How do you stop binge eating?

[omoruwii]

I had a terrible 2-day binge eating and Im kinda confused. What has helped you to reduce this kind of obstacles?

[AdamWW]

I had a terrible 2-day binge eating and Im kinda confused. What has helped you to reduce this kind of obstacles?

Stop following an overly restricted diet

[Strawng]

Stop following an overly restricted diet

This. Binging is the result of restriction. This can and often does mean too little calories either acutely or long-term, too low of body fat, restricting macros or making foods “off-limits”, or sometimes even “perceived” restriction i.e. your body thinks you’re about to starve if you have a history of crash dieting or disordered eating.

[CommitmentRulz]

I had a terrible 2-day binge eating and Im kinda confused. What has helped you to reduce this kind of obstacles?

I'm guessing that you're "binging" on highly processed foods/carbs like candy, cake, cookies, crackers?

Don't have them in your home.

[omoruwii]

I'm guessing that you're "binging" on highly processed foods/carbs like candy, cake, cookies, crackers?

Don't have them in your home.

actually i went out with my gf and had pizza and crepe. even at home i had pb and banana sandwiches with nuts and coconut chips on top.

[snailsrus]

actually i went out with my gf and had pizza and crepe. even at home i had pb and banana sandwiches with nuts and coconut chips on top.

whats your goal day look like vs current binge days

[Nicksosure1]

If it's an ongoing problem, you may need to seek help. It's not ALWAYS over-restriction, but usually is. Do you notice the circumstances around the time when you binge? Do you deal with life struggles or emotions with food? It can be a lot of things. The first step is trying to figure out why you do it.

[paulinkansas]

If you are going to binge, maybe you should plan ahead for it. For example, you know you'll be going out on Saturday. Sunday through Friday stick with your normal diet or even eat at a deficit. Saturday can be your cheat day. Sunday you go back to your normal diet.

[AdamWW]

If you are going to binge, maybe you should plan ahead for it. For example, you know you'll be going out on Saturday. Sunday through Friday stick with your normal diet or even eat at a deficit. Saturday can be your cheat day. Sunday you go back to your normal diet.

That's not a binge... thats a fun night out...

[HotDogManB]

That's not a binge... thats a fun night out...

Too bad I have to "spread some reputation", otherwise you would've gotten some

[bLinkMoore]

actually i went out with my gf and had pizza and crepe. even at home i had pb and banana sandwiches with nuts and coconut chips on top.

That hardly counts as a binge imo. You went out with your girlfriend and had a good time, then had some pb&b sandwiches at home. I really wouldn't worry about it

[Tommy W.]

The way to stop binge eating is to stop.

[omoruwii]

That hardly counts as a binge imo. You went out with your girlfriend and had a good time, then had some pb&b sandwiches at home. I really wouldn't worry about it

even the day before i kinda fd up.

[hardyboysare]

Based on your images on BF% requests I personally wouldn't give two sh***. You are lean and trying to get even leaner it gets harder at this stage but a couple days of eating excess calories will make no difference whatsoever.

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...post1606218411

Forget about it and move on but more importantly get back to resistance training! (previous posts).

[andy0w]

I had a terrible 2-day binge eating and Im kinda confused. What has helped you to reduce this kind of obstacles?

Since you asked me how I reduced binge eating:

I found out first through experience and then through experimentation that on Mondays after a Sunday filled with cakes I had a hard time climbing bridges with my bicycle;

And on Mondays after Sundays eating spinach I was flying up those inclines.

Hence I figured that cake has "energy" but not the nutrients necessary to utilise that energy into movement.

Eating veggies got me more nutrients and they also caused me to go less hungry.

After a veggie smoothy I have less desire for biscuits than after eating sweet stuff.

[bLinkMoore]

More veggies. You lack nutrients.

What?

[Nicksosure1]

More veggies. You lack nutrients.

How in the world did you diagnose his binge eating issue with the two sentences he provided?

[360365LAWS]

More veggies. You lack nutrients.

From what he said he ate, he sounds like he eats fairly healthy. Banana sandwiches with Pb and coconut chips. Generally, it's not awful advice though. If your body is craving more food, it very well may be an issue of some type of malnutrition. A lack of some nutrients even while calories are too high. On the other hand, it could be some type of mental or emotional issue too. He didn't say enough to be sure.

