Compulsive overeating

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I find keeping a journal is extremely helpful for this.

I've never had compulsive over-eating, but I'm an ex-bulimic and anorexic so I do have some experience in this realm.

If you keep a journal of what you eat, when you eat, and how you FEEL before and after... you can begin to connect some dots. Some people will find that their compulsive eating episodes are triggered by anxiety, stress, boredom, loneliness, or many other triggers (certain people).

Also... take it from experience. If you are compulsively eating all the time, you can't just "stop" like that and go back into a diet mode. It shocks the body far too much.

Perhaps try reducing your daily calories very slowly, and then taper off at a reasonable amount. I would definitely focus on getting healthier before you worry about losing weight.

Feel free to message me if you have any further questions. I unfortunately know a ton about eating disorders.

Thanks folks. I guess I see 'patience' at least partially written in what you say. Two months and still going on my current reduced diet is an accomplishment of itself and has taken me almost halfway to my goal.

I am feeling a bit more temptation to jump off the wagon lately for some reason. I am not sure I have the patience for a diary, athough I think that would work for some. Something to keep the goal foremost and will energized, rather then listening to Mr. Chips singing the salty siren song from the cupboard.

I just overate again. I could really cry. I ate a whole package of cookies worth 1100 calories in an hour. I DON'T KNOW WHY I DO THIS. i had already eaten two pistolets and a mango and a banana. I hate myself.

I was so freaking beautiful and slim four years ago. Sicj a gorgeous figure. Why did I let it get to this point for gods sake!! !! NOOOOO!! !! And I just keep going

When I am not full, food is always on my mind. I am a true addict. I am crazy.
10 seconds of pleasure in my mouth and 10 excess kilograms on my pouch

I'm the same way. I just enjoy pasta and sauce too much!

And I'm not getting any younger

I walk six miles pretty frequently--and I'm still not losing weight!

I really like it that this topic has some use to people. I haven't posted in quite a while because I'm doing very well. I don't suffer from this anymore since my situation improved. I sometimes thought about this topic but decided to not visit it as I have this my 'old' attitude/approach again:

''Everything's fine and normal, overeating is not an issue, I'm not hungry nor do I crave.''

Perhaps hard to explain, but I figured that visiting this topic and responding again would make food and eating into an ''issue'' again. But I'm 'normal' again (normal in my definition) which is good. I know that there'll be a time where this becomes relevant again, but until then I avoid these kind of topics. I believe that when there's no issue and when you eat normal, healthy and regular meals, reading about eating disorders or overeating is no good.

But sincerely thanks a lot for the support and the positive responses I really appreciate that.

Yoma,

Oh great. The patron saint of the Order of Compulsive Eaters (OoCE) just left the building. Gone on to a better place I guess....

Just kidding, I hope you know. Maybe you won't have to come back. In fact I hope you never come back! Yes! Get out and never come back! as Gollum put it. Seriously, glad you are in a good pattern and I agree, that if you aren't having a problem why think about it and maybe just keep needless stress about it.

Me, well... fell off the wagon for three days and had a midnight snack regression. Got back on last night. I can feel bad, but hopefully working on this long term will still be long term improvement. I am a lot better then when I started. I guess set backs can be expected.

Hope the new folks who joined the discussion can get something going. Doesn't have to be dramatic at first. Just something, like cut out one thing a day.

I don't know about you, but I recently recovered, and for me, watching what you eat isn't the answer. You have to deal with the emotions. I have alexithymia--not a good thing when you have anxiety and a food addiction. Together, that led to compulsive overeating because I couldn't identify my anxiety, so I would eat.

So I learned to overcome my alexithymia, and that helped me actually problem solve instead of eating. I still have a food addiction, but I don't overeat because now that my anxiety and alexithymia are better, I use self-control.

I'm kind of like one of those people who *love* food but don't have problems with overeating because they don't feel the need to numb their emotions, so they don't want to get sick. If overeating didn't make me feel sick, it would probably still be a problem for me. And for me, it's only possible to override that sick feeling if you feel "trapped" with negative emotions, which I don't anymore.

I overate by 1600 calories one day.

that's nothing. I regularly overeat double the calories I should have. It's awful, I am so fat. In two months I've put on a stone which took me years to slowly shave off.

Trouble is when it's cold like now I cannot cope with it and end up eating even when I am not hungry because eating makes me feel warm and nice. And this is already on top of full on central heating and wearing 4 layers of clothes and a wooly hat indoors. I need to move to a tropical country, for sure.

Doing it again as life sucks at the moment and my response to winter is bad this time.

So, today was bad, as was last week. Tomorrow should be better!

Today was a bad day!

I need to watch my rhythm and sleep.

Have fallen off the good diet a few times. Holidays are particulary hard. I nearly lost all my gains but not quite and am back on track hopefully. The house is madness with 4 small dogs now and I think it will help keep my activity up. I was exhausted last night.

I used to be really horrible as far as eating when I felt emotional. I've moved past that stage. This year I'm eliminating all sweets (cakes, pies, chocolates you name it) because sweets become addictive. I've been told to treat myself before and that one "treat" becomes an all you can eat buffet of chocolate and stuff like that.

I find that having one treat per week, and being very strict about it just being ONE chocolate bar or ONE packet of chips or whatever works for me. Take advantage of Aspie rigidity.