Advice for Dealing with Binge Eating?

pat0809 on 11/03/2018 - 02:09
Last edited 11/03/2018 - 11:05

Hey guys,

I struggle a lot with binge eating and thought I'd ask if anyone here has ever dealt with this (or any eating disorder in the past) and how they overcame it.

I don't just mean overeating, I mean actual binge eating disorder. Having binge sessions where I literally feel like I'm not in control and eat to the point where I feel sick and/or am in physical pain.

Until a few years ago I was obese (about 120kg) but over 10 months I lost about 35kg from dieting and exercising. I thought that after losing all that weight that I wouldn't have this problem anymore but it still happens a lot more than I want it to.

Not sure if anyone here has had any similar problems but I just thought I would see if anyone had any good advice.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT:

Sorry if I explained it poorly in my original post. My binge eating doesn't happen every day. I would guess it usually happens about once a month, but lately it has been more frequent. Sometimes when I binge eat, it will happen for a few consecutive days.

It's not overeating that I have a problem with. There's a difference between overeating and binge eating. After I overeat, I think "I'm soooo full". Which is't really a big deal.

When I start binge eating, I literally don't stop eating. I keep eating any food in the house until I either feel sick, am in pain or the there's no food left.

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Comments

  • Donaldhump on 11/03/2018 - 02:18

    Do you get reflux through the night. If I eat a lot during the day I get this.

    What's a binge session consist of.

    • pat0809 on 11/03/2018 - 02:29

      No, I don't get any reflux at night.

      When I binge, it's like I'm never satisfied no matter what I eat or how much I eat. When it happens, I could easily consume thousands of calories in one sitting. Afterwards, I always feel really depressed about it. For a lot of people, binge eating stems from other issues to do with mental health.

      When it happens, I know it's bad for me and that I should just stop, but that's a lot easier said than done. I think it's difficult for people to understand when they have never experienced it before.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 11/03/2018 - 02:53
        +6

        Props to you for acknowledging your problem, that's the first step towards solving it. Have you discussed it with your GP?

      • gimli on 11/03/2018 - 07:58
        +4

        Habits and behaviours when you are stressed are often hard to change.
        Think about seeing a psychologist or look into mindfulness.

      • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 09:57
        -1

        Stop smoking weed maybe?

      • bluesky on 11/03/2018 - 10:13

        Hi Pat0809,

        I watched this 3-part program a while ago, and found it really informative : BBC Horizon Special: What's the Right Diet for You

        The program is basically looking at how a customised diet regimen, based on the reason for over-eating, could be a more effective approach to dieting.

        The reasons laid out for overeating are genes, gut hormones or emotions/psychological reasons. The constant cravers have genes which make them feel hungry all the time, the feasters have a misfiring gut hormone that stops them from knowing when they’re feeling full. The final group, the emotional eaters, eat in response to stress.

        The program also provides strategies and tips for each group – so we, the viewer, can adopt them in our own dieting, based on which group we judge ourselves to belong to.

        Hope you find the info contained in the program to be helpful in your dieting. Although, treat as additional info, and still consult a professional about it. And all the best.

        • pat0809 on 11/03/2018 - 10:54
          +1

          Thanks a lot. I'll definitely watch it after work. It sounds really interesting.

          I'm certainly an emotional eater. A lot of the time when I binge eat, it's caused by stress or anxiety. There's also certain foods that trigger me to start binge eating.

          I didn't make it clear in my original post, but most of the time I don't binge eat. It usually happens about once or month (sometimes more, sometimes less) but afterwards I always feel guilty for doing it and force myself to exercise more so I don't gain weight.

          In Australia I have sought professional help in the past, which helped for a few months. Now I'm in Japan though it's quite difficult (and expensive) to find prfessionals that I can talk to.

  • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 02:25
    +1

    I did a 12kg watermelon in 2 days and never put on weight. When I bought it, I was like 'this will last forever'.

  • KaTst3R on 11/03/2018 - 03:24

    It could be part mental and part physiological. Your brain send you a signal when you are hungry and another signal to inhibit that hunger. If the inhibitor protein is not produced, it could be why you are not feeling the "sense of satisfaction". You might wanna see a specialist for your health sake. You could be at risk of diabetes and long term adverse effects from over eating.

  • garetz on 11/03/2018 - 04:33
    +6

    binge eating isnt from a physical problem, it stems from psychological issues, you should propably see someone about it, to get to the root of the problem.

  • reflexline on 11/03/2018 - 08:20
    +3

    Don't buy any junk, snack or processed food. Fill the fridge with fruit, vegetables and protein, so that when you're hungry you will have to cook a meal. It has worked for me for the last 5 years. Occasionally I will find some junk food the girlfriend has hidden somewhere which I am unable to resist.

    • barbarella on 11/03/2018 - 10:28
      +1

      Well done on your weight loss!!! - You can do it!! I did the same when I gave up smoking :/ and I have to continually watch what I eat.
      I agree with reflexline…although I would go easy on the fruit…
      Don't buy ANY processed, prepared foods, sweets, bread or breakfast cereals….buy cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, garlic, mushrooms, beans and other low-carb vegies and cook up a mean stir-fry every time you feel the urge to eat. I add eggs or salmon for my protein (as I try to be vegetarian) along with chickpeas and red kidney beans etc.
      Maybe reading a book like 'Wheat Belly' will give you inspiration.
      Wishing you contentment.

