I would say a binge is eating way past the point of fullness, but it's also a bit more than that. Sometimes I'll go to an indian buffet with my BF and eat until I'm Ooh-ing and Aah-ing (as in Oooh, that was so good! ) but that's not what I'd consider a binge because I don't feel guilty. There's no guilt because I was hungry, it tasted good and it satisfied me. Plus I'll only do that a few times a year.

It's when I eat when I'm not hungry, past the point where it tastes good (sometimes it never even tasted good in the first place), because of emotional reasons. That I would call a binge. Those binges are so unsatisfying.

When I was a teenager, I would binge at least a few times a week. 1.5L of ice cream was my drug of choice, but often times 5-8 homemade cookies,- I could not have chocolate chips in the house or else I would HAVE to bake cookies. Sometimes I'd plan a binge and buy a lot of different candies and chips in bulk, and eat almost all of it. It kinda makes me sick to think about it. It got to the point where almost anything could trigger a binge- sometimes I'd binge on 3 or 4 peanut butter jelly sandwiches on weight watchers bread!

I had NO energy- there's very little nutrition in all the stuff I mentioned. I'm sure it worsened my depression greatly.

Man I'm glad I don't do that anymore.

Good discussion - nice to see lots of like-minds sharing experiences

The trouble with bingeing is it is very hard to stop. There's a point near the beginning where you can stop. But once you get further into it the whole experience becomes totally mindless and you just keep gutsing. No matter how sick or how full I feel, and even when I don't like the food, once I reach that point I just have to keep going until it's finished.

I don't even want to say how much I eat when I binge. Truthfully, I'm not sure I could say even if I wanted to. Once I start bingeing I often have no idea what I've eaten!!!

i don't eat that many calories in a day, so if i eat over 200 calories in one sitting thats a binge for me.

Hun, you realise that's not a very healthy attitude, right? If you consider over 200 cals a binge, I think you should reconsider your lifestyle. I realise a binge is different for each of us, but 200 cals is not a binge- it's not even a meal, it's a snack. How many calories do you take in daily? Bingeing is bad, but starving is just as bad if not worse!

Take care of yourself.

Ummm- I'm no psychologist or food expert on anything expert, but I think it's pretty safe to say that AmberNichole1983 - 200 calories is NOT a binge, but hey I could be wrong, couldn't I - umm probably not.

well I AM a psychologist LOL and I'd have to back up the others... 200 calories is a snack. It might be a binge if you are a rabbit and all you eat are carrots and grass but for an adult that is definitely in snackville.

Amber I'd like to encourage you to "binge" more often. You might also like to visit the Dove webpage and watch some of their videos to see how distorted most people's perception of beauty and size has become.

I don't eat that much, under 500 calories a day. I know all the risks and i know exactly what i'm doing to my body. I admit i have had eating disorders in the past and if want to know whats really going through my head just check out my livejournal. I have been trying to do better though. I eat about 100 calories for breakfast (yogurt, apple, egg whites with salsa, ext..) The i eat about 100 calores for lunch (half a turkey sandwich, some chicken broth or low cal soup, steamed veggies) then i eat a 120 cal chicken breast for dinner. Plus i snack on carrots all day so i'm pretty much always eating. It ends up still being under 500 calories a day though, but i take vitamins and i feel fine.

Well, I see that your extremely low calorie diet has already been discussed extensively in the "How many calories do YOU consume?" thread and I checked out your livejournal. My opinion has already been expressed numerous times so I'll just leave it at that.

For me a binge is not only about quantity but quality of food.
I might make a nice healthy evening meal but then eat it with 3-4 pieces of bread laden with butter.
Or eat fish and chips and bread and butter ( a real kiwi thing to do)
Sometimes it can even be making a nice healthy salad and then pouring half a bottle of dressing onto it.
I can happily eat 2 chocolate bars at a time.
My biggest problem is that when I binge it's always high fat low fibre food that just sits on my waistline.

Well said! Although it is hard to see anyone eating 500 calories a day and saying nothing.

Chaarli - I see what you're getting at with healthy vs unhealthy but I have binged on very healthy food. Like masses of veges dipped in hummus or feta dip and it's been healthy but totally insane out of control eating.

The real key with bingeing is that it is an "out of control" behaviour and you feel unable to stop yourself

Just curious, what are some helpful ideas that some of you use to curb the binges? I have some powerful urges that can make me feel sick if I don't indulge them. (headaches, anger, fatigue, etc.)

OMG I am so glad I checked this thread out. I have gone to the point to where I will be in a hotel room (I travel alot) and I'll order Chinese which of course includes Crab Ragoon, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Shrimp Lo Mein then when they knock on the door to deliver I will ask my non existant person in my room (loud enough for the delivery guy to hear) "Where did you put the money, oh never mind I see it." So he will not think all the food is for me.

It is hard to believe I used to do that. It is so embarassing.

Deanna2006 - It is hard some times, I usually try to do some sort of exercise because then I am more apt to want to stay on my healthier food because I hate to exercise and to waste it by binging afterword makes me control it a little better. There are times where I will be pacing the floor wanting to binge and I just have to get away, going for a walk. Going shopping to a store that does NOT have food...my favorites Goodies, Kohls and NEVER to store inside a mall. You can look at all the cute clothes you can buy when you quit the binging and lose weight. I also will leave money and credit cards at home and just take my license and just drive. (If I don't have money I can't stop at the Fast Food joints) Basically I try to do anything possible to remove myself from the situation otherwise the food you are thinking about binging on will continue to call your name. I think you just have to take it one urge at a time for me once I controlled it a few times it gave me more strength the next time. Currently I have not allowed myself to binge for 3 months and it is hard but so liberating to know the food no longer controls me, I control it! Best of luck, it is possible just hang in there!

Val that is hilarious!!!

I used to go to different shops to buy my "treats". I'd go and buy a few packets of something then finish it and still be hungry so I'd go to another store and buy the same things over again hehe

Val one more question - did you stop eating your trigger foods or can you now eat them in moderation?

Ladies, I have done the drive-thru act to. I know McDonalds is horrid, but I'd get a double quarter pounder meal and then get the happy meal...and then a sunday and an apple pie.

My problem was with what I bought in the grocery store. I'd buy our dinners and stuff for the house and then I'd buy hords of little debbies and sugar wafers...If my fiance was home, I'd leave the bad food in the car until he left or went to bed. Then I'd hide the bad food and just binge on it. Sometimes he'd find a box and I'd spill one of the many lies to cover it up.. Like "Oh, I brought the box home from work..it only had one left on it and I wanted the coupon."

One time, when my fiance and I were living with his parents, I stopped at the grocery store a couple of blocks from the house on the way home from work and bought sugar wafers. I ate the whole package in a space of 10 minutes.

Ice cream, cookies, little debbies...and anything sweet triggers binges. If I don't see them or smell them I don't think about it. But when I know the sugar is there and available to me it's all I can think about. I can't have "just one" piece of candy or what have you. Once I take the first bite, it's over. I can't control the desire for sugar.