Can't stop binging

kelly315 · 11-03-2009, 09:40 AM

I have binge eating disorder (no, that doesn't mean I purge) and for the last 15 months or so I've been cutting calories. I had really felt like I had overcome my BED, but this summer (and a bit in the spring) I started having binges again. At first it was rare, every few weeks, but now it's almost as bad as it used to be- almost every day. I go to group every week, but I'm not really getting any help there. I even talked to my therapist about it, and that didn't help at all. What have you done to overcome BED?

Wannabeskinny · 11-03-2009, 12:52 PM

I know exactly how you feel. I've been doing so well for the past few months and then BAAAM, I'm on a weeklong binge.... drive throughs, chips, cookies, it's awful. Whenever I binge I always know it's because of stress and emotions. I also go to therapy and sometimes it helps and other times it doesn't. There's no clear answer to this problem, I wish there was.

I do however like to look at food like it's a drug. Carbs are my trigger and I always pull back on carbs when I want to regain control. Yesterday I spent it eating 1200 calories, and no carbs. I felt like I wanted to kill someone I was so hungry, but feel much more in control today because of it. Try limiting your carbs and see where that goes, it's worth a shot.

RN BSN 2009 · 11-03-2009, 01:16 PM

I think the good thing to find out, is what are your trigger foods/emotions?

Once you eliminate the cause, you can control the damage.

For me, refined carbohydrates, and strong emotions (in either direction) often trigger a binge.

heartface · 11-03-2009, 02:29 PM

i'm in the same boat.
i am trying to motivate myself into eliminating those things that encourage binging.
i have to rethink everything i put into my body, there is no time or health to waste on these binges.
i am going to experiment with different avenues to subdue them.
if i have any success i will post about them here.

fruitlady · 11-03-2009, 05:02 PM

I have a binging problem too. I lost 65 lbs. in 10mo, eating about 1000 to 1100 cal a day of all whole natural foods. And after all the weight was lost, I started having a 1 or 2 day a week binge. I'd stuff myself w/ natural peanut butter and chocolate frozen yogurt til I felt so sick and in pain. I would gain about 3 lbs and then work so hard to get it off again. Halloween was the last night I binged, and so far I'm not doing it. I think i get scared that I'll gain back all the weight I lost. I'm sick of feeling like crap when I binge, and I threw all my trigger foods away and won't buy new stuff! It's never to late to start over, just remember that!

KarenLee · 11-03-2009, 11:56 PM

I had been doing pretty well for two weeks then I binged on halloween. I think it was an attempt to deal with some of the emotional stuff I am trying to work out. It has been such a (dysfunctional) coping mechanism for so long, it just kicks in and I go on autopilot. when I binge, I am trying to make myself feel better, but I just end up feeling worse, but at least I am momentarily distracted from what upset me to start with and all I am feeling bad about is the food...