I just realized when my binging started...and I'd like some advice

so lately I've been binging quite a bit....like I just sit here in my room and can't stop eating, while the entire time I'm wondering to myself whyyyy. 

and today, I realized when this all started

it was when I found out that my best friend from home was going to a residential center for an eating disorder

I think something clicked in my head that day...and I started questioning my own behavior and wondering if I too was on the verge of anorexia...which now that I look back, I wasn't....but I think I got scared so I started telling myself that binging was okay sometimes, and now I just can't stop

although I've come up with some ways to physically stop myself from binging (that sometimes work)...I don't know how to deal with the deeper issue....

any advice?

boop

I myself am recovering from an eating disorder.  I was anorexic for about 8 months and have gained all my weight back, and I am now trying to lose it again the healthy way.  The best advice I can give you is make sure you are eating enough, if not, you will get wicked cravings that will make binging unavoidable.  I still do it from time to time, but just try to put food in its proper place: fuel for our bodies, not an emotional crutch.  Good luck.

Hm, I don't really know what to tell you since I also struggle with binging. Sometimes it helps me to mentally take a step back and think about what I'm doing. The 'trick' that works best for me is to imagine that someone I respect is sitting near me watching me. Would I want them to see me shoving mountains of food down my throat?

As for the deeper issue, I can only think that there is something missing -- some void you're trying to fill. Is there a counselor you can see about this? Talking it out with a good listener might help.

Although I am not an expert on eating disorders, I do know about emotional eating. And you've taken a good step in looking to the when...and even the situation. But are you sure that fear was the emotion that triggered binge eating? Could it be some other emotion such as confusion for what your friend is experiencing? Loneliness because your friend is not available to you? Sadness?

Typically, binge eating is feeding an unmet emotional need. Is food your friend? Does food make you feel better? What pain is soothed by the food?

I find myself eating from boredom. When I am alone, I "feel" hungry, but I've found that I'm really just lonely or bored. So I call a friend and talk for a while, drinking something low cal. Or I get out of the house and go somewhere (not to eat).

What will help you with your binge eating is to really think deeply about why you want to eat...what are you medicating with food. Then fix the problem without food...

This isn't simple. In fact, its the type of thing that might require a good friend, a minister, a counselor, a parent - to talk about it with someone else to see if saying things out loud might help pin down the problem.... my best wishes to you.

Keep posting here, people will help - eventually.

"Could it be some other emotion such as confusion for what your friend is experiencing? Loneliness because your friend is not available to you? Sadness?"

....I think you hit it, because I definately broke into tears when I read that

The weird thing is, I'm not ever thinking about that when I'm binging.  I never feel particularly lonely or hungry when I binge, I more just feel nothing. 

oh, and there's reall yno counselor I can see right now...I am going home in 3 weeks (oh my gosh) and I'm hoping that being with my family and my friends will help fix whatever is wrong right now.  I have NEVER struggled with food/eating back at school in the states so I should be fine in the spring

...I just want my last few weeks here to be enjoyable, not all about food, and me struggling 24/7 with what I've been eating

for me, binging started as trying to fill a gap and make up for sadness in my life. then it just became a habit and whenever i binge, i forget what i'm doing and i don't feel anything. i'm not even hungry. the only way to get over this is to increase the amount of calories you eat during the day by a little bit and record EVERYTHING you eat in a food journal. trust me, you want to get over this FAST before it gets too out of hand.

okay so today....

1. I'm going to start writing down everything I eat...I stopped logging here because it was driving me nuts, but I'll just write everything down so I can see it - and maybe it'll hit me what I'm doing if I binge

2. Try to come to term with the fact that I can't see my friend right now...but I will in three weeks (three weeks from today in fact!!)

3. I don't know....focus my food eating energy on all the papers I have to write

I'm going to keep myself accountable here, its more public than my journal so I'll be more likely to try not to screw it up! :-)

thanks all

Laurdie!  Isn't it amazing how we react to things that scare us?!  I can totally relate to what you are talking about!  While I don't have a friend with eating disorders that I know of, I had been having the same kinds of fears as you were... what if I'M going over the line between healthy and disordered eating?!  So, I did the same thing as you did!!  Almost like I was proving to myself that I don't have a problem... see? look!!  I can eat 6 of these 100 calorie fudge covered oreos... yep, lookie me, I can.  I don't have a problem! 

