What do you do to avoide binging?

[Tiberius99]

Sometimes I dont know why, But after several days were I can hold my nutrition in place I get this crazy cravings that sometimes ends up with me eating alot more than i intended to.
After a while the cravings stop and its like i've been awaken from a bad nightmare....

Has anyone suffered from this and manage to cope with something like that?

[BalhamBeast]

I suffered from binge eating disorder for many years. I'd actually feel a sense of excitement when heading to the supermarket to shop for my binge foods and then I would just get home and trough. Typically, all my binge foods were high in sugar, grains (pastries, cakes, donuts, cereals - muesli and granola were favourite binge foods) and vegetable fats.

I switched to a low carb lifestyle a few years ago and cut out all sugars and grains except for the odd cheat meal or special occasion. If I buy something as a treat that I know I tend to overeat otherwise, I'll only get a single serving (such as a small bag of nuts). I don't buy large quantities of anything "nice" and certain foods I just won't have in the house (I've found I can't exercise moderation with jars of nut butter, for instance).

If you have binge eating disorder then you have to treat it like any addiction. Find your trigger foods and avoid them. Try a lower/low carb diet free of sugar and grains and higher in healthy fats (such as coconut oil) and vegetables. Eventually you will lose the desire to eat sugary things. I do still like chocolate but I only buy very expensive, artisan chocolate as a special treat. However, I have no desire to scoff bags of pick 'n' mix or donuts or pastries as I once used to.

[JChaos]

I will second Balham Beast's advice add toss in my .02.

Understanding what your "triggers" are is critical. I know that I crave food if I am stressed in certain ways. I also use the lower carb lifestyle which helps some as well. Keep a clean house and eat the smaller size treats when you do get them (in my case SKITTLES!)

On the other hand one reason you want these foods is as a form of emotional stimulation. Consider that when you are hungry your are craving SOME type of stimulation. You probably substituted food at some point and now you are not sure what the stimulation is. Could it be a need to be active? Talk to a friend? Get away from something? I used to eat to get away from daily stress. Now I have other hobbies and people to talk too instead. Food is a person who will always be in your life, you have to keep him/her happy and not allow him to rule your life.

[Tiberius99]

Thanks a lot BalhamBeast and jchaos for your advice.
I will try to pay notice the next time it happens and see what exactly triggers me.

I do think that I suffer from some sort of binge eating disorder.
I Have mapped some of the reasons and I think that some of them are physical for e.g , If I dont get enough sleep I tend to crave a lot more, and on the other hand some of the reasons are physiological.
If stressed I tend to have more cravings and once I fall of the wagon the binge continues like a huge snow ball.

Overall I can say that I am much more aware of this situation and dealing with it much better. It took a alot of time to realize that I suffer from this.

I think that Food addiction is A lot more harder that many others. The challenges and the temptations are very often. Even though I dont get any junk to my house , my work env is always full of chocolates and snacks so its also very hard to avoid.

final question BalhamBeast and Jchaos, when you say low carb , what exact carb percentage do you mean (from the total calorie intake). Because vegetables are also carbs. And also Do you also exclue whole weat bread? whole rice ? and oatmeal ?

I cant live without eating whole carbs like this, because if I stop eating them I get a lot more weakened in my weight training and cardio, And I personally think that every macro nutrient is important, both carbs , healthy fats and protein are vital to different biological functions.

[Keyboardsmasher]

I've learned that when I binge it's because my cals have be far to low leading up to the binge. Got my diet on track, track my macros and binges have become history.

[JChaos]

Thanks a lot BalhamBeast and jchaos for your advice.
I will try to pay notice the next time it happens and see what exactly triggers me.

I do think that I suffer from some sort of binge eating disorder.
I Have mapped some of the reasons and I think that some of them are physical for e.g , If I dont get enough sleep I tend to crave a lot more, and on the other hand some of the reasons are physiological.
If stressed I tend to have more cravings and once I fall of the wagon the binge continues like a huge snow ball.

Overall I can say that I am much more aware of this situation and dealing with it much better. It took a alot of time to realize that I suffer from this.

