to ask how to stop bingeing

Eat every 2 hrs but not a lot, that way you always know theres something coming. Start the day with loads of water, fibre and always make sure you throw protein in. The fibre especially will really fill up your stomach and make it way less possible to physically manage to eat a lot in one sitting.

It's horrible. I sympathise, OP, having battled with bingeing for years. It got out of control and I've recently lost 2 stone through a combination of calorie counting and breaking my addiction to sugar and UPFs (no semaglutide). Those habits had to go; if I hadn't broken them, the weight loss would have been an ultimate waste of time as once I'm no longer maintaining a strict calorie restriction, the weight will soon go back on. I'm still on this journey with another stone to lose, although the loss has slowed significantly and I've only lost 2 lbs in 4 months. I haven't rebounded or regained anything and the loss is continuing but at a far slower pace.

The bad news is that the only way you can stop doing this is by going cold turkey. Cut out all sugar. Ditch UPFs. Eat real food. At first it will be awful. You'll have cravings like you wouldn't believe. You might even get withdrawal symptoms. The first three days are the worst.

The good news is that if you stop eating this stuff, sooner or later you will stop wanting to. You'll feel better, your skin will feel better, you'll sleep better, and you'll taste other food better once your taste buds are no longer overtuned to sugar and refined carbohydrates.

If you start eating too much junk again, unfortunately the cravings will come back with a vengeance. Holidays and celebrations are bad for this. You have to stay on top of it. And if you know a particular food is a really bad trigger, it might be worth considering cutting it out on a long term basis. Potatoes in general are my weakness but crisps especially are the one food I know I can't eat in moderation, so I've had to stop eating them altogether.

It sounds a bore, but it's about establishing new, healthier habits to replace your old problematic relationship with food. And they do become habit, albeit you can't take your eye off the ball for too long.

Unfortunately the price of freedom from bingeing is eternal vigilance.

I really think it’s worth talking to a professional who specialises in eating disorders (specifically binge eating disorder). There are many reasons people overeat and it sounds like you could do with some proper support. Can you talk to GP or afford private counselling? A nutritionist or dietitian specialising in ED would probably be best to help unpick the bingeing and work on solutions to help you moving forward. Above all, please be kind to yourself :)

What has worked (mostly) for me...

Meal planning, so I only eat one meal a day (which might not work for you, obviously) but I plan my meals at the beginning of the week. If I had to 'search out' food for meals I found I would eat whatever was in the cupboard while sorting out the meal.

Not buying stuff i know is a trigger (for me it's cake. I can't eat one slice, it has to be the whole cake or nothing). So now I just don't buy it. I still buy biscuits, but I buy the kinds I don't like as much. No more chocolate Hobnobs, but a cupboard full of digestives and Rich Tea.

Telling myself that on one day a week (for me it's Sunday), that I can eat what I like, within reason. If I've managed a whole week without bingeing I often find that I don't want to spoil my 'record' by bingeing on the Sunday so I will eat more but I don't binge.

Keeping my hands busy. So if I'm not doing anything I will type on my laptop or pick up my knitting. I also find going out for a walk so I'm active and not in the house stops me from constantly rattling through the cupboards in search of the Creme Egg that I am sure is in there.

I cant have triggers foods in the house - chocolate, sweets, cakes, biscuits. Simple as that. They are my binge foods so they dont come over my doorstep.

If I feel the need and cant stop. Massive bowl of porridge and honey and raisins is my go to

Talk gp about BED. There are meds that can be prescribed (not the injections)

@WaterandSandyThis is amazing!!

You will feel better for it.

(The above on top of lunch and tea, not in total)

This was me yesterday, 3 bags of crisps, 2 pieces of cheese, and two beers. For me a lot, and mid week.

So today held back on lunch until 1.30pm to avoid a crash, and just didn’t eat anything else. Will have tea later, and one beer.

It’s just all self restraint.

I hope that you’re getting on ok today OP. Don’t worry if not, I had lots of false starts when I tried to stop. It can take a while.

I also remembered that when I first started, I banked up every day when I didn’t binge, and after a certain number of binge free days I was allowed to treat myself to a new bag I’d seen 😊 Maybe think if there are other things that you really like and can focus the ‘reward’ on these not food?

A bit random, but I used to snack loads while watching TV. So I started doing cross stitch while watching TV - you can’t snack as need clean hands for stitching, and gave me something else to focus on.

Well done OP!
I think some of the advice on this thread, whilst meant kindly, is encouraging disordered eating.
For now, you need to be 'adding in' rather than restricting so advice such as cutting out carbs and diet coke is unhelpful.
So for example, eat what you would normally and more if needed so you don't feel hungry, but the 'more' that you are eating can be healthy things such as nuts, seeds, anything filling like a banana and then gradually the healthier foods will be part of your daily routine and your desire to binge will fade away.
This isn't meant as a criticism of any other posters but binge eating is an eating disorder and the subject will always attract posters telling you how to restrict.

The why is the key to the how. So think about what triggers the binge. Where are you? What time of day is it? What thoughts are in your mind just before you do it? Are you bored? Sad? Hungry? Pleased with yourself and want to reward yourself? And when don't you do it? What's your state of mind when you don't feel the compulsion to eat?
Then you need to reduce opportunities for the first feelings and increase opportunities for the second feelings. Change your habits, your location and have some alternative activities in mind that create simular feelings. Start with what else you love beside food and think of how that could be substituted for eating when the urge arrives.

