What do you consider a binge?
 

Is it going off plan? Overeating? Mindless eating? Emotional eating? Eating certain trigger foods? Eating "bad" foods?

I'm curious to see how everyone responds. Please take a second to share.

I consider binging to be eating just for the sake of eating--not because I'm hungry and not even because I'm super tempted. I really HATE when I eat just for the sake of eating.

I consider binging to be eating large amounts of food in a short period of time and often in private, though this may not be the case for some. Personally, I have trigger foods (pizza, doughnuts) that I try to avoid.

When I eat until I'm full.... but then I CONTINUE eating :dizzy: until I'm stuffed, that is what I consider a binge. I'm most vulnerable when I walk in the house after work.

Same for me -- when I eat when I'm not hungry, or continue to eat after I'm full, when I wait to be alone because I'm too embarrassed to eat something/quantity of something in front of someone else, when I've made a special trip to buy a certain food that I crave, when I eat until the container is empty, when I feel guilty/sick after I've eaten, when I eat "outside" of a planned meal/snack, when I find I can't stop myself from eating more, more, more, ....:( Anytime I've eaten because I'm upset/sad/depressed.

Eating when I am not hungry, eating several servings of something at once, and eating until I feel sick :(

When I have hidden what I've eaten or the amount I've eaten or when I'm embarassed about what I've eaten either because it was more than a healthy serving or a kind of food that is not nutritious, that's when it seems "bingy" - I guess the guilt factor determines that label.

Kara

If I'm embarrased to write it down on my food diary, it counts as a binge.

I often used to binge at meal times - eating 3 or 4 times a normal portion, till I felt really sick.

I'd also have binging sessions in private, eating anything and everything.

I count any over-eating as a binge, even if it is healthy. If I have grapes in the fridge, I'll eat them all in one go - even if there is 2 or 3 bags. Just can't seem to stop, so I can only buy one small bag a week.

Day 21 without binging today.

Any food I eat that I would chose not to eat in a saner frame of mind, ie. eating food in a way that feels out of control, quickly and with a sense of guilt afterwards..it doesnt have to equal loads of calories, Ive had 200 cal binges for example, but cos it was guilt-inducing and quickly stuffed down, its still a binge.

At times, I have considered most of those a binge. It's generally when I feel bad about what I ate. The 2 big ones for me are mindless eating and emotional eating. In both situations, I lose control and eat until I am full to the point of being sick. It doesn't feel good, yet it is so comforting until the guilt kicks in.

When I'm eating for no apparent reason, and I can't stop. Even if I make a conscious effort. I was eating my (third) large Tootsie Roll the other day, and I suddenly thought, "I can throw this out if I want to." But I didn't want to. :rolleyes:

Thanks for sharing. I guess for me a binge has to be classified as mindless eating or eating that's not influenced by hunger or a true physical desire for a particular food.

I consider a binge uncontrolled eating. For me its usually bad/junk foods but not always, I’ve binged on healthy foods too. I think its binging when you’re eating a lot of food even though you might not necessarily be hungry. I’ve gone to the store and bought trigger foods specifically with binging in mind and when I start to eat I tend to keep going until I’m really stuffed (way past the being full point).

I am of the mind that anything that makes me feel bad afterwards is a binge. If you feel guilty or can't tell your spouse - or hide your eating... it's a binge.

Stuffing food in my mouth so fast I don't even taste it.

Obsessing about a particular food, then sneaking into the kitchen and eating it.

Eating 5 or 6 different foods one after the other, directly from their container (cereals, ice cream, maple syrup, crackers, cheese and chocolate often find their way into my mouth in no particular order).

Realising I went to the kitchen and ate something without even being aware I was doing it.

Basically, any food I eat outside of mealtimes that isn't planned or that after eating it I just feel like having more and more.

I consider all of those bingey. I have been home from work for less than one hour and have consumed: a cup of red grapes (I started out with good intentions), 5 doughnut holes, 4 handfuls of frito scoops, and a package of m&m's. I feel sick :(

When i eat without even thinking of acklowledging what i'm doing... usually when i'm in front of the telly. It's only after that i've realised what i've actually done and how much i've eaten.

For me, it's eating without thinking.

defintion of a binge
 

Emotional eating. Eating to block how I’m feeling, sometimes subconsciously, but often fully aware of what I am doing, but powerless to stop.

I relate to most of what’s been shared above – this is a great thread – so full of truth and wisdom – which is wonderful because I need to look this stuff straight down the barrel if I am to keep on keeping on!

I know INTUITIVELY when I’m binge eating. It’s not always about the 10 tons of chocolate and the pizza combined with the Chinese takeaway and the leftover fried food for breakfast, although that type of bingeing was part of my life and the cost was far too high.

I’ve binged on one small piece of chocolate cake. Stuffed it down guiltily and felt full of shame afterwards.

Stuffing food in fast. Eating alone in a secretive way. Big difference between that and eating a good meal in blessed peace.

Yet on other occasions, in recovery, I’ve had a medium sized slice of cake which really truly was just that – an occasional treat. I’ve eaten it, enjoyed it, half wished there was more, but was able to get up from that table and get on with my day. My peace of mind was not disturbed and there was sanity at play.

So my definition of a binge is tied up with motivation, balance, and as has been shared here already, it’s about inner honesty.

I couldn't agree more. I do know when I'm bingeing intuitively. Something just doesn't feel quite right. One can binge on massive quantities of fast food or even on fruit. It's all in the intention. Whenever I'm eating to fill an emotional/spiritual void and not to satisfy my hunger or conscious desires, that is bingeing.