The Binge-Free Challenge

Join me in this fight to finally put an end to our binging.  Time after time I've told myself "okay this is the last time" and I've failed over and over...but seriously this is enough! It's time to be good to ourselves and treat our bodies right.

You can join anytime.  And don't be afraid to restart.  We all have been there (probably more times than we would like to admit)  Just wipe the dust off and try again. 

There isn't just one winner in this.  We are all winners for taking steps forward to a healthier life.  Slip-ups are common when we are learning about our bodies.  Try and find out why you are binging and work hard on it because you do deserve to stop this (don't listen to those negative thoughts).  Laugh, learn and breathe.  We can get through this.  We have the whole rest of our lives to enjoy and kick this bad habit/cycle out of our lives for good.

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**The Ex-bingers:

1. Ohohcherri: Binge free as of 11/28
2. Ymclynn: Binge free as of 11/17
3. Kathryn-Leigh: Binge free as of 11/17
4. Laura_: Binge free as of 11/18
5. Amiewin: Binge free as of 11/21
6. Voixdesprit: Binge free as of 11/23
7. Todaywastomorrow: Binge free as of 12/2
8. Runningbuns: Binge free as of 11/23
9. Want2bhappy2:  Binge free as of 11/26
10. Jas_cuzzie: Binge free as of 12/2
11. Syzhu: Binge free as of 12/3
12. Melodee87: 12/11

I am in a binging slump here and really need to pull out today.  I need a restart today, okay?  And I need forgiveness for yesterday.....  I will try hard to make today new day and forgive myself too.

Thanks for the encouragement everybody!  Hope each of you have the day you want to have.

It's okay foreverhis you can pull out of that slump.  Don't believe the lies that we aren't worth it.  Because we most definitely are!! This is hard but its not anything that we can't get out of.  I hope you have a great fresh day and keep on moving forward!

foreverhis1: It's never too late to pull yourself out of a slump. You can do it - and I hope you do! It's rubbish how binging can make you feel hopeless which can make you binge which can make you feel hopeless and so on. I think that's what's known as a negative spiral!!

Everyone: Keep on trying and don't panic!

I'm on Day #3, which is pretty good for me. I really had to force myself to stay in bed last night, but I did. Earlier today was a bit hairy as well ... I was sooooo close to giving up, but I made myself have a bath, then tidy up, then drink a tea instead ... and, whadoyaknow, the desire's gone now. I know tomorrow will be a challenge because I have some stressy things to do on Weds and Weds will be a challenge because of the stressy events. Maybe recognising that in advance I can kinda prepare myself? Sorry to ramble on about mememe! I'm just feeling quite motivated for a change. I want 2009 to be healthier than 2008 and there's no time like the present to start.

Amen todaywastomorrow.  It's really so silly how binging can come and go.  Because many times we aren't even hungry we just need to find something to do or think about how we will feel afterwards.   Great job for resisting. No need for apologies...we all talk about ourselves! hehe  I agree I want to be healthier starting today! not tomorrow or next year! my 23rd birthday is less than 2 weeks away and I want this part of me to be banished for eternity!!!! I wish you lots of victory today!

Same goes to everyone else! Victory is not impossible for anyone.

I probably won't be around for a bit, but I'm still feeling quite determined. I've gone three days which is the best in months and months, lol.

Just popping in to say you should all read this helpful (IMO!) post from another binging thread on Calorie Count:

Original Post by katharine23:

Hi everyone, I used to binge frequently. I MADE myself get over it because I feared it would ruin my life. The secrecy and feelings of shame used to just torture me on a daily basis. But now, I only binge once or twice a month. I eat three or four small meals a day now. Here are the strategies I used, and still use:

1. Binging thrives on secrecy. You know that feeling where half of you wants to be around people so you can't eat, and the other half wants everybody to leave the house so that you can be alone with the fridge? Well, stamp out that desire for secrecy by pulling the revolting little binge monster out into the open. If you tell someone, you are no longer alone with the weight of secret binging. If you do binge, even just having one person to cry on - your Mother, best friend, partner, someone REAL in your life (i.e. not us, in this forum - we are still too detatched from reality) - honestly halves the problem. Hearing it spoken out loud "I ate a whole box of cereal and six bars of chocolate and now I feel awful" at once brings a sense of perspective to your actions. Being accountable is necessary. The longer binging is a secret that you are getting away with, the longer it will go on for.

