Binge eating.. How did you gain control?

Im a horrible binge eater, especially in social settings or when Im emotionally spent.

For those of you that have experienced binge eating, how did you teach yourself to control the urge? I have little will-power to begin with, and Im having a hard time resisting.

It sounds ridiculous, but the easiest way for me to start gaining control was by picking out all of the new things I can have in my life by not eating what ever is being offered to me. I put pictures on my computer of clothes, cars, and anything else, to keep me motivated. I have so many pictures of clothing I would like to be able to wear without looking ridiculous. I remember those pictures when I feel like I may break down, it helps remind me of what my ultimate goal is, other than better health. Do you have motivation if you lack will power? Having motivation, real motivation, helps a lot in times like those. I was offered all sorts of junk food today, I politly declined, remembering all of those pictures. At first it will still be a little difficult, but it gets better.

I don't really have good news about this ... I have always been a binger and I have pretty much stopped doing it (almost 100 lb lost!) but in social situations or under stress, I still binge sometimes. I haven't been able to totally turn off the urge. On the other hand, I can suppress it most of the time. I don't keep binge foods around so I'm not tempted on an everyday basis, and I have trained myself to fight cravings and stop thinking so much about food. It has been a gradual process and as I said, I still slip up sometimes. You'll get there though; you can break any habit, it just takes time and focus. Good luck! 

cjnurse,

I also am a nurse.  Having knowledge about nutrition and health doesn't make us invulnerable does it?

I have been a binge eater, but I am doing so much better 3 months down the road.  For one thing, I can step back from the temptation and rethink what I am doing.

At first it was hard.  I MADE myself only eat what I had planned from the day.  I had one weekend that first month that I got stressed and ate too much.  I gained 7 pounds (I realize that it was water and fat due to the types of food I ate); it took me 2 weeks to lose it.  Then I had a hard time getting back on track.  I think back to that time when I am tempted to binge.

I plan out my day in advance.  When presented with a temptation, I tell myself NO.  I use thought stopping techniques to turn the temptation away.

For instance, I was tempted to eat my husbands left over beef stroganoff.  He had left quite a bit on his plate, probably about 200 calories worth.  I wanted it.  I thought, shame to let it go to waste.  I caught myself and walked that plate to the sink reciting "I am not a waste bin, I am not a waste bin" and put it directly into the garbage disposal before I could crumble.

My students had a spread of wonderful looking food yesterday.  "Come on Mrs. B.  have some...oh! it did look good, don't want to insult them....I turn around and saw some fruit in a plate, I told them, "I am trying to lose weight, I'll just take some fruit."  One student shouted out..."You're doing great, stick with the fruit."

Tonight at Bible Study the hostess had homemade candy...she offered it to me..I said, thanks and thank you for making it, but I'm saving my calories for a piece of that wonderful dessert you made (she always makes a dessert and I plan my calories around a small piece.) 

Now I am home, proud of how I did and won't regret tomorrow a food binge.

I am learning to see around the corner.  A binge only lasts a few minutes and does feel good for that few minutes...then around the corner comes the guilt and regret.  The weight gain and loss of progress.  It just isn't worth it.

If you are getting hungry between meals, plan snacks into your day so you are always not far away from something to eat. 

Another strategy when presented with a binge opportunity besides eating something that isn't really going to satisfy you is to tell yourself to wait.  If you still want something in 3 or 4 hours then you can have it.  I don't know about you, but if I want to eat something REALLY BADLY, I can't eat a little bit and then quit.   It's all or nothing.  So for me it has to be nothing.  If I can get away from the temptation and come to my senses, then I can overcome it.

Perhaps someday I'll be able to eat 6 potato chips or 1/2 cup of ice cream.  But not yet!

Edit:  I'm not sure If I made it clear that one little bite for me leads to "what the heck, I've wrecked it now...I might as well have a pint of ice cream.  I might as well have a bag of potato chips...I might as well have some pancakes and syrup...and and and......  So, I have to stop it before I ever get there.

I have to plan my little treats into my calorie allowance.

Very good read! Texmom;

I could identify with everything you said. I have been using almonds for a snack, and so far I never eat more that 10 and I log everyone.  I buy a 1lb can and it lasts me about 20 days. I don't bring any other snacks into the house except apples, and grapefruit. If it was here I'd eat it. 

Lucky for me I never was into sweets. I occasionally like a piece of dark chocolate. That's about it. My weight gain was mostly no portion control. I eat fast, and I used to have seconds before my brain had a chance to register the first serving. I also used to use very large plates and bowls. I live alone, so I found myself eating ALL of whatever I prepared. Now I measure and log everything, and take 1 serving and stop. putting the rest away for tomorrow. CC was just the tools I needed to get a handle on my problem with food. So far anyway.

