It may be the case that your trigger is actually having the chocolates everyday. For some people, having trigger foods around may make the bingeing worse so they do not keep such foods around.
The dark chocolate doesn't trigger a binge for me - I have a piece of it post-dinner (plus living with parents helps regulate that, ha!). Usually if I have something really sweet - or processed, probably, then that triggers it all off. Milk chocolate is the devil, I swear...! And on that note, let's not talk about Christmas. Onwards and upwards! (Or downwards, if we're talking weight. Hopefully!)
1. Eliminating all sugar from my diet with the exception of the Nutrimed protein bars and EAS shakes prescribed by my doctor. (No fruit or processed sugar right now.)
2. Eliminating carbs--pastas, bread, rice, etc.
3. Eliminating excess fats--butter, oil, etc.
4. Eating an ample amount of lean, low-fat protein in addition to vegetables.
5. Eating every three hours between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and no night time snacking.
6. Eliminating diet soda.
7. Drinking in excess of 120 ounces of water each day (including the use of 0 calorie flavor drops or occasional Crystal Light).
8. Keeping a detailed food log both on paper and using MyFitnessPal to record all food, liquids, and exercise so I have an accurate daily calorie count.
9. Using the strategy presented in the book Brain Over Binge, which teaches that the impulse to binge is controlled by the less developed "animal" portion of the brain that handles survival instincts. For me, the concept that I can use my "higher" brain--which controls personality, consciousness, and the ability to act--to counter signals from the "lower" brain and eliminate my binge impulse is working.
Eventually, I will not have to worry about sugar as a trigger food because my brain will be re-trained to no longer have binge urges and I should be able to eat a normal, healthy diet, including fruit and grains, using the skills I'm learning. I anticipate this process is going to take me another year of focused effort, including the transition back to where no foods is consciously off limits.
For me, keeping trigger foods around the house is impossible. I can't do the "moderation" thing. If there are cookies I eat the whole bag. Same with cheesecake and chocolate. Eating a little bit of something only makes it worse for me. So I have to completely purge those things from my diet. It's really, really hard though.
For example, right now we have leftover birthday cake in the kitchen. I want it. But I know if I give in and eat a piece then the rest of my day is shot. I'm very tempted to chuck the whole thing in the trash so it's not staring me in the face every time I go in there. Moderation just doesn't work for me. I know it's a mental thing but apparently I'm not strong enough to only have a little of a trigger food.
I havent worked out yet what causes my binges. Can happen at home or at work. I turn into a weird food junkie and will eat whatever I can find - at home peanut butter, milo, cooking chocolate, whatever. At work its usually chocolate bars, chips etc. I seem to go on auto pilot and just do it knowing that I shouldn't but unable to stop. Would dearly love to work out what is the trigger and how to stop it.
For me sugar triggers a binge. Anytime I'm gone sugar free and the binging stops I think I can handle just one cookie or whatever, but no. I can eat a normal serving of chips or salty snacks and move on but not anything with sugar. This time I am treating it like a disease, I try look look at it like I have a sugar intolerance, not that I cant have it but am I willing to deal with the reaction...so far the answer is no.
I have more triggers than I can count since teen years (decades ago). Then there are the binges without an identifiable trigger. I just looked up 'binge-eating' on Wikipedia. The section on causation is interesting: adherence to a strict dietary regimen is hypothesized to be a cause. Seems our animal brain drives us to binge after a period of starvation, i.e. diet. It's an evolved survival mechanism.
I recently began maintenance after Ideal Protein diet. The protocol says to have a fun day each & every week, in which any longed-for food can be eaten. Now I understand why, though I have a really hard time keeping the fun food from becoming a binge.
"... though I have a really hard time keeping the fun food from becoming a binge."
So do i that's why my plan now is to only eat those sorts of food in company and when its not possible to let it become a binge, e.g. at a restaurant with other people, or if someone offers it to you.
And maybe its a good idea to eat something else more healthy if you still feel hungry to get the taste of it out of your mouth.
Its simply too hard to be constantly resisting temptation so its more successful to reduce the opportunities for binging.
to answer the initial question, i don't really know the answer but I went on a diet the other year and it was over six months i think that i avoided a binge. Most of that time involved practicing self-restraint. Oh wait, i did binge but not to extremes and not on my usual foods. And it did not get out of control but that was because the circumstances i was in did not give me access to all those tempting types of food. I was far away from shops.
It may be the case that your trigger is actually having the chocolates everyday. For some people, having trigger foods around may make the bingeing worse so they do not keep such foods around.
I am the opposite, I actually LIKE having trigger foods around the house and the sense of being able to eat them when I want to (ie. no restrictions at all). If I have them around the house, I don't binge. Don't know, maybe it's a comfort thing, lol!
You could experiment to see what works for you.
