Food bingeing?

[intensitylisa]

Since Christmas time I have had quite a bit of time off work and find myself bingeing on food in the evening. I don't do this every day, but when I do binge I feel real guilty. I don't know what makes me do this, unless it is boredom. For example: last night I ate nachos and dip, popcorn, hershey's minatures, banana bread, anything in my site. Another problem I have been having is my days of working out are lessening. I used to work out 5 to 6 days and now I find myself working out 3 to 4 days. HELP!!!

 

[jillybean]

I am infamous for this. I do okay for awhile, then go through day-long, week-long, sometimes month-long spurts where I become ravenous and eat huge amounts of food to the point of becoming almost ill. I have really tried to pay attention to the reasons behind this behavior and have come up with 2 key factors. 1. If I work out too much or at a high intensity for the majority of my workouts, I become voracious to the point where normal sized meals don’t do it for me. I keep eating, feel guilty, and then just keep going. This is a vicious cycle since the guilt I feel for eating that much, usually brings me to working out more, and thus, the whole thing repeats itself. 2. When stress comes on, I eat. Lately, I’ve been trying to do this. When the munch monster comes on fast and strong and as I reach for the chips or cookies, I ask myself, “If this was veggies or lean meat, would you want some.” I usually say to myself, “No, I’m not hungry.” Then why am I reaching for food? Because it takes my mind off the things that stress me. Sometimes, I still reach for the binge foods, but I really have cut down on that behavior recently. And don’t beat yourself up, it happens to all of us.

 

[lorihart]

Oh Yes...I have been going through this for the last year.I "think" I may have gotten control over it now...but I'm not that positive.
I use to work Wed and Thurs evenings.I would always workout in the morning and go to work at 1.I would take my dinner break at 4:30 and on the drive home I would be thinking about what I was going to eat when I got home.I would remember the chips that were open in the cupboard,the half bar,the left over cheesecake,the candies...and I would go home and stand in the kitchen poking things in my mouth, then eat my dinner.AND the scale went up and the pants got tight.
I lost the weight I gained over christmas.It was either b/c I was so busy OR I was actually eating my meals and not eating in between.And there was so much food around that I really thought about weather I actually wanted to eat it or not.
Since the new year as come in I have been trying to eat good meals.I feel comfy when I am finished and I always have a treat.Now if I go to work at 1,I will probably eat a full sandwich and a bowl of soup.But before I would only eat 1/2 a sandwhich and I would be hungry in a hour.I was mistaken in thinking that I was doing my body good b/c I was eating less and trying to lose the weight that I had gained, but I would be so hungry that I would overeat and it was a vicous cycle.Then it ended up being all the time weather I was hungry or not and that probably what your going through now.
I also started working out less as well.I went on a few vacations last year and I found it hard to get back at it.I would take 3-4 days off at a time.
The only advice I have for you is to eat your meals.Eat until you are satisfied.Don't go to long without eating and always have fruit on hand.And try to get those workouts in.Do them first thing in the morning so you have them done.If you keep pushing then off,you may never get them done.This has worked for me and I seem to be back on track.And if you go over board somedays DON"T beat yourself up.I went over board all weekend ,I got a great workout in today and I feel alot better about it.We are only human!
Lori

 

[clareMc]

Lisa:

calm down, take a few deep breaths.........

It doesn't have to be an endless vicious cycle, DON'T GIVE IT THAT POWER!

This used to be me. I hardly ever ate anything during the day, so come night time, I ate my way through the cupboards in my kitchen, and like you, it was starchy food all the way.

I have realized that if I eat breakfast, it sets me up to eat better and more healthily all day. Not only that, but I am making sure that I include good quality protein sources at each meal, starting with two eggs for breakfast, and I am satisfied for longer. I no longer reach for the cookie jar every evening. In fact I can testify, that I have only had cookies on two days in the last two months, because the drive to cram my mouth fiull of ginger cremes is no longer there. Last night I had 4 of them and then put them away, didn't need any more. This is unheard of for me!

Not only that, but I have a pact with myself. If I want to eat after dinner, it has to be fruit first, because I am always trying to reach those 5 a day or even more a day, and also because I know that the natural sugars of fruit can help satify that need for sweetness, and also because they fill me up more and there's nothing I hate more than a groaning full tummy that puts me to sleep so I can't get my work done.

The next trick is to resist that nesting instinct that tells you to change into comfy pj's or dressing gown early in the evening. If you keep your street clothes on, preferably a slimline pair of pants/jeans that make you feel great, there will be less temptaion to eat crappy foods that might make them tighter!

