Binge Eating

[lonelyspider]

I a so upset as I managed to lose some weight by sticking to slimming world but I have put it back on. I just cannot stop eating. I am always hungry and craving something sweet. I am so fat and ugly. I look like a round ball. I just do not know how to get back on track and stick to the plan. I so wish I was slim. i am not unrealistic. A size 16 would be wonderful to be. I feel so sad and do not want to go out to be seen and have no energy as I feel low.

[AmyP]

sorry your struggling with weight. maybe need to address what causes the cravings? are you on any meds that cause weight gain or is it more psychological? x

[Threemoons]

Hi LonelySpider. Sorry to hear you struggle that much. Maybe you could try to stick papers with supportive messages on the package of food you mostly binge on? Good luck with this and come to write anytime you need, buddy.

[lonelyspider]

Thank you both. I a taking venaflaxine,agomelatine and amisulpride. I do not know if they cause weight gain or not.

[Pickle59]

(((Lonelyspider)))...........What do you like eating?..........this is important me thinks when contemplating any dieting regime.........the trouble with a lot of the diets like slimming world, even though they work for a time, whilst we stay off what we will ultimately eat again, is that when we go back to 'our likes' the weight just piles on................can you consider eating what you like, but gently and slowly cut down the amounts............the idea being, so that you don't feel deprived and miserable, because eating/not eating becomes a chore and unpleasurable. Just a thought.xxx Also, a way I found, that really helped, was to understand the digestive system,in that, it works much better and effectively if only digesting one type of food at a time...................So for instance..............I love chocolate.....................the way I get around not putting on the weight from it...............is to have it as a meal in itself...........yes, not joking...............I like trifle.................I'll have this as a meal in itself............rather than on top of a pizza..............so, know it sounds ridiculous...........but something like..............pizza for breakfast...........just pizza and a cup of sweet tea...........chocolate for lunch...........just chocolate instead of on top of a sandwich.................trifle for tea, just trifle instead of on top of fish and chips.............THEN, the next day..............maybe just toast for brekky with loads of jam, just toast and not on top of cereal...................then for lunch..............Just a sandwich, and no chocolate following.............then for tea, maybe just some chips, or just battered fish................Am I making any sense?............So after many days like this, you get to eat all the things you like, but by not mixing them up too much so the digestive system hasn't got to work so hard to digest everything all at once, it works more efficiently, you get to feel satisfied without feeling deprived, and a little bit of weight can be lost gradually too...............Just a thought, mad as they may be..............Hugs for you.xxx

[lonelyspider]

Thank you. I can understand what you are saying. Trouble with me is I cannot control myself when I binge and will just eat large ammounts of anything. I usually crave things like chocolate,crisps,cake,ice cream and biscuits.

[Pickle59]

(((Lonelyspider)))............Yes its difficult isn't it...........I do understand about bingeing i really do..............or getting hooked..........How are you today?

I have an incredibly sweet tooth as well, and salt cravings (crisps).

Was wondering what you do for liquid?

[lonelyspider]

I drink water and diet coke. I actually have an addiction to diet coke. I drink it everyday. It is bad I know. Today I feel low. The hot weather does not help as I feel it is only for slim people. Thank you for asking.

[Pickle59]

I smoke (((lonelyspider))) and if I'm honest, that is one of the ways for me to keep my weight down and not constantly wanting to put something calorific into my mouth, but putting something into my mouth is a lot of what it is about...........for me.........it is like trying to get some comfort which hasn't been fulfilled..........I'm not going to pretend I know any answers, other than to suggest to you things that I have tried........I haven't sorted out the issues behind all this behaviour, cos some are unsortable, but in my own weird way I have a little bit of a handle on why i do what I do..........from that I try and get some sort of balance......even if isn't a daily or weekly balance

Now I don't touch booze (touch wood) I drink a lot of fizzy drinks....................Could you try ordinary coke or pepsi?............Theres something in diet stuff that ends up doing or encouraging the exact opposite of why we do it?

