Does this scenario look familiar to anyone? After sticking rigidly to my diet for weeks, I “cracked” and scoffed an entire stick of garlic bread with a tub of onion and garlic dip.
At least the vampires kept away that night…
The body and mind react badly to several weeks of “perfect” dieting. Constant low-level hunger makes you crave food, and forbidding anything makes it perversely more desirable.
Weeks of deprivation lead to grabbing the nearest high-fat, high-calorie foods and digging in. So, what can you do to break the pattern?
After a binge is over
You’re staring at a pile of chocolate wrappers, crisp packets and biscuits crumbs. You feel horribly stuffed, and a bit sick. And you feel awful because you’ve “broken” your diet.
There is absolutely no point beating yourself up. It’s happened. It’s over. Draw a firm mental line and put it behind you. Go and get a bath or a long shower. Once you’re feeling calmer, sit down somewhere quiet and work out what led to the binge. (You may find it helps to write this down.)
- Have you eaten enough over the past few days or weeks?
- Where did the “binge” food come from? (If it was in your cupboards, maybe a clear-out is in order … it’s much easier to avoid eating junk if it’s not there!)
- How were you feeling? Miserable? Bored? Annoyed? Upset?
- What were your thoughts before you started the binge?
Once you’ve pin-pointed the “trigger” for the binge, you’re 90% of the way to avoiding it happening again. An hour of over-eating won’t ruin your diet, but carrying on for a whole day or week will inevitably sabotage your weight-loss.
In the middle of a binge
Sometimes, you come to your senses half-way through the family-sized pack of cookies. You realize you’ve just scoffed your calorie allowance for the day. But it’s too late to stop, isn’t it?
It’s better to eat five cookies than ten. As soon as you realize what you’re doing:
- Put the food down. Throw away the rest of the packet. If this seems an awful waste, so much the better; by chucking it out, you show you’re serious
- Go and brush your teeth, which should reduce the urge to keep going until you’re completely stuffed.
- Make a note of the time, and promise yourself you won’t eat anything for the next three hours.
Then find something to do which will keep you away from food. If it’s active, even better. Throw yourself into the chores, get out in the garden, go for a long walk. Or phone a friend, do something creative (like knitting or papercrafts), anything that keeps your hands busy.
Once you’ve had a chance to calm down from the binge, be proud; you stopped yourself part-way, which is hard to do. Think through the factors listed for “After a binge is over” above – what led to it? What will you do differently in future?
Before the binge has started
Perhaps you already know what triggers your overeating, or perhaps you’re able to work it out from a past binge. If so, take active steps now to avoid the things that set you off. Try:
- Avoiding boredom. Find hobbies to occupy your brain (and hands) in the evenings and at weekends.
- Getting exercise. You’ll be much less inclined to wolf down a mars bar when you’ve spent thirty minutes sweating away in the gym.
- Portion control. Buying a family-sized bag of tortilla chips is never a good idea; “I’ll just have a handful a day” won’t work. Stick to multipacks.
- Having treats. Don’t cut out everything “bad”. Have a little treat to look forward to each day. Take the occasional evening off – eat things you really enjoy, though, rather than scoffing everything in sight.
How have you conquered binge-eating?
Mel, i have the exact same problem as you… read my post from below, i always binge then purge it out and i dont know what to do or how to stop it..
Maybe you should show your mum the symptoms of your condition and tell her its important to you and you want to stop it?
HEEEELP! I have the exact same problem as so many people here and i’m so glad that Im not the only one… I started off by having regular dinners with adequate portions, then i’d always haave a yoghurt with fruit every night after dinner. But the binging started when I’d slowly add a handful of oats/muesli to my yoghurt with my fruit.. and then the cereal portion would slowly creep higher and higher! now I feel like I can eat a whole box of cereal without feeling full but my tummy feels horribly bloated but i cant stop.. so now I know i will binge, I have started only eating soup and vegetables (with protein sometimes like fish or roast chicken) and binge on cereal.. HELP it feels so terrible and I always end up purging sometimes like the food just comes up by itself and I spit it out.. I want to end this vicious cycle
pls help..
