to ask how to stop bingeing

[WaterandSandy]

Just eaten half a Victoria sponge, family bag of maltesers and family bag of peanut M&Ms and that’s by lunchtime. It’s like this every day.
Dont say WLI but any other suggestions would be welcome

Same happened to me.

Sorry I probably should have continued reading the full thread but I auto replied to the one about limiting food intake.

I am glad you’re doing well! I have definitely found that after a while of not having something the brain starts to crave it less and less.

Good luck!

Day 11 completed now. 2kg down and still going strong.
I had to go to the supermarket for some milk and came out without a load of sweet junk which is unheard of for me.
Thanks to everyone for their support

Is that 11 days without binging? If so, that's amazing. I haven't gone that long for years.

Yes, no bingeing and no sweet junk at all. I think it is easier for me to not have any at the moment as I’m not capable of just having a sensible portion.

Congratulations. You must be feeling the return of hope. 💐

Are you getting any help @Goinggonegone?

What is working for me is not restricting what I have for meals yet, just having what I fancy so I don’t feel deprived. That’s enough for the moment as I was probably eating about 3000 calories a day just on binges. I plan to gradually make my meals more healthy and with lower calories.

I live in Wales and our service provision for all things health is very limited. Ive been in private therapy for years, but not specifically for ED. I asked for specific ED help on the NHS in 2017. (Well i originally asked in 1992 .but thats a whole other story). Our local mental health services have nothing. They won't offer me CBT as I'm autistic and they're not trained to deliver it to ND brains.
After a two year wait, Weight Management Services have now offered me CBT for binge eating. However it is in a group over zoom, not tailored towards autistic people and will not occur for a further two years...
Im getting the most help at least in understanding binge eating, from ChatGPT.
I haven't been able to do what youre doing, although I understand why it's working for you, as eliminating anything like sugar makes me feel deprived and triggers binging.
But I'm really happy for you that you've found something that's working for you.
And one day I might too. 💐

Im so sorry you have been struggling for so long. It’s totally shit how little help is available on the NHS particularly for ND people.
Have you considered trying a private psychiatrist specialising in ED? Or maybe trying to find meals that you really like so you wouldn’t feel so deprived cutting down on sugar?
Sorry if they are stupid suggestions. I’m an expert on bingeing but not on stopping 😀

Thank you very much. There are no private practitioners anywhere near here, and I would be too anxious anyway. Im only going to be able to manage the zoom cbt with a support worker with me.
Im going to be switching meds during the next two months, the hope is that if my anxiety can be reduced, I won't binge to calm myself down so often, and might be in a space to work on it more.
I mainly like protein yoghurt lol. I cant cook or prepare food due to crippling anxiety and executive functioning issues, and have ibs and reflux too so can't eat a lot of things but am going to see a dietician at some point.
But this is your thread, and Im encouraged to see how well you are doing.❤️

Thanks for your reply.
It’s not my thread, I’m happy for anyone to contribute.
I think most private psychiatrists offer Zoom appointments these days but I understand if that would be too difficult for you to deal with at the moment.
It is really positive that you have med changes, CBT and a dietitian planned so there could be some real changes through those.
I can’t cook or prepare food either so I’m wondering if that is related to our EDs. I live on microwave meals and shop prepared sandwiches and salads (and huge quantities of junk until recently.
I really hope things start to improve for you soon 💐

Thank you.
It's reassuring to find someone who has similar preparation and cooking issues to myself. Maybe it is ED linked, as well as my autism. It does make sense.
Thanks for starting this thread. I find what you're doing inspiring.

That’s kind of you but I am the least inspiring person on earth. I’ve been bingeing to various degrees for over forty years, after a teenage spell of anorexia, so it’s early days for me in overcoming it. x

Something I do when I need just milk or bread, is use the local petrol station, Yes its costing more but in the long run, I save money because I know prices are fixed higher.for the conveinsnce

You are extremely inspiring because you have come online, admitted your struggles and recording them

!0 page thread so far - you have touched a lot of people

Thank you @suki1964. I really hope it is helping others. I was worried it was self-indulgent and self-centred.
I wouldn’t have been able to stop bingeing without the advice, experiences and support of the other posters in this thread.
13 days down now and today was a dangerous time for me because I was bored and lonely but I managed to resist.
How does using a petrol station rather than a supermarket help you resist the junk food in there though?

