Binge Eating , Please Help Me
Dahllywood
Posts: 642 Member
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.
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.
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Replies
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You reached your goal in ten days... :noway:0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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,
Matt0 -
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.0 -
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
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!). 0 -
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.0
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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.0
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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?0
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Are you drinking when out with your friends by any chance? That's always the death knell for my diet.0
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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!0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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!0 -
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!?0 -
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!!0 -
stop it0
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It's really hard to know what to say to help. Binging is a type of disordered eating pattern and I suffered from it for a long time. I can't pin point precisely how I broke the cycle but it has a lot to do with the anxiety disorder I had and how I dealt with it first.
I also wanted to comment that your replies don't quite make sense to me. You say you're "stuffing" yourself during the week (though you only net 1,000 calories on average) but then you binge on the weekends at excess of 4,000 + calories???
It might appear as though you're eating enough during the week, but I'm going to take a wild guess that you are confused about eating back your exercise calories (which you should do). For the average person this is how it works: you consume 1200 calories because that's what MFP says to do (it's already factored in your deficit, because your TDEE is really 1700, so it subtracts 500 cals per day to help you lose 1 lb a week). Then you go to the gym and burn 400 calories. You still eat your 1200 for the day without realizing that you've now just created an additional deficit with your exercise, so in reality you only net 800, which is way too low for your body's needs. To compensate (unaware to your conscious self) you binge on the weekend to give your body back what it so desperately wants....FOOD and nutrients!0 -
Rather than having a "massive" sandwich for lunch that you're having a hard time finishing, or a huge dinner, take a supply of snacks with you. Today I had a couple of kiwi fruit, a small (1.5oz) bag of nuts, and this afternoon I'll have a couple of wedges of Laughing Cow cheese with Rye Krisp,. Which means when lunch or dinner arrives, I'm only mildly hungry. Sometimes I'll have part of an avocado as a snack, or some peanut butter with my Rye Krisp, or Laughing Cow with some celery sticks. It's the fat that makes the difference for me ... low fat means low satisfaction (both hunger and mouth feel), and I'm more tempted to "cheat". Having a couple of huge meals just doesn't work for me.0
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Sounds like your binge eating is more psychological than it is based on your nutritional needs per say (especially if you are eating "huge sandwiches" and "not feeling hungry during the week"). My recommendation would be to see a couselor, or join an eating disorders group. Perhaps this will help you to identify the source of your urge/compulsion.0
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Sometimes binging is purely emotional/social and have nothing to do with nutrician or lack thereof. I have Binge eating disorder so when I am presented with foods (like out with friends) or I have an emotional day, all I want to do is eat. I stuff my face. The faster the better. To help overcome this I have found a few techniques that help. When i get the urge I try chewing gum. Or I workout. (Working out makes me not hungry anymore and helps me forget about food). I also look at pics. I look at the success stories and the progress people have made. Or I look at the pics of my own progress and tell myself I DON'T want to go back to that. Sometimes I just go to bed to get away from food. Yes, I have gone to bed at 8:30 before just for this reason. When out with friends, I just drink lots of water. I try not to give into the one bite temptation. Cuz I know I wont stop at one bite. I will eat and eat and eat. Thats not to say I don't slip. You can read my food diary or blog and know there have been occasions I have eaten a whole pizza. But then I just brush myself off and vow to try harder next time. I have even cought myself mid-binge and spit out the food I was eating. (Dont read, thow up. I have never purged in my life which is why I am fat
Anyway, you just have to find what works for you to get past it.
Lastly, I bought this book and it was a great read and really helped me think about things. Worth a try.
http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Light-Moon-Relationship-Storytelling/dp/0936077360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331575788&sr=8-10 -
My thought is what is your WEEKLY caloric intake supposed to be?