Ive not read the whole thread but thought I’d weigh in what I do.
i use lose it app to manage calories. (Its easy if you eat a lot of same foods )
I meal plan for the week, to make things easier I tend to have same breakfast every day and lunch is usually salad with chicken,salmon or tuna. Evening meals i tend to do a pasta, rice, bulgar, salad, soup, omlette, stew/roast. Each week and just change the meat/veg /saucs.
i do online shop so im not tempted by the crisps/ choc sections. I literally try not to have treats in. I do get nuts/apples/ grapes to snack on.
i drink a pint water with each meal to help ‘fill’ me. I drink coffee/tea/ fruit tea / water between meals.

Does it work? Most of the times, it gets wrong if i nip to shop for meal and grab crisps or when I eat out/ at others houses and they have snacks. But it provides a good basis

I started to cook everything from scratch, because of money rather than anything else, it's a bit cyclical to be honest because sometimes life's too short to spend hours in the kitchen. However when I do cook from scratch I have noticed though that after a few days of my frankly amateurish cooking I don't crave anything sweet or anything particularly processed. No chocolate and I really like chocolate. I have no idea why, other people would be able to explain it but may be something to experiment with?

Maybe consider ditching the diet coke - I think it kind of conditions you to want more sweet stuff with the way it tastes sweet although it's not really sugar.

So sorry to hear about your struggles. There is some great advice here already.
For me, I love fresh bakery bread, and if it was sitting in my kitchen, I would eat it all. What I tend to do is slice it into portions and freeze it before I am tempted to eat it all.
Apologies, this isn't really helpful with cake and Malteasers, but it might help with other foods that may trigger a binge.

This probably sounds crazy but I remember not too long after doing the book advice, I went to a meeting/ event where there was free tea coffee and biscuits. I had a coffee and no biscuit. I wasn't starving myself or denying myself or punishing my body for being horrible. I just thought "do i want that biscuit right now? nah I'm not that hungry and it doesn't look a super nice biscuit". This probably doesn't mean much to the posters on here who clearly have never had an eating disorder/ problem but to me it was simply mind blowing. I hope you get there OP i really remember the horror, sickness and shame of bingeing and very grateful to have found a way out. Take care 🌻

I feel you! It took a while but I overcame the binge/ starve cycle after reading the book "overcoming overeating". It's a hard read in places and you have to follow the advice which is very very hard (e.g. buy everything you want in the supermarket and have it constantly available... was absolutely terrifying to me at the time I thought i would literally eat myself to death or something) but it actually worked. I don't have a perfect diet or a terrible one but ten plus years on I've never starved or binged again and I have a much healthier relationship with food. (And I'm a totally normal size)
Good luck.

www.amazon.co.uk/Overcoming-Overeating-Break-Healthier-Satisfying/dp/1456413333

That’s amazing, well done!

I was wondering how you got on today but didn’t want to ask in case you had binged and I didn’t want you to feel shame.

I agree with your approach of having whatever you want for those 3 meals a day and just focusing on not binging.

Maybe this thread is what will be the turning point and motivation for you? I remember reading a thread a while ago from someone with a UPF addiction. The thread really helped her to stay on track and she had amazing results. It was really inspiring.

As you say, one day at a time, so super well done for today. Wish you well for tomorrow!

@WaterandSandy , Im the same , I can binge as well as the next person, but three years of maintaining a healthy weight, I have proven to myself time , time again, that as long as I dont have the first sweet treat, I can avoid them for the day. If I reach for a biscuit - that's me totally buggered, sweet tooth gets lit and Im away

I also have the same problem with white bread and butter

So yes I have to avoid them, not buy them. Sure I snack still, but I choose healthier snacks now - so I might have a small portion of cheddar cut into small chunks , or an egg, chicken breast , greek yoghurt and frozen fruits , bowl of HM soup, bowl of Dahl

Snacks dont need to be sweet treats , often for me a snack is a small left over portion of the previous nights dinner

I also now only take my first food of the day when Im actually hungry . I rise at 5am and it can easily be 2pm before I want to eat . It won't be a huge feed, but it will be a filling feed, today it was gone 3pm and I had an open sandwich - dark rye, cottage cheese, salad, pickles and mackerel - not to everyones taste I know but I like it and it works for me :)

I eat out, go for breakfast etc same as the next person, but breakfast I avoid the sausage and the breads, taking poached eggs - 2, bacon - I cut the fat off, beans mushrooms , tomatoes , so not as exciting as a full English, but some over bugger has cooked it and it does me grand , Local pub we eat at, I adore their salt and chilli chicken, their portions are HUGE ( seriously this isnt a mums net thing, they are seriously huge ) so I ask for a starter sized portion - means I get what I want and dont over eat

Having to control weight isnt easy, I do have to think about what Im eating a lot but I never binge and say sod it anymore. If I binge then so be it, the next meal is back to normal and I dont dwell on it or beat myself up. Cant change it so might as well make it easier for myself by forgiving myself and moving on

I hope you find a way forward for you , I started this weight loss 3 years ago this weekend with SW . I knew I needed accountability and stepping up each week kept me focussed for sure. I still pop in every few weeks , I seem to gain around 4/5 lb. lose it, find it, but I dont allow it to go above that , else Im back to feeling like im "dieting " and who wants to be on a diet for so many years?

I just now thinks Im learning and training myself into a healthier life , and I still have bad habits

Sounds like a really positive step, the first day is always the hardest so you should be proud of yourself, breaking the sugar/junk cycle is so so difficult!