A question for all you BINGE eaters

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  • AnneGwish
    AnneGwish Posts: 1
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    >What is your reason, or cause of binging ?
    Bulimia nervosa.
    I restrict my calorie intake a lot, it's either that or binging, no middle point.
    There are certain foods I look at and I know that if I have a bite, I won't stop. Then I can't stop thinking or being around that food, very very tempting. It's not that hard to avoid the first bite, but if I do have it, I let go of my sanity and just binge non-stop for as long as it lasts. Usually two days. My longest one yet has been two weeks.
    >How often does it occur?
    Usually on weekends.
    >How many calories over are you?
    My binges are usually around 4000 kcal, even thought I have reached 6000, and I consider anything over 1000 a binge.
  • theoriginaljayne
    theoriginaljayne Posts: 562 Member
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    I think I first binged in October; I quickly got sucked into a starve/binge cycle. Kicked the starving, couldn't kick the bingeing.

    Reason: All-or-nothing mindset. If I slip and eat just a little more than I expected, I'll eat everything. Also, if I begin snacking mindlessly (an apple here, a rice cake there), then it can quickly snowball into a binge (four slices of bread, Nutella, another handful of nuts, two muffins...)
    Frequency: Completely unpredictable. Sometimes there's only a day in between binges; sometimes there's a month.
    Calories: Whenever I binge, my daily calories typically range from 2000-3500.
  • hayley1973
    hayley1973 Posts: 12 Member
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    Hi everyone...great to read all the posts and compare...we are all so alike! I have been a binge eater since I was 13 and Im now 38!!!!!!! I have never been "over weight" just uncomfortable in my own skin I guess! The smaller you get, the more you like it, the more you think thats the right size etc and when you gain back weight you just feel rubbish! 2 years ago I went seriously underweight due to calorie controlled healthy eating and obsessive walking, ok I was way too skinny but in my head I thought it was amazin! I messed my body up completely and its never been right since! I have gained back the weight and currently 116lbs and I am 5ft 4...yes...a perfect weight I guess but I am SO not happy with how I look/feel! SO...getting back to the "Binge Monster" ... it just takes over and ruins "everything" for me!

    I seem to have been havin these binge moments about once a week lately, its not horrendous but I do so well, lose 1 lb...then gain 2! Ok its probably water/sodium etc but it just makes me feel rubbish! I can honestly say I never binge because Im sad, fed up, depressed or any of those reasons...Id say its mainly cravings and I just love sweet things! I know everyone will say "its because you deprive yourself that you binge" ok...true...BUT I cant have just ONE litle treat a day to stop restricting it as I CANNOT be trusted!!!! ONE bite leads to a total binge EVERYTIME!!!!!!!!!

    I try to eat around 1400 cals a day when Im controlled and healthy but when a binge sets in I can do anything that brings my total daily intake including my healthy food to anything from 3000-5000 its just disgusting! At the time its just "not a problem" I feel I "wont regret it at all" BUT come the morning Im like "OMG why why why did I do that!!!!!!!!" If I could just go to sleep at 10pm, have my last meal around 7pm...Id be just fine! BUT on certain eves I just dont feel tired, I tend to think "how will I sleep, Im not even a little bit tired" thats when I can tend to snack and get out of control! Please invent a tablet that makes you go instantly to sleep at 10pm lol!

    The main things I binge on EVERYTIME are chocolate and sweets...I grab healthy snacks first as I put off the rubbish food but then I just eat it all anyway...such a waste of all my hard work!

    As for the after effect...it ruins everything! I feel awful, cancel dates, cancel events that Ive lined up, my clothes feels awful as everything I wear is tight fitting, I then go on a healthy blitz for about 6 days and then...the monster is back! The cravings can be SO intense...I think to myself "just that ONE treat" but I know that it WILL lead to more...ohhh its SO hard!

    I am joining up at the gym tomorrow and Im hoping this will help me...good eating, good exercise and hopefully the binges will lessen...I truly doubt I will ever rid of them forever! Well today is day 5 of healthy eating, Im eating around 1200-1500 a day with light exercise and will adjust it when I start working out tomorrow!

    The one thing that has confused me though is this sodium water retention! Last night I had a small pot of low fat cottage cheese and some real low fat healthy worcestor sauce crisps I actually classed those 2 items as a healthy binge as I was not hungry, just wanted to eat! BUT I just have it in my head that anything with lots of flavourings/spices/sodium like these 2 foods etc retains water on me...beleive it or not I feel I ruined yesterday because of it! any advice appreciated ;) a very long post I guess but just had to put it all down lol...its good to compare ;) H x
  • kym117
    kym117 Posts: 315 Member
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    I am very much an all or nothing girl, I tend to look for chocolate or ice cream when I am stressed, and although I have not been on my best MFP behaviour latley I have sort of came to a solution for me. If I have milk chocolate eg a galaxy bar it is sooo sweet all I want is more I could not have just a little I would have to have it all, which on a chocolate bar doesn't sound much but on a box of chocolates!! :noway: My way round this is now if I want chocolate is to have a little Milkybar or similar at 69 calories, I find white chocolate too sweet so a little bar is enough to give me a fix but anymore I would feel sick. Same with Dark chocolate I can pace myself with a bournville as I can not eat a lot of it either. My ben & jerry's is swapped for weight watchers belgian eclairs, totally indulgent yet only 80 cals! Carte dor light Vanilla 80 cals for 2 scoops.
    As for the other questions
    How often? A little less now I have subsitutes perhaps once every 2/3 weeks from every 2 days.
    How much over? Can vary on a very bad day I have binged by around 1000 calories over my limit, but more often than not what I think is a great binge is only maybe 200 cals or so over my allowance but I guess that's because I have being doing this so long now.
  • stephen_jones
    stephen_jones Posts: 13
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    the only tool that is required when seriously dieting is decision making,before now i have been in the cookie jar,sat down with the cookie,then put it back.decisions is key,more effective than anything
  • DebinAZ
    DebinAZ Posts: 30
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    OK, I've been researching. This article lists symptoms, signs, effects, and causes. I think this may be one of my causes: "Children who are exposed to frequent critical comments about their bodies and weight are also vulnerable, as are those who have been sexually abused in childhood."

    I began binge eating in my teen years. I am pretty sure it was around the time I was raped, although things are a bit fuzzy during that time. I felt pretty worthless and useless. I have gone through counseling but we didn't talk about an eating disorder. Perhaps we weren't aware of the problems/effects then.

    If this is the reason for my binging, then my rapist affected me a lot more than I gave him credit for.

    Going to do some more research on this.

    Oh - here's the article I was referring to - http://www.helpguide.org/mental/binge_eating_disorder.htm

    Here's an interesting article from Mayo Clinic that talks about home remedies and alternative medicine - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/binge-eating-disorder/DS00608

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