I've been trying to be more diligent about figuring out patterns in my binge cycles. I eat when I'm stressed out or when I'm procrastinating, but I've also noticed some other times when I'm more likely to binge.
*Sunday afternoons, after church. We always have coffee hour at my church and there are naughties like cupcakes, bagels w/ peanut butter, etc. Sometimes there's a really nice meal provided by a family, and I'm surrounded by my friends, so I feel like it's OK for me to indulge. If I choose to go home without eating, I feel like I'm entitled to eat more when I get home. If I just sit and have coffee, I'm still tempted. It really feels like a lose-lose situation.
*Friday nights, after a long week. I'm just tired and hungry, and I want to have a good time like everyone else.
*Early, early mornings. I work 2 days a week at 5AM, and I'm starving at that time. If I work even an hour or two later, I'm not that hungry and I'm a NORMAL human being lol but at 5AM stay out of my way!
*When I see pretty/successful/happy fat women. I feel like, hey, they can eat whatever they want, so can I!
After I read this post- I posted another thread because this one actually got me thinking. I feel like my trigger is when I know I'm going to be in a situation where I can't eat sugar (in excess). I think I buy some to know that I have it for after- so I won't be nervous or hungry.
Example one- two weeks ago I was going to spend the night with a friend who is currently dieting. She counts calories and never has dessert around. Before I went over for dinner- I ate part of a bag of donuts and left the rest for when i got back.
Example two- I went out to dinner with my friend tonight- I knew we would have dinner and sit around for a while. Before I left I bought a bag of candy and left it in my car for after. It was like I was leaving a comfort blanket in my car in anticipation of feeling anxious later. So on my way home I ate through most of the bag! I don't know why!
Thanks for getting me thinking! I also agree about your trigger: When I see bigger wome, I think- yea I'm not as big as her and she is happy- so I want to eat! Haha!!
I do have some triggers. Unfortunately knowing what they are hasn't really helped me yet, but at least I can identify what starts me down that road.
*When we are getting low on food and money. I find that the less food we have in the house the more I want to binge. And if we don't have any money in the bank to buy more food yet it's that much worse. This is not good because I end up binging on foods that are supposed to be for my daughter's lunch. I've even gone into debt buying food for myself or replacing food I've eaten during these periods.
*When my husband is home. I'm much more likely to binge if my husband is in the house. I'm not sure why this is, maybe because he'll fix me/get me anything I want if I ask him to, but it makes weekends (when he's home all day and night) extremely difficult for me.
*When my youngest daughter is being especially colicky or going through a growth spurt (I'm nursing her, so a growth spurt means I'm sitting in a chair nursing her for at least 1.5 out of every 2 hours for 3-4 days). I think this might be related to the stress of these situations, my first was an easy baby so I'm not used to the hours of crying and everything.
*If I've reached a new low on the scale. If I see a number I consider particularly low (before my last binge the scale said 212, a number I hadn't seen since 2003) I immediately feel the need to eat everything in sight. Not even specific foods, just whatever is handy.
Oh my! I've got a list of triggers a mile long. The main ones are:
Just like others have said, when I'm anxious about a social situation and need a security blanket I'll buy sugar just to have it there in case I need it (like a drug). Do I ever avoid eating it later? Rarely. Usually set myself up for a fall just by buying it and knowing it's there.
When I'm traveling, especially with skinny people who don't seem to eat, I'll have extra food in my luggage just in case.
After dinner with my parents who eat healthy, I get an urge before we're even done to totally blow my plan and eat uncontrollably. It think that has to do with food control issues that still lurk in our family. That's a whole other thread, eh?
Oh wow, I feel so much better knowing that there are other triggers out there besides the pretty "standard" ones. The trigger involving security blanket foods, like candy, is interesting. I used to buy lots of my favorite snacks when I had a hard exam week (I mean, $50 of cheap junk food from Wal-Mart for **ONE** person to be consumed in just a few days!) because I figured if I could keep myself happy with food, I could survive through the exams. I realized I was sabotaging my own efforts because the junk food gave me a sugar rush and left me tired. Now during exam weeks, I tell myself I can have unlimited coffee and fruits and veggies, but I have to eat "normal" otherwise. I don't even want to eat constantly like I used to, so I'd call it a success.
I posted this last night because I was worried about how today would go. I actually had a bingefree Sunday!!! I was tempted even less than usual, which is amazing. I think part of it is due to my coming down with a cold or something, I just don't feel as hungry. But hey, a bingefree day is a bingefree day lol.
