[bannywan70]

I have struggled with binge-eating for the past couple of months now. I never really thought that binging was this bad. "Oh, they just eat more than normal"... Boy was I wrong. I feel like the only thing I can compare myself to is a vacuum-cleaner vacuuming up a box of spilled cheerios on a wood floor. First I will eat a protein bar, but I am still hungry so I will eat nuts, because nuts are good for you right? Except I'll eat an entire container of nuts, then I'll go to the fridge and eat pounds of fruit (trying to be healthy here) but then I go for the mint ice-cream in the fridge because oh my goodness it is so delicious, then I'll eat all my left overs, popsicles, then I head back to the pantry and start eating more protein bars (these things are loaded in the calorie department... and probably loads of chemicals) granola bars, dried fruit, bananas, apples, saltines, bread, more, more, more... By the time I realize how much I've eaten I am LIVID at my myself, I feel sick to my stomach, and I look pregnant with triplets. Man... this is difficult stuff! I've always been thin, and had a small appetite, I could eat whatever I wanted, but I never wanted THAT much or ate THAT often. For the past few months (for emotional reasons, or due to cravings caused by birth control... have yet to distinguish the culprit of these hellish cravings) I have had an endless appetite. Literally my stomach has turned from a little girls satisfied by a few bites tummy to an endless pit. I have never had such a struggle trying not to eat, because once I start I seriously cannot stop and it terrifies me. I have gained too much because of Binge-Eating.. I am working with a therapist now, but we just met last week for the first time so I'm not exactly doing anything differently. I have severe body image issues and I can't even bear to look at myself in the mirror anymore without physically feeling sick and crying.

What I am asking of anyone who is willing to reply to this post, who may or may not have any experience with this type of stuff, is HOW DO I STOP EATING WHEN I AM NOT EVEN HUNGRY?? Seriously, I never feel full anymore it's the worst feeling to have a gnawing feeling in my stomach. Food is on my mind all the time, along with how fat I feel I have gotten. I'm really losing hope I feel like I'm going to blow up like a balloon and this is going to last forever..I just want to love my body again, and feel like I can control my eating.. How can I control myself and prevent another episode from happening? I have tried distracting myself, and chewing gum, and going for a walk, etc. etc. etc. Is there anything unique or different I can try or some self-reflection exercises I can try so I can control myself? I have a very impulsive personality, I often don't realize what I've done until half my kitchen is in my endless pit tummy... Sorry for rambling I just want anyone who reads to understand how badly this is effecting my life. If anyone has any tips please let my know, it would mean a great deal.... Thanks all

[Travelinglady]

Hi, bannywan70! I have been where you are and still fight it sometimes. You seem to have a lot of insight, though.

What I suggest is trying to see what might be leading you to these binges. Maybe it could be the birth control pills? What emotional issues are involved? You might want to talk to a therapist about that.

Otherwise, as you say, the problem is mindless eating. Here are some thoughts off the top of my head: 1) By food in small packages. Yes, it's more expensive, but if you polish off a pint of mint ice cream, then that's better than scarfing down a half gallon. 2) Keep more healthy, filling foods around. No, I won't suggest carrots. But do shop for more foods with at least some nutritional value. And fiber bars can be tasty, depending on the brand, and more filling. By foods that fight back more--i.e, that take effort to eat, such as more chewing; 3) Eat slowly. Savor each bite. As you say be mindful of what you are doing.

Can anybody think of other suggestions?

I can't say what works for everyone, but what worked for me was having somebody at home take my keys and debit card from me so I had to ask for them which added a layer of thought/security to the impulse binging process (my binging is/was primarily fast food). That helped me to break the cycle in the beginning which was huge.

The other is like above, go shopping for food. Try not to fall into the all or nothing trap and deprive yourself but there's something to be said for more frequent, smaller trips to the store. I go to the store with two weeks in mind and count out the food to make sure it'll last me 2 weeks with a small treat here and there.

Don't mean to make it sound as easy as "just don't eat!" cause it's certainly not. But I think breaking the cycle is important because negative thoughts and feelings follow the negative action of binging... which leads to more binging. Once you resist one meal, one day, one week, you may find yourself addicted to that more healthy routine and be able to reel things back in. Good luck!

