compulsive overeating. help.
I have a compulsive overeating disorder and it is not only difficult to admit, it is extremely difficult to deal with. I'm trying to seek professional help soon, but I need to be able to financially afford it first.
But for right now, I'm trying to pull myself out of one of the worst binge ditches I've ever been in. I've been binge eating for over a week straight now non-stop and I feel completely depressed and out of control. I'm absolutely miserable, and the more upset I get, the more I eat, even though I feel terribly sick. I've been consuming horrific amounts of horrible food and eating everything in the house, even though I've tried to get rid of all the bad foods.
It's really difficult for me to go more than 3 days without binging at least once. And two weeks ago, I went about 6 days without binging, and I think this non-stop-binging-for-days-and-days is the consequence.
Each day I wake up I've tried to stop it and start over without binging, but it hasn't worked. I don't understand and I don't know what to do. I just want it to stop and I want to feel in control.
Right now I don't even feel myself. It is as if something else has taken over and my life isn't my life anymore. I believe it is professional help that I need, but for right now, as I'm venting, I think I just need some support. I'd love to feel some hope that one day I'll have my life back.
You may want to check with your local hospital as they sometimes have group sessions and they are cheap. I found that out when my mom died and I went to grief counseling.
i'm also in the same boat as you. i went from almost never binging, to binging maybe once every two weeks, to binging almost every other day. its a tough habit to break. try to recognize how you're feeling before you binge. are you nervous? stressed? frustrated? find healthier alternatives to rid yourself of those feelings.
my main problem is my "all-or-nothing" attitude. say i go 100 calories over my allowance. then i think to myself, well, you already overate a bit. why not make it 500 calories over your limit? 400 calories later, i find myself thinking: great, now you really blew it. what's another 500? before i know it i'm at 3,000+ calories with a stomach ache and a giant black cloud of guilt over my head.
here's a few things that have helped me:
1. except for preparing meals and snacks, i am not allowed in the kitchen area.
2. when i am eating, i do not take one bite of food until i put all the preparation materials away. then i take my plate out of the kitchen and sit down.
3. i take a deep breath before each bite, so i don't feel like i'm inhaling my food.
4. if i feel a binge coming on, i journal like there's no tomorrow, or come on here and answer people's posts. it keeps my hands busy.
5. take a shower. brush my teeth. wash my face. i do something that makes me feel refreshed and clean. that way i am more motivated and am more likely to control myself.
6. i think we all have a friend that just does not stop talking. call them. you don't have to tell him/her that you are trying to avoid a binge, but use the motormouth to your advantage. the longer you are on the phone, the longer you have to tune in to your body and recognize if you are actually hungry.
good luck, and stay motivated !
try to think of all the money you could save by not binging and afford professional help...it migt be a good motivator?
and also dont undereat...overeating is better than binging
I am a compulsive eater too and use food to comfort myself or when I am stressed or angry to calm myself. I was doing well and then stress at work came along and I started to binge in big amounts at night. Notice I did not say the stress was the cause. My reaction to it was the cause and that is what I am trying to get a grip on now.
Blap gives some really good suggestions and I will be using them too. You need some support or encouragement and I am here. It is so hard to fight those deep urges. I know. But it can be done and involves a total overhaul in lifestyle.
so i went through pretty much the same thing as you..i did seek professional help...the biggest thing i learned that might help you is to figure out wut u are fulfilling by eating..are you tired? bored? sad? angry? happy? frustrated? and then figure out wat ur body really needs and learn to replace food with that need. for example you say ur absolutly miserable...wut makes you truly happy? anything as simple as taking your dog for a walk, calling a friend, or do something for yourself to boost your confidence. make a list of things that can substitute food, put it everywhere, on ur fridge, ur bathroom mirrior. your dressor, and start making little changes. its the hardest thing to turn down a binge when ur feeling crapy but if u make a plan in advance it can really help. i hope this helps...dont give up on urself u can do this=))
I used to be underweight but then I started binging. It was terrible, what your saying was exactly how I felt. It went on for a really long time. Now, I really don't mean to sound discouraging but it did take time to get over it. To be honestly I started making a change when one day I woke up and cried for god knows how long. What did help was not just cleaning up my food habits but my life. I cleaned everything, physical and emotional. I just had to take a break and sort things out. Some people may need professional help, but somehow I got over it completely on my own. I may not have had it as bad as you do, no one can really say, but you have to trust that things will get better. Maybe it will go away on it's own, maybe you'll need professional help, but trust.
I really don't know if that helps. I do truly wish the best.
i feel like i have been battling the binge cycle off and on for years. i did seek professional help. and it kind of helped. but i still always fall back. sometimes not as bad. one thing i notice from your post is you try and start the morning fresh. i feel like when i try and do this after a binge i feel **** try and restrict and then end up caving in towards the end of the day. tomorrow will be better starting now. . try and get a handle of it before you go to bed so you can wake up with positive thoughts. not sure if that helps. after all i need help.
i think my problem is when i decide to overeat it is very hard for me to fight that urge.. and i dont care till it is over and then i feel awful. i have thought that i have been cured for long periods of time. and then with a click of a switch i am back in it. best of luck. persistence.
Okay so sounds stupid but...
make an eating schedule. I've been warding off bingeing by eating at the same time every day 7 am, 10 am (snack), 12:30ish, 3-4 (snack), 6:30ish, 7:30 (snack). I drink tons of water--and I mean TONS. I eat my meals slowly, I always sit down when I eat, I put away all the food after I'm done making my meal, I brush my teeth after I'm finished eating, and if I have to... I leave and go do something else (go for a walk etc).
Original Post by blapityblap:
i'm also in the same boat as you. i went from almost never binging, to binging maybe once every two weeks, to binging almost every other day. its a tough habit to break. try to recognize how you're feeling before you binge. are you nervous? stressed? frustrated? find healthier alternatives to rid yourself of those feelings.
my main problem is my "all-or-nothing" attitude. say i go 100 calories over my allowance. then i think to myself, well, you already overate a bit. why not make it 500 calories over your limit? 400 calories later, i find myself thinking: great, now you really blew it. what's another 500? before i know it i'm at 3,000+ calories with a stomach ache and a giant black cloud of guilt over my head.
here's a few things that have helped me:
1. except for preparing meals and snacks, i am not allowed in the kitchen area.
2. when i am eating, i do not take one bite of food until i put all the preparation materials away. then i take my plate out of the kitchen and sit down.
3. i take a deep breath before each bite, so i don't feel like i'm inhaling my food.
4. if i feel a binge coming on, i journal like there's no tomorrow, or come on here and answer people's posts. it keeps my hands busy.
5. take a shower. brush my teeth. wash my face. i do something that makes me feel refreshed and clean. that way i am more motivated and am more likely to control myself.
6. i think we all have a friend that just does not stop talking. call them. you don't have to tell him/her that you are trying to avoid a binge, but use the motormouth to your advantage. the longer you are on the phone, the longer you have to tune in to your body and recognize if you are actually hungry.good luck, and stay motivated !
Blapity blap, you describe the way I am perfectly. If I go over by 100 calories, or if I even eat something I cant measure nutrionally, I just think "what the ****" and go crazy. It happens to me mostly at work, which means I can't even employ your (very useful) distraction tactics...
