Binges

[supahC]

Hey all,

I'm actually more or less normal weight, which is surprising considering the amount I eat, or binge eat. I'll eat hundreds of calories in one sitting, even when i'm not hungry. Lots of times i'll buy a box of treats with the expectation of eating all 10 servings at once.

I balance binge eating with binge excersising, and will work out for hours after a binge.

I can kinda control this behavior if i'm prepared and have healthy snacks on hand (but i guess in behaviorism speak, you can still binge on carrot sticks...).

Anyone else dealing with binge like behavior?

[frantep16]

I am a binge eater sometimes. The fact that you binge and then exercise for hours afterwards may be a sign of bulimia. I know, I know, bulimia is normally thought of as binging and purging (i.e., throwing up), but there are other manifestations, too. You might want to talk to your doctor about what you do.

[ImpFreak7]

I have a friend who is bulimic, in addition to the normal cycle of binging and purging, she does occasionally exercise so much after binging that she makes herself physically ill. I agree with frantep, you should go see a doctor, losing weight is wonderful and all, but you want to be sure you're not hurting yourself in the process.

[urbanjunglekitten]

I binge eat as well. Right now I haven't for a while, but sometimes I think it's only a matter of time. I know you didn't say anything about purging in your post, but just in case someone is reading this who does purge or exercise too much:

I'll third this opinion. There are two kinds of bulimia - the "purging" type that uses vomiting and laxatives, and the "non-purging" type, where purging takes the form of excessive and compulsive exercise. Bulimia also has other factors: usually the bulimic will put themselves on strict fasts or diets where they can only eat certain kinds of foods.

My best friend is dealing with bulimia, and hers started out as the non-purging type, but a year later, developed into the purging type. Bulimia is an extremely dangerous condition. You can die from depriving yourself of necessary fluids and electrolytes if it gets to a certain point.

If you think you might be starting to be obsessive about exercising a ton right after you binge, I would definitely encourage you to see a doctor as soon as possible. If you are curious about bulimia: www.gurze.com/site12_5_00/bulimia.htm

UJKitten

[supahC]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure i have an eating disorder...binge eating isnt taken as seriously as i think it should be, its just not as apparent as anorexia and if you dont purge (i don't) its not quite as life threatening. Thanks for responding, its hard to talk about, but it's painful and can be all consuming (pun intended).

Even though i knew i wasnt alone in dealing with this, it feels good to have others acknowledge that they have the problem too. if anyone wants an online bud to chat about this, i'm around!

[xstatic]

I think I find I act like this if I get depressed... like if some smart ass makes a fat joke. *happened about 2 weeks ago* I didn't take it very well....being that I was sort of gaining a bit of confidence... that totally shattered it... I bawled through the night and spent the next day in bed followed by crap eating behaviors and all that. *giving strange deushbag from the bar a mental middle finger*

[urbanjunglekitten]

supahC said:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure i have an eating disorder...binge eating isnt taken as seriously as i think it should be

Actually, binge eating *is* a recognized eating disorder according to the DSM-IV (the diagnostic book all psychologists and psychiatrists use to diagnose their patients). You're right about it not being taken as seriously as it should be, though. Not a lot is known about it in comparison to bulimia and anorexia, and many people think that binge-eaters just need to work on their self-control. It goes deeper than that, however.

www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/eatdis.htm

Again, only you know what your behavior is like, but if you are "balancing out" your binging with hours and hours of exercise, you could be verging on the non-purging type of bulimia. I don't want to put you on the spot, but if you are either:

A: putting yourself on strict diets where you can only eat certain types of foods without the permission of a doctor and feeling extremely guilty if you break these diets (my friend's thing is oatmeal - she eats a bowl of oatmeal per day and if she wants more than that, she beats herself up)- or -

B: feeling compelled to exercise afterwards. A compulsion is a feeling that you physically can't ignore - almost obsessive in nature. (Plenty of research has shown a link between almost all eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder.) - please see a doctor.

If you feel either of these behaviors starting, I would encourage you to seek help immediately. Eating disorders do not cure themselves, and it would be unfortunate if anyone hurt themselves if it could be avoided.