      • reflexline on 11/03/2018 - 11:17

        Avoiding breakfast cereals is good advice. Oats are a good substitution - just mix them with semi-skimmed milk and a splash of water, put them in the fridge overnight then eat them for breakfast with some sliced fruit. It's a healthy and tasty breakfast that stops you getting hungry until lunch.

        And I find watermelon kills any cravings for cake/chocolate/ice cream.

  • TheBilly on 11/03/2018 - 09:15
    +1

    First things first be accountable - I quit smoking 5 years ago and in the period following I gained 25kg from over eating. My issue wasn't a disease, I was just being a greedy fatty ("sorry to be so blunt") - I would just fulfill whatever desire I had and to say the least it was animalistic. Calling it a disorder makes it seem like your afflicted with a disease you have no control over, which you do. Stating you have no control when you do, shifts responsibility. So be accountable.

    From tomorrow, start fasting everyday - kind of like muslims do. No food and water from morning till night. Only one meal at dinner consisting of a protein and veg. Before dinner down a litre of water, once you have space start eating. After dinner, sip on another litre of water till bed time. First week will be torture but after that you will regain control over your eating desire. Once you regain control over eating desire, you can look to making health amendments such as healtht diets and workout plans, but one step at a time. First you need to control your eating desire and being that out of control will need drastic measures like Ive listed and you also need to do this for a fortnight to a month.

    Edit: you wont die, Ive done this once for over a month. In fact after a week you'll see the results in your skin and body as your digestive system is given a rest and has the chance to expel toxins and filth.

    Edit 2: If I didnt make it clear. Fasting is not a permanent solution, nor is it a solution to long term weight loss. It will only provide short term control over your food consumption. Its like quiting smoking on nicotine patches as opposed to cold turkey. You will have to implement a propert diet once you have control again.

    • Quantumcat on 11/03/2018 - 09:52
      +1

      It is probably a psychological issue and not something he has direct control over. You could tell someone with major depression to just get over it or a schizophrenic to ignore the voices but that isn't going to help. Seeing a psychologist/psychiatrist is the answer. Making the person feel guilty for not being able to control it on their own is not at all helpful.

      • TheBilly on 11/03/2018 - 10:15

        I don't fully agree, but possibly you are right. I can only comment from what I experienced in my situation, which was very similar to OP's, it worked for me, it might not work for OP.

      • TheBilly on 11/03/2018 - 10:17

        Similarly, depression and schizophrenia are known to have physical remedies through things like meditation, excercise, diet etc. so to treat psycgological and physical separately is very limting in scope.

        • Quantumcat on 11/03/2018 - 10:42
          +2

          You're right, there's plenty of non-medication ways to help mental illnesses, but need a professional to prescribe the activities that will help, and monitor them and give advice. Just guessing on your own won't have much impact.
          My best friend had bipolar depression and did a lot of guided meditation and cognitive behavioural therapy with the psychologists at the hospitals

        • TheBilly on 11/03/2018 - 10:50

          @Quantumcat:

          Agree, professionals are best placed to suggest

    • pat0809 on 11/03/2018 - 10:43

      Thanks for your reply. I don't agree with everything you say but I will definitely look into fasting. I've already read up a little about it and have heard that it can help with binge eating.

      I am not exactly a "greedy fatty" anymore. For the most part my diet is relatively OK, I most of my food and I go to the gym 4-6 times a week. But every now and then I binge eat. It's usually about once a month or so, sometimes less. But recently I did it twice in two weeks which really made me want to get control of it.

      Thanks for your advice.

      • TheBilly on 11/03/2018 - 10:52

        Dude that is not even an issue. You are beating yourself up over passed guilt or something. I am fit as a fiddle now and I binge eat twice a week at least, monday to friday is my health days and saturday sunday anything goes. Who cares. I thought it was like daily for months on end.

        • pat0809 on 11/03/2018 - 10:59

          The reason it's an issue for me is because it's not just overeating. I have eaten until I've thrown up in the past. When I binge, I often eat until my stomach hurts, wait until it stops hurting then will eat again.

          I think there is a big difference between overeating and binge eating.

    • pat0809 on 11/03/2018 - 10:34

      I have to go to work soon but will definitely have a look when I'm finished. Thanks.

  • pat0809 on 11/03/2018 - 10:33
    +3

    Wow, thanks for all the serious replies. I was expecting a lot more along the lines of "just stop putting food in your mouth. It's easy" lol

  • barginhunter11 on 11/03/2018 - 21:48

    Maybe you need to look at the drug "Losec"
    Losec gastro-resistant tablets contains the active substance omeprazole. It belongs to a group of medicines called 'proton pump inhibitors'. They work by reducing the amount of acid that your stomach produces.

    I was on it a few years ago and went off it . But it helped a lot ! But i got off it as soon as i could.
    I found eating too much tomato / acidic foods was my trigger

    The acidic feeling i was getting was a hunger i could not satisfy .

    There are forms of losec that arn't as strong .

    NEXIUM 24 hour could be worth a shot too.

  • Quagles on 11/03/2018 - 22:21

    As someone with two eating disorders in my family some of the advice here concerns me.

    This is very much an eating disorder and you need to get a referral to a gp then one to a psychologist and potentially psychiatrist if you need to treat it with drugs.

    Fasting and diets etc won't address the core problem.

    Often it's something much deeper. Usually with binge eating it's a 'comfort' for underlying psychological issues or triggers.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 11/03/2018 - 23:21
      +1

      As someone with two eating disorders in my family some of the advice here concerns me.

      Welcome to the internet.

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