First things first: I received some concerned PMs and a lot of posts; just want to reassure that I'm safe and unharmed by the earthquake and tsunami, though the same cannot be said for thousands including a few acquaintances who have lost their homes or have missing loved ones. Doing my part and donating money and blood to the Red Cross. All we can do in times like these is offer a helping hand and hope for the best.

Secondly, related to weight loss support: I have had a terrible past few days and have just been on a near nonstop junk food binge. Nothing small or "is that really enough to be considered a binge?" - I'm talking thousands upon thousands of calories' worth of CRAP. Big boxes of chocolate covered almonds, tubs of frosting, etc. until I felt sick. My mouth literally hurts - sore jaw from chewing so many crunchy things at such a manic pace, gums and tongue and teeth feel stinging and sore from all the sugar, and I have a whopping sugar headache.

I feel like I can pinpoint why I did it. I've felt a bit down and a tiny bit stressed for the past couple weeks, frustrated with how I can't "stick to" my calorie goals, and binging feels like a euphoric, drug-like break from life. I remember on Thursday I spent an hour reading stories of other members' binge experiences and just thinking how great it would be to eat an entire X followed by a whole X and then to wash it down with a giant helping of X. Of course there is no satisfying fullness at the end of a binge - just a dull sickness that slowly turns from physical discomfort into emotional discomfort and massive guilt, and you wake up craving more of whatever it was you gorged yourself on right before bed. In my case it's been sugar.

At healthygirl.org there is a lot of talk about intuitive eating and about how the best way of getting over a binging problem is not to diet or restrict, but to simply move on and try to eat intuitively, focusing on the more "natural" cues of physical hunger rather than structured meal plans, calorie counts, times of day etc. I am at a healthy BMI and while I do very much want to return to my Christmas low weight, I think it is more important to correct the behavior than to focus on numbers.

What experience have you had with binge-diet cycles, if any? I have noticed many, many posters falling off the 3FC radar for a few weeks and then coming back saying they have gained X lbs after totally falling off the wagon and binging back those lost pounds. Many successfully kick the binging habit and re-lose the weight. What are your stories?

I find after binging for a while, I do best when I spend 1-3 days just cutting way down and doing better each day. Trying to eat healthy food-Even if it's higher calorie healthy food which I'd usually stay away from, and as long as I come in under 2000cals I just say to myself "You did better, and tomorrow you will do even better".

I've definitely done binge/restrict though, but I try to do the above these days. I think it's kind of like weaning yourself off the big amounts of sugar, so you avoid that massive crash which leaves you wanting more.

I'm really glad to hear that you're safe. I wonder if the all the tremendous things going on around you have contributed to your binge mode.

for me, I tend to get hungry at slightly off times, like 11 to 11:30am for lunch, then dinner I'm more flexible. I get hungry in the afternoon and have a snack then. I think my body physically likes having an eating schedule.

I also think it's good to eat when I'm truly hungry, it doesn't have to be a huge amount, a piece of fruit, some crackers. It feels physically and mentally healthy to me to respond to true hunger with food. it makes it easier and more natural for me to say no to eating when I don't really feel hungry.

another thing for me, sticking with my exercise routine can really help me get back on track. going to the gym makes me feel invigorated and sort of cleansed, like I'm ready to get back into a good mode.

Hugs dear Krampus! I can't imagine what you must be going through. I am praying for your continued safety.

Its been a while since I had a day(s) long binge but I am still suseptible to a full week of daily mini binges. They are similar in the feelings that lead to them. I am forgetting all else in the name of relief from different emotions.

Depending on the emotions I am trying to dull, I have different stradegies.
Lonliness (often as I live alone) - catch up with friends and relatives by emails and phone calls and/or make plans to do something -even if it is just coffee. I have new friends at the gym so going at least 3-5x wk helps.
Stress/Anxiety - I can feel my leg muscles tensing, my shoulders raising up to my ears, sometimes hyper alert and unsettled, sometimes overwhelmed and teary. This is one of the reasons I like pampering (facials, massages, manicures and pedicures) and take hot showers before I crawl into clean cool sheets.
Boredom - I do jigsaw puzzles - nothing too stressful (500 pieces). It gives me something to do with a objective that I will easily meet. It occupies and challenges my mind. Hours can pass without much time awareness.
Guilt - I am a procrasinator so when I don't do all that I should be doing (household chores mainly - I keep saying "eh, I'll do it tomorrow"), there is a growing level of guilt. I try to avoid the guilt by busying myself with eating. When I just spend the 15 - 20 min doing some of it, I feel better.
Depressed/down - expose myself to daylight - walk or sit outside; watch some funny youtube videos or watch a favorite comedy movie.

My problem is I am usually asking myself POST binge 'why did I just do that' instead of PRE binge 'what am I feeling and how can I counter the feelings'.