2. Think of each day as a new day. Each new day you are going to practise NOT binging. Focus on the end of the day and how glorious it will feel to be able to reflect back and think, I have not binged today. Think how lovely it will feel to be liberated from those feelings of disgust. If you break each day down into smaller parts, and tackle every two hours - "I am definitely NOT going to binge in the next two hours" then you will get through a whole day. Then, the following day, just copy exactly what you did the day before. Like a robot. Re-learn your new, fresh patterns of behaviour. Look forward to another day of being binge-free. And the next day do the same thing. Don't even entertain the idea of binging. This is how baby steps begin to add up to giant leaps.

3. If you feel like you want to binge, stare you binge monster in the face. Tackle it. It will be very difficult not to get swept along by the fog of binging that seems to settle, but grit your teeth and resist. If you can make yourself walk away from the fridge and tell your confident, whether in person or over the phone, that you really want to eat lots and lots of food it will lift the burden. I promise. It even used to help me to say out loud "I really want to eat loads of ice cream and biscuits now" - because then it was REAL, it was a problem to solve, and I had expelled the impulse from my brain.

4. I know that the problem with binging is the desire to get that immediate gratification from food totally over-rides the desire to get better. Binging lures you to the kitchen because it seems like an instant fix - it seems exciting, comforting and strangely sexy. But think of this: every binge is continuing the problem. If you always resist your next binge, you will NEVER have to binge again. You will be free to run and skip around. Life can be full and happy again. So even if you have to DRAG yourself away from the fridge, say this mantra out loud "MY FUTURE SELF WILL THANK ME FOR THIS".

5. Whilst 'tricks' such as replacing chocolate with celery and ice cream with carrots are pragmatic solutions to lowering your potential calorie intake, I still think they are binge tactics. The problem is an emotional attachment to food, a belief that food can make life better, not a straightforward love of chocolate or peanut butter. I think in order to overcome binging, you must recognise that in that exact moment when you want to eat the whole world, YOU HAVE A CHOICE. You can slow down time and join the action to the consequence. So if you have eaten 4 chocolate biscuits, make your hands put the packet back in the cupboard and say in a loud voice, "I choose not to eat any more" and physically put one foot in front of the other and get away from them. Don't you see? It's the 'f*ck it' mentality that's the problem. That is the exact moment at which you have to make the choice. Because at the 4 biscuit stage, the day is retrievable. 300 calories is not 3000 calories unless you make it into 3000 calories.

6. Get a mantra. I know that's a common strategy but for some reason, it really worked for me. Every time I picked up something to eat, and my hand was about to put it to my lips, I would say "No, I'm on the water diet". Then I would make myself get a glass of water and I would drink it as I was walking away from the kitchen. I don't know why that sentence helped so much - it doesn't even really make sense - but it was useful to have something consistent to focus on. Plus, the idea of water being clean and pure compared to thousands of calories of muck I used to eat was an appealing idea.

Understanding that binging has terrible but preventable consequences is so important. You are NOT powerless, and conquering your binging will be the best thing you will ever do.

I will close by emphasising the grave importance of putting your faith in other people. Tell someone. Let them help you with the burden of trying to cope with your binge monster. It might be the most humiliating, embarrassing, and upsetting thing you ever tell anyone (I told my Mum and having to say "sometimes I binge on cakes, biscuits, chocolate and ice cream when you and Dad are in bed, and it makes me feel so scared and alone that I want to cry forever" was truly the most frightening thing I have ever had to say. But honestly, that humiliation made something click inside me and it saved me.)

Good luck, all. You CAN do it! This is YOUR life that you are in control of. x

Happy non-binging ...

Hi All

Yes I am still here, will go to bed in a minute, felt my willpower sliping today and needed all my willpower to stick to my diet, bad day at work.

