Living with Binge Eating Disorder
Live Life to the Fullest Even With a Binge Eating Disorder
By Kristin Gerstley
“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.”
- Diane Ackerman
I know this has happened to all of us at one time in our life or another. You are face-to-face with something that you’ve always wanted to do, stop binge eating disorder, but something stops you. Instead of accepting something that’s always appealed to you, the words “no thank you” come out of your mouth. Instead of asking for something you want, you find yourself too afraid to even ask.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to help people. I was never sure how I would do that, but I knew that it was something that I was extremely passionate about. I want to make a difference in people’s lives. In college, I thought about being a teacher, but then I wasn’t sure that I was passionate about it enough. I switched to marketing, but then didn’t think that I would get much out of doing that. I was lost as to how to achieve my dream of helping people. I would wrack my brain over and over to try to see what things I was good at so I could help someone. Nothing came to mind. It was frustrating.
Once I told my husband about my binge eating disorder and after I was in therapy, I just knew that I was supposed to help people with binge eating disorder. I just had a good feeling about it. The good feeling lasted about as long as it could until I started thinking that I would have to share my struggles with binge eating disorder with strangers and people that already knew me. I started to take a step back because I didn’t want to make myself that vulnerable. I knew that I could help people, but something inside blocked me from doing anything about it for some time.
My mind would race about all of the things that I could do to benefit others with sharing my story. But then I would argue with myself saying “No one will care. I’m just a nobody. What will people think?” But then I remembered searching on the Internet for other success stories from people who had overcome binge eating disorder and finding nothing. “Just try it and see what happens. What have you got to lose?”
Finally without thinking too much about it, I started writing down everything that I could about my experience with binge eating disorder. I looked over my entire journal writings and realized that I had a lot of good information to share. I stopped thinking and worrying about putting myself out there, and realized that if I was going to help someone - this was just what I needed to do. I spent many days in my office just writing my binge eating disorder eBook, and not focusing any amount of energy on worrying about it.
If I wouldn’t have challenged myself to keep moving forward, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to develop great relationship with many of you. I wouldn’t have had the chance to read the emails that bring tears to my eyes. I wouldn’t have had the chance to be doing what I absolutely love. You know many people hate their jobs. They do not like getting up and going to work everyday. I’m so thankful that I listened to that voice in my head that kept on pushing me to do this because I wake up every morning and can’t wait to check my email and work on all of the great things that I have planned. I feel truly blessed to be doing what I’m doing.
When you do the things that you’ve always wanted to do, you expand your comfort zone, discover something new about yourself, and have a lot of fun doing it. The next time you have the chance to do something, don’t wait so long. Do the uncomfortable by going through with it and saying “yes”! You do have the power to change your relationship with food and stop binge eating disorder from progressing anymore!
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Kristin Gerstley is a former binge eater that now has a very healthy relationship with food. Since 2005, Kristin has helped thousands of people who suffer from Binge Eating Disorder through her website: http://www.endbingeeating.com You can also get free tips and information by joining Kristin’s newsletter at: http://www.bingeeatingdisorderhelp.com
21 Binge Eating Symptoms
Binge Eating Disorder - How to Figure Out If You Have it - Take the 21 Binge Eating Symptoms Test
By Jana Suzzane
I was a binge eater for over 20 years.
For me binge eating meant that I ate WAY PAST the comfortable place of feeling full - eating to the point of pain sometimes after eating so much food.
Binge eating was a frenzied hectic behavior for me - where food became the primary focus and everything else was ignored. A binge might last from 1 - 4 hours and during that time everything - even the food would become a blur. The only thing on my mind was eating another bite of something I considered a “forbidden” food such as chocolate, or caramel, or high calorie full fat haagen dazs ice cream, or deep dish pizza, or potato chips, or nachos with loads of cheese.
If you are wondering if you might be a binge eater answer the following questions:
Do you choose to eat when you are not hungry?
