Triggers for Binge Eating? Ways of Overcoming them?
I have had an exceptionally stressful week. I had an extremely important final exam yesterday and got very little sleep due to being up studying. When I got home later night I ate an entire frozen pizza with french fries, a fruit smoothie (not the worst), and then cookies with almond milk. I just got into that mode where I did not care and blocked out all reason.
I've known for a long time that lack of sleep makes me eat WAY more that I do when I have an adequate amount. Other triggers include- emotional stress, as a reward, and absolutely if I have a hang over. Thats a big one.
The only way I can think right now to overcome most of these triggers is to either deal with the underlying issue (i.e. go to sleep) or identify exactly what is going on and try to make a conscious decision not to go down that path. Seltzer water with lemon helps sometime. Any others?
I have the same issue! i get out of control and then just wont stop. Unfortunately the only thing that seems to work for me is going for a walk and getting away from the food or even going for a drive then i can clear my head and talk myself out of it most of the time
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Going for a walk is a great idea. Anything that will get your mind off food for a while. They always used to say to wait 20 min and if you still wanted the food you were craving then have a small portion. In most instances you will no longer want it. Or have 1 bite. Sometimes that will satisfy the craving, as only that small taste is all you really wanted. But if you try eating other things instead, that can backfire. You can eat 1000 calories of things you didn't really want but still want what you were originally craving.
Getting enough sleep, drinking water (not diet pop) and avoiding white breads/pastas are very high on my list.
Doing some kind of exercise - even just walking - is helpful, too. But too much exercise tends to make me really hungry and then I pig out, so I try to keep it level. (A day of swimming, for instance, will make me want to eat ALL the food.)
Eating the same amounts of food helps me, too. If I eat very little and then have one big meal, I want more big meals. If I just eat smaller meals, that doesn't seem to make me want MoreMoreMore. I really try to spread the food out.
Stopping to look at the food in my hand and reminding myself that I choose to eat these extra <whatever number > of calories is helpful, too. It doesn't stop me, necessarily, but it prevents mindless calorie ingestion.
Mostly, though, it's habit. Once I'm in the habit, it isn't hard to keep it up. I feel better and I lose when I eat well, so it's not too hard to stick with.
My problem is that once I cave and make a cake or something, I eat it ALL. I so wish I could make a cake and have a piece a day. I want to work on this, but it's hard to practice without risking Mega Cake Ingestion, so I don't practice. (Not sure if that makes sense to others, but it's true.)
reminding myself the binge isnt worth it. i will treat myself to a small amount of whatever i feel i "need" at that moment but no more than 200 calories worth. then i ask if i feel better. if i do - job done. if i dont - well the food didnt solve it so i try distraction.
Im not one of those people that can taste what I am craving with one bite and be done, usually that is a trigger and it ends up with me eating numerous things, all one after the other.
So what Ive been trying is when I am consumed by compulsive thoughts of binging or "cravings" I need to find a distraction. One way I do this is by getting away from the food. lol Literally the farthest away in the house that I can, because if its out of sight, it can be out of mind faster. I then try to find things to distract me that are completely unrelated... like writing about what Im feeling instead. Or finding a good show, taking my dogs for a walk, showering.
I feel like sometimes if we do other things that are "good" for ourselves then it changes our mindset a bit. Like brushing our teeth, or going for a walk, or showering. For me those help distract me. Also music, like spa music or meditating as corny as it sounds have really helped me because I feel like a lot of the times when I binge Im stressed or my mind is all wound up and going a million miles a minute, so calming down and refocusing helps.
Also this sounds corny too.. lol.. but either mentally or aloud talking to yourself. Saying positive affirmations like "you are a beast you can walk away from that." or "you're amazing. you put that down and walked away." blah blah. Sounds dumb but really works for me sometimes.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,385
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Well, see Shanny, you know yourself best. There are some things that I cannot take one taste and walk away, so I know I need to avoid it altogether. With some things, resisting over time has taken away my love for it. The biggest one is pizza. I used to love pizza, and it could be any pizza! DH still gets it once in a while and even one bite tastes like cardboard in my mouth.
I don't think your ideas are corney, I think they're great. Whatever works for you! Especially brushing your teeth. You are also doing something that's great for dental health. When I used to smoke I hated the taste of that cigarette in my mouth, so I was brushing my teeth after each cigarette. My dentist was amazed at how good my teeth and gums were!
First, let me say: a frozen pizza requires at least 20 mins. to make, which meant you were in "binge" mode for quite awhile. You had to sit and wait for the pizza to be done. I've been there!!!! During this time I: journal, video or voiced record yourself telling myself how I feel before, during and after the binge. Then take a picture of yourself eating, write down what I ate and give it a name: "Exam binge". You'll start to see a pattern, trust me you will learn more then you ever wanted to know about yourself!
