Binge & Cravings Resistance

Here's some tips for avoiding binging and curbing cravings:

- Distract yourself. Pick up a good book, watch TV, go for a walk.

- Wait it out. Often times cravings will pass if you wait, but it's also really hard, so I suggest doing something like painting your nails and waiting until the paint's dry to eat.

- Drink a lot of water. This will make you feel fuller and will probably lessen your desire to binge.

- Drink some peppermint tea, have a peppermint, etc. Peppermint decreases appetite so you'll feel less like you want to eat.

Last but not least, if none of those other tips work:

[edited to remove eating disordered behavior from list by forum mentor]

Hope this helps!

Thanks, I'll try these out!

Hi @InnocenceKuchiki I have the same problem and aswell as the tips above i alsi bought an adult colouring book which at first i thought was silly but set myself a goal to finish one with a cup of tea and see how i feel . I hope this is helpful

That doesn't sound silly at all, I just have a problem with snacks and what not. There's plenty I can do to keep me occupied and distracted, but food is constantly on my mind unless I'm full. I'm always bloated afterwards, which I absolutely detest. Any other tips would be great, and if you have any similar issues we could talk.

@InnocenceKuchiki I know exactly what you mean unfortunately i cant seem to get past thinking about snacks all the time .....i may fixate on one in particular also but usually if i distract myself for long enough the craving will stop but it can be really hard depending what it is to try not to binge i do give in .... I try to maybe if its something from a large packet take just one serving and put it in a container and put away the packet so im not tempted to continue. And i usually have any snack with tea or some sparking water /low cal sparkling drink to help fill up

It's hard once I eat to stop, I just can't seem to reduce the cravings.

@InnocenceKuchiki I know exactly what you mean if im snacking sometimes i just cant stop . What i have tried to do is break my meals instead of three larger ones i tend to now have smaller portions and eat every two-three hours which has helped . And i try to stick to this days i can and avoid snacking as i know a small meal isnt too far away

I've tried to do that, however the cravings seem to always win. Another thing I try to do is purge, it feels so great afterwards, knowing the food is gone.

@InnocenceKuchiki sadly i know how this goes too :( ive also tried eating in public maybe going by myself to get something with a book and also with anyone i can find as it will also stop me as ill read my book waiting for food to go down or if im with someone stay chatting after we have eaten for awhile if either of these options would help

One day down tomorrow is a new day

I used to be overweight and very inactive. When I started to exercise regularly it became much easier to be mindful about what I eat. I still have a problem with controlling my portion size and cravings.

I am married and my husband wants children. The thought of being pregnant and unable to exercise terrifies me! I am also very afraid that I won't be able to control my cravings due to hormons.

I can only imagine how stressful this must be for you, listen closely dear. If you desire a child as well, you should try and consult your husband on these issues. It's important that you have support for this, don't at all resort to not eating, especially whilst the child is within you, it will need food as well, from your diet. My best advice is to speak with you husband on the matter, and see if things will improve with help.

Due to childhood events, I suffer from PTSD-related depression and anxiety. Currently, because of the life-changing impact of two recent major breakdowns, I am finding it difficult to avoid binge drinking. Even though my problem is different, there are three things which can sometimes help me and are, I hope, more generally applicable.

Firstly, someone once told me that, for binge drinkers, it's the first drink that gets you drunk. Maybe this could be reframed to be a helpful reminder for other types of binging?

Secondly, before every temptation to binge, take a few minutes to write down your mood and dominant thoughts. Doing that may well help you to better understand all your triggers which, in turn, can help you find ways to defuse your emotions and resist temptation.

Thirdly, try not to beat yourself up about the things you've already done, and which can't possibly be undone. I suspect many of us struggle to treat ourselves with compassion and gentle kindness - I know my inner critical voices are those that, by right, belong to the people who always criticised me when I was young - but we need to work towards accepting that we are all imperfect and we all deserve a decent, happy life, free from unjustified self-criticism. So don't waste energy beating yourself up over the past; try to let go of it so you can use that energy to strengthen you in the future.

@john13579

Thanks a lot for your Tips