My weight on the scales has increased, even though I have weighed everything I eat, this has happened to me before, I was on a crazy calorie shifting diet for about 7 days before finding CC, I think that is the reason. so I am not going to weigh myself for a few days and hope when I get back on the scales it will be ok ( now I need the willpower to stay of the scales)

If I binge I will only feel better for a short time, and feel disgusted afterwards. That is my mantra.

Keep going, Keep Strong.

ymclynn: I used to take the battery out of the scales to stop myself using them more than once a week, lol. Any help? I hardly use them now. There's really no point in worrying about daily changes, IMO.

I said I wouldn't be around, but I couldn't stay away, haha! Can I be re-set for the 26th? Ugghhh. I hate the way I knew I'd binge today ... and then I ... did. I've planned out exactly what I'm going to have tomorrow and I cancancan make myself stick to it.

I hope everyone is having a good day! or else looking forward to a good one tomorrow.  I had a pretty good day, despite the fact that I slept in and had to literally run out the door this morning to work.  Thankfully our boss was late too so it didn't matter.  I wasn't even able to brush my teeth.  I just grabbed some gum and couldn't wait for my break to get coffee! lol.

I don't know if I'll be able to post the next few days.  I'm going out of town for turkey day....so I hope you all have a great thanksgiving!! it's okay to indulge but keep in mind that we are aiming for health and we don't need to stuff ourselves like the turkey! lol.

Is it too late to join this challenge? I NEED to stop binging, it has completely taken over my life. I'm trying to recover from an ED and I did great last week.. I was really, really proud of myself, ate normal meals, didn't starve. didn't overeat or purge or anythig and even had some snack and desserts and stuff with everybody else. Well, anyways I lost 4 pounds last week and then I binged and gained it all back in ONE day =( And that started the whole cycle over again.. yesterday I did it and then I did it again today. =( 

I know right before the holidays probably isn't the best time to join but I really, really need to stop this. So I guess my plan is to try to eat healthy, small normal meals tomorrow, NOT BINGE and not starve and then to not go crazy and try and enjoy thanksgiving and not worry about calories or weight or anything like that.

Anyways, good luck to everyone else here, hope your all having a good week so far. =)

its never to late to join!  I'm glad to hear that your wanting to get your life back and quit the binging/starving/purge cycle.  It's a horrible thing to beat but you are not alone and it is POSSIBLE! I'll put your first day starting tomorrow.

And don't worry about the holidays.  Most people indulge a little...and I think it's a very important and an amazing accomplishment when people can treat themselves without going totally crazy! I really hope that we all will make it through.  Just try to think about your health first.  We want to all live healthy, fulfilling lives, and not be torn down by this horrible thing! Just keep that in mind and work each day, day by day.  We aren't perfect and don't expect your diet to be either b/c that only leads to feelings of failure.  We can all do this.  As long as you keep working at it and not giving up you are already beating it!!

Best of luck/hope for you!

Hi all.

I am still here and binge free thank goodness. Todaywastomorrow, good idea. Felt myself weakening this evening (always my problem time) but kept imagining how bad I would feel afterwards if I broke my diet and binged.  I did weigh myself again, I couldn't keep off the scales. I think the weight gain was fluid as it seems to be going down again.  Its horrible being so obsessed with your weight all the time.

I don't have Thanksgiving as I live in Ireland, so that is one thing less to contend with, but all of you who do have thanksgiving have a great day and if I can do it with the help of you guys, anyone can.  Even if I don't do it make it today, I can always restart.  That is by no means a statement to say that I am giving in, just that if I do have a moment of insanity, I will forgive myself.

bye for now.

Yesterday was fine, but it's only just gone 11am and already I need to start again tomorrow (well, not start again ... I won't give up on the rest of today yet!). 28/11, please! I'll focus on yesterday, lol.

I'm thankful(!) I don't have to get through Thanksgiving, either, but I hope those of you in the US have a good day and are able to enjoy it all - food included! Good luck.

Edit: Update to 29/11, actually!!