Do you overeat or binge on food when you feel stressed out?
Do you binge on food when you are bored?
Do you eat food as a form of comfort?
Do you eat way past the point of comfortable fullness?
Do you hide food wrappers so no one will see what you have eaten?
Do you eat alone so that no one can see the food you consume?
Do you feel bad or guilty after bingeing?
Do you eat when you are not hungry?
Do you feel compulsive about eating? Like you are driven to eat ALL of something - like an entire box of chocolates or a whole container of ice cream?
Do you feel like you are always thinking about food?
Do you plan for and look forward to times when you can eat all by yourself?
Do you hide food?
Do you eat like a normal person when you are with others and then binge in private?
Do you plan binges and go on special shopping trips to the grocery store with the sole purpose of getting special forbidden “binge” foods?
Are you concerned that you are out of control with food?
Do you eat to escape from your daily pressures?
Do you find that dieting never really works for you and that it causes you to binge even more?
Are you miserable about your relationship with food?
Do you feel like your food problems control your life?
Does your weight have an overall negative effect on your life?
If you answered yes to three or more of these statements there is a good chance that you either have trouble with binge eating or you are well on your way to creating a binge eating or emotional overeating problem in your life.
There is a natural way to be free of binge eating. I suffered from Binge Eating for over 20 years and I have recovered from it. It was a dark lonely place and I am so glad to be healed and healthy and happy and free from the food issues that seemed to control so much of my life. You can be free too.
How I got free from binge eating and became happy, healthy and slim. - http://RawFoodDietWeightLoss.com
Learn how you can stop binge eating - http://HowCanIStopBingeEating.com/
8 Common Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
Binge Eating - 8 Common Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
By Jana S.
Are you a binge eater? Are you afraid you might be suffering from Binge Eating Disorder?
Listed below are 8 common symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder.
Keep in mind that all binge eaters are different so not all the symptoms listed may apply.
A binge eater tends to:
1) eat an unusually large amount of food at one sitting - eating way past the point of comfortable and sometimes eating to the point of pain from stuffing down so much food.
2) eat lots of food when they are not hungry
3) eat quickly and not really thoroughly chew the food - not savoring the food in any way.
4) eat alone during a binge so that no one can see just how much food they are shoveling down
5) hide food wrappers or any evidence of food that has been eaten so others will not know how much was eaten
6) feel manic or frenzied about bingeing - may feel like bingeing is triggered by emotional pressure but have no idea why
7) feel bad after a binge - usually disgusted with themselves, and often depressed or guilty about the lack of self control.
feel sick after the binge and often lethargic - almost in a daze of numbness
Now some of those 8 symptoms listed above may not seem that much different from an overeater.
Bingeing is way different than overeating.
Overeating is usually an occasional occurrence of going overboard with food - like people tend to do on a special occasion or holiday meal.
Binge Eating Disorder is more about a person having little control over what, when and how much food she puts into her body at one sitting.
When I began to deal for the first time with my binge eating I did not even realize that my out of control behavior with food was an actual eating disorder. I just thought it was lack of self control and I beat myself up mentally every day for not having it together when it came to food.
Now since recovering from binge eating disorder I can tell you it is a legitimate disorder. It is not just a lack of self discipline. In fact many binge eaters are some of the most disciplined people in the world. They usually get good grades, are dependable, loyal, have good jobs and are upstanding members of society.
There is hope and recovery from binge eating. I have been free from binge eating for many years and my life is no longer centered on food. I am at a slim healthy weight and my life and health are growing in a positive direction.
Learn what I did to stop binge eating and become happy, healthy and slim. http://RawFoodDietWeightLoss.com
Get free tips on how to stop binge eating http://HowCanIStopBingeEating.com/
How to End Binge Eating
How to End Binge Eating - The Power of the Pause
By John Davenport
Binge eating usually comes like a tidal wave. Suddenly, an enormous hunger attacks you and you feel helpless to fight it. It doesn’t matter what causes a binge eating attack, it is always hard to face.