Sunday is a trigger! It's my weigh-in day so I convince myself that I have all week to work off anything I eat. Also, my husband and I generally have the day off so we stay home, get bored, and overeat together!
I'm not sure why, maybe it's the day before Monday, I know I'll have the whole week ahead of me before another weekend. I feel pressure to get a lot of work done on Sunday because I know that during the week I won't get anything done (I'm a grad student). Yeah, Sundays are really hard. Maybe that why it's Monday, and here I am on day 1 again...!
Mine would be when I stay up too late at night, when I wake up in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep and when I am under serious emotional stress.
I also want to binge about two days before my period. Just for the day. Guess what? I let myself.
I am most triggered after having done well for several days, and then when faced with an opportunity to indulge, I tell myself I've "earned" it after being so good.
Gosh reading these makes me feel better in a way, just knowing I'm not the only one with certain types of triggers. Latchkey Princess, we are very similar in our triggers! Especially about the husband being so enabling.. my husband is overweight too and if I even mention that I'm craving something bad he will be out the door getting it, even if he knows I'm trying to lose.
Also with the new baby, I had the same issues. My son was very easy and content, also no colic, but when I had my daughter she was the total opposite.. I would find myself binging when she would take naps sometimes.
Now that my kids are 15 months and 3 years old I find myself binging when they go to sleep for the night, or right when I get home from work. Knowing my triggers hasn't helped me yet, but this week I plan on writing in my journal or calling my sister when I feel the urge to binge. We'll see how that goes.
I can't eat when really stressed or emotional, but after the event is over, I am flooded with relief and I want to feel good again, so that has definitely been one of my biggest triggers. Also, being alone with food. I am a sneak eater.
I am much better at handling emotional down times without eating, but the sneak eating thing pops up now and then. That is a hard one to resist.
I do have some triggers. Unfortunately knowing what they are hasn't really helped me yet, but at least I can identify what starts me down that road.
*When we are getting low on food and money. I find that the less food we have in the house the more I want to binge. And if we don't have any money in the bank to buy more food yet it's that much worse. This is not good because I end up binging on foods that are supposed to be for my daughter's lunch. I've even gone into debt buying food for myself or replacing food I've eaten during these periods.
*When my husband is home. I'm much more likely to binge if my husband is in the house. I'm not sure why this is, maybe because he'll fix me/get me anything I want if I ask him to, but it makes weekends (when he's home all day and night) extremely difficult for me.
*When my youngest daughter is being especially colicky or going through a growth spurt (I'm nursing her, so a growth spurt means I'm sitting in a chair nursing her for at least 1.5 out of every 2 hours for 3-4 days). I think this might be related to the stress of these situations, my first was an easy baby so I'm not used to the hours of crying and everything.
*If I've reached a new low on the scale. If I see a number I consider particularly low (before my last binge the scale said 212, a number I hadn't seen since 2003) I immediately feel the need to eat everything in sight. Not even specific foods, just whatever is handy.
I've got three of these triggers in common with you.
*I've used a credit card to buy junk food when I don't have the cash even though I know how bad this is for me and our finances.
*I always eat worse when my husband is around. When he was in the military and would go TDY I would always lose weight and then gain it all back plus some more when he reurned. I don't know if it's because he always has to have junk food around or if he's just stressing me out!
*Same thing with a good number on the scale, seems to happen a lot. I don't know if I think I'm rewarding myself for good work or if I'm punishing myself for suceeding?
Ladies- If your enabling husbands have any brothers, do tell! It would be nice to find a guy who is willing to fatten you up. I can't get one to date me.
But, seriously, I agree with the trigger that occurs AFTER stressful events. That's me to a tee.
My worst time is DEF in the middle of the night. I have to eat something small anyway, because of my glucose issues, but sometimes 2 Tb of PB turn into ten, and god forbid (this happened to me this morning) if I don't have my usual 5 am glass of milk in the house.
Ladies- If your enabling husbands have any brothers, do tell! It would be nice to find a guy who is willing to fatten you up. I can't get one to date me.
But, seriously, I agree with the trigger that occurs AFTER stressful events. That's me to a tee.
Sorry, mine only has a sister.
Seriously, men who appreciate a woman for more than just her looks are out there, however rare.
Interesting Triggers?
We'll see how that goes.
