bingeing

This is a bit embarassing for me to admit to, let alone write a/b it. I am a binge eater...an emotional eater. I've lost 30lbs over the past year and couldn't be more proud of myself. However, I've lost my enthusiasm for the gym and maintaining a good diet, and I've recently found myself eating loads and loads of bad foods. I am stressed out and tired at work, but aside from that, I'm a pretty happy person. I just can't control my bingeing right now and I'm wondering if anyone has any brilliant insight or words of inspiration??? I'm freaking out a bit b/c I know how hard I worked to lose the weight, and I'm scared of putting it all back on...Any tips??? thanks!

I still do binge. However, here are some things that I personally find helpful: plan an activity to do once you finish eating, plan out all of your meals in advance, keep unhealthy foods out of the house, drink water prior to eating, and, if you are still tempted, remind yourself that you can always have the food that you desire later. I also find that writing out my thoughts before and after meals helps me to stick to the plan, and moreover, identify common emotional patterns that trigger binges in the first place.  

yep this sound slike good advice. i still have not figured out how to avoind bingeing, any no, drinking water or having enough protein etc. does not help

i suffered from bulimia for years - have been over it for 6months.

just this week i had a relapse......very closely related to binge eating....except that sometimes you don't see the effects of the binge on your body. when i used to binge i would get up to 2000 calories in 1 binge...and yet i was extremely emaciated.....it was the most painful experience

i found that the most helpful thing for me was to keep a journal.  i decided to start journaling again this week b/c usually my triggers are emotional. i ever feel the urge to eat i either pick up a pen OR take a shower and brush my teeth (showering calms my anxiety)..... for me i use it as a coping mechanism and it's different every time - it might be family problems/anxiety. 

somtimes it's hard to keep your binge foods out of the house (especially if you live with others). 

do you have any interests? sports? hobbies? reading? i find if you find something you are really interested in and you can make it a focus then food can no longer rule that part of your life.

Remember that binge eating is a choice. Just like you decide what pair of shoes or pants you're going to wear for the day, or what color you're going to paint the master bedroom, you're in control; you're just tricked (by yourself, no less) into thinking that you're momentarily possessed by a carb-glutton gremlin when it happens.

There is not one decision that we make that doesn't have some sort of gratification promised at the end of it.

You know the consequences of binge eating. Subconsciously you know it too. It's been hammered into your brain; it's why you almost always feel guilty after a big binge. Maybe the real question is what do you get out of gaining weight?  There has to be something, even if its a terribly sinister reason, as to why you're where you are.

Maybe if you stay overweight, you blend into the wallpaper and nobody notices you and you don't have all these expectations heaped onto you. What if you lose weight? What are you going to use as an excuse to get out and do all the things that you're denying yourself now? Maybe it's a way of not feeling vulnerable, not caving to the 'ideal' of what society expects of you. Maybe its rebellion.

Whatever the reason, emotional eating is a purely psychological phenomenon usually buried under layers and layers of subconscious fears and gluttoness gratification. You need to battle it in its own arena, and it may not be something you can do alone. Look into seeing a therapist for a couple of sessions, or buy yourself a workbook on monitoring your thinking. It helps to know how you function; the little lies you tell yourself.

It's a sometimes very emotional method, but hey, it can eradicate that self-defeating habit, and maybe others you have too.

Good luck.

I can totally relate to you.  I too lost about 30 lbs over this past year.  I took it slow, the healthy way, had many bumps in the road.  I lost the weight the healthy way for once.  And, it's finally staying off.  But, yes, lately, I too have become bored of the workouts, the healthy foods, and have been having free days a little too often.  I gained 5 lbs and I'm not totally bummed about it.  I know what I did to gain the weight...binge drinking then binge eating.  I think if I gave up alcohol altogether, I would absolutely achieve my weight loss goals much faster.  But, I want this to be a lifestyle change and not a diet.  I can't say no to having wine with girlfriends or throwing back a couple drinks out on the weekends.  No matter what, I always seem to eat way too much after I drink and there's all my progress out the door.  If you're sick of your workout routine, try something new.  If you are bored with the same old healthy foods or meal plan, then switch it up.  I have recently done both and feel back on track.  I even was able to have a small glass of wine tonight with dinner  and passed on all the yummy desserts everyone else was indulging in.  If nothing works, then maybe consider seeking the advice of a therapist.  Something is definitely triggering your desire to binge after all your hard work.  Sometimes, I feel like I need a project to work on, so gaining weight and losing it, is kind of like a project.  Journalling and maybe joining a local OA group.  You will discover there are so many people out there dealing with the same issue and you can really learn a lot from their struggles/recoveries.  Good luck!

Original Post by msilvermane:

Remember that binge eating is a choice. Just like you decide what pair of shoes or pants you're going to wear for the day, or what color you're going to paint the master bedroom, you're in control; you're just tricked (by yourself, no less) into thinking that you're momentarily possessed by a carb-glutton gremlin when it happens.

Not quite. Binge eating IS a choice once you learn how to handle the disorder, but it's like a damn annoying itch that you HAVE to scratch before you go absolutely insane. Sometimes you have to do it. I know what it's like to binge. Matching a pair of shoes with jeans as an analogy is completely out of range. It's seriously an ITCH.

I nearly binged yesterday. I did stick my hand in the box of cereal, ate part of a cookie, had some sour patch kids. Went through the routine. But I ended up stopping, laying on the couch, and breathing. Lots of breathing and some self meditation. You just have to calm your heart beat (because we both know it's racing a mile a minute). Gawd the anxiety.

There are some great self help books that you can get online. Ah my favorite.. let me find the book title for you:

Author: Geneen Roth

Book: Breaking Free from Emotional Eating

She writes several books. But it will really help you get to the heart of why you are binging. There's also a book "Binge no more" which takes the approach of the 12 step AA program. Not as good of a read tho.

Hope that helps some.