need to help my binge eating but am scared im actually just greedy :( example of binge ...

[purple8pig]

short version. was picked on for being skinny as a child, so ate loads to put weight on, stayed thin till around 15/16 when finally started to plump out. got bigger and bigger and after 4 kids am very overweight. I would describe it almost as bulimic but without the purging.

I have somewhat successfully done slimming world, losing 2 stone, but after a couple of weeks or months I always slip back. I need help, I know I do. I think its more than being greedy but I really think this is how I would be made to feel if I sought help. can anyone recommend any sort of self help? or can tell me im just a greedy bitch and to stop eating.

its not that I don't like healthy food, I do, I can eat porridge for breakfast, soup or a sandwich, pasta etc for lunch, or salad. dinner can be meat and veg, potatoes.

but when I binge I eat so much its disgusting. an example, so what I ate lastnight in a 45 minute period
2 crunch corner yogurts
10 Jaffa cakes
a cheese sandwich
3 chunks of cheese
2 bags of crisps
8 chocolate club bars
a muller light yogurt
6 malted milk biscuits

I could have (and do) eaten more but my son woke up

I do this on an almost daily basis at least 4-5 times a week
I will go out and re buy packets of food so dh doesn't realise the extent of it

I am sure people will say to go to my GP but I don't feel able to at the moment, and advice would be so gratefully received though x

What time of day are you eating those things? Are you alone in the house when you eat?

usually evening, or during the day when older kids are at school. I am usually alone or with younger kids, noticed I hide it from my older dds who are 10 and 8 as they would pick up on it

i would suggest gp / therepy but if youre doing it alone - find out your triggers thats making you want to eat like that
try to aknoweledged those feelings when they happen and address them
distraction / go out/ make a bit drink
don't have the bad food in the house in the first place

thank you. I think not having the food in is a good idea. strangely I don't binge on carrot sticks and apples :/
thanks for not just pointing out how disgusting I am, I was ashamed to even write it down x

I would describe it almost as bulimic but without the purging

It just sounds like you've got a bad habit. Treat it like any other bad habit - remove the temptation first. Don't have biscuits, crisps or chocolates in the house, have a glass of water or find another quick activity when you're craving rubbish and stock up on fresh food to have well balanced meals at the right times. You'll soon work out your triggers to binge eat and eventually be able to nip them in the bud before they surface.

You could try speaking to your GP but I can't imagine they'll be particularly helpful, they're great at telling people what to do with their weight but not stellar at telling us how to go about it.

You need to figure out what is triggering your over eating. Keep a diary. Is there an Overeaters Anonymous near you?

It's not greed OP, I know the feeling and it's horrid. It happens for emotional reasons rather than anything else. Do seek professional help if you can - that's what they're there for!
I've also got a few ideas that may help (?) -

1. Don't restrict yourself - just wait for five minutes before eating. - or put it off until tomorrow!
2. Halfway through a binge, don't think that all is lost - you have control and you CAN stop at any point.
3. I love popping outside for some fresh air and listening to podcasts to distract me - and if you want to learn something about binge eating, the podcast called 'the obesity code' is brilliant.

Have you looked into intermittent fasting? I used to binge as well and started doing the Fast 5 diet where you only eat in five hours of the day (if you Google Fast 5 Dr Bert Herring there is a free e-book on this).
I found this easier as I wasn't saying 'no' to eating I was saying 'not now', for the first 3-4 weeks I still ate a lot in those five hours but then I found that my appetite gradually reduced and I was feeling full after eating less which made things much easier and the weight came off easily.

I could do this so so easily. I have horrific binges and then feel guilt and self loathing for hours afterwards, I used to be bulimic.

I have stopped buying any crap at all. Plan my meals at the start of the week, make a list and only buy what I need. I then treat myself to a few beers and a takeaway on the weekend and it seems to be working- knowing that I can have treats at the weekend makes it seem a lot easier.

