Any Suggestions for Bingeing?

[cclovesdis]

I am wondering if anyone has any ideas for how to prevent bingeing. I'm on Weight Watchers and had been doing really well. I started a WISH Journal to hold me more accountable. Lately, I've been bingeing. I think it's because I've been trying to eat only my daily minimum of 20 POINTS and getting in a lot of exercise- like 3-5 APs a day. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks in advance!

 

[LAinSEA]

Two theories:

Physical hunger and a body's inability to sense when it is full. I really believe there are some people out there who really can't sense when their stomachs are full and just keep on eating. It may be because the stomach is really enlarged/stretched out after many months/years of that kind of behavior. There are even folks who have undergone gastric bypass and lapband surgeries that then stretch out what should be a smaller pouch of a stomach by going back to binging behaviors. To deal with the physical fullness, never let yourself eat anything until you've had at least 16 oz of water and then measure out the portions of what you need to eat (not want to eat) to maintain or lose weight. Eat slowly and pay attention to the feeling of fullness--that feeling that tells you that your done and don't need more and then don't push past it. Stop eating. If the 16 oz of water doesn't help you to full, then try a fiber chew/tablet with the water prior to your meal. I was one who had difficulty feeling that "full" feeling prior to begining on the plan I'm on now. The fact that I cannot eat starches, sugars, or fats has helped with the "need" to continue eating. Protein and good, fresh veggies with a little fruit, eaten slowly really helps to give me that "full" feeling after drinking my water. If I feel full, even if my carefully measured portion of food is not gone, I stop eating.

Psychology hunger--a need to "fill" some achy spot inside of yourself that hasn't been filled through some other (emotion) means. This one is much tougher, I believe, to overcome. You need to discover "why" you need to fill yourself with food. There are many people out there who find it safer to hide behind the weight than to take a risk and lose it. What are they hiding from? For some it was years of mental or physical abuse by family or kids at school. For some, it's safer to be big is size and think this is why their last relationship ended, than to lose the weight and get out there and find companionship. I really think you need to do some soul searching to find out what you might be afraid of or what emotional need isn't being met to really stop the psychological hunger. My advice, from someone who teaches psychology/sociology at the high school level--and not from a psychologist--is when you feel that need to eat and keep on eating, instead, to write down what it is you're missing right then and there. Sooth yourself with a warm drink instead (cup of tea/coffee) followed by a big glass of water while you write down what is really hurting you. Afterward, if you really still want that food you were reaching for, have a taste, but not enough to satisfy the craving, or substitute something healthier instead. (Do you know that lean protein is rarely ever converted to fat in our bodies? Eat an ounce or two of protein instead of that sweet or salty crunchy thing you're craving. It will stop the binge from getting started.)

I hope this helps.
Laurie

 

[cclovesdis]

Two theories:

Physical hunger and a body's inability to sense when it is full. I really believe there are some people out there who really can't sense when their stomachs are full and just keep on eating. It may be because the stomach is really enlarged/stretched out after many months/years of that kind of behavior. There are even folks who have undergone gastric bypass and lapband surgeries that then stretch out what should be a smaller pouch of a stomach by going back to binging behaviors. To deal with the physical fullness, never let yourself eat anything until you've had at least 16 oz of water and then measure out the portions of what you need to eat (not want to eat) to maintain or lose weight. Eat slowly and pay attention to the feeling of fullness--that feeling that tells you that your done and don't need more and then don't push past it. Stop eating. If the 16 oz of water doesn't help you to full, then try a fiber chew/tablet with the water prior to your meal. I was one who had difficulty feeling that "full" feeling prior to begining on the plan I'm on now. The fact that I cannot eat starches, sugars, or fats has helped with the "need" to continue eating. Protein and good, fresh veggies with a little fruit, eaten slowly really helps to give me that "full" feeling after drinking my water. If I feel full, even if my carefully measured portion of food is not gone, I stop eating.