Mell,
I am not an expert whatsoever on bulimea or eating disorders. But I myself tend to eat quite a few midnight snacks, and it is not something I am happy about. Today I went to a psychologist for the first time and after mustering up the courage, I admitted my binging problem. You obviously want help. Think about it – after you take that one step to seek professional help, you will get help! I am sure it will be very freeing and a relief. Although there are many of us out here, you are the only one who can truly save yourself. You can do it!
I am in need of serious, mature advice from someone who knows a bit about binging and how to stop. I am an 18-year-old female who has struggled with this disordered eating since childhood. After hitting my teens, it developed into bulimia. I purge after binging large amounts of food in a number of ways– self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise (3-5 hours usually) and/or fasting. My weight is in the normal range (I am 5’5 and 119 lbs) but it fluctuates as much as 10 lbs. in a month, and my body is beginning to suffer. My hair has begun to fall out, my heartbeat is irregular, and I am constantly getting sore throats from repeated exposure to stomach acid.
I have told my mother that I am about 99% sure that I have an eating disorder, but she ignores this claim b/c I am an average weight. I would seek medical treatment but I have such low self-esteem it is difficult for me to even apply for a job.
I am at the end of my rope and have been having frequent suicidal thoughts. I don’t know how to stop, or what to do. Please, any advice would help.
I try to avoid trigger foods, but it’s pretty hard when my husband isn’t dieting and doesn’t have to watch what he eats like I do. He has compromised some by not having cookies or ice cream or frozen pizza in the house…I guess I’m just supposed to suck it up and get more willpower somehow? I’m just frustrated that I eat healthy and reasonably all day, count my calories, blah blah blah and then at night, I feel ravenously hungry. I cannot help myself. I never even used to care about food until a few years ago in my late 20s.
I always binged when I went out on my own. Now I leave my wallet at home, and only take my driver’s licence, train ticket and a mobile.
Nali
Go and enjoy the party. Eat a little of all the things you like. Then next week, eat sensibly. No worries!!! You are doing great.
So I have been dieting for a couple of months now and have managed to lose about 10 pounds (!). Due to my jam-packed schedule (school: 8am-3pm, theater 3pm-6pm, and homework/leadership 6pm-12am) I feel as though I have no time to work out and still be successful in my time consuming goals!
But more importantly, I went out to eat last night and ate wayyy to much. I had planned for this all of yesterday (raw fruit and veggies – healthy) but I then proceeded to eat: Salad w/ranch dressing, cup of soup, 4 pieces of bread, a side of fries (which was a lot, really), and 1/2 cup Ben and Jerry’s Cake Batter Ice Cream. Then tomorrow is my cousins party and my family is sure to make amazing food and dessert.
What do I do now? I don’t want to start gaining weight back but I sure want to enjoy myself! Already had a banana today….now what?
I just found this diet blog…is it free? I was surprised (relieved?) to see so many people – men and women – who seem to share the same struggles that I do. I have been struggling with binge eating for years, and have only recently come to the realization that I have this disorder! I joined LA Weight Loss over a year ago, and it helped me to eat normal portions and more of a variety of foods. I learned that a sandwich was not going to make me fat but starving myself could actually cause me to gain weight or not lose at all. I lost the weight I wanted to, but now, for the last (gulp!) year I feel like I have been on an emotional/physical roller coaster of trying not to binge…trying to be in control at night especially. I ate until I’m stuffed…peanut butter on crackers, cookies, cereal…and then I go to bed feeling sick to my stomach and the next morning is guilt, etc..and starting all over again. I just want to be happy and to feel like I can say no to a second cookie or going back for more dessert, etc… If I can talk to other people who have ideas…that would help. I think it is boredom, frustration, maybe self-loathing over lack of discipline.
