Help! Tips to get past binging urges

What do I do to get past my cravings? When I give in to my temptations for sweets and bread I get crazy. I can't stop myself from eating even though I'm not hungry. I usually do it at night after I get home from the gym. Any suggestions?

Hi, I understand what you're going through -- I've done/been doing the same for over a year, and was anorexic before. Restricting calories following a binge, as well as excessive exercise are both methods of purging.

My advice with the restrictive eating following the binge is that it only perpetuates the cycle. The only way that I was able to reduce my binge eating to a manageable level was to feed myself regularly, even when I didn't "deserve" it because of a binge the night before. I gained weight from the binge/purge cycle, not just the binge eating itself...and lost weight when I stopped the restrictive eating to compensate for my excessive calorie consumption. I have a much greater appreciation for my metabolism now, considering the relatively low amount of weight that I gained with daily binges of 4,000-8,000 calories.

It's a scary thing to do, but sometimes you have to gain a little weight (or at least be mentally prepared to) to be able to truely accept your body, or at least to stop binge eating. I lost about 15lbs in 2-3 months without any restiction or excessive exercise -- just by healthy eating and exercise. I recommend entree salads, lots of veggies/fiber, and a good amount of fat (and at least 1,500 calories if you're exercising).

Oh, and carbs and sugars and general are fuel for the fire in terms of binge eating....LOTS of protein is really helpful, especially after the gym. Your body not only processes carbs more quickly, but also since carbs have high glycemic indexes, they cause your insulin to spike then fall -- causing that jittery feeling, or intensified hunger. If I don't have protein with every meal or snack, I inevitably eat more.

One last piece of advice: have you tried keeping only healthy food in the house? I know this may be a futile effort (I'd travel whatever distance, any time of the night, to get my binge fix sometimes). It did really help me to move out a house with 14 other people (bulk bags of cheese and bread -- yikes!) and live on my own.

I don't in any way mean to make this sound easy... this is something that I'll have to keep in check for the rest of my life. Have you tried meds and/or therapy? Low doses of anti-depressants are now commonly prescribed by physicians for regulating hunger signals (and the impulsiveness that leads to a binge).

Good Luck!

Jessie