[CBRIT89]

I've had binge eating disorder for the best part of 5 years now, and am currently 12 weeks clean.

Binge eating isn't having a night out with pizza though. It's secretly eating 10,000 calories even when you're not hungry because your brain simply won't shut up until you do. You then repeat this process 4-5 days in a row until you feel so ill and ashamed that you can stop for a week, then you repeat the cycle.

The way I've been able to stop?

Accountability - I am much more open with my wife as to my difficulties and my mental state around food.

Removing opportunities - I haven't been going to the shops due to covid, and I set limits before I go out as to what I can and can't eat. Not going to the shops and not buying the food means no binge.

Taken more control - my b.e.d. was my response to a lack of control in my life. I felt I could control that, and it made me feel better. I now have a more varied diet that includes treats and more meat, meaning I don't binge these things.

Find something more important - for me that's my son or daughter that'll be born in September, or my wife, my long term health, or my confidence in appearance.

I am not cured, and will be in recovery for the rest of my life, but yesterday was 12 weeks and I have already lost 14kg and 6% bodyfat.

[MrCarrot]

Yeah the OP is lean, I don't think what he ate that day will have done any harm tbh.

When I was cutting I would have the occasional day every month or so where I'd go a bit nuts. Come to think of it, it'll soon be getting on for 12 months from when my breakfast went badly wrong: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=177345901&page=1

[AdamWW]

Yeah the OP is lean, I don't think what he ate that day will have done any harm tbh.

When I was cutting I would have the occasional day every month or so where I'd go a bit nuts. Come to think of it, it'll soon be getting on for 12 months from when my breakfast went badly wrong: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...7345901&page=1

I can’t remember the last time I had a day where I did nothing but ate super processed, high calorie decadent foods... but I do remember once eating 10 assorted Krispy Kreme’s and a 16 oz chocolate milk without any warning because someone dared to me to. Zero issue.

Later in the day I had 4-5 slices of pizza, Some ice cream, and a tube of Pringles

I just never have any urge to eat past contentment now... I sometimes feel over-full if I go for sushi and froyo, but it’s never to the point where I would describe it as some crazy binge...

I think it’s mainly because I don’t really enjoying feeling entire days with highly processed stuff... I can do one meal and a dessert, but behind that my guts just hurt too much... I can eat a good sized greasy pizza and then some cookies, but after that I don’t want anything but Whole Foods.

[Strawng]

I can’t remember the last time I had a day where I did nothing but ate super processed, high calorie decadent foods... but I do remember once eating 10 assorted Krispy Kreme’s and a 16 oz chocolate milk without any warning because someone dared to me to. Zero issue.

Later in the day I had 4-5 slices of pizza, Some ice cream, and a tube of Pringles

I just never have any urge to eat past contentment now... I sometimes feel over-full if I go for sushi and froyo, but it’s never to the point where I would describe it as some crazy binge...

I think it’s mainly because I don’t really enjoying feeling entire days with highly processed stuff... I can do one meal and a dessert, but behind that my guts just hurt too much... I can eat a good sized greasy pizza and then some cookies, but after that I don’t want anything but Whole Foods.

This is me 100%. After a decent meal & dessert, I simply get no more pleasure from eating more. Also, as a kid with a terrible diet, I’d regularly crush half a dozen KK’s with a 16 oz full fat chocolate milk to wash it down.

[AdamWW]

This is me 100%. After a decent meal & dessert, I simply get no more pleasure from eating more. Also, as a kid with a terrible diet, I’d regularly crush half a dozen KK’s with a 16 oz full fat chocolate milk to wash it down.

It's really weird how differently my body reacts now.

When I was a chubby 15 year old, my typical day would be:

Breakfast: 3 Servings (ish) of cereal with 2% milk, maybe a couple breakfast sausages
Lunch: Whatever kind of breaded chicken burger they had in the lunchroom and some fries
Snack: Maybe like some swedish fish or other random stuff... or 1-2 poptarts
Dinner: Random whatever my mom made... Hamburger Helper, some kind of Chicken Thing.. pot pies...

Then at night, if I felt like I'd, i'd just eat ice cream or crackers until I was full... and I typically OVER-ate them without caring. But, I was so inactive, that feeling all lazy and gross didn't bother me.

