binge eating anyone?!

2

Replies

  • sportybrewerschick
    sportybrewerschick Posts: 170 Member
    wow! thanks i have to try that!
  • iqnas
    iqnas Posts: 445 Member
    Ugh...I have such a problem with us! What helps is not buying all the yummy junk food I like, so if there's nothing in the house that's appealing, I don't eat.
  • CrystalFlury
    CrystalFlury Posts: 400 Member
    Hah, yeah I have the need to binge on sweets--still. I thought the habit would have dissolved by now after hitting my goal but nope! I moved my calories up to maintenance and realized when I was given more leeway I took advantage--in a bad way. I moved it down to lose 1/2 lb. a week just so I have a stricter calorie budget. I think it's just going to take time and making it a conscious effort to not have the "good" stuff around the house.
  • judy20in2011
    judy20in2011 Posts: 143 Member
    Yup, I definitely go through this! I try to keep a dessert flavored gum on hand, like the Extra Apple Pie one, and that really seems to help me. It's very sweet and keeps my mouth busy!
  • MD1978
    MD1978 Posts: 477 Member
    Ugh...I have such a problem with us! What helps is not buying all the yummy junk food I like, so if there's nothing in the house that's appealing, I don't eat.

    ^This. I've spent lots of time scouring the pantry hoping to find a pack of cookies or chocolate hiding in there...I figure I burn enough calories rearanging the pantry that if I actually find something....it's mine :wink:
  • kreuzen
    kreuzen Posts: 188 Member
    Never feel pitiful. Remember, you are going to the gym. If you did, you know you did and are doing something to combat it then YAY! :D

    Good for you going to the gym.
  • melinda200208
    melinda200208 Posts: 525 Member
    I did good all day yesterday. My fiance was out with the guys at the movies. I ended up binging. I made noodles and topped it with cheddar cheese. I quickly scarfed it down. After I ate it, I felt awful. I then tried to get rid of it. I dont do this often, so I dont feel it is a problem but, I know this isn't healthy. Somehow, I need to get rid of the ocassional "binge" craving. Its only seldom when I am home by myself. But, I get angry at myself for doing this :(

    There are other times I binge with dill pickle chips. I will buy a big bag of the chips and eat them all in a day or two.
  • artnun
    artnun Posts: 7
    I 'm a binge eater . I had been keeping it at bay for quite a few years but then a couple of years ago it started creeping back( along with the weight)
    one thing that has helped me is to note what happened before you started binging, keep a binge diary. I noticed that i do it when I feel overwhelmed anxious or when I get frustrated. also if I am tired and don't get enough sleep. noting the emotional triggers for overeating and taking small steps to prevent them helps a lot, just taking a deep breath can help. also writing about it, keeping it in mind is a big help, If I keep the goals and the reasons I want to lose weight in front of me, that helps. also for me its a form of sabotage, and sometimes its helpful to ask myself why, and take action on that. also, tracking binges can help you pinpoint trends, etc. I have also found Overeaters anonymous helpful in this type of problem too.


    I noticed thatit is no special food substance that triggers bingeing, but I have found it useful to limit sugar. I allow my self sugar 2 days in the week, it helps me prevent ( or at least postpone ) a binge. I don't cut it out altogether or else that will trigger a binge!
    yikes, what a mess, lol! . whenever I binge I say, "well, that was dumb!" and just start again. I can't always prevent a binge, but I can take actions, to limit , reduce, and perhaps even eliminate them.
    keep up the great work and thanks for all the comments.
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    I binge all time and enjoy it sometimes its that big meal that makes you satisfied. I changed how though I do it though.

    - Lunch is the big meal. Gives me alot more time to burn off calories and pad it with a small dinner. Never anything late.
    - I aim at going low sodium & high fiber foods. My weakness is Baked Ziti, I changed to using a Low salt sauce and High Fiber pasta.
    - I prepare my Binge gives me something to look foward at and set my other meals to stay within calorie goals.
    - I make sure I'm going to torture myself physically. Normally I'll burn 60% of calories of what I had of the meal.

    Now my body wants a high calorie lunch and doesn't seem to want anything after 7pm now of days.
  • mumtowandz
    mumtowandz Posts: 7 Member
    I tend to over eat in the evenings when the family is all sound asleep. Thank goodness I limit my late night eating to healthy clean food choices. The only way I control it is to go to bed before my night demons strike:) I eat for pleasure, not because I'm hungry. I think the key is to know when it's gonna happen and have a back up plan in place to redirect your binging... Easier said than done. I am a work in progress:)
  • this was one of my biggest problems. i found that having the odd small piece of chocolate 1-2 times a week has stopped me. if you let your self have some foods you are less likely to binge. :-)
  • amtru2015
    amtru2015 Posts: 179 Member
    Yes! I've been able to cut back on it by not buying food that induces me to binge in the first place.

    This also works for me!
  • lizzynewm
    lizzynewm Posts: 199 Member
    Yes! I've been able to cut back on it by not buying food that induces me to binge in the first place.

    ^ This. Easiest solution for me.

    this hasn't really helped the source of the problem for me, but it makes the repercussions of binging suck a little less. i still binge every so often, and i still feel out of control, and it still sucks, but at least it's hummus and wasa crackers and veggies that i'm stuffing my face with...
  • HazelDiva1913
    HazelDiva1913 Posts: 194 Member
    I dont have the urge to binge everyday but at least twice a week i do and at least once a week it gets me. Especially during SHARK week i binge bad like today. I agree the ONLY solution for me so far that has worked is when I keep those foods out my house. I know i should have better self control but as of now that is not a reality for me :-(
  • Fayve
    Fayve Posts: 406 Member
    Yes, I binge constantly, and it's so incredibly painful to my self-esteem and self image. I've gained back about 20 lbs from when I wouldn't binge. Not being able to lose weight 'because' of binging even makes it that much worse. The worst part is when others tell me I should "just stop it." or "have some willpower". I don't think that someone who doesn't binge can really understand the feeling of having one.

    My binges are usually anywhere from 800-1500 calories. Once in a while I'll have a really bad one that's 2000+ calories.
  • BigBrewski
    BigBrewski Posts: 922 Member
    Yes...I have done it in the past once I ate so much that well i won't go there...usually for me the binge was directly related to a stressful situation. So for me when I feel like I am getting "overstressed" I try to goto the gym and exercise that always seems to reduce stress for me and it is better for me.

    I hate to admit this but there was a few weeks where I would hit up the drive thru and order 2 meals. You know like a number 5 and a number 7 from jack in the box...and I would order "different" drinks to pretend that the meals were for 2 people when it was just me eating. It was a dark few weeks and even though I still WANT to do that (food is a comfort thing for me) I try to find comfort here talking to others that have the same struggle. The thing that "snapped" it all for me recently was there was a movie on cable and I didn't catch the title it was in the independant channel but it had one of the baldwin brothers and the main character was a overweight man who was a assistant manager at a "walmart" type store and when thing weren't going his way he would eat. There was a scene where he went to a food truck and ordered a meal and then said out loud.."and what did she want..oh yeah a chicken sandwich onion rings and a shake" then the next scene he was eating both meals he ordered alone. Seeing that put it in prespective for me...that is exactly what I was doing.
  • Maybe you need to figure out WHY you want to binge eat!?!?! I think this is your FIRST step...I never use to do this until the last 7 months after my Dad died, then I realized it was because I was trying to "fill the void"......and I did it with food.....even AFTER I realized what I was doing.....I needed to find the motivation to CHANGE!!!

    The other posters are right......avoid being around it as much as possible...however, LIFE IS LIFE and we will always be surrounded by food...good AND bad. I heard once that food addiction is the worst because unlike smoking, drugs or alcohol, we HAVE to have FOOD to survive! We can't eliminate it like other addictions...so you have to teach yourself self-discipline and HOW to eat in moderation...IF you REALLY want something bad...just take one small bite/piece and remind yourself to appreciate that small piece which is better than NOTHING!!! Or better yet, find a healthier substitute!!!
  • Jrflaw22
    Jrflaw22 Posts: 17 Member
    My secret is when I start on I don't know, lets say ritz crackers, I try to think of something in the manufacturing process that will totally gross me out. For instance, its a known fact that the FDA permits all processed foods to contain certian amounts of rodent hair, feces and the like. I focus on that, then I stop eating. It doesn't work so well for whole foods like fruit, vegetables etc., but who want's that crap anyway, right?
  • andreamelo1
    andreamelo1 Posts: 161 Member
    Binge eating is a desease at its worst i think you should see a dr
  • billuaa
    billuaa Posts: 56
    Yup, Ive been binge eating for a good 10 years now, its definately my drug of choice, just try to work on it every day...its 10 years later. I dont by the stuff to have in the house but when the urge comes on-convienent / fast food store it is, and i eat a lot, quickly. During the moment it is bliss full, after, depression sinks in.
  • zkm4
    zkm4 Posts: 3
    Looking for support/tips to kick the habit of binge eating

    A year ago I finished my weight loss journey of losing 50 pounds, since then I have somewhat maintained, but I fell off the wagon within the past few months. My eating gets uncontrollable, and it comes from a variety of things like stress/boredom/feeling overwhelmed. I think it has a lot to do with my strict eating habits that I adopted in order to lose all that weight, and they are backfiring causing cravings. I also feel no motivation to carry on my gym routine. It is as if I am completely burnt out.

    Has anyone experienced compulsive eating after achieving a goal weightloss? I am desperately trying to get back on track, so anything will help.
  • elifmemis
    elifmemis Posts: 31 Member
    I just read a book about this topic..."Food: The good girl's drug" It's really a problem more common than people realize. Also, watch the movie Lbs. An eyeopener for anyone with problem binging.
  • cowgirlashlee
    cowgirlashlee Posts: 301 Member
    Yes! I've been able to cut back on it by not buying food that induces me to binge in the first place.

    ^This has worked the best for me, too. I pack lunches for myself every day for work and class, but I've found that if I buy the individual packs of chips/cookies, I don't binge eat like I would if I had the regular or family size bag in the house.
  • jarredondo
    jarredondo Posts: 284 Member
    I have cut back on my binge eating by making sure i log everything. That way i don't just feel bad. I can see what I have done. Somehow it means more to see the number of calories I have consumed. I feel like it I log it I am owning it. In owning in it, I can get it under control. Do I still have those days that I can't stop eating.... yep. Are they fewer day they they used to be.....yep.
  • Shayna6347
    Shayna6347 Posts: 28 Member
    YES!!! It happens to me in the evening, and some nights I feel like I am going to come out of my skin if I don't eat. It's a terrible feeling. For me, I think there are two reasons this is happening....I don't eat much during the day so by the end of the day my body wants to eat everything...AND I get bored and lonely at night. I do what I can to keep myself busy when I feel like I want to binge. Sometimes warm water with lemon helps me :)
  • Yes, I struggle with binge eating a lot. Just had a bad day today with it, after having a good week. I managed to get through Friday and Saturday without pigging out in restaurants. Then today, I blew it. Sundays are the worst for me for some reason. I'm making plans to stay busy on Sundays from here on out. I tend to binge when I'm bored or when I'm anxious, and it's mostly carbs that I eat. I did well earlier in the by going for a walk when I was feeling stressed instead of eating. I was so proud of myself. Today was a bored day, and I wasn't feeling well. I still exercised, but I binged way too much. I'm just going to get back on track and go for it again. Next Sunday I'm filling my day with activities though.
  • drink water when you feel the urge!
  • Yeah I am so into that binge eating culture also but now trying a eat what you want day and living clean. My habit is sugar, it's so evil
  • Rachael235
    Rachael235 Posts: 35 Member
    im a binge eater too usually late at night, quite good now but last thursday very stressful day and when eventually got in from work i raided the kids sweets - chocolate, crisps and sweets!!!!!!! thats been my first one since i joined MFP in a month so almost there its just stress that sets me off. Not buying the food is easier said then done when you have kids though too.
  • Binge Eating is a form of an eating disorder, I am a binge eater and emotional eater from way back which has developed into an eating disorder. From what i went through in counselling I have begun to learn that binge eating is usually linked to something that triggers it, best way to avoid this is to figure out what your trigger is and work on different alternatives to eating. Sounds a lot harder then it actually is, I have been managing so far for 6 months and have not had any bingeing sessions. I wish you luck in finding something that works for you