arexjay

So, I have this problem. Often, about two or three times per week, I binge eat pretty hard. I just finished off 17 chocolate chip cookies (damn my roommate for buying cookie dough). And the whole time, I feel stupid about it. Even with healthy foods... I'll start with some carrots dipped in hummus, and end up finishing off the entire bag of carrots and tub of hummus (if I finish the carrots first, I'll find some bread to toast and spread the hummus on).

The weird thing, is that I eat very healthy and in good portion amounts the rest of the time. Until the cookies today, I had toast and a banana for breakfast, oatmeal for a snack, a veggie burger for lunch, an apple and a pear for another snack, and a fake meat sandwich for dinner. And then the cookies. I couldn't stop!

Is there something I can do? Is it all mental?

late

Eat a better, and larger, breakfast.

msincredible

1. More meals / snacks so you don't get too hungry at one time.

2. Put your food on a plate instead of eating out of the bag.

3. Don't eat and watch TV, surf the web, etc. Pay attention to what you are eating.

4. Write down what you eat. (You could keep a journal or use one of the online food diaries.) Don't beat yourself up about it when you do it, just keep a record.

Richard Cranium

Knowingly performing rituals in conflict with one's own sense of well being is not a training or nutritional issue. You have a psychological problem triggered by issues having nothing to do with diet or exercise.

The advice for you, like so many of these forums - get professional help, it's unlikely you'll act on the free kind. Some people, like myself, do not tolerate being asked to act as co-enablers and game players to most of the sick people mis-posting to these forums.

Fed up? Then get help.

arexjay

Yeah, I've been working on eating a bigger breakfast. I'll try to make it more well-rounded!

I do track my foods on FitDay. I kind of laugh when I see the days with big spikes of calories.

I usually am on the computer when I eat, so maybe I'll try to just sit in the middle of my floor to eat my meals when I can. Maybe I'll set a timer for 20-30 minutes and try to make sure I'm not done until the timer goes off.

I'll try putting my hummus and dipping foods on a plate so I'm less likely to go back and get more.


I don't have the money or resources to get professional help, and I honestly don't think it's anything I can't tackle by myself. If it persists in a few months, I'll consider going to see someone.

arexjay

Another note on my breakfast...

I just had 1/2 cup of cooked rolled oats with 1/4 cup walnuts and a pear in it, plus a cup of tea. I'm pretty damn full, but that's not a very big breakfast... just under 500 calories. Would you recommend eating a bigger breakfast than that?

Enthalpic

Eat more protein.

Eating a carb just makes you feel like eating another (think potato chips).

Not many people will sit in front of the TV eating chicken breast after chicken breast...

Enthalpic

Try adding a egg.

Shadiyah

I wouldn't eat a bigger breakfast. I don't think its good for people to eat past their "full" level. It sounds like you are taking steps needed to curb your appetite when it comes to over eating.

Machka 

1. Eat more protein.

2. Take calcium (but no more than 500 mg at a time).

aham23

eat more fresh veggies and fruit. fiber is your friend. later.

rumrunn6

Eat more protein & get ride of that room mate. Stay out of the apartment and in the gym. Stay out of the kitchen. Eat more protein. If your room mate is gonna sit around and eat cookies too them leave the house. You can not be around those kind of people.

msincredible

In addition to tracking your foods, you might want to start taking note of your moods too, see if there is some sort of pattern. Are you stressed, lonely, or unhappy on those days that you binge? If so, see if you can "train" yourself to do something else (like a bike ride, or a walk) when you are in a trigger mood.

This I think is your biggest problem...it is really easy to go into "mindless eating" mode when you are on the computer.

Good luck!

umd

I went through something like this. If when you are binging you feel like you are out of control, like you want to stop but you almost feel like an outside observer to your own eating, then I recommend you see a psychologist or a psychiatrist, especially one that specializes in eating dissorders. It helped me immensely. I had several issues that I had to work out that allowed me to regain control.

127.0.0.1

or just 'stop it' and do what you already know you have to do, and save your loot

but if you can't just 'stop it', then see the umd post


it's all you (*without stomping on others) and the quicker you realize it, the quicker you will be happy

MrCrassic 

I also agree that a psychologist/psychiatrist might be in order. I don't particularly think it's normal to eat continuously like that.

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127.0.0.1

oh yeah you should get full blood work done. a phlebotomy and also glucose tolerance test

some endocrine (thyroid, pancreatic, liver) problems cause the munchies because your
body is unable to either process wastes or take up nutrients due to some underlying problem

ldesfor1@ithaca

if you're smoking pot, stop.

When UTI I eat mindlessly.

When sober, I have a much easier time.

what works for me (aside from the no pot thing) is eatting consciously. No TV, no computer. Just you and the table and ther food. Maybe a partner and some candles, but that's it!

Eat slowly, savoring the food and really listen to your body telling you it's full.

Heed the body's advice.

It sounds like you'll get over this, but as recomended, if you dont, go see someone, if at all possible.

I also recomend writing down some eatting goals every morning and reviewing the how's and why's of why you'd like to not binge eat. Review it when you're tempted.

Be poor. Food is expensive. Less money= less binging.

good luck,



Fellow binger,

-L

damnpoor

Buy some teas and keep them around. When you feel like you want to eat focus on boiling some water and making some tea. By the time the tea is ready and you've finished it the urge to eat may have passed (or at least become easier to resist).

keiththesnake

That whole tea thing makes good sense.

nickthaquick1

ive been smoking too much weed lately and have the same problem lol. now that the colder weather is coming (along with my trainer in the mail) im planning on bulking up for a month or two. id prefer it not to be fat but hey im stressed lately haha.

arexjay

Yeah, I've been practicing that tea trick for a while, but stopped since I moved into college. I just picked it up this last week, and it helps a lot. I always have a cup of tea before bed, and it quells a lot of my late-night hunger (which is when I binge most often). It's hard to not have some toast along with it, though, but I'm working on it.

Thanks for all the help guys, I've been implementing a lot of these techniques the past week and have not overeaten since. I really appreciate it.

arexjay

Alright, so, another related question:

I biked 74 miles yesterday. According to FitDay, I burned about 3,000 calories on top of my BMR of 2,100 (for a sedentary lifestyle, which does not describe me, but I use for food control purposes). Anyway, I ate about 3,600 calories yesterday, which is a lot. However, it's not a lot considering my estimated total of about 5,000 calories burned.

Is this right? It feels weird to eat 3,600 calories and still be at around a 1,400 calorie deficit. I felt pretty full (it was a lot of food, but it was the right kind of food), but I also felt like my body needed it.

umd

two things... Calories burned seems a a little high, but could be close depending on big you are and how hard you worked. The other thing is that BMR is for complete inactivity, as though you were just laying in bed all day. What fitday really shows is the total estimated calories for your stated activity level. If you say you are active, then adding specific activities would double count, that's why you are supposed to put inactive in fitday.

kuf

People, stop giving diet advice. Binging doesn't have to do with how hungry you are.

If you can't afford professional help, go to the bookstore and get some self-help books on eating disorders, before it progresses.