Lisa, don't sweat it too much. Bingings and cravings prove you are human. We all do it.

Ask yourself also: has your diet been quite restrictive recently? If it has, it may be that you are going into overdrive to cram in just those foods that earlier you forbade yourself from having (is this why you feel "guilty"?). Especially if you know that you have to return to the restrictions again real soon once you begin being serious about your workouts again. If this is you, then perhaps it is time to be more realistic and instead of having a list of forbidden foods, allow yourself one nice treat of crappy food per day, so that nothing is labelled as "forbidden", thus setting it up as the ultimate "temptation." If I eat well and treat my body with respect, I know it can handle a little chocolate of an evening....and I know A-Jock has candies everyday and swears by them!

My mother always said, as did her mother before her, "a little of what you fancy does you good." And it sure will get rid of the "guilt." Tomorrow is another chance to be really healthy: make it so! (as Jean Luc Picard would say......)

All the best,

Clare

 

[hippahips]

I agree with Lori -- get those workouts in as early as you can -- and with Clare -- eat a good, balanced breakfast. Jillybean also brought up a very important key: ID your triggers.

Last Christmas I let myself go. Basically ate everything my friends laid out on their dining tables, especially my friend's fruit salad made with cream, condensed milk and fresh, grated coconut. I was still pretty fit when I came back from break, but my jeans were snug in the waist and I knew I could either continue the bingeing until the buttons in my jeans pop, or I could try to blast the flab.

My trigger is usually staying too long at the table, talking with family members. I always associate food with gatherings, and chatting at the dinner table for too long makes me pick at food even though I'm already full. Another trigger is overtraining. If I work out too much, I notice that I crave sweets, and I don't have a sweet tooth. It's like my body wants to replace all the lost glycogen, and it wants it fast.

I make sure to always eat a high-protein, moderate-carb breakfast with some fat from slivered almonds or chopped peanuts. It lasts for about 4 hours in my system and keeps me from reaching for junk. For snacks, I'm learning to eat oatmeal. I've always hated it, but I find that if I put some vanilla flavored protein powder in it with some wheat germ and chopped nuts, it's really not so bad. Again, it stays long in my system, and all that fiber has done wonders for my digestion.

Since you say it's boredom that makes you binge, maybe you should delve into your hobbies some more. Keep those hands busy...

Hope this helps.

Pinky

 

[intensitylisa]

Thanks for all the terrific advice ladies! I do think, stress, boredom are the biggest culprits, along with my grandmother who sends me the candy, banana bread etc. I try not to beat myself up, but just don't want this to become a habit that becomes more frequent. I have done well tonight. Thanks again!

 

[wutherhi]

I'm a long-time binge eater, and I think my biggest problem was "tomorrow." I was always going to break the cycle tomorrow--which worked until a little after lunch, then I decided to have just one more day of eating whatever I wanted, and THEN I'd start fresh, etc., etc., etc. . . . I did that for 14 years and got up to nearly 300 pounds before I finally stopped.

My advice, added to the wonderful advice you've received from others, is to do it now. Don't start Monday. Don't start tomorrow. Start right this instant.

Shari

 

[pace1987]

Lisa I feel for you. I think it is hard around the holidays. For me I seem to gain around this time because of all the eating and the candy, cookies ect. This is the time that I have to go on a diet to lose what I have gain over the holidays. I know the holidays are over but I guess from eating so much from the holidays it is hard to stop until you had enough. Maybe it is time to get rid of all the bad food and replace it with the good food. Can you believe that my mother in-law brought over carmel popped corn w/ peanuts and I started to eat it then relize how horrible I felt and just dump the rest in the garbage because I knew if I save it I would eat it later. Believe me you will not waste the food if it is making you this miserable. Maybe you should start a check in here to get you motivated I would love to join.

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Lisa! While I haven't been in any sort of binge cycle in a long, long time, I have noticed that when my workout schedule gets weirded out, either through factors beyond my control or my own woosery, my appetite gets totally weirded out too and I start going more for simple carbs as opposed to a good well-rounded platter of digestible proteins, fruits/veggies, etc.

Get back on your previous program, and make sure the cardio and ESPECIALLY the strength training are intense enough to really, really challenge you. In fact, I'd focus a bit more on strength training as you increase your number of weekly sessions; I'll bet you a day's pay that'll normalize your appetite, AND your feelings of boredom (it's amazing how having more workouts put into your schedule alters your perspective of time!).

Just my Point-Oh-Two -

A-Jock