Stopping bingeing & overeating: Did it work for you?

So, I'm curious to anyone who has ever consistently over-eaten or binged and gotten past it somehow - how did your life change? Physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.

I'm trying to learn how to live and eat healthily and in moderation, and it'd be great to hear first-person accounts of what life is like after you've overcome these difficulties. Thanks! :)

I did it! For the most part at least :) My last semester at school was absolutely horrible, socially, emotionally, physically --you name it, i was constantly upset and constantly binging. once i got home for break, i noticed that i still wanted to binge and i struggled for a while. i did lose some of the weight, but i still would be upset and find myself eating. so i finally went to my doctor and she said that my hormones are out of wack and she put me on Yaz to take care of the cravings/mood changes and all that (I didn't start til August on the pill)

I still struggled a little as the summer went on b/c all i ever think about is food, but i was in a better place so it slowly phased out for me. i returned to school early to a new situation, new friends and a new living arrangement (a single ahh!) I've been eating better and exercising daily. I still have mini-binges, but that consists of me really wanting ice cream and getting the large instead of the small. i've grown to accept that you need to live a little and not to restrict bc if you do you binge.

I started the summer at 162--my highest weight ever! Its now Sept. and I'm down to 149ish.  Its been slow, but I'm glad because I know its better that way. I aim to keep my calories under 2000 everyday and exercise everyday at least 30 mins. it also helps relieve stress :) I also try to weigh myself everyday to stay on track, but only log my weight 1 time a week (Wednesdays, when I find I eat the most)

Idk if this helps but its definately possible to overcome binging. you need to find something to fill the void that you are filling with food. thats what i found for me...i wasn't happy for so long and all i did was eat. now i aim to find the positives in each day and accept that im not always perfect.

That really gives me a lot of hope. Sometimes it feels like it's going to be impossible to not binge, or at least overeat. I get so sick of the cycle. I don't do it all the time but it's a comfort thing, like when I've had a frustrating day or a lot of stress or I'm feeling super bummed out. And just by cutting out the bingeing and taking what seems to be a very moderate, realistic approach to healthy living - some exercise and reasonable a caloric intake every day without forcing yourself to severe restriction - you've actually done it. I've tried 1400 calories a day (I can make it a week and then I overdo it, of course), hardcore exercise... I burn out so fast. I think the only thing left to try is slow and steady. I'm never going to lose 30 lbs in a month, and I never should. I'm starting school again soon too (and I'll be biking there - that'll help with the exercise) and a new situation... Hopefully with a little effort, I can phase it out too! Thanks for your story :)

It took me 6 months to figure this out. I think that I binged because I was trying to eat too little/low fat diet. I do also think some of it was stress/hormone (ovary removed-started a new job) related. I was lucky to only gain one pound a month during this binge cycle.

I recently went on a sort-of Atkins diet. I've learned that my body just can not handle a lot of carbs and sugar. Carbs and sugary foods will instantly send me into a binge, even something like a granola bar...can't just eat one.

Now if I am hungry, I'll eat, but a protein based food like a piece of cheese or a few pieces of turkey. I'll be full within a few minutes and be O.K. Before, I constantly thought about food and wanted more, more, more.

I am losing weight again now. I think I'll be back at my maintance weight within a month or so. For me, the cure to the binge was to figure out what my body needed.

okay, i know i will get flamed for this, but i was a chronic binger/overeater for years. what worked for me was http://www.fast-5.com/F5Summary.html you can also google fast-5 

seriously, i used to think that kind of eating was really unhealthy, but after reading, researching and thinking about it, it makes a ton of sense. i still sometimes struggle to make healthy choices, and i believe a whole foods diet is healthiest.

but this has made a huge difference in my life, so i wanted to share!

 

please don't flame me before researching it a little bit. it really does make sense. of course it is not for everyone, though.

I used positive thinking and visualization to cut my binging way down. I also took more pride in my appearance and I just had fun with everything else. Since dieting is not fun at all. I had fun when I got to buy more fashionable clothing. I also just relaxed. I know that if I overeat one day then I just got to be more stringent the rest of the week. I usually am lol and it all evens out. Also I think about averages If im good majority of the time...lets say a b+ then Ill lose weight at a b+ rate. I dont hate on the fact that Im not an A+ dieter

Gosh it took me until about age 35 to get past it.

I think I needed to feel better about myself before I could change that behaviour. I know I was an emotional eater, and a secretive binger. I would lie about what I'd eaten, go out for dinner with friends then come home and eat again, and an evening to myself meant a binge-fest of pizza and hotwings and ranch dip and cake and more...food was my friend, my comfort, my secret vice.

