Binge eating in secret

LegacyUser

Hi everybody.

I am a 5'10, 17st male. Having said that people are usually surprised that I'm that weight, as I do carry it well. Still obviously carrying too much padding.

My issue is I cannot seem to help myself from binge eating on occasion. I am in a relationship with a woman who is all about eating healthy and when I'm with her, we eat well and healthily (she is health & weight conscious) with maybe a treat night at the weekend.

I am trying hard to lose weight but fighting a losing mental battle. I might manage to eat very healthily for 3 or 4 days, get to the gym, feel good. Then I'll sabotage it by binge eating. I'll stop at a supermarket and pick up a pack of donuts or cakes or sausage rolls, and sit in my car gorging on it. I hide my eating from everyone. This is followed by a sense of shame and disgust, regret and anger and sadness. I cannot seem to help myself. I can't explain it, it's like a switch goes off and all that matters is food until I get it.

My partner is talking about me maybe getting medical tests to see if something is up. She sees me eating healthily and going to the gym 2-3 days a week and not losing a pound and is convinced I've thryoid issues or something.

I've done this since I was a child. I have routinely taken full packets of biscuits or bars and gone to the bathroom to eat them etc etc. I was slim as a child and teenager as I was very active. I even manged to get down to 13-14st a few times as an adult through eating well and running, but every time food gets me. Just one sandwich. I've earned it. Ah feck it a bar won't hurt. I'll treat myself to a taco chips.

It is depressing me and frustrating me beyond belief. How do I kick this? Has anybody sought professional help, did it work? I honestly feel it may be beyond 'just cop yourself on' stage.

groovyg

Op I think the first step with solving a problem is recognising you have a problem. Have a look at the Bodywhys website as it has some useful information on binge eating http://www.bodywhys.ie/aboutED/binge-eating-disorder/

This is an old thread from the fitness forum last year on eating disorders which might be of help http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057385622

intheclouds

Do take your partners advice and go to the doctor but when you get there, tell the doctor what is going on.

Its very common I assure you and the doctor will be best placed to advise you.

There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in addressing a problem and there is no reason for you to feel bad about it.

Its definitely beyond "just cop yourself on". Thats like telling someone with cancer that they need to think MORE positively about getting rid of the cancer!

Its a complex issue that requires external assistance for you to get past it.

Best of luck!

Ryan Mac Sweeney

Hi there
I have read your post. Yes my advice would be for you to go and see your doctor and discuss your situation with him or her and hopefully he or she will give you advice on what to do. You could also ask for a referral for counselling. You should definitely do something about it and even talk to a dietican.
Best of luck

Lavinia

I have been to OA meetings and found those really helpful so would recommend it wholeheartedly, if you can find some in your area (click on Spirit of Hope link to get a pdf with places ad contact numbers) , you would be surprised...

strandroad

Lavinia wrote: »

I have been to OA meetings and found those really helpful so would recommend it wholehartedly, if you can find some in your area, you would be surprised...

I have a relative who battled overeating problems since her childhood and this group helped her turn it around completely. She lost all the extra weight but more importantly she learned what triggers her to overeat and how to enforce positive changes around it. She said that in the world full of diets it was the first time her issue was really understood and dealt with in a compassionate and efficient way. Highly recommended.

Cupcake_Crisis

Hey OP, I'm a bit of a binge eater myself. I find that the times I'm most likely to binge eat are times when im feeling sad, bored or have just had a crap day. Have you thought about going to talk to someone? Or even confiding in a friend? There's no shame in having a problem like that. If you can eat healthy 4 days a week it sounds like you just have stuff going on in your mind.

santana75

Op contact The marino therapy centre. Dont go to a GP, it will create more problems than it solves. Most Gps know very little about eating distress. Give Marino a call or even go to the group meetings. Theres one on tuesday evening and one saturday morning.

The Black Oil

santana75 wrote: »

Op contact The marino therapy centre. Dont go to a GP, it will create more problems than it solves. Most Gps know very little about eating distress. Give Marino a call or even go to the group meetings. Theres one on tuesday evening and one saturday morning.

OP, please ignore this agenda driven post.

Roselm

The Black Oil wrote: »

OP, please ignore this agenda driven post.

Well I would advise the OP to ask a GP but not to just accept their response blindly. If he's not happy to seek a second opinion from another GP etc. GPs are only human and can't know everything about everything and do give out incorrect advice at times (I work in healthcare as does my sister and we have both met clients whose GPs have misinformed them)

Keane2baMused

Roselm wrote: »

Well I would advise the OP to ask a GP but not to just accept their response blindly. If he's not happy to seek a second opinion from another GP etc. GPs are only human and can't know everything about everything and do give out incorrect advice at times (I work in healthcare as does my sister and we have both met clients whose GPs have misinformed them)

I actually have to agree with the previous poster.

