I AM SO FRUSTRATED! NEED BINGING hELP!

i feel like i just cannot get out of this rut! i have been working really hard to try and kick my binging habit this whole summer, and although i think it has gotten better, my binges don't tend ot be quite as big as they used to be, i still binge way too frequently. i seriously don't ever want to binge again, but i don't know how to stop it. i try to make sure i eat enough and don't forbid any foods, but it still isn't really working. i don't think i have any underlying emotional issues, other than maybe low self-esteem, but i am not depressed and have a very nice life.

every time i think i have "cured" the problem, i do it again! like i had been doing pretty well for the past week or so, and last night i found myself dreaming about food! yes i actually have dreams about food. i woke up this morning and couldn't think about anything but eating. i tried to have my coffee and breakfast, with fruit and toast and then more fruit and wait. but i was still hungry. so i ate some and stopped and waited. still wanted more. ate. finally got kind of full and stopped for awhile. then another hour and half later i was eating again b/c i decided i wasn't really full. and then another hour later i made my brother pancakes and had one and some cheez-it mix but i had to be full i consumed over 1000 cals before that this morning. now here i sit fat and bloated. my stomach looks so gross i hate that so much.

should i eat dinner tonight? even if i'm not very hungry? should i just drink water the rest of the day and eat a light meal if i get hungry?

i REALLY want to stop binging forever. if anyone has had success please share all of your tips with me. i have been using my parents as therapy, meaning i try to talk about my issues with them. do i need to go to a real therapist to kick this habit? i'd rather not, but if it is necessary, i will.

today was such a bad relapse. i am so upset with myself. this should be so simple, yet i somehow have such a hard time with it.

I know exactly how you feel. I binge because I feel defeated and decide I can eat whatever I want or because I'm bored. I've found that what works best for me is to try to put it out of my mind. I try to go all day without thinking about weight loss and what I'll eat for dinner that will fit in a diet plan or if I'm going to exercise, etc. But truly, the less you think about it, the less you'll stress about it and ultimately your body's natural cravings will take over. Even when you do finally eat, enjoy the food but don't get wrapped up in it. I get so excited about food and it makes me want to eat everything.

I know its tough to put this out of mind, so an alternative is to switch up your schedule. For me, my most vulnerable time is when I come home after work. If I'm feeling nervous like I might binge, I spend a little extra time out of the house--I'll go to the mall and window-shop or go for a walk or I'll grab a friend and a low cal drink and sit outside and chat.

My best recommendation is to just put the diet out of mind. We focus so hard on weight loss that it puts way too much pressure on us. Put your focus on life for a while and try not to think about individual food items or dishes that really set you off. Remember: food is just fuel.

(I know I know :) easier said than done)

If you find yourself hungry, eat.

HOWEVER, don't go ordering something like an extra-cheesy pizza just because you feel like you've blown it for today... have something that's a little lower in calories but filling.
A large vegetable salad with a piece of broiled chicken can fill you up for less then 300cal.
With your meals, make sure you include proteins, healthy fats and fibre. Those will give you a feeling of satiety, unlike your fruit which can cause a sudden spike in your blood sugar and leave you feeling hungry soon after it drops.

In my opinion, a pancake and a handful of cheez-it's sounds more like an over indulgence than a binge.

I know when I binge it's because I haven't eaten enough that day/day before... make sure you're eating enough.
If you feel a 'binge' coming, go do something else. Go outside for a nice long walk, read a book, draw/paint. Something to preoccupy yourself with. ((And if you do go for the walk, you're burning some calories too))

I eat between 1 and 1.5 servings of cheez-its as my daily snack :)  I get the reduced fat ones, but the ones that are just regular really aren't that many more cals. 

I think you're being too harsh on yourself.  Having a pancake and a handful of cheez-its really isn't a binge.. or an over-indulgence of any kind.  It's simply just taking care of yourself and eating things you really enjoy every once in a while.  I would only worry if you find yourself eating a stack of pancakes and a box of cheez-it's.. or eating a pancake and cheez-it's together every day.  Anything is good in moderation :)

haha i would have been ok with just the pancake and some cheez-its, it was everything i ate before that i don't even know if i can remember it all, granola bars i believe 2, rice krispy treats 2, 5 graham crackers and milk, a piece of cheese, peanut butter (with a few spoonfuls of pb that never made it on the tortilla just straight to my mouth ha) and honey on a tortilla (weird i know but good) starbursts, a handful of tortilla chips with cheese, and a little pasta salad...it is possible there was more but that's all i can remember at the moment haha.

lbug, thank you very much for your advice! i am definitely going to try to distract myself more when i start to get preoccupied with food/dieting. i am going to try to train my brain to think of something else haha, because i do find that i eat b/c i'm thinking about food. and i also get that i'm so excited i want to eat everything at once feeling haha.

sulfyr, i like your idea about replacing unheathy foods with filling, healthy options. i tried doing this with the fruit a little but it just wasn't happening yesterday haha but i think that is a great idea. i am going to try a lot of veggies and maybe something like a big piece of grilled chicken next time with lots of protein to fill me up!

this was the worst binge i had had in a long time, but at least i learned from it-not to do that again b/c i had a stomach ache for several hours after and that i have made alot of progress b/c i used to binge like that much more frequently. so today i'm going to get back on track and go running and to work and play soccer and all of that fun stuff.

anymore tips are welcome to prevent future binging! thanks everyone!

