Bingeing... Why?!!?

Hi Pomooky,

Oh, your story rings so many bells for me. I started to try and look at what was going on for me during binges - it was hard as all I could be aware of while stuffing my face till my stomach hurt was 'eff off reasonable thoughts, I don't care how I will feel about this in five minutes time'

but I kept writing and thinking and writing about what I thought my true motivation was. I still don't think it was entirely about blotting out painful feelings - there was an element of needing to be big to cope with my families enormous difficulties but I think the biggest aspect to this was it was actually a cry for help. As soon as I acknowledged that need and went for counselling my binging decreased.

Its a shame it took me a year and going from a 14 to an 18, but there you go, I can now call myself an ex-binger. Today, something bad happened to my son all due to carelessness on the part of people who were meant to be looking after him.

I'm furious, but not eating. Mind you, typing this is helping with that right now.

There are podcasts that also helped me look at my motivations around weight loss, have a Google on Inside Out Weight Loss podcasts as I don't think I can put a link here.

Hugs to everyone struggling with food issues - its hell but it doesn't have to be forever.

Oh, one last thing - my counselling is not via the GP as all they could offer was CBT which I suspect would also involve a lot of what you describe. We have locally a low cost community counselling service - maybe you have one too.

xxx
 
Hi Micci - I will have a try at those podcasts and feel better already for joining Minimins. I have got a little food diary as I don't think I will have the patience to write down 4 flake bars, 2 lemon slices, 3 crunchies etc (how revolting!).

There is a local centre but I just cannot walk through the door and join the "fatties or skinnies with food problems" club if you know what I mean. I'm quite a private person and find it much easier to let loose on this forum.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I'm sure this forum will help me out. I've given up thinking why I have binged in the past and will try to look to the future, the summer and my size 8 clothes buried away in a drawer!

Warm wishes Pomooky XX
 
This might not be much use to you all but it may help some. I was a binger, and a very serious one, for many years. It started in my teens and went on from there. To lose weight I had had to either fast/starve, or eat very very little. When I 'cheated' I would just lose control and go mad.

I found out that my binge eating was triggered by carbohydrates - starches and sugars - and that if I cut them right back or even out my raging hunger would calm down and leave me in peace.

I am addicted to carbs - a carboholic! It's that simple. My body cannot process sugars and starches the way other people's can. Eating them sets up cravings I cannot fight off, and I end up gorging. No matter how 'good' I am, for how many days, eventually I will crack - and eat the cupboard out.

This is why I low carb. I can't eat meat cos I am vegetarian but I do veggie Atkins and it has transformed my life. I am not 100% perfect but I have lost ten stones and kept them off for eleven years now.

My Dad passed away in October of last year and it hit me hard so I have had a few wobbles and now have a regained stone to lose but I will soon sort that out.

If you really must have sweet treats, and I do from time to time, have sugar free chocolate and candies, cakes and biscuits or bake your own. There are lots of recipes and a ton of good advice on the Atkins forum here.

My 'trigger' was usually biscuits. To this day I am wary around them because once I have a few I know I won't be able to stop. We all have triggers - for one of my friends it is chocolate.

Atkins is misunderstood. It's not all meat and eggs. It's very healthy with loads of vegetables and even berries and melon. And that is just in the weight loss phases.

I know of others here who say that the only thing that stops them bingeing is low carbing. Without the carbs, the cravings don't happen. It is like magic, truly.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do xx
 
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Hi, well I've bought lots of fruit today - not a big fan 'tho - and those jelly things and yoghurts. I have also read a great post on here (I think in strugglers section) titled All about Fred. It really made me think and I'm going to have a crack at it. I have cut out wine as this alters my thoughts and makes me a bit reckless - even one glass! I'm not sure Ribena light will hit the spot though.

I think my brain is programmed to binge in the evenings after so many years (!) doing it. I stopped going to counselling after the C said "when you feel down and have unhelpful thoughts etc etc" and I just thought that it wasn't right for me - I quite often binge when I've had a great day and I'm feeling positive. This made me realise that it's just a bad habit. I am going to use the Fred thing to break it if I can. Read the post if you haven't already - its by KD.
Pomooky125 XX :)
 
Pomooky125 said:
Hi Micci - I will have a try at those podcasts and feel better already for joining Minimins. I have got a little food diary as I don't think I will have the patience to write down 4 flake bars, 2 lemon slices, 3 crunchies etc (how revolting!).

