I've been on here for about a week now. And I think I may have a binge-eating problem. OK, I KNOW I have a problem, it's just not so easy to shake.

I will eat great, 100% OP for one day. Then the next day I undo it all with a huge binge. Then back OP. Then binge. Nights are the worst, because sometimes I can eat really well until about 5 pm, then all heck breaks loose.

It's a viscious cycle. But I don't know how to break it.

My only thought is to make my eating journal public - so I've started my blog. But what else can I do to make this stop?

Sara

i have the same problem i work nights when i get home i want to eat everything.
i try toeat kashi go lean bars at break time there great!
there 250 calories but they are all natural no trans fat or high frutose corn syrup.
i have a major binge eating problem to i an eat everything past the point of being hungry, it is a hard cycle to break. and i havent yet.
but to start i have tried to take most snacks and stuff that would make for a bad binge out of the house.
good luck with everything.
crystal

Are there some emotional issues behind the binging? Maybe you are bored or had a frustrating day? Once you flesh those out, make sure you PLAN PLAN PLAN for your night. I have no problem planning for the day. I am at work, and all I bring with me is all I have to eat! Night is completely different though. I find that if I have a plan and journal it during the day that I will stick pretty close to it.

I also am a binge eater. It's so hard and I completely understand the frustration. I get really frustrated with myself too.

I am in a hurry but wanted to let you know taht you are not alone. There are so many others with this issue. things that have helped me are:
- planning (especially nights) - I have to tell myself what I will eat and then be done. If i start thinking about adding onto that list compulsively, I know I'm not hungry and heading for abinge.
- stop eating a couple hours before bed
- drink tons of water and tea
- distract yourself with stretching, a walk, a bath, cleaning, whatever. I have a list of things I could do to nourish myself instead of eating (because I think that is one of the reasons I binge - boredom, lonliness, whatever) on the fridge and in front of my cupboard.
-for me there are trigger foods and trigger areas (livingroom and kitchen). I dont buy trigger foods and stay out of those locations at night.
- some find it useful to eat only at the table. That way you cut out compulsive eating at the fridge, on the couch, etc.

Most importantantly I think is your mindset. Try reading "the taming of the chew" and "the secret". those two books helped me completely. for me I needed cognitive behaviour therapy. Negative thoughts are not helpful. You can do it and you will get to your goal. Picture yourself there and remind yourself that it is possible any time you try to sabotage yourself. If you assume you will never get there, that this goal is impossible, your actions will reflect that. You are working toward a healthier you!

If you feel a binge coming on, pull out your journal and start writing down your thoughts, your feelings, etc. Another thing some people do is to spend a couple weeks recording all their eating and what level of hunger they have before and after each time they eat. Then you can look back and see your patterns.

Talking to others in this group and reading posts is helpful. yOU are not alone and you can beat this!

Also if you want to join the binge free week thread (not sure if you already have?) it's a great way to stay accountable.

Nights are my worst time. I have noticed that if I eat an apple or a pear it calms my cravings and I am usually fine for the rest of the night.

Thanks guys. I'll have to look for those books and I'll start to follow the "binge-free" thread. I wish I could just get rid of the junk in my house. But my husband seems to think I "just need willpower" and "you lost weight once with it in the house, you just need to do it again". He of course can eat just one piece of candy and be done; I'll eat the whole back and still not be satisfied.

I think I eat cause I'm bored, and I do eat out of stress but when things are really stressful I actually am not hungry. But I think for most of it is I don't have anyone (but me) to be accountable too. So I'll join the thread and just try to be as good as I can...

Thanks again, I feel a bit less depressed about it now!

Sara

I'm a binge eater too. I will be good for a day or two and then just chow down. Also seems to be for me in the evenings and I to think its because I'm bored. Sometimes my kids or my husband will be eating a potatoe chips or popcorn in the evening and I cant resist but once I start I cant seem to stop! Then I feel horrible afterwards. I'm learning to give myself a break and not be so hard on myself cuz when I am to hard on myself I seem to binge more. I is hard but mabe get a buddy to go for walks in the evening. Join a gym or find something your interested in and join a club, i.e., scrapbooking. I go to a womens gym now. The ladies there are very supportive. I also go for walks with my mother in law. Hang in there and dont be too hard on yourself

Bikini Dreader, could you just start signing my name at the bottom of your posts, along with your own? It would save me a lot of typing. As is often the case, I echo what Bikini said. I have found that simply not eating after supper has been the best thing I ever did, in terms of getting the bingeing under control. Nights have always been my worst time, and once that first bite goes in, my willpower to not binge takes a nosedive. Deciding to have, say, 2 cookies while watching TV is, for me, very dangerous territory. 2 becomes 4, becomes 6, etc. You all know the drill. So I just make a pot of green tea, and do whatever it takes to not have that first bite.

Mind you, it was really difficult. I pined and pined for my evening munchies for at least a month, maybe 6 weeks. But now, with the odd exception, it's not a big deal. I don't particularly miss my old standbys much anymore.