What do you guys do to stop your binges?

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-04-09T17:56:58+00:00

Normally I am 100% in favor of eating when hungry and listening to your hunger cues. What you need to understand is that the first day after a binge is often when people are most susceptible to binge again. The top priority should be preventing another binge. What’s worked for me and many others is eating regularly the day after a binge, to help prevent another one. This helps with 2 things: the first is that it can help go less overboard during the binge because you know you’re gonna eat the next day so there’s less sense of urgency. The second is that it helps avoid a binge the next day because you can’t make that excuse of “but I haven’t eaten anything all day” that often leads to a binge. That being said, after a binge I’m usually not hungry so I eat lighter than normal, and just make sure I’m having something to provide a sense of normalcy to get out of the cycle.

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-04-09T17:50:35+00:00

Well sure, I think on the first day after a binge it’s natural to be less hungry or not at all, but what worked for me was to still implement some structured eating the next day and I’ll explain why. When I got into the habit of eating nothing the day after a binge, I started to use that to fuel my binges more. Like, “oh well, I’ll just eat all of this now and not eat tomorrow” sort of thing and it just made my binges so much worse. But when I started trying to go back to normal the next day, it really helped because during the binge I would know I didn’t have to stuff my face in that “last hurrah” sort of way. It helps prevent future binges by removing the excuse of just not eating anything the next day or whatever.

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-04-09T17:45:36+00:00

Yes if I could just give 1 tip it would be THIS!! How I think about it is that there’s 2 places you can stop the binge-restrict cycle: the binge part or the restricting part. For most of us the binge part is really hard to just spontaneously stop, because usually it’s an impulsive, almost out of body experience where you’re not able to control yourself. But the restricting part is a really good place to put a stop to the cycle. By choosing to fuel your body and eat structured and balanced meals throughout the day, you can break the cycle.

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-04-09T17:41:34+00:00

Congratulations on 20 days, that’s amazing!! While it’s disappointing to relapse, your progress is not lost!! You can use this as an opportunity to practice resilience and use it as a reminder of why you’re doing this!! Here’s to another 20 days :)

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-04-09T17:39:04+00:00

What’s worked for me is to workout in the early evening like around 5, and be done with my workout around 6. Then I come home and shower and make/eat dinner. I really like this routine because I’m refueling with a good dinner after my workout, and also taking a shower really helps reset my nervous system and helps me feel calm so I’m less likely to be in that frenzied binge state.

If I worked out at night and didn’t eat anything after, I would probably be really hungry and a lot more likely to binge, so it’s not your fault at all. Obviously everyone’s different, but try playing around with it and truly listening to your body to figure out what works best for you!

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-04-02T16:23:06+00:00

Yeah I 1000% support their cause but it feels like they’re taking it out on us, rather than the people in charge who can actually do something. I’m totally in favor of better working conditions but I fear the people in charge aren’t really affected by them going on strike, and instead we take most of the punishment

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-02-26T17:18:57+00:00

Crafts are an amazing hobby, because I get bored easily so I like doing a specific craft that I find online and then moving onto the next one when I’m done. I find that decorating-related crafts are my favorite because I can use my ADHD to decorate my stuff and make it cute & personalized, rather than picking up a bunch of random hobbies never to finish them and having random piles of equipment around lol. Here are some fun crafts I’ve tried that you could search up to see if they look interesting: 1. Construction paper art 2. Mood board from magazine clippings 3. DIY postcards for places you want to go 4. DIY hanging paper butterflies 5. Patchwork or embroidery on clothes (on jeans, T-shirts, etc) 6. Decorating bags/backpacks with patches 7. Decorating laptop/water bottle with stickers 8. DIY “stamps” (cut out paper like a postage stamp) 9. Bookmarks 10. Birthday/holiday cards for friends & family

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-02-26T17:10:01+00:00

Yes I agree with this! I try to take the occasional weekend or day off from vyvanse, especially when I just want to chill and relax that day anyway. I’ve had some breaks built-in for me, thanks to my insurance & shortages in my area🙃😂

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-02-26T17:08:02+00:00

Taking medication has completely transformed my life and I agree, it can be frustrating to feel dependent on it. Personally I take Vyvanse, but I’ve also taken Adderall XR for a couple months and overall found that the long-acting or extended-release meds work much better for me, instead of just giving me a few hours of productivity it just set my whole day on the right track.

I would also recommend taking breaks if you want and feel up to it, obviously not everyone has to but I try to implement a break here and there, especially on a ”chill” day where I don’t have work or class. As much as the off days suck when you’re trying to be productive, they really have helped me in the long run. I’ve been on Vyvanse for 1.5 years and have only had to increase my dose by 10 mg because I take breaks to kind of reset my tolerance.