thank you so much for this article, i always keep to a healthy eating style but if someone leaves leftovers out or makes cookies, i’ll have 1 and it’ll lead to 6. i’ll sit there and just eat. i feel horrible and then end up throwing the food away. it has never led to purging -i would never- but now i know these tips that can help stop me in the process of the binge. THANK YOU!
i hate eating. it makes me scared. i either eat not enough or too much. what should i do?
i lose control when i eat and halfway through i realize what im doing, it makes me panic and then i eat more and more to numb that panic. Sometimes this distress is so great i have a panic attack and feel like im going to throw up, faint or die. I dont know why i do this but i just couldnt stop myself from eating more and more. After the binge i would go to the gym for over an hour just on cardio. And i would hate my self so much for eating. But even then i could not get the sensation that i am satisfied or full. i just want to eat normally and not gain weight.
I used to find it really helpful to put water over the food I was bingeing on. That made it lose it’s appeal fast and it also made me pause and stop what had become automatic.
The worst thing to do when you’ve binged is to beat yourself up about it… because that starts the whole diet pattern all over again. So you’re determined to ‘be good’ again and you feel as if you have to make up for all the calories you ate so it’s back to good old restricting and depriving and then it’s only a matter of time before the next binge inevitably comes along.
Forgive yourself – look at what you can learn about what triggered it and move on.
While I find I get susceptible to binging, I find mostly what causes it is not eating frequently enough and not giving myself unhealthy treats from time to time. I deprive myself for so long that when I get a chance to have some unhealthy stuff I really go overboard.
In terms of food logs- I’ve been using thedailyplate.com and it is SO HELPFUL! you can type in any food and it’ll give you all the nutritional info- they have thousands of generic foods as well as brand items and even meals from restaurants. If an item isn’t listed and you know the nutritional info, you can add it to the database yourself. You just click a button to add it to “your plate” and it tallies all your calories, fat, protein, etc. for the day! You can also add physical fitness to calculate daily “net cals” and you can set weight loss goals – dailyplate will calculate the number of calories you need to reach your goal, whether you want to do it by 1 lb a week, 2, etc.
i’ve also upgraded to “gold membership” which is pretty cheap and gives you extra options but the basic version is FREE! it’s been very useful for me in terms of becoming more aware of how many calories i consume and maintaining a healthy weight.
good luck!!!
The spreadsheet I recalled is at http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2007/05/16/how_to_make_your_own_diet_plan.php but there’s several sections of this blog on food diaries. Look under “tips and tools” in “categories” above.
Thanks for the advice, I will take that into consideration. I do like peanuts, but like almonds alot more. I have tried the peanut butter from stores like Whole foods before and it is ok. I may just do the almonds route instead. I can by them in bulk and unsalted. They acually taste really good compared to those can varietes.
Where is that spreadsheet located on this site? I have considered keeping a food log, but wasnt sure how to go about doing it. My wife and I usually plan our meals out a week in advance so that spreadsheet will help.
Hi Roger! Best wishes for your upcoming effort…
Is the spoonful of peanut butter supposed to control your appetite the next day or just immediately? For me, a spoonful of nut butter (almond or walnut in my case) is a good snack. It is high calorie – a tablespoon of peanut butter is near 100 calories – but it doesn’t take much in my case to make me feel satiated. But, it’s immediate, in that it wouldn’t affect my hunger hours later.
Peanuts have other good properites. Richard Mattes at Purdue, in 2003, did a small study that indicates eating a small number of peanuts daily (2/3 of a cup = 500 calories, which is not a small number of calories) lowered triglyceride levels without changing body weight (even when the 500 calories were additional: see http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/030731.Mattes.peanuts.html).
Talk more with your friend about this. Having a few peanuts may be better since it takes time to eat them. If you do go the peanut butter route, I’d go with the “just peanuts” product – a lot of peanut butter has stuff added to keep it from separating, and sugar added to be more attractive to children.