I had to get honest, and make a commitment to NOT hold secrets about food. That, to me, meant that I had to stick to eating what was i wasn't ashamed of - following the rule of, if you are ashamed of what you do then you shouldn't be doing it! This was something I had to commit to in other areas of my life as well...call it an holistic approach to self-improvement.

But in order to even get to that point, where I could make that commitment and really want to follow it, I had to be in a place where I liked myself and loved myself enough to want the best for me - to feel that I deserve to be happy and not want to saddle myself with shame and self-destructive behaviour.

I guess for me, the changes in myself are always preceded by a lot of internal dialogue and self-reflection...but that's just what works for me, I have always been the more intorverted type.

I am a lot happier now, I am proud of what I have accomplished and so relieved to leave all the nastiness of shame and guilt behind me. I am not perfect, I have lapses sometimes (into guilt, not binging!). I have over-eaten on occasion, and decided "lesson learned, no more all-you-can-eat buffets" or "lesson learned, no more skipping lunch under any circumstances!" but these are just that, lessons, and are in no way the same things as what I used to do, which was true binging.

It's kinda funny to me when people use the term loosely (ok I admit I have done it too) like saying "Oh I totally binged, I had a twinkie AND a cookie after dinner!!" Ha. On the binge detector, that like a .001 in my books. But, I guess it does depend on the feeling it evokes, not just the volume consumed, so maybe that can be the same after all. Anyway I am SO glad to have moved past that long dark time in my life. Whew.

After being the MOH in my best friend's wedding at the beginning of August, we were looking at the pictures, and I realized just how bad I did look when compared to the other bridesmaids.  It probably also didn't help that I was about a foot taller then either of them.  I was feeling rather disgusted wtih myself that I had let it get that far... and I am not terribly overweight to begin with at 5'9.5" and 187 pounds.  I figured I had about 40 pounds or so to lose in order to get to where I want to be at 145 pounds.

It was almost like I had to wake up one morning and mentally flip a switch in my brain. I am now at 37 days, and bought this really nice leatherbound book to track everything that I eat every day.  I am down 9 pounds in those 37 days, and have not been at 178.2 pounds for over a year.  I am still working on training and lifting weights more then just sporadically... but it is finally all coming together.

I have had a few treats as I went, I have had an egg/sausage mcmuffin meal from MacDonalds.  I have been out for Vietnamese Food.  I have had small amount of chocolate, cheesecake, danishes.  We did go to Red Lobster for endless shrimp one night.  I am definitely not missing out.  My biggest trigger foods are ukrainian sausage and ice cream snadwiches.  So I keep a box of ice cream sandwiches in my freezer (Skinny Cow) and I cut up a roll o ukrainian sausage into such think slices adn eat them one at a time, so that I get the prolonged taste of it, but I don't eat a whole role in on sitting, which is about 2000 calories.

Yup. Been there.  It's been about three months since I've had a binge though, and I've lost 20 pounds. It took some real conscious effort to realize what triggered a binge, and then taking some steps to avoid those triggers.

One was not eating enough throughout the day, then stuffing my face at night. Now, I eat a big breakfast and a decent lunch, and although I'm hungry at dinnertime, I'm not so inclined to pig out. Plus, I plan for dinner, and snacks afterwards. Many evenings, I can still have ice cream or popcorn while I'm winding things down.

Another was not exercising. Maybe that's the biggest.  If I can get home after work, and instead of collapsing with a glass of wine and junk food, I take the dog for a long walk and maybe do an exercise video, there is no chance of a binge later on.

Boredom. Just find something else to do.  Whenever I'm busy, I don't even think about food.  It's a great time to find new hobbies, or revisit old ones.

Whatever you do, don't lose heart.  It took me a really long time to get there, but I got there, and not even PMS can derail me now!

 

 

 

Thanks for the replies guys! This is all super useful. I'll definitely use this info in my attempts at forever ending my overeating/bingeing.

Just thought I'd add my two cents here :)

Personally I struggled with binging/overeating for about eight years, and would like to think I have it under control now. Despite what people may say about 'willpower,' it's difficult to overcome and the compulsion to eat (for me at least) had borderline OCD tendencies, and the fact that I had been diagnosed with a mild form of OCD which didn't make breaking the cycle any easier.

Binging, to me, revolves around three main things things: habit, triggers, and boredom. Yes, it took me eight years to come to terms with the idea that by eliminating the three, I could essentially take back control over my body.

Basically what it came down to for me was discipline. I wake up at around 5.30am to get in 45 mins of cardio and either 60 mins of strength training or pilates six days a week. I uploaded a calorie counter program onto my phone so that I could track my calories with simple input and monitor my progress throughout the day. I find that morning exercise boosts my overall energy level for the day, and knowing how much effort I put into the workout makes it easier to make healthy choices as the day wears on.