There is a local centre but I just cannot walk through the door and join the "fatties or skinnies with food problems" club if you know what I mean. I'm quite a private person and find it much easier to let loose on this forum.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I'm sure this forum will help me out. I've given up thinking why I have binged in the past and will try to look to the future, the summer and my size 8 clothes buried away in a drawer!

Warm wishes Pomooky XX
Click to expand...

Hi Pomooky,

how's it going? Sorry I didn't get back to this thread before.

Micci xxx
 
Hi Micci, Sparkle and everyone battling the binge. I am doing well - I've lost 3 lb and haven't binged for 7 days (yeah, I know this sounds pathetic but after almost 3 years of 8 out of 10 nights binging, this is a breakthrough). I have the "All about Fred" thing in my mind and the sun today has also made me think that I won't be able to hide inside my chunky parka much longer. (eek! Short sleeves and beach stuff).

I am still not drinking wine (ooh, I love it) and have deleted it from my favourites list on the online shopping thingy. Snacks are keeping me going - bit of fruit, low cal cereal bars and a couple of squares of Lindt at night... Here's to another week.

Love and best wishes Pomooky ;)
 
i am in the bingeing shoes and i keep starting every morning. am so confused ans sad as i work my butts off almost everyday in the gym only to stuff my face later in the day. surely their must be a slotion to this?????
 
temmytango said:
i am in the bingeing shoes and i keep starting every morning. am so confused ans sad as i work my butts off almost everyday in the gym only to stuff my face later in the day. surely their must be a slotion to this?????
Click to expand...

I think before you look at the solution you look at the problem. The question is why you binge. I have been through this problem too so I empathise. Ultimately you are sabotaging yourself. Your subconcious is reminding you of all the negativity you have experienced and you have become so used to it that you create your own negativity therefore binging and feeling even worse about yourself. Next time you reach for the biscuits (I found that this helped) talk out loud to yourself. Tell yourself that you are not willing to sabotage yourself, you are wonderful and you deserve an amazing weight loss. Try it, it really can work. Best of luck!
 
It happened again to me. Last weekend we went out to eat and I had far too much and fell back into old habits. I wanted to make up for the weekend by fasting and limiting myself to fruit and veggies alone for all of this week and of course it didn't work. I dropped right back into my old ways of binging on Monday as I'd be fasting the next day.

I really set myself up to fail. I just gave up when I knew I couldn't do the fast and pigged. Oh dear.

So I set myself new goals today. Eat lots of green veggies with every meal and only snack on fruit, drink lots and keep away from the old mindset of thinking that 'tomorrow I fast' as it DOESN'T WORK.

Thinking of every one else here battling binging, we can do this :)
 
Hey everyone, I hope you don't mind me joining in here? I have always had a problem with bingeing! My cravings always come after dinner for some reason, and the fact that I'm not working at the moment makes it even worse.

On thinking about things, I think my bingeing stems from the fact that I'm lonely a lot of the time. I live with my parents, have only a couple of good friends, and am single. I would love nothing more than to meet someone and settle down and have a family of my own, so I think I eat to fill that void in my life.

I'm back on here after deciding enough is enough and I need to get back on track! I did so well before when I was here-losing 18lbs, but then it all went out of control :(

xx
 
Hi Stacy

I'm sure you'll lose the weight again. I hate the evenings, it makes me feel panicky wondering if I'm going to binge again. This sounds daft but ironing upstairs stops me! (well, you can't leave the iron unattended while you look for and eat, a packet of flakes...)

It's boredom and also a habit which you can break if you find something else to do (hopefully not as sad as ironing!).

I'm sure you'll find someone special when you least expect it and you'll always have loads of friends on here.

Pomooky XX
 
Pomooky125 said:
Hi Stacy

I'm sure you'll lose the weight again. I hate the evenings, it makes me feel panicky wondering if I'm going to binge again. This sounds daft but ironing upstairs stops me! (well, you can't leave the iron unattended while you look for and eat, a packet of flakes...)

It's boredom and also a habit which you can break if you find something else to do (hopefully not as sad as ironing!).

