekly total than when I'd have a bad binge day.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Options
    You are binge eating because you are starving yourself. You are not eating nearly enough. I honestly do not mean to insult you but I suggest you get some professional help, it looks to me like you have an eating disorder.
  • Dahllywood
    Dahllywood Posts: 642 Member
    Options
    I can understand where everyone is coming from, that I don't eat enough during the week. But I am literally stuffing myself already, I don't see how I can eat more. I eat tons of protein and fiber, especially during dinners. I am eating meats and chicken and tons of fish, and loads of produce. How can I not be getting enough nutrients?
  • karmaticgeek
    karmaticgeek Posts: 108
    Options
    Are you drinking when out with your friends by any chance? That's always the death knell for my diet.
  • bethanylaugh
    bethanylaugh Posts: 237
    Options
    I use my long-term health a lot for motivation against binge eating - it can cause insulin problems, and fatty liver disease. It's okay to have a day where you go over your normal calories, but if you're eating 2-3x a healthy diet on a somewhat regular basis (especially if it includes alcohol and fatty foods), your liver won't last long without retaliation!
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Options
    i agree with what everyone else said. your body is probably craving things and you are binging because overall you are not eating enough. don't stuff yourself, but eat more calorie dense foods. like nuts, greek yogurt, peanut butter (natural kind)... those things won't make you feel full but will give you more calories and i think you'll see your binges lessen.
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
    Options
    I can understand where everyone is coming from, that I don't eat enough during the week. But I am literally stuffing myself already, I don't see how I can eat more. I eat tons of protein and fiber, especially during dinners. I am eating meats and chicken and tons of fish, and loads of produce. How can I not be getting enough nutrients?

    Because a male should NET no less than 1500 cals/day. NET means the amount of cals you eat minus the amount you burn. Some days you eat 1200-1300 and burn 800. You are only allowing (NETTING) 400-500 cals/day. That is starving your body. Try eating more calorie dense foods, as opposed to diet, or light items.
  • LordBezoar
    LordBezoar Posts: 625 Member
    Options
    I hate to call shennanigans on the whole "I'm stuffing myself every day" line, but 1200 calories for a person like you is far too few. On top of that, it isn't always how much you are eating (by volume), but maybe what you are eating. Also, you only logged 600 Calories yesterday. Is that really all you ate?

    The other thing that has helped DW & I was that we went through our cupboards/pantry/fridge/freezer and got rid of everything--EVERYTHING--that could derail us. Since then, we have kept those items out of the grocery shopping.
  • jac2lyn
    jac2lyn Posts: 90
    Options
    I have had the same problem and know exactly what you mean. I do not think it has anything to do with how much you eat during the week. You go out on weekends with friends and drink, therefore you eat (munchy food) and then you cannot stop because your body will begin to crave this. Basically this is all about self control. At first this is really hard to keep under control. I have pretty much stopped binging but still have my moments. To help I have also decided to incorporate something not good for me or something sweet into my daily eating. I binge on sweets or things like cheese fries and nachos so I incorporate healthy versions of foods i love into my diet. Example, I have a 3 musketeers bar in my freezer for me to eat tonight when I watch my shows. Its little things that I allow all week to avoid the binges on the weekend. I still might eat munchy food when I go out but its not as bad and I dont continue to crave it and over eat.
    Good luck!
  • TanyaCurtis
    TanyaCurtis Posts: 630
    Options
    Oh man.... That's exactly what I have been doing every weekend! Sabotaging my whole week! What a horrible feeling! I binged so bad on Sat and Sun, I just feel like crap today! But, i'm gonna keep doing my workouts, which help my moods abit. And hopefully next weekend I can quit this stupid routine i'm caught in! I know just how u feel! It's so depressing, and summers just about here! Hopefully u can find some good advice, causes I need it too..... blah


    Oh, and all week I have a hard time keeping my calories below 1500. It's usually 1700-2500! So I dunno what my problem is!?
  • bethanylaugh
    bethanylaugh Posts: 237
    Options
    I can understand where everyone is coming from, that I don't eat enough during the week. But I am literally stuffing myself already, I don't see how I can eat more. I eat tons of protein and fiber, especially during dinners. I am eating meats and chicken and tons of fish, and loads of produce. How can I not be getting enough nutrients?

    You probably are... take a multivitamin and other than that your diet looks fine. Sometimes we just like to binge! Good for you for tracking it, but it might just come down to discipline and maturity! It sounds like you're in college... that is a super tough time to diet, especially when your friends have metabolisms that can burn what seems like 10,000 calories a day. When I was in college I always did way better during the summers off.

    Be prepared when you know you'll be around your friends... bring lentil chips, hummus, vegetables - things you can snack on alongside them. And eat the things they're eating in smaller amounts.

    Honestly, I wouldn't worry that there's anything wrong... lots of us on MFP like eating and treating ourselves, it's how we ended up on MFP!!
  • Douggggggmuprhy
    Douggggggmuprhy Posts: 3
    Options
    stop it

Categories