Of course, with Thanksgiving and a pot luck at work in the wake of those oreos, I've now overeaten 3 days in the past 10!!  I totally feel your pain, but unfortunately, I can't really offer any helpful words of advice.  I think what you're doing is probably a great approach that I will borrow from to get me through those fears, too!!

Hang in there! ~hugs~

so I'm going to bed and day 1 is over...

1. I wrote everything down!
2. no binges
3. I didn't even fret about calories...I made healthy choices, ate when I was hungry, and didn't binge, so I didn't have to!
4. I think I am going to bed truly satisfied and happy for the first time, in a long time

Raehn, sounds like we scared ourselves into doing the same thing!  Admitting it, and realizing it is the first step!

Billy, good advice - I had a bigger breakfast, and instead of eating some cereal or banana and a yogurt, which I always eat, I had something I actually wanted and I was much less tempted to snack again early in the day!  Thanks!

going to spain for a few days...we'll try not to binge while I'm there!

You need to distract your mind somehow. Or try just binging on veggies. I know that isn't what you want to hear but it's something.

Hi!

I'm new here and I have a problem. i'm only 19 years old and i've always been overweight bu last year i had lost 8 kilos. this year i broke up with my bf of 3 years and i found myself alone; lonely and always at home. i began binging and i can't stop, and i feel i'm an ugly unattractive blob. sometimes i feel like I want to cry because i've never felt like this. i know i need to lose weight but temptation to binge is always there. at times i ended up feeling i need to throw up. i don't know what to do. all i know is that i am very unhappy and that i don't have any support from my family to lose weight...they just think i'm lazy and that i don't want to diet. but they don't know how i feel inside. i want to be free.....please help me before i balloon more. i don't know what i should do!!!!!!!!!!

i thank anyone who helps me. thanks so very much

MARIA

Hey,

The only advice I can give you, is to not deny how you feel. I understand and feel the same way about myself sometimes. The only thing that has helped me is my relationship with God. I am not trying to sound cheesey or religious. But knowing that in God's eyes I am perfect and He created me as a masterpiece, a beautiful women I can be reassured that someone will always love me no matter what I weigh or feel about myself. He is always there, and he is the only one who can help me get through it.

So i hope this helps.  If you want you can e-mail me at sarahr@ncctk.com

okay so i just got back from spain and I did pretty well all weekend...so I probably ate more fatty/amazing tasting foods than I should have but hey, how often does one go to spain?  I'l start writing down everything I eat again tomorrow!!

Recovering now.  From Anorexia.  Although I cant believe i was actually diagnosed with it.  But When I was 14 I was scared the first time I starved myself and started bingeing uncontrollably which led me to something worse I starved myself to about 98 pounds yes i know not THAT low.  But its really dangerous.  Just as anorexia leads to binge eating disorder, Binge eating disorder can lead to Anorexia.  Its scary and it has a great effect on your halth so far Ive gained7 pounds weighing 105 but I still dont feel as great as i used to anymore.  I feel sick all the time.  Although i eat okay now.

hiya beautiful!

well i used to be anorexic and i went down to 60Lbs and got hospitalized, gained 20 back, and hit recovery. and by recovery i meant BINGE EATING! yeah, every anorexic goes through binge eating at some point. your body is saying it wants all the food u've deprived it for so long, yeah all at once too! lol, but its the middle stage of recovery or worsen anorexia nervosa. so yeah.

now i'm stuck in the middle of bulimia and binge eating. i weigh 109 atm.  blah, but i know if i don't take care of myself, i'll be anorexic again. its a vicious cycle, so take care of urself! =)

crap! haha sorry, i didn't really answer your question! lol

ok, most of the time binges are triggered by something.

when u are planning to binge, FIND OUT why u are gonna do so.

for me, i know i binge when i'm really stressed out and everything is going wrong, or i don't wanna do my hw so i eat therefore i can waste time. so yeah, find out ur triggeres and it'll help.

maybe u binged in your room because u have so many thoughts and emotions and u don't know what to do or how to solve them, so u binge? hope i sorta helped! =/

i found this thread again after a year...

:D

ok so things have really changed. I lost some weight and gained a boyfriend, he's now my fiance' and we will be married in a few years' time :D

However I'm still trying to continue going down... :D