[Lola Rose]

For me, a "real binge" is whenever I feel like I've let myself become unconscious of my body's fuel needs. I break out the b-word when I realize I have not only eaten past the point of being full, but past what my body probably needs to function well. I screwed with my internal hunger signals way too much in my short 19 years for me to not have to think really, REALLY hard about whether I'm full enough.

[princess jen]

for me its when i eat when i am not hungry, or i dont choose the lighter option, like popcorn, i love stove popped popcorn so sometimes i choose it over air popped. if i go over my points in the day i consider that a binging.

[serenity]

I have not really binged in many years. Now I over eat. When I used to binge it was for me to stay skinny, and it would start by me snacking on nothing more than 2 slices of bread and apple each day until the end of the week would come and I'm starving to death.

I'd go to my 3 favorite fast food places and order the following...

McDonalds: 2 big macs, 1 fish filet, coke, and a supersize large fry
Burger King: 1 whopper, hershey sundae
White Castles: 4 cheese burgers, 2 double cheese burgers and their onion rings

I'd eat and feel like I was going to die, because I would never bring myself to throw it up, I'd eat it cry out of excruciating pain, and then drink half a bottle of wine to go to sleep as quickly as possible!

I did this for a long time, because it's what kept me thin, but it was the most unhealthy thing I could have ever done to my body

[iriswhispers]

Originally Posted by Julietta

I've never purged. I confess a tried a couple of times (in ten years!) but just couldn't do it. I don't know if I had not the "right technique" or if just my body didn't want to let the food go.

But I also confess I wished I could do that. If it had been easier, I would have done it again again.
Now I don't even try because after all these years I fear that, if I "learn" to purge, I would easily binge more. And I don't want to.

This whole thread was really interesting to me, and this post just hit home. I used to binge horribly - if I estimate calories - over 5 or 6000, easily - and purging was always impossible. In retrospect I am so thankful that I was never able to do that, I can only imagine what it would have led to.

I am trying very hard these days to maintain a healthy body image, and it's a huge struggle for me. I wish the best of luck to anyone struggling with BED - it is such a miserable thing physically and mentally.

[Nailrep]

Originally Posted by goodday

binge has a clinical definition, so no, a binge "for you" is not an actual binge. i think anyone who doesnt have BED couldn't possibly understand the desire to not feel so alone and so ashamed of true binges when they happen to you.

thats MY 2 cents.

I never actually thought about how I eat sometimes as a binge. Can you tell me what BED is and what qualifies this? Hmmmm...

[giselley]

A whole medium pizza and a six pack of beer

[Julietta]

No giselley
that is called PARTY!

[happeningf]

A binge to me is eating mindlessly, countlessly, and knowing right afterward that you messed up and feel guilty.

[david]

i dont eat a whole lot at 1 sitting...my binge involves going back to the fridge or cupboard after dinner and eating a little at a time til i go to bed...probably 8000 calories