It's extremely bad advice to tell someone to not go to their GP. This could be a medical issue.


OP my advice would be to attend your GP or give body whys a call first. They can help steer you in the right direction.

Merkin

If any of you have an issue with a post please report it rather than debating it on thread. Thanks.

gandalf

Hi I'm a fair bit older than you. I have a problem with binge eating as well. If a pack of biscuits gets opened it's gone very quickly, I'd vacuum a tube of Pringles down my throat without any thought at all.

Recently I had what alcoholics call a moment of clarity. I decided that it was time to sort out my ****.

I read an article in one of the Sunday papers where some lad had dropped from 30st down to 17st. One of the tools he said he used was an app on his phone called myfitnesspal to track his calorie intake. I downloaded it onto my phone and started to track my calorie intake. It shocked me what some foods calorie count was that before I started this I never would have considered. It has helped me think about what I am eating.

You enter details like your height, weight etc into the app and then how much weight you want to lose a week. I went with a very modest .5kg per week loose goal. I started over 3 weeks ago. On my third week weight in I had lost 5.7kgs from my starting weight.

You log all your meals and it has a massive database of food available and you can input a load with their barcodes. I also discovered it pairs up with mapmywalk and will add on calories you have burnt as an extra amount on your daily allocation. This means if you want a few beers or high calorie food you can do so if you do a bit of exercise.

The main thing that has helped me is the fact I am tracking everything I am eating now. This may help you I don't know but good luck with the battle.

ninjabox

Hi OP,

I had the same problem as you for years...

Then last year I was suffering really badly from anxiety because of work, I went to the doctor and happened to mention that I binge eat too.

He prescribed me an anti-depressant specifically because of the binge eating. I actually don't think he would have prescribed them if I hadn't mentioned the binge eating.

Anyway I've been on them for months now and have managed to stop!

This is just my own experience and I'm obviously not trying to say it's right for you, but at the same time I think you should know how another person overcame it.

If you want more details PM me.

CassieManson

ninjabox wrote:

Anyway I've been on them for months now and have managed to stop!

Hi just wondering how long you would need to take the anti depressants for? Would the binging start again if you stopped taking them?

LegacyUser

Secret Eater wrote: »

Hi everybody.

I am a 5'10, 17st male. Having said that people are usually surprised that I'm that weight, as I do carry it well. Still obviously carrying too much padding.

My issue is I cannot seem to help myself from binge eating on occasion. I am in a relationship with a woman who is all about eating healthy and when I'm with her, we eat well and healthily (she is health & weight conscious) with maybe a treat night at the weekend.

I am trying hard to lose weight but fighting a losing mental battle. I might manage to eat very healthily for 3 or 4 days, get to the gym, feel good. Then I'll sabotage it by binge eating. I'll stop at a supermarket and pick up a pack of donuts or cakes or sausage rolls, and sit in my car gorging on it. I hide my eating from everyone. This is followed by a sense of shame and disgust, regret and anger and sadness. I cannot seem to help myself. I can't explain it, it's like a switch goes off and all that matters is food until I get it.

My partner is talking about me maybe getting medical tests to see if something is up. She sees me eating healthily and going to the gym 2-3 days a week and not losing a pound and is convinced I've thryoid issues or something.

I've done this since I was a child. I have routinely taken full packets of biscuits or bars and gone to the bathroom to eat them etc etc. I was slim as a child and teenager as I was very active. I even manged to get down to 13-14st a few times as an adult through eating well and running, but every time food gets me. Just one sandwich. I've earned it. Ah feck it a bar won't hurt. I'll treat myself to a taco chips.

It is depressing me and frustrating me beyond belief. How do I kick this? Has anybody sought professional help, did it work? I honestly feel it may be beyond 'just cop yourself on' stage.

OP, I could have wrote that post myself with the exception that I am female. As a child sneaking food to the bathroom, getting up during the night and eating, the guilt after eating what you shouldnt have etc....I know how it all feels

I cant offer advice about seeking professional help, as I worked through it myself (resulting in a 3.5 stone loss) but I think (and it may not be true for all of us bingers) that the food isn't the actual problem, that there could be some underlying emotional reason?

ninjabox

CassieManson wrote: »

Hi just wondering how long you would need to take the anti depressants for? Would the binging start again if you stopped taking them?

