Help ive developed a binge eating disorder from dieting

[JJFigure]

First, get that crap out of your house and quit buying it for a while. If all you have in your fridge is eggs/chicken/lean beef/veggies, etc., you're much less likely to binge. Second, try logging your food for awhile. If you have to write it down and face the written calories, you're much less likely to eat it (that whole guilt thing).

I think all of us who've contest dieted are susceptible to binge behavior; the key is 1) not contest dieting all year long, and 2) controlling your environment. If it's not in front of you, you won't eat it. I can't keep PB in my house when I'm contest dieting because I'll eat the whole jar - in minutes. When I "refeed", I refeed on foods you don't want to binge on, like c.o.w and oatmeal. Plus, I control the number of calories on my refeeds to prevent things from getting out of hand.

Good luck!

 

[valerie]

Crunch-This is so common. JJ made some excellent points. I would also add just a few comments. I have come to accept that I simply cannot stay ultra lean year round. I also make it point to add a variety of foods to my diet so that it is very different from the pre contest diet.

The big bad D word also comes to mind and believe me when I say we all struggle with this, DISCIPLINE. I personally have a problem with cookies. There are certain areas of grocery stores I simply must avoid such as bakeries. I test my "strength" by refusing to purchase any. By doing this I can avoid hating myself and hating how I feel.

You are right to point out that you are choosing to hurt yourself and your choice of weapon is food. Perhaps you can learn to stop yourself before following thru with the action that will ultimately hurt you. By just stopping for a moment and asking yourself "Is this really what I want ?" you may be able to get a handle on it. As you can see by now its not food you want . Perhaps learning how to get get quiet inside and you could find out what you are really lacking .( Of course in reality you are lacking nothing, you just don't know that for a fact yet.)

One other note please be aware that sometimes just sitting with the pain of not bingeing can show you that yes you live thru it. Or very simply got to bed early!

These eating disorders are so mental. Supplements may be helpful-but I know we can eat thru anything .

Hope this helps-Valerie

 

[Ceebs]

You are right to point out that you are choosing to hurt yourself and your choice of weapon is food. Perhaps you can learn to stop yourself before following thru with the action that will ultimately hurt you. By just stopping for a moment and asking yourself "Is this really what I want ?" you may be able to get a handle on it. As you can see by now its not food you want . Perhaps learning how to get get quiet inside and you could find out what you are really lacking .( Of course in reality you are lacking nothing, you just don't know that for a fact yet.)

This paragraph is one of the truest, most eloquent things I've ever read on the internet.

I have nothing else to add, other than to echo JJ's suggestion that you not keep any junk food around the house. If you feel a binge coming on, give your car keys to someone you trust so that you can't go to the store and buy more. Out of sight, out of mouth, so to speak. Good luck...

 

[Manu]

I had some eating disorder too. I didn't overcome it entirly and i am not sure i will never. I have episodes of binge eating where often i vomite after. Trying to make big caloric deficits all in a sudden easily trigger that reaction. Also, choose some "binge" foods (foods you choose to eat in situation of cravings, like aspargus, mushrooms, low caloric yogurts, etc...). Eating more often, 8, 9, 10 times a day also is best to avoid binge eating. (normally i choose some small snack low caloric to eat when i start to feel some hungry, without letting too much time pass (before i became starved).
Making at least one refeed per week will also help, i think.
Last but not least, when i have my sleeping pattern not good i am more propense to have a binging episode.
Hope this helps.

 

[JJFigure]

Very well put, Valerie! Remember Crunch - you've got a bunch of people here who are either in or have been in the same boat - you can always PM one of us if you need talked out of a binge.

 

[crunch1]

wow, i never realzied how many others were like this, thanks for the support guys, im planning on beating this thing, getting reasonalbly, but not super lean again, and then not dieting...just eating clean and working out. Right now im going to focus on just avoiding a binge, eating whatever in moderation...im hoping the journal helps out. Im going to log every day if i can.

 

[MuscleDm]

Crunch,

Hey....good luck with everything man. you will regain control if you set your mind to it. I too can relate to your experience's. I dieted for about 8 strict months leading up to teen and collegiate nationals, and that really messed up my head. I started to obsess over food for the last few months of that diet. I have really never gotten over the obsession.

I am basically in the same boat as a lot of you...I eat clean during the week and cheat on weekends. I have tried to quit doing that though (even though it worked) because eating would be the high point of my weekend....I wouldn't be able to sleep on friday night because I couldn't wait for my first meal saturday morning. then I would always eat past comfort levels because I knew I only had a certain amount of time to eat it before I had to restrict again. I know most of you can relate.....

So really try and eat when and what you want....a good goal is to "eat healthy," because its not too restrictive.

I noticed in your message that you seemed "out of control." It is important to remember that you are in control of everything you do....every thought, every notion, you control it with your mind. Hopefully this kind of helps....and I think A LOT more people are in your boat than you realize....

Ryan

 

[SteelWeaver]

I can totally relate to this post, too. I had issues with bulimia as a teen, but had pretty much got over it, with very occasional relapses, for years and years before this year, when I went on my first contest diet. Suddenly that whole mind-set came back like it had never gone away. I haven't relapsed (well, hardly), but I found that the more restrictive the diet, and the lower the cals, the harder the battle is to stay on top of those impulses. One DOES feel so ... out of control .... when the weird thing is that the diet is an attempt to remain IN control - control of the way we look.

What helps me to stay above these powerful impulses is the thought of what binging and/or binging and purging does to my body - how I would be just totally shooting myself and my goals in the foot - and not just shooting - like taking a huge bazooka and blowing off your leg sort of ruining your own goals. I want to be strong, fit and healthy - comp. dieting is a bit of a departure from this, but it's temporary.

I think like some others have said, the best option is to just stop dieting for a while - let your body/metabolism/mind-set stabilise for a few months or more. I for one intend to NOT diet for at least a year after this - at the most, short cycles that are not ultra-restrictive, simply to keep too much fat gain down. Eat clean, eat enough, eat stuff you like, or junk now and then, don't have any "set" cheat days.

Keep us updated, and good luck

 

[crunch1]

today went well...like i said above im logging everything in a journal @ wannabebig.com , not just to get past this binge thing but for progress in everyway, check it out lemme know what you think. i think this is great that people understand my dillemma, i never ever thought this would happen to me, before i started working out and dieting never in my life did i even think about cosuming the amount of food i do now....its become an obsession. Planning meals and all that good stuff. Either way just this support from these boards is making me feel better about this, I KNOW I CAN GET PAST THIS, and in 8 weeks i will be in much better shape both physically and emotionally.

ill keep updates going, so expect this thread to be bumped up often.

 

[Ceebs]

Stay strong, crunch. It took time to develop the binge habit, and it'll take time to create healthier eating habits as well. We've got your back.