...to ask has anyone overcome binge eating disorder?

[Sadsoul18]

Hi,

I know this is such a personal question but I wondered if any of you have had binge eating disorder and overcame it.

I’ve had it for many, many years and my weight had yo-yo’d as a result. I want to stop, I want to not hate myself anymore...but I have no clue where to start.

Many thanks.

I have not overcome this and struggle with restricting food, then binging when I try to lose weight.

Just posting to say you're not alone and I'd be interested to hear from those who've overcome it also. Thank you for starting the post.

Not yet but Im in a support group where people are/have done. Its taking me rather a while...m

I wouldn't say overcome but I think it's like any other addiction> 1 hit and you want more. I'm currently fasting and it seems to be working for me. I do feel your frustration though, it's such a vicious cycle of cravings and self loathing

Technically, yes, I reckon. But I was never huge from it, so mild case I suppose.

Yes but only after surgery. I underwent a sleeve procedure (which reduces the size of your stomach, not bypass etc) which limited the amount i could eat in 1 sitting. Its like it pressed a reset in my head, I no longer bing, still eat a whole range of foods, eat out etc. but my mental relationship with food has totally changed.

I recommend two things which have helped me. Firstly, increasing the amount of exercise I do dramatically. I don’t want to binge after exercising. I think it is a mix of the happy endorphins and just not wanting to ruin what I have achieved. And secondly, I have been forced to give up dairy and eggs due to an allergy I developed. I was a bit devastated at first but it has been a massive blessing as nearly everything I used to binge on had dairy in it. By completely cutting it out I can’t even have a bit of something I craved which would always have started a massive binge before. Complete abstinence of the most bingeable foods has changed my mindset and it is a massive relief. I completely sympathise however as I was stuck in binge cycle for about 20 years and it is very hard to get out of.

I really struggle with this and the only thing that has worked to manage it is giving my eating a structure. So no snacks or seconds but I can eat what I want for my meal and can pile my plate if I want. Basically just to build in a habit of structured eating. This works for me for many days or most days. I haven’t mastered the days when depression takes over and my structures fall apart and I am left vulnerable to binging again. I don’t know if you will find my post helpful or not but just wanted to let you know you are not alone 🌻

I have had BED for nearly 20 years now.
I thought I had conquered it several times, but in fact I alternate between binge eating and restricted eating phases.
I am going through the latter at the moment. The weight is falling off, I am feeling in control, but I know it will not last.

However my BED is nowhere near as bad as it used to be (I used to go through 10,000kcal days). The two things that have helped is low(ish)-carbing and finding a type of exercise I truly enjoy.

Good luck.

I second structure. I can, and at the moment do, keep on top of it by planning what and when I eat. If I stick to the rules it works very well. Its when something happens to change the rules, like an unexpected night out, or someone insisting I have a piece of cake that it all goes tits up. My life is always better when I have a routine, but it's difficult to stick too.

I did!! Did A LOT of reading on Intuitive Eating, which at first, became just another diet for me🙄. Once I truly let go of restriction, and allowed all foods without judgement, I just didn't think of food the same way. I gained about a stone, which made me so nervous, but I stuck with it, and now, though I don't think I've lost weight, I definitely haven't gained any (I don't weigh, I go by my clothes). In some ways, getting to this point was harder work than dieting, because you have to tune in to what you're eating. I now know that eating a lot of chocolate makes me feel uncomfortable, and I don't want that feeling any more. I also figured out that dairy in general gives me an awful stomach ache, but I used to eat cheese by the pound on my "cheat" days because it was forbidden otherwise. Now, I understand that if I want it, there's no restriction, but I choose not to because of the effects it has on me.
I haven't had a binge in 2 years now, and I'm now in a place where I choose nutrition most of the time, but not because of any rules...I just feel better when I've had loads of veg and fruit.
There are always no less than 12 full size chocolate bars in my cupboard, and I can take or leave them! They wouldn't have lasted a week before!

Yeah, I have. I used to binge pretty badly and ballooned in size.

Firstly, I stopped being 'kind' to myself and became very, very hard with myself. I had to develop iron discipline and meticulously calorie count. I had to treat my brain like a toddler - brain threw a tantrum because it wanted to EAT EAT EAT? I had to tell myself off and NOT give in to the tantrum. If necessary, I put myself in time out - made myself busy, very busy, with something else. Learning a new language worked a treat, I had to really concentrate.

It's possible, but it isn't easy. Results are astonishing and my life is much better without the excess tyre around my waist.

I currently binge. I’m fine I can go all day with being healthy or fasting then bam just one biscuit and the whole dam packs gone 😢😓 I’m going with trying to not eat the one to start with. Fingers crossed.

I wouldn't say I'm cured exactly, but I'm much much better over the past 18 months. Reading Gillian Riley, then doing a seminar massively shifted my mindset. I also now fast regularly - that was counterintuitive - I thought it would make me binge but it doesn't, I've learned what hunger is Vs a craving and not to fear being a bit hungry. I eat lowish carb, but stressing out too much about this will lead to a binge. Regular exercise is helping too. I still have the occasional binge, but they are relatively minor compared to the epic months long mega binge cycles I had previously. And somehow I've learned to stop once I start. It sometimes takes days, but I forgive myself, put it in perspective and move on.
I hope there's something in that lot that helps you OP.