I hope you will feel better soon.

Hey krampus - I was just thinking of starting this same thread when I found yours.

I know the precise reason I go thru the diet binge cycle, but that doesnt always mean I can stop it. If anything, I just try to get it last less time and not lead back to obesity.

I have food issues. They are *way* better than they used to be. But I am just prone to binges and need to be very careful about what triggers one. And one binge seems to trigger more.

Obviously there are emotional triggers, but that isnt it really - its the foods themselves for me.

If Im in a state where Im eating relatively low carb then emotional triggers dont typically cause a binge. High stress doesnt make me eat ice cream unless my diet is already in the carb danger zone.

Veggies and fruit are fine, otherwise Id like carbs to make up <15% of my diet. When its higher than that, I dont blow up weight wise....but I do get into that danger zone where high stress, sadness, etc can make me think eating more carbs is the answer.

I know exactly what you guys mean. Binging can be horrible. Personally, what ends up happening with me is that I am stuck working 8 hour shifts and since I set my own lunchbreak/dinnerbreak I end up working thru the break and so I get super hungry. So when I get out of work I am starving and end up binging like crazy. I have put on at least 10 pounds in the past two weeks just from binging like this. And it's not regular eating. It's a binge where I start at sonic and then go to taco cabana and then end up buying a weeks worth of groceries and then going home and eating half of them. It's definately unhealthy and I have started thinking that my body is behaving like this because I feel deprived and that food is almost like a reward. I think that alot of it is mental and that the reason I binge so much on sweets and other foods, that I was deprived of as a child, I end up craving them and binging on them because I end up feeling deprived and craving the food that is causing me to gain so much weight.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I haven't binged or really felt like binging in a few days, and I chalk that up to a lack of chocolate/other trigger foods. While having a bad day or feeling frustrated about my Achilles heel injury or whatever contribute to binge tendencies, all my binges revolve around the same foods - chocolate, sugar, spread/peanut butter, etc.

I am trying IF (intermittent fasting) style eating in which I eat a very big lunch and a substantial dinner, waiting 15+ hours between meals including the night's sleep. It is working well for me because I am either hungry or full - never "not hungry but not satisfied" as eating 6 mini-meals throughout the day usually ends up. It's quite simple so far. Morning is for being hungry. Afternoon and early evening is for eating.

I had never heard of IF before...googling and checking out the thread on it now!

Just throwing this out there for what it's worth. The only thing that has controlled my binging is eating all day long. Small amounts, frequent snacking on all healthy foods. I don't have any junk in the house at all. If I desperately want something, I go out to a restaurant and order a serving. I also have a rule that I don't go by myself, someone must go with me. That way I can't have the secrecy that is involved in my binging. For me, trying to go long periods of time without food in my stomach definitely set off extended binges. Sugar is my enemy. If I completely stay away from it in every form, I rarely binge. I hate when people say "that is not sustainable, eventually you'll crack". Untrue. I think of it as alcohol to an alcoholic. I must stay away from it.
I am also so glad to hear that you are ok Krampus. My heart breaks for the people of Japan and all they are suffering.

I totally agree with this, although I do have a hard time always staying on the wagon....lol But I'm on a lot more than I'm off.

I read/hear people often complain that the alcoholic/overweight comparison is over used and misleading because an alcoholic can live without alcohol, but a person can't live without food. And while this is true, it is also very true and usually argued that a person CAN live their entire lives without sugar. The human body does not need sugar (or corn syrup or other refined sugars).... period. A person argues this because they don't want to give up sugar, because it is their drug of choice.

Krampus, I've been going through the same thing. I'm constantly losing, gaining, losing, gaining. Doing well, binging, doing well, binging. I'm currently trying to break the binge. For the past several days I've been binging. My weight is going up and up and I keep sinking deeper and deeper into the fear that I'm going to end up eating myself to death.

I'm considering the IF dieting. My only fear is that I'll end up with headaches. Guess I won't know if I don't try. All I do know is that I can't continue this way.

Absolutely Lori Bell! I agree.
Of course we can't give up food. We can live without added sugars. I am living proof, as are you. I can eat natural sugar found in fruits, etc., but the processed, added, HFCS etc. is like crack to me. It took me a LONG time to come to terms with this, but I have found what works for me, and I will avoid it like a vampire avoids the sun.

The IF way is working for me. With small, frequent meals I try really hard and am dedicated for a while, and then a day will hit when I think I might never really feel full again and food is not fun anymore. It all turns into a massive binge and all the miserable, binge-induced feelings that follow. I really think my body is just unhappy when I force feed in the AM when it's not hungry and a binge is it saying, "I've had enough of this". IF seems to take away the "restricted" feeling on foods like ice cream and chocolate. Hope it works for you and that this week is a better one!