I just can't stop. I get 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, etc., and just. can't. stop.
Any tips?

I often feel like eating is easier than anything else...

Eating is easier than going back to sleep
it's easier than studying
it's easier than working out
it's easier than being bored...


these are all lies that I tell myself.
the truth is gaining weight & feeling self hatred is the worst & is not easy!
eating is not taking the easy way out (in the long run)

The easiest thing (if it's possible for you) is to limit the food you have access to. When I bake, I give 90% of it away. That way even if I do end up eating a ton of what I baked, I run out. :P
Eating is easier than losing weight too, but when you want something really badly, you have to do it the hard way to do it right. Once you make a habit of stopping, it gets SO much easier. Food doesn't even taste as good to me anymore. When I indulge, I usually stop halfway through what I allowed myself because it just isn't nearly as good as I thought it would be, and I picture how healthy I'm becoming. Taking that first step is hard, but you can do it!

I agree with limiting your access to food or maybe you could just force yourself to stare at food without eating it. Self control is something almost everyone has to work on in some aspect of their life.

I could have written your post. What I do find that helps me is to get a huge water bottle and drink as much as I possibly can. This is going to sound crazy.. but there is a part of me that, in the middle of a binge, tells me not to drink any water, because I KNOW that the second I guzzle a big water bottle, I literally wont be able to eat more without getting sick, and my binge-self doesnt like not being physically able to eat more.. hah.

however- when my healthy self finds her voice and I can get a bunch of water down, I instantly feel like I need to be done eating. I hope that helps.. it really helps me when Im struggling to stop eating!

I go through this a lot, as well - though the fewer carbs I eat, the more control I seem to have over eating and not eating.

Sugars and starches just make me hungrier for more - until no amount is enough.

Except for fiber, I have to really control all other sources of carbs (fiber doesn't "count" because the body can't digest it, at all).

So, lots of veggies, moderate meat and fat, and sparingly with dairy and fruit (especially high sugar fruits) as well as breads and other starches.

I use an exchange plan, and as long as I stick to it, and avoid the high glycemic carbs, I do pretty well. But even a small sugary indulgence can wreak havoc with my control (as I was reminded of this weekend).

You're right, eating is easy. I have to cook single-serving batches of meals for myself. It's a bit more work but I know I would lose the battle if I made my food in bulk. Is it an option for you, or are you in a house with big boxes of XXXX tempting food lying around?

If you get desperate, brush your teeth after you've eaten the amount you want to eat. It might dissuade you from getting more...

I feel your pain.

One thing I've found that helps is eating quality food, including enough fat. Eating for something to do isn't so tempting when one's full as when one's a bit hungry.

Another thing - eat deliberately. Eat something that takes a couple minutes to fix, such as tea. Often by the time it's ready, I've lost interest and while I'll still drink it (especially if it has no sugar or milk), I'm not wasting calories.

If you have an overabundance of food, keeping options away may work. At the same time, I've found that when I'm in that mode where I want to eat, it really doesn't matter what I have or don't have in the house - I will find something. It's a state of mind. Somehow you have to cut it off.

Yoga has helped me focus on how I feel and become more self-aware as a result. Doing poses daily helps me keep my mind on track.

I've been there and the answer isn't easy. It may require a lot of trial and error. But hang in there - keep striving and you will build a different path.

I'm SO with you on this one. I've found a few wasy to help myself out of this problem, but I'm still really good at skirting around my good habits to cheat.

1. I know I LOVE the feeling of getting seconds (it feels so indulgent and comfortable) so I will deliberately make my first helping teeny tiny so that I CAN have seconds and it's ok.

2. I literally throw food into the trash before I can eat it. Like this evening -- I felt sorry for myself, wanted a treat, so I went down from my apartment and bought TWO huge cookies. As I was paying for them I realized that I'd feel terrible if I ate them both and that I'd never stand a chance against them if they sat in my house, so I tore off half of a cookie and shoved the other 1.5 cookies into a dumpster before I could think again. It sounds extreme and wasteful (I wasted about $1, really), but I'm proud of myself for thinking ahead to how I'd feel afterwards.

3. I'll often chew gum immediately after the meal. Sometimes I'm not hungry but I just like the sensation of chewing and the slight sweetness. Gum can often help me to realize I don't want food anymore, and at any rate, it helps me to think before putting anything else into my mouth!

