Has anyone found ways to cope with binge eating disorder?

[Sugardunkerton]

I have been suffering with binge eating for about 10 months now I've tried many things to try and stop it but nothing has worked. I usually binge around weekends on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays but now I'm beginning to binge on weekdays. Its becoming a serious problem I'm consuming extremely large amounts of calories to the point where I feel sick and is usually triggered by cravings. Should I seek professional help? Has anyone had similar problems and found ways to prevent it?

[Fayde]

I have binge issues when calories fall too low. There's been points where I've had to dig my nails into the kitchen counter to try stop myself.

Honestly I had to adjust my whole intake, as much as I liked fitting "dirty" foods into my daily macros there was no satiety and it only made cravings worst. I've basically gone 95% bro and don't binge. Maybe look for more volume in foods?

[Yoy0]

I have binge issues when calories fall too low. There's been points where I've had to dig my nails into the kitchen counter to try stop myself.

Honestly I had to adjust my whole intake, as much as I liked fitting "dirty" foods into my daily macros there was no satiety and it only made cravings worst. I've basically gone 95% bro and don't binge. Maybe look for more volume in foods?

Intermittent Fasting helped me big time - don't eat for the whole day, hit all your caloric needs in one go and go to sleep satiated.

[NeverwhereSA]

I developed this habit for about 6 weeks. Nothing as extensive in time as yours, but I would also eat until I felt sick. Once I gave in to a craving I was unable to stop eating and it especially centered around weekends. I realised what it was doing to my weight and body fat in that short period of time (despite working out 15hrs a week) and knew I had to snap out of it QUICKLY. I first started by baking healthy alternatives; some oats cookies made from sugar-free peanut butter, sugar free apple sauce and protein powder, and some healthy fat free rusks and started snacking on that instead. I slowly managed to mould my mind to just say no. If I said NO to myself I could handle the craving and just ride the wave. I've now been back to normal eating for about 6 weeks and am nearly back to my ideal weight. It's tough, so very, very tough, but it's your way of thinking you need to change. Easier said than done, I know. I just became upset that I was working so hard in the gym every single day and kept ruining any progress I made during the week over the weekends. Best of luck!

[doyoueveneat]

binge eating disorder...meanwhile in africa...first world problems.

[Yoy0]

binge eating disorder...meanwhile in africa...first world problems.

I want to neg you for this, but I won't.

A binge disorder is a big deal. Granted, people in Africa don't have food to survive and that is a problem, but a psychological problem is a psychological problem that can be detrimental or even fatal to one's well-being.

Please be careful of what you say.

[DanMee]

OP what is your daily food intake like?

I used to find when I used to deprive myself of foods that I enjoyed 99% of the time, every now and again I would have a huge binge. Now I have found that I can achieve my fitness goals with foods that I enjoy, I havent even had the urge to binge. Maybe you should try incorporating some of the foods you binge on into your normal diet. Which may help to stem the cravings.

[Sarceee]

I also suffered from this and currently slowly tapering away from it so know how hard it is to stop.

Ways I deal with it are to remember the way you feel after a binge, how terrible you feel and then tell yourself it's not worth it. Also I found once you start to see it affecting your results it really hit me that it had to stop.

Dat feelin the next morning when you've overcome a binge craving >>>

[MVHagey]

Binging is perfectly natural and would be very beneficial to a primitive human who doesn't know where the next meal will come from, so don't feel too bad about it. For me, keto dieting solved my binging problem 100% because it made me strict about what I can and cannot eat and is very filling. Next time you want to binge, take a quick walk around your house or sit down and reflect on the consequences of what you're about to do. Think about why you're hungry; for me it was 99% stress/anxiety. If you can beat the craving just one time it is incredibly motivating for future temptations.

[russianBomber]

I recently got to the point where you are, and eventually it got so out of control that I messed up months of cutting. I had to change my entire relationship with food. Im reading the books Mindless Eating and The End of Overeating. There is good knowledge there. I try to only eat now when I am physically hungry - I found that my body roughly uses 100 cals per hour for energy (through trial and error). So I eat 6-700 cals at 6 AM then wait until 12-1 to eat about 1000 cals. I stay busy and away from food and quench hunger with sugar free lemonade. I eat the rest of my calories right before bed. It's working for now. I really hope you work your problem out, because when you fulk up a lot of progress it feels pretty ****. Gl.

[Clint18Robin]

I find myself doing this at a party or a cookout where the food is readily available. I grew up with an older brother and If i didnt grab something off the table in time it would be gone. That developed something in me to claim food before it was gone and my wife gets on me about it while we are at dinner. We may be at dinner and ill grab 2 rolls or whatever is offered, that way i can assure i have my share. Call in stingy, but its an inate response to previous actions. My wife and I keep nothing but food in the house that has to be prep'd so we wont binge. When the urge comes, there is nothing to eat that hasnt already been cooked and prep'd for another meal. Or If I know ill get the "munches" to binge ill add it in myfitness pal that morning to make up for it. Preparation is key to me. I know everyone is different and circumstances vary.

[Naeem11]

binge eating disorder...meanwhile in africa...first world problems.

I'm getting tired of people referencing "oh lawd meanwhile in Africa, or OH lawd in Syria!"....we're not there, and they are not here. We cannot relate to each others problems, so it does not make sense to keep saying something like that. If you were being shot at everyday you would think and feel differently than someone who's not, just the same way if you were being verbally abused everyday you would think and feel differently than someone who's not. People need to stop saying crap like "In Africa" or "First world problems"....it's make no sense, because even the people saying it cannot relate since we live in different social environments. If someone has a problem, no matter what it has to be taken seriously, because it is significant to that person and how they're functioning. I have friends who encountered scenarios/situations in Bosnia years and years ago that have forever added to their current personality that I cannot relate to or understand no matter what.

