I spent a whole month binging when I was alone in France minding two horrible children. Out of lonliness, boredom... I don't know. I had never really binged before... but all on my own, I just couldn't help myself. I'm talking whole bars of chocolate, whole cream cakes and pies, slices and slices of bread with lashing of butters and cheeses, ice creams, cereals, dessert yoghurts... and so much more. If it was sugary/stodgy/fatty/carby I just had to stuff it in my face.
Now I'm back home with my family (just back home sweet home yesterday)- I have resolved to eat healthy and not binge.... and try and lose all the weight I gained in France.
But to be honest I'm scared that I won't be able to leave the binging behind- that I have just opened the door to this horrible monster and I will never be able to shut the door. I gained weight like crazy over in France - especially my *** and thighs - I'm petrified that I will be triggered here like I was in France and the reason is, as I've said before, I just lose all control and just have to get as much food into myself as possible. It's a scary experience, not being able to control myself. In my head I'm screaming at myself to not be binging and to stop shoveling food in my mouth... But it's like my brain just shuts down and I just keep EATING.
How do I stop binging... any help, hints, tips, advice, support will be greatly appreciated.
dcfac,
It can be terrifying to not be in control. The difference between what happened in France and the rest of your life is that now you get to sit back and figure out why you reacted the way you did.
Lets face it when you are alone, frustrated, isolated and feeling overwhelmed and a little abused ...it is easy to turn that rage internally and start stuffing things into your mouth in an uncontrolled fury.
Remember how horrible you felt both before and after a binge while you were in France? Now try to remember that you are in control of your life...none of us can avoid stressful or just plain awful experiences from occuring in our lives. All we can do is decide how we will meet them and how we will react.
Think of France as a learning experience. You learned that when faced with the obstacles that you described you are vulnerable. People who feel stressed wil ususally lose some of their natural control. For woman it is much more "natural" to turn to food (which most of us associate with nuturing and safety) than alcohol.
When you start feeling stressed, angry, overwhelmed etc. remember that this is a time that you might be more tempted to binge. BUT...you are still in control of how you chose to react.
The best suggestion I can make is to take small steps in assuming control. Learn about bingeing as a stress reaction...there are plenty of forums on this site that can help but you can also google, Binge eating disorder.
Then decide what it was about your experience in France that was the most frightening for you...that could have been isolation, loneliness, frustatration and than try to analyze why that emotion is so powerful to you.
You won't be able to make that emotion go away from your life completely but at the very least you might be able to understand why that feeling provoked such a dramatic response from you.
Then remember...life is about living and not dwelling. We will all make mistakes and have bad experiences. The most important thing we can all do is try to make this world better for having lived in it...
Best of luck and if you need more support....look for all of us on the 1 day binge free and the binge free forums.
I have been a binge eater for years now. At least 10 (im 24 now) but I think it started before then even. I have been binge free 9 days now, and this is the longest I have ever gone in my life.
It's important to take things day by day (sometimes even hour by hour, or even minute by minute). The tricks that work for me is to occupy my mouth with something else. There are hours where I go from a piece of gum, to a mint, to a hard candy (all sugar free) and chewing ice, over and over again. It may not be healthy but its better than the binges I would go on lasting for hours where I would consume god knows how many calories.
If possible try and identify trigger foods that will set you off on a binge. One of my bigger triggers is potato chips. I do not buy these or eat them AT ALL. I made a list of trigger foods that are now banned from my house.
Try and identify what emotional state will set you into a binge, and what you feel while binging. I can binge out of frustration, guilt, sadness or even happiness.
This is a complex problem, and it may take some time to work out, but keep strong and you can do it. These forums are a great help.
Thank you both for your support... it has really been helpful and comforting knowing that there are people out there who will take the time to give such great support and advice.
Since back three days, I haven't binged yet so maybe it is something I will truely have left in France, along with the isolation and fustration I experienced.
Trigger foods are definitly something I will have to be looking out for. What a great idea to write them down to have a conscious list of them so you can avoid them!!! And as well I think it won't be just a question of trigger foods as for Itrigger emotions as well. Next September I will have a very stressful year in college so I know that will be the true test.
I read a good bit about binge eating from this site so armed with all this information and support, I feel I will be okay. Realy will have to take it one day at a time.
Thanks again and I hope you are succeeding with everything you you have set out to achieve!
4 days back from France and I haven't even wanted to binge. I've been on a diet of all bran cereal, yoghurt and lots of summer fruits! I love summer!!! And tehn very healthy dinners - meat and veg!
So it really was ALL DUE TO MY EMOTIONS!!! Out of the suffocating environment and back home, my desire to binge has completely disappeared!
I will make it my top priority to keep my emotions in check and take good care of myself... I know now that frustration, boredom and lonliness are my trigger emotions..... and cake and pie are my trigger foods...
Keep on going girls, we can do this. If you are binge eating, are you in an environment that causes unhappiness, frustration, boredom or isolation... or any emotion for that matter- you should try your best to change it!!!
I've opened the door to the binge monster
Thank you
