overcoming overeating.

  • hi,
    i've been away a while cuz i've been in school for the past year, 2 weeks to grad. though yay!

    in that time though i've done nothing to help my eating habits. there's been spells of eating less, eating healthy and of course eating too much. so my wieght is about the same as it was before school.

    but it s become more apparent to me that my poor eating habits are causing me to age quicker, and i'd like to make some changes that will keep me looking and feeling younger for longer

    i thought of posting in the 'chicks in control' but i thought i might get better or different insights from people that eat more 'normally'.

    i'm a binge eater, text book definition. i thought of counseling, but it doesn't normally work for me. (maybe i'm too complex!)


    i just need some help walking the straight and narrow. i have good foods i like to eat, but i need to break the taco bell/ cadbury egg habit.
  • well, the good thing is that i didn't over eat yet. it is always a good thing that i make it home from work or where ever the day finds me without stopping for fast food or binge candy. it means i am more likely to prepare a healthy meal at home, which i am thinking of TJ gnocci with basil, evoo, and garlic. yum.

    i had one rocher chocolate this morning, which no is not a prize winning breakfast, but i don't think one chocolate per days is a bad thing.


    i might even make green beans....
  • Hi Kaebea

    Congratulations on nearly finishing school .... I binge eat occassionally too ..... it usually starts out of boredom ..... and then I think well I've already blown the diet why not have an awful lot more .... or if I have a whole lot of salty chips I think sweets will make it better etc ....

    Sounds like you are doing great today ....

    Helen
  • Sometimes I think talking to people that are more like you may be more insightful than you think.

    I, too, had issues at first with talking with people who may have eating disorder issues (such as binge eating, compulsive overeating, etc.). But the thing is that people who eat "normally", may not be able to give you the help or advice you need. If someone just needs to know nutrition, and doesn't overeat, then that is pretty straightforward. They just need the information to make better choices.

    Odds are that people who binge or have eating issues may know all about how to eat correctly, but have problems with the follow through.

    I have found that I have more control over my eating when 1) I avoid junk food and fast food and processed foods---they tend to fill me up for only short periods of time, despite the massive amount of calories they may have, resulting in a rebound hunger type of thing and 2) that I am mentally aware of how I am feeling when I have a certain craving. If I haven't eaten for 4 or more hours, then yes, that hungery I am having is usually real. If I have just eaten, AND I am upset or stressed or anxious, then that craving of a specific item that I adore is really just emotional hunger and I need to wait it out.

    I think that accepting the eating issue is the biggest step you can take in having control over it. Constantly fighting with yourself about why you can or cannot eat something or like another person takes so much energy. I like to look at it like a physical aspect--i.e., my body doesn't do so well when I eat a certain food. I feel better when I eat a specific way, etc.

    (((hugs))) Wherever you find the help that you need is all that really matters.
  • oops. forgot about the no binging thing. heh heh.
    well, i did stop myself after the 4th piece of chocolate, that in and of itself is a change for me. and i didn't eat till i feel like puking
    it's the little things

    I didn't mean that i don't value the opinions of others with binge tendancies, milliondollar bbw, i just thought different perspectives might help.
    i have posted on the ED board and i can relate to everyone, but somehow emersing myself in the board makes me feel....idk , hopeless. maybe because i'm just reading about the same endless cycle that i can't seem to get out of.

    in my past i have had the greatest sucess when i emerse myself in healthful lifestyle propaganda. i think it rubs off on me.
    i guess it's like you said, aobut trying to figure out why i'm doing it, that won't get me anywhere. i just have to forget about my bingeful ways and jump into different habits without wondering why i binge in the first place.
  • Well, I wouldn't say not to think about why you binge---it is really good to see why you may binge on certain days or events---this helps you to identify real hunger, versus emotional hunger, versus hunger from insulin levels fluctuating too much.

    I meant earlier that rather than beat yourself up because you binge, it is important to find out why, accept it that this is something you do because of certain situations, and then find ways to try and deal with it. For me, getting upset because I overeat when I have sugar doesn't do me any good. I feel better avoiding sugar because then I have less likelihood of overeating.

    For me, talking to regular eating people at times was really frustrating. I knew all of the good eating habits, but when I ate the way they ate, it was always a struggle. then I ate a different way, for my own issues, and i dont have that bingeing issue as much as I usually do.