I'm sorry CassieManson I'm not sure and it's something I worry about, but at the same time I don't think my doctor would stop prescribing until he thought I wouldn't revert.

Alf Veedersane

Hi OP.

I've been down a similar road, in some ways. Definitely think going to a GP with a view to getting a referral to a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist is worth a try.

Helped turn my life around anyway and I know it's not the same for everyone but am option worth exploring nonetheless

santana75

Keane2baMused wrote: »

I actually have to agree with the previous poster.

It's extremely bad advice to tell someone to not go to their GP. This could be a medical issue.


OP my advice would be to attend your GP or give body whys a call first. They can help steer you in the right direction.

I can't tell you how ignorant this post is. Telling someone to go to just go to a GP is dismissive, and shows how little you actually know about eating distress. I've worked with people with ED, and without exception they all said going to their GP was a mistake. In a lot of cases going to their GP harmed far more than helped. In general GPS know very little about eating distress and going to a specialised treatment clinic is the best option.

intheclouds

santana75 wrote: »

I can't tell you how ignorant this post is. Telling someone to go to just go to a GP is dismissive, and shows how little you actually know about eating distress. I've worked with people with ED, and without exception they all said going to their GP was a mistake. In a lot of cases going to their GP harmed far more than helped. In general GPS know very little about eating distress and going to a specialised treatment clinic is the best option.

You clearly do have an agenda.

Its very irresponsible to advise people to stay away from their GP for a medical issue.

Alf Veedersane

santana75 wrote: »

I can't tell you how ignorant this post is. Telling someone to go to just go to a GP is dismissive, and shows how little you actually know about eating distress. I've worked with people with ED, and without exception they all said going to their GP was a mistake. In a lot of cases going to their GP harmed far more than helped. In general GPS know very little about eating distress and going to a specialised treatment clinic is the best option.

My experience with GPs is different. I don't think it's fair to say that going to a GP is a mistake.

I would suggest that going to a GP with a view to getting a referral to someone who can help is certainly not a waste of time.

LindsayTCS

<SNIP>

Merkin

LindsayTCS, that kind of post is expressly forbidden here in this forum. If you had bothered to take a moment to read our charter before posting then you would know that. Don't post here again.

Lavinia

Yes in investigation about BED I too came across the "emotional eating" term.
There is so much truth in it, BED is an obvious signal that we cannot deal with certain emotions, it being anxiety, pain, worry of any kind, shame etc etc so food becomes substitute or distraction, and most of times the causes of those may be buried as deep as the early childhood, however lame this sounds.

The Raptor

I second the app myfitness pal. Its a great app for tracking calories. You can have what you want so long as you stay within your calorie allowance. You'll soon realise you can eat loads of veg and fruit.

I understand where you're coming from with the binge eating. Its so easy to scoff a packet of biscuits and then feel guilty. Pastries are my biggest weakness, i can't say no.

But you can have nice things with myfitnesspal. You have to stay within your allowance. You'll feel great for eating healthy, going to the gym but don't deprive yourself, have a biscuit and track it.

I love making the two ingredient pancakes which are meant to be healthy. Its eggs and bananas combined. It sounds gross, banana in eggs but they are lovely. Mash up a ripe banana, mix in two eggs and make them like normal pancakes. I use a small measuring cup to spoon it onto a pan and I can get a few pancakes out of it. Only 280 calories for the whole lot. I had this for breakfast yesterday and they were lovely.

deseil

Hi Op,
My advice is going to be a bit different from previous posters. I was exactly like you, it began as a child I used to eat a whole slice pan of batch and butter that was my favourite but also whole cakes, packs of biscuits etc. We were given 3 (not very tasty) meals a day as kids and treats were sparse, so when I was able I gorged. I remember feeling hungry a lot and nice food was the thing I thought most of as a child.
This lead into adulthood and although I ate healthy most days, I would gorge at least twice a week, like you sausage rolls, cakes, deli products and not just one or 2 loads!!
After a bit of soul searching and reading lead me to believe that by eating healthy and sparsely most days I believed I deserved to gorge on food now and again.
So I changed my eating habits totally,I still eat healthy but I have a biscuit or piece of chocolate everyday if I want one I also have a cake or sausage roll as a meal if I want one. I am now slimmer than ever and happier because I've removed the guilt of treats and don't feel the need to gorge because I have 1 of these things when I want them and have not denied myself.

I don't think the gp advice is wrong, but taking antidepressants for something like this could open a whole new set of problems for you.

dudara

Posters - please do not offer medical advice or urge the OP to ignore the advice of a qualified medical professional.

dudara