How do you keep yourself from binging?
 

I just can't keep myself from binging lately and it's really bumming me out, so how do you keep yourself from overindulging on food?

My biggest problem with binging has always been late night eating at home. I just never stopped eating until I went to bed at 1 or 2am. So now I don't keep food I would binge on in the house. If I want something I would possibly binge on I buy one small individual portion, like a single serving chocolate bar instead an entire bag, or one can of soda instead of a 2 liter, or an snack size bag of chips rather than a full size bag.

Its probably more expensive long term, but its totally worth it for me, because if all I have in the house is healthy food (like veggies) I won't binge and even if I did, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

something else that helps (but not as much as not having the food in the house) is keeping a food journal EVEN when I'm off plan so I still have to write down everything I eat. It makes me pause between food and really see what I'm eating and sometimes this help me stop.

I know how you feel. Tonight, I was craving pizza like no other. I ate 6 slices out of a medium pizza. I just couldn't stop eating it. I feel terrible about it since I have been doing so good and have lost 3 pounds in almost two weeks. I hit a plateau after losing 10 and got stuck for awhile, finally starting to lose some more..

Usually though I keep everything that I love to eat out of the house. I don't allow my mother to buy any yummy foods, or I will sit at home and end up eating because I am bored. I also try to keep busy when I happen to be at home. I am going to try going for a walk when I start to get hungry from boredom from home instead of heading for the kitchen. I hope it will help.

I have found if I have something I won't normally eat (ice cream, pizza, cheese in general) I crave it and end up eating those sorts of again the next day. Noticing this pattern hasn't helped me yet because I just realized it today...


after my 2-3 day binge... =/ ugh

I just look at what I'm about to eat and ask myself "is this worth my ruining my future happiness?"

Honestly, I am losing weight so I can be hot and fit and have more fun and be happier. So if I am about to binge on something, I decide, is eating this terrible thing for one hour's worth of satisfaction worth losing my chance to be happy for the rest of my life?

No, it never is. Since taking this approach I have had NO more trouble with binging. For me, 6 slices of pizza = more weeks that I have to live my life being unhappy.

Eat more protein -- esp at breakfast.

Don't buy trigger food. Resist once at the store, then you don't have to resist a zillion times at home.

Examine the craving -- head hunger vs heart hunger. Because if it is emotional needs, you aren't going to solve it with food. Linda Spangle's "Life is Hard. Food is Easy" was very helpful to me.

Don't eat around the thing. If you crave it, just eat it then, a sensible portion. Don't eat everything BUT the thing and then the thing. You end up eating more in the end.

If it is the need to feel physically full -- watermelon, melon, zuchinni -- all pretty watery but filling.

I agree with everyone who has said something along the lines of not keeping any tempting food in the house. Don't buy anything that you think will trigger a binge. I've found that once I can get past the first few days without any dessert foods (which are my weakness), it's so so sooo much easier to continue to resist them. If you love sugar like me, a good way to compensate is to have fruit instead.

The hardest thing for me is being able to say NO. I have little self control when it comes to food, and whenever my parents bring home some kind of dessert, it's easy for me to avoid the first day, but so much harder when it takes a week for that dessert to get eaten. Having it sit there where I could so easily have a piece is really tempting. Since I'm at home right now, I can't control all the food that's in the house, so learning how to tell myself "no" is very important. We're all always going to have times when a lot of unhealthy, delicious food is available, and that's why it's important to know how to tell yourself no.

