Undoing a binge?

[thomp3sk]

Hi all! I have recognized a pattern of my binging and wanted to ask a few questions about it. I've been pretty good except for once a month right before my period where I lose all control and eat and drink to make myself feel better. I have bad PMS along with depression so its the worst time for me. I've accepted the fact that these binges are going to happen now and have taken a different route to address it rather than beat myself up because I can't stop. First, if I drasticallly cut calories (but get plenty of protein) the day after the binge I'm hoping that will make up for some excess calories. Then I work my ass off in the gym doing double cardio for a week. I 'think' it evens out...but it seems I've just been breaking even and not losing any weight.

What else can I do? I try to keep the binges to a minimum but its just not always possible.

[toodlepip]

Leigh Peele has a good trilogy of podcasts on binging: before/during/after. As with all her stuff, definitely worth a listen.

http://www.leighpeele.com/the-binge-series-before-the-binge-ep-44

[bethtwenty4]

What are you binging on? I get the same killer cravings around that time (heck, I think we all do!).

When I crave salt, I pop myself a huge bowl of popcorn with my airpopper and salt the h*ll out if it (doesn't help with thbookmarkng tho!!). I kill chocolate cravings with protein bars that taste like candybars. Need ice cream? Find yourself a local shop that sells Wow Cow frozen yogurt--tastes AMAZING and has less than 100 calories per CUP!

Try fitting it into your macros. Binges, even 1/month, are sure to kill progress.

[thepowerwithin]

i agree with the above posts.

Treating the binging with a 'band-aid' by severely restricting and/or engaging in double cardio doesn't really help in the long-term. In fact, I think it only serves to exacerbate the problem. The binge is not the real issue. Why not get to the bottom of it, whatever it may be for you, and work on that?

I've been binge-free for well over a year, close to 2 years, and it's because I finally got down to what was really ailing me and realized that food won't "fix" it. Trading one bad feeling for another is not productive....it's a vicious cycle. I also learned to not look at food as good or bad and just honor my cravings and not restrict. It was definitely a process and I had to learn new behaviors and give myself new messages.

[thomp3sk]

Thanks alot for the link toodlepip. I'm going to check out her other stuff too.

I definitly know that these binges are related to my depression and PMS is exceptionally bad for me. That seems to be the major trigger. I'm craving sweets mostly and fat and on top of it I have very low willpower thanks to my low mood. I've been dealing with depression all my life and have tried many treatments, in which medication is the only thing that relieves most of it. The chemical imbalance runs in my family. So I'm not sure how to address that particular problem in relation to the bingeing. Because if I could get rid of depression I would have done it years and years ago!

That being said, I will take some of Leighs suggestions and put those in practice before and during the binge. And overall, the extra exercise really isn't killing me.