I am the same way. If I don't have my snack stash, I sort of feel panicky and will go to the store to buy stuff to binge on. If I have stuff stashed away, I know it's there, I know it isn't going anywhere and I can have it whenever I want. Doing that makes it much easier for me to have a serving and put the rest of it away.
There are two types that I've seen when it comes to controlling binge behavior. The moderators and the abstainers. Moderators can eat a small amount and that will ward off a big bender. The abstainers can't have one bite of trigger food or it will bring on a full binge. I'm one of the latter.
For me, it has just been about practice and "lessening" the binge.
I always try and just abstain totally. I read a really interesting article about addiction, where the researcher concluded that if we "exercise" the ability of saying "no" it gets easier over time. Scientifically proven. So, that is always my first defense.
Secondly, if I do give in - I always try and lessen. So, I have a HUGE problem with Whole Foods in my city because they have a cookie bar. They have these sandwich cookies, packed with frosting. I used to go in and buy an entire bag of them, like 10-12 (I never actually counted, I would just fill the bag) and I would eat them all in the car before I got home. 10 sandwich cookies is actually 20 cookies, plus all the frosting (which is really just shortening and sugar) between. UGH. I started allowing myself the cookie bar binge, but I had to count them out and each time I would reduce the number by 1-2. Now, when I just have to have them, I will allow myself 3-4 of them. End result is I am careful to choose the 3-4 I really want, I eat them more slowly and I do not get sick after eating them all.
I try and do that with all the cravings I just cannot resist and it has really helped me tremendously. I never have trigger food in the house, so I have to go out to buy it. Where I used to go to the grocery store and buy a 12 pack of deli cookies, 2 boxes of crackers, a pint of ice cream and a bag of candy (that I would completely eat over the course of a day) - now, I will buy a candy bar and a small bag of chips. I tell myself ahead of time that I will allow myself these splurges, not feel guilty about and eat all of it myself.
It works for me. A lot of times now I can totally resist, but when I can't, my binges are so much less "major" than they used to be - and I removed (as much as I can) the guilt & shame surrounding the binge because I allow myself the splurge. I still have some really bad moments, but I just forget them, forgive myself and start over.
Locke- I agree with you on that! I have many times thought ok I can do portion control. Well I can't. Chips, cookies, fries anything but vegies that can be dipped. So I have to do the abstinence. I really wish I way more self control than I do.
I'm a work in progress !!
Reached my goal and binged my way back into a Reboot when I fell off the wagon!!
Never really identified my self as a Binger before .... But looking back even to childhood and young adult I was . Could easily scarf down food ...family use to laugh and say I had a hollow leg!!and ask where was I putting it all!
I was a naturally skinny picky eater!! and made a vow I would never raise a child like I was.,
My poor Mom made balanced healthy meals and I would refuse to eat them.
She warned me don't go to school and pass out and make it look like we don't feed you.
I now realize I had a problem with food textures , tastes , appearance and smells. Now a days there is food therapist for kids like I was.
So any of my eating issues rest clearly on my shoulders cuz I was a nightmare of a kid to feed.
First time I ever ate mashed potatoes or Mac and cheese was after being married.
So I will always have to be mindful and rein myself in to maintain what I feel is my ideal weight.
Roo2
First my binging. I would go to Red Robin and get my first fries order as an appetizer. They have unlimited fries. Then the order of fries with the buger. Then 3 or 4 refills. Just one example.
I googled hungry after fast food. Read many articles on carbs. Realized two things. Refined carbs are basically sugar. Even whole grains, especially wheat are essentially sugar. Barely better than white bread.
I was determined to succeed this time. I just stopped bread, pasta, and potatoes. And fast food. The first week was hard but truly not super bad. I made three weeks then virtually everything lost its appeal to me. Ice cream, cake, cookies, candy bars.
It was super freaking awesome. Google carbs and blood sugar. Invest in three weeks of stopping cold turkey. For me it resulted in a lifetime of no more hunger (I hope, obviously has only been 8 months). But they have been wonderful hunger free months without hunger even with eating less than I did before.
I personally can have say an order of fries now and be fine. I truly believe my carb metabolism has changed. Before with so many carbs daily my body just stored em all. Trying to get the glucose out of my blood. So i could have a 1000 calories but my body barely got any for energy. Hence it was hungry soon after and i was a slave to hunger and a huge belly and weight. I urge everyone to try cold turkey if they can. Might be the best thing you ever do for yourself.
Last edited by diamondgeog; 01-10-2014 at 08:03 PM.
There are two types that I've seen when it comes to controlling binge behavior. The moderators and the abstainers. Moderators can eat a small amount and that will ward off a big bender. The abstainers can't have one bite of trigger food or it will bring on a full binge. I'm one of the latter.
locke-I 'm the same way as you.i have to stay away.I have no control either