Edit: I put on 100 lbs between medications and binging, literally. I've lost about half of it.

[Flowercrown]

Originally Posted by bannywan70

How can I control myself and prevent another episode from happening? I have tried distracting myself, and chewing gum, and going for a walk, etc. etc. etc. Is there anything unique or different I can try or some self-reflection exercises I can try so I can control myself? I have a very impulsive personality, I often don't realize what I've done until half my kitchen is in my endless pit tummy...

Distracting yourself can work for a short while but it can take so much energy and the cravings come back after you're done distracting yourself. So I don't find that really efficient.

The first thing I would do would be to practice asking myself "What am I feeling now?" and questioning whether eating is what I really want. "Is this what I want?" "Is that true", "Could it be that I want something else?".

Observing and questioning my thinking regularly has helped get rid of the numerous compulsive behaviors, low self-esteem and depression.

The next thing was to take care of me. I had learned that I was incapable of taking care of myself. That made me feel trapped for years. I realized I was also so trying so hard to please and take care of others that I left myself out and that caused me to compensate one way or another....

I could go on but if I were you I would start observing and questioning my thinking and the things I think about myself, What I deserve, What I can achieve... The Sedona method is great to learn to listen....

I recovered from depression and all kinds of addiction just by learning how to handle my thoughts, my emotions and doing things for myself every day in spite of the fear, doubts and concerns. I gradually started rebuilding some confidence and trust in myself... and the compulsive behaviors went away.

Hope this helps.

[SpringAzaleas]

Wow, am right where you are right now. That is why I'm here. I hope we both find something that works for us. Good luck!

[Standup2me]

Originally Posted by SpringAzaleas

Wow, am right where you are right now. That is why I'm here. I hope we both find something that works for us. Good luck!

That is what I going through right now
I am going to try an OE meeting next....but I am scared

[westernsky]

Hi Bannywan70, I've just registered. Still trying to get oriented here. I don't think I can give you any advice, but I can tell you what I consider my worst mistakes in managing this kind of problem. To me, it appears like a humongous landslide. Once started, I cannot stop it. Another image is that of a rocket: I know exactly where it's going, but I can't do anything to stop it. And it doesn't matter what food I have on hand, either. I could devour raw flour. It's "breaking the tension" time. I just wish I could find a healthier way to it. So, for me, it's crucial to be aware that the tension is building up. And find a way to decrease tension before it's too late. Sometimes, I just misplace the "hole" in my stomach, knowing too well that it sits elsewhere. But those feelings and negative thoughts about ourselves, and our preoccupation to not be able to control our eating disorder, only contribute to increase the tension. I'm talking to myself and to you as well. I need to break the tension first. That can happen when I'm not upset for whatever reason. Go out for a good hike, play a basket game with a friend (that's what I can only dream of, my dearest friend lives in Australia), have an ice cream together, and then go home satisfied and happy. Then, you may look at yourself in the mirror and smile to your smiling face. And those thoughts would be thousands of miles away, and possibly never catch up with you.
I don't know if that makes any sense. I just wanted to say that, in my case, it's basically a matter of tension management. I'm trying to use this time of "post-release" of the tension to rethink my strategies, routines, activities. Everything should be done without overdoing. And I think I'm a natural to overdoing. Best wishes. I hope you'll find your way out, and start feeling better very soon.

[Krayzee]

I wish I had the answer. I too struggle with food. Sometimes I find writing helps, although not always. I am currently in therapy and working on some of my trauma issues (childhood sexual abuse, neglect, etc.) to get to the "root" of my overeating/binging. It's never about food. Food is the "solution" to whatever the "real problem" is.

You can check out some of my writing in the "Creative Corner" section. http://forums.psychcentral.com/creat...obsession.html

[growlycat]

I have problems with this too. One thing that seems to work is that I try drinking 8 oz water before eating anything. It may not stop me completely but it does slow me down.

I eat in this order if I can, to slow myself down: water, then healthy crap like veggies, then protein, then carbs, then I save the refined sugars and less healthy stuff for last.

Not perfect, but it is like putting your foot to the floor on a faulty break.

