How do I stop compulsive(binge) eating?

Question

I am a severe compulsive and binge eater. I eat until I am sick and I need help. I did weight watchers an lost 40 lbs. but then I gain 20 back from bingeing. Someone, any one with advice, PLEASE TELL ME! even if you don't think it will help. I am desparate.

Answer 1

Binge eating is its own eating disorder. It is in the same ballpark as anorexia and bulimia. You are not well right now, and as was stated above, your problems are psychological. You will need therapy.

The love of my life struggled with Binge Eating Disorder for years. She still struggles some. But she has come so far to defeat what has affected so many aspects of her life. She is an amazing person and she is worthy of more love than I can even comprehend.

Someone will feel this way about you someday. What is infinitely more important, however, is that YOU learn to feel that way about yourself. You deserve better than to hurt yourself by eating this way. It's self-destructive in much the same way as self-cutting behaviors are destructive to those who have that compulsion.

You're doing this to cope with pain. There are other, healthier ways to deal with the hurt you feel. You need to learn those other ways.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

You need to seek professional help. Talk to someone.
Behavioral Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry TD209
Stanford, CA 94305
Tel: [phone]

Binge Eating Program
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
3811 O'Hara Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Tel: [phone]

Eating Disorders Clinic
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
Unit #98
1051 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10032
Tel: [phone]

Eating Disorder Research Program
University of Minnesota
2701 University Avenue, S.E.
Suite 102
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Tel: [phone]

Nutrition Research Clinic
Baylor College of Medicine
6535 Fannin Street
MS F700
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: [phone]

Rutgers Eating Disorders Clinic
GSAPP, Rutgers University
Box 819
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Tel: [phone]

Women's Recovery Center
110 N. Essex Avenue
Narberth, PA 19072
Tel: [phone]

Yale Center For Eating and Weight Disorders
P.O. Box 11A, Yale Station
New Haven, CT 06520
Tel: [phone]

Weight-control Information Network

1 Win Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Tel: [phone] or 1-877-946-4627
Fax: [phone]

Answer 4

From my experience. Eat breakfast! Have a good hearty breakfast and eat lunch. Eat some fruits for both those times, chew your food throughly and the best way to do that is to have a conversation with someone while eating and you'll notice how long it will take you to eat your food. Drink plenty of water while eating. I suggest adding some vegetables or salad which helps ease your appetite. Pack some of those dry mix nuts and fruit to munch on. They call it fast food for a reason which makes you hungry fast so try making some sandwiches using whole grain bread which takes longer to break down and don't forget fruits and plenty of fluids. It takes about 20 mins for the body to tell you that you are full once you eat so I can't stress the importence of chewing your food throughly so watch t.v. chewing and drinking lots of water or having a long talk with a friend about life or something. Your goal is to feel FULL but not STUFFED so go walking or something after you eat. And if your not active then eat light for dinner perhaps cereal or more fruits.

Best of luck and don't go crazy on salads twice a day like I did which gave me diarrhea.

Answer 5

The only one that can help you is you, recognizing you have a problem is the beginning, believe me, that problem will lead you to bigger ones. I'll say, think twice before eating, drink water or have a tea, and when you feel like you need to eat, have vegetables instead of junk food.

Start your meals with a salad with lime (no dressing!!). And serve everything you are going to eat in the plate, and if you are hungry after that, eat vegetables.

Junk and fattening food causes addiction, just try not to eat it and you will start feeling better and it will start to show on you. Get stress out in some other activity !!!

Good luck :)

Answer 6

I would talk to a nutritionist... maybe you are craving things because of your particular diet. I know that when I do the South Beach Diet I stop cravings altogether (that's how the diet is designed). Either way, you might find it helpful to read that book because it gives you some insights as to why you get cravings and how your body reacts to certain foods.

Answer 7

whenever you have the urge to eat do something else like drink a glass of water or jog or read a book, etc. if you do the same thing everytime you have that urge, your mind will relate that urge to the other activity. but you must do it everytime. remember though that if you dont like the alternative activity you wont stick to it.

Answer 8

I am with you.... I will tell you what I did.... I am only 5'1" and was 200 lbs exactly. I went to the doc and found out I had high cholesterol... I am young, too young for that. He told me to cut out red meat and use skim milk.. I am doing the slim fast diet. I am a binge eater too.. my am really weak when dining out. I looooove to eat out. Well, the cholesterol thing kinda scared me. I thought there is no way this is going to work... I eat and a lot.
Well, I went straight from the docs to the store. I hate fish.. never have eaten it in my life, I am a beef eater. I bought a few different kinds of fish to try out... started that day using skim milk with my slim fast and cut out all the red meat... for now. I was 179 when I got up this morning. It works for me. It takes about a week.. so be patient. I have two sports active boys so I was not eating dinner until 8 at night. I moved it down to 6 at the latest to give me time to burn it off before bed. I thought I could never do this and am very careful because I know it will just take one dining out or one hamburger or one candy bar to kick me right back where I was. I snack on sunflower seeds. I stopped drinking mt dew and got 'sobe's life water' (they are cheap at sams club or costco). Like I said, especially when I am watching tv, I never thought I could sit without eating something. Like I said, it will take about a week, but now when I sit down to watch tv, I don't even think of eating at all. It is amazing.

So in short... I cut out red meat (for now), I still eat pork, chicken and fish. I try to eat about half of what I used to. I will make my plate like normal and then scrape off half of what is there back into the serving dish. Try to eat before 6pm. Cut out the soda's and try to use skim milk.
That is all I did, no exercise (don't have time). I still eat what I want at night. I try real hard to use light (not sugar free-but light) ingredients.

I was a soda and beef addict. I hate drinking water and I don't have time to exercise. I just got scared at the high cholesterol and made the decision to make some changes. I do slim fast with slim milk for breakfast and lunch and then eat (lol, boy this sounds cliche) a sensible meal before 6pm. I was 180-200lbs for 6 yrs!! this is now just melting off.
I am there with you! Be patient, it is grueling for the first few days, keep busy... I played computer games because it is easy for time to fly. In about a week of real commitment, you will not have cravings anymore. I don't crave food anymore and now when I do sit down to eat, I get full and just put the plate down. I struggled with this for years and just like an alcoholic can not pick up a drink ever... I can not eat in excess ever again or it will start all over. I don't starve myself... I am actually eating more than my doc suggested. It is just taking a deep breath and trudging thru the first week.
I hope this helps and I hope it works for you if you try it. I don't feel like I am missing out anymore or that I neeeeed to have something all the time. Just stick with it... give it one week and see how you feel.
I hope this helped!!!! Good Luck... I will be rooting for you!!! :)

Answer 9

Try to find other things to do like listen to music, play some sports, or eat fruits and vegtables so it won't be that bad for for you.

Answer 10

Get therapy -- your problems are psychological.,