I'm wondering if anyone else has been through this?? I want to start by saying I normally binge for stress relief, and I will eat out of bordem, but that isn't usually a binge. I might just have a bowl of cereal when I'm not hungry, but bored.
Having said that, every once in a while, binging sounds like something to do to celebrate or really exciting. I look forward to it, rather than it being a spur of the moment craving. I guess thats how to put it. Like when my husband gets home tonight, it starts his 2 week vacation, and we are looking so forward to spending time together, and normally we kick it off with a ton of junk and a movie.
Its a downer to think we won't get to do that. That must sound crazy! So much that I'm afraid I might binge anyay. Combine that with that past two days of my "unofficial" weigh in has been a pound higher than my recorded weigh in on Sunday, and I feel like giving up tonight.
Because we have a 2 y/o and 3 week old, we can't really do other "things". The new born falls asleep BFing and the 2 y/o falls asleep on the couch with us. Alone time is not an option right now.
I don't have much of a point, I'm just venting.
I definitely look forward to times when I know that I'm going to be able to eat LOADS, for example when my whole family gets together my mum will cook a huge dinner and there'll be about 3 different desserts on offer and I'll have a bit of each. However I don't classify that as a binge, to me that's just overeating- it's still not healthy I know, but it feels very different from a binge to me. When I binge I feel completely out of control like I can't stop, and my binges aren't neccessarily on particularly nice things whereas when I overeat it's just because I don't want to stop, so with the example above I'll have a bit of all the desserts on offer because I will enjoy them all but I could stop if I had to.
So I suppose the point of all that was that you shouldn't feel too bad about the occasional greedy night in. I'm never going to be the sort of person who turns down dessert at the end of a meal, in fact I don't think I'll ever be the sort of person who could chose between 2 desserts when I could just have both! To me the most important thing is overcoming my actual binges. I'm sure a lot of people on here would disagree with me, but I think that a bit of an overeat when you're celebrating something is fine as long as you do a bit of extra exercise that day and lower the number of calories you eat for the rest of the day.
I hope that made sense- I've only just woken up and I don't think I'm explaining myself as well as I could be!
Thank you! I never really thought about the difference between a binge and over eating. Although I have, in the past, been happy about the pros[ect of both. I see what you mean about over eating because its something you like. That is likely my problem 90% of the time. The last time I really binged, just eating everything thats nit nailled down regardless of if its a favored treat was probably the last time I was on a diet. There's something about restricting myself from overeating that sends me into a binge. I do make sure to leave enough points every night to have a serving of ice cream. And so far this has worked to keep me saticfied.
Actually last night what I ended up doing was fixing myself a cup of plain tea. It actaully worked. It gave me something "to do". I seem to crave that hand to mouth feeling. ( I used to smoke and quit about 7 years ago.) So, I did stay binge free last night!!
I know exactly what you mean! When we go to the drive in movies we stop at the grocery store and buy chips and candy and sodas. We get a couple of subs from the deli and spend the night watching a double feature and eating with abandon! But, alas, those nights are history, and gosh darn it I will miss the snacking aspect but I can still snuggle with my honey and watch the movie!
It's like this when my fiance and I take road trips up north to see his daughter. I always have fond memories of stopping along the way to different restaurants or places and eating and driving for 9 hours.
That's all we do, eat, drive, and listen to music. He smokes as well (I quit) and even the trip makes me want to smoke again.
The positive memories make me look forward to all those things, and eating is a big part of it.
We're doing another road trip in July, I'm worried but I'm trying to come up with ways to avoid eating badly. I'm thinking of stocking up on fruit and veggies to munch on.
I think it happens to us all, unfortunately, haha. We associate eating with positive things and feelings.
I always seem to be looking forward to a binge/overeating occasion. But I have to keep telling myself that I haven't earned it yet, but when I do, I go for my fave chinese restaurant and eat till I'm dizzy. I figure once a month.
For many years, I looked forward to Friday night, because I could let loose and let the cares of the week get blocked out with a food fest. It was my way to unwind and let go. I gained weight steadily, a little at a time until I weighed over 250 pounds.
Personally, being older now and wiser to my past, I wished I had given up the notion that to relax, to have fun was about food and eating. How sad I wasted nearly all of my youthful adulthood to thinking that way. Using food as a party high is really no different than drinking or using drugs. It is used to bring a high of happiness and carefree feelings, without thinking about consequences (or convincing oneself that tomorrow it will be corrected).
Yes, I still have these thoughts now and then, but I think ahead now, to what the consequences are, what my goals are and how I want to feel the next day. I just don't do it anymore. I work on keeping it that way and I feel so much better.
You could turn this into a lovely (on plan) dinner for two. Celebrate with a higher quality whole food that you normally wouldn't buy. Something fresh and in season, a new sauce, a new kind of salad, an on-plan dessert. Continuing the thought that you can suspend reality for a day and eat junk will eventually catch up with you in terms of weight gain. Nothing wrong with celebrating with food, but to waste it on junk food, or massive calories is not fun in the end.
Just presenting a perspective. I know the feeling you are talking about and I had to stop it for my own health's sake. Hope you find your answer.
I will say that for me there are a few particular occassions when I can say I am looking forward to a binge (or a milder form of just overeating):
1. Worst: Cruises and all-inclusive vacations
2. Buffets
3. Parties
Yeah I plan my binges, this usually helps me stay on track with my eating plan and gives me something to work towards i spose // It can backfire though where the planned binge just keeps going, this makes getting back back on track 100 times harder.
Yep, when I binge I feel like it's something to look forward to. I think about what I'm going to eat when I get home all the time and I've been bad some nights recently just eating anything until I feel sick. Not good at all D:
This is SO funny that this thread started! I am LOOKING FORWARD to overeating this weekend for the 4th (for the US). I am going to a party at my aunts on Saturday and a beach party on Sunday. I know there is going to be somcuh delish BBQ. I am even making my famous mac and cheese with 5 different cheeses for my aunts party and I am so looking forward to this! Lol. BUT I do not feel bad at all. I have worked hard for this moment. Over the last several months, I have lost over 60 pounds. I have allowed myself to have 2 previous over eating weekends like this in the last 4 or 5 motnhs or so. I am smaller right now than i have been since 2003. Although, I am still 24 pounds away from goal, I still welcome this cheat weekend! Lol. In fact, I cannot wait for it! However, I have to admit it is a little hard getting back on track the next day. Lol.
Looking forward to binging...??
