I just had a binge. It was with a pound cake. I feel so guilty! I have binged at least once a day for the past 6 years, and my weight has boomed to 223. I feel so guilty and sad right now! Any advice would be great. Has anyone suffered from this and beat it?

I think all over weight people deal with binging, or a good portion of them. And most of us in this forum are fighting with it and all the maintainers have won against it. It takes time.

You can do it, it is not a diet you need it is a life change.

Binges happen. They are part of life. You need to put it behind you and move on. There is nothing to be done about it now - just get back to plan.

However, if you're binging regularly - daily, you need to ask yourself why? Is your plan unsatisfying for you? Does it leave out some favourite food, or type of food? What are you bingeing on? Is it always the same type of food? When you binge - are you eating food you have "forbidden" yourself, or are you eating excessive quantities of "allowed" food? Are you keeping a food journal where you record the binges and how you are feeling?

If you are bingeing every day without any particular type of food involved, perhaps you are not eating enough. It's hard to say whether your diet is sufficient if you're always straying from it. Your sig says "Mediterranean Lifestyle Chic" - are you happy with following a Mediterranean diet? Is it easy for you to follow? Are you being too restrictive with portions or food types? Are you really thinking of this as a lifestyle or as a temporary thing? Does a binge weaken your resolve for the day - "I'll start again tomorrow"?

I know this is a lot of questions, but if you truly consider that you binge daily, then you're not really following a plan. What do you do when you binge? You say you are feeling guilty, but if this has been a daily behaviour for six years, it's likely a habit. You need to confront that habit and break from it. I would check out the "Chicks in Control" forum - there are lots of people who have dealt with, or are dealing with, eating disorders of all kinds.

I've suffered from eating disorders in the past. Part of my weight gain has come from conquering them - and I'm not truly sure I've conquered them. I've finally learned that the only way to acheive and maintain a stable weight (I'm not at maintenance yet) is to follow a structured program and not look for things to happen fast, to treat every day on its own but also as part of my life. Not to try to control everything - just what I can. I've learned that my ED behaviour doesn't make me thin (actually quite the opposite), doesn't make everything alright. Being thin doesn't make everything alright either. Part of that understanding is to accept the odd binge in the right spirit - as a slip, but not as the end of the world.


I hope this helps. Here's another and a reiteration of welcome to the Med/Sonoma area. I hope we can help you figure this out.

Snuggles,
Jax

Hi Kathy. I kinda understand what you are saying. My expierence was more like this. I'd eat okay during the day... but then evening would come and I'd be hungry, or just want something sweet. So, I would have a cookie or two. Then I'd say, "well, I blew it today, so I'll start tomorrow". Then I'd eat a bunch more. I must have started my diet every day for six months.

I overindulged all the time. I think a lot of it was habit. I also know that it was mental with me. I always felt like I was depriving myself. I was't though. I just mentally thought I was missing out on something. Now, I allow myself one dessert a week. It's been working so far. I wait until Saturday and then I have my sweet fix for the week.

I also agree that you have to look at your diet, and make sure you feel it's the right one for you. If it is, then I think this binging is mind over matter. I can't tell you how to beat it, but I wish I could.

Good luck. I know it's so hard to get over that hurdle.

Hi there!! I've noticed that in the more stressful periods in my life, I've been more prone to binging.

One thing I would suggest as a way to get back into control is to go to fitday.com and write down everything you eat. Like if you want some poundcake, look it up on the database there, and cut a single portion, sit down and eat it -- if you find yourself going back for another, put it down. It's an accountability thing. Sometimes I don't get seconds of something because I can't face writing it down!

My other suggestions are: Only eat sitting down at the table, with proper plates and all (no fair eating standing up at the firdge!) And no eating in front of the TV, at the movies, etc.

Mindful eating is so much easier when you turn off the distractions. Make it a priority today to eat mindfully and really enjoy your food. The worst thing about binging is, you pay the price for eating but it's not really an enjoyable activity, when you think about it!

Kathy-please understand that I am not trying to be overly harsh. I must warn you that I am a shrink. After struggling with this for years myself and seeing what other people say/write on sites like this and working in the mental health field, I have come to the conclusion that obesity is a substance abuse disorder. I don't know why everyone dances around this issue because to me it seems pretty obvious. Of course we all have to eat to live and others can give up alcohol or heroin or cocaine for the rest of their lives and be fine. What I have seen over and over again is that most people who struggle with their weight have some kind of food they tend to not be able to eat in moderation-the most common is refined sugar products, the next most common are salty items like crackers and chips, others I have heard/seen are fast food/pizza, and of course, alcohol. Other items are much less common. As I'm sure you have noticed, most of those items would not be considered part of a healthy diet and you can live without them for the rest of your life without sacrificing nutrition. At the moment, the only real answer to addictions that we have is abstinence. It is when people start to tell themselves they can handle "one" that they often find they get themselves into trouble. In fact, in AA they have a saying "one is too many, and a thousand is never enough." I know exactly what they are talking about. And yes, I've eaten whole bags of cookies in one sitting Kathy. I'm addicted to refined sugar. For me there is nothing in between-once I get started I may not come up for air for months so I just don't get started. My sugar addiction has destroyed every attempt I have made to successfully lose weight and keep it off.

Yeah Petra, I tend to think that weight issues are very individual. For instance for my mom, portion control was the issue, and Weight Watchers really solved that problem. She lost 30 pounds and continues to us WW measuring tactics to maintain her weight.

However, that doesn't really address truly addictive behavior. That's where WW fails. If they say, well, have one cookie, the truth is that sugary foods are simply not controllable by some people, and there might be a physical pre-disposition for that.

Nobody would tell an alcoholic "you can have any alcohol you want -- but in moderation!" But that's what they tell binge eaters.

I'm indifferent to sugar - but I do binge on stuff like chips and drinks/cocktails and salty food. I always fail in that situation so now I just don't DO cocktail hour, I just avoid that stuff like the plague! If I start eating chips and guacamole, it's the end, one chip leads to 20 and 20 leads to 20 more.

Oddly -- if I'm faced with that situation and just STAY AWAYS FROM IT ALTOGETHER -- I don't even miss it!

Exactly Kate. I think your Mom is the exception though. I don't have much trouble with salty food. I can eat a small bag of chips and not have another for 6 months. Go figure. Also, fast food I really don't miss at all.

My feelings about WW are, it's the most successful and the most frequently failed diet plan ever.

Some people, really they just need to learn about portions and calories and stuff. If that is your issue, then WW is great. For instance it's not unusual for people to pour a triple sized serving of cereal (and sometimes a second triple!) every morning and go, "well, I had a bowl of cereal....."

So if it's just a matter of EDUCATION....like you really don't know how much calories or fat you're eating and you need to learn, then WW is great.

Addictive or emotional eating, they don't really go into that rather than DON'T DO THAT! But I really think that people that have "red light" foods or situations are best to abstain from them.

luvthelighthouse--I have exactly the same pattern. Good at breakfast & lunch, and then it is all downhill from 3:00 on. HELP!