I'm sure you'll find someone special when you least expect it and you'll always have loads of friends on here.

Pomooky XX
Click to expand...

Thanks Pomooky hun :)

I agree that it is complete boredom, and I'm sure once I find something to do with all this time off I have, I will find the cravings/binges dying down. I may actually try out salsa classes soon-as a friend of a friend of mine runs them!

xx
 
Hi guys hope you dont mind me butting in but so much on here has made me think
I am a binger can go for days and wks without doing it then bam i will shop for it i will know im going to do it i will plan it when my kids are out
And heres something i have never told anyone then i will make myself sick the feeling of my poor full stomach feeling empty again is like nothing i can describe
I know i have a problem with food but not classic bulmia because i dont do it that often
Im not unhappy with life as such i am in a good relationship so why i really dont know
Any help appreciated x
 
((((((((Lesley))))))))

You are brave to post what you have just written and my heart goes out to you. I've binged - heavily for days on end and wanted to be sick but couldn't do it, so I've been googling on bulimia for you and for me.

I have discovered that what I do (fingers crossed, DID) - binge to the point of feeling sick and trying to fast afterwards counts as bulimia and definitely so does what you do, even if you are not doing it every week.

I would really encourage you to get help for this. Your doctor would be the usual first step, or maybe a phone helpline, I found one and put it at the end of this message.

I'm sure there is a reason for your doing this, I've been seeing a counsellor for a couple of months and I feel a lot better about myself. We all do things for different reasons and sometimes those reasons can have many levels and get revealed bit by bit as we reach a better understanding of ourselves

I have found some useful webpages for you and the helpline number, please keep posting here to let us know how you are.

http://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/bulimia.php

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bulimia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm



BEAT (beat eating disorders) Helpline 0845 634 1414
 
Hello again Lesley,

I looked - sorry if this is too nosy - at some of your other posts and think you are doind a VLC diet?

Are you aware of an experiment done in WW2 by Ancel Keys? He used conscientious objectors as volunteers to investigate the effects of starving. The subjects went on a regime of 1800 calories with a lot of exercise and experienced terrible effects of losing mental facilities and getting very strange around food, obsessive about it, collecting cookbooks, watching others eat, stealing and hording what they could get hold of.

This shows IMHO that VLC diets can trigger responses in people purely due to the low calories. I think people that promote these say differently and I don't know how they explain how people can manage on them and would be interested to know.

Maybe, if you are VLCing, then maybe your binging is your body's way of saying that this does not suit you and perhaps you should consider another way of losing weight.

Here is an article about the study
American RadioWorks - Battles of Belief
 
Hi micci thank you for your kind thoughts and for the helpful links
I do not mind you looking at past posts but i am not doing the vlcd anymore
I just coudnt do it
I am very confused about food i know i am the amount i can eat when im bingeing is just not normal i know that
My moods are up and down altho i put on a good show
None of my friends or family would even come close to guessing about the amounts i can eat and yes i do make myself sick
But sometimes i can manage not to for wks so what does that mean?
It was actually fairly easy to admit it their is that certain veil that no one really knows me i guess
I have read all these past posts and im going to really try not to do this
Please keep in touch lesley x
 
More from me later tonight, but I really think this is something you need help with. Please phone that number tomorrow.

Micci xxx
 
Hi largelesley

Hope you have a better day tomorrow. I binge too but have never tried to make myself sick - I just keep getting fatter!

You're not alone here, keep posting - maybe you could talk to your Dr if you're not happy about telling friends/family?

I saw mine and she was very understanding. Ultimately it comes down to you in the end but you may need some guidance on the way - Micci is right.

Hope to hear from you soon
Pomooky XX
 
Thank you i have been thinking a lot on this
And i have never really saw the link before my husband works away 4wks of and 4 home
And when he is home i do not binge that is not to say i dont want to but obviously i guess for everyone its a private thing
But this trip he has been away 8 wks wih 2to go maybe this is why ive turned to food more
I have had a nice day out wirh my daughter nice meal few drinks not a binge but a lot to eat
And i have thot of being sick i can not lie but i havent and i wont
I know i cant keep doing this to myself i must find sometging else to replace this crutch i use food for
Take care everyone lesley
 
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