Uncontrollable eating habit

[eating headache]

I've been eating almost every single day until i'm uncomfortably full for that past year, and feeling horrible everytime after that.

i'm quite an athelete, doing a lot of running and swimming. The thing is last year i tried to lose weight and started counting the calories in my food. I did lose some weight, about 3kg, but then i suddenly had the impulse to eat. And i've been like this ever since. It happens at home, because of the amount of crackers and food i have at home. I can finish dinner, go and grab biscuits (eg oreos) and finish that, still be walking around and trying to find something to eat. I'm always walking constantly to the fridge trying to find food even though i'm not hungry. Usually after dinner i'm actually full.. but i just want to eat and munch on something.

And after that my stomach is so horribly big and expanded that sometimes it even hurts, and i might be crying over it. I want this to stop. I want this crazy eating craze to stop. I think it's all in my head, my head just keeps thinking about food no matter what.. I just don't know what to do.. and i've been battling this for the entire year. I'm just getting very very tired of it.

anyway i think i've gained back all my weight.. and probably even more.. don't dare to weight myself... haven't been running for the past month cause of an injury.. and i just keep 'scolding' myself over not being able to control my food intake every single day...

[silentmist]

Sounds familier ... very familier.

Personally I think I'm using food to regulate my emotions. When I go to the shop and buy 5000 calories worth of food that I don't need and guzzle it all down I feel like I'm spending some time with a loved one or something. Kinda like a relationship.

I don't know about you but my social life really sucks ... big time. I feel there is nothing I can do about it so I reach for the grub.

I havn;t figured out whay my triggers are yet as they seem to be complex and mostly internal/emotional.

I hope you can fare better in identifying your patterns of behaviour which is key i think.

[eating headache]

my social life is ok... But for some reason i feel miserable... Actually i just started working about a year now.. and i've been like this for a year. not sure is it work.. But then i'm not stressed or anything. Rather, i have nothing much to do at work.

Probably feel that i have no aim in life maybe tat's why i feel miserable. It's wierd, how i go home and just want to eat it out every night

*sigh..* I think i'm lost and depressed. Feel like i'm burying myself deeper and deeper into this hole.

Don't you feel horrible after stuffing yourself with food for no reason at all?

[Guest ASchwartz]

Hi Eatingheadache and Silentmist,

Yes, one of the problems is eating for emotional reasons. The over stuffing of the self is an attempt to self medicate terrible feelings and it's a worldwide problem. If it sounds like an addiction, well, it is. The problem with this type of eating compared to other addictions is that, where we can give up alcohol and drugs, we cannot give up food. So, what to do?

Do the two of you have other ways to self soothe when upset? How do others self soothe? We need some good ideas.

Allan:)

[silentmist]

Hey Eating Headache and Allan

Hmm Eating Headache (EH), it's interesting how this eating habit started around the same time as this work ... perhaps your making an effort and not feeling as though it's yeilding the fruit you'd hoped for. Come to think of it, do you have many hopes EH ? ... thats one of my problems BTW, I'm kinda 'hopeless' (room for equivocation there lol).

I do feel horrible after pigging out, I call it 'calorie poisoning'. I can physically feel my body fighting to deal with the food I'm cramming into it and it doesn't feel good. Kinda like a hang over I guess.

Thinking about what Allan said about self-soothing, I try to think and remember this unpleasant feeling before I go to the store and spend good money on bad food but it doesn't work ... I always get to the 'what the hell, just this once' permission giver. I barter with myself ... this is definately an addiction for me. I don't think I have any 'positive' methods of dealing with this eating habit.

I think I need to work with the addiction rather than against it ... if it comes down to will power, I'm gonna fail.

[mscat]

Yes, this is a very tough one to break. Emotional eating has so many feelings tied to it.

Making the body stuffed with food is terribly uncomfortable too. If neither of you have starved yourselfs in the past, then it is not your body trying to get lost nutrients, or the body being in starvation mode. Those are different things that happens to an ED, person .

I can suggest that eating smaller meals through out the day could help curb the hunger, however, not the bingeing part. Many people do this, and it really is not about food. It is about other things going on.

Maybe keeping healthy snacks foods in the home might help when the urge to eat it there. No junk food to eat. Could help. At least binging on healtier foods are better then the carbs, and junk foods.

[Guest ASchwartz]

Hi all:

Food is never bad. Our human problem is that we use food as one way to self soothe and it is not a healthy way to deal with our emotions and stresses.

I want to urge you to reach out to people when you feel like binging. Call a friend, get out of the house, go on the Internet, reach out to our community: the name of the game is to break the addiction.

You are correct, you are dealing with an addiction. But, as I said before, the dilemma is that we can give up alcohol, we can give up cigarettes, we can give up drugs, but...we cannot give up food. Nor should we. We need food for a lot of reasons: We need food to live and keep our bodies healthy, food or eating is a way to socialize, food tastes good, etc.

