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How to combat the urge to binge...

memememeiii

memememeiii

Well-Known Member
Messages
147
Location
Manchester
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Dunno. Strange question.
Last night I was just fed up with food. I had eaten paleo all day, did really well, and as is the usual, I crumbled by the night, and decided to have frozen raspberries with cream. I thought that would do the least damage, then I kept going and by the end of the night I'd eaten I think 4 small bowls. Let's be honest. Binging is a problem when you're on 'a diet' or trying to lose weight. Weirdly, I still dropped a pound overnight, but predictably (as I did put sugar on top of the desserts), my blood sugar was up today in the morning, though it was normal all day yesterday from reducing carbs so low. I made a chile to eat all day. Beef, white beans, chickpeas, some veg, a tin of tomatoes. It wasn't like I was hungry. I just felt this huge craving to satisfy my palate, and yes it had been a stressful day. I was comfort eating.

So many factors to sorting this out.

What's your experience? Any ideas? I know it's mostly mental. I should have gone for a walk, but it was cold out, and I was tired from working up into the night late. Must sort all these small niggling issues out. Clearly they're having a major impact on success.

MM
 
I find eating sweet things or foods with sugar in them or starch will usually result in wanting more. If I eat enough fat in a meal, I'm full and I have no inclination to binge on anything. LCHF seems to be the most effective way of losing weight and improving blood numbers that I have seen so far and experienced. I think if you eat sweet things like fruit or complex carbs at night, you will probably always want to binge. I know I did. I don't do that anymore. I eat carbs, but it works better for me during the day when active, not at night when inactive.
 
The chickpeas and white beans have a lot of carbs as well as the sugar. The sugar is the biggest issue you should address. The raspberries and cream are not a problem.

When I get the munchies, I usually have a small piece of cheese. However I have always loved cheese.
 
Make sure you eat enough satisfying, filling foods, and enough fat that you don't crave.

I agree with the others, the amount of carbs and sugar you ate would virtually guarantee that I craved tomorrow too.

My best craving killers are simple - a chunk of full fat cheese, a big mug of coffee and cream, or low carb hot chocolate and cream, or a proper sized low carb meal of meat and veg, with cheese or butter on the veg.
 
I sometimes do take a peice of fruit when my blood glucose has been good for a while, and then i really enjoy it bigtime, like a big pear of 200 grams... try to buy the unriped kinds ... and I also occasionally eat a kiwi and alike an orange like every 5 days or so...I don´t think that make me binge.... but then my choosing it also type of "sweets" that do contain vitamins and mineral and fibres...

usually my only sweets are blueberries... I do often eat the Whole 125 grams... know it is much carb but thats my treats... or a high protein low sugar protein bar like these :
http://www.ren-velvaereshop.dk/spor...g-12157.html?gclid=COTvrI2l2tECFduHsgodUEoO5A
but usually only when I do excercise at least 3 hours after eating it

oh yes and sometimes I do take half a day off from my diabetes and eat a meal just the same as everyone else in my surroundings... but only for special occasions like Christmas Eve and big or important birthdays or like last saturday at a funeral.. while knowing I do that then I have something to look forward to and don´t feel as tempted in everyday settings.., the problem would be to want to make exceptions most every day, and that is a downward spiral and not constructive when having diabetes.
 
Last edited:
Brunneria said:
Make sure you eat enough satisfying, filling foods, and enough fat that you don't crave.

I agree with the others, the amount of carbs and sugar you ate would virtually guarantee that I craved tomorrow too.

My best craving killers are simple - a chunk of full fat cheese, a big mug of coffee and cream, or low carb hot chocolate and cream, or a proper sized low carb meal of meat and veg, with cheese or butter on the veg.
Click to expand...

I'm still struggling with old programming that butter is bad for cholesterol. Heart disease runs in my family. I have high cholesterol. Thoughts?
 
memememeiii said:
Last night I was just fed up with food. I had eaten paleo all day, did really well, and as is the usual, I crumbled by the night, and decided to have frozen raspberries with cream. I thought that would do the least damage, then I kept going and by the end of the night I'd eaten I think 4 small bowls. Let's be honest. Binging is a problem when you're on 'a diet' or trying to lose weight. Weirdly, I still dropped a pound overnight, but predictably (as I did put sugar on top of the desserts), my blood sugar was up today in the morning, though it was normal all day yesterday from reducing carbs so low. I made a chile to eat all day. Beef, white beans, chickpeas, some veg, a tin of tomatoes. It wasn't like I was hungry. I just felt this huge craving to satisfy my palate, and yes it had been a stressful day. I was comfort eating.

