Please tell me how I can stop binge eating

[Anon_92]

Simply that

Have you tried intuitive eating? I do this and it has helped a lot. I do still binge occasionally but I've found that seems to happen when I've decided to go on a diet. Basically, I have stopped even considering dieting and that has mainly stopped my bingeing.

(I also had bulimia, anorexic traits and some binge drinking issues, so I'm a bit of a mess really. Dieting was an absolute obsession for me growing up and I honestly think it was the worst thing for me and just tied in with all my other bad habits).

Yes I have tried it and read a lot of books on it. But unfortunately my mind just goes into overdrive in terms of feeling guilty around certain foods regardless of the fact that I know one of the rules is 'no food police.'

Indo appreciate all the comments and suggestions btw. I hope I don't seem ungrateful, but I have tried an awful lot, hence why I'm reaching out for any other suggestions.

Previously had anorexia and bulimia myself.

Are you on Instagram? There's a guy on there I follow called Chris Tibbetts who has some brilliant advice and offers online coaching. It's definitely a case of sorting your mindset before any sort of diet/ exercise plan.

I thin kit's normal to want to eat if you're tired - you're trying to get the energy you need from food instead of sleep. Food is also very comforting to eating when you're stressed also makes sense.

Instead of seeing your eating as the problem what about seeing your lack or sleep and your stress levels as the problem? Could you try to really work on those rather than focusing on what you do to cope with them (eat)?

emotionaleatingcoach.uk/

You may have hit the nail on the head there ......

I dont know if you can stick to the rule of calorie counting? 1500 calories every 24 hours. That's it. Nothing else

I dont know if its possible for your mind to do that?

GPs can prescribe free therapy in some cases

I wish I could but I can't. I would obsess so much that I would be even more miserable and then would binge five times that at the weekend.

If you are not overweight does it matter if you bings occasionally? To a certain extent we all do and it’s a bit instinctive.

But it's everyday

If you are a normal weight then you aren’t over eating though? Are you worried that you diet is unhealthy?

i like you had tried everything and I just felt like I had lost all control. One day I tried intermittent fasting, only eating for 6 hours a day (12-6). I had tried it before and it didn’t work but some reason a month ago it just clicked. I feel I am in much more control, I have lunch and evening dinner and plan this ahead. It cuts out evening binges and I realised that binging was making me so tired and lethargic, my blood sugars must have been all over the place and it was triggering me to binge again.
i hope you find something that works for you, it really isn’t easy to overcome and it’s a daily drain on emotions / mental health when in a cycle if you’re obsessed with food then feeling regretful.
I can’t remember the last time I felt this good, both mentally and physically. I’m definitely not cured but in such a better place than I was

OK so, yes, it sounds like you have a very complicated relationship with food.

I used to binge eat/ eat emotionally as well. I managed to stop about four years ago and I am now a healthy weight and have a much better relationship with food. I saw a nutritionist/ personal trainer and that is where my below advice is coming from, just for some background.

The biggest thing you need to address here is:

"making myself eat food I don't like but it's healthy"

OK, so, why are you doing this? And what does 'healthy food' mean to you - are we talking low calorie/ low fat versions of foods? - If so, stop doing that. Just stop. They are not satisfying and they are mostly processed rubbish - low fat yoghurts, margerine, Go Ahead bars, diet coke, things like this will not satisfy you or make your body happy. Do not buy them, ever.

Commit to eating only real whole foods, all of the time. Look up ultra-processed food, and cut it out, as much as you can. Allow yourself to eat full fat dairy, nice sourdough bread, home bakes cakes etc. Stop denying yourself calories and nutrition.

The flip side is that you cut out store bought biscuits, donuts, etc. Anything that has something you do not understand on the ingredients list goes - if you want things like this, you can have it, but make it youself.

That is really all you need to do!

I know it sounds really scary to let youself eat all these calories, but this worked for me. As soon as I broke that cycle of denying myself and rebelling against myself, things really levelled out. I found I wanted to nourish my body. I ended up actually eating more vegetables, nuts, and protein, and not craving cakes as much.

Look at what you are eating all of the time, your whole diet (not just your bingeing) - if you are satisfied and happy in the rest of your diet, you will get less urges to binge. Stop denying yourself and guilting yourself.

I also recommend a book called 'Why we eat (too much)' - this changed a lot about the way I see food and particularly processed food.

Finally, therapy always helps if you still really struggle! I'm a big advocate for it. Good luck - sorry for the super long post - I feel quite passionately about this as you can tell!

