Defining the "Binge"

One of the more frequent topics of posts and journal posts is binging. I'm curious to hear how other CCrs define a binge. In part because some posts refer to a binge as eating a "huge bowl of cereal", or "two snickers bars" or "3 brownies".  I would call this over-eating or exaggerating, but I personally wouldn't define it as a binge per se. Just as I personally don't define dinner out with friends as a binge, even though I know it often exceeds 1000 calories between food and wine.

A binge for me is when I realize that I'm eating in a way that is out of control -- either because I'm not hungry and yet I am consuming a large quantity of food, or because I am grazing (often at night) taking little bites of lots of things trying to figure out what I really crave and yet in the end am full of junk without really being satisfied.

What is NOT a binge for me is when I sit down to a bowl of ice cream, or really good dark chocolate or a lukewarm fudge brownie and enjoy every bite of it.

Anyone else?

A binge is eating out of control, to me, as you put it. When you eat beyond satiety, or when your mind is going "I want to stop" but you carry on. Calorie content doesn't make a binge - the mindset does. If you've enjoyed your food and the atmosphere and company if that applies, then I don't view that as a binge at all.

One extra cookie or two, a second helping, choosing a puff pastry pie over grilled chicken, a slightly bigger portion, a meal out or a day enjoyed with family and friends on a special occassion? That's not a binge.

Bingeing itself can be a serious, serious problem and lead to medical complications. So it can be pretty annoying when you see someone repeatedly call something like the above list a "binge" repeatedly. Particularly to someone who knows what binge eating really IS like. That's just me, though.

 When you eat beyond satiety, or when your mind is going "I want to stop" but you carry on.

I completely agree with lalabanana on this. As someone who is dealing with bingeing, I reach a point where I feel physically ill because I have eaten so much, but I just can't stop. It is frustrating to see posts that make reference to a "binge" and they say they've had two ice cream sundaes that day. I don't want to downplay how that person feels, but bingeing is all psychological, not just hunger. For me personally, the guilt, shame and secrecy of a binge is what truly makes it a binge.

a binge can mean different things to different people. Most people, eating everything in the house is considered a binge. To someone who is anorexic, maybe eating an extra bowl of cereal IS a binge to them. The same guilty feelings and shame occur, just with alot less food.

For me, a bingeis when I eat and eat to fill an emotional need - and I am not hungry. Usually it's things I would love to eat, and think will make me happy, but the guilt and lack of hunger makes it much less so. Eating a naughty treat isn't a binge - but when I order pizza big enough for a family and a whole host of sides, that is :/

I think you are quite right. There is a difference between being out of control with food and feeling guilty because you ate something that you THINK you shouldn't have. In my opinion there is more than enough space to have that bowl of ice cream or that snicker bar. But if the bowl becomes a whole tub or you eat 10 snickers bars then you might have a problem.

But binging is quite something different than allowing yourself a little bit so now and then.

is this considered a binge?

12 chocolate wafer sticks
2 steam cakes
5 digestive biscuits
3 soft bake double chocolate cookies(big)
1 bowl cereal
1 cup yogurt

my usual binges are

9 chipsmores
14 chocolate brownies
15 oat biscuits
4 pieces of cake
2 fried springroll

i feel unnaturally full and rather uncomfortable?

I agree that what defines a binge is the emotions you feel while eating rather than what you eat.

If I make the choice to go over my calories with some indulgent treat and enjoy it that is not a binge, it is a splurge.

I can binge on as little as one doughnut or as much as half the food in my fridge, but it is the feelings of guilt and self-loathing that defines it as a binge, not the number of calories.

I think it's the lack of control. The zombie like rush to the fridge, eat without thinking, stuffing food without your brain being engaged.

Yes I definately agree bingeing can do with emotions.. and also look at why you would be bingeing.  Did you eat enough during the day? Sometimes my binges are like eating until I physically can't move.. and that's obviously not trying to "feel full" its trying to numb myself or something else behind it... I define a binge as obviously overeating, but also its eating without feeling, tasting, etc. Just going through the motions of eating without enjoying it. 

Jeeze what a good question.

I define a binge as eating out of control. Like over 1,000 calories worth of food even though you don't even feel that hungry. Like your eating to eat.

So pretty much a binge for me is eating everything in my path and not caring how much I am eating because I have eaten a lot already so I may as well keep eating. If I ever binge I eat until I feel like I'm about to explode. Like it hurts. I can't believe how much I have eaten. Emotions have effect on this.

Here's what I would call a binge...

2 dougnuts, 3 cups of various cereals, 2 cups of cashews, 4 gronola bars, a bowl of ice cream, 25 vanilla wafers, and some leftover food or something.

I think it's fine if you got out half a snickers bar, or half a cup of ice cream and sat down and enjoyed it. That would be like a treat.

Yes, I think a "binge" has two important facets to it.  1) Is it really overeating to the point of being a mental issue?  or 2) Is it actually just eating more than normal, but not feeling guilty about it?  

Three weeks or so ago, because I reached my weight-window goal, I treated myself to a six-pack of low calorie rot-gut beer, a whole package of blueberry-shortbread cookies, 2 packages of Ruffles light potato chips, and some other things.  All in all, I took in over 5000 calories that day, while I had been averaging 2300 daily for several weeks.  But I DID NOT consider that binging.  Yes, since it took me around 5 days to get back to my weight window, I considered it rather stupid, but I knew what I was doing and did not feel out of control.  To some people that would have been considered an eating binge, but to me it was just one day out of 2 months where I let myself have some fun.  I think binging implies that someone, as many of you have noted, is out of control and CAN'T stop eating. 

I consider my binges somewhat along the lines of wasting 4 dollars worth of change into the vending machine at work on candy bars, but even then, I get home add it all in to Calorie Counts food log, and find out I'm still 1000 calories short of my daily maintenance goal and I stop feeling bad.

Totally sucks to know that we can all define a binge huh? At least we know we're in this together.

A binge to me is like an itch that you HAVE to scratch. If I don't, my body goes through this panic feeling. My heart will beat faster, my head will get dizzy, I will get a rush throughout my body. ANXIETY.

Mine normally starts off with something innocent like a bowl of cereal, then I HAVE to have another one, and another one, and another one. My mind will be thinking about the contents of my cabinets, searching for what else I have. I'll be stuffed but still wanting more knowing that it won't possibly fit. Then that's about the point I break down and cry.

Getting out of the house doesn't help either. Stupid dunkin donuts & sonic down the street :)

It's bad news. I think Ice Cream and Cereal are going to have to be taken out of the house again. Blah. Maybe even the chocolate chips.

But what a binge is NOT is enjoying a dinner with the family, even if its fried. As long as you feel content doing it, and your heads on straight, we be good :)

I don't define a binge by the quantity of food eaten, but by the attitude and behaviors exhibited while eating it. It doesn't matter if its 200 calories or 2000 calories, if I feel as though I lose control of eating and cannot stop stuffing my face, it's considered a binge.

I must say, it's pretty interesting to see everyone else's definition of a binge..