Try and be consciously aware of what you are doing. Habits become so automatic we don't even realize the action of the our hands picking up the food and going into our mouths. I have been making a mental note as I reach for something in my head I am trying to become AWARE of exactly what I'm doing and stare at the food before putting it in my mouth. I seriously look at it, people must think I'm nuts cause I'm talking to it saying "ok if I eat you what goodness can you give to me? Why do I want you? Just because my tummy is saying YES YES YES does that mean I have to listen to it?" Sometimes I end up taking a bite and as I'm chewing I try to be aware of the food in my mouth, the flavour the texture and the nutrional value it's giving me. If it's a chip or a french fry I really become aware of the fatty texture in my mouth and if I stay aware I absolutely don't like how it feels in my mouth! That alone as deterred me from eating unhealthy foods. Becoming aware of what I'm doing, in every little action I do as I'm eating, from the touch to the smells to the feelings it conjurs up. And how it feels in my stomach. Take my lesson from that experience and keep building on it. It takes time, sometimes I did keep eating the chips but the lesson learned was how it really did make me feel and to remind myself next time that feeling associated with the chips. I have 2 boys, there is junk food in my house (as well as healthy snacks) everything in moderation so I'm not going to deprive them of chips during movie night on a Friday evening. BUT I have been able to stick to maybe a handful, or 2 pizza slices etc. because I'm staying AWARE of what I'm doing as I eat. I think it's key to start learning this, it's a formed conditioning in how we eat that once we get down to our goal weight how will we handle our eating patterns to keep the weight off? Don't be so hard on yourself, be kind, and keep learning as you go. It will pay off! Stay strong girls!

I keep binge foods out of the house, especially cookies, crackers, chips, chocolate - pretty much anything that I will obssess over and mindlessly eat. I also do not keep peanut butter in the house either. I make myself drive (or walk) to the store to get binge foods. Usually after all the trouble it is to get them, I have enough time to decide before I get them that I don't want to do that after all. Walking especially helps me. Just a couple of minutes into walking, I am sweating and have no interest in food.

I agree with just about everything everyone else has said. Another thing that has helped me tremendously is calorie counting. If I count then I feel in control and when I don't count, I feel lost in the world. I know that sounds dramatic, but that's how it is for me. Working out also helps me keep my head on straight. I'm so much less likely to binge if I've sweated heavily....somehow I don't want to undo the damage and it's so hard to burn those darn calories. If I do feel a binge coming on, I try to go somewhere that doesn't have food...for me, that's going upstairs to my room...away from the kitchen. I may chew gum or paint my nails or crochet (I'm horrible at it, but who cares). I sometimes even draw with colored pencils. I tell myself that quote that someone mentioned here: If food is not the problem, then food is not the answer. It really helps me to repeat that to myself over and over. I also have sugar free popsicles that are only 15 calories each so even if I have 10 of them, the caloric damage isn't all that major. I've heard some people crush ice and mix it with sugar free lemonade or crystal light...but I haven't tried it myself.

Mainly, I don't wait to get motivated because motivation comes and goes and with weight loss and maintenance it's all about consistency.

Oh and most importantly, if (and when) I do fall off track, I get right back on that wagon asap. That helps a whole bunch.

I know what you mean about calorie counting... if I don't, I feel like I've collapsed. It's so difficult when I sleepover my friend's house or even go out with her because I'm constantly tempted.


All my friends eat SO much and are so thin, so when I'm with them it's so easy to be carried away into thinking I can do the same thing... which isn't the case unless I'm tightly wrapped in my veil of denial... -.-

My anti-binge strategies are:

1. Motivational post-it notes on the fridge, inside cupboards and inside my medicine cabinets. I got the sayings mostly from this site. They remind me of what I have accomplished and warn me about giving in to impulse.

2. I keep low-cal "binge materials" on hand: A huge bag of puffed wheat cereal to eat dry from a bowl like chips, or I can eat them with milk and Splenda for that sweet taste; rice cakes that I can thinly spread with peanut butter and jam; Crystal Light for a sweet drink; Laughing Cow cheese; low-cal yogurt cups etc.

3. Like others, I write down what I eat and that helps me track what I'm doing.

I guess what I am saying is that if I get that feeling of having to eat--never sure why it happens but sometimes it does-- I need things on hand to binge on that aren't going to undermine me too much.

t works for one might not work for another. This is how I manage "those times".

hey :) u can keep low fat things in ur fridge to binge on- ur fav low fat yoghurt with fruits, whole fruits peaches and apples and so on, also chewing gum makes u feel less hungry

Years ago, I bought a book called Overcoming Overeating. It spoke to me like nothing else. Over the years, I have slowly put its wisdom into practice. I have not binged in more than a year. I would not ever call myself recovered, but I would call myself a continually recovering binge eater.

I like pizza too, so I've been making them on flatout bread for years. Link

I used to make very traditional pizzas, but this summer I've done a BBQ chicken pizza, a spicy Thai peanut chicken pizza, and a buffalo chicken pizza.

