Binge Eating

I eat and eat and eat although i do NOT throw it up. Sometimes even when im not hungry i still eat and i cant stop eating unhealthily. I also have depression which causes me to not want to work out or eat healthy. Does anyone else do this? I want to hear your stories.

I could have written this. I do this frequently and regularly. I don't have any words of wisdom about how to change the behavior or how to make it better - I just want you to know you're not alone in dealing with this.

I have been binging since 1980. that was when I started earning money for the first time and could afford it. I purged for years up to 6 times daily after gorging on an enormous amount of food. after some time no matter how many times I did this through the day I could not have an empty stomach because the feelings I was shoving down would not stay down. So, now some 30+ years later I am dealing with obesity. Sucks. I managed to keep my weight to a manageable amount until a just over a year ago I was assaulted "unwanted provocative touch" by a disgusting degenerate. I felt like I had been violently raped and I went to be and ate and slept and ate and slept now I am mortified to be seen out in public. I am trying desperately to lose enough weight so I can get on an airplane and visit my son and his new baby overseas. I have managed to lose a few pounds. One of the best ways to keep from binging is to distract yourself. have a list of things to do like taking a bath, doing a chore, reading, anything. Another thing that has helped me is to tell myself in the evening when temptation is at it's worse, to tell myself I can eat anything I want in the morning. The next morning usually I just feel good about not binging the night before. sorry for the long story...if you need or what to chat let me know...

Its just a really bad habit we all have them, but some worse than others.

it is very hard work for me to keep the binge eating under control. Usually I am successful. But it takes so much out of me. Its exhausting and takes up most of my energy and life. Keeping it under control as I do is not healthy. As I see it, its part of an addictive personality. But that could just be for me. For me its like the alcoholic. The turn off switch is broken or not there. There is no feeling of being satiated. For what its worth, some people find help in programs like overeaters annynomous. I personally am too shame based to be able to do the program. For others it was amazing.

the way I manage is to keep all the "trigger foods" out of my home. Those are the foods that I cannot stop eating. I do not allow myself to eat sugar or wheat or some other foods. they are forbidden for me. This does help. I had to bake something for someone. I usually do not do that because then I will long for some of it. But I had to do it as a thank you gift. I wanted to top it off with sweetened peanutbutter topping. I knew full well that if I brought organic peanutbutter in my home I would eat it. So I bought peter pan peanutbutter to use. Because I knew I would not allow myself to eat that for personal health reasons. So I basically keep my home free of foods I would eat that I shouldnt.

Full disclosure: Today I ate a whole bag of cheese puffs. I knew full well when I went to buy the bag that I would eat it all. I hold no illusions. The only reason I allowed myself the bag of cheese puffs is because I am in very tight control the rest of the time. so much so that I can do this every week or so. But i also know that tight control could fly out the window at any time. and I will be back on te upswing of the yoyo. Sorry i cant be more of an inspiration

I don't think binge eating is a bad habit...it is a disorder, and pretty much mental. I have had BED for almost 20yrs. For me it is "all or nothing" thinking. All- I am very restrictive, and not in calories, but in my food choices (low salt, low carb, no chips, nothing fried, no hot dogs etc) Nothing - anything goes in....fast food, and I can binge on anything. I am an experienced yo-yo dieter. My t says the only way I will maintain any weight loss is if I get my binge eating under control. It's pretty much mental and psychological. Food is controlling you. Changing the way you think is the way to success. It's a battle I deal with daily, for months at a time. Instead of eating our emotions, we need to face them. I'm overwhelmed with all my thoughts. I've been trying to figure this out for years...depression, low-self esteem, no self-worth, ADD..and now binge eating!!

wishing you well. I think my therapist can help me, but I am the one who will have to do all the mental work! good luck

Oh I've been having such an issue with this. I've been binging badly lately. Put on almost 15 lbs from it.

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Thanks for the "eat anything in the morning" tip SFC. That sounds like a strategy that might help for me. I'm perpetually struggling to go to bed and get up earlier too, so that would fit in. I wonder if I can convince myself since I can't really imagine having time to relax and eat what I want in the morning though. I try to let myself have at least a reasonable portion of sweets at night, and make sure I have something I really like around so I'll be satisfied. But I don't want to get into binging on the leftover candy I really wanted at night in the morning. I have pretty good eating habits in the morning and I don't want to mess that up. Still, I think I should make sure to really let myself eat something extra in the morning when I want to, at least sometimes, so I can convince myself to believe this strategy at night time though. I do like all kinds of breakfast foods and some of them are pretty similar to the sweets I want at night, so I think I could be satisfied to just eat a little more in the morning sometimes. I will just have to be able to get up earlier, which I want to do. I can't sleep tonight. I have to force myself into a better sleep schedule by forcing myself to get up early one morning and then I'm tired enough to fall asleep earlier the next night, and it usually lasts a few days until I stay up late again. I guess if I was thinking of eating something extra yummy in the morning, it would motivate me to get up. I usually manage to force myself to get up early on the weekend one day since I can do what I want. On weekdays it's a lot harder to make myself do it since I don't want to have to go to work, even though my job is okay. Well, sorry for rambling on.