UJKitten

[WildBerryZinger]

It's scary, to me, to read things like that page and understand perfectly why someone could slip into it. A lack of confidence does crazy things to you. The BDD section struck a bit close to home, but on some level I convince myself it's just low self-esteem and as long as it doesn't manifest in extreme destructive behavior I'm okay. Hah, is it possible to try to purge with guilt? Anything from calorie counting to insulting yourself in your head can get insanely out of hand. I'd definitley consult a doctor. It seems impossible for me to see myself any other way, and I'm sure it might seem similarly to you and many others... But seeking help is always the best idea. It's not something you can easily get yourself out of alone.

[urbanjunglekitten]

Unfortunately, eating disorders are all too common these days, and frequently go undiagnosed. The stereotypical person with an eating disorder is a young, teenage female, but anyone can have one. It's easy for me to understand how and why people develop them, and it makes me kind of angry at our society for glorifying unrealistic ideals of beauty. Eating disorder victims get younger and younger every day, and ED's are starting to show up in older populations with a much higher frequency.

UJKitten

[supahC]

extatic - you have ALOT to be confident about, your ticker shows a significant amount of weight lost, and besides weight loss gain there are lots of things to be happy withones self about...

now thats much eaiser said than done i will admit...
you guys are right, the best way to go when dealing with binging behaviors and the guilt that is associated with them is to seek treatment. its something to consider when i have a job with health insurance . for now i joined an eating disorder meetup, which wont really solve anything i know, but it really helps to talk about it. or even just acknowledge it. Ive been embarassed about this for so long that its ridiculous - i have mentioned it before, but the more i can be open about it the better.

urbanjunglekitten said:

it makes me kind of angry at our society for glorifying unrealistic ideals of beauty.
UJKitten

ironic that you mention this - when compusively excersizing, i watch mtv...and pine for a belly like beyonce! HA Marilyn Monroe and other 50's starlets should be on tv...it would make me feel better! When if ever will the rubenesque figure be back in style?!?

[urbanjunglekitten]

supahC said:

for now i joined an eating disorder meetup, which wont really solve anything i know, but it really helps to talk about it. or even just acknowledge it. Ive been embarassed about this for so long that its ridiculous - i have mentioned it before, but the more i can be open about it the better.

I'm glad to hear that you've joined a support group, or meetup, or whatever you want to call it. These can often be one of the best things for people who are struggling with an eating disorder - kind of like having addicts go to group therapy and AA or NA meetings. Just talking about it and meeting other people who are going through the same thing as you can be a big help. I have some personal experience with this as well, and I can tell you that the more you talk about it, especially with people who have the same kind of problem, the better you will feel. I also know how you feel about not having health insurance . . . I don't have it now either, and I wish I did for various reasons.

UJKitten

[supahC]

this totally sucks. I'm really struggling with the binging thing and i'm feeling kind of helpless.

[frantep16]

I know. I know. I get to feeling the same way.

What happened to your support group? Have you tried Overeaters Anonymous?

[supahC]

my first support group meeting today, which i'm excited/very freaked out about. theres no overeaters anonymous group that i can find, which is ludicrous since i live in NYC so there HAS to be one.

i was doing SO well the past couple of weeks. i dont know why i slipped last night.

how do you deal with your issue?

[frantep16]

Did you go to the OA website? I can't believe it's not there!

As for me...I'm not dealing with it very much at all. I just go day by day, some days are good, others are bad. And the thing is, I truly believe that what I have is an addiction, like an alcoholic. And like alcoholism, it steadily gets worse and worse. I remember being in my late teens and early 20's, and being much more in control than I am now. And I have more at stake now since I'm getting older. I have more health problems that are weight-related. I have a daughter that I want to be around a long time for, and I want to get pregnant again, which I'm sure my weight is hindering.

I'm thinking about going back to OA, too.

Maybe we can do something together, online, where we go through the program ourselves and be each others' support? Let me know what you think about that. You can e-mail me privately to discuss further. I'd love to be able to help you and at the same time get support for myself as well.

[supahC]

I went to an eating disorder group today and i cant tell you what a good experience it was. There were 4 of us, each dealing with eating issues in different ways, but we all had feelings and experiences in common. i feel like we all got something out of it and we agreed to make this a weekly meeting. If you're in the NYC area and want to join us, PM me!

(oh boy, too much caffiene)

[abrannan]

Yay for you! I'm so glad that the group is working out for you.

[urbanjunglekitten]

*cheers*

Sometimes all it takes is being surrounded by people who are going through sort of a similar thing. I tried to get my friend who is bulimic into a support group, and I think that if she had gone, she would have had a much easier time getting better. Let us know how it goes!

UJKitten