Decide on your portion size upfront, and make it realistic, don't give yourself too little otherwise you'll feel deprived. Write down/track what you're eating before you eat it, if you can. Then serve up the portion and immediately put the rest of the food away in the fridge or freezer before you sit down to eat. I like to cook in bulk and freeze individual portions. If you're worried that the food is too hot to put away, although frankly I think people overestimate the likelihood of this causing a problem when it's only a few portions, then at least put it into the container and put the lid loosely on top, rather than leaving it sitting temptingly in an open pan.

Keep an eye on whether there are some foods which you find more "moreish" than others. Carbs are a common trigger, as Kaplods mentioned. For some it's all carbs, for some it's only refined carbs or only sugar. Sugar + salt + fat in the same food is a known trigger for overeating, it's used by restaurants and food manufacturers as a means of getting you to eat more. On the other hand, make sure that you're eating something that you find satisfies you. Protein, fibre and a small amount of fat are usually necessary for good satiety.

Also, try not to let yourself get ravenously hungry as that too tends to lead to overeating. If you are getting extremely hungry, post here to talk about it and we'll help you work out why it's happening and what you can do about it.

Another thing which I don't think has been mentioned is the 20 minute rule. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to register that you're full. If you're tempted to have seconds, wait 20 minutes first to see whether you're truly hungry. It's not too hard, because you are telling yourself that you can always have the food in 20 minutes.

What helps me is planning out my whole day of food. I count calories so I just plan it all out in the morning (the easiest time of day for me foodwise) and just eat what I plan. If I do that, I'm not hungry so I don't tend to binge. I make sure I eat at regular intervals. I make myself eat breakfast, whether I am hungry or not, then eat lunch, 2 snacks, then dinner.

Thanks, everyone, for the amazing advice.

I know a huge part of my struggles is that I tend to push myself really hard and take most things I do overboard. It's pretty crazy, and I'm working towards a more sane "Middle Path".

Cooking meals for myself and eating a rounded meal three times a day is a sane, balanced way to live. I often allow myself to forget this.

Also, because I am smaller & more 'petite', when I gain weight I am still often 'thinner' than taller girls (only in pants size) but in reality I am flabby and unhealthy. I have a pretty 'thin' self image, too, which is good on the one hand, but sometimes it's bad because I am really living in denial--in a fantasy world.

I know I eat to make pain go away. This is one of my big struggles.

Another thing I should mention: I'm vegan/ vegetarian. I don't eat meat, seafood, eggs, cheese, or other dairy products. Because of this, I often trick myself into thinking over-indulging in my "healthy" snacks won't hurt me--but overeating is overeating, no matter how you cut it!

Pageta, I've also experienced how amazing yoga can be. It's really healing. When I get into (doing it most days a week), I feel more 'in the zone'. More 'in control'--in a positive way. My head feels clearer. I'm less tempted to go overboard on food. It's great. Problem is, it's so easy to let newer, healthier habits go & revert to old, "comfortable" habits when the pressure rises.

I feel the exact same way! When I know I'm over-eating I have almost a revulsion towards water. I stare at the glass of water and I just know that I will feel sick when I drink it. Somehow I manage to avoid the water until I'm completely stuffed and then take a sip, which is super-painful and unhealthy.

Anyway, I'm on vacation now, so I'm doing a lot better (when I don't have to think about school work I usually do tons better) but I'm drawing up a bunch of health plans and I'm resolved to just do it! when I get back on campus.

Have you ever tried the STOP method....we all have tricks and ways we keep ourselves in check and nothing is bulletproof because we live and we learn and sometimes need to fall before we tell ourselves enough is enough...the key is never give up and keep trying because just as much as you choose to indulge I am sure there are also times you have been able to say no.
I like this method...
STOPP- Stop
Take a deep breathe
Observe any feelings..what's going on? what are those emotions you are experiencing or trying to run from? notice body sensations, triggers, what are you thinking?
Pull back / Put in some Perspective. What’s the bigger picture? Take the helicopter view. Is this fact or opinion? How would someone else see this? Is there another way of looking at this?
Practice what works. What is the best thing to do right now –
for me, for others, for the situation.

Again nothing is bulletproof but the key is to know what are your options and build different skills to help you....Just my two cents.

One thing that helps me is if I'm eating a meal with vegetables (say chicken, salad, dinner roll), I eat the veggies first. Because I know how horribly uncomfortable I feel when I get stuffed. So it sort of forces me to fill up on relatively low-calorie food and eat less of the other stuff.