Oh, I meant to say in response to the OP, yes, me too. I really hate it when they say the answer to your eating issues is to solve your depression, as if that was possible for most people. I take fatuous self help and therapy cliches to heart too much sometimes.

Just in the past 2 weeks things have become very successful and I have started binge eating and have put on a few pounds which is particulally discouraging for me since I have lost a lot of weight in the year and was continuing to do so. Also my parents have offered help to myself and my children and the only stipulation was that I have to continue to lose weight. I have been having to wear my spanxs at all times so they don't notice but they have already been making comments that it doesnt seem that I lost any weight this month. I have even been sleep eating which I hadn't done in a very long time. I have been finding the wrappers in the mornings. I really need to stop because I feel bad enough about myself without adding this to the list of things I do wrong. I really don't want to hear the raft of **** if I continue to gain weight so I need to hurry up and lose what I have gained.

I am a binge eater as well. Same reasons...boredom or "stuffing my feelings" with food. I hate it. My closet is filled with different sized clothing.

I have tried keeping busy, I have tried food I don't really like (it didn't work and started eating take out food which left me obese, an empty wallet, diabetes, tight clothing and more depression.

I am having to see an food counselor. I think I need more of a behavioral approach... like I said... eating my feelings. Keeping busy I have to be careful with because I spend to much, sleep a lot, and have a lot of depression.

I am tooling down with the nutrition lady and telling her that I am binge eater. I have also tried eating in the morning which I don't normally do because i am not hungry... it doesn't seem to stave me off until lunch.

I am trying to eat smaller portions but usually fail. My hands shake when I am not full, even after a full healthy meal. Normal portion sizes look likes snacks to me.

Other than taking up an old hobby of cross stitching (takes lots of time and concentration which I think will really help.

I think the important thing is not to give up. If I screw up, I just start trying over again.

I am also tempted to do a type of diet, any type just to get my weight down. It is so difficult as it's starting to affect my mobility (it is so much harder just to move around when I am bigger).

I am sharing my story of where I am now to let you know, that you are not alone. You are not alone at all.

Back to my hobby which keeps my energy, focus and hands busy.

I hope this helps.

I hate to admit it (and it's hard to admit it too) but I reckon I'm a binge eater nowadays. When I was in high school I stopped eating and starved myself but now I'm eating way too much instead. I've gained a lot of weight and I'm utterly disgusted with myself because of it. I mostly eat when I'm depressed and I don't manage to distract myself. Not sure how to stop it.

When do we call ourselves a binge eater? How much food? And when are we not eating enough? Is binge eating connected to our weight? What is an unacceptible weight? How do you decide? How do you know when you appear gross to others? I would love some input from other people.

As to a professional, I can't answer your questions. As a binge eater I can only speak for myself. To me binge eating is like this:

You don't eat just for nutrition, you eat to fill a void in your life because at some point or another, it may have worked a time or two before.

Binge eating is out of control eating even after you are full. Some binge eaters only stop when they are past the point of full where it now hurts because your stomach is so full and hasn't had time to digest it.

Binge eating is "topping off" once you have digested some of the food but no longer have that full feeling.

Binge eating is saying "screw the proper utensils" and eat with hands full of food. You don't stop until your body is way over full and it just hurts to eat anymore.

Binge eating is afraid to bring food into the house at all for fear of eating that week's worth of groceries within days if not a day later.

Binge eaters have a smaller person inside them that can't see or don't have a strong enough motivation to stop.

Binge eating eating is heaven on earth and hell itself.

Binge eating is hating your wardrobe because it's seems to get smaller and smaller as your weight goes up.

Binge eating is feeling "hunger pangs" when you are actually still full, just not bursting with food.

Binge eating is pain while moving because it hurts to carry all this extra weight.

Binge eating is just hell because everywhere you go because when you get there, there is food. Or watching a good movie and noticing that the commercials are driving you nuts.

Binge eating is waking up the next day and doing the same thing over and over again and not getting the right help.

Yes, I feel all these things and oh so much more. I have more skills and more motivation and determination to stop it (sipping water and typing and trying not to eat the graham crackers in the cabinet.

And I've only touched the tip of the iceberg and wondering why icebergs couldn't be edible.

Anyone else want to add to this thread?