Don't buy crisps, biscuits or cereal.

But the ingredients you need to make these things yourself.

Make youself some lovely homemade cookies. If you can't cook/ bake, you need to commit to learning.

Buy potatoes, slice them thinly and deep fry them for crisps.

Don't buy these things in packets, make them youself. You will appreciate more the effort that goes into making them, you will enjoy the flavour more than the packet versions, and you will be satisfied.

This gives you a 'rule' to follow but it also helps with your cravings and your guilt. You can eat what you want, your rule is that if you want it, you make it.

Just try it for 2 weeks and see how you go. Honestly - this changed my life.

I struggle with binge eating too, I'm also in a healthy weight range and I know some people think it's not an issue but it is disordered eating and I just want a normal healthy relationship with food.

Part of my approach at the moment is trying to fill up with more protein so I don't fancy a snack as often. But I don't think this is the only solution.

The other part is trying to deal with the emotional need. Some people believe that binge eating is not about the actual food (I agree when I can sometimes binge on bland foods despite not enjoying them) but because of an emotional need. So now when I feel the urge to binge I try to check in with myself on how I'm feeling and address it. E.g if I'm tired can I take a nap or have an early night, if I'm restless can I do something productive, or bored can I watch something or read a book.

Also, some people suggest not buying the trigger or snack foods but honestly this doesn't work for me, the urge to binge is so strong I'll walk a long distance to buy the snacks even late at night

For me it was meeting my partner and having my children. There was no way I was going to feel as crap as binge eating made me feel whilst looking after small kids. When I used to binge I’d have no energy and take to my bed.. you just can’t do that with kids. So it was the kick start I needed.

Since then there’s probably been a handful of times I’ve taken myself off to binge eat. Once was when I found out my baby has died inside me. I remember being parked up outside Sainsburys eating cream cakes in a lay-by. Safe to say I felt a million times worse afterwards.

In terms of what you can do I agree that low carb is a really good way to allow yourself to eat proper food without feeling like you’re denying yourself. I try to eat low carb and fast.

@Anon_92 you might find support by asking for this to be moved to the eating disorders board

Go to yr GP so u get help with yr issues, It would probably be therapy plus lessons on eating a normal diet.

I think it's not a case of just don't buy them (I agree you will still walk/ drive to get them) - you have to replace them with something else.

You can't replace them with carrot sticks because that obviously isn't satisfying.

So what you do is you replace your pack of chocolate digestives with a tray of homebaked cookies that you have made yourself.

Honestly - this really works. Whole, home made food is more satisfying. Not just because you have put time and effort into making it yourself but also your body absorbs the nutrients from it more effectively than it will from a packet of processed, mass-produced wheaty crap.

You probably will still binge. You'll probably make a tray of biscuits and eat all of them in one sitting. That's OK. Keep doing it. Don't feel guilty. Just go with it.

Eventually, you will level out.

I know it sounds crazy and counter-intuitive, but what do you have to lose by trying it?

You do need some willpower to cook/ bake for yourself. But it fulfils your desire for sugary/fatty/carby snacks. It's a first step. Of course you also need to incorporate more vegetables and protein etc, but one thing at a time.

The first thing you need to do is cut out processed foods (UPF's). Baby steps - just do this first of all and see how you feel.

What therapy would help you do, is work out what you actually want when you’re binging. What emotional need are you trying to address? Maybe you can keep a diary of what’s happening & how you’re feeling so you can try and find patterns around when you binge? For me, I would binge when I was feeling emotionally overwhelmed - if I was eating, I wasn’t thinking. So the more I ate, the less thinking I was doing - binging calmed my brain. Now I know that, I can write down all the things making me feel overwhelmed or talk them through with someone. I also find a hug helps! So I don’t need to binge anymore. But it took time to figure that out.

The fact that you have suffered from anorexia means that you should be consulting health professionals.

It is very risky for people to give out ideas 💡 to someone whose situation is as vulnerable as yours.

Triggers, unstable thoughts, obsessions and anxiety are at the core of your issues you won’t get any of that resolved here.

I still do appreciate all of these thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Whilst I'm still not sure which way to go next at least I have a few ideas. So thank-you everyone xx

I think binge eating is a carb addiction.
The only way is to cut out processed carbs, especially sugar and grains.
After a few days of hardship, you'll wonder why you were ever in that position.
The hard part is not ever falling off the wagon as it's easy to go back to old ways and struggle with it again.
[bitter experience]