Thread: bingeing

I lost 43lb with LLT from Sept 2010 and have been maintaining (ish) since Jan 2011.
I really enjoyed abstinance and was very strict with no lapses. I had a couple of nights off towards the end but made the decision to and was in control.
Well maintenance has been a total nightmare for me! I can't break the cycle of bingeing (I never binged before LL) and then having to starve myself for two or three days afterwards. I somehow manage to be at my goal weight when I weigh in with my LL councillor give or take a pound or two.
I can't control the ridiculous to compulsion to eat on my binge days. I don't mean a few naughty foods, I mean overeating constantly till I feel ill!
At the moment I'm bingeing once a week. I don't know why I'm doing it or how to stop it.
Can anyone help please? Has anyone found the same problem and if so does it get easier in time? Thanks in advance.

sorry to hear you are struggling.
i too had never binged before LL, but now definately will eat a whole pack of biscuits/cake etc - something I had never done before, if I am on a down cycle.
I loved LL but think it has messed with my head a bit.

Can you talk to your LLC,maybe you could go over some of the CBT stuff again in a session?

Daisy x

thanks for your reply Daisydoll. It's good to know I'm not alone in the bingeing if nothing else.
I can't believe how ridiculously hard it is to maintain even without the bingeing.
Still onwards and upwards as they say!

My bingeing has become much worse since I did LL. I did used to do some silly things before LL, but never to the point that I felt physically ill and then ate more on top!... It's a really scary place to be.
However, I would advise, please, please do talk to a counsellor before it gets out of hand. There may very well be a psychological reason you're doing it. I remember my bingeing episodes started at once per week... Then once every 5 days... 3 days... descending into every day with trying to get back on track but caving in on the 3rd day. Once it takes hold it's definitely harder to shake off because the weight will start coming on... and then it will be all the harder to 'save yourself', especially with sugar-highs and lows going all over the place.

I can advise cutting out the sugar laden foods and refined carbohydrates. These are fluctuating your body chemistry and after a long period of abstinence, your body will be reacting more sharply to such fluctuations. I found that my bingeing became easier to manage and control when I stopped eating those sorts of foods. At first, when I felt a binge coming on, I stuck to raw vegetables. Ok, so not very appealing when the mind is screaming for something else - but it did work. Gave me the room to 'think' and contemplate as to why I needed to eat in the first place - and I didn't feel deprived of food. I wanted to eat, so I ate, but it wasn't something that triggered an awful episode.

I dunno... that's how I personally dealt with it. Everyone's different, you need to find what works for you. But, you're not alone. Just never be scared to reach out!

I used to have binges once a wk on cambridge diet, i would eat anything sweet that was in the house until i felt sick - I never was though which made me just feel worse. Its self sabotage because it wasnt like I was hungry i just felt so deprived i think.
I was doing it in the evening/night time - usually when tired so maybe a low blood sugar triggering it.
I havent binged in a couple of months now - I try not to eat anything sweet after 5pm as that can start me off craving more.
good luck
x