When I was binging, 2-6pm was always the roughest time for me. Even at work, I'd have snacks at my desk etc... but this was where triggers came in. I'm another one of those people who finds that processed carbs and sugars trigger a surge in appetite. Some people recommend taking in sweets in moderation, but what worked for me was going completely cold turkey on sweets and processed carbs. (I still allowed myself things like whole grain bread and fruits to fuel my workouts.) It takes about 2 weeks to get adjusted to not having sugars/carbs, but eventually you start to no longer crave it.

Lastly, to fight boredom I try to take up new sports/activities over the weekend and spend less time in front of the tv/computer, unless it's an hour before I want to sleep and I soothe myself with a taped show like Dancing with the Stars or Desperate Housewives :)

I admire the people who are able to take some 'bad' food in moderation. But that tactic has never worked for me, and even having a teaspoon of peanut butter as a 'treat' has trigged binges, no matter how full I felt before having it. Water has also worked wonders, and I don't miss soft drinks in the least now.

Best of luck! And congrats to all the ladies here who have been able to break out of the cycle themselves :)

 

 

 

brightestblue, you lost 20 pounds by stop binge eating, that's really encouraging.  i hope my body will respond like yous just by doing simply not doing that.

Original Post by sherea:

It took me 6 months to figure this out. I think that I binged because I was trying to eat too little/low fat diet.

i agree. i used to binge and i'm pretty sure it was due to this.

i'd start off the day supposedly eating really healthily...and this went well until about 6pm when all hell would break loose.

i started eating 5 times a day with each meal about 300 - 400cals (cuz i needed about 1500 - 2000 cals a day) and i no longer binge. i tell everyone i know that binges about it because i really believe alot of bingers binge due to not feeding their body throughout the day and it creeps up on you by late evening hence binging at night. i'd say, take your daily caloric intake and split it up roughly into 5 segments or so and try to eat them every 3hrs.

good luck :)

This is a great question, I have to put my 2 cents in too. This is kind of long though..

All through college until I settled down with a guy I was absolutely desperate to lose weight. There is no question that at that age attractiveness is practically survival, it was the most important thing to me, while also being impossible.

It started in high school, I wasn't that overweight, it really was the least of my problems. If I had dressed better and had confidence and a great haircut (All of which my Mom was trying to get me to do but I wouldn't)  I would have looked great. I remember I ate over 1000 calories of fattening breakfast foods before my SATs  (And was nauseated with guilt and indigestion the whole time I was taking the test).  It turns into this huge shame thing. For instance another time I made a batch of cookies and ate the whole thing, then took some Epicac to try and throw it up, but instead I was just extremely nauseated for hours until it wore off. There went my Bulimia career.  The time I ate a whole box of raison bran AND an entire large pizza. You are like "This is it, my last chance EVER for food because I have to starve from tomorrow ON. This is my Last Chance."

I majored in nutrition for most of college but I was never eating much in the cafeteria (where people could see me.. shame was always my dinner companion), then sometimes sneaking out at night from the dorm to the strip mall with several bad food stores, where I would do my secret food cruise. One time to my horror I was stuffing something down and these cute guys from my school came in and ordered, and they were like hi, whatever, but I ate a little and slunk away with horror at being caught on my debaucherous excess.(I inevitably also dressed poorly for those secret food cruises in the dark.)  

My shame increased with each new loss and gain (even more) over the years. I really think dieting (incorrectly) gave me an eating disorder. This was a while ago, diets were weight watchers (which was never enough food.. binge city) and the exchange diet and 1200 calories etc.  I would go along fine for a while then lose it. A while after my BF and lived together I just stopped dieting.  Just the idea of dieting made me scurry to the refrigerator to eat the baddest thing possible to negate the idea.  I wanted to be thinner, but it wasn't as life or death as it was before. I ate "ferally" (My sister coined the term "feral eating" feral means wild. Anything you want anytime you want. Granted you may be eating healthy foods as well, but portions out of control.. etc). So at this point I was either dieting and binging or eating ferally and steadily gaining weight.

And did I. I got fatter and fatter, but I had the reverse anorexia thing, I always thought I looked fine, until I would see pictures and say "Oh I'm just really unphotogenic"  (which I am, I swear I can't be that ugly) but the pictures of the 20'th high school reunion of kids I really hadn't seen since freshman year killed me.. .. OMG I am Mama Cass. I didn't used to be this fat  - I WANT IT BACK" so I created a low fat high fiber no sugar diet with no portion control (No portion control was allowed yet) and lost 30 pounds and everyone at work wanted to know my trick and I pranced around but I was still kind  of fat so I went on low carb (still no portion control) and started exercising on the treadmill 45 minutes a day and got so skinny I look at the pics now and I look creepy skinny almost. But I was hot, wore the smallest smalls, dressed in juniors (ok, my tastes were "feral" for a while.. very age inapproriate. PLaying with the body I finally had, like a doll. )

Then on low carb, exercising like a madwoman I GAINED IT ALL BACK PLUS SOME. ARRGGG. That's what I'm trying to lose now. But this time I am not letting myself get too hungry. It was kind of cool yesterday, my calories had been 1400 and I was kind of hungry before bed. So I got to have two ounces of Cabot's Seriously Sharp cheese on two Wasa Fiber Ryes. It was wonderful. And enough, I wasn't that hungry, just a little peckish. So 15 pounds since August 13, 35 more to go. Then I stop and stay there, still counting but not eating a surplus.