So many factors to sorting this out.

What's your experience? Any ideas? I know it's mostly mental. I should have gone for a walk, but it was cold out, and I was tired from working up into the night late. Must sort all these small niggling issues out. Clearly they're having a major impact on success.

MM
Click to expand...
Morning, I totally get where you're coming from. Ive binge eaten my whole life. It's finally caught up with me in my 40s , apart from being overweight I wasn't feeling ill because of it. Now I'm prediabetic and want to reverse this. What's finally starting to work for me is low carb high fat when I do eat and only eating twice a day. I started with eating three times a day but I feel better for giving my body a break in the morning and having dinner and tea (or lunch and dinner as some less Northern folk say... ) Portion out your chilli and bung all but todays in the freezer. Have the berries and cream (without sugar) then nothing but water/tea etc until your next meal - whether that's twice or 3 times a day.

I was terrified that fasting would trigger off a binge but for me it didn't. There's a fasting guru on here who's posts are very informative and inspiring . Ive also been reading The Obesity Code by Jason Fung for the science behind it all.

Its weird to feel empty when your body is used to a constant stream of food. But an occasional grumbing stomach is a small price to pay compared to that horrible sluggish eating like an over-stuffed foie gras goose until you feel ill.

Best of luck
 
VioletViolet said:
Morning, I totally get where you're coming from. Ive binge eaten my whole life. It's finally caught up with me in my 40s , apart from being overweight I wasn't feeling ill because of it. Now I'm prediabetic and want to reverse this. What's finally starting to work for me is low carb high fat when I do eat and only eating twice a day. I started with eating three times a day but I feel better for giving my body a break in the morning and having dinner and tea (or lunch and dinner as some less Northern folk say... ) Portion out your chilli and bung all but todays in the freezer. Have the berries and cream (without sugar) then nothing but water/tea etc until your next meal - whether that's twice or 3 times a day.

I was terrified that fasting would trigger off a binge but for me it didn't. There's a fasting guru on here who's posts are very informative and inspiring . Ive also been reading The Obesity Code by Jason Fung for the science behind it all.

Its weird to feel empty when your body is used to a constant stream of food. But an occasional grumbing stomach is a small price to pay compared to that horrible sluggish eating like an over-stuffed foie gras goose until you feel ill.

Best of luck
Click to expand...

That is extremely helpful. Many thanks. Dr Hyman talks also about hunger being a sign of success. I get it. But it can be hard. I used coffee and cream as a way to push through. I'd like to reduce that bit of fat.
 
I guess I feel I'm still ingesting too much fat and the weight is not coming off.
 
I also have problems - eating well during the day and then the evening comes. i still maintain that chopstix is the answer. Currently my preferred evening snack is yogurt with porridge. I can hoof the lot down in 20 seconds and my head can be back in the fridge door before the minute is up................but if I use chopstix - it can take up to an hour to eat - very time consuming and that's the point - sometimes its boredom and not hunger
 
memememeiii said:
That is extremely helpful. Many thanks. Dr Hyman talks also about hunger being a sign of success. I get it. But it can be hard. I used coffee and cream as a way to push through. I'd like to reduce that bit of fat.
Click to expand...
It's really, really hard and I although I can come across as a bit smug like I've cracked it I haven't! Its a constant effort. Plus there's the exposed feelings and emotions that were previously being damped down with food. 40 odd yrs of habit is hard to break .
 
My go to snack is Lindt 90% chocolate. I keep it in the freezer and wallop it on the kitchen counter in to bits (in its wrapper) then measure out 20g - which is two squares - and eat one little shard at a time. Because its frozen it takes longer to melt in the mouth so two squares can last 10 minutes or more.

Failing that I also keep frozen raspberries put one in my mouth at a time - bit like a mini icepole - again it takes a while to eat.
 
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