Is it possible to "cure" yourself of binging?

I used to binge eat a lot. In fact, it was a 2 month binge-diet cycle that got me onto this website and making healthy and maintainable changes.

Anyway, every now and then I slip up. I have been doing this for 6 weeks and have binged on 3 days of this (1 a few weeks ago, and 2 this weekend). It doesn’t do enough damage to make me gain weight (at max i will binge 500 cals over my maintenance), but it definitely slows my weight loss down. I try really hard not to let it get to me, but these binges do make me feel really low, not to mention sickly. This weekend was pretty bad. I’m keeping things in perspective with the knowledge that this week I will really up my game. I will. But I need to try to get to the source of the binge if I want to prevent it in the future.

I have noticed this cycle:

I work really hard, I lose weight. Say, 2 pounds. I get really excited about it, I’m happy, I think things are going really well. BUT THEN I have this weird come-down phase. It’s like, I get excited about the weight loss, and so maybe I think I have progressed more than I actually have, or that I look really great or something…and I’ll catch a sight of myself in the mirror or try on a pair of old shorts that still don’t fit and realise that I haven’t actually come that far. And that I have ages to go. So I get depressed, I feel hopeless, and I binge. Then I realise that I cannot live like this, or go back to the way that I used to be, and the cycle continues. I get a rush of motivation and start working hard again.

I can accomodate for my binges by cutting down the next day and stuff…but I really want to tackle the problem head on. I want to prevent myself from binging in the future. I’m sick of it happening and I am scared that it will start being more frequent and I will wind up like I used to be.

Until I find a solution, I can recognise triggers, like having junk food in the house, studying at home instead of the library, and the biggest one - exercise free days.

So yeah, I am able to overcome binges by cleaning up my mess and hopping back on the wagon pretty soon afterward...but how do I actually stop them from happening in the future? Has anyone done this successfully?

Original Post by applemilk1:

I can accomodate for my binges by cutting down the next day and stuff…but I really want to tackle the problem head on. I want to prevent myself from binging in the future.

That's a big part of your problem right there... "Cutting down the next day and stuff" means you're getting even less energy than you need, compounding the problem and so your body is in an even bigger energy shortfall.  Which, in turn, will inevitably end up in overeating at some point in the future.

Most of this kind of thing is caused by undereating.  The way forward is to stop 'dieting' for a while and eat your maintenance calories instead.  Make sure it's the right amount for your age, size and level of activity.  Be realistic rather than going for something  stupidly low like... let's say 1200 cals and then doing a lot of exercise on top..   (If you're under 21, this site will help you determine how much energy you really need.  http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html) Choose good wholesome nourishing foods, eat regularly (3 meals a day plus a few snacks if necessary) and get things back on a level pegging.  You can even lose weight just by doing this.

When you're back in balance reduce your regular intake by no more than 500 cals from the maintenance. This is low enough to start losing weight but not so low that your body will be starved of nourishment.   It has to be good food because if your body isn't getting the right nutrients it will a) make you feel down and b) send you off looking for top-ups.

And if you do find yourself overeating slightly in future don't call it a binge... that's just verbal self-abuse.... and don't compensate the next day.  Go straight back with your regular intake.

"at max i will binge 500 cals over my maintenance"

That is not a "binge."  It would take 7 days of " 500 cals over my maintenance" to equal one extra pound of weight gain, as I understand it.

You haven't binged and to stay away from binging, just diet and exercise intelligently; and on occasion let your hair down, kick off your shoes, and enjoy life to its fullest.

Original Post by pilgrimdude:

"at max i will binge 500 cals over my maintenance"

That is not a "binge."  It would take 7 days of " 500 cals over my maintenance" to equal one extra pound of weight gain, as I understand it.

You haven't binged and to stay away from binging, just diet and exercise intelligently; and on occasion let your hair down, kick off your shoes, and enjoy life to its fullest.

I agree with this, I'd say you're 'consistently over-eating' and consequently under-eating rather than 'binging' and you could probably resolve it by planning ahead a little more. Perhaps working out the night before what you're going to eat the next day?

