Binge eating and SW

[PuppetWitch]

I'm really enjoying SW because it's a bit like CBT, where you deal with the symptoms and not the cause. I can be quite bingey and this week has been really bad. I put on 2.5lb (WI yesterday) and today have had lots of pesto, crisps and chocolate.

But you know what? That's ok. I have these behaviours. They are not great, but they are much, much better than they were. Now, I usually manage to binge on free things-- apples and yogurts, etc-- and when the storm passes I can get back on the plan because I like the free food and can eat as much of it as I like!

If you're a binger like me, have you made the swap? Does SW help you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Puppetwitch x

 

[PrincessPink-x]

I'm a binge eater but I can't binge on free foods as its just not the same. I have it mostly under control as sticking to plan means I don't get starving and want to eat everything in sight.
However emotional binging is harder. Been feeling sorry for myself all day and craved choc all day and know even if I have one little bit it won't stop. I have been good so far and fought it off but hubby is going out soon and kids will be on bed and being on my own will be a dangerous time. Will prob end up having to go to bed early

 

[PuppetWitch]

Argh it's tricky, isn't it! I agree that not getting hungry is really helpful but I too an am emotional eater and it triggers when I am tired and stressed. I do find that apples help-- I can get through a whole bag! They are sweet and take a while to eat.

Good luck avoiding the chocolate xx

 

[MissNix]

I'm a classic binger, but SW helps me keep it under control to an extent, in the sense that instead of doing it once a week it's more like once a month. If I sense a binge coming on I just have to get out of the house - if I'm bored and at home there's no stopping me, it's like someone else is controlling my body temporarily! And if there's no naughty food in I'll binge on anything I can find... blocks of cheese, rounds and rounds of toast, cooking chocolate, even sugar/golden syrup/nutella straight from the jar. Glad it doesn't happen too often now but when it does I do tend to do it in style...

 

[bellybling]

My main problem is pre menstrual binges. It has been the undoing of previous diets because my appetite is just not the same every day even if my calorie allowance is. Slimming world allows me to eat loads of free food on the days I need to without having to 'break' my diet. This has been so helpful to me and I wish I had discovered it years ago.

 

[alwayssunshine]

I'm a binge eater too, unfortunately. Since starting SW I've been much better. I've only had one binge which wasn't too bad by my standards, and by cutting back on syns for the rest of the week, I even managed to lose that week too. I think SW is helping me because on other diets, I've had an 'all or nothing' approach. I love that SW is flexible. This afternoon, for example, I was making a birthday cake for my daughter. I had a moment of weakness icing the cake and ate a spoonful of fudge frosting. Before SW I probably would have thought 'sod it, I've ruined my perfect day now' but instead I stopped and looked up the syns. It wasn't too bad and meant I could eat what I'd planned for dinner and still be comfortably within my daily syns. Of course it wasn't ideal and I normally look up syn values before I put something in my mouth. But on SW, I hadn't 'ruined' my day by making a bad food decision. The flexibility of SW is a key benefit for me.

I've also read some useful self help books which are helping me come to terms with my emotional and binge eating. The strategies in those are helping me a lot as well.

 

[MissNix]

I think I should do some reading and see if there are any techniques I can learn - I'd love to break this habit but it's so ingrained and learned from my mother at a very young age!

 

[willfitskinnyjeans]

I'm really enjoying SW because it's a bit like CBT, where you deal with the symptoms and not the cause. I can be quite bingey and this week has been really bad. I put on 2.5lb (WI yesterday) and today have had lots of pesto, crisps and chocolate.

But you know what? That's ok. I have these behaviours. They are not great, but they are much, much better than they were. Now, I usually manage to binge on free things-- apples and yogurts, etc-- and when the storm passes I can get back on the plan because I like the free food and can eat as much of it as I like!

If you're a binger like me, have you made the swap? Does SW help you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Puppetwitch x

Im a recovered binger, I also have just about most issues with food.

I'm a recovered anorexic, I hid food in my school locker I pull food apart I won't take a bit out of food in front of ppl I nibble tiny weeny little pieces, I buy way way to much food etc etc list goes on

My anorexia corrected itself and over time i gained and gaines but left traits and behaviours. My issue was never doing it to want to be skinner it was a collection of really subconscious behaviour.

Now since starting sw I took control and have one by one tackled these and don't do 90% now

I still get times I'm feeling crap and could do it but I don't. It can be done it just takes that push of willpower.

from fat to skinny jeans only 50lbs to go

 

[lolacola]

I'm the same, that's how I ended up putting all the weight on. On a friday night we would get a Domino's meal for 4 between two of us (Large pizza, 2 sides and full fat soft drinks) this would usually be followed by a bottle of wine, then we would lie in on saturdays, get up and go to somewhere like wetherspoons for lunch, then have a chippy for dinner. I would think nothing of snacking on a whole net of babybels, 2 packs of beef hula hoops and a tub of primula...

I still do have the occasional binge day, but this is now once a month or so, not two-three days per week!

 

[fat_poppy]

DEFO!! I'm a huge binge eater but now I binge on free healthy foods lol xxx

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.''

 

[stivesliz]

Sadly I became a bit of a binger last year - when I was good I was very very good but when I was bad, oh my god, if it wasn't nailed down I would eat it. It was almost like pressing a self destruct button and I would just go mad and then feel dirty and guilty afterwards.

I dont know when the 'light bulb' moment came but I seem to have control of it now.