Good luck.

frecklefox not sure what the face is for, that's exactly what im scared of, going to the gp and being told im being silly for comparing it to an eating disorder.

I was bullied as a child as I was so skinny. I eat in excess of 2 days calories in half an hour, hide food, lie about what ive eaten, eat till im almost sick etc, I really think it is almost like bulimia, but maybe that's where im wrong, that's why I wont go to the GP

I think getting outside could definitely help, as well as stop having the things in the house.

Have no medical knowledge but it sounds like a binge eating disorder.

Brain Over Binge is an interesting book on this.

thank you ill have a look.

I do need to look into what are triggers,

It is an eating disorder and it’s called binge eating disorder, so please don’t minimise it and just think it’s greed. Your brain is wired in a way that means your reaction is to overeat. The Brain Over Binge book and podcast are both very good and have helped me bring my binges under control. I wish it was as simple as not having the food in the house!!

The book suggests that understanding the psychology that started the problem is much less important than managing the strong desire to binge, in the moment.

Gillian Riley (I think!) is another one.

There are some binge eating threads on MN that might be helpful.

purple8pig. Don’t be fooled that just because your DD’s don’t actually see you binging they will pick up your obsession with food and history will repeat itself. I know this as when I listen to my 25 year old DD it is like listening to myself and it is heartbreaking that my binging and constant dieting throughout her formative years has caused that. You really do need to see a counsellor or your GP.❤️

thankyou

I can identify with lots of what you've posted. I don't eat as much as you've listed but I definitely am capable of going into binge mode. I think you do need to seek professional help, for your mental and physical wellbeing. I understand the fear of going to the GP, could you request a female GP, might make it easier? Please ignore ridiculous posters like frecklefox who clearly has no insight into eating disorders. Its most certainly not just a bad habit. Good luck OP.

fishfingersandketchup

that was what I had last night, I can even eat much more than that in one go
see I don't even think frecklefox is necessarily wrong. I mean I think its more a disorder but theres always something in my head saying youre just a greedy cow! So I don't think id cope by being judged in real life x

I wonder if you could 'manage' your binge better with a different type of food? Say, if you had some cooked chicken in the fridge or you could quickly microwave some white fish.
I'm pretty sure I read online that a lack of protein can cause sugar cravings.

Greedy is when you finish the kids chips, take an extra sliver of the cake while you are in the kitchen on your own, always finish off the last Yorkshire pudding , take a chocolate every time you walk by the tin etc etc

What you are doing is bingeing. I think you need to talk to your GP about what is happening, you are hiding this from other people by re buying the food you have eaten. You need help before your problems with food get worse.

I found this website / book helpful

toomuchonherplate.com/emotional-eating-rescue-plan-book/

I'm like this if I buy certain trigger type foods so I simply don't buy them.Biscuits,chocolate,sweets,cake all the nice stuff

You're stuck in that destructive negative cycle though where you feel disgusting because you've binged, then to comfort yourself you eat. You need support to learn how to be kinder to your self, thinking of yourself as a greedy cow really isn't going to help. I say this as someone who us still at the age of 43 learning how to break the cycle. I don't have any answers but plenty of empathy.

thank you all so much I actually feel emotional just at the feeling of being understood.

I will give myself a little time and read some books and see how it goes. I am open to seeking further help if i cant do it on my own.

im a member of slimming world but have been doing rubbish recently , not sure if having the 'rules' around eating are actually helpful as i just seem to rebel against them, but feel a bit too 'free' and on my own without them x

I'm done with slimming world, WW eye. I've wasted so much time and money over the years to lose and regain the same 2 stone. The diet I had most success with was the NoS diet, not really a diet but more a way of learning to eat with moderation. I'm back on it now after months of over eating. No snacks no sweets no seconds except for days beginning with S. So you just count 3 plates a day and can have treats at the weekend. I'll post a link if you're interested.