Now, to be honest I don't know if I'd ever WANT to have more than a single meal + a snack/dessert which was high-fat/high-processed sugar/etc, because without the fiber, and with the added oils, etc, my gut just doesn't know what to do with it...



I would say a good estimate of what I could do for a meal that was off my typical routine and was more on the indulgent-side, would be something like a 5-6 mozzarella sticks as an appetizer or something like egg rolls, etc, followed by maybe a medium sized pizza (if it didn't have TOO much cheese), and then maybe some Froyo after...

However, after that, I'd have ZERO desire more processed stuff at all... i'd probably want like a greek salad or something...

Typically the closest I get to anything most would consider a 'cheat' would be single items like having 2-3 cookies, or a piece of cake, that kind of thing.

I would vastly prefer just having sushi, or a fresh high quality thin-crust pizza, or of course something like some fresh salmon with sweet potato fries and roasted veggies. Burritos and breakfast food too =o)

[jaxqen]

I don't think there is an exact solution for everybody.

For some the problem is a too strict diet. They eat only bland foods and after a while they give it up.

For others it can be the opposite. You allow yourself two cookies daily because it fits your macros, but you have a moment of weakness and eat 10 instead and then you say "f...k it it, it's ruined, I'll order a pizza and start again on Monday"

Others just love food too much and they just aren't motivated enough.

What helps me:
- fill the stomach with low calorie dense foods (vegetables mostly, greek yoghurt)
- sweeteners


But, like someone said, you are pretty lean.
It doesn't look like such a disaster.

[Cautious1]

I drink a bottle of coke zero/ pepsi max which fills be up lol

[andy0w]

How in the world did you diagnose his binge eating issue with the two sentences he provided?

Easy.
If you lack nutrients your body goes hungry signalling to need more food.

You add food but still without the required nutrients hence you are still hungry.

Peanut butter and banana with pizza is hardly a balanced diet. Lots of calories, not sufficient vitamins and minerals to utilize those calories.


And he asked how I solved this issue.

I realise now my mistake.

I should have written an essay about my experience with binge eating and how I solved it with adding veggies into my diet.

And I replaced the banana by an orange.

[AdamWW]

Easy.
If you lack nutrients your body goes hungry signalling to need more food.

You add food but still without the required nutrients hence you are still hungry.

Peanut butter and banana with pizza is hardly a balanced diet. Lots of calories, not sufficient vitamins and minerals to utilize those calories.


And he asked how I solved this issue.

I realise now my mistake.

I should have written an essay about my experience with binge eating and how I solved it with adding veggies into my diet.

And I replaced the banana by an orange.

No. No. No.

[Nicksosure1]

Easy.
If you lack nutrients your body goes hungry signalling to need more food.

You add food but still without the required nutrients hence you are still hungry.

Peanut butter and banana with pizza is hardly a balanced diet. Lots of calories, not sufficient vitamins and minerals to utilize those calories.


And he asked how I solved this issue.

I realise now my mistake.

I should have written an essay about my experience with binge eating and how I solved it with adding veggies into my diet.

And I replaced the banana by an orange.

Two problems.

One, there’s no single reason that contributes to everyone’s binge eating problem.

Two, you probably picked one of the least likely reasons, universally speaking, for peoples binge eating problems.

Just because your remedy was to add vegetables doesn’t mean it will be theirs. In fact, it very very very likely isn’t.

[goldenerafan]

What's working for me is actually liking MY diet. This is a bodybuilding website but 90% of the people here are not PROFESSIONAL bodybuilders. You must enjoy your diet. Not just the food but the digestion part too. It took me a VERY long time to think about that. Unfortunately but I am slowly working my way towards more consistency and trying to binge less. If you did binge, then move on to the next day as a opportunity. If you dont enjoy your diet lifestyle then it will always be a uphill battle.

[andy0w]

Two problems.

One, there’s no single reason that contributes to everyone’s binge eating problem.

Two, you probably picked one of the least likely reasons, universally speaking, for peoples binge eating problems.

Just because your remedy was to add vegetables doesn’t mean it will be theirs. In fact, it very very very likely isn’t.

Have a coke then.

I drink a bottle of coke zero/ pepsi max which fills be up lol

Why did you pick on me and not on her? Because his coke was balanced with pepsi?