Hey, I’m posting my breakfast today, but honestly I’m here because I really need help and this subreddit already has helped me A TON. For about a year now I’ve been struggling with binge eating (emotional). It started during a really stressful year, and I guess food became the way I coped. I’ve already gained about 8 kg. I’m a small-framed, young girl and I feel gross with this excessive fat, can’t wear what i want, i feel super embarrassed to even leave the house (i’m somewhere between healthy weight and beginning overweight, i have a lot of bf%)
Yesterday I ate around 8,000 calories. I’m not exaggerating. I stuck to a 1200 kcal diet for three days (even though during those days I was still eating things like whole Halo Top pints before sleeping and i was feeling relief that i can somehow binge (idk if that works and i can do that still), and then everything fell apart again. It’s like I have to eat it, like it gives me this moment of relief. And it does, but afterwards I feel terrible physically and mentally.
Yesterday it started with a “fit pizza” I made at 8 am. I wanted to eat a half for breakfast and another half for dinner. It was around 800 calories. but i ate my portion, then other one, then I ate a whole Halo Top tub, around 300 calories, and told myself that’s all I’d eat for the day, it was already 1200 kcal. at 8 am. But then I had a horrible day at work and completely spiraled. I ate an entire chocolate bar, ordered McDonald’s (which I don’t even like…), and started eating things I don’t even enjoy just to fill myself up. A lot of garbage food. Just to eat. My problem is when i’m at work I go to the shop and buy snacks, when i’m depressed or stressed. Maybe u have some tips on that too, should I don’t take money with myself?
I think about food constantly. All the time. None of the diets work for me, especially low-calorie ones, after 2–3 days I break. I really want to lose weight and feel good in my body again, but I feel like I have zero willpower. I also don’t have money for therapy, so I’m trying to figure things out on my own, but I honestly don’t know how to overcome this binge eating
Has anyone gone through something similar? What helped you? How do you even start dealing with binge eating when the thoughts and urges are so strong?
by OldBlackberry6845
2 Comments
I go through periods of binge eating that’s 100% triggered by stress.
Food seems to be the only thing that gives me a dopamine hit.
I’ve experimented with having a glass of wine in the evenings to see if that could just relax me/be enough, but nothing compares to the sensation of eating. It’s just how my Brian’s wired.
So the best thing to remember is, this time will pass , and you just have to look after yourself as best you can.
I’ve seen myself feel 1000% better when I’ve come out of my bubble and gone out and socialsed for a day with friends or family. It totally bursts my stress bubble, and I look back and think God what was I doing.
So yeah for me, getting out, being social, doing fun activities, laughing, totally ends the cycle.
what helped me during BED recovery was (gonna link the sub for it on here for ya) r/volumeeating & eating balanced meals. personally, even recovered, pizza in the morning “fit” or not would leave me hungry and with cravings as well.
for the snacks and ordering out etc really the only way is to literally not purchase the things and do not bring them in to your house. there are so many yummy “healthier” options (and super easy recipes!) available these days. i like to keep all my snacks, even the “healthy” stuff like popcorn and veg, fully prepped and pre-portioned so i can just like go and grab a serving of popcorn and a serving of chocolate chips and have that be the end of it. i found not having to open a full bag of something took away a lot of the temptation/urge to just continue until it is gone.
& i’m not gonna lie, and i’m not exaggerating in the slightest, for about 7 months of my weight loss journey i almost exclusively lived off of sugar free chocolate and chocolate protein supplements so as to hit my goals but not binge — my cravings were that bad. i lost the weight, gotta do what you gotta do! and one day i just… didn’t want chocolate anymore? i was never a veggie eater but id also spent those months messing around with different vegetables and ways of preparing them. im now a veggie fiend!
ultimately, you will have to find a way to sit through the binge urges and find other ways of coping with emotions but i know you said therapy is not an option right now. maybe looking up some therapy worksheets might give you some things to reflect on for now?