I am qualified to give you these suggestions because I was a binge eater and lost over a hundred pounds in 6 months. Basically you need to replace unhealthy habits with healthy habits. It can be difficult at first, but it gets easier the longer you stay committed to change..

Drink at least a gallon of water each day.
Take green coffee beans, green tea or something similar to suppress your appetite, help burn fat and boost your energy.
Eat well balanced nutritious meals and snack on raw vegetables. Buy small amounts of nuts and other high calorie temptations.
You must stop and think before you put anything into your body.
Get junk-food out of your home!
Cut out all foods with refined sugar and corn syrup. (It's ok to cheat a bit once a week)
Start and stay with an exercise routine.
And most importantly: Love yourself. People who love themselves take good care of themselves

You can do it!

[compton000]

I think you have to find what works best for you. I think breaking the cycle is most important.. Also seeing someone about this disorder is best, as it could be something deeper as its only been a few months. I'm sure I wasn't much of help. I have similar issues and I couldn't fix anything till I sought out help years later after much damage had been done. Best of luck to you my friend.

Originally Posted by bannywan70

I have struggled with binge-eating for the past couple of months now. I never really thought that binging was this bad. "Oh, they just eat more than normal"... Boy was I wrong. I feel like the only thing I can compare myself to is a vacuum-cleaner vacuuming up a box of spilled cheerios on a wood floor. First I will eat a protein bar, but I am still hungry so I will eat nuts, because nuts are good for you right? Except I'll eat an entire container of nuts, then I'll go to the fridge and eat pounds of fruit (trying to be healthy here) but then I go for the mint ice-cream in the fridge because oh my goodness it is so delicious, then I'll eat all my left overs, popsicles, then I head back to the pantry and start eating more protein bars (these things are loaded in the calorie department... and probably loads of chemicals) granola bars, dried fruit, bananas, apples, saltines, bread, more, more, more... By the time I realize how much I've eaten I am LIVID at my myself, I feel sick to my stomach, and I look pregnant with triplets. Man... this is difficult stuff! I've always been thin, and had a small appetite, I could eat whatever I wanted, but I never wanted THAT much or ate THAT often. For the past few months (for emotional reasons, or due to cravings caused by birth control... have yet to distinguish the culprit of these hellish cravings) I have had an endless appetite. Literally my stomach has turned from a little girls satisfied by a few bites tummy to an endless pit. I have never had such a struggle trying not to eat, because once I start I seriously cannot stop and it terrifies me. I have gained too much because of Binge-Eating.. I am working with a therapist now, but we just met last week for the first time so I'm not exactly doing anything differently. I have severe body image issues and I can't even bear to look at myself in the mirror anymore without physically feeling sick and crying.

What I am asking of anyone who is willing to reply to this post, who may or may not have any experience with this type of stuff, is HOW DO I STOP EATING WHEN I AM NOT EVEN HUNGRY?? Seriously, I never feel full anymore it's the worst feeling to have a gnawing feeling in my stomach. Food is on my mind all the time, along with how fat I feel I have gotten. I'm really losing hope I feel like I'm going to blow up like a balloon and this is going to last forever..I just want to love my body again, and feel like I can control my eating.. How can I control myself and prevent another episode from happening? I have tried distracting myself, and chewing gum, and going for a walk, etc. etc. etc. Is there anything unique or different I can try or some self-reflection exercises I can try so I can control myself? I have a very impulsive personality, I often don't realize what I've done until half my kitchen is in my endless pit tummy... Sorry for rambling I just want anyone who reads to understand how badly this is effecting my life. If anyone has any tips please let my know, it would mean a great deal.... Thanks all

[iRunforfun]

I feel you there.

I've struggled with binge eating for the last 7 years. Somehow I've only put on several lbs. in that time, even with all the medications and hundreds of thousands of calories I've consumed.

I still feel disgusting though, and I avoid socializing due to it.

As far as I know, usually binge eating is emotional. It's literally like stuffing down your unwanted feelings, it also shows issues with impulse and control... especially if it just started out of the blue like that. I learned this from my psychologist.

So I'd recommend talking to someone. It takes a while to help, but it does help after awhile.