Now, what are you eating WEEKLY PLUS BURNING in exercise? I suspect part of it is that your NET calories at the end of the week are way low. That is basically what everyone is saying.0 -
I'm going to have to agree with everyone else, you need to eat more. If you want to build good healthy muscels you need a balanced diet. Also, some advice on the eating out and late night snacking. If I'm going out with friends, i always check the menu of the place a ahead of time and pick something healthy to eat. I then go ahead and record that into my journal and use that to remind myself to only eat that. If they pick somewhere that doesn't have healthy option I eat before I go and then maybe share an appetizer with th group or just enjoy good conversation. The second one works for parties as well. As for the late night eating, I find it helps to leave some extra calories for a bowl of cereal or some fruit. I KNOW that I always get hungry late at night, so I plan ahead for this. Good luck!0
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Hello. My name is Susan and I feel your pain. My sisters and nieces and I are notorious snackers and especially when you are in social setting the binge eating can be really bad. I had to tell my sister what all of the binge eating was doing to me. It's ok to hang out once in a while, but if you can help it try not to put yourself in these situations are try and remove yourself also. When going out try finding the smallest plate and use that so you don't have much room to put so much stuff on. Hope that helps.0
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Thank you everyone for the advice/support/constructive criticisms
. I had another binge last night, though not as serious as the other night. This week is tough on me since I am on spring break with a bunch of my friends, which includes almost daily drinking. I lose a lot of self control when I drink and being surrounded by foods that I don't usually eat doesn't help.
But I have taken what many of you have said to heart. I need to change my diet. Once I get back from spring break I plan to do a few things:
1. start incorporating more substance into my diet (possibly more carbs and/or treats). When I binge, I am constnatly eating either carbs or sweets, so I need to not restrict myself so much.
2. I might go see a counselor for my binge eating once I get back on campus. The first few appointments are free, and I feel that (as someone mentioned) my binge eating may be partly psychological.
Thank you again for the responses and feel free to friend/message me or continue this thread. I appreciate the support.0 -
Thank you everyone for the advice/support/constructive criticisms . I had another binge last night, though not as serious as the other night. This week is tough on me since I am on spring break with a bunch of my friends, which includes almost daily drinking. I lose a lot of self control when I drink and being surrounded by foods that I don't usually eat doesn't help.
But I have taken what many of you have said to heart. I need to change my diet. Once I get back from spring break I plan to do a few things:
1. start incorporating more substance into my diet (possibly more carbs and/or treats). When I binge, I am constnatly eating either carbs or sweets, so I need to not restrict myself so much.
2. I might go see a counselor for my binge eating once I get back on campus. The first few appointments are free, and I feel that (as someone mentioned) my binge eating may be partly psychological.
Thank you again for the responses and feel free to friend/message me or continue this thread. I appreciate the support.
great ideas! also i agree that sometimes it is emotional. even though i said eating more will help, i thoroughly recognize that it can be emotional. i do this too! good luck with figuring out the answer for you.0 -
Thank you everyone for the advice/support/constructive criticisms . I had another binge last night, though not as serious as the other night. This week is tough on me since I am on spring break with a bunch of my friends, which includes almost daily drinking. I lose a lot of self control when I drink and being surrounded by foods that I don't usually eat doesn't help.
But I have taken what many of you have said to heart. I need to change my diet. Once I get back from spring break I plan to do a few things:
1. start incorporating more substance into my diet (possibly more carbs and/or treats). When I binge, I am constnatly eating either carbs or sweets, so I need to not restrict myself so much.
2. I might go see a counselor for my binge eating once I get back on campus. The first few appointments are free, and I feel that (as someone mentioned) my binge eating may be partly psychological.
Thank you again for the responses and feel free to friend/message me or continue this thread. I appreciate the support.
Love number 2. The whole starving yourself then binging most likely is psychological. I know that guys that I know that suffer from this type of behavior have either been bullied or had some other environmental issues that have caused this. This is your life we are talking here. I know there are limits that college students have as far as money goes but many insurance policies will cover children in college until age 25. The theory we can not afford something to make us healthy is not accurate, as I will take health over wealth any day, because when the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.
You really really need to eat at the minimum between 2000 and 2500 calories per day. If you cant eat them, drink them in protein shakes. You are not going to get fat, trust me, you will however, see a major increase in muscle mass.
We should not fear food, we should enjoy it!0
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