[aw1872]

Hi all, I'm brand new here! I have been reading through the forum and have found that a lot of people share my mind-set pre and post binge, I had no idea there were so many others out there!
I'm not looking to lose very much weight, but I have been diagnosed with Binge Eating disorder. It has been a major struggle to not gain weight over the past 3 years... but I've just started an anti-depressant that my doctor thinks will help with my compulsive behavior.
Anyhoo, my question is, does anyone else always binge after a certain number of days? I almost always have one binge day after 4 days of eating well. And if I go longer than that, my single binge day will turn into 2 or 3, almost like my mind is making up for the days I didn't binge. Just making it past the 4th day doesn't necessarily benefit me in the long run I have tried everything for those "good" days, including allowing myself to eat whatever I want, to counting my calories religiously, and nothing changes. I always get the compulsive, overpowering urge to binge after those 4 days usually. I haven't been able to figure out why I do this, and I was wondering if I wasn't alone in having this strange behavior? I am so ready to figure out the best way to break this pattern.
Thanks guys for listening!

[Lilbert]

Yes! this is me 4 day max then I feel an anxious need to binge. I havent come up with a solution yet sorry, just thought id let you know your not alone

[Kery]

I used to have that binge pattern of "I"ll UNAVOIDABLY binge on week ends". So it'd be, uh, 4-5 days of normal eating, then 2 of bingeing. It was total crap. At some point I had to force myself to consider the why's: why on week ends, and why was I so convinced it was 'unavoidable'. It was a mixture of being the two days of the week when I didn't have work not classes to go to (so I was idle at home), not many friends to see (=feeling lonely), having homework to do but no energy left for it (and in my case I have/had that strange approach of "procrastinating is justified if I'm eating because, hey, I'm *busy* when I'm eating, so I can't work, right?"). Total BS, of course! But if eating disorders prompted rational thoughts in people, it'd be flash news by now.

Does that 4-days pattern correspond to something else in your life, by chance? Something that would unconsciously "justify" you bingeing after that period? Maybe knowing that would help in breaking it.

[aw1872]

Mine can fall any day of the week honestly... I can't figure out any sort of reason or coincidence other than my brain thinks I've gone too long without stuffing myself after 4 days.
Right now I have made it through 6 days so my main goal is not to have a super binge any time soon!
It seems so silly that I can't stop this pattern :/
Thanks for your input guys

[ion]

i think that's how it works for a lot of people! looking at my own patterns, it definitely sounds like me. nothing to do but get back on the wagon the next day.

[Milly1]

Yep by day 4 I would get that anxious feeling which inevitably ended in a binge. Although sometimes my weight went down a little a couple of days later! I have stopped it by increasing my calories. It has slowed the weight loss for sure but I prefer that, to avoid the panicky feeling and loss of control.