Have you had yourself checked out by Doc, just to check theres nothing untoward physically going on? .xxxxxxxxxx

[lonelyspider]

I can imagine smoking helping to avoid weight gain. I do not smoke and will not start as I really do not like it. I do not actually like the taste of full fat fizzy drinks. Odd, I know. I have had many check ups and there is nothing physically wrong. It is a mental problem which is always the hardest ones to deal with, I find. Thank you so much for replying to my thread. I really appreciate it.

[Threemoons]

Thought about something. Do you cook, LonelySpider? I think maybe taking time to cook could be a good idea because when you cook fresh things you don't eat as many sugar and salt as there is in industrial meals. And when you are cooking you don't eat in the same time. Just a suggestion, a bit weird from someone who hate cooking oneself. You could cook a lot of vegetables also, so it fills your stomach with fibres and you eat less other things?

[lonelyspider]

I do cook. I am a vegetarian so have to cook my meals. I can eat like that but binge in between. Thank you for the advice.

[Threemoons]

Ah, you're a vegetarian. There's one in my family too. I guess you already made sure to have all the nutriments you need so the lack of some don't cause cravings. What about trying to buy the minimal amount of food for your meals so there's no extra quantity to eat? Is it even thinkable?

[lonelyspider]

Thing is when I am really down I will just buy or eat anything. In Slimming World you are not allowed to have big portions and I find that hard as I love food and am always hungry. I know all the stuff like you should fill up on salad and things. Easier said then done when it comes to me. Thank you for replying.

[cherri2082]

Lonely spider-;i am having the same problem as you! I watch my weight well all day and then the evening comes and i want to empty the fridge. I am not a vegetarian and am a diabetic. I am turning 57 next week and have weighed over 200 most of my life. I recently had total knee replacement and have lost 25 pounds - i just would like to be healthy for the rest of my life. The binging is just driving me nuts. I so feel for you- eati g healthy and then binging is heart breaking.

[lonelyspider]

It is hard. Maybe you are not eating enough in the day to fill you? I never know what to have for lunch. Well done for losing 25 pounds! That is such a lot. You should be very proud.

[cherri2082]

I know this sounds like a pain but write down every thing you put in your mouth for a bit. Review it for a couple weeks. You will be surprised and perhaps a wake up call. I did it for a month and i finally think i may have a handle on my intake.

[pennx]

distraction is the best way i've found to avoid binges! i know it can be tough and it's important to remember that if/when you do slip... it's ok!! one binge doesn't make you gain weight just like one healthy meal doesn't make you lose it... and every day is another opportunity just try not to beat yourself up, focus on the positive and happy things in your life; any hobbies or things you enjoy, and you'll find that little by little, that desire to binge can be filled with something else. Even if it's only working 10% of the time, in another month it may be 20%, and so on, and then in the long term you can look back and feel proud of what you accomplished! I also take Venlafaxine and found it massively increased my appetite, but once you get into a more positive routine/mindset it's controllable... and it's a marathon not a sprint, it took me over 6 months following a dose increase to begin to make positive changes for myself! Just remember, you're not alone in this xxx

[bellaboo]

Hi lonelyspider. I read a great article the other day which went through what certain cravings relate to what your body actually needs and thus filling that need will in theory stop the craving. I think however it sounds like you are emotionally eating so really its the route and your thoughts that maybe need adjusting which takes time. I have diff issues to you with eating and am just coming to the end of intensive treatment but i found the thing that helped me throughout was starting to notice my behaviours around eating accept them, keep noticing them writting it all down then slowly challenging them. So when your having a binge maybe just notice what your feeling write it down, next time it might be that you still binge but slower, next time try stopping slightly before you usually would, ask yourself what your body and mind really need. To help you could look at the cravings list to try and replace some of the unhealthy binge foods with other things that may actually help you in this cycle. I dont know if im just talking rubbish so sorry if i am. Best of luck xxxbe kind to yourself

[angel tears]

Hi lonelyspider

I too am a binge/comfort eater and I can understand the yo yo weight problem. I went on a diet for a month and lost 16 pounds but I couldn't keep it up as I needed to eat and now I am back to eating crap again and stuffing myself at night with rubbish, hugs hun. I agree with it being emotional eating as I do it too. I haven't cracked mine at all. Hopefully I can address the issue in therapy.

xxxx