How to stop binge eating?

Perhaps this is your body telling you it needs more food. How do you feel when you binge? extremely hungry? Than up your calories and see if that helps. Continue exercise if your doing that as well.

Try doing 1300 - 1400 calories during the other days and maybe your body won't be requiring you to binge on the fourth day because you will be feeling better and have a lot more calories so your body doesn't feel like it is starving the other three days.

I agree with the above poster that it really sounds like your body is trying to tell you that 1200 calories isn't enough on the days you don't binge. I don't think that this is true binge eating and yes you are gaining because your body needs to level out. Try upping your calories to 1300 and see how you feel on that fourth day and if your still feeling like you need to binge try upping your calories to 1400 and see if you can maintain there.

TheAncientMariner who posted earlier gave some solid advice. I too am a binge eater. I've found that I have some trigger foods that cause me to binge, as well as external factors (stress, for example). Try keeping a journal of what you do that day or how you feel (you could put it in the "notes" section of your MFP journal) for a few weeks and see if you can identify your trigger.

Sounds like perhaps you are a little too strict on yourself. To keep myself from getting out of hand, I usually allow myself one or two small sweets a day (a muffin or pudding cup, a couple of pieces of chocolate, etc). That tends to curb the cravings and keep your blood sugar steadier than a binge. Then once a month, have a bad meal and eat something you would never be able to get away with when tracking calories. Moderation has been really helpful for me, and will work better in the long run as a lifestyle change than being too strict on yourself.

So at 5'6" 137 is still awesome but I can see you are worried about the weight going up. Increase your calories by 100-200 a day so you aren't feeling quite so deprived, eat back your exercise calories and most importantly...remove whatever it is that you are binging on from your house. If it's not there to eat, you can't eat it. Binge on apples or carrots instead. Just try it once and see what happens. Good luck.

I agree with upping your calories more, by a few hundred or so and see how you feel. You might also need to look at *what* you are eating. I changed my macros to do a 50/30/20 for carb/protein/fat and the increased protein has really helped me not to want sweets and carbs *all* the time, although I do allow myself some "treats" throughout, just make sure they fit into my calorie goals. I've also tried swapping treats too, like I love Fiber Plus bars, particularly the coconut/carmel/fudge (they taste like samoas girl scout cookies, only way healthier and there is more), and they are way more satisfying than things like cookies or brownies, and they don't have the same addictive quality (plus, you wouldn't want to overload on fiber supplements lol). I also try to eat fruit for my sweet-tooth as well, bananas, oranges and strawberries work well for me.

I binge a lot at night also.

I think mine was more psycological then anything else I would eat only when I felt lonely or sad. I ended up having to take out all my binge food from the house because its to tempting to have them around me. I would "get that feeling" of wanting to but instead I would get up and go as far away from the kitchen as I could lol. Instead I would maybe clean the house or go for a walk with the dog. Over time that feeling just stopped because I program myself to reconize it as something other then me wanting food!

I "reward" my good behavior once a week with something I dont usually get during the week (a treat) Somehow this trick has worked for me but it took a couple of months for me to stop the cycle.

Hey guys, I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about to stop binge eating? I'm 18 and binge mainly in the evenings on things like bread, muffins etc. I control my calories for up to three or four days not letting more than 1200 calories past my lips and then the evening of the fourth day I just crash. I had lost 18 pounds over three months and was down to a solid 130 pounds at 5ft6 but I've gained back 7lbs! This is getting out of hand, I'd really appreciate any help! Anyone else been through this? #gettingdesperate

*Sounds like you have a sugar sensitivity. find out what triggers that desire to eat eat eat and avoid that food. (for me: if I start my day with ANYTHING sugar my entire day is a feeding frenzy)

*Also, you can up your calories/day since you have little to lose.

*Save more of your calories for the evenings when you know you will want to eat.

*Don't be afraid to eat back your exercise calories so your body isn't starving (it will hold onto stored energy[fat] if it doesn't get what it needs to survive)

*Being 18, you might be getting less whole foods (I know my teens are always into the "quick foods" and simple carbs) Be sure to get your proteins, complex carbs, and good fats....then your body will feel satisfied.

HTH

First thing I suggest, as have others, is EAT MORE. Do you foresee spending the rest of your life eating 1200 calories? If you eat that little, your body is going to rebel and the binge is a result of that.

Also, like myself, it sounds as if you have an intolerance to certain foods. I tend to binge on things containing sugar and/or wheat and crave these things immensely at times.

I just a book called The Harcombe diet, that has a 5 day starting plan for dealing with cravings and intolerances and getting them under control. It is quite strict for the first 5 days, but from what I have read, is pretty successful and does not involve calorie counting, but rather finding out your intolerances and dealing with them so that you wont get the urges to binge and the intense cravings. I am pretty much anti-diet and anti fad diet, but the book actually seems pretty sensible and the author has herself suffered with eating disorders, including binge eating so she has been there herself.

For me, I simply don't buy the foods I might binge on. If I want something, I get one or a small portion in, or I have something when out. I have found eating a good portion of 0% greek yoghurt with pb2 and some seeds mixed in to be a good binge beater, especially if I have a piece of fruit later on as well. If I feel a craving, I go and eat that, or some cottage cheese or fish. Anything is better than ending up stuffing down a pile of high sugar or salt foods and feeling like crap for the next few days.

I eat around 1800 calories a day base, and more if I workout. I am maintaining pretty much, (unless I have a binge day).
I do not do the cheat day as to me that is counter productive and encourages binge eating further in those who are prone to it. The idea is nice, but for someone who binge eats, it is likely to be disastrous imo. I prefer to just have a small treat most days, if I want it and fit it into my goal.

In the end, you have to find the root cause of your binge issues, whether it be emotional, or because you are not eating enough, and deal with it. I personally have struggled with both and it sounds as if you are as well. If you feel the urge to binge coming on, try and take a moment to pause and analyse how you are feeling, and whether you are hungry or not. If not hungry, you need to work out what emotion is causing the urge and deal with it in a healthier way, such as having a nice hot bath, going for a walk, writing a journal, engaging in a hobby that uses your hands (like cross stitch or drawing).

The foods you binge on are wheat based, so it is possible you have a wheat intolerance. Try cutting wheat out for a while and see what happens. Lots of options for dealing with this, I have the same problem and binges make my life a misery at times.

Feel free to add me if you like, I am good at offering support.
Same to anyone else in this thread who has issues with binge eating or EDs in general.