So I've been eating healthy and making good choices (sounds better than DIET) for 5 weeks now-give or take a few meals in that time (In-N-Out, Easter Dinner). Have lost 12 pounds
My question is, what is a binge considered as? I've done pretty well these past few weeks, but my biggest struggle is night time. I LOVED m&ms, big bowls of icecream, and LOTS of peanut butter (not at the same time!) for desserts.
Last night I was feeling down and thought, I want a treat darnit! I'm tired of "feeling hungry" at night, and eating healthy things for that hunger!
So I ate something that has always been delicious--2 slices of toasted bread with huge globs of peanut butter on EACH bread. THEN I had a Reeses peanut butter egg I had stashed away.
Is giving into those kind of cravings a "binge"?
I just felt really weary and even though I've been seeing results, I was just mentally tired of the restriction. Hopefully I can keep on track and not give in to those feelings again.
I think a lot of people have different definitions of what a "binge" is, but to me it's losing control and consuming an insane amount of food in a short time. In my own experience it's usually tied to emotional eating. What you did doesn't really sound like a binge to me, it's more like you gave into some cravings and had an off night.
For me a binge means an out of control frenzy of shoving food. The total calories, what types of food, or why or when it happens doesn't matter. It's the out of control part. It's the horrible feelings afterwards; the shame, the guilt, the feeling of worthlessness etc etc.
I can easily overeat by thousands (ya, thousands) of calories, but it not be a binge; not feel shame, guilt (well maybe a little), not feel worthless.
For me a binge means an out of control frenzy of shoving food. The total calories, what types of food, or why or when it happens doesn't matter. It's the out of control part. It's the horrible feelings afterwards; the shame, the guilt, the feeling of worthlessness etc etc.
I can easily overeat by thousands (ya, thousands) of calories, but it not be a binge; not feel shame, guilt (well maybe a little), not feel worthless.
This defines a binge for me too - out of control, way off plan eating. And usually in large amounts. If I eat an off plan candy bar or piece of peanut butter toast, I don't consider that a binge. If I eat an off plan candy bar, then decide I've blown it so proceed to eat the pb toast, some fruit, some cheesy chips, then some fries, I consider that a binge.
Like everybody else said, I think a binge is more personal. For me, it usually has to do with being upset or mad, or any other emotion. I eat my feelings so to say and then I feel terrible afterwards. That is my "binge"
Stuffing. In my experience as some one not prone to binges (I slowly worked my way up the scale ) there is a huge difference between just eating a massive quantity of food and the out of control, frenzied feeding that would be a binge. In one, I'm eating because I love the food or am bored. In the other, I am literally abusing my body - stuffing emotional issues down with the temporary high attained from my food choices and sheer quantity. And because the food isn't what is needed to deal with the emotion, it keeps being eaten until it literally can't fit anymore and my body revolts. That is RARE, I think I've done that maybe a handful of times in my entire life, and can't think of one in even the last ten years.
But I can overeat to the point of discomfort easily. That's not the same as a binge - without the emotional component it's just plain old overeating, for me.
I agree with what the others have said and I would just add that the feeling of being out of control has degrees, IMO. I would say that binging is a tremendous feeling of being out of control, whereas I think one can feel somewhat out of control when eating and still not label it a "binge." I know that I am an overeater, and sometimes I feel like I don't have complete control of my eating. Because I'd like to keep off the 50 lbs. I lost and, obviously, I cannot eat as much as I'd like, sometimes I rebel and overeat and at those times I feel out of control ----as in "I've gone over my calories by 300 every day this week!" But that isn't the same as a binge. For instance, last night, I REALLY wanted some ice-cream. I had to go to the convenience store for something, and I made a conscious decision to buy a pint of Ben & Jerry's Peach Cobbler ice-cream, and I knew that I was going to eat the entire pint---and I did. I felt SO satisfied afterward that I wasn't seeking any other food the rest of the night because I felt so good. Some might consider that a binge; I don't.
For me a binge means that I lost all control and care. I will eat and eat and eat until whatever it is is gone or I've found a shred of self control and thrown it in the garbage. It has nothing to do with being hungry, something in my brain just snaps and I go into a frenzy.
Had a minor binge last night. I only stopped because I ran out of peanut m&ms and the Starbursts I had on hand were giving me a stomach ache (Even then, I ate about 15 more until it hurt enough to stop eating). If there was more junk food in my house that was tantalizing to me, I would have eaten it all last night. Coincidently or not, my TOM showed up this morning.
For me a binge means an out of control frenzy of shoving food. The total calories, what types of food, or why or when it happens doesn't matter. It's the out of control part. It's the horrible feelings afterwards; the shame, the guilt, the feeling of worthlessness etc etc.
I can easily overeat by thousands (ya, thousands) of calories, but it not be a binge; not feel shame, guilt (well maybe a little), not feel worthless.
Ditto. When I was about 22-23, I lived alone for the first time and I used to binge on anything in my house (which wasn't much because I was prone to binging). I would eat things like an entire cucumber, a bunch of brussels sprouts, an entire carton of egg whites, an onion (!), etc. It didn't matter WHAT I was eating, it was the emotional part that was so disturbing.
Honestly, my binges probably totaled less than 200 calories, but they made me feel worthless and guilty afterward.
When i read that, it gave me hope that i am NOT a binge eater. Usually i am the one who thinks people are too quick to label something a binge--i cringe when i see someone here say "there was birthday cake in the office and i ate a whole piece" and call that a binge, because for me a binge is much, MUCH worse than that. But after reading the description posted above, i have to say my "binges" are more controlled than the way they describe. I feel a bit like a robot when i'm binging, but i do know when to stop (i.e. before it really gets painful). Even when i'm binging, i stop to think, "ok, what would taste good next"--i don't just mindlessly shove food into my mouth. Some would label me a binge eater (because, bear in mind, i'm eating 3000 calories in one sitting), while others would not.
"Binge" to me denotes a frenzy or lack of control. I don't binge eat any more because I feed myself adequately - many people with no history of eating disorders develop binge eating as a symptom of prolonged caloric restriction.
I had some problems a couple years ago when I was eating low fat, low protein and trying to count calories every day - by the time Thursday night rolled around I'd snap and eat like, a whole jar of peanut butter. Thankfully I was in Japan - the jars are smaller there. :P It evolved where every couple weeks I would binge, almost a planned event where I'd go out and buy a bunch of crap, bring it all home, queue up an hour or two's worth of TV, and zone out while I ate it all - usually 3,000+ calories consisting of all junk food.
For me a binge means an out of control frenzy of shoving food. The total calories, what types of food, or why or when it happens doesn't matter. It's the out of control part.
What defines a "binge"?
) there is a huge difference between just eating a massive quantity of food and the out of control, frenzied feeding that would be a binge. In one, I'm eating because I love the food or am bored. In the other, I am literally abusing my body - stuffing emotional issues down with the temporary high attained from my food choices and sheer quantity. And because the food isn't what is needed to deal with the emotion, it keeps being eaten until it literally can't fit anymore and my body revolts. That is RARE, I think I've done that maybe a handful of times in my entire life, and can't think of one in even the last ten years.