 

[alwayssunshine]

Personally, I think that fighting binging behaviour is more than simply a question of willpower. I have willpower, drive and determination in spades (eg., I financed myself through three degrees including a PhD completed while also working full time - you don't do that if you're not disciplined and determined). But binge eating (or addictive eating as I call it) is something I still struggle with. I rarely eat addictively anymore but I don't think this means I'm 'cured'. I once went 2 years without a single binge but once I was back in a vulnerable emotional state, it started up again worse than before. So I have to be constantly vigilant.

For me, it wouldn't work to simply binge on healthy or free foods as, while limiting the damage (weight gain) that doesn't tackle the root cause and, indeed, reinforces binging behaviour. And the root cause needs to be tackled if I am to have a healthy relationship with food and keep weight off in the long term. There are some good techniques in Gillian Riley's 'Eating Less' which I'm finding helpful. It's also important to take responsibility for your actions. You see all the time on diet forums people saying things like 'chocolate fell into my mouth'. NO, it didn't! YOU decided to open the cupboard, unwrap a Dairy Milk and then put it in your mouth! It's a small thing but if I've eaten something I shouldn't have (which has only happened a couple of times since January), I acknowledge to myself what I've done and take the responsibility for it.

But tackling it is going to be a long process. I've struggled with addictive eating my whole adult life so I'm not suddenly going to recover just because I started SW in January! I've been complacent in the past and thought that having willpower on its own was enough to deal with addictive eating. It's not. Don't get me wrong, it helps, but willpower alone won't lead to long term success. Root causes need to be tackled and dealt with.

 

[willfitskinnyjeans]

Personally, I think that fighting binging behaviour is more than simply a question of willpower. I have willpower, drive and determination in spades (eg., I financed myself through three degrees including a PhD completed while also working full time - you don't do that if you're not disciplined and determined). But binge eating (or addictive eating as I call it) is something I still struggle with. I rarely eat addictively anymore but I don't think this means I'm 'cured'. I once went 2 years without a single binge but once I was back in a vulnerable emotional state, it started up again worse than before. So I have to be constantly vigilant.

For me, it wouldn't work to simply binge on healthy or free foods as, while limiting the damage (weight gain) that doesn't tackle the root cause and, indeed, reinforces binging behaviour. And the root cause needs to be tackled if I am to have a healthy relationship with food and keep weight off in the long term. There are some good techniques in Gillian Riley's 'Eating Less' which I'm finding helpful. It's also important to take responsibility for your actions. You see all the time on diet forums people saying things like 'chocolate fell into my mouth'. NO, it didn't! YOU decided to open the cupboard, unwrap a Dairy Milk and then put it in your mouth! It's a small thing but if I've eaten something I shouldn't have (which has only happened a couple of times since January), I acknowledge to myself what I've done and take the responsibility for it.

But tackling it is going to be a long process. I've struggled with addictive eating my whole adult life so I'm not suddenly going to recover just because I started SW in January! I've been complacent in the past and thought that having willpower on its own was enough to deal with addictive eating. It's not. Don't get me wrong, it helps, but willpower alone won't lead to long term success. Root causes need to be tackled and dealt with.

I totally agree, I've done a lot to address my reasons, I sat down with my mum and had a very hard discussion with her as all my stem from childhood, I've looked at finances, and shopping habits, excuses, reasons, ive put alot of hard work into understanding myself, but the core of that is will power, not just the will power to not open the biscuits but the will power to be honest with yourself and address what's going on.

It's very easy to shut door on all that and ignore but but if you don't address it it will never go.

from fat to skinny jeans only 50lbs to go

 

[PuppetWitch]

Really helpful and illuminating replies- thank you, all, for your input. Some different takes and lots for me to think about! I wish you all a happy, healthy and controlled week xx

 

[PuppetWitch]

My main problem is pre menstrual binges. It has been the undoing of previous diets because my appetite is just not the same every day even if my calorie allowance is. Slimming world allows me to eat loads of free food on the days I need to without having to 'break' my diet. This has been so helpful to me and I wish I had discovered it years ago.

Yes! My binge that inspired this post was hormone related. I have irregular periods so they sneak up on me.

 

[lurverick]

i am also a binger!!
my meals were never that bad before sw to be honest but my binges were.....like many others have said sw controls my binges and they are very infrequent now!

also like many others i cant binge on free foods,lol....it really doesnt work!! my main issue is that im either 100% on plan or binging...no inbetween,no extra bread roll or small thing because once i deviate at all then wham - binge!!!

 

[Jelly-Belly-2013]

My name is Debbie and i am also a binge-eater lol, my main binges are crisps and chocolate :-/ trying to train my brain to reach for superfree 1st, t'is hard but as the saying goes "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"

 

[Lizzzi]

Yes! My binge that inspired this post was hormone related. I have irregular periods so they sneak up on me.

Yep i used to be like this. My periods were never on time and i never knew when it was going to happen, now they are more regular i can plan in advance for cravings like chocolate and make it fit into the plan. Whereas before SW i used to just buy tonnes and tonnes of chocolate and crisps to help which usually turned into a massive binge over the course of 5 days.
Looking back on it i can really see why i put on all the weight, it's coming off now though so all is good! X

 

[gossamersquare]

I binge eat and its really difficult sometimes not to give in. A lot of it is boredom and sometimes its just an urge

 

[PuppetWitch]

Yep i used to be like this. My periods were never on time and i never knew when it was going to happen, now they are more regular i can plan in advance for cravings like chocolate and make it fit into the plan. Whereas before SW i used to just buy tonnes and tonnes of chocolate and crisps to help which usually turned into a massive binge over the course of 5 days.
Looking back on it i can really see why i put on all the weight, it's coming off now though so all is good! X

Yes, mine are evening out a bit now I have lost nearly six stone. I hope to be able to plan a bit better in the future. Who knew our wombs were so hungry?