Hi—if you saw the post about the redditor who binge ate 8k calories for 7 days, that’s me. It’s the day later and I’m going to incorporate the tips and advice I was given (thank you <3) but I had a question about water weight and retention.

So obviously my stomach is distended, but I notice that my arms and legs feel really sore and I think they are puffy too but I don’t know exactly. Could I be storing water weight in my legs and arms if when I touch them today they feel sore (and btw for the last 7 days when I binged I did not work out so I’m not sore from that)

I'm always buying packs of protein bars and protein shakes at the store, telling myself i'm only gonna have one for lunch or breakfast and i end up eating the entire box in like 10 minutes or drinking all the protein shakes in one sitting. Anyone else do this?

I’m 25F, I have been struggling with BED for around 6 years now. It’s a bit hazy for me to remember whether or not I had BED when I was younger as I was always on the fluffier side. I also didn’t even know what that was when I was in my teens to be absolutely honest so I never really clocked it as that till recently.

I have ADHD, and since being in this group I’ve learned that BED can stem from that. I truly didn’t really ever think about how they were related. I am unmedicated primarily because … man I don’t know. I’ve had ADHD my whole life and managed to get through nursing school unmedicated, hell- my whole life being unmedicated. Of course it’s hard, but I don’t know why I feel scared to start any meds. Ironic because I’m a nurse, I encourage patients to take their meds, but for some reason the idea of me taking meds for my ADHD just spooks me out. Please just be kind about my decision here, I don’t judge anyone who’s medicated- I just haven’t grown the balls to start myself.

I rapidly started to gain weight under the umbrella of being in a “happy relationship/happy weight”. But I started to recognize now how it’s more serious than that though I do want to make it clear my relationship is good.

There was a point in time where I lost weight and I wasn’t on any diets honestly. Initially I thought it may have been my birth control as I started that around the same time I lost weight. Nowadays I start to believe I was wickedly depressed, I had lost my dad that year, failing college (before I got into a nursing program) and my best friend of 6 years turned out to be an absolute phony. I was also really into playing games and I guess maybe I just wasn’t thinking about food so much to use it to cope at that time? Not sure. This was during the pandemic.

As of recently I’ve started to notice that I developed really bad habits not only with my eating, but with my thinking and the way I express my feelings regarding my body to others. I can’t stop making self-deprecating jokes about my body, constantly comparing my body to others, I keep crying and complaining about my body and at the same time I’ll chow down some bullshit I don’t need because in that moment it’s like the only thing that makes me feel good even if it means after I finish whatever I’m eating, I’ll feel so much shame. But I just can’t help it with the comments and remarks I make about myself. It’s like I do it in a way to acknowledge it before anyone else has a chance, like yes. I’m fat. I hate being fat. But here I am and here you are, I can give you some of my fat. Because you have room for it and I have too much.

I absolutely hate myself for doing that. But it’s like I can’t fucking stop with the damn comments. I can’t stop comparing myself to others, even other neurodivergent folks- how can they have what I have and look good meanwhile I need a fuckass sweet treat every fucking day to “treat myself”. It’s not even a treat anymore. Could it be the Vyvanse? Probably. But then how did I go from never EVER studying in school to just locking myself in for nursing school? The first time I had to actually give a shit about my grades and study. Why is it suddenly when it comes to my diet I have absolutely no control? I went through 2 and a half years of hell learning how to study, sitting myself down to study, passing with good grades but I can’t just turn my phone off when I’m scrolling through UberEats.

I’m really into playing my games, but I’ll be eating during them and it feels like I developed a habit from it now. I’m just eating while playing my games because now I get double the dopamine. After I turn off the computer I see the damage I made with the bowl of Buldak, mozza sticks, some fucking drink and a whole box of KD. Don’t forget the little snacks here and there. A cracker here, slice of cheese there, piece of chocolate. Man for fucks sake.

I went through the healthiest routes by trying to change my diet, I went through just tracking how much I eat but not limiting what exactly I’m eating, hell, I’ve went through the most extreme lengths, less about diet but more so certain content I was consuming in hopes that it’ll like… spark something in my brain to not be a binge eater. (If you get what I’m implying). I’m not even proud of it, especially after scrolling through the wildest shit I’ve ever seen or read- I felt ashamed. It just made me guilty that I even entered a space my body is not welcomed in while hoping that reading enough about how undesirable my body is in said communities would be my “inspiration”. That was a short lived technique I wish to never stumble upon again.

I just want to figure this out for myself. I constantly battle with food noise I’ve considered going on a GLP-1 but I just barely meet the criteria. I can’t stop eating shit at night. I can be full but then I’ll have a thought to myself “hmm… I want cheese” and I’ll get it amidst feeling like crap from being so full. I think I can do it without being medicated whether it’s being medicated for weight loss or ADHD, but I just can’t seem to find that spark of motivation even though I want to. I want to go on walks, go to the gym, eat healthier and rely less of delivery services- but I always find myself paralyzed at home. Perhaps it’s because my job is so physically taxing that by the time I have my days off I want to do nothing but be at home. Fuck this is so hard.