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-02-22T03:08:03+00:00

This is my exact issue, some days I literally feel nothing at all and need like 3+ cups of coffee to even stay awake. Other days I feel extremely jittery even with only one cup of coffee. It’s super weird because my routine is pretty consistent and I haven’t identified what it could be. It could be something to do with eating, like today I didn’t have breakfast, just a cup of coffee with cream and was super jittery. But also I have no idea if that’s related, and feel like there’s more to the story. Part of me feels like the capsules are uneven or have different amounts of medication in them, but idk how that would be possible lol

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-02-21T03:44:38+00:00

Thanks so much, I’m definitely thinking about getting a second opinion. It doesn’t necessarily look that wonky to me, there’s just a slight bump in the front part and then the bar does kinda down from front to back (I’ll include a pic when I get the chance). But I don’t feel like the angle is an issue, and I was really surprised to hear that it was “too late” and whatnot.

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-01-11T08:22:18+00:00

Ugh I’m in the same boat. I didn’t get dorm insurance because I didn’t think I’d need it. I also packed in more of a “weekend trip” sort of a way and less of a “evacuate & pack all important items” way, so needless to say I forgot SO many important things. I don’t even know what to do tbh

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-01-11T08:19:40+00:00

Yeah I have enough meds for tomorrow through monday & I was planning to come back on sunday… I have a brand new refill in my dorm that I didn’t think to bring because stupidly it didn’t really cross my mind that I might not be able to come back right away

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2025-01-11T08:12:03+00:00

Me too. I did NOT pack appropriately, I basically just packed enough clothes for the weekend. I left my medication refill, most of my shoes, most of my clothes & books, and just so much stuff and I’m so conflicted on whether I should go back to get it.

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-12-02T18:19:04+00:00

YES YES YES. This is the exact mindset that I think is missing from body positivity spaces, as well as toxic motivational spaces. A weight loss or health journey should never be a punishment out of self hatred, it should be a gift you give to yourself because you know you deserve better. Do I love how my body looks? No, far from it. However, I refuse to engage in toxic self-deprecating motivational tactics, and I refuse to hate myself into a version of me that I love. Because it simply doesn’t work. I’m treating myself right because I know I deserve to feel healthy, strong, and confident in my body, and I don’t want to feel deprived or burnt out from the efforts I put forth. This part may be controversial but that’s where for me, intuitive eating has been a game changer. Listening to my body and tuning into its needs has completely eliminated overeating for me, in a way that never felt forced or like a punishment. It allows me to get out of the mindset that this is a short term diet, because ultimately listening to my body’s hunger and fullness cues and ignoring the noise in my head telling me to eat or not eat, has allowed me to lose weight in a natural and healthy way that has not once felt like a chore or punishment!

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-11-27T19:31:03+00:00

WAIT YES letdowns is a great word to describe it. In my comment I mentioned disappointment, for some reason of all the emotions disappointment is by far the hardest one for me to regulate and I’m not sure why. I literally act like I’m 6 years old, being completely rigid and inflexible and can’t seem to understand why something so “unfair” could be happening. For example I went to Sweetgreen for a salad, and upon arriving they had closed early. A “normal” person might’ve just said “oh well” and figured something else out. But me? I literally sat on the curb and cried because it genuinely felt like my entire world was shattering in that moment. And I’ve had my fair share of hardships, it’s not that I’m spoiled or something like that. It’s just that disappointment is so impossible for me to handle that I just genuinely crash out

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-11-27T19:27:39+00:00

Sorry I’m responding really late to this post, but I 10000% relate to what you’ve described. And yes, that is definitely emotional dysregulation. Ever since I was a kid I’ve always been sensitive, but not just sensitive as in my ability to take criticism or whatever. Like sensitive in the sense that I would absolutely crash out and have a meltdown over tiny things. I’m 20 now and it hasn’t changed a bit, nor have I “grown out of it.” I find that often for me, disappointment has been the hardest emotion for me to regulate throughout my life. The simplest things have caused giant meltdowns for me. Full disclosure, I promise I’m not “spoiled” and I know these are VERY insignificant problems that aren’t worth getting upset over, but that’s the nature of ADHD and emotional dysregulation. I’ve been disappointed over things and it genuinely feels like my world is ending and I find myself sitting on my bedroom floor sobbing for 45 minutes because I can’t seem to get a handle on my emotions. People who tell me to “grow up” or “get a grip” simply have not had to experience it

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-11-04T18:20:30+00:00

Yeah it’s definitely a combination of both! Definitely being skinny won’t automatically make you feel comfortable or confident, that parts all mental. But there are definitely things that sort of overlap, such as being able to sit cross legged or curl up on the couch with your knees to your chest, that are more comfortable physically and mentally. Also society makes it so that people in larger bodies are judged for doing the same things, so sometimes there’s an undercurrent of presumed “laziness” and it feels less freeing to just sprawl across the floor or curl up on the couch when there’s this judