Well written! We will do it for sure! Hope you have a good week!! Do you think I should post the same thread on the other BED group? I really hate there are 2 groups.:ohwell:

The other group is 10 times larger. Both have about the same as far as support and activity. I think the other one is more active and the crowd is younger too which is fine It would take too much work to combine the too

Please bump on the 2ND conversation thread too. See link before in case you did not realize there are now 2 conversation threads. Binge support is hopefully going to be plentiful. If not at least we tried

Please note I have posted a monthly conversation thread for us: See link below and please share because we are not alone in this struggle with binge eating:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654612-be-support-group-conversation-thread-2012

Welcome!! Please share. You will find you are not alone.

That usually works for me babs!

“If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results.” ~Jack Dixon

Below is a good email article I received from WW with some good reminders and I feel some are very applicable to binging and others are not. I hope some of you find them helpful reminders! Have a good day!

12 Ways to Stop Overeating
Here are 12 tips to help you regain control of your eating habits.
Article By: Megan Gressor


You've done it by the book for a while. Watched your diet, made healthy choices, exercised every day. Then suddenly you're undoing all your hard work by saying, "I might as well give up. I'll never lose weight!"

"All-or-nothing" thinking doesn't help. People who overeat often feel out of control and disgusted with themselves. It becomes a vicious cycle, leading to low self-esteem and even more eating.

To regain control of your eating habits, ask yourself why you overeat. Is it your way of coping with stressful events? Has gorging on "forbidden" treats become a substitute for other pleasures lacking in your life? Do you use food to soothe, distract or reward yourself?

Breaking It Down
Once you've identified trigger factors, work out other ways to address them. Don't beat yourself up with every little lapse. Instead, focus on positive things you can do to replace or avoid overeating. Pay attention to how you feel when you eat certain foods; you'll start to notice patterns emerging (eating after a family argument, for example, or when you're bored, lonely or disappointed). Consider alternative ways to lift your mood when the urge threatens. Perhaps call a friend, go for a walk or see a movie.

Breaking the Habit
Here are some tips for winning the battle:

1.Take it slow. Crash dieting is more likely to end in losing control than a slow, steady loss of a pound or two each week.


2.Don't cheat yourself! Eat a sensible amount of food each day.


3.Allow occasional treats. If you don't totally cut out "forbidden" foods (such as those donuts that you love), you're more likely to stay on track, because deprivation often leads to overeating. Opt for low-fat versions of favorite foods.


4.Reward yourself for every win — how about a bath or a walk just to enjoy a sunset rather than a reward consisting of junk food.


5.Plan ahead to stay in control. Facing a big test or other ordeal that you fear will send you straight to the cookie jar? Try to keep healthy snacks around to nibble on instead, and exercise to offset your munching — and calm you down, too!


6.Share your feelings — sad, bad or otherwise — with family or friends.


7.Seek support from others trying to lose weight — family, friends or online buddies. They're there to help, and want to see you succeed.


8.Look to calming alternatives if stress is your trigger. Anything from deep breathing to yoga to arts and crafts could help. And don't forget: Exercise is a great tranquillizer. (It also reduces your appetite!)


9.Count to ten. Is overeating your way of coping with anger? Consider other ways of dealing with negative emotions, such as learning assertiveness techniques.


10.Find other ways to fill the void. If you typically overeat when you're looking for emotional nourishment; stop. Feed your spirit by caring for yourself as well as you can during times when you feel unloved, under-appreciated or unworthy. Be your own biggest fan and try to focus on your successes, not to the occasional lapse.


11.Be patient and forgiving of yourself. Long-established complex habits won't change overnight.


12.Avoid all-or-nothing thinking, such as "I've already blown my weight loss plan, I might as well finish off the box." Accept that you may go off the rails from time to time. So you've lost six pounds and regained three? It's important to congratulate yourself for the pounds that you lost. You're doing a great job!

Perhaps today's message is a Public Service Announcement - For those that do not already know, there is professional help available for people with BED. I did not know this for myself until 2010, although I have been seeing mental health professionals since I was age 9. It isn't a topic that was asked about, and since I didn't know I even had BED it surely wasn't something I brought up. The embarrassment of not being able to successfully lose weight wasn't a topic I'd jump right into. I didn't know this had anything to do with my mental health. It was uncomfortable enough to discuss it with my primary doctor.

I now often wonder why none of the mental health professionals along the way asked about my eating patterns. If we talked about weight, we would also talk about dieting - but as I now know that doesn't work for me. Why didn't anyone recognize the signs of my ED? I understand that the acceptance and knowledge of EDs has evolved quite a bit in the last 2 decades - but I'm bitter that not one of them caught it. And I've seen at least 2 dozen different people over the years!

Well, at least I know now - and can take the necessary steps to get better. :flowerforyou:

Diane

Diane,

Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Hopefully you will let the resentment go. I feel there are many primary care doctors who are not even aware of binging as a disorder and the professional help that is out there. Many doctors still believe it is as black and white as to just stop eating so much. Which is what pisses me off because if it were that easy I would not be obese.

Doctors did not give obesity the same alarms as they do to other eating disorders that cause people to die sooner than obesity does.

Now I believe people now including doctors are looking seriously at it now because of the epidemic of obesity. When we were younger obesity was not at the levels it is at today. I know for me I was the only one in the class who was obese. Nowadays you have over 10 children in some classes who are obese.

Thanks again for sharing all of you knowledge with group and I would like to add that there is a lot of good information on binge eating in the library. Wonderful books that are very helpful at defining binge eater.

Happy hump day all and take it one day at a time!