Binge eatting stunting my progress

There are no magic cures it takes some tough will power and the want to get healthy has to be greater than the want to eat junk.

I wish I had words of wisdom. I too have tried gum and find I can chew through 2 packs a day. It is mind boggling. This has only gotten worse since I went full time at my part time job as a Nurse aid. Where it seems all we do is walk back and forth stuffing our faces. I have gained over 40 lbs in 3 months of starting here full time. Crazy and depressing. I have started or stopped bring food with me. I only bring lunch for myself now which has helped slow my size increase but I still tend to gorge now and again. My friend always tells me a day at a time. So A Day At A Time, My friend!

I found this article to be helpful...
p.s. Good luck to you--I know how difficult it is!

Binge eating is the most common overeating mechanism. Binge eating is simply eating too much food. Often people binge eat to deal with stress, fear, anger or other tough emotions. A common binge eating episode is eating a whole tub of ice-cream at the end of a stressful day. Another common binge eating episode is dieting and crashing. This was my biggest problem when it came to weight loss. I would diet extremely, eating too little, and I’d be able to keep it up for a few days. However on the 6th or 7th day I would crash, and binge eat – basically eating all the fatty sugary foods I’ve been avoiding.

Binge eating is something I personally dealt with for years. Which is why I wanted to give you 7 tips to stop binge eating, or avoid binge eating in the first place.

1. Do NOT diet.

Dieting doesn’t work. I’ve tried all the diets. I would be able to keep a diet up for a few days. But then I would have a day where I would crash, and binge eat. Rather than trying to diet to lose weight, try to slowly improve your eating habits. Instead of eating 5 junk foods a day, try eating 4 for the next 7 days. Once you have done that successfully then trying eating 3 junk foods for the next 7 days etc.

2. Eat fatty or sugary foods in controlled moderation.

Do not deprive yourself of foods you crave. Otherwise you will keep increasing your craving for that food. One day you will crash and binge on that food. Eat fatty and sugary foods you craved in controlled moderation. Control the portion size. It’s not a good idea to order a whole large pizza for yourself if you only plan on eating 2 slices. Rather it’s better to order a personal sized pizza.

3. Understand that weight loss is HARD.

Commercials for weight loss products make weight loss look so easy. It’s NOT. Loosing weight and keeping it off is one of the toughest goals one can achieve. However you can achieve it slowly over time. Trying to lose weight too quickly by eating very little or exercising for extremely long sessions will not work. It will lead you to crashing and binge eating.

4. Forgive yourself.

There will be days where you are too week to say no, and will binge eat. It’s ok, forgive yourself. Don’t let the feelings of guild creep in. Don’t try to be a perfectionist. You are NOT perfect. Rather forgive yourself, and move on. If you let feelings of guilt and disappointment creep in, you probably will feel overwhelmed, give up, and binge eat some more.

5. Tell a friend.

Tell a trusted close friend of family member about your binge eating or overeating habits. More often than not they will be very supportive. They will even ask you what they can do to help. Request that they ask you every now and then about your progress with improving your eating habits. This will help you stay accountable with your commitment to stop binge eating.

6. Read up on how to stop binge eating.

If you can’t stop binge eating, and this is a very serious problem for you then make a commitment to get it handled. Read everything you can find about the subject. You can start by reading many of the tips articles I have on my website How To Stop Eating.

7. Team up with others who are trying to stop binge eating.

Check out the Food Addiction online support group. It is free to join and will keep you motivated. Also subscribe to my FREE tips newsletter.

Andrew Bolis writes on the subject of binge eating at HowToStopEating.com. You can also check out his YouTube videos on how to stop binge eating.

I can relate and am struggling with this myself. I don't have the answers but am trying to keep myself in line. Food is what I have turned to when I am stressed or darn it I just like the taste of something and I can't stop. I am trying to pinpoint what triggers me to binge eat and perhaps choose healthier foods than before if I do eat a lot of something. I am drinking more water and going to bed earlier, still a struggle. I have found that I often mistake being tired for hunger because as a mom I push myself further to keep going often choosing unhealthy foods to keep myself going and awake.

I find when I'm in the "binging" mode, it's definitely because of something emotional going on with me... maybe not even something I can identify, but binging only makes it worse. And then downward spiral and cycle of binging, feeling bad about it, and binging because you feel bad about it continues.

The key is stopping the cycle. Getting out of the emotional rut is the start of it, whatever that may be for you. I feel if I conquer my need to binge for one meal, the pride I have over taking control over that one binge helps to get out of the cycle.

Also, make sure eating healthy meals, free of sugar, helps a lot!!! If I'm heating healthy balanced meals, without junk, my cravings for junk really goes away.

Last.. EXERCISE!!! Get outside and take a walk.. a heart pumping, sweaty hot smelly walk! You feel so good afterward that you really wonder why you got stuck in the rut to begin with.

Good luck! And happy walking!

I am terribly overanalytical, so take this advice or leave it. What helped me get out of that habit was to keep a journal. Every time it happens, write down how you were feeling beforehand, even if it doesn't seem relevant, what you binged on, thoughts on what may have caused the binge, etc. Also, take a look at this tool's handy feature that lets you look at your vitamin, carb, protein, etc. intake. Sometimes binges are brought on by a lack of certain nutrients. I'm somewhat anemic, so I occasionally crave a huge, juicey burger, even though I'm mostly vegetarian. If you're binging on mostly sweets and fatty foods though, it may be just a refined sugar addiction. Our bodies get hooked on that stuff! Quit it like any drug... Whatever works! Wean off, go cold turkey for a while, see if out helps stop the cravings. At any rate, good luck with this issue and with your goals!

Thanks everyone. @paige, I never deprive myself in the sense that I completely cut out foods. If I want a coke I have one. When I binge it is on whatever is there. Its like pure insanity that comes over me and 'i just have to eat EVERYTHI|NG in site. Sandwiches, pasta, everything. And I will take the time to make it. Thats ther big thing as its not like fast food or junk.... its anything i can get my hands on.

Eat whatever you want to eat for 6 days aslong as it's under your goal & then go over on a saturday, that's what I do & it works.
You don't have to deprive yourself.