Binge eating

All of May has been a binge for me - I am more or less off track now !

 

Been there so many times. I find that if I don't have a low carb alternative to hand during those craving times, then I am 99% destined to blow out. So my fridge has fat bombs, stuff to make cheesecake fluff and Greek yoghurt to sweeten with sugar free maple syrup. I've managed to stay on track for a while now and the results are keeping me going....

Good luck. Xx


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Hi all, new to this thread being male and all!! I've been binging for years & wishing to tackle it now, finally. But as I've read you've found ways of coping, getting through it & trying stuff, which I'm currently reading on, thanks. I can identify why I binge & the foods I crave for, but can't sustain a method of distraction or changing for the long term. Having gone through several diets & strategies in the past!! Living alone doesn't help a great deal either!! Brad

 

Food is the enemy!!!! I have been tested this week at work with all the teachers bringing in loads of cakes. I steered clear and stayed focussed on ketosis. Is a slice of cake really worth a week out of ketosis? I don't think so.....

I am hoping this tactic works long term.

I've lost enough to break into my next 10kg increment so I'm hoping to keep going. I've set myself a mini target of 20kg less by September. It is doable but needs tight control. I'm hoping Jason Fung's book keeps me on track....


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Hi Samantha

I am a recovering binge eater of 60+ years.
I live 'down under' and I have found Overeaters Anonymous a great help.
The web site in the UK is www.oagb.org.uk - you get plenty of support from people who have ' been there and done that'.
It might just be the thing you need to help manage this affliction.

Best of luck

Fene 48

 

I see you posted this quite a while back now and i wonder how you are getting on. I was interested that binge eating came up as my 13 year old type 1 daughter, had such a bad binge episode last Saturday she was violently sick the next morning. She felt poorly all the following day and didn't want to eat so we had to watch her blood sugars very carefully but thankfully we did manage to keep them OK. Have you found any help yet? Is there anything you can suggest for me to help my daughter?
I'm not sure exactly what triggers it off but once she starts bingeing she keeps it up for hours.

 

Hi @lizl
welcome to the forum
there is a sub forum in the type 1 forum for eating disorders and it may be worth looking through that.
I am going to the INPUT diabetes event at manchester tomorrow and DWED( diabetics with eating disorders) are there .
I can certainly get you some further contact details for them.
here is a link to their website . http://www.dwed.org.uk/

do keep posting and maybe start your own topic in the sub forum

all the best !!
himtoo

 

Just been watching a video interview on binge eating that may be of interest. They are doctors who have been running a clinic for many years and they've published a book called "The Love Diet". They go into quite a bit of detail about their program.



The section of the interview I found particularly interesting is their current research into genomics and weight gain/loss.

 

It was Binge Eating that got me here in the first place...... Life long. I'm in and out of control of it. People ( including my diabetic nurse) Just DO-NOT-GET-IT.

 

There is hope Yammy. It is called Mindfulness Meditation and derived from it is mindful eating. A lot of well meaning people don't get it either and to be fair why or how could they - especially if their knowledge is based on articles. The DSM5 states that:

Binge eating is a serious disorder characterised by frequently consuming unusually large quantities of food and the feeling of being unable to stop. Overeating is a challenge to many, however binge eating is much less common, far more severe and is associated with significant physical and psychological problems.
It is also accompanied by a tremendous sense of guilt, disgust and personal loathing. The Harvard Medical School States that:
Mindful Eating is based on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness and involves being fully aware of what is happening within and around you at the moment. It means noticing the colours, flavours, smells and textures of your food, chewing it slowly, getting rid of distractions like TV programmes and reading. And also learning to cope with guilt and anxiety about food.

If this describes the way you feel look up www.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/mindfuleating.
Progress is slow with lots of backsliding, but you do get better at control and the self loathing also diminishes. I am 68, have been at it for a lifetime and managed to get my diabetes under control. If it resonates with you, drop me a line.
Regards and best wishes.

 

I'm a binge eater too, as well as suffering from depression. There's a lot of good advice from people here. For me I needed peer support as well as professional. Remember: one size doesn't fit all. Find what works for you! For me - Over-eaters Anonymous worked. I think the desire to change is the first step. Have an open mind. Ask for help! Remember change takes time. Work at it - one day at a time ... sometimes it's a matter of one hour at a time. Make small changes ... don't expect an overnight cure. Remember: it's a process. No one is perfect. You will trip up BUT it's important to dust yourself off and get up and try again!

Good luck! You can change and feel better with your peers

 

I've found being low carb and fasting has really stopped my emotional eating. If I'm fasting I will not stray no matter how stressed out I feel. I just shake it off. It's very liberating and I'm proud that I no longer binge.

I do however slip up from time to time but it's not emotionally for me these days - more like having silly expectations of myself and not being prepared mentally enough. I'm working on that....

 

Me too...sometimes my expectations are ridiculous

 

I have had binge eating episodes for years. I have mentioned this to my diabetes team for four years, and only now are they actually providing me with any psychological help. (I'm also schizophrenic and have Asperger's, so that can make things more difficult). It's very early days yet to say how helpful it is.

I saw a private counsellor for a few months a couple of years ago, and she was very helpful, but at £40 an hour I couldn't afford to keep seeing her long-term. Last year, when I saw my diabetes nurse, I told her that I was so sick of food and eating, and everything about it, that I wanted a PEG tube fitted so that I wouldn't be able to binge ever again. She was horrified and told me there were loads of options before that would even be considered. People think of me as a person who loves food, but in reality I hate it.

 

I expect you do hate food, and resent it because you perhaps feel that it is controlling you?

The answer? Instead of focussing on not eating, you could focus on choosing foods that will help you to feel full or satiated so that you don't suffer from the awful cravings that can lead to bingeing: foods that are low in carbs and high in fats will help you stop the binges. You will feel relaxed around food and will be able to look forward to the meals you need for daily sustenance.

 

I've come to this conversation on binge eating rather late but have to say it's encouraging to visualise people all around the country trying, and sometimes failing, to keep on an even keel with their own brand of diabetes?
I am elderly and live alone and today a neighbour I do not know well gave me a bag of chocs. Not wanting to be impolite, I took them and thanked her. Shock horror, I've eaten them all in one day! No matter your age, you still feel guilty and disappointed in yourself for being so weak-willed. Generally, I find not buying sweet foods is the only way to resist temptation. I never buy ice cream to take home now, just have an occasional one out-of-doors. I have learnt through this forum some good ideas for snacks although some difficulty there too as my gallbladder has been removed so I easily eat more fat than I can digest. A fasting day, doing nothing, works wonders.

 

I agree if isnt in the house, i won't eat it but if its there i will eat all of it in one night. No will power. But at work its a different set of rules i can't control. My boss kept bringing in cakes for everyone else and put them behind my desk. Had to make a big song and dance for them to put them at the other end of the office