Why Is There Not Much Help For Binge Eating Disorder (and if there is, where is it?)

oopsadaisydoddle

Hi all,

After much soul searching I have realised that my weight issues are down to binge eating/compulsive eating. I went to my GP to ask for help and he said it was 'normal' to eat emotionally. He said wha i described wasn't compulsive eating.

I am overweight, have IBS (whichI have accepted is probably due to me bingeing).

I often try and eat healthily but my 'addiction' takes over. Last night for example, I had yoghurt, grapes and a few almonds for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch. My plan was to have a couple of pancakes for supper with some fruit.

My plan went out of the window when I picked DS up from the in laws and I had a couple of pringles off DD. I got home and had 3 bags of crisps, more pringle, 2 packs of mini cheddars and nearly half a box of chocolates....without even batting an eyelid. When it happens, it's like I'm in a trance. It's making me feel rubbish.

I have read up on it and it is said to be made worse by low self esteem (which is true) and depression (which isn't as I am on meds and quite happy otherwise.

I belive that if I made myself sick or swallowed a handful of laxatives after binges, I would be offered help but because i don't it's like it's not really a problem.

I have tried self help books but I don't seem to get anywhere with them.

Can anyone help or share experience please?

Thanks,

Oops.x

mel48rose

Would it not be better to eat three proper meals a day. You are bound to be hungry eating such a small unfilling breakfast. A proper healthy tea might stop the munchies also. Good luck.

oopsadaisydoddle

mel48rose wrote: »

Would it not be better to eat three proper meals a day. You are bound to be hungry eating such a small unfilling breakfast. A proper healthy tea might stop the munchies also. Good luck.

Thanks for replying!

I have tried the 3 square meals approach. I went througha phase of making my own healthy cereals bars with oats, seeds and fruit. I also had HM veg soup and granary roll for lunch and something like new pots/fish and veg for tea. I still binged (although not as much).

It is affected by what i eat, so yes, if I don't eat properly early in the day, then I'm likely to binge. However, it's not always restricted to those times - can still happen when I've had a good healthy 'fill'. It's like I have no off button.

Thanks again!

Bitsy_Beans

Have you ever read any books by Geneen Roth? Recommend her book Breaking Free from emotional eating.

Thing is if you're deliberately trying avoid "bad" foods it only makes you crave them more. Might that be why you ended up binging, you had avoided them all day trying to be "good" and then you have one or two and the craving takes over.
Why not give yourself permission to have a little of what you like to avoid bingeing. However you need to address the emotional reasons if why you're dong this.
Good luck x

oopsadaisydoddle

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

Have you ever read any books by Geneen Roth? Recommend her book Breaking Free from emotional eating.

Thing is if you're deliberately trying avoid "bad" foods it only makes you crave them more. Might that be why you ended up binging, you had avoided them all day trying to be "good" and then you have one or two and the craving takes over.
Why not give yourself permission to have a little of what you like to avoid bingeing. However you need to address the emotional reasons if why you're dong this.
Good luck x

Thanks. Geneen Roth I think is possibly the only author I haven't read although it's possible i have in the past.

I am not depressed - apart from with my weight. I have a job I like and a good family life. As I said though, I do suffer from low self esteem. I feel like I shouldn't be fat and am embarrassed by my size.

daska

Been there, done that etc...

Don't keep things in the house! Not even if family members whinge at you. Ask them to keep these things out of the house.

And then look at what you're eating because you're not craving 'food'! Some of it is in savoury form but everything you've listed is high in carbohydrates, it's all stuff that converts to sugar as soon as you eat it. IF you were craving 'food' you'd be as likely to grab a lump of cheese or chow down on a steak - how often do you do that?

There's growing evidence that sugar is a painkiller, both emotional and physical, and it's addictive, acting on the brain in the same way as other major addictions. And the way to deal with it is the same as other addictions - cut it out.

The joy is that you can control this if you want to badly enough, it just takes a bit of effort. All you have to do is avoid the carbs and the body WILL stop craving them. If you need support then come and join us on the low carb thread, you'll be more than welcome.

henmuffin

This is a good self help site:
http://www.b-eat.co.uk/

You could also ask your GP to refer you to IAPT. (Improving access to psychological therapies) in your area. They might not work with eating disorders per se but if the eating is a result of another condition such as low mood they might help.

Hope this helps.

bigmaz

Agreed with the whole "avoiding anything thats bad" it just doesnt work. I am kind of similar, not as bad though. Just really hard to eat healthy. I am currently back on a "helthy" eating spree, but I still have the odd treat, and never starve myself like what you are doing. The main thing that makes me binge is when I go a couple of days depriving myself and making myself starve. I am not massivley fat, but its a problem I would like to sort to be a bit more healthy. Also signed up for a 10k in June, so something to work 2wards.

I too went to the docs and the options for help is pretty poor. I was offered a chance to join a group, but when i phoned to arrange, there was no evening support groups, so I would have to give up days at work which is not possible. So I agree about lack of support for this.

podperson

I agree you'd be better with more filling meals, especially breakfast for a start. If you're feeling starving by mid-morning then it's not going to help.

Are there are particular patterns to your eating - for example do you scoff more when you feel stressed, if someone upsets you, if you're bored etc. It could be worth keeping a food diary - write down exactly what you eat, when and how you feel at the time. If there are certain triggers you have then it can be helpful to pinpoint these so you can either try and avoid them or put coping methods in place. For example, I used to be a really bad evening snacker - mainly from boredom. I would be sat there doing nothing or watching carp tv and would start eating purely because it was something to do (not that I realised that in so many words at the time). Now I'll try and see that in advance and see if I can distract myself and do some more involving, or even something that just keeps my hands busy

Also, do you any exercise? This can raise endorphines and make you less likely to want to binge (plus if I've just sweated for an hour I find I'm much less likely to want to undo all the good work!).

cleggy.

oopsadaisydoddle wrote: »

Hi all,
I got home and had 3 bags of crisps, more pringle, 2 packs of mini cheddars and nearly half a box of chocolates....

daska wrote: »

Don't keep things in the house! Not even if family members whinge at you. Ask them to keep these things out of the house.
.

Agree. Don't buy crap and then it's not there to tempt you.

If other family members want to eat crap then give them the money and tell them to get it themselves and keep it away from you.

Jox

It does sound like you're not eating enough calories in your meals.

The yogurt for breakfast (fruit? low fat? sugar? sweetener added?) might be about 120 cals
10 grapes are 40 cals
10 almonds are 70 cals

Not a hearty breakfast.

Then you're starving by lunch and have a sandwich - maybe 350 cals?

By dinner you are ravenous and grab whatever you can, crisps, cheese, chocolates...your blood sugar has dipped and you feel panicky and need to eat immediately - the densest calorie food possible!

Can you investigate a diet that sustains you throughout the day, you will need to be prepared, get your breakfast things ready the day before.

Have snacks ready for work.

Make your sandwich the night before and have some fruit to bulk it out.

Drink water throughout the day.

Adding sugar to tea and coffee causes the blood sugar to spike and fall rapidly.

Know what you are having for dinner so you aren't trying to think what to have while famished and unable to think straight.