I know binging is bad..and most of the time I (as I'm sure most of you) eat really really really bad foods when I go on a binge. Luckily I have not been on any "bad food" binges in a while..but I did eat a lot of couscous and hummus tonight after I had my dinner.

My question is: are there any "safe foods" to binge on? I know binging isn't good, that it's really a symptom of an underlying emotional issue. But until I can resolve whatever that emotional issue is, are there foods I can just gorge myself on??

Thanks,

-Liz.

Veggies are good. Try cucumbers, jicama and baby carrots. They take a while to chew. There is a method of eating called volumetrics that I tried for a while. It encourages eating low calorie foods in bulk until you are full. I eventually moved away from this form of eating because like you I realized I was trying to mask an underlying problem. THe good thing about it though is that I did continue to lose weight while eating this way and it gave me time to work through some of my underlying problems. I still have problems with the binging now and then but it is much more under control now. Best of luck!

I wish there was and I thought I had found some that didnt make me feel "fat/gross" after eating them but much to my dismay the scale did not agree. I would binge on carrots, apples, low carb whole wheat tortillas and Kashi Go Lean original cereal and never felt bad, guilty or sick after doing so but after a month of this i stepped on the scale to see it had moved a good ten pounds.....sadly I would have to say with my experience there are no safe "foods" to binge on and not suffer the side affects :-(

Liz, I too have a problem with binge eating... I feel that any behavior you do that you are not in control of is not healthy...

I find that "binge anything" is tied to emotions.

Have you seen/heard about the program "I can make you thin"... It revolves around basic principals of listening to your body instead of listening to a diet... Below are the first four principals/golden rules. The show is on Sunday nights on TLC... This program has helped me keep my binge eating at bay.

1.) When You Are Hungry, Go Eat!
I’ll summarize a few of his statements -
Physical and emotional hunger are different -
Don’t starve yourself -
Stay between 3 and 7 on the ‘Hunger Scale’
1. Physically faint
2. Ravenous
3. Fairly Hungry
4. Slightly Hungry
5. Neutral
6. Satisfied
7. Full
8. Stuffed
9. Bloated
10. Nauseous
Starving does not work - too much guilt - we start ourselves throughout the ‘day’ and then ‘binge at night’
Metabolism is important -
TELL YOUR BODY THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO STARVE IT AND THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE IT ENOUGH FOOD
2.) Eat What You Want
OK, I’ll summarize a few things he said about “eat what you want”
Eat what you want, not what you think you ’should’ -
When we eat what we want, we stop depriving ourselves -


3.) Eat Consciously!
Again, I’ll summarize a few of the points he makes -
People who overeat ‘think’ about food all the time, but, when it comes ‘time’ to eat, they ’shovel food’ into their mouths -
Eat slowly, think about each and every food -
Chew the food and think about it -
Like when we ‘drive’ on the freeway, when we get ‘on an on-ramp’, we realize how fast we’ve been driving -
Eating consciously - slowly, no distractions, enjoying the food - allows us to actually feel ‘full’ when we are -
Eat at a quarter of the speed that you normal eat at -


4.) When You’re Full, Stop Eating!
I’ll summarize a few of Paul’s thoughts -
The more you listen to the ‘full’ signal, the better you’ll feel -
We decide how much we want from what we see, not from how we feel -
Our stomach will tell us how much to eat -

I will definitley have to catch that show. It sounds like he gives some really good advice. Thanks for all the info guys

Marathon Mom - thanks for sharing that hunger scale. i hate the fact that i so frequently eat til i'm nauseous. i'll have to try and catch that show.

I recently lost 20 lbs (even over the holidays),then started binging during post-holiday money stress. now I'm getting back on the saddle and looking for some support. I am using the South Beach diet and the Beck Diet Solution. I'm also restarting my stationary biking routine.

I guess the magic question for me is how much is "safe" to eat of things like Heshey Kisses, or M&M's? I don't want to deprive myself of anything because that is where I have failed in the past. I also want to eat enough to be satisfied and not feel guilty. I think moderation is the key but what is "moderation?" Any suggestions??

I have heard people say that 50 calories of a treat like that is reasonable. I concur that eating it with hot coffee or tea and taking your time makes it more satisfying versus tossing a handful down when nobody is looking.

Tommy, I think you are right about being able to legally enjoy it. I think that is why the 100 calorie pack treats work for me. It is really all about portion control and I can actually walk away after one if it is pre packaged for me. I am going to weight tomorrow for the first time in about 4 days and I am hoping for at least a pound.....and......I RODE MY BIKE TODAY!! I feel much better now that I made myself do it; I knew I would.

I am recently back in the "right choices, food accountability saddle" and I have taken to allowing myself one sugar free chocolate treat after dinner. I fear if I have a real heshey's kiss I won't be able to stop with one. The hershey sugar free treat doesn't taste a good but it does give me a little satisfaction w/o guilt.