By the way, a very common result of binge eating is depression. It is good to remember that before a binge. However, I know its not easy.

Allan:)

[WinterSky]

By the way, a very common result of binge eating is depression. It is good to remember that before a binge. However, I know its not easy. Allan:)

Interesting. Also depression can cause binge eating. Depression has always caused me to turn to food. But since I've been going to the diabetic educator's classes, I have learned that as a diabetic we must eat frequently to manage our blood glucose. It seems that eating like a diabetic would be good for anyone.

What I've learned is that eating a lot of protein is good. And if you eat carbohydrates, add protein to that because carbohydrates digest slower without protein. When I was like 20 years old I gave up sugar on my cereal and in my coffee, so transitioning to sugar free Hershey's syrup and sugar free puddings has not been difficult. Wheat germ is healthy if added to yogurt or fat free sugar free puddings. Natural peanut butter although high in fat (the good fats) is good for protein if taken in moderation. The sugar free grape jam ain't bad either.

Also, Ballpark franks has really good turkey franks that are like the real thing. Add a hotdog bun and you have carbs and proteins.

I love Whole Foods Supermarket. They have prepackaged things that are easy to just whip out and microwave for a minute.

I do find that if I eat right, I am stronger physically and don't overeat.

[Guest ASchwartz]

Wintersky,

Oh, I love and adore Whole Foods Supermarket. Just had to share that.

Allan:D

[janus]

Well what about the feeling out of control mode that follows with the binge, the mindless eating, the forgetting of the mind fight that precede, even for those few precious moments with a full plate and a full mouth.

You know, after the arguments about the counting of the calories , the negotiation, the surrender, then giving in and binging feeling safe in the knowledge that there is the option to purge and get back to square one.

Kind of.

It just happens that the whole cycle tends to function as a way to avoid a dificult situation, whatever that may be on that particular day, and end with the empty stomach.

I am not anorexic skinny, and seem normal, so why do I "cope" in this way?

Big question, anyone with an answer or a comment????

[Lisa11]

I want this to stop. I want this crazy eating craze to stop. I think it's all in my head, my head just keeps thinking about food no matter what.. I just don't know what to do.. and i've been battling this for the entire year. I'm just getting very very tired of it.

Lisa11

[mscat]

Maybe a Dietiton could help you get on a managable food plan? Once the cycle begins, I know how difficult it is , if not impossible , to stop the behavior of binging. It sucks, and it is such a horrible feeling to have to go through. You need support , and outside help. They can get you on a plan, so you can be back in charge of your eating.

I wish you all the best.

[Guest ASchwartz]

Hi Lisa and Everyone,

Do you have strategies to help you prevent a binge eat session? I would suggest the following:

1. Keep a daily log of what you eat and when. Make it a daily log and have collumns for the time of day, what just happened to you, and what your mood is. Keep it for a whole week and then read it and see if you can find a pattern. For example, my patients would find such things as, "I seem to want to binge when I am alone, or I want to binge when I am angry about something that just happened, etc, etc.

2. Once you have found any type of pattern, expect a binge the next time but, now, find an alternative to bingeing. For example, call up a friend and ask to get together, or, go out for a very long walk or jogging session, or, go to the gym, etc, etc.

I have found that calling a friend and going to their house, or, posting here, on the website, or going out to the movies, or keeping a diary and writing, etc, are some good alternate strategies.

3. I found a common factor among all of my binge eaters when I was in practice, whether they were male or female: THEY WERE DIETING OR, IN SOME WAY OR OTHER OR FOR SOME REASON OR OTHER, THEY WERE RESTRICTING THEIR FOOD INTAKE. Restricing food intake for any reason will result in bingeing.

What do you think, all of you or any of you???????

[beautifully flawed]

I can relate to this tread. I am also an over eater. I do not understand why I am so overcome by my addictions. I feel like I have no power against them. I would rather sit at home alone indulging in food and alcohol than find something more constructive to do.

[denisej]

always thought I was addicted to food..... I binge eat when low, mostly carbs

sugary things or bread

I was 16 stone 10lbs at my heaviest , but after joining a slimming club ( slimming world which I can eat as much HEALTHY foods as I like ) am managing to loose weight now 13stn 9 but its a continual battle

a continual battle ...........

I always remember when low and my world was wonky when I was a child , sneeking into the kitchen and eating , very secretly, shameful secret .Mum disaproved of me , bullies hated me at school , food was always there, although there was always the fear of getting caught and the feeling that it was wrong

[Guest ASchwartz]

Hi All,

Just a reminder and an appeal to over eaters (and all of can be).

Do not go on any starvation diet. Radical diets lead directly to binges. The idea is to not allow yourself to feel hungry. Besides three meals, have short snacks in between: a banana, carrot, nuts, etc. Nutritionists advise to have something every four hours to prevent a binge. Also, it seems better to have something to chew on.

Allan:)

[denisej]

no , I would never starve myself ..