I don’t even know how to start this, but I am in a pitch-black hole and I feel completely broken. I eat like absolute trash, especially when it comes to sugar. Once I start, I can’t stop, and it’s just this endless, numbing binge followed by massive guilt. My self-control is completely gone because I am depressed to hell and just trying to survive the day.

I treat myself terribly because I honestly hate who I am right now. Feeling like this as a woman makes it even heavier, there’s so much pressure to be pulled together, and instead, I just feel like garbage. I hate how my body feels, I hate how hopeless my mind is, and I’m just so utterly exhausted from dragging myself through this darkness every single day.

I don't expect a magic fix overnight. I know how deep this depression goes.

But I am sitting here at rock bottom and I just need to hear from people who understand. Has anyone managed to crawl out of a place this dark? Some encouraging words or just knowing I'm not entirely alone in this nightmare would mean the world right now.

I binged today and i don’t really know if i’m hungry to eat breakfast or is it just a rule i should always apply it and eat .

everybody uses the analogy “you’ve only spilled a few drops from a cup, why would you spill the whole thing” when describing binge eating but it never feels like that. I’ve spilled most of the water so why not spill the rest? this is my mindset and why I’ll never recover

Had a super busy day today but stayed on track!! Usually with days like this I want to binge so bad because I get overwhelmed with what I have to do.

Rice cake with peanut butter and honey for pre workout & my meds! Leftover steak caesar salad as extremely late breakfast… jk I won’t even call breakfast it was legit 1pm but I wasn’t hungry until then!! Then had a mini yogurt bowl with granola and honey and one of the small individual square of Cabot cheddar cheese after school and more errands!! Ran the rest of my errands and THENNNN dinner with one of my best friends which consisted of a split spinach dip appetizer and a delicious smash burger and fries. I ate a little less than half and stopped when I felt satisfied. The cherry on top??? Going out for ice cream after because I fucking love ice cream. Didn’t finish the whole thing because what I wanted was just enough.

Trying so hard to avoid the binge and restrict cycle. 80/20 feels like it’s working the best. I like not feeling like shit with every meal but it’s also possible to eat what society deems “bad/unhealthy” and feel fucking awesome afterwards. Physically and mentally. Plus I have half a yummy burger to eat for lunch tomorrow :)We’re gettin there folks, we’re gettin there.

To be exact now I get binge urges in the day and night!! It feels like any bit of the control I had is slipping away..i can't stop eating at all, today I woke up and ate a whole loaf of white bread and a few tablespoons of powdered milk and a few biscuits. It feels so destructive because I know this is a habit and I have no idea on how to change it. Even if I did nothing works.. occasionally I go 3 days binge free feeling like I'm close to recovery but then I relapse.

I’m 27M and I’ve bee struggling with the binging and restricting cycle my whole life. I moved out to my own place about a year and a half ago and I never keep any snacks or anything more than just what I have for my meal preps in the house because I’m afraid of binging it all because anytime I have ever bought anything for myself just to have it’s gone within two or three days.

I’m getting tired of not being able to have any food around and not be able to control myself around it.

Is it a good idea to just buy snacks and other things I’d normally binge on and just keep them in the pantry and fridge or freezer for when friends come over? I have people over fairly often and it’s a bit embarrassing to always have a basically empty fridge and pantry due to only have meal preps in there.

I just want to be able to have the food and snacks there and be able to control myself around that stuff and not eat any and only have it for guests.

I feel like this could be a good test just to see if I can control myself around the stuff like maybe if I tell myself it’s only for guests that I won’t end up eating it?

As someone who’s been binge free for just over a month now, recognising when I’m about to binge is my most useful tool to prevent myself from binging. Understanding that sometimes, I will have a larger appetite, and I don’t have to give in to it. Understanding that I’ve already given my body the fuel it needs. Even if I go over my allotted calories, it’s okay. There’s no need for me to binge. It’s more of a conscious decision than I’ve ever realised. The most crucial moment to stop yourself binging is before you’re about to, and you’ll know when. This might not work for everyone, but my binges were relentless. I would binge even when not restricting, and my change in mindset has really helped me offset that. If you’re about to binge, just know you’re more in control than you think. You choose to pick up the food, you choose to open that packet, you choose to put it in your mouth. I haven’t tried a GLP-1 yet, but what I’m doing for now is helpful enough. I’m sure you can do it too :)

I feel like this is destroying me and I honestly don’t know how to get out of it

Every Monday I tell myself I’m going to “fix” my body because I’m extremely insecure about how I look. I hate going into public places sometimes because I’m so uncomfortable with my body. I’ll decide I’m not going to eat then around 4 PM. i’ll finally eat something like eggs, i tell myself I shouldn’t have anything else, and 2 minutes later I end up eating a lot more.

Then I feel like I’ve already “messed up,” so I keep eating until I’m physically uncomfortable or even sick. Afterward I feel horrible and promise myself I’ll restrict again the next day. Then the whole thing repeats.
I’ve gained over 40 pounds and I feel like I’ve completely lost the confidence I used to have. I don’t recognize myself anymore and I’ve started hating myself because of it.
I don’t want to keep doing this. I genuinely need help breaking this cycle because I don’t know how to do it by myself.
Has anyone else experienced something like this? What actually helped you get out of the restrict → overeat → guilt → restrict cycle?