Cost :)

Plus its small and I can walk in, grab the milk/bread without having to walk up and down three aisles , pay and am away in less then a minute

Tescos - milk is one end of the store, bread the other, got to walk past all those other aisles with their end plinth special offers shouting at me , the longer Im in the store the more chance I have picking up stuff I dont need

It's another reason I prefer to shop in Lidl. All the good choices are at the front of the store, the junk food is in one aisle - easily avoided - plus they dont have the range of temptation that the bigger shops have . Our Tesco has one full length aisle ( both sides ) dedicated to crisps and biscuits - I rarely ever walk down it . Lidl crisp/ biscuit section is tiny with very little choice, I find it easy to ignore

As long as it doesnt make the trolley Im ok :)

Im no saint. Last week butter went on special offer, I gave in and bought 4 packs telling myself I would freeze it . I didnt , Ive gained 3lb because 1lb block of butter needs bread and crackers and crumpets and pancakes to make it to my mouth. So three packs have now been cut and packed and in the freezer and what remains of the opened one - gone in the bin

But that's why what youre currently achieving is inspiring. It gives me hope that maybe one day I can get there.
Similar history here.

I’m sure you can when the time is right for you. You’ve got a lot of help coming soon with CBT and dietitian so that will be your time. ❤️

lol, at least three packs of butter made it to the freezer. That’s an achievement.
My supermarket is only small (Co-op) so it’s quite easy to find the milk without passing loads of binge foods.

See this is what binge foods are all about

I can eat chocolate for the most part as a "normal person" , or what we perceive as normal - a line off a bar, two out of a box. I find that easy

Show me a butter dish of butter, Im totally buggered.

Butter is something I know I can no longer have in the house because as Ive said in a previous post, its the everything that goes with butter.

I know I really have to keep in check butter and white bread. So my weekly treat is a single bread roll from Lidl. One white bread roll of lushness . If I buy six - Ill eat six, if I buy a loaf, Im scoffing it and once the thick layer of butter is applied, hell I might as well throw on the peanut butter, the jam , the crisps and cheese

So I cant buy the butter , its the butter for me that sends me spiralling. Butter means soft fluffy white bread and bread means all those fillings that are so not helping me. I will even make a portion of chips to make a white bread and butter chip butty, but in the midst of binging, I will say sod it and fry the chips , making things worse for me

And that's something Im learning and still fighting against. My triggers

I love butter. I know it sends me down the rabbit hole so I know I have to avoid it, But every now and again I convince myself Ive it sorted and I can have it. That idea has failed every time so far in 3 years .

Maybe I will learn, I doubt it. I know I have to avoid it, but I love it

So I have binged, Ive gained, I went uo a jeans size

The only thing that catches me on is I refuse to go back to obesity

The size up on the jeans has upset me, scared me.

I wear a size, and I have one size larger in my wardrobe. I have the next size up vacuum packed in storage - I never want to open that again

Before I caught myself on and realised my health needed priority , I had 5 different sizes of clothing - 8 to 18 . I keep three because I know how easy it is jump a size, and I have the bigger even size incase life just can take over and so much so that healthy eating goes out the window Im working on being the smallest size, then getting concerned when the next size is the default

It’s interesting how we can delude ourselves about being able to manage our consumption of our binge foods. I’ve finally realised that I can’t buy a large quantity of chocolate, cakes etc and just eat it gradually over the week. I’ve been doing that for decades even though it never worked.

Hello. I’d like to join in. I binge on sugar and junk to tamp down emotions. I think a lot about WLI, but I’ve had gallstones in the past and years ago I had a diagnosis of BED. I’ve never not eaten even when I knew I would be in pain or gastric distress after. I’m gaining slowly and steadily, and my knees are giving up.

I’ve been lurking since this thread started, and it's giving me inspiration and hope for the future. Can I post my daily successes?

Hi @GallstoneGertie, love your username. Yes, please do join in.

Posting daily successes is a brilliant idea..❤️❤️❤️

I had one yesterday. I had to go to the shop and was debating whether or not to buy binge food. Instead of fighting myself,.I told myself I could if I wanted to. That gave it less power and I chose not to, because it turned out it would have been habit and not something I actually wanted to do.

The other thing I'm trying to do is focus more on adding fruits and veg. I tend to forget they exist or feel resentful that theyre another "should", so I've written a sign in the kitchen saying The Point of Veg is Nutrients! Every time I have any or fruit i write them down in my diary.

Yesterday I had some upsetting news, and instead of binging to calm myself down, I ate an apple and a protein yoghurt. Normally I would have fought not to eat anything and then binged. The apple was so sweet and the yoghurt the texture I crave and it all worked to satisfy the craving.

You are incredible OP!