[Zoseph]

I tend to try to justify what I eat, no matter what it is. "Banana bread is kind of healthy, since it has bananas in it! Never mind the giant cup of sugar that was also added!" But I wonder... sometimes when I feel a binge coming on, I end up making a giant fruit salad and eating that instead. I still feel guilty after, but it beats eating a ton of cookies... or that's what I tell myself. Yeah, fruit is healthy, but is it still considered binging if I'm eating just because I want to eat? Is "healthy" binging even a real thing? Does it reinforce the binging habit? It seems to me that regardless of what I'm eating, it's still binging and I could easily slip from binging with healthier food to unhealthy food, and that the habit should really just be cut entirely. What are your thoughts on this?

[AnnaGal]

So when you're in the mood to binge, you can satisfy the urge with fruit salad? Is it a reasonably-sized fruit salad (like less than 5 servings of fruit)? Do you eat just as much later? Do you feel good after you eat it?
Giving yourself is a way to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself is a way to deal with stress, which is, I'm guessing, what's driving your urge to binge. Fruit salad is good for you. It sounds like a healthy coping mechanism to me.
When I have the urge to binge, I never crave healthy foods. For me there's a really element of self-distruction involved. But I''ve noticed that by feeding myself healthy foods regularly, I can head off the urge before it gets uncontrollable. But I wish that a fruit salad option would work for me :-)

[fight2winthis]

there's nothing worse than feeling guilty after food, it doesnt help. whether you ate banana bread or cheesecake or lettuce, try n ditch the guilt. It would only make you feel worse and possibly -in my case at least- eat a whole lot more cos after all, 'i might as well, i've already started'. Instead focus on the reasons you eat (it helps to keep a food journal, i've always kicked against it cuz i believed it will keep me focused on food, but i've started and it really just hepls me to see the true reasons why i eat), and start from there to find true solutions to those problems. Bingeing can be cured, i believe it and i find that this belief has drastically reduced (if not eliminated) bingeing episodes. Also, labelling foods as healthy and unhealthy tends to make me want to reach for 'ceratin foods' when i'm feeling low. So I now go with 'there are no 'unhealthy foods', just unhealthy portions and/or unheathy reasons for eating'. That way i just allow myself to enjoy a treat when i want it, keeping in mind other things i've eaten around that period (think food journal) and i stick to one serving or less, depending on how big a serving is. So dear, fret not, u can come out of this cycle, think Variety, Moderation, and enjoy! Best of Luck!!!

[Zoseph]

@ Anna: I tend to be in the mood to binge whenever I'm bored - particularly at night if I'm watching TV. I think what it comes down to is that I just really like food. I've cut down on the habit but I still get the urge a lot. When I just can't help it, I make myself eat something healthier (not always as healthy as salad) but it's definitely not what I crave. I've also noticed that as I've been eating healthier and my cravings have been going down

@ fight2winthis: You're definitely right about reaching for certain foods when feeling low - for me it's any kind of dessert. Luckily I'm home for the summer with my parents and there are almost never any desserts here. Controlling portion size when necessary helps a lot too. It's frustrating when I tell myself I CAN'T have a certain food, so rather than do that, it's better to just have a little bit.

You've both helped! I'm working on self-discipline because I have very little when it comes to food, but it's also important not to feel guilty if I give into temptation, especially if it's only a little fruit salad