Last edited by Tiffrutherf; 05-30-2015 at 02:12 PM.
I've tried to identify as many triggers as possible and I do my best to avoid them. I've also been somewhat successful at redirecting myself, so when I start getting those obsessive food thoughts, I do something else - take a walk, take a long shower where I shave, exfoliate, etc., play a video game, call my mom, clean out a closet, just anything that will force me to focus on something other than food.
When all fails and I give in, I work hard to minimize the binge. Sounds silly, but it has helped - so I'll allow myself to go to the grocery store for "binge food" but I will limit myself. For example, one of my weaknesses is the Whole Foods cookie bar - yep, a cookie bar. Ordinarily, I can resist, but they make these sandwich cookies by taking 2 cookies (peanut butter, sugar, chocolate chip) and they put frosting between them. So, I used to just fill up a bag and end up eating like 10-12 of them - which really means I ate 20-24 cookies with about an ounce of frosting between them! Now, I will get the cookies, but I will only buy 3 of them (that's normally how many I can eat before feeling really sick).
It still isn't avoiding the binge, which is the ultimate goal, but it lessens the impact and normally it stops further cravings.
I've tried to identify as many triggers as possible and I do my best to avoid them. I've also been somewhat successful at redirecting myself, so when I start getting those obsessive food thoughts, I do something else - take a walk, take a long shower where I shave, exfoliate, etc., play a video game, call my mom, clean out a closet, just anything that will force me to focus on something other than food.
When all fails and I give in, I work hard to minimize the binge. Sounds silly, but it has helped - so I'll allow myself to go to the grocery store for "binge food" but I will limit myself. For example, one of my weaknesses is the Whole Foods cookie bar - yep, a cookie bar. Ordinarily, I can resist, but they make these sandwich cookies by taking 2 cookies (peanut butter, sugar, chocolate chip) and they put frosting between them. So, I used to just fill up a bag and end up eating like 10-12 of them - which really means I ate 20-24 cookies with about an ounce of frosting between them! Now, I will get the cookies, but I will only buy 3 of them (that's normally how many I can eat before feeling really sick).
It still isn't avoiding the binge, which is the ultimate goal, but it lessens the impact and normally it stops further cravings.
Now I desperately want to visit a Whole Foods just to see the cookie bar!
I'd say simply having no extra food lying around helps a lot. This means, making better decisions once a week at the grocery store is way easier than every day when you're actually in front of the food.
I'd say simply having no extra food lying around helps a lot. This means, making better decisions once a week at the grocery store is way easier than every day when you're actually in front of the food.
^this^ When a food becomes a binge food, I stop buying it. I have to shopping today, but I will stock up on fruits, veggies and meats, but I don't even buy crappy food anymore (frozen pizza, sorry its crappy) Not in the house, I can't eat it. My main struggle is peanut butter. I keep it because the kids eat it so I can't stop buying it, but if I stock up, like there's a sale and I buy a few jars, I will binge on it...but if I keep it to one jar, I won't because my need to keep it for the kids is stronger than my urge to over eat it...
My biggest trigger is stress but mainly being stuck at home. I have 4 little kids and after they are asleep (well 3 of them, baby is still up) I an bored and trying to relax. I can't just go for a walk or shower because I have the baby still. My choices are so limited on what I can do especially during the day, I cannot get time a lone..food is so easy to use, I can eat while caring for the kids, it doesn't impair my judgement (like wine)...just the "perfect" pick me up for a stressful day...and here, everyday is stressful!
I definitely have a binge disorder. I went to have a consultation with a therapist who specializes in Obesity related food disorders to try to get over this. My problem are chips. I will go into crave mode and eat an entire bag of chips and still be "hungry". We never have chips in the house but I will still end up finding some excuse to go to a gas station or walgreens or meijer and grab a bag while I'm there.
I just started a new lifestyle (hate the word diet) that is much healthier with food choices and walking every day. I have now gone 4 days without a binge which is huge for a daily binger.
I got a Fitbit Charge HR this past weekend and it is holding me super accountable. If only for the fact that I don't want to have put an entire bag of chips worth of calories into the foods eaten log.
I'd say simply having no extra food lying around helps a lot. This means, making better decisions once a week at the grocery store is way easier than every day when you're actually in front of the food.
This.
If I stay out of the stores selling food.. And I have prepared my foods in advance... That's 90% of the battle.
But my children driving anywhere in the car with me can wreck it all... I am actively telling myself to avoid fasst foods... And my 4 year olds points out every McDonald's
on our route
Triggers for Binge Eating? Ways of Overcoming them?
) Not in the house, I can't eat it. My main struggle is peanut butter. I keep it because the kids eat it so I can't stop buying it, but if I stock up, like there's a sale and I buy a few jars, I will binge on it...but if I keep it to one jar, I won't because my need to keep it for the kids is stronger than my urge to over eat it...