I typically buy the cabot 75% reduced fat cheese and use 1oz.

Sometimes what helps me is finding calorie-friendly ways to quench a craving.

This is so so so soooooo true and happens to me way too often. It feels like a blackout then suddenly realizing everything I ate :(

I'm trying so hard not to do that.

for me, i think i have to get myself occupied with other things, because if i'm busy, then i won't spend my spare time thinking about food. i'm seeing a pattern for myself these past several weeks, the times when i eat less is when i'm up and about and i find myself binging if i'm home all day.

It's true but the key is not to feel bad, or guilty about what your doing. Those negative emotions will only continue to drive the emtional/binge eating. It's changing those feelings. Remember you can't change what you don't acknowledge. If you aren't consciously aware of what you're doing how can you blame yourself? The key is to slowly become aware of it, which you are doing, and that's AWESOME!!! Give yourself a round of applause cause being aware is the first step! It's the best step cause your awake to your habits now. Now that you know what your doing it will take baby steps to get to a place of finally deciding not to reach your hand into that bag of chips.

So be kind to yourself. Mid way through a binge if you all of sudden become aware of what your doing, don't feel bad. Realize "hey! I'm aware of binging right now, this is how I cope. I'm going to be kind to me, and love me for what I'm doing right now cause this is all that I have known, this is how I comforted my emotional needs for years but I am grateful to realize this now." This is self nurturing yourself being kind to you and loving all of you. Just because your binging doesn't mean your not a beautiful worthy person. Love all of you now, it will make a world of difference!

Sit with those thoughts and tune into your hunger. What happens to your body, your feelings etc? Become even more aware of those thoughts and your feelings. Even if you don't stop binging it's fine, you've taken the steps of becoming AWARE of what you are doing. Give yourself permission. Sometimes I would say "I know I'm binging but this all I know right now and I love me" and I would keep that awareness of what I'm doing and soon realize ok I don't want anymore, it's like the awareness keeps you accountable! Because I realize now how awful this food is making my body feel and the key is again, don't let those negative emotions creep in like "Ahh I'm so gross, I'm so fat, look at what I'm doing" I simply say, ok this is making my body feel awful, what do I want to do with it. Just keep going and be kind to you!

The next time the awareness will return with even MORE awareness, to the point where you can feel strong enough to say "Hey I don't feel like eating that because I'm aware that I'm in a bad place right now and this is my binging pattern to meet an emotional need" and you will slowly discover new tools to help you cope.

That's all it is, its a coping strategy. It's just making different coping choices. Good luck! It's totally a journey to dig deep and realize your subsconsious, but it's baby steps and awareness. Your doing it already! :carrot:

For me it's REALLY important to pinpoint the reason behind binging. When I started this journey my major issues was chocolate (and sweets in general to a lesser extent). I had ZERO control and would eat an entire bag of chocolate chips in two days. :( I'd eat those stupid things until I'd make myself sick.

Eventually I decided enough was enough and I quit eating sugar all together. That cut out that habit pretty quickly! I went through a long detox phase where the only sweets I would have was fruit and eventually I felt ok enough to add in natural sweeteners. It's been a bumpy road and I still can't keep chocolate in the house and have to buy small bars if I do have any but I can't at least have a small amount without going insane. ;)

My next issue that I had to tackle was blood sugar. Timing for me is important and I need to eat a good chunk of food in the middle of the day. Otherwise at night I'm really hungry and very vulnerable to binging. However, if I have a good lunch and a solid snack in the afternoon I'm ok and am not tempted to binge.

I also appear to need to eat lower carb to prevent being too hungry also. Just adding an extra piece of bread at breakfast this past week was making me seriously hungry so I've cut back and seem to be normal again.

Look at your diet and see what's triggering your binges. If it's emotional eating try to find other ways to deal with your emotions. I'm sure many here have a lot of good advice on that.

My doctor once told me, and it works, if you know what you want to eat go ahead and eat a little of it. Otherwise, you will be eating everything you can get your hands on. I found it to be good advise, hope you do too.

So true! Sometimes when I'm really busy I find I have forgotten to eat. I do know that's not healthy either, just happens.