Hey everyone!  I'm back from my trip and I hope that everyone is doing well and having much sucess? Thanksgiving can be rough to some of us but I hope you made it through or are back on the wagon again today. 

Last few days have been pretty good.  Being with family 24/7 makes it a lot easier to refrain from binging.  But I'm home now and ready to keep waving "buh-bye" to overindulging in food.

I also thought about doing a new little addition to this group.  I was thinking that after 30 days of being binge-free you can choose if you want to "graduate" from this forum.  This is motivation for me so I don't keep having to come back and such.  haha.  I want to kick this bad habit for good and I think alil extra motivation is never a bad thing.  Also, if you feel like you want to continue posting in this forum after the 30 days go ahead. Whatever it takes to get you healthy!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I feel like I shouldn't even be in this community. I have been binging non stop for like a whole week now. Every day I tell myself OK I'm not going to binge today, I'm going to eat normally, and then every day I **** it up and end up binging like CRAZY. Like today for example, well, I didn't eat anything untill like 4 in the afternoon I know thats part of the problem. Anyways I had like left over thanksgiving dinner, 2 helpings of stuffing with gravy, squash, cabbage salad, beans, a couple muffins, apple pie.. THEN i went over to my grandma's for dinner, had salad and a spoonful of mac n cheese, then later I had some popcorn at my house.. then i went out with my bf for food and had like mozzarella stix, shrimp, french fries at like midnight. Now I am telling myself again that today I will not binge, will eat normally, I doubt I'll be able to do it. wish me luck..

runningbuns: I think your idea sounds good. It makes it more of a ... well, challenge. Not meaning to offend anyone, but I'm not sure if any of us will be hitting 30 days soon!! If I could go a week I'd consider "graduating", I think. I'm in, anyway. Also, could I be updated to 1/12, haha?

want2bhappy2: Good luck!

Tomorrow (oops, there I go again ...) is a new month annnnd a Monday  - how motivating! And isn't it a nicer binge-free start date than 29/11??? I did really well yesterday and all day today then binged early this eve. Felt a bit faint afterwards so came downstairs to make myself a sugary drink and then ended up repeating the process. I really hate it when I get like that. At least it didn't happen a third time, so I do have a lil self-control!

my binge free day has to be changed to "since 11/28".. ahhahaa, thanksgiving was bad to me

keep up the good work guys!

Love the idea runningbuns! I'm a competitive person, so I know setting a time frame like that should be enough to motivate me into sticking to it. I'm from Canada, so I wasn't tempted by thanksgiving this weekend, but I did fall a bit off track. No binging though, just a bit of unhealthier food choices.

want2bhappy2: Try to keep a positive outlook, its alot easier to succeed that way. We are all capable of changing our lives and controlling our binging, its just a matter of whether or not you can focus yourself enough to stick to it... or when you fall off the bandwagon, to not kick yourself too hard and manage to jump back on before things get out of control. You can do it :)

I'm joining for sure. have been bingeing everyday for the past 9mths.

needa lose 20lbs of binge weight.

tomorrow's Day 1 for me.

Welcome jas_cuzzie.  You've got a clean slate ahead of you and many binge free days to look forward to.  I wish you the best through your journey.  Just keep in mind that you want a healthy life and binging isn't involved in that.

Things I keep in mind:

• Don't starve after a binge...it will only feed the cycle and make me fall into a binge again thus throwing my into the downward spiral
• Don't allow foods I know I will binge on in the house (ex: peanut butter, ice cream) If I want to treat myself I try to be around friends and people and just get a single serving.
• Try my hardest to listen to my body: "am i eating because I'm hungry or am I just eating to eat?"
• Feeling stressed? I try to calm myself using other things then food (ex: going on a walk/run, reading a book, taking a bath, getting pampered, calling a friend)
• Binging brings alot of shame and guilt.  I try and leave the past behind me and start every day with a new frame of mind
• Forgive yourself...no body is perfect
• Refrain from labeling foods as "bad"...there are foods that are unhealthier than others but none are evil or bad...they just need to be eaten in moderation
• Try not to freak out after a binge.  It may be very hard not to do but mistakes happen and we need to get back up and learn from them.