Psychology hunger--a need to "fill" some achy spot inside of yourself that hasn't been filled through some other (emotion) means. This one is much tougher, I believe, to overcome. You need to discover "why" you need to fill yourself with food. There are many people out there who find it safer to hide behind the weight than to take a risk and lose it. What are they hiding from? For some it was years of mental or physical abuse by family or kids at school. For some, it's safer to be big is size and think this is why their last relationship ended, than to lose the weight and get out there and find companionship. I really think you need to do some soul searching to find out what you might be afraid of or what emotional need isn't being met to really stop the psychological hunger. My advice, from someone who teaches psychology/sociology at the high school level--and not from a psychologist--is when you feel that need to eat and keep on eating, instead, to write down what it is you're missing right then and there. Sooth yourself with a warm drink instead (cup of tea/coffee) followed by a big glass of water while you write down what is really hurting you. Afterward, if you really still want that food you were reaching for, have a taste, but not enough to satisfy the craving, or substitute something healthier instead. (Do you know that lean protein is rarely ever converted to fat in our bodies? Eat an ounce or two of protein instead of that sweet or salty crunchy thing you're craving. It will stop the binge from getting started.)

I hope this helps.
Laurie

Thanks for taking the time to write such a helpful response! I will definitely take your ideas to heart.

 

[rubato]

I, too, am a binger. When I was on WW, I thrived. At first, it was really hard. About 5:00 in the afternoon, I'd go crazy. But, I wrote down everything I ate and added up my points. When I hit double the points I was supposed to eat for about a week straight, it really helped me to see what I was doing. I would definitely use my exercise points if I were you (do they still have those?). It sounds like you're hungry and working out hard.

My leader also gave me some ideas to help. When you're done eating, brush your teeth or chew gum for awhile. It breaks the cycle and gives your body a chance to register the food you just ate. Also, tooth whitening strips work well. They have to stay on for 20 or 30 minutes, and, by then, you've gotten past the critical stage.

I know how out of control you feel. But, WW is a good program. Try to find what works for you. Talk to the leader. He or she is there to help! Good luck!

 

[cclovesdis]

I, too, am a binger. When I was on WW, I thrived. At first, it was really hard. About 5:00 in the afternoon, I'd go crazy. But, I wrote down everything I ate and added up my points. When I hit double the points I was supposed to eat for about a week straight, it really helped me to see what I was doing. I would definitely use my exercise points if I were you (do they still have those?). It sounds like you're hungry and working out hard.

My leader also gave me some ideas to help. When you're done eating, brush your teeth or chew gum for awhile. It breaks the cycle and gives your body a chance to register the food you just ate. Also, tooth whitening strips work well. They have to stay on for 20 or 30 minutes, and, by then, you've gotten past the critical stage.

I know how out of control you feel. But, WW is a good program. Try to find what works for you. Talk to the leader. He or she is there to help! Good luck!

Thanks for the response. I was usually going to a WW Center a few towns over. They just started being open for like 8 hours on Fridays and Saturdays for people to drop-in for weigh-ins and to talk to leaders present. I may go on Saturday and weigh-in (even though I know it's going to be a bad week) and talk to someone there instead of going to a local meeting at a nearby YMCA.

I'm going to look into teeth whitening strips. I have a fake tooth so I have to make sure they are safe first, but it sounds like a great idea. I cannot chew gum at work, but I will buy some and put start chewing as soon as I leave work. I tend to binge when I get home. It's been too long since I've eaten something and dinner isn't for a couple of hours. I suppose I could budget for a snack, but I can never seem to eat just a little. I do better (I think) with 3 large meals a day. Snacking or grazing seems to be worse for me.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[FireDancer]

Do you binge because you don't fee full or is it an eating out of boredom kind of thing. As that long and well thought out PP stated there are multiple reasons why people binge.

If it is because of not feeling full there are a couple of tricks to help. First, drink a glass of water before and after the meal. Second, wait 30 minutes before taking a second helping. There is a delay between being satiated and actually feeling full. Adding 10 walnuts or almonds 10 minutes before eating will help you feel fuller.

If it is more of a boredom or convenience thing the first most important thing to do is change the way you perceive food. It isn't a friend or something to make you feel better or comforted. It is a means of delivering fuel to the body and nothing else. This sometimes takes a lot of effort but if you know why you binge you can fight it. If you have foods that you find hard to resist just don't buy them. If you know that you can't just have one cookie then have none in the house. Look at it like an alcoholic does. They know they can't have one so they don't. When I go shopping I always do so after I have eaten and don't get the things I know I will just pig out on.

Good luck. The biggest hurdle is actually recognizing there is something you want to change and actively trying to change it.

 

[amyy]

This might not help because it doesn't go with WW but I have read that vinegar/dill pickle helps to curb cravings. I don't want a brownie after I have had a few bites of a dill pickle. It doesn't always work for me but I make the free point soup and tell myself I can have all of that I want and I realize I am not really that hungry. My latest is popsicles with Splenda.