Posts like yours helps more than you know. I do a lot of reading, and don't post that often, but I really enjoy everyones comments in this group.

I'm soon to go to visit friends in Ca. That will be the next test. When I'm in social situations I am easily tempted. At least it's only for a week. So I shouldn't get myself into too much trouble. I hope I've learned enough in the last 6 months at this.

I hope!

G

Genowg,

I like almonds too.  I buy a big bag of raw almonds.  I put 8 almonds in a snack ziplock bag and tuck it into my lunch kit.  Chewing them up slowly helps.  I love the taste, the mouth feel.  And even that small amount helps to assuage the "hungries" til the next meal.

I can't get rid of snacks from the house because I have a husband who is not dieting.  I do, however, ask him to keep his snacks in a little cooler on his side of the chair.  His food is "off limits".  It doesn't exist for me.

It would be the same as stealing to take his snacks. (Now the truth is he would only chide me for breaking my plan.) In my mind, those snacks don't exist.

Today I am going to make a nice soup from the left overs of the last few days. Mmm low cal and good.  It will be nice in this bit of cooler weather we have today.

Hang in there Genowg, we are all moving and learning together.  I love to write comments when I can.  It helps me to write out my thoughts.  Sometimes I am doing things without thinking about them and thinking them out helps.

I used to use the strategy as you, kitkatgurl, except for me it took a negitive turn after awhile. I was thinking things like, "If you eat that, your gonna get fatter and never be able to have (whatever)" and "Your such a loser, you would really be tempted to eat that and give up (whatever)?" I dont know why, probably something to do with my self esteem. I will have to try to keep things more positive, hopefully it will help. Great suggestion!

Planning is also going to another one of those takes awhile to get used to things. I have pretty limited free time, so allowing myself that extra time space to plan is going to take some practice. Im the same way as Texmom when it comes to snacking.. One little iota of cheating and Im ruined for a day at the best, could be a week!

Thanks for the suggestions!

cj,

I understand the time constraint you are under, but..but...but your time is your own.  Take time for yourself.  Go to the store and stock up on salad, low cal dressings, Frozen dinners, low cal snack food (like the 100 calorie prepackaged snacks), soups (broth based, not cream based).   You can use the microwave either at the school or at the hospital.  You don't have to eat out.

At our school a good percentage of the students bring their lunch in coolers and eat in the student center..have study sessions with their study groups while they eat.

I don't know what will work for you, but you are worth that time!  If you don't lose weight you are going to really have a hard time when you start work on your feet up to 12 hours at a time.  I have the knee replacements, the plantar fascitis, the arthritis to prove it.

Hey CJ, 

I'm a binger too, I'm just starting out (about 6 weeks in) I've had a few binges since I started.  I'm a secret binger so social situations don't really get me, but damn if I'm alone with food watch out.   So far here's what I've done to curb the bingeing.  So far they've been working, with only a lost weekend of slip up's when there was a lot of emotional stuff going on.  

I work 4 x 10 so the days I'm at work I'm at work for 11 hours, doing all kinds of cooking and prep when I get home is NOT going to happen.  I set my week up for success by going shopping on Sunday's and spending a few hours making everything ready.  Sunday's I'll often cook some food I can eat off of for the rest of the week as well.  I'll make something and figure out the portion sizes and calories for that dish and that way I have meals already ready.  

I pack my lunch EVERY DAY. At my work there are a ton of temptations, call centers run on sugar and fat.   I make sure I eat every few hours so I don't ever really get hungry.  If I eat before I'm hungry then I'm much less likely to binge.  Like Mena, I never have bingey food in my house.  

If I do start bingeing, I tell that fat girl voice that's telling me that the day is wiped and I can just eat whatever for the rest of the day that she's wrong.  If I can put something down, away, in the middle of a binge.  Or throw it away like Tex Mom, then I congratulate myself on my self control for stopping the binge instead of letting it wreck up the day. 

I also make sure to weigh myself every day.  Even if I overate the day before, that way when I see the number go up on the scale. It motivates me to get back on track.  

Good Luck CJ this is really hard, but you can do it!

I hold myself 100% accountable to my food log and my calorie goal.  Not wanting to have to write something down has stopped me from eating things I didn't really "need".

I look at my calorie budget exactly as I do money.  If a food doesn't fit in my budget, then I can't afford it.

I log everything, good, bad and ugly.   Some days it feels really bad to write down some stuff, but I do it.  As you say 67, the thought of going out of my calorie budget, or of having to log in that extra food helps to keep me in line.

I was a little worried today, because I ate two meals out, but both meals I had plain meat, salad, and veggies only.  So it came out alright.   I could even have a bedtime snack if I wanted one, but no.  I'm full.