.

Actually I had the same type of problem and though I was never a naturopath beliver I had heard some excellent things about one in my area.  I had lost 70 lbs and then started to have a problem where I would eat non stop.  It originally just happened for three or four days during my period but then it got to the point where I had gained back 17 pounds.  The naturopath was my last resort.  He told me I had a slow liver and was having some problems with estrogen.  He gave me gross powdered stuff to drink twice a day (I add it to my tea) and it made an amazing difference.  I hope it keeps up.  But if you try a naturopath ask around first, the guy I had cured my friend's daughters alopecia (hair loss) when a dermatologist could not.

Original Post by nnylyma:

letisa1015 and Carolct4,

Here is basically what I've done.  Of course what works for me, both physically and life-style wise, will not work for everyone.  I eat 1200 calories a day.  I weigh all my food and plan a "menu" for the whole day the night before.  I don't eat many grains (usually only one a day at most), eat lots of vegetables and lean meat and soy.  I try very hard not to eat any added sugar or artificial sweeteners.  My biggest "trick" is making almost all of my own food, it allows me to know exactly what is in my food and to keep it as simple and wholesome as possible.  That is how I lost the first 75 pounds or so (it took me a year).  I wasn't good about exercising in the beginning.  I kept this up and started working out a few years ago.  The last 30 pounds or so came off over the next year.  My weight has been stable for a while now, but I have changed my bodyshape some because I work out with very heavy weights (greater than body weight) four times a week.  I still keep a strict diet diary everyday. 

Just as a side-bar, I'd like to mention that while I started this post talking about my binge behavior, unlike many people who are on the site currently who are new to the process,  I have moved past the point of feeling guilty and demoralized when I do this stuff.  The way I see it, why eat the cake AND feel bad?  Enjoy the cake and carry on, or don't eat the cake and carry on.  60 days of eating sensible are not down the toilet because I ate an entire box of cereal.  I just remind myself, "hey that was fun while you did it, but don't do it tomorrow"

 Well, if it doesn't really hurt you and you don't feel bad about it, does it matter?

• Thanx for this, but I do keep a journal and do 'sometimes' note how I feel when I do overdo it, but at times I feel so bad about it that I just can't fess up to it and then i don't journal it. But you're so right, it is really a matter of dealing with those deep seated issues that keep on triggering this behaviour, so I just keep on trying.

I've noticed this same thing often happens to me right before my period starts.  It's like I can't get enough food - though I'm not even hungry!!

A lot of people suffer from this. It actually is considered an eating disorder, often refered to as binge eating disorder or compulsive eating disorder. It is every bit as bad as anorexia or bulemia. The characteristics of it include eating fairly well the majority of the time, then something happens and you feel like you "lose control". You start eating and are unable to stop, even when you are feeling totally sick.  I have done this myself and researched it to learn more. Do an internet search and you'll get a lot of information about stopping this bad habit.

Hi everyone.  Thank you so much for sharing your stories and to nnylyma for posting the original issue.  I just had an overeating attack and though I feel utterly sick and embarassed, it helps to read all of your stories. 

I do agree with those that suggest finding the trigger.  My therapist and I have recently come to conclusion that for me, it's feeling lonely and abandoned (even if someone else is at home).  I also think it's a great idea to make a list of things to do to get your mind off of eating.  I think I'm going to try drinking 3-5 glasses of water to see if my stomach fills up to the point where I won't be able to eat anything.  I just hope my stomach doesn't stretch by doing this!

Congratulations for those who have lost weight and good luck to those trying to lose more! 

This is the very same post I added into a similar topic a few days ago, so I apologize to anyone who may be reading it twice. I just didn't feel like writing something new. It seems appropriate given the post. :)

***

I've had the very same problem for about 5 years. It's not that I eat unhealthily, but when I indulge, I go ALL OUT. I can totally relate to so many of the things said: it's all or nothing, feeling like something snaps inside you to trigger a rabid binge, etc. My mother laughs at the fact that I can't have a bite of pie without feeling as though I need to eat the whole thing. But it's like the smell of blood to a shark, I tell her. I NEED IT ALL, and will become cranky and aggressive if I can't have it. Even if I have just a little smidge, I am convinced that I've given in to temptation, because a "good dieter" is strict and disciplined and has a spotless meal plan. A "good dieter" would never even look in the direction of a pie. Our love of the stuff that isn't particularly good for us makes a lot of us feel like complete failures if we treat ourselves, because we think that we've ruined our meal plans. Society tells us that we're supposed to feel like fat, gross slobs for actually (gasp!) enjoying carbs. And when we indulge, we hate ourselves for it.

We try to justify our "bad behavior": "Aw well, I've have a bad day. I'll just finish off this ice cream, and be super strict with my eating for the next 2 weeks." We binge because we feel as though we need to enjoy as many goodies as we can, because if we're working on losing weight, there's NO WAY we can have ANY if we want to succeed in slimming down. We eat it as though we're never going to eat it again, and we make promises to ourselves "never to eat all that again".

