I have a binge eating problem - help needed
Discussion
In the past two years I've lost over 30kg in weight, and am happy ish with my current weight, although would ideally like to lean out another 10kg or so.
I don't quite have the same motivation as I did for the first part of my weight loss for some reason, and so I end up eating well during the week and getting plenty of exercise in, often losing half a kilo or more over a week. Then at weekends I tend to binge eat uncontrollably. I'll end up driving to get food, pic n mix or whatever sweets I crave. I end up eating until I'm almost painfully full and have finished whatever I've bought, and I'll also raid the food cupboard for anything. I can't control it and feel horrendous afterwards. I don't know why I do it.
I've just eaten a pack of hobnobs, haribo and m and ms. This is obviously not healthy or normal. Please help me to work out why I'm doing this.
Has anyone experienced similar? How did you get past it?
I don't quite have the same motivation as I did for the first part of my weight loss for some reason, and so I end up eating well during the week and getting plenty of exercise in, often losing half a kilo or more over a week. Then at weekends I tend to binge eat uncontrollably. I'll end up driving to get food, pic n mix or whatever sweets I crave. I end up eating until I'm almost painfully full and have finished whatever I've bought, and I'll also raid the food cupboard for anything. I can't control it and feel horrendous afterwards. I don't know why I do it.
I've just eaten a pack of hobnobs, haribo and m and ms. This is obviously not healthy or normal. Please help me to work out why I'm doing this.
Has anyone experienced similar? How did you get past it?
I have done similar - but have managed it by binging on more healthier foods.
i.e tonight I have just munched my way through a big bowl of chopped apple, with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and some dried raisins (something to chew on) all covered in plenty of frozen yoghurt.
It still has lots of calories, but feels much "cleaner" than chocolate or biscuits or sweets and more importantly I don't feel bad after eating it all.
Are you feel hungry when you start your binge?
i.e tonight I have just munched my way through a big bowl of chopped apple, with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and some dried raisins (something to chew on) all covered in plenty of frozen yoghurt.
It still has lots of calories, but feels much "cleaner" than chocolate or biscuits or sweets and more importantly I don't feel bad after eating it all.
Are you feel hungry when you start your binge?
Have you tried spreading the crap intake throughout the week.
Buying a couple of bags of sweets and rationing a certain amount each night.
May reduce the binge cravings.
I used to binge at weekends, but over the last year I've reduced these blow outs to virtually zero.
My most effective way to stop it is to run as often as possible and then equate 50 mins of running to about 2/3 of a bag of sweets ..... it just isn't worth it.
Buying a couple of bags of sweets and rationing a certain amount each night.
May reduce the binge cravings.
I used to binge at weekends, but over the last year I've reduced these blow outs to virtually zero.
My most effective way to stop it is to run as often as possible and then equate 50 mins of running to about 2/3 of a bag of sweets ..... it just isn't worth it.
Could be a diet thing, could be a mental thing, could be a different mental thing, could be one of quite a few things in reality.
OP:
What's your current diet?
When you do hit the pies (so to speak), does it cause you an issue in any other way, apart from that sense of guilt/shame? Is there any recent tendency for it to happen more often?
It may be worth pausing for a month or two, diet & exercise wise, and trying to maintain weight rather than lose (whilst being careful not to go the other way). Then, start again.
OP:
What's your current diet?
When you do hit the pies (so to speak), does it cause you an issue in any other way, apart from that sense of guilt/shame? Is there any recent tendency for it to happen more often?
It may be worth pausing for a month or two, diet & exercise wise, and trying to maintain weight rather than lose (whilst being careful not to go the other way). Then, start again.
One of my friends has a similar problem. He is trying his best at a healthy diet and gym routine to lose weight, and does manage to ear fairly healthily through the day. However, he wakes up in the middle of the night around 2AM and ends up standing at the fridge eating multiple cornettos, whole packs of biscuits etc. He lives with parents and brother, so it's not like he can just not have those junk foods in the house, his main problem is waking up hungry and in a half-asleep state, having no mental fortitude to resist the urge to eat crap. I don't really know what to say to him, though I know he wants to stop because the setbacks in the gym and on the scales annoy him. I suppose most people who have tried to quit junk food and only eat "healthy" foods have faced moments where they just want to jack it in and stuff their faces with whatever they want.
