I know it's cheeky but...

[rainbowfeet]

I don't want people in RL to know I'm dieting.. (Again)!! & just asking for some encouragement please?!

I am a compulsive eater who comfort binges not just eats.. Recent months it's been quite out of control & I've gained 2 stone since January!

I want to break this cycle be healthy & be able to look in the mirror again without detesting myself... Please tell me I can do this & tell me your success stories.

Ill join you. Also a binger but have it under control right at the moment. I find the more you do it the more you wnt to do it. The more you resist thw easier it does get. Ime. Im far from being cured.
Things that work for me - once I get started I can keep going ok. Its the first few days that are hell. I try to pick a couple of dYs when im not going to get much opportunity to binge - couple of meeting heavy days ay work poss with an overnight stay. Plan all meals for thise days and make them stuff ill like - sushi/ homemade pasta salad/posh supermarket salad. Buy low cal snacks. Ration for those days. At the end I feel so much less bloated and so much better that continuing is easier than it would notmally be. And do ths shred, again statting is hell but after a few days I want the exhausted feeling.
I spent my entire adult life binge eating. I had no idea it wasnt 'normal' to eat until uncomfortably full at every meal. I had no idea what it felt like not to be bloated - people talked about feeling bloated and I thought I didnt get it. I was permanently bloated that's why! Dh laughs and doesn't really believe me but im not exaggerating!

Typical day used to be 4 slices of toast with butter for breakfast. 2 huge breadbuns - cheese salad sandwich for lunch. Huge dinner plate of pasta and pesto for dinner - literally a dinner plate full to its base and then piled high. None of those are normal. Dessert after most meals. Constant snacking on chocolate and biscuuts during the day. Wine and hot chocolate at night. Not normal but I didnt see it.

You can do it. I was a binge eater too but had to re-train myself and my approach to food and eating. I have lost 5 stone.

Hello :)

Can I invite you over to the Eat Betters thread over in food? I used to binge massively but have completely retrained myself, not calorie counting just eating healthy food. We share recipes and encourage each other. It's worth a read even if you don't want to join in.

I am just getting to the point where I am able to look in the mirror and not be horrified!

Wow, thank you so much for the replies. It's so rare to find someone that understands how bloody hard it is to control the compulsion to binge.
I am a total stress head & when I get stressed the first thing I think of is what can I eat... Don't mind if it's sweet or savoury, I don't have a cut off. Don't understand when people say "I couldn't eat another thing" or "I can only manage a mouthful it's too rich"!!

In an ideal world I would love to lose 4 stone but would be over the moon with 2.5 - 3. I've done it before but in an unhealthy way with slimming tablets & slim fast.. In fact I've tried most diets.. This is more about taking control of my life!!

Thank you

My main thing was not giving up if I had a bad eating day. Just keep going.

Love the high I get from having a non binge day it is far better than the short lived high after a binge!!

Day & a half so far.. & I baked some choc chip cookies for the kids today so far untouched by me.. Did bake myself a tiny little one & they were nice.

Healthy dinner is on the go so all pointing to a successful 2nd day.

Hope everyone else is doing well

-are you bingeing because the rest of the time you are trying to restrict your food intake to lose weight or 'compensate' for the binge? If so you are setting yourself up for more bingeing because, quite simply, you will be hungry and not in a state of mind/body to make healthy choices. Don't cut calories, fat or protein too drastically (10-15% below TDEE if calorie counting) Even better, as Dame describes, eat what you want but learn to do so mindfully (I think Paul McK method teaches this too). Learn to recognise hunger, satiety, slow down and enjoy your food and tell what foods work best for you in terms of how you feel after eating them - energised/sluggish/calm/bloated/congested...?

Sorry-lost the rest of my post...beyond the food aspect..

• are you bingeing in response to emotions you find hard to express or cope with? It can be a long process but by learning to recognise these and find better ways of dealing with them you can reduce bingeing.

• also, are you using bingeing as a substitute for something else missing in your life? Affection, sex, intellectual stimulation or creative expression? Too often, (particularly after we have DC's) our true self gets forgotten amidst the focus on weight and diet. Make a list of the things that make you feel happy, energised, soothed, excited. Could be walking outside, dancing, taking a long bath and doing your nails. Try and do something off the list every day. Thos is about satisfying needs other than eating.

There's more but those are good places to start

Listen to Sleep - she knows her stuff! :)

Thank you sleep...

Yes, I think the binging is because I am unhappy at the moment. Life has been tough the last few years & I have suffered bouts of being very very low. So I think the food is a comfort, I am a lone parent & life can be stressful & lonely. But I also recognize that being overweight makes me very unhappy & although it won't be the answer to all my problems nor make me forget the pain of the past but being 'slimmer' will make me happier, more confident & give me some more self esteem.

It might sound shallow but I am happier when I feel attractive (ish)!

I have decided to loosely follow Slimming world because I am familiar with that but low carb & higher protein. Also swapping lots of fruit for raw veg & drinking lots of water .. Which is something I never do.

That's great rainbow, whatever way of eating you feel will work best for you (without giving you a sense of feeling like you are deprived and/or some kind of temporary diet). Give some attention to the other stuff that makes you feel good too though. I know most of us feel better at our ideal (or at least comfortable) weight but pinning all our self esteem on how we look doesn't work-if it did nobody who dieted and lost weight would regain it .

It's certainly worth getting the Paul McKenna book called Freedom from Emotional Eating. www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0593064070/. I have suffered with binge eating for many years too and have been amazed by the change in me since reading the book, following the DVD and listening to the CD regularly. I no longer want to eat between meals and don't have the intense cravings for chocolate/cheese/ice cream etc that I used to suffer with.

Since the beginning of April, I've lost 19 lb and have eaten normal healthy food without feeling hungry. Still got a long way to go, but for the first time believe that I will get there.

Toobignow .. That's brilliant well done you.

I will defiantly check the Paul McKenna thing out thank you.

In bed now... No binging after my dinner just a yogurt & water!! Feeling accomplished

Rainbow very good.

I have been a yo-yo dieter for years. I was overweight as a child and am now 38. For as long as I can remember I have had a bad relationship with food and would binge when upset/tired/bored.

About a year ago a good friend introduced me to zumba. I plucked up the courage to attend a class. It was hard work and yes I felt very self concious. But I loved it and stuck at it.

Since August last year I have lost 7 stones. I have gone from a size 24 to a size 14/16. I weighed 22 stone and am now 15 stone. I did lose the first few stones attending a Slimming World group but then decided that I would rather spend my evening doing an exercise class than sitting at a SW group.

I kept the weight off and have continued to lose at a steady pace. I do not calorie count and I very much enjoy what I eat. I have treats if I fancy them. But I do a lot of exercise (7 to 8 hours a week - zumba/kettlebells).

I would like to lose another 2 stones which would take me to a healthy BMI. I am happier with my weight/size/fitness than I have ever been and it has had such a positive impact on my life. I enjoy my children more and have so much more energy to do fun things with them. I sleep better. And I have an active social life with my friends from zumba. I have even been on a couple of fitness weekend. :-)

I am no longer obsessed with food but I do try and eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, lean meats and don't drink a great deal of alcohol. I still love a good curry and a burger but I make my own now.

It is hard and I think I will always have that bad relationship with food but feel like I have finally got my eating under control.

You can do it!