I totally agree you have to make sure and eat enough food, and not doing that led to my eating disorder of binging and starving when I was young, that I got rid off by getting fat. I used to read cookbooks when I was hungry, like concentration camp victims. Man, that is SAD.   Set a number that is 500 less that what you burn without a big workout counted in, and your workouts will accelerate your weight loss if you want it faster (May need to want just a little more though - don't want the metabolism dive... Factor in some number of exercise reward calories if you are too hungry after exercising) Seems to me 500 less is the magic number, enough to create an unnoticable deficit. Now I'm wondering if I'm really eating enough. hm.

Yeah, once I stopped the bingeing, it was really easy to stay within my calorie allowance and not feel the least bit deprived.  Then the weight just started peeling off!

adje, how many calories are you eating per day?  How many do you plan to eat? Are you getting all of your nutritional elements?  Is there an identifiable trigger for binging?  Have you seen a counselor or nutritionist for additional help?

Typically there is a trigger of some sort whether it's from not eating enough consistently, not getting the required nutrition, an emotional/psychological element, particular foods, or some combination.  If you can identify the reasons why you do binge, and start working on those causes or issues, then the next step is to see if you can reduce or eliminate the binging.

Minimum recommended calories - 1200F/1500M +300 teen +%exercise.  If you are taller than average or heavier or more active, your minimum calorie requirements will be higher.  Often people aim for what they consider to be the bare minimum not realizing that their minimum is higher than the bare and the body demands more.

Nutrition - As a general goal, 20-30% protein, 20-30% healthy fats, 40-60% carbs is a desireable ratio.  People often go on higher protien diets, eliminate fats or carbs which can lead to a nutritional imbalance, weight gain, and binging even though the calorie intake might be appropriate.

^Man, I was put on an extremely low-carb diet for a seizure disorder & it was brutal! I know a lot of people who low carb it for life, but I was actually glad it didn't improve my condition because I really have more energy now.

I still struggle with urges to hide and eat and shame around eating. I have to fight it conciously. I don't know if my fight will ever stop, but I'd rather fight than live in secret. "We're only as sick as our secrets," right?

I've tried "eating intuitively," I've even tried OA's plan of eating. I finally figured out what works for me: structure & eating small meals. Some people do better with 3 meals a day no snacks, but that makes me freak out. It's really about playing with different ideas until you find what works, and then changing it up when it stops working.

Like a previous poster, I eat throughout the day. It totally helps me stay mellow. It's also nice because I know that  if we go out to breakfast/lunch/dinner/party ~ e.g. last night we went to my MIL who served quiche, salad and apple pie a la mode ~ that I can eat what I want to with everyone else with no guilt. Firstly, I'm not starving, so I don't overeat like a maniac when exposed to food, and also I have a healthy "account" of maintenance calories that I know is healthy to eat. 

I plan 300-500ish calorie meals, often eating them in peices as I get hungry. I also have 3 150ish calorie snacks, sometimes broken up too. I feel much better when I "graze" over eating big meals.  I never get too hungry and don't "freak out" when I'm done eating because I know that when I get hungry again I can just go eat something.

I also drink a huge glass of water first thing in the am & a glass of water after each meal. It's a nice finish & snaps me out of the "eating zen" that is so easy to fall in to.

For instance, this was my food log today:

7am: 2 egg whites with a cup of mushrooms

8am: 1 banana 

9am: a skinny latte

10am: 1/2 an english muffin broiled with cherry tomatos and swiss

11am: Granola bar

12pm: cheese

1pm: Turkey mushroom sandwich

2pm: fat free yogurt w/ stevia, cinnamon & lemon extract

3pm: "  "

4pm: 1 weetabix w/ 1/2 cup nonfat milk 1/2 pear

5pm: 1 cup greenbeans with salt

6pm: mussels, melba toast, salad, champagne

7pm: 1 cookie 1/2 cup ice cream (umm... yeah!)

Ate all day long, consumed 1237 & will have another snack when I get hungry. Some days I'm definitely hungrier than others, in which case I eat more with the idea that I'm eating for health, to feed my body.

You've just got to work with what works for you.