I just ate a good healthy meal. It was just the right amount and mostly satisfying. The problem is that feeling full is directly related to binging. I reached a point that I was binging all day everyday and I constantly pushed past the feeling of being full. Now that I'm done with my meal my mind is going to what else can I eat?! I'm really struggling with changing the mindset.

Anyone else relate to this?

Leah, I've struggled with that for years. It's gotten better over time, very gradually. After reading numerous intuitive eating resources, I've realized that for me it was a combination of physical cues and emotional responses (some people might call these habits).

What's worked for me is: a) eating slower (hard to do in a fast-paced work environment, but any effort helps me); b) getting up and walking, doing a few chores, or anything else mildly active after the meal for at least 30 minutes; c) very high fiber meals at least twice daily (I joke that I'm on the ultra-high-carb diet, but it's all complex carbs).

If I'm at home and feeling like I will be digging in the pantry after eating dinner, I do chores etc. for at least 30 min, then make myself a cup of some herb tea I really like (or occasionally cocoa). If I know that is coming, I still have something to look forward to. For me, continual eating once dinner is over usually stems from leftover work anxiety, and the feeling that I still "deserve" treats as a form of self care.

I had also read that craving sugar after a filling meal means that there was insufficient protein intake. I tried higher protein levels and it actually made it worse (perhaps because I felt even MORE full). But, you may be someone that could benefit from that advice.

I was looking for a way to describe what my BED looked like, this is it! If I keep eating past the point of full, it becomes a full on junk food binge. I could never figure out why?! I'm full!! Thank you for posting!!

Hi- hope you don't mind if I join into this thread-- but this topic caught my eye as I recently posted something about this myself. Feeling full is a trigger for bingeing for me. This is something that I think has always been true, but I did not realize until recently. One of the things that I've noticed will help me with this is if I put a clean end point to eating--so that I'm not still burping up the smell of food. For this, I do really well if I pop a piece of gum in my mouth. I don't really know exactly why it helps, but it seems that once that gum is in there, I realize I'm not going to eat anything else (because you can't eat with gum in your mouth, maybe?) Not sure if it would work for everyone, but I do find it helps. Not eating anything to the point of over fullness also helps, but sometimes I do it by accident.

This caught my eye too, because it's something that I'm suddenly better with, after well over 40 years of overeating.

In my recent phase of relosing what I regained what I relost what I regained, and so ad infinitum, I came across the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet ~ you eat only 500 calories on 2 days a week, and considerably more on the other 5 days (some people eat completely freely on the 5 days but I have had so long at calorie counting or overeating being my only 2 options, that I choose to count, to about 1600 calories).
Anyway, on this way of eating, not only have I continued to lose weight ~ 22.5lbs in 11 weeks ~ but my attitude to food has begun to change noticeably, and that's the biggest plus!
On the 2 x 500 days, I can restrict myself to that because I know that the next day I can have what I really want to dive into today, if I still want it. This is spilling over into the other days, and I'm beginning to understand that feeling full means I can stop eating ~ because I can have it tomorrow, if I still want it. I'm not 100% cured but the number of times I come in from eating out, or have a large meal at home, and then have to eat huge amounts of carbs to bursting point afterwards has seriously dropped.

I don't have the medical knowledge to recommend anyone start 5:2 but it's working for me

I would call this a habit. It doesn't matter how it started but it is possible to stop a habit. Books like Brain Over Binge and The Little Book of Big Changes have been a tremendous aid in helping me stop bad habits.

One thing to consider is that breaking certain habits really depend on your body being taken care of well. That means no dieting. Dieting sets up hunger and hunger triggers a primitibe part of your brain that is programmed to fight against famine. This is the reason why dieters always gain the weight back. So set yourself up with a good IE book and practice understanding your hunger/satiety and then tackle those distressing habits.

Hey Rosinante

I remember you from 2009-2010 when I was on the boards a lot and lost over 100 pounds. Sadly, I'm now working off a regain, but we do what we have to do.

Hi, Ubergirl!

I'm in the same boat. Lost over 100lbs 2002-2004.
Kept having regains and relosses.
Finally regained very nearly the 100lbs.
Started losing well in June 2015.
Had a relapse mid 2016.
Currently relosing a regain of a reloss of a regain.....

As you say, we do what we have to do, and by keeping trying, we're winning!

When you are in control it sounds like you really want to lose control and let ya self go? Where though???