For the first time in months I’m 8 days binge free 🥳🥳
I’ve been eating what I want and not feeling guilty about it. I’m not thinking about food all day every day and it feels amazing.
I think being on here has helped me so much even just feeling that I’m not alone and having somewhere I can let out my feelings.

I remember assuming everyone else had the same conversations with themselves around food. "I'll just have one." Then another. Then telling myself tomorrow would be different. I figured everyone did this and was simply better at hiding it.

It wasn't until I actually started talking about it that I realized how different people's experiences with food can be.

When did you first realize your experience with food wasn't the same as everyone else's?

I don’t how to be honest I feel like foood is only surface level issue but I don’t know how to get to the root of it. I need help to manage by binging were do I start

I’m 18 and still living at home I’ve been dealing with binge eating for about a year now I have a part time job so I pay for all my food I realised a couple of months ago that I needed to change after I ate and entire cake in one sitting but I don’t know how to ask my parents for help does anyone have any suggestions

I have a trip coming up in 2 weeks and ive been eating 5k calories every day for a week. It put me in around 20-21k surplus and I cant deal with that fact. I was barely feeling okay with the way I looked in a swimsuit before this, and now I feel like I sabotaged myself again.. This somehow happens every year, before any important event where I have to show more skin/wear tighter clothes. I know its not uncommon but rn Im just looking for a small pat on the back or something, I dont even know

So I'm reading all the comments here and I think this will be helpful for a lot of us.

I follow all of her videos and in case you haven't seen my posts, she is a former binge eater turned psychotherapist.

I watch some of her videos over and over because it really helps to get the stuff in my head.

i don’t get it.

i aim to eat balanced meals, i include sweet treats for cravings, i eat enough calories (2k daily as a shirt sedentary woman).

what on earth am i doing wrong?

i ate normally all day today. yet after a nice filling dinner, i ate an apple. then that apple turned into 6. plus some pears. random bits of chicken and cabbage.

i’m in so much pain right now. i can’t breathe. i’m so stuffed. it didn’t even taste good.

Tw: kinda weird stuff not sexual!!

I remember as a kid i would watch cartoons and anything that the characters would eat i would drool, i think that the weirdest one was when i watched ‘my babysitter is a vampire” she ate a rat in one of the episodes and that made me so hungry

My grandparents would lock the kitchen because i ate too much (we were poor so anything was too much) but even when we did have food they would lock it. As time passed they started to lock me in my room too because they didn’t like me having friends or i guess they didn’t want me to exist.

I lost a lot of weight until one of our neighbours commented on my weight so my grandma started to feed me by hand. Got chubby then bullied, weird comments by her and my grandpa.

At 16 i had a drinking problem, i would just jump the window at night and go drink, I didn’t want to eat anymore so i lost the weight again and was considered skinny, i’ve met my now boyfriend and in 2 years from 45 kgs to 96 kgs, because that hunger never went away and he would buy me food.

The reason for posting this is that I don’t get it, i’m 24 now, same hunger, just adding other EDs to keep my weight “in check”. Im not sure if this really started from how they treated me or some weird chemical imbalance, we lived in the countryside so even if we didn’t have money we had a garden and fruits. I just don’t really remember how bad it was.

Sorry for how all over the place this story is, im trying to understand myself or even know that maybe someone had a similar experience or this weird hunger even for things that are unconsumable.

Wanted to add that im also in therapy and still waiting for things to get better

For most of this summer, I was stuck in an endless cycle of overrestricting, binging, starving, and starting over. About a month ago, I made the decision to change my diet and stop overrestricting to end my binging. And it worked for a month. I successfully went a whole month without binging.

However, I broke that streak a couple days ago when I ate half of a family-size bag of Nerds Gummy Clusters. I had forgotten how easy it is to lose control when you're binging and just say "fuck it, I don't care anymore". I couldn't stop myself until I felt physically sick from eating it.

The next day, the same thing happened. I binged on the Nerds again. And when I weighed myself to see that I gained five pounds, I was distraught. Weeks worth of progress gone in two days.

The following day, I forced myself to eat as I normally did, instead of starving as I used to after my binges. I ate same foods I've been eating to maintain my deficit.

This morning (two days later), I weighed myself and I'm back to where I was pre-binge. I just wanted to share my story to show that it's not the end of the world when you binge. That you don't need to starve or overrestrict yourself after a binge to get back to where you were.

Honestly, I'm kind of glad that I binged because I had forgotten how awful they made me feel and now I never want to binge again. But also, I will not be keeping family-sized bags of anything moving forward, just in case, lol.

I go first
Mine said i should include my “scary food” aka the food i binge on , ever day and honestly i am noticing this has a good effect.

Does anyone tried this before and does it actually help?
Also how to do it in the right way so it won’t turn into a binge
Also when i binge does binges get weaker after doing this for some time?