Binging cycle

[pinecone]

So, I diet, then whenever I stop I just gorge. Not like a proper, full binge, like a whole cake or anything, but I pick constantly at sugar. I'm not overweight

(140lbs at 176cm), and I do regular exercise, it just means I'll diet all week but then at the weekend I'll 'relax' with my friends and overeat. I can't just stop at one biscuit, or one slice of pizza, and it makes me miserable. All I think about is food all the time, that and my ex. I'm in therapy, but I only have one session left and there have been more pressing issues so I haven't had the chance to broch this. I've been told to read Susie Orbach's 'On Eating', but is there any advice from someone who has gone through this?

[asthesparrow]

Lots of tips.

- Don't get too depressed, it seems to me you're comfort eating. Do things that require actual effort, that make you happy.

- Exercise when you feel the need to gorge, it'll make you happier than a sugar fix does, and you will feel proud that you exercise (as opposed to sad that you binged)

- Don't buy those nasty carb-rich foods you binge on. Eating carbs leads to eating MORE carbs!! Instead, eat something beneficial and filling like something PACKED with protein or fibre.

- Think before you pick up the piece of pizza or what have you. Do I want this? Am I going to feel sad after I eat it, because I feel as if I have "ruined" my diet? If you've successfully "dieted" all week, you most certainly should feel obliged to eat pizza! Everything is perfectly fine in moderation!! But if you're up to your forth or fifth piece... Think about it before you eat it.

- EAT SLOWLY! I can't stress this enough. Not only do you get fuller faster, you ENJOY the food, your body REGISTERS the food, but you actually absorb more nutrients if you don't just swallow it all whole!

- Tackle the emotional problems you're facing

- Don't be TOO strict! let yourself snack every once in awhile, but have CONTROL not to eat an ENTIRE cake. You don't need an entire cake, and one slice or a couple bites is just as satisfying as an ENTIRE cake!

- Learn to control hunger (link removed) in a natural way

 

Just some tips... Take care, don't be too hard on yourself. Don't stress more than you need to by thinking about dieting and losing weight...

[Speranza]

First, change the self-talk. You CAN help yourself... I recommend a book called 'How to lose weight without dieting' by Jessica Robbins, which is really extremely sensible, balanced and helpful.

 

And you're doing WELL! Don't forget that!

 

P.S. Drink water when you feel the urge to binge, and remember how good it feels not to be fat...

[sidehop]

Don't limit yourself, as long as you eat everything in moderation while keeping sugars and unhealthy substance in your body you can still spurge once a week.

[pinecone]

Thanks for the advice, it's all golden I think it's a kind of food as distraction thing. I've had too much rubbish today already and I feel a bit sick - I feel better on healthy lovely food. I think because I know I'm relaxing on the weekend I want to break all the rules, instead of the week when I follow all of them. But I'd be so cross with myself if I put weight back on.. it'd probably be easier just to be semi-good and balanced all week, but the weekend is when I socialise so it's so much harder to follow the rules, especially when everyone else is scoffing!