As you do this, do keep a food log. Write down everything you eat and keep track of the calories. Jim of this blog has a spreadsheet that is very convenient to use, or you can use many web sites.
This is my first post on this blog. I am very overweight, and I am getting ready to start what I consider an eating life change rather than a diet. I know my problem is portion control,but I do find myself benge eating as well. A good friend of mine, who is a personal trainer told me once that to prevent that kind of thing, you should have 1 spoonful of peanut butter before bed, then you wont have any cravings. I would like all your input on that.
This is a good article, but what do you do if you can’t avoid foods that set you off on a binge? My parents refuse to cook healthily and its becoming an issue. I want so badly to eat healthily but when dinner is a bucket of KFC, mac n cheese, and cole slaw, its a bit difficult…
I am hoping to move out soon, so I obviously won’t buy food like that, but any advice for what you do when you have to eat food you KNOW will trigger a binge?
When I dream about food at night it is always about something I my body is low on – occasionally I dream about big steaks, it means I need more iron, and sometimes I am in a bakery and I can’t get to the doughnuts and no-one will serve me – means low blood sugar!!
Thanks everyone for your comments and advice on the night eating thing. It is much appreciated
I am alreayd on antidepressant; I have been for many years.
I think I might have an eating disorder. I’m not sure, and it’s a scary thought. I try to starve myself as much as possible throughout the day, and maybe my body is rebelling at night. I am 133 pounds now (at 5’8) and think I’m the biggest cow in the world. I also thought that when I was 120 pounds. I think I may need some help with this.
Right now though I just want to stop the night binges. Its also HUGELY affecting my sleep…I am never rested. When I do eat, it is usually carbs, so maybe my blood sugar is crashing at night and waking me up to eat?
Dont bulimics do this too?
So the only difference between bulimics and binge eaters is the purging?
I never binge, i eat very healthy and let myself “go” by whatever I feel like when ever I want in small quantities of course.
both, actually. 30-40 mins of intense cardio, 20 mins for arms, 20 mins for abs, 10-15 for legs/glutes. the rest of the time is spent on trips to the water fountain, waiting for machines, and stretching.
i’m a small-framed 24 year old female, 99 lbs and 5’2″. i’m naturally predisposed to be chubby, so what might be overtraining for others is not overtraining for me. though i’m only a hair above being technically underweight according to my BMI, i have more energy than ever and i haven’t gotten sick once since i started working out (knock on wood – it’s been 3.5 years now). it’s great!
I remember reading about how dreams can sometimes function to deal with things that are difficult while in the awake state. Perhaps you are processing your problem and it’s actually helpful for you. Just a thought.
I just want to clarify. It is in my DREAMS that I am binging and out of control. In my dreams, I’m going to the grocery store and loading up on cookies and ice cream, and going by my cafe (that used to be my weakness when i binged) and buying bags of bagels and muffins to eat all in one sitting…
You know, I have had binge eating disorder for a few years now, and I don’t know how, but I went 7 months without a binge episode, and in the process lost 50 pounds…Then I went to New York for a week and all of my old habits came back. I basically spent the entire month of january binging non stop, just like I had before. Sneaking food in private, binging constantly….I was able to get back on track and now have not binged for a month, but here is my question…
I now find myself binging IN MY SLEEP. I wake up and I have these horrible nightmares where I am binging again, and I’m beating myself up in my dreams because it’s happening again. Is this normal??
Hi Mike and Dr. J! I’ve been keeping busy is all. Plus, when I noticed that I was starting to confuse “lose” and “loose” I thought I should take a break ^_^ Thanks for the kind words…
Ditto on that! I’ve wondered where you’ve been also. I figured you were enjoying all the lovely sites of John Muir country and developing your substance.
QUITO!!!
Great to have you back! I’ve missed your contributions. How’ve you been keeping?