Now to the OP. I would recommend talking to someone you trust about this, and have someone help you stay accountable. If you feel you need professional help then seek it. I have suffered from several EDs and each of them was a psychological problem at it's root. I don't binge the same way I used to anymore because my diet is not restrictive. If you feel you want to try and work this out yourself then try and identify WHY you are binging. Most people would say it's because of a restrictive diet, but try and narrow it down. Is it because your diet is restrictive? Is it because of stress? Are you alone, or do you feel lonely on the weekends? (which is the case for some people since during the week they go to school or work, then come weekends they are alone and feel shame or something like that). Are you depressed? Or is something else on your mind? I can tell you, that I am currently cutting on 2600 calories, 300-320 carb/160-170 protein/70-80 fat - with 35-45 fiber.

I fit nice little treats into my diet, get plenty of veggies, fruit, meats, grains, etc. But still had a binge I would say about 2 weeks ago that lasted 2-3 days and I did some significant damage to my progress as far as my cut is concerned, however I hit some massive strength PRs (350 squat max, 425 deadlift max, 225 bench max). I took a look at WHY I was binging when my diet is relatively stable. I was not binging on sweets, it was more so any protein or carb I could get. Here's the conclusion I came to...that week I noticed stalls and drops in my strength on my cut, and I went into panic mode thinking "all gains lost"....despite hitting PRs the week before. At the time I was on 2300 calories, so here's what I did....I bumped it to 2600 calories and increased my activity for the week (LISS cardio...basically going for light walks in the evenings).

If your binges are being triggered by cravings, I would suspect that you have a restrictive or low calorie diet. In which case, for the greater good you may need to bump up your calories and just slightly increase your activity. Reach a state or normality and maintain that for awhile, no matter what your body looks like. Never try and compensate for a binge or feel depressed about it. That will just add to a binge cycle on and off.

In my case, I had been cutting 9 months as a noob who had massive strength gains and I noticed them stalling or dropping on some days. That's what caused a binge for me. So I made adjustments to keep making progress on my cut, while satisfying my strength needs/wants. Cutting is not easy dude, I don't care what anyone says. I cut from 305lbs to 154 in my initial weight loss. If someone tells you it's easy they are bull****ting you. Recognize that it is not easy to deprive yourself for a period of time, and find your happy spot. Personally, I work best on a very small deficit with just a little increased activity. I am only trying to cut 10lbs currently, before I cut 154lbs...this 10lbs is just as difficult as that 154lbs.

I suffered from several EDs and pulled myself out without professional help, but I did have a friend to talk to. If no one knows about your problem, maybe start by telling someone you trust. I told someone who I was hesitant to trust, who was not a family member, and was of the opposite gender. Sometimes it's our fear of being judged that holds us back from getting help when we need it. Understand you're not superman, you do have weaknesses, and we all need outside help from time to time. It doesn't make you weak to seek help to regain your strength.

This feels like a rant lol. I'm gonna copy pasta this, I may need it again someday. Something I'll add is that if you spend a lot of time on this website or sites like this, or are surrounded by people who're physically active and fit then that is all you will see and you will try and hold yourself to that standard. Realize your achievements if you made any. Where were you last year, where are you now? Have you made progress in one way or another? I would imagine this binging is causing your strength to skyrocket. Always look for the good, no matter how dark it gets.

Chit end rant lol. Stay safe man. Think of your health in the long term.

EDIT: FUARK, I just realized that I just submitted my thesis. Damn this is long. Read it OP, I really hope it helps.

[Clint18Robin]

In my case, I had been cutting 9 months as a noob who had massive strength gains and I noticed them stalling or dropping on some days. That's what caused a binge for me. So I made adjustments to keep making progress on my cut, while satisfying my strength needs/wants. Cutting is not easy dude, I don't care what anyone says. I cut from 305lbs to 154 in my initial weight loss. If someone tells you it's easy they are bull****ting you. Recognize that it is not easy to deprive yourself for a period of time, and find your happy spot. Personally, I work best on a very small deficit with just a little increased activity. I am only trying to cut 10lbs currently, before I cut 154lbs...this 10lbs is just as difficult as that 154lbs.

Exactly! It takes time, patience, along with trial and more error.

[michaeloey]

I have been suffering with binge eating for about 10 months now I've tried many things to try and stop it but nothing has worked. I usually binge around weekends on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays but now I'm beginning to binge on weekdays. Its becoming a serious problem I'm consuming extremely large amounts of calories to the point where I feel sick and is usually triggered by cravings. Should I seek professional help? Has anyone had similar problems and found ways to prevent it?

I would strongly suggest that u try intermittent fasting.... After each contest, i would have a period of about 3 weeks of huge cravings for food in general ( i know it's only for 3 weeks and not 10 months), now i believe in your case, you would need serious help. One thing that might be helpful, is to eat only 1 large meal per day (whatever u want) and let that meal be your last meal before bed time, do not eat anything else or drink any caloric rich beverages or anything that spikes insulin.... Now, doing this will not be ideal for muscle building purposes, but try n do this for about a week, your cravings should be reduced and then u can then go back and eat your normal "bodybuilding meals"

Another way to solve this would be to actually eat a ****load of vegetables with your meal, so u actually satisfy your cravings by eating a huge amount of fiber (this too has a downside of eating too much fiber, but this is temporary, only until your cravings decrease)

Of course, another method is to actually binge on foods with very low caloric value, for example, you could consume certain konjac noodles, that contains exclusively fiber, binging on this kind of foods will satisfy your appetite without having to ingest ridiculuous amount of calories with it.....