Binging is an addiction. An addiction to food. Just like Alcoholism is an addiction to Alcohol and a smoker has an addiction to cigarettes.

You have to wean yourself to overcome it, but like all addictions it's not easy and there will be times when the urge to go back to habits strike even well into recovering every now and then. You just have to have coping mechanisms on how to work your way through it. To realize even if you do slip one day, that tomorrow (hell even the next few minutes or hours of the day) is a new day to start over and one day isn't the end of the world, but the real point is how you handle the situations and the steps you take to move on.

Never, ever under eat to make up for a binge. You go back to your regular meal plan the next day and get back on track. It's so easy to give up and go back to unhealthy habits, but you have to take a stand in your life to break the cycle to give your body the health and strength it deserves. You only have one so you should take care of it the best you can.

If you under eat one day or for a few days naturally you are going to be starving and what happens? Like a person who has been lost somewhere with no food available that once you see it you will go to it like mad trying to give your body the nutrients it needs. Hence why I say eat like regular the next day and try to keep it up.

I agree with others to perhaps plan your meals the night ahead (hell maybe on Sunday write out your weeks worth of menus so you can follow it for awhile until you get an idea of what your body needs.)

Don't forget to put in an indulgence every now and then into that menu. Temptation and Deprivation never did any good for anyone. Just watch your portions and fit it in for the day.

A person can overcome anything if they have the faith and will to do so and most of all uses their heads instead of taking drastic measures to reach it.

Good Luck. :)

You've already had some great responses, but I figured I'd put my two cents in.

For me, I've always had a bit of a binging problem since I was a lot younger.. I mean, I didn't restrict really, but I did binge basically every day, and I was constantly gaining weight.  I went on several diets, and they always failed because as soon as I lost all of my weight (I was at a very healthy BMI several times throughout my life), I didn't learn how to stop binging and change my lifestyle really because I did diets like Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and Atkins (hence my vegetarianism) and none of them really, in my opinion at least, set you up for success afterwards.

Anyways, right now, I'm truly making a lifestyle change.  It didn't say your weight in the posting, so I'm not sure if or how much you want to lose..

But this is what I do:

I plan out my meals the night before.  I never do it a week in advance because I notice that if I do it a week in advance, I get too ambitious and add more on days where I plan to exercise and I don't get the chance to exercise that day due to things like work calling me in, etc.  So I plan the night before.. I plan for 1500-1800 calories depending on what my day looks like.  I start the day with some dairy and protein (I make a breakfast sandwich with a soy protein "sausage", some low fat cheese, and an English muffin), and if I have a snack before lunch, which I usually don't because I'm in class and usually not too hungry after my delicious breakfast, I will have a low fat yogurt or a cup of frozen grapes.  Then, I plan the rest of my day accordingly.. if I go out, I have a very small lunch to save calories for my dinner, and I always have a snack at the end of the day of Trader Joe's low fat popcorn (only 120 calories for 2.5 cups!!!).

I know, at least for me, I don't get filled up by the food in my stomach, but I tend to get filled up by seeing how much was on my plate and how much I finished.. it's way too psychological for me, which is why I binged in the first place.  If you're similar to how I was, you should add a huge serving of steamed broccoli or carrots or celery, or whatever vegetable you enjoy to your plate.  It will seem like you're eating a lot, even though the extra calories are very low :)

It's important to realize that deciding to getthe cheese cake after dinner isn't binging, it's living. And while you want to watch what you eat, you can't stop living. If friends invite you out or just get the urge to have a littel ice cream, it's ok to go for it every now and then. Having some extra calories once a week might slow your weight loss very slightly, but it will also remind you that you can live your life just the way you always had while you're dieting!

Applemilk1,

OMG this is me in a nutshell! As long asI keep my food "triggers" out of the house, my home is "safe". I also work at a restaurant and saltines and croutons are triggers. I just can't have one. Eating just one can put me in to a multi-day binge. I keep trying on the same pair of shorts. I'm afraid when they fit, I'll go in to a binge. It's been 1wk since my last binge. I haven't gone this long in a long time!

Good luck to you!