I have noticed several things that help me to not binge.
1. Do not eat the 1st bite. (most important imo)
2. Go do something else, paint nails, exercise, etc...
3. Preparedness. Eat something healthy before I go somewhere where I know there will be trigger foods. Bring something healthy to share.
4. Eat balanced meals at regular times. No skipping meals especially breakfast.
5. Exercise. It makes me feel better about myself even if it's just a walk to the mailbox.
6. Staying hydrated. If I'm hydrated I cant confuse thirst with hunger.
Eat protein. I don't binge on protein...i might eat too much cheese but i would never eat 8 servings of cheese, whereas i could easily eat 8 servings of cookies during a binge. Once i start the sugar, i can't stop. Peanut butter is also dangerous for me. But meat and cheese are relatively safe. Veggies are safe too.
this sounds bad because i know there are a lot of people who dont have food to eat.. but when times get desperate, i ruin my food.
ie. i pour water on it, i mix whatever i can see into it, i throw it out.. anything to make it not-edible.
but this has to happen before it starts. but everytime i do it, i feel terrible for wasting the food.. but i know that if i ate it, i would feel even MORE terrible
I come onto 3fc and read the new posts and look at my profile to remember how far I have come and how much I have left to do. It takes the immediate urge away and then I can concentrate on planning the rest of my day so that I am out of the house and away from temptation.
1. Sometimes I'll go to the kitchen, take a bite, then put it away and go back to my room and try to do other things.
2. (really unhealthy and something else I need to break) I'll smoke
3. I play a game that keeps my hands and mind busy.
4. I'll twitch (that's what my roomie calls it)
- Don't let myself get too hungry.
- Get out of the kitchen. Commit to not going anywhere near it until the next meal-time.
- Call a friend.
- Get out of doors & walk, walk, walk.
For me exercise, chewing gum & just going out to stores to walk around works. I also love peanut butter, so I'll eat some. If I start eating too much, I'll get angry pour water on it and throw it away.
- Make the kitchen off-limit (meaning I don't even walk in there, let alone go open the refrigerator door and check its content repeatedly, etc)
- I go WEIGHT MYSELF. Yeah that's usually a buzz kill.
- Like everyone else said, do something else. I usually brush my teeth because once I brushed/flossed/rinsed I don't want to go ruin my minty fresh mouth with food. That usually works really well.
- I don't keep binge foods in the house, or if they're there for my partner I stuff them at the very back of the cupboards and on the top shelves where I can't reach. For me that's breakfast cereal, chocolate, cookies, and those *60-calories-Only* individual chocolate mousse or cheesecake cups of which I end up eating the whole pack of 6 if I buy it at all.
- I come here and write long replies to keep my mind occupied for as long as possible! (LOL)
-chewing gum vigerously (worked this week)
-be somewhere you cannot binge (visit someone, I wont binge in front of people)
-go to a movie (and do not go near the candy bar)
-find a cupboard or two to clean, or the bathroom, linen press, kitchen, pantry...
-try on some skinny clothes from my wardrobe
-go online and visit forums like this one
-DON'T TAKE THE FIRST BITE! (the biggest thing for me!)
-force myself to think about it? as my internal dialoge says Its ok, you have stuffed up enjoy it and get back on track tomorrow..> that is NOT right! a 2000 + calorie binge is NOT OK! and takes a week or more to burn off, and tomorrow is so damn hard to start again when your carb/sugar and fat cravings get into full swing .. really THINK about it!
Oh, and if you dare to go a little deeper than just distracting yourself:
Sit with yourself. Just sit there. Try to get behind the thought of the food & ask yourself some questions. Such as:
-What am I feeling?
- Is there something bothering me?
- Am I pretending something is NOT bothering me when actually, it is?
- What am I running from?
- And okay, so if I face it, and acknowledge it is bothering me, what can I do about resolving it? Will eating something actually resolve it?
- If I do eat something, how will I feel minutes later, after having eaten it? Will I still feel good about what I've done? Or will I feel guilty, disappointed in myself, depressed, a little sick to my stomach?
This process is a whole lot tougher than just distracting yourself & trying to make the time pass till the urge passes. A lot of people don't even want to attempt doing it. But for me, it can be incredibly worthwhile & it is really what keeps me from bingeing when the going gets rough.
I've hung a full length mirror by the kitchen entrance... I stop and look at myself if I want something I know I dont really want to eat.
I've put "NO!" signs on the freezer door (ice cream) and snack cabinet. This doesn't always work, but it slows me down and makes me think about what I'm about to do.
I like Saef's advice! Food is usually a way to escape feelings for me... so this really hits home:
"Sit with yourself. Just sit there. Try to get behind the thought of the food & ask yourself some questions. Such as:
-What am I feeling?
- Is there something bothering me?
- Am I pretending something is NOT bothering me when actually, it is?
- What am I running from?
- And okay, so if I face it, and acknowledge it is bothering me, what can I do about resolving it? Will eating something actually resolve it?
- If I do eat something, how will I feel minutes later, after having eaten it? Will I still feel good about what I've done? Or will I feel guilty, disappointed in myself, depressed, a little sick to my stomach?
This process is a whole lot tougher than just distracting yourself & trying to make the time pass till the urge passes. A lot of people don't even want to attempt doing it. But for me, it can be incredibly worthwhile & it is really what keeps me from bingeing when the going gets rough."
How about tips for people who don't realize they are binging? I never thought I was a binge eater until like...yesterday. My binging habits are while I am watching TV or on the computer, and I grab a snack and bring the whole bag. The extent of my emotional binging is if I am upset I will have a doughnut or two but I have never eaten a whole package.
So I guess my tip for the nonchalant binge eater is that if you are going to have a snack while watching TV or whatever, put some on a plate or pour it in a bowl and never bring the entire container.
Things that keep binges away
