A week without bingeing
 

In the last month I've gotten into the habit of bingeing 1 to 2 times a week. I can't seem to go a week without having a massive binge and because of it my weight has been bouncing up and down between 66 and 68 kilos and I'm not really losing weight. I'm also starting to get painful stomach problems from it.

I've decided to just go a week without bingeing, which is until next Tuesday. I think I need a small achievable goal and somewhere to post about it. I really want to give it up for good and never do it again, but what I'm currently doing is not working.

keep us posted on how youre doing!! and good luck. you deserve better, you are beautiful, strong and determined. hugs!

A week is a great goal!
I'm very much in the same boat as you right now, so I completely understand where you're coming from and how hard it is.
Good luck, and keep us all posted!!

stimkovs: Aww thankyou. I think I might do a daily update to help me stay on track.

mottainai: Thanks! I've been trying to go a month without binge eating, but I think it's too long, and I'm an instant gratification kinda person. I figured a week is doable.

Good luck!

I think that's great, Amy. How are you doing so far? I'm really right there with you!

It's the end of day one and I've managed to not binge so far. I've got these massive cravings at the moment and they're driving me crazy. I don't think I planned my meals out very well today, which is causing the cravings. I normally have a larger dinner (500 - 600 calories) which helps prevent cravings at night, but today I planned my diet out so that I only had a 300 calorie dinner. I ended up going over, and having a blueberry yogurt for desert to help curb the cravings. I'll go to bed soon, I'll update again tomorrow.

Good job on the first day! Cravings are so tough, but you can do it!
I really think it's helpful to, when you need to, totally let go of the diet mindset and concentrate just on the fact that you're not binging. Even you if have to compromise on eating at a deficit, don't let it get to you, as hard as it is. Because ultimately, there is nothing going to be better for weight-loss than eliminating binge eating behavior, right? (:

I think that is an awesome goal and I have joined in on it! Weekends tend to be my downfall, so I'm going to make sure I do not binge after all the hard work I do during the week!

mottainai: Thanks! Last night the cravings were just getting worse and worse, so I quickly rushed off to bed. I think that saved me. I think I only went 133 calories over, so that's not too bad. I definitely agree with on eliminating binge eating behaviour. I think I could easily lose and maintain my goal weight if I could stop, just stopping is what's most important at this stage. How have you been going lately?

Pink Hurricane: The more the merrier I reckon :). I'm not too bad with weekends as long as I'm not doing anything. Lately however I've been so busy! I've got a camping trip coming up this weekend so that's going to be my biggest challenge.

Amy- great job sleeping instead of binging!! (:
I'm still doing fine, as well. Had an anxiety moment I would have normally binged for sure, but as I had no money and couldn't, I had no choice but to cope and go on! It was surprisingly easy, actually, lol. Gives me hope yet!
Keep up the great work!

mottainai - I'm sort of attempted to write up my own list of enabling behaviours I have, see if that helps me prevent any future binges. I'm glad that you're going so well.

For my daily update - I went well today. No binge cravings which made it much easier unlike last night. I think that when I have smaller meals during the day, with a larger dinner, I seem to be more successful.

That's awesome that you've identified some enabling behaviors! I swear, that just helped me so much, lol. Care to share?

I also have the majority of my food at dinner. Works best for me that way for sure. Glad you're doing well still!

mottainai: I think daily weigh ins have been enabling my behaviour. If I've lost more weight than expected, I reward myself with a binge, if I haven't lost weight, or even gained weight, I get disappointed and binge. I find that I'll use any excuse to binge, so I think giving the scale a break would remove those excuses. I've also stopped buying Milo. I used to tell myself that it was ok to have just one cup a day since it's fortified with iron, which I've had problems with in the past. I can go most days without binging on the stuff, but when I lose control, I turn to it and eat massive amounts of it. The most important thing though, is that I need to keep up with my university assignments, as they seem to be the main source of stress. I leave everything to the last minute, and this just stresses me out really badly. I've also gotten to the point where I'm starting to fail, and I'm really worried about getting kicked out of the course. This behaviour will be the most challenging to change.