I think that Food addiction is A lot more harder that many others. The challenges and the temptations are very often. Even though I dont get any junk to my house , my work env is always full of chocolates and snacks so its also very hard to avoid.

final question BalhamBeast and Jchaos, when you say low carb , what exact carb percentage do you mean (from the total calorie intake). Because vegetables are also carbs. And also Do you also exclue whole weat bread? whole rice ? and oatmeal ?

I cant live without eating whole carbs like this, because if I stop eating them I get a lot more weakened in my weight training and cardio, And I personally think that every macro nutrient is important, both carbs , healthy fats and protein are vital to different biological functions.

Honestly I no longer keep close track, as I am now regimented in my eating most of the time. Fat loss is entirely dependent on calories in vs out, extra protein is good for building muscle. Protein heavy dieting works for me due to appetite control, which reduces calories. I recommend looking up IIFYM, as this is what I based mine on when I designed my current diet. I believe mine was 40/40/20 at last glance.

[KidAlchemy]

My trigger is my mom, lol.

I usually go back to my parents over the weekends and I usually end up binging. I do very well when at my place but at there it's so much harder for some reason. My mom, dad and my 19y.o sister aren't the skinniest of the bunch and while my mom and dad know that my sister doesn't seem to get it. They often bake cakes and pies and stuff like that just for fun and I think my sister eats because she is bored.

I binge while being there and usually I get this sick feeling already after my first meal. Then that feeling lasts for the whole day but still I keep eating. I'm going to be there the whole next week and half and I think it's going to be a big test not only for my self-control but also for my patience.

[Misctake7]

I think it's important to have foods you like in your everyday diet. A lot of times people binge because they don't get enough of the foods they like. If you are an ice cream or pastry nut, use IIFYM and fit 2 servings of ice cream in throughout the week or 2 pastries. Being on a restrictive diet for so long will cause such cravings. Fit them into your daily calorie intake so you are still able to lose weight. If you eat too much, just drill it in your head that you are hindering your results.

[jmfarr92]

I tend to go for the bad foods more when I am bored and just want a quick snack to keep me occupied. I've noticed that when I eat more "whole foods" throughout the day that are high in protein such as chicken breast or eggs I don't think of food as much when I have down time.

I just started my journey, so I'm still learning ways to battle different feelings and cravings but what has been good for me is substituting snacks like a bag of chips, or a bowl of ice cream with something that is going to benefit me like a banana with a little bit of peanut butter or a couple handfuls of nuts. Staying fully hydrated has also helped me.

[poker27]

coming from another binge eater its very difficult to control. I would continue to eat anything tastey till not only being full, but sick. Try brushing your teeth or chewing gum. Personally, I would typically not eat cause I was hungry, but for another reason (taste good, bad day, bored, whatever). Try to carry some motivation with you, or tape something on your fridge. Try different things and figure out what works best

[abrownBB]

Sometimes I dont know why, But after several days were I can hold my nutrition in place I get this crazy cravings that sometimes ends up with me eating alot more than i intended to.
After a while the cravings stop and its like i've been awaken from a bad nightmare....

Has anyone suffered from this and manage to cope with something like that?

I do a few different things to avoid binging...

1.) My girlfriend does the grocery shopping so I make sure that she doesn't get any snacks. I can't eat what is not in the house. She also loves to bake... Well I encourage her to make this an infrequent habit and when she does bake, I take the treats to work to avoid eating them all myself.

2.) I don't drink alcohol when I am on a plan (i.e. 12-week transformation). Alcohol gives me the munchies and self-control can go out the window when it comes to eating everything in sight.

3.) I treat sweets and other desirable foods (pizza, pasta, and the like) like rewards at the end of a predetermined period of time for working out. For example, after my 12-week transformation I plan to enjoy some ravioli, red wine and garlic bread before I start my next workout routine. Treats taste so much better if they are consumed infrequently.

4.) I really don't crave sweet things as I typically go for the pizza and pasta mentioned above but I have found that a chocolate casein shake right before bed typically gets rid of all of my sweets cravings.

The hardest times for me avoid binging are during social outings. That being said, I have attended a bull & oyster roast (with an open bar), a super bowl party, and a few other social outing since I have started my transformation and I have not messed up once.

Hope this helps!