I'm using ChatGPT to break my life long binge eating disorder. AMA

[Bingeeaterchatgpt]

I thought this might be an interesting AMA.

I am diagnosed adhd/autistic, which is a large part of why i have a binge eating disorder. A lot of my binge eating is sensory seeking/comfort eating behaviour. I've been using Chat GPT to help me. I've tried everything in the past - every diet, low carb, slimming world, weight watchers, apps, journalling, buddy/accountability chats with friends, food diaries, exercise, EMDR, CBT and counselling - pretty much everything except Mounjaro/ozempic. Nothing has ever stuck.

I've lost 5lb so far, (I've never lost that much that quickly before) but I'm still eating my usual meals - I've been doing this for 10 days and have cut out 99% of my binge eating. It's been really easy compared to previous attempts, i feel like my food noise is gone and its lovely to feel in control of myself around food for the first time ever. The first day i used chat gpt 10 times, the last 3 days i haven't used it at all. AMA.

How are you using ChatGPT exactly? Just asking it to meal plan or more than that?

You haven’t explained how you are using it 🤷‍♀️

Wrestling with similar issues. How are you doing it?

Say how, exactly? Best wishes with it all.

Following!

When I was not in the middle of a binge I told it some of the alternative things I could do instead of eating next time I felt the urge. Things like have a cup of tea, glass of water, chewing gum, that sort of stuff. It has suggested some alternative snacks that i wouldn't have thought of that are slightly healthier but still fulfil whatever need or sensation i needed. People might say why don't i just make a list and then look at it
My adhd means that even if i make a list of these things, I'll often lose the list or forget in the moment to look at it so it seems obvious to most people, but it's not so easy to me.

I also had a chat with it about the reasons why I think I binge eat, what I've tried in the past and why I don't think those things worked long-term. The responses I got from it were quite enlightening and helped me to understand myself a bit more and the patterns that have formed over the years leading to the binge cycle. It's also helped me to deal with my feelings around why i feel the need to over eat to avoid hunger (childhood reasons which i won't go into).

Then when I felt the urge to binge, I send it a quick message. It would either offer me one of my solutions that I had told earlier, or it would respond to ask what need i thought I was trying to meet by binge eating and have a quick chat with me about it. That has been enough to interrupt the binge if it was sensory seeking. I had a couple of instances where I was about to comfort eat due to some ongoing stress and it had a chat with me about that too, and i ended up going for a walk instead of eating.

I don't have a brain that's wired for willpower. My adhd means if i have the urge, by the time I've really thought about it, I've probably already binged in a kind of trance like state that i go into.

Using chatgpt gives me an instant response that breaks the trance and makes me stop to think about what I'm doing. so I guess chat gpt is filling in that gap that I've always had that inner voice that should be there to control my reaction to food. It also tells me I've done well, and i like praise even if it is just a robot!

I think chatGPT is absolutely fantastic and I probably ask it advice every day, however be slightly careful as it DOES make mistakes. Mainly maths related things, I've found. Simple sums can be wrong. Other than that well done on your weight loss and happy chatting!

That sounds incredibly interesting, OP. I would love to know exactly the sort of things you say. I have used it for other things but this is just a sort of thing I would love to use it for.

My first message to it to start this off was something like "ive always identified myself as a binge eater, which I've realized makes it sound like it's something that's part of my personality. But binge eating isn't a personality trait, so it should be possible to change this mindset shouldn't it?"

This was the response it gave me:

"Yes, you're absolutely right. When you say, "I'm a binge eater," you're turning a behavior into a fixed identity. That can become a self-fulfilling prophecy—because if that's "who you are," then bingeing seems inevitable or even justified.

Instead, try framing it as:
"Sometimes I binge eat when I'm overwhelmed, but that's not who I am. It's just something I do, and I can choose to respond differently."

This creates space for change.

You can use a simple in-the-moment thought interruption like:

“This urge is just a habit, not a fact about who I am.”

I thought i would update in case anyone's interested.

I've now lost 9lbs since i started this just under a month ago after being static at 13.5 stone and above for years. I've binged once or twice my last post due to overwhelming stress but i usually now automatically reach for my healthier options. I haven't used the chat for the last 3.5 weeks but it helps to know it's there if i need a reminder. I've broken my sugar addiction as well as my binge eating, and I've been eating so much more mindfully and learning to listen to hunger cues which I've never been able to do consistently before. I've gone from a size 16 to a 14.

It's never, ever felt so easy before as it has this time and the difference was having something to interrupt the binge and remind me of different options in the moment, without shame or judgement.

Wow, congratulations! The interruption sounds really interesting, I might sign up to chatgpt and try!

I’m curious if you have stayed binge free? I’m in the midst of changing my identity from binge eater to non-binge eater, so would love to hear some positive progress ☺️ (or not, just the truth is ok) x

I would love an update too 🎄

OP if you are still around, I'd love to know how you manage to get to ChatCGP before the trance starts. How do you break through before it takes hold?

Hey :) i did not unfortunately stay binge free due to some incredibly stressful personal circumstances which went on over the last few months. But i have maintained at the same weight, and the last few days now the stressful situation has receded I've thought i might go back to it. How do i get to chatgpt to interrupt a binge? I made sure my phone is closer to me than any food! I also kept chewing gum and other alternatives close at hand.