Mobile Chicane said:
Don't buy sweets, chocolate or biscuits.
It's hard to binge on carrot sticks, or Cup-a-Soups
+1 ... If it's not in the fridge/cupboard, you can't binge on it It's hard to binge on carrot sticks, or Cup-a-Soups
However you'll need the mental strength to ignore the biscuit aisle, which from experience, is quite difficult. You can do it though! Alternatively, do what I do. I buy Malteaser 'fun size' packs ... 99 cals a bag. Don't binge on them, but if you feel the need for some sugar/energy, it's a good way of not going crazy and controlling your calorie intake. If I had a share bag of Malteasers, they'd disappear in mere minutes!
I advocate cutting down not out purely for the binge reason. Let the body get used to a lower amount of crap and eventually you will naturally decide that it's really all s
t and not bother with it. Cutting out completely usually results in a degenerate binge. Seen it so many times on MFP.
t and not bother with it. Cutting out completely usually results in a degenerate binge. Seen it so many times on MFP.I still get this - dropped 7 stone by eating good mon-sat and dont worry about sunday.....but I'd often eat to the point feeling ill (or even being ill....certainly an upset tummy the next day)
So now I just try and limit the damage...so, for example, today i've had LOADS of BBQ meat so I'm already feeling pretty stuffed before hitting the sweets...then its flapjacks, protein cookies....so not great, but not pringles.
As long as I drop weight still I dont care really - even if I do 4-5,000 cals on a sunday I'm still in deficit over the week.
So now I just try and limit the damage...so, for example, today i've had LOADS of BBQ meat so I'm already feeling pretty stuffed before hitting the sweets...then its flapjacks, protein cookies....so not great, but not pringles.
As long as I drop weight still I dont care really - even if I do 4-5,000 cals on a sunday I'm still in deficit over the week.
I've just eaten one of those 130g boxes of Malteasers ... 600 cals ... Total calorie intake today is around the 1200 cal marker. I burnt 1300 cals on a cross country ride this afternoon, so I'm in negative numbers!
The reason for the low cals is I haven't had much to eat and I've been drinking water for most of the day.
The reason for the low cals is I haven't had much to eat and I've been drinking water for most of the day.
Ikemi said:
Mobile Chicane said:
Don't buy sweets, chocolate or biscuits.
It's hard to binge on carrot sticks, or Cup-a-Soups
+1 ... If it's not in the fridge/cupboard, you can't binge on it It's hard to binge on carrot sticks, or Cup-a-Soups
However you'll need the mental strength to ignore the biscuit aisle, which from experience, is quite difficult. You can do it though! Alternatively, do what I do. I buy Malteaser 'fun size' packs ... 99 cals a bag. Don't binge on them, but if you feel the need for some sugar/energy, it's a good way of not going crazy and controlling your calorie intake. If I had a share bag of Malteasers, they'd disappear in mere minutes!
If I feel the need for sugar in the evenings when all I'm doing is watching TV, I tell myself "no", and go to bed hungry. It's much easier with no tasty snacks in the house of course, as I get bored after looking at tins of ravioli after a while.
I don't really think you have a problem tbh. Most people are way worse than you (eating st through the week).
Does it coincide with drinking alcohol/smoking weed/boredom? I'm sure it must be one or 2 of those things, if so, there are other ways to tackle it.
But I don't think you have a problem, well not one that isn't easily sorted or out of the norm. Don't beat yourself up.
t through the week).Does it coincide with drinking alcohol/smoking weed/boredom? I'm sure it must be one or 2 of those things, if so, there are other ways to tackle it.
But I don't think you have a problem, well not one that isn't easily sorted or out of the norm. Don't beat yourself up.
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