It's the "forbidden fruit" idea: the fact that we tell ourselves that these foods are to be avoided only enhances their allure. I mean really, what's so appealing about french fries? They're greasy, fried potatoes. Oh sure, they taste great, but apples, bananas, carrots, and a lot of healthy food tastes great too, if not better. So why do we crave junk food? Because we know we have to limit our access to it. We can easily have an apple or an orange every day without wanting to eat 18 more. Because we know this is what we're "supposed to be" eating.

What I've started doing is allowing myself small treats each day. Stopping cold turkey is what I did when I was 18. Sure, I lost 40 pounds, but after a few months I began developing binge eating disorder. And it's done a number on me, psychologically. I've felt as though I've let my body down, because I used to be so good at abstaining from junk food. When you tell yourself you can have a little of something every day, its novelty wears off.

Now, we all have different tastes. What some people consider "treats" may just be seen as normal, mundane food. Lots of people have a penchant for chips. I can appreciate a Dorito or a Ruffle, but I can't say I REALLY crave chips. I LOVE BREAD. And because I'm Ukrainian, and because my grandmother lives with us, we have no less than 8 different kinds of bread in the house on any given day. And a good chunk of it is the sweet, rich, paska-type bread. So for me, sweet breads (as opposed to my everyday, "healthy" bread) are a big treat for me. I'm also a major cereal girl. So, in addition to my "healthy" Nature's Path variety I eat every morning for brekky, I pick up a box of something a little sweeter: I'm super into Mini-Wheats, for instance. I've been known to actually eat an entire box of Mini-Wheats in a single sitting (it was the damn chocolate ones I bought in the States!), so cereals like that are also a big deal.

So I try to work stuff like this into my regular meal plan. I'll eat my lean meats and spinach and fruits and veggies, but around the middle of the day, I'll say, "I could go for a piece of paska with some honey." And I have a piece and enjoy it. I don't try to fight my craving, because then my mind goes right back into "we must wean ourselves off of this poison!" mode. Or I'll have a bowl of maple Mini-Wheats. Or something. And I tell myself that if I want another helping, I can very easily have one...tomorrow. Just as easily as I can have a single cup of yogurt, or one apple. When you look at these things as just another kind of food, they become a little less enticing, and start becoming mundane.

Of course there are exceptions. Too much variety is a major dealbreaker, for one thing. Try to limit how much "bad" food you keep around. Also, I like stuff I can portion out easily, and that is relatively filling, and that isn't SUPER laden with calories. Store-bought ice cream tends to be a problem for me. Most of it is not that high in calories, but I can't be bothered to measure out exactly a cup, or exactly 3/4 of a cup. Things like pies and streudels also tend to have small portion sizes, but each of those portions amounts to about a third of my daily caloric intake. Also, they're not that satisfying.

SO ANYWAY, I'm starting to learn that moderation is indeed the key. Tell yourself that you can work in a little of something you like each day. You may end up sticking with it, or the novelty may wear off, and you may find yourself having a treat every few days instead of every day. You may end up weaning yourself off of something entirely. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one with this problem, but I believe that with a little effort and patience, we can overcome that which burdens our diets and bodies.

nnylyma, you say "The way I see it, why eat the cake AND feel bad?  Enjoy the cake and carry on, or don't eat the cake and carry on." Was it really enjoyable? Gluttonous gorging to the point of pain is enjoyable? Or are you just being sarcastic? Or is it a bit of psycho-babble talk you tell yourself to try to cover up the guilt and shame? Because if it was enjoyable why would you want to stop doing it? If you're enjoying it as you say you were, you're getting some kind of reward out of it. And you know the old saying "If it works, don't fix it." Most people won't stop doing something if there is no negative consequence for doing it. Be it drugs or alcohol or FOOD. Overeating food can be a very addictive drug too.

I wish you success overcoming eating this way. I'd wish you luck, but I think you're going to need a lot more than luck to overcome this. I strongly suggest you seek outside help. Eating that way is not normal or healthy, and I imagine it's going to make your life unmanageable, if it already hasn't.

bebeblueeyes,  please do us all a favor and not post to threads when you intend to use such a sarcastic, superior and degrading tone.  Along with all the other people on this site, and the world for that matter, we are all imperfect in many ways and have bad habits, wheter they be with food, behavior, social skills, whatever.  Noone on this site knows me well enough to be able to determine the manageability of my life or whether the sum total of all my behaviors has a net positive, or net negative total. 

As I have stated before, this post was intended to be a place for people to share ideas and experiences.  Honestly, I'm not trying to stop myself from doing this and would not opening it up to people's criticism (honestly, some people on this site are coyotes!) if were ashamed enough to be covering with as you so derisively put it, "psycho-babble". 

In conclusion, thanks for posting.  Your attitude and swiftness to judge my life as a whole were entertaining at least.  Pehaps you do have some good advice for someone, but they'll never take it if you don't change your tone.