First, don't beat yourself up and don't raise the bar so high.  Don't make your goal an impossible oone like "I will never binge again".  How about "I will binge less often....or once a week....when I binge I will not go so overboard..."?

Binging is really mind over matter.  I agree to eat if you're hungry, but it sounds like you need to have more healthy snacks around, and if possible don't have the chips, rice crispie treats, etc. even available.  Try some of the high protein or high fiber bars.  Eat half of one and let it settle and see if that satisfies your hunger.  Drink more water.  Sometimes thirst masks itself as hunger.

Mostly, be kind to yourself and hang in there!!!

I don't know much about binging, but in reading the posts above, I thought maybe making a meal plan beforehand, then sticking to it, might help?  You could plug all your planned foods in advance and make sure that the nutrition is balanced, and that you are also eating enough for your activity. 

I used to be guilty of not thinking much about what I ate when I ate it, until I started plugging things in and realizing that my nutrition was out of whack.  Following a plan helped me be more mindful when I eat, rather than just grabbing whatever is lying around because I'm hungry.  Planning my meals and knowing they build into my daily macronutrient goal makes me confident that when I get hungry and I reach for that snack, I know it fits into a nutritional "bigger picture" so to speak.  I know that when I am eating I am doing something good for me. 

Just thinking that if you find yourself overeating some days, then undereating others, having a plan in place that you simply have to follow might be a way to stay on track?  Of course, your plan needs to be balanced, with enough calories to match your activity level, and high in nutritional value (good on fats, protein, whole grains, veggies, fruit). 

Again, I don't know about issues related to binges but it is just a though.  I also agree on not keeping junk around (as much as you can help it - although it sounds like you live with your parents, so food purchases may not be up to you).

yeah i'm home for the summer from college so i can't control the junk. at school i wouldn't buy it. usually its not much of a problem i can control myself most of the time. i also ate yogurt and granola which is a healthy thing, it kinda doesn't always matter what it is, i will just eat alot of what i can find. cc31, that is my new idea. i sat down and planned out my meals for the week pretty much (minus dinner my mom makes it so i just eat a reasonable portion). i am hoping this helps, thanks for the great suggestions!

binging is totally mind over matter. most of the time i am completely in control of myself. i have been working on cutting down my binges, trying to lessen the damage each time so that eventually it just doesn't happen and had been doing well until yesterday. right now, i am trying not to freak out too much if i overeat a little some days, because i realize that that happens sometimes to everyone. i feel much better today, i did well, and worked out. i guess i just impatient when i relapse you know? i need to realize that it takes a long time to get completely better b/c it took a long time to build these bad habits. thanks so much everyone!

it sounds like you and i are on the same page - im home from college too and have been trying all summer to kick my binging habit. ehhhh...its not been a perfect summer, although my binges have seemed to get better. i do the same thing though- wake up hungry and just eat WAY too much for breakfast. geez. and ive dreamt about food, too. ive actually woken up upset because i thought i actually binged on pop tarts and ruined my day, when i actually dreamt the whole thing. so weird. are you working over the summer? i know that i do better if i keep busy, so ive started volunteering. also, lately ive been trying to exercise right when i get up. i know its best to have a light breakfast before working out, but that can lead down a verrry slippery slope. plus, working out puts me in a better frame of mind and makes it easier to stay focused throughout the day. plus running kills my hunger, so if i eat after i work out, its much easier to stay in control.

good luck!

cc31, that is my new idea. i sat down and planned out my meals for the week pretty much (minus dinner my mom makes it so i just eat a reasonable portion). i am hoping this helps, thanks for the great suggestions!

You're welcome!

binging is totally mind over matter. most of the time i am completely in control of myself. i have been working on cutting down my binges, trying to lessen the damage each time so that eventually it just doesn't happen and had been doing well until yesterday. right now, i am trying not to freak out too much if i overeat a little some days, because i realize that that happens sometimes to everyone. i feel much better today, i did well, and worked out. i guess i just impatient when i relapse you know? i need to realize that it takes a long time to get completely better b/c it took a long time to build these bad habits. thanks so much everyone!

That sounds like a good plan and attitude.  Just remember it's not all-or-nothing.  As with anything, changing takes time!  A gradual approach will make it more likely that you will be successful on your goals.  Feel free to message me anytime if you need support.  I haven't suffered from binging myself, but I can always listen!  ;)