Binge eating - how do I stop?

[PhoenixRises]

I've realised recently that I binge eat; and "bad" things.

Not currently working; plans for that are up in the air, but I do it at work too. Buy chocolate, crisps etc and stuff them in my mouth. I don't think it's an eating disorder - I can go days without doing it, but then I have a week where I can't stop. I've tracked it against my cycle and it doesn't match up - it seems to be random, but possibly stress related, however knowing this doesn't help!

So, how do I stop it? Having nothing in the house doesn't work - I'll drive out to buy it.

Help me please? Tell me all the reasons I shouldn't, and show me how to get the willpower to resist all the time!

Just come here from your previous thread - I don't have much advice to offer, but a friend of mine is a big binge eater. She's currently doing really well by just not buying the stuff so not having it around to tempt her.

I know you say you'd drive out to buy it - but would you? Have you tried it, it's probably worth a go. The time it would take you to get your shoes on, find your keys, get in the car, go to the shop, wait at the checkout... all that time should give you enough opportunity to talk yourself out of it.

What I do is stuff my face with fruit when I'm feeling bingey.

Have a diary.
When you fancy eating something write it thusly:
"I should eat [insert food item] because...."
Then lost why you want to eat it. Of you can think of five reasons to eat it, eat it, if you can't, don't eat it.

I really wish I had the answer.

Things that have helped me: I try not to have the worst temptations on the house. I'll eat crisps but only one packet at a time when I'm out in a coffee shop. If I try to go cold turkey it is worse and I get cravings-knowing I'll be having a packet in a few days seems to help.

Eating enough "proper" good at mealtimes and planning snacks.

Finally, it really helped me to stop thinking of eating bad stuff as a massive fail so if I slipped up I could just decide that was my junk for the day and not eat any more of it rather than writing off that day as a bad day, stuffing myself silly and vowing to start again the next day.

Thank you for following my other thread - I wasn't hinting well, maybe slightly! and responding.

The answer is yes, I will drive to get it - semi rural here so I will drive 5 minutes to the village to get some. However, I will mainly pop to the shop after dropping the DS at school and buy stuff under the pretence of buying a paper to read - and not the Daily Mail!

The trouble is that I will eat and binge. A whole tube of Pringles and then lunch. Or a whole bar of chocolate (Lindt size) and then lunch - and then crisps.

Again, I'll buy it if it isn't in the house. I'm about 4 stone overweight and have no momentum to change. I want to be slimmer and happier with my weight, but I self sabotage. It's depressing.

Buy (down the baby aisle) organix Apple and cinnamon rice cakes for every time you get a craving for 'something'. Very little calories but they taste really nice!

What I've done, in the past, is to only binge on protein, ie avocados chicken scrambled eggs etc. The following day its just perfect, no obsession with food, blood sugar all levelled out. The only way I can get out of the cycle.

I've had binge eating issues all my life , its really draining.

It does help if you can identify the triggers....for me, its having young kids who eat a lot of carbohydrates....I just make sure I eat before I collect them.

I've just had a thread about disordered eating and someone recommended Fat is a Feminist Issue to me.
It's all about compulsive eating and taking a very honest look at your triggers. I doubt it's for everyone but it's been a revelation to me. I've also lost weight by very strictly not dieting, just eating when I'm hungry. I've had to learn what that actually feels like.
Good luck OP