Yes I’m terrible. I was fasting, healthy eating & doing exercise until we went away this weekend. So from last Thursday - today I’ve been starting off well then I binge until I feel awful. I find myself in this cycle quite often. 3/4 weeks of being really sensible and feeling great then 7/10 days of being ridiculous and putting the 7lb back on that I’m always fighting to lose. The annoying thing for me is if I was sensible, I could maintain my weight loss and feel better about myself whilst still allowing myself the occasional treat at weekends. I find once I start eating ‘bad’ food I just can’t stop. Crisps are like crack to me in particular
I’ve been trying really hard to stop as I’m 40 in a few months and know this is an awful & unhealthy habit to have but I don’t know where to go for help & im also a bit embarrassed about it
Will try again tomorrow

Just to say, there’s a long running BED support thread here...www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eating_disorders/2652882-Binge-Eating-Disorder-Support-4

Yep me. I ballooned to 22 stone. Slimming world helped me. I know it gets a bad rap on here but I don’t eat the processed yogurts and cakes made of scan bran. I fill my plate with over a third of veg. It fills me up. I had to be very strict. I can’t have binge food in the house at all. I see people on insta with their ‘syn’ cupboards full of snacks. It would be gone in minutes. If I want chocolate I get 1 bar from the shop. Not a couple of four packs and eat a four pack in the car on the 5 minute journey home. I started in August and I’ve lost 5 stone so far.

I have had one binge since I started and that was Christmas. I put a stone on in 10 days. I just couldn’t stop.

Exercise is really helping too.

My dr was no help at all. He just told me to stop binging

Binging starts a downward spiral. I was good for about 18 months but the last couple of weeks have been hard. Not big binges in terms of calories but motivated from the same place/the same behaviour so it feels the same. I feel enormous though I can't have gained much weight yet. But I feel so aware of my body and hyper aware of my fat. I feel like I've got all this disgusting ugliness strapped to me that's all my fault. And then I want to eat more and have a sense of well you've already fucked it so why not.
Meant to have a date tomorrow but I'm pretty certain he'll be horrified at how I look
It's silly I lost about 50lbs and at most have gained 5lbs back but I feel like I did 50lbs ago

There’s some good strategies on this thread so thank you. I think I need to focus on not bingeing & not worry about weight loss atm. I’m going to do my best to implement some of these ideas starting tomorrow 😀

Yes- with cognitive behaviour therapy. My issue was bulimia, so binge and then purge.

This book was helpful:
www.amazon.co.uk/Overcoming-Binge-Eating-Second-Program/dp/1572305614/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ref=plSrch&keywords=overcoming+binge+eating+christopher+fairburn&dpPl=1&dpID=51HaeADYkhL&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1553112190&sr=8-1

I don’t know if I had a disorder but I definitely had a problem.
I would recommend Bright Lines Eating - she approaches the issue from the perspective of an ex-drug addict who then turned her attention to food, became obese but has now cut out sugar and flour for about 15 years.
Her saying is “a little bit is too much and a lot is never enough”. I love that.
I am an all or nothing person, when people say everything in moderation I explain that the problem with me is there is no moderation. And I don’t want to spend my life trying to have will power so the addictive substances have been eliminated, therefore the need for will power is eliminated. Sugar, flour, wheat, grains, rice, pasta, potatoes. Cold turkey, gone.
I follow Low Carb Bootcamp on here and eat high fat low carb. It’s a great way of eating cos you’re just not hungry and the cravings are seriously diminished. I do get psychological cravings but because the physical craving is gone I’m able to rationalise it.
Dairy has addicting qualities you are right to be cautious about it.

I have, well I’m in the process. Jan 2018 I was nearly 22 stone and I knew I was killing myself and didn’t particularly care. My dd has additional needs so I’m her career. It dawned on me that my husband cannot retire for a few more years and I was likely to die before that. My need to be here to look after her was stronger than my need to binge.

I joined weight watchers online (can’t be doing with going to meetings) and I’m now nearly 4.5 stone lighter. Got a way to go before the risk of early death goes, but I only need to last another five years now.

It is very hard though. I don’t diet in the holidays and went back to usual eating and put on a stone and a half over Christmas. It’s taken me til now to get back to where I was mid December. One day at a time.

Sending unMNty hugs to all.

waves I am in recovery! I wouldn't say I will ever be cured. I reached the end of my tether a few months ago. I contacted a counsellor and asked if she could help me. I went private. I see her every week. It took 4months of counselling for me to go any length of time without binging. We talk a lot about my childhood and we have figured out some of why I binge. It's quite complex though and still being unravelled. I haven't had a proper binge for about 6weeks now. I've even started a diet to lose weight.
I

I have by stopping dieting.

I agree that slimming world has some really good principles. I’ve been doing it on & off for quite a few years and it was great helping me lose my baby weight both times. I’ve put on about 10lb since I got to target which I know isn’t hideous but I think I’m just a bit bored of it but I did find combining it with 5:2 helped as I liked the feeling of being in control. It’s just as soon as I stop following that routine & the control slips I find it impossible to get back into. Meal planning definitely helps. I need some new food ideas I think.
Good luck everyone x