[shrinkingchica]

Hey, Reading Ardissa's post gave me another idea for a post.....

What do you foodwise (or drinkwise) to foil a binge?


1. Chew peppermint gum, it takes the thoughts of food away and freshens your breath at the same time. (Ardissa's suggestion--- hope you don't mind me posting it again!).

2. I have a tendency to overindulge in chocolate (hands up who doesn't ?) So, I don't buy real chocolate. I need the taste, I like the taste, but I DON'T trust myself for moderation if a bingy mood strikes. So I buy Sugar Free Chocolates. These have Sugar Alcohols in them and if you eat too much sugar alcohols (for me around 25g) you WILL have a painful laxative effect. This way you have a detterant for eating too many. And I have a purging problem as well and once overindulged and then purged. Let us just say that that doesn't always work to rid the laxative effect. Ow.

3. Chew cinnamon gum. Cinnamon flavouring is an appetite suppressant. Be careful though, because sometimes chewing gum can awaken the stomach and it can make you hungry.

4. So, instead maybe eat something with cinnamon on it or something that is cinnamon-y. That is a technical term, don't try to use it at home.

5. Drink tea. I like and usually only drink (when I am drinking tea) herbal and fruit teas with nothing added. If I am drinking traditional tea I like a bit of lemon, or a tidbit of honey. It makes me feel warm, cozy and "safe." Like a comforted little kid. This would be because my mommy would make me a cup tea at night as a child growing up like her mother before her did (and she still does).

6. For flavor have a crystal light, sf Hawaiian Punch or other flavoring in your water.

7. Have a treat diet soda. And not just a plain ol' diet coke. I lurve the diet CHERRY coke and diet orange and cream stewart's sodas.

8. If you HAVE to eat something eat a bag of 94% fat free popcorn. It is only 240c and will take you like 30min at least to get through. And talk about filling.

9. For flavour and the act of eating have some sugar free jello. 10cal 'nuff said. Plus, they consist mostly of water so that is good for your body's fluid levels.

10. For flavor and an oral fixation try sugar free hard candies. They taste great and have that deterrent laxative effect.

[HarpoChicoGroucho]

I use atomic fire balls -- they take awhile to finish off to help me wait out the craving -- and I think my taste buds take awhile to recover after I eat one.

As for the sugar free chocolate, I sometimes buy them, but only the threat of certain death would deter me from overeating chocolate. Same with the sugar free candies.

[silly]

Those are really great ideas.

Some things that I do are:
- Eat a salad with olive oil and vinegar (usually balsamic). And then I chase that down with a glass of water. I find that very filling and I feel good for eating healthy-- AND I enjoy the taste.

- I drink a ton of water. It helps that I am always thirsty (nursing a baby does that I guess) and I love the taste of water. So a light snack followed by lots of water leaves me feeling filled. Yes-- I pee lots!

- Amen to the gum. It is my lifesaver. I ALWAYS have a ton of gum on hand.

I'm so glad I came back to this site... I will really keep those ideas in mind next time I feel a binge coming on.

[Artemesia]

Originally Posted by shrinkingchica

So I buy Sugar Free Chocolates. These have Sugar Alcohols in them and if you eat too much sugar alcohols (for me around 25g) you WILL have a painful laxative effect.

Man, did I learn that the hard way! Never again! (Eating too many, that is. I like sugar-free Reese's peanut butter cups. They do take the edge off that craving!)

[poppins3]

I just started using BreathSavers for this purpose when I feel like I want to overeat. They have a very strong mint taste that overwhelms my taste buds and stops hunger!

[RocknRoll]

1. 100 Calorie bags of popcorn- they even have 4 grams of fiber!

2. Sugar free hot chocolate

3. Big bottle of crystal light

4. 20 oz diet soda

5. CARROTS

6. gum, mints, anything to make my mouth feel like its getting something!

[britomart]

Funny, I can't do the mint thing! I will sit and munch on mints until they are gone... I only keep them in my car to rid myself of coffee breath as I go into work

I'm starting to figure out that I can't really trick myself out of cravings, but I am learning that it takes very, very little to satisfy them before they become binges. Up until recently I've been telling myself "no" when I get cravings, but that only lasts for a few hours before it gets so bad I go get one of everything bad for me and shovel it all into my mouth.... So I'm trying to compromise and make peace with myself.

I have 86% dark chocolate in my cupboard. I have not once gone overboard on this. If I crave chocolate, I have a square. Once I got used to it not being sweet, I realized I could more distinctly appreciate the true intense chocolate taste of it which I LOVE.... And then I don't think about chocolate again for another 3 or 4 days. I'm starting to kind of dislike "junk" chocolate now, too, because I know what real chocolate tastes like and a Hershey's kiss just won't cut it!

Sugar cravings have been trickier to deal with. It's a way different feeling than a chocolate craving, and is usually more urgent and persistent. I binge more often off of a sugar craving than a chocolate one. The last time I got the urge to binge (which was like, three days ago, woohoo! That's a long time for me!) I tried something new with myself. I got a tablespoon of pure, organic honey and sat down with it and a book and ate it slowly, appreciating it like I appreciate the dark chocolate. Once it was done, my sugar craving was gone and I was too involved in what I was reading to think about binging anymore. And the honey works like the chocolate for me--there's something about it that doesn't even tempt me to overindulge. The jar is sitting on my counter and I look at it at least five times a day, but it has not yet once occurred to me to eat some unless I'm battling that pre-binge urge.

Usually I can't just pick up a book to distract myself from a binge because I have the little voice in my head demanding satisfaction.... Seems like I'm finding a way to reach a compromise with the little devil.

[Bikini Dreader]

I keep my triggers out of the house so that I can still enjoy them at other times (when people are around) other wise I will eat them until I'm sick at home.

I also find hot lemon water with a bit of honey to be a great tummy filler.

[kelema]

I have a rule before I go for the snacks:
If I want a snack, I HAVE to have an apple first, and wait 10 mins. After eating the apple and waiting 10 mins, if I still want the snack, I can have it.

This has a few benefits:
1. Often times I want to binge because I have low blood sugar. The apple jump starts it and then I don't want to snack anymore.
2. Sometimes, after eating the apple and waiting, I realize that in the 10 min span that I really don't actually want to eat the snack, because I'm not REALLY that hungry.
3. apples are good for you. And I always want a snack, so I eat one, sometimes two, apples every single day. Easy way to get some of my fruits and veggies in! Apples are also good for your teeth, or so I've heard.
4. Apples are filling. Maybe it's the fiber? But even if I still want the snack afterwards, I don't eat nearly as much of it as I would have if I had NOT had the apples.

I live in New England, so we have really delicious apples. In southern states, such as Arizona, try some other kind of fruit! (Sorry AZ, but your apples are mealy and gross. >_<)

[Jman1]

Diet soda, fruit, high-protein cereal, 94% ff popcorn, and (though this can be dangerous) a really good, substantive beer or two. I guess it's like the high-quality chocolate in that a relatively small amount can be very satisfying.

[HotDoc]

garlic dill kosher pickles....and a bottle of water to was out the salt...lol.