r/BingeEatingDisorder • u/Soggy_Equipment_2991 • 2d ago
Advice Needed What was the mindset shift the finally made you get your overeating habits in check? Consistently
I struggle with slowing down to think about what I'm going to eat, especially socially. I just feel like food is there so I should eat it. How did you figure out what void you were trying to fill with food? How can I figure out how to finally change!?
2
u/_OhMyPlatypi_ 2d ago
Getting my adhd diagnosed and treated. Binge eating was self medicating for my need for "fast,cheap dopamine".
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u/lil-taller-then-u 2d ago
Don't buy snacks or junk food. I only began to really recover after moving to my own place where I can control the food that comes in. Will power is good but it only gets you so far. You need to create a space that helps you succeed.
The other day I wanted to boredom eat and went back and forth from the fridge and cabinets but all I really and was ingredients so I gave up and went back to doing something else. I had other mindsets that helped but this the only thing that ever helped me be consistent
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u/BrittleNails 2d ago
Therapy helped me shift my mindset. I realized binges were a protective mechanism, myself shielding myself from feeling difficult emotions. Once I expanded the window of tolerance for feeling sadness, anger, frustration and guilt, things started to improve.
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u/Old-Bonus-8509 1d ago
I think this is what i’m currently trying to work on - could you expand a bit more on how you expanded your window of tolerance?
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u/BrittleNails 1d ago
Yes. First off, I need to prepare for the inevitable. The luteal week comes with lower impulse control. Same goes for: travel time, events, outings, hikes, and life stages that implicitly bring more stress, like losing a loved one, breakup/ divorce, pregnancy/ post-partum/ breastfeeding, sleeplessness/ insomnia. So when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I prepare mentally for the fact that my nutrition will suffer. I plan to eat at maintenance. I binge sometimes. But mental prep is key, I feel less of a failure for losing control when knowing this would happen, rather than when I'd resolved first thing in the morning to stick to 1700 calories per day, and I've had 1000 for breakfast.
Expanding the window of tolerance comes with mapping your thoughts, emotions, reactions, inner world (trigger and thought: "I'm so upset right now. I'm going to go home and EAT"). Once you catch it, you can address it, postpone the instant gratification.
Don't expect perfection. Aim for progress. So if you wait 3 minutes before eating, that's progress. If you eat fruit instead of upf sweets, that's progress. If you stop before your tummy hurts, that's progress. If you confide in someone, that's progress. We all ha e thos fantasy of waking up "healed" one day, and it's complete bolllocks. The only way out of this is to make tiny increments of progress. Journal your habit gains if it helps. Get an accountability buddy. Whatever small thing you do differently today that gets you away feom emotional eating, you can build on top of tomorrow.
You got this.
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u/Old-Bonus-8509 1d ago
This was sooooo helpful - thank you! I think I have actually made good progress recently and just haven’t noticed. I still emotionally eat but it’s not as severe as the binging before and I have more good days than bad. Alcohol is a huge trigger for me so I think it’s best if I avoid that altogether.
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u/BrittleNails 14h ago
Yes I have to agree with you on that. I gave up drinking, life has been a lot better, in more ways than one. People are shocked, not even a beer? Honestly I'd feel poorly the next day even after one beer. And impulse control would fly out thr window. The only thing worse is weed.
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u/RecoveredInPA 2d ago
For me, compulsively eating and thinking about what to eat and not eat, what I weighed, all that- was an addiction. What changed my life was Chronic Compulsive Eaters Anonymous. You can check out the website chroniceaters.org 😊
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u/ditchmaggots 2d ago
Usually it's a health checkup/scare. Occasionally spiral thinking after a binge.