You're not back at square one. Every day you fight this, every time you recognize the problem and try to do better, you're making progress. You are. Believe me. The fact that you had a month without binging is huge! That's proof that you can do it. Don't let the bad days discourage you. What matters is that you keep moving forward. Have you thought about what might have triggered the return to binging after that successful month?
Those ups and downs you're experiencing are a normal part of the healing and getting better. The month you went without binging is a huge accomplishment, and it proves that you have the ability to break free from this cycle. Try to view your setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities to learn and grow. Every time you slip up, you gain more info about your triggers and behaviors. This knowledge is invaluable for your recovery
One thing that really helped me was focusing on self-compassion. It's easy to beat yourself up after a binge, but that often just perpetuates the cycle. Instead, try to treat yourself with the same kindness you'd show a friend in a similar situation. A day of binging doesn't have to grow into a week or month. You have the power to stop this
What helped me was focusing on overall health rather than just food. I started exercising regularly, not to lose weight, but to feel strong and energized. I also worked on managing stress through meditation and journaling. These practices helped me become more in tune with my body and its needs. Another crucial aspect was learning to eat intuitively. Instead of restricting certain foods, I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted, but I focused on listening to my body's hunger and fullness cues. It was scary at first, but over time, it helped normalize my relationship with food. What strategies have you found helpful so far in your recovery journey?
@HEARTLESS To be honest, I've tried a few things, but nothing seems to stick. I've attempted meal planning, but I always end up deviating from it. I've also tried keeping a food diary, but it just made me more obsessed with what I was eating. I'm just not strong enough to overcome this. There's a constant battle in my head between wanting to eat healthily and wanting to binge. The worst part is the shame that comes after a binge. I isolate myself and feel like a complete failure. It's affecting my relationships too. I've canceled plans with friends because I was too ashamed of how I looked after a binge. I know it's not rational, but in those moments, it feels like the whole world can see my failure
@HEARTLESS It's just so hard when you feel like you've let yourself down again and again. The isolation does make things worse. I've tried to force myself to go out sometimes, even when I don't feel like it. But it's tough. There's always this voice in the back of my mind telling me that people are judging me, even though logically I know they probably aren't. Joining this app has been helpful. At least here, I can talk to people who understand without having to face them in person. But I miss having a normal social life too
@HEARTLESS I guess I've been chasing this perfect idea of how I should eat, when really, everyone's relationship with food is different. It's just hard to shake off years of thinking about food in such a black and white way. Either I'm being "good" and restricting, or I'm being "bad" and binging. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground
@halljulie The emotional rollercoaster of this disorder is intense. I remember feeling exactly the same way like I was constantly at war with myself. The thing is, it's not about being strong enough. This isn't a test of willpower. It's a complex issue that goes way beyond just food. For me, I had to learn to be kinder to myself. Every time I binged, I'd beat myself up about it, which only made me want to binge more to cope with those negative feelings. I had to learn to talk to myself like I would talk to a friend going through the same thing. It sounds cheesy, but it really helped. BTW, talk to a friend, that isolation only fueled my disorder. It gave me more time alone with my thoughts, which usually led to more binging
@halljulie Oh man, I felt exactly like that for the longest time. "Normal" is such a loaded word. What even is a normal relationship with food? Everyone has their own habits when it comes to eating. I had to learn to stop comparing myself to some idealized version of "normal" that probably doesn't even exist. It's a process, and it doesn't happen overnight. There were days when I felt like I was making progress, and days when I felt like I was right back where I started. The panic over menus lessened. I still have moments of anxiety around food, but it's so much better than it was
same and i hate myself for it so much. i try to stop, but i can't. as soon as i start eating, i can't stop. why am i like this?...... month without binging is something unreal for me. you are so strong, and i believe that if you could do it before, you can do it again
@nobody.at.all I'm sorry you're struggling with this too. IT SUCKS! It's such a frustrating cycle. One minute you feel like you're making progress, and the next you're right back where you started. I keep asking myself why I can't just eat normally like everyone else. Why does food have such a hold on me? And the guilt... oh, the guilt is overwhelming. I wish I could just enjoy food without all this baggage
@nobody.at.all Oh my gosh, yes! The whole "just eat less" advice drives me crazy. If it were that simple, don't they think we would have done it by now? It's like telling someone with depression to just "cheer up". It completely dismisses how complex and overwhelming this struggle is. And I totally relate to food being both the enemy and the comfort. It's such a confusing relationship. I catch myself planning binges days in advance, or obsessing over what I'm going to eat next
@nobody.at.all sending you and op the strength to overcome this! You can stop the cycle, both you and op! You just gotta believe in yourself and actually make decision to change the pattern. And while I get that self-pitying can help release the stress, but jut don't drown in it
@halljulie saammme, food has become the enemy, but also my only comfort at the same time. how messed up is that? i hate how much time i spend thinking about food and binging. my whole life revolves around it. i can't focus on anything else. and the worst part is, no one around me seems to understand. they just tell me to "eat less" or "have more willpower". if only it were that simple, right? i feel so alone in this ughhhh
@halljulie exactly! food is always there, in the back of my mind. even when i'm doing other things, it's still there ALWAYS. and the planning... oh god, the planning. i do that too. i'm always thinking about my next binge, even when i'm trying not to. and then i feel guilty for even thinking about it, which just makes me want to binge more. and don't even get me started on social situations. trying to act normal around food when other people are around is so stressful. i'm always worried they'll notice how weird i am about food. or worse, that i'll lose control and binge in front of them
For me, the turning point was when I started to work on my self-esteem and body image. I realized that my binge eating was often triggered by negative thoughts about myself. So, I began practicing self-compassion and positive affirmations. It felt silly at first, but it really helped change my mindset. I also found that having a support system was crucial, having people who understand what you're going through can make a world of difference. Don't be afraid to reach out for help to your fam! Hope things get better for you, because it is absolutely possible 💖
Hello,
I would want you to reflect on how did you manage to be without binging for a month, how were you able to stick to it, what motivated you and think of what triggered you to start doing it again. You need to identify the vulnerable moments which led you to binge back is it boredom or someone making a harsh comment or frustration about something or loneliness. This will help you to understand yourself on deeper level which will in-turn enable you to overcome the urge of binging.
Setbacks will happen where you may get back to binging but don't be harsh to yourself. Just be gentle.Most effective way of stop feeling guilty or anxious after binging is to just exercise and be active like walk or do yoga or jog, rebalance your diet with nutritional food.
When you completely stop yourself from eating food you like and you follow a strict diet regime then chances are your body may crave for it resulting in binging. So start eating those restrictive items in a limited portion than completely stopping it.
You also need to write down the end goal why do you feel binging is not good? how will it benefit you? what is the reason you want to stop? when you know why you want to stop you are clear with the end result and working towards it.
write down as well your thoughts. Sometimes a person binges because he doesn't understand or know how to express his emotions. write down how do you feel while binging and after binging. Look into your emotions. name those feelings.
Start paying close attention to your thoughts while eating. Be present, mindful and aware of what you are eating. Every bite you eat think about how the texture feel, how does this food taste, how does eating this food make you feel, Am i feeling happy to eat, am i still hungry and want more or can i stop eating. When you start becoming thoughtful while eating then this will become a practise which will help you to do it while binge eating. Automatically your thoughts would ask you why are you eating this in larger portion, are you really hunger etc.