However, if you want to end binge eating know that there are things you can do. In fact, there’s a very simple step which I’ve used myself and it has helped me a great deal. I call it the Power of the Pause, and it goes something like this.
Whenever you want to stop binge eating, you need to break the process that got you there. Usually, you get a crave, rush to the fridge or the fast food joint, eat without even thinking about it, and then feel guilty and ashamed.
The truth is that once you have the food in your hand, there is no way you’ll be able to stop this binge eating attack from happening. You have to stop the crave from making you overeat. For that, you need the Power of the Pause.
The Power of the Pause is a technique by which you distance the craving from the action you take to get the food. Since it is often hard to differentiate an emotional craving from true physical hunger, this is something you need to do before every time you eat. Whenever, you feel hunger, you need to stop and take some form of action that will take your mind off your hunger. Some people simply count to ten and breathe deeply. Others do some sit ups or go for a walk. You need to see what works for you and tweak it.
For instance, if counting to 10 doesn’t work, then go for 20 or 30. If you need to get away from the fridge then take a walk. You make the pause into your own. But whatever you do, you must program your body and mind to realize that you’re in control, that no craving is sending you to binge no more. If you do that, you will regain control of what you eat and stop binge eating.
Of course, you will still have work to do in figuring out why you binge in the first place, but with the Power of the Pause, you’ve taken a major step to a better life.
To get a Free course on how to deal with Compulsive Eating, visit this webpage:
Overcome Binge Eating Disorder.
John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. He now runs a weight loss forum and publishes a diet and fitness newsletter. John helps people to better deal with emotional eating on this website:
http//EmotionalEatingSolution.com
I Have Binge Eating Disorder… Now What?
I Have Binge Eating Disorder… Now What?
By Kristin Gerstley
Are you sick and tired of wondering if your eating habits are normal? What about pondering over and over again why you feel like you aren’t fully capable of having the potential to take control of your life? Are you the type of person that finds comfort in food? Does food numb your feelings and make you forget about life for a moment? Do you eat when you are not even hungry? Do you stuff yourself full until you feel sick?
If so, you may have Binge Eating Disorder. Although, you probably feel like you are the only one crazy enough to find solace while eating – You are not. In fact, there are about 25 million others who are just like you. Nice to know, isn’t it?
Now, what is the next step?
There are many different routes that you can take for getting help. If you feel like you need to talk to someone, but would prefer a more one-on-one atmosphere, then talking to a medical professional regarding your binge eating habits just might be what you need. There are many therapists, psychiatrists, and doctors that can help you get to the root of your binges and help you move forward into recovery.
If you are the type of person that deals better talking to people with your similar problem, join an Overeater’s Anonymous Group. These groups modify the 12-step program that you can find for Alcoholics Anonymous. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to many people at once, just sit back and listen. Chances are that you will hear someone’s story and relate to it. Maybe you can meet up with that person after the meeting and talk to them about your problem. It’s always easier to open up to someone that we know can relate to us – What better the circumstance than this one?
Another option is to talk to a trusted friend or family member about how you are feeling and your eating habits. This will allow you to get everything off of your chest about your emotions and the reason that you turn to food.
Pick the route of help that you find most comfortable for you. If you do not feel comfortable, you will not be able to be completely open and honest about what is going on between you and food.
Even though you are part of the 25 million people that suffer from Binge Eating Disorder right now, remember, you do not always have to be part of that number. You can regain control of your life and of your eating habits and be well on the way to joining the recovery number from Binge Eating Disorder by getting help.
Kristin Gerstley is a former binge eater that now has a healthy relationship with food. She is also the owner of http://www.endbingeeating.com which is a site that helps people overcome Binge Eating Disorder. She publishes a free newsletter offering tips on how to stop binge eating and regain control of your life.
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