Daily update - No binge urges again. I'm actually quite surprised, as I had to drop out of a camping trip that I had been looking forward to for ages. I have to resubmit an assignment, and I decided that I couldn't afford the time off. Plus my parents talked me out of going, which I think is for the best. On the plus side, sticking to healthy eating will be much easier over the weekend.

That's a great realization about the scale! I actually just saw your post on the other board. I just recently stopped using the scale as well. I was just like you, no kidding! If I lost weight, I felt good enough to deserve a binge. If it stayed the same for a few days, I felt like no matter what I did I wasn't losing so might as well binge. It's crazy how we can justify it any way. Anyway, I haven't weighed for nearly a week now, and I'm really liking it. I've removed those triggers, plus I do know that the number on the scale isn't actually all that helpful as a weight/fat loss indicator anyway, not as much as, say, clothing fit, so I feel pretty good about it. I hope it gives you some positive effect as well!

I don't know what Milo is. Never heard of it! But if it's causing binges, I think it is probably fine to stop buying it. And I totally hear you on the uni work. It stresses me out so much too. I actually have an exam today in a class that I haven't done much work for, since it's an online course and I am a very very un-motivated student, lol, so I'm stressed about actually having to study for it. Usually I definitely would use binge eating to calm me down....after I binge myself into like a happy stupor I don't mind studying so much! But today, I'm just gonna have to suck it up and deal!

Sorry for writing so much, don't mean to hijack your thread, but it sounds like we've got lots in common and some common goals. (: Awesome job so far today not letting the small things get to you!! Weekends are much easier for me as well. Let's just get through the rest of the week together!

The funny thing for me is that weighing myself everyday wasn't a problem before. I actually found it very encouraging. I think it might be because I'm at a low weight that I'm not used to, so any loss or gain is a bigger deal. I think now just looking in the mirror is a big enough encouragement because I can really see the difference.

Milo is a chocolate malt drink that's sold in Australia and in some Asian countries. It comes in a powder form and you're supposed to mix it in with milk, however I have a tendency to eat it plain. I find that binging tends to make the stress worse in the long run. I actually think that I'm using it as a form of procrastination.

And you haven't hijacked my thread! Post as much as you want :)

As for how well I've been doing today, the binging urges have decided to return. I think I've discovered new enabling behaviour, these being going through the food aisle where all of the junk food is and obsessing over the food, as well as going on youtube and watching recipes for yummy things. Definitely need to stop doing that. So far I haven't given in.

That's great newes and I'm so proud of you! Keep up the good work

Thankyou!!

I nearly binged last night, but managed to stop before it was too late. However, the urges carried out to this morning and I gave in :(. I think I went through a can of skim condensed milk, half a pack of chocolate mini muffins, a large piece of cheesecake and a large aerobar. Then there's the large bottle of diet Pepsi.

I think I need a reset. I'm going to try to last till next Saturday. I'm going to increase my calories from 1350 to 1750. I'm under quite bit of stress, so I think I need to focus less on weight loss and more on other areas of my life.

Amy, sorry you slipped up a bit!!
I'm tempted to say it doesn't sound so bad as far as binges go (more like a big treat meal?), but I know everyone binges differently, so I know it could be really devastating for you. ):
On the bright side though: you said you lasted through an evening not binging before giving in! That's super!! Any time you resist even a little, it's building up the power to do it again, I think. Plus, you really made it quite a good few days before binging, didn't you?
I hope you're able to put it behind you and get right back on track! That's the important thing now.
Also, did you learn any lessons from the binge? It can be helpful to view it as a learning experience, IMO-- helps in forgiving yourself. (:
I hope you enjoy the weekend!

I screwed up again today. I'm kind of disapointed in myself that I didn't even try. Luckily I'm feeling a lot more motivated for tomorrow. I'm going to get my week!

mottainai: I think the difference between a big treat meal and a binge for meal is the reasons behind it. I've been struggling with an assignment that I may fail and get kicked out of the course if I do fail, and I'm binge eating to try and make myself feel better. With big treats, it tends to be because I'm really craving a certain food, or I'm out enjoying myself. Binging in the morning is a big problem because I know I'll probably binge throughout the day, which I ended up doing both yesterday and today. Still, you've made me realize that it really was a pretty small binge. I've actually noticed a change in my binging behaviour. Yesterday I didn't finish the mini cupcakes because they didn't taste anywhere near as good as I thought they would, and if I was going to binge, I'm not going to do it on crap tasting food. Normally I wouldn't have noticed. These past two days I've also stopped when I started to feel sick, but not to the point that I thought I might throw up. It's like I'm becoming more in tuned to my bodies wants and needs. Some of the stuff I bought for my binge this morning even lasted till the evening. Normally I would have finished all of it, and then gone back to a different shop for more. The compulsive binging is becoming less compulsive. I might actually be able to kick this nasty habit.

A big hug for you, Amy!
The day after is always so hard, isn't it? I don't know about you, but the day after I've binged, I'm usually feeling disappointed that I binged but not all that bad physically, so I still feel like it's legitimate to binge again to deal with the disappointment from the previous day!

Wow, but the fact that your behavior is getting less compulsive is amazing! It's so great that you were tuned in enough to realize that the food actually didn't taste good and also stopped before you got physically sick. Really, that's a huge step in the right direction!! It sounds to me like you're making progress.

I'm also glad you're still coming back and posting even when you've slipped up. I know that when I do, I sometimes tend to sneak away for a bit because I'm too ashamed to write and report about it, lol.

You absolutely can kick this habit! Like your signature quote says, learn from it and move forward. (: I'll be waiting to hear how you do!

Thanks mottainai. I agree that the day after is really hard. For me I tend to just tell myself that I screwed up yesterday, what's the harm in one more bad day? I nearly binged again. I was in the car driving to the supermarket to get food, then it was like someone turned a switch on in my head, and I turned around when I was halfway there. I eventually went the the store and bought a bunch of healthy food. I had a hazlenut chocolate bar for lunch, which I think is what may have triggered the binge thoughts. I was in the library and I didn't feel like going out to get lunch. I made up for it with a green smoothie when I got home. I also stayed within my calories.

Really good job, Amy!
Especially on turning the car around even on the way to the store, that's super. I can't tell you how many times I've done that, even turning around multiple times! Turn around to go home, then turn around to binge, convince myself again to go home...haha.
Stay strong, girl!

I figure'd I better update this. I nearly went yesterday without overeating but I snapped a few hour before bed. Luckily it didn't turn into a full out binge. I'm hoping to do better today. I've decided to start weighing myself daily again, as I think it may have been doing me more good than harm.

Amy, glad to hear from you, was wondering how you'd been. That's awesome you avoided an actual binge. For sure, if you think it'll help, you can try using the scale again! See how it goes. Good luck! (:

Turning the car around when you are in the zone takes serious willpower. Give yourself credit for that! Especially since you were able to go back and get HEALTHY food later. I presume you were still in a store that had some bad food, but you were able to be in control.

mottainai - Thanks. I've been avoiding the scale for the last few days because I keep falling off the wagon. It's been really frustrating because lately I'll either binge all day, or I'll binge in the morning and get back on track for the rest of the day, or I'll stay on track and binge in the afternoon or at night. I can't seem to have one whole good day.

Ferny1730 - Thanks, my willpower seems to be getting better in some ways and worse in others. I seem to be unable to eat well for long periods of time, but I am getting better at stopping binges before they get too out of control.

AmyAmy - hang in there!! We've all been there!!! Hope you are having a better day today!!

I am committed to not bingeing today! I have had a few moments in the last few days where I almost gave in, but I held out! Also, I had to make a dessert to take to a housewarming party. I ate one and stopped there! The rest are already on a plate to take the party, and I have committed to not eating any more!

DoingMyBest - How did you go yesterday? I managed a day without binging yesterday, so I'm feeling pretty good.

Amy - Congratulations on yesterday! I know it can be so hard to get through just one day, and you deserve congrats for getting through!!! Way to go!! You can do it again today!!

I had numerous binge-y thoughts last night. At one point, I thought I was going to cave in. The switch flipped in my head to binge mode, and when that happens, I'm usually at the point of no return. But I managed to save myself by eating about 120 calories of a non-triggering treat and a few diet sodas, and amazingly, I ended the day at 1,400 calories. Today was a planned maintenance day, as I had a restaurant coupon that expired today. Again, I had binge-y thoughts, but I ignored them and had another non-triggering treat that fit into my overall calorie plan for the day. I saved another day! My goal is to make it to Friday, when I go to visit my parents and stay at their house for 2 months. I am determined to not binge while I'm there!

DoingMyBest79 - Wow! Good job on avoiding binges! I've nearly made it through today, meaning that I would not have had a binge in 3 days. My mum's home, so that's been helping the bingeing. My worst binges are always when I'm alone. I'm beginning to think that I might actually make it to a week this time.

I ended up bingeing. I wasn't expecting it at all. I'm so fustrated with myself. I'm going to try and stay positive and learn from it. I think it may have been because I decided to have a large lunch and a small dinner. Luckily it was only a mini binge - about 1000 calories, and I ended up eating 2300 calories in the whole day, which is about maintenance for me since I excercised. I'm still annoyed. I was actually in denial afterwards and told myself it wasn't a real binge and that it didn't count. I've decided to count it because it was way more than I eat at one time when I'm just grazing, and I had the feeling of complete loss of control.

I'm going to get back on track tomorrow. I've asked my mum not to have any binge food in the house for the next couple of days, just so I can get back in control.

Hey there Amy,
Just wanted to say I'm still keeping tabs on how you're doing!
I love the way you're staying so positive even throughout the slip-ups. It sounds like you're doing a lot of exploration and learning. That all really will come in handy!
Be kind to yourself, and best wishes for the new day!

mottainai - Thanks! I think I need to stay positive in order to break the cycle. If I beat myself I end up feeling worse, and then I binge again. It has been hard, but everything's paying off. Had the perfect day yesterday. I ate only healthy food, didn't have any treats either :)

I've also been weighing myself and the water weight is coming off pretty quickly. I've lost 7.5 pounds in four days.

I had another woosh this morning, losing 1.8 pounds since yesterday. I think I've lost most of water weight by now. I know that I will have gained some permanent weight from the binge bender, but it won't be as much as I had thought.

I also had another awesome day yesterday with no stuff ups.

Well done, Amy! (:

Thanks mottainai!
I nearly binged yesterday but managed to get away with overeating a little bit. I was actually going to give in, but I was really determined to make it to a week. I've been trying to complete this challenge for a week now, and I really want to make it. I'm over halfway now, nearly at the end of day five.

I finally made it to a week! After trying for ages!

Hello everyone! I just read this entire thread now and was hoping I can join in. I also struggle so much with binge eating and I recently regained about 30 of the about 80 lbs. that I had lost due to binges. I had weeks and weeks where I couldn't stop binging all day long and well into the night until I had terrible heartburn and felt so sluggish and depressed out of my mind.

Anyway, I got back on track last Monday and so I haven't binged for over a week now. I'm so excited and hope to avoid it for as long as possible.

Amy, I was so happy to read that you were able to avoid binging for a week! Just one question: you said that you had asked your parents to not have any binge foods in their home. Do you have binge foods in your home? If you don't , does that cut down on the binges or will you just leave the house at night to go get something? My problem is that I will binge on something as simple as bread and mayo (I know that sounds gross, but such is my crazy brain) and since I have kids and a husband I can't expect them all to avoid anything that will allow me to binge. But of course we have other things too such as evil Nutella! ;)

Again, congrats to you! Keep it up!

Thanks luckymommy. Keeping certain binge foods such as cookies and cake out of the house certainly make me less likely to binge, but will still go out and buy food if the cravings are bad enough and if I give in. I can binge on jam on toast, or I can make my own cake and binge on that, which we have ingredients for. One thing that helps me is keeping foods I may binge on out of site. You could try hiding mayo at the back of the fridge where you can't see it.

If you think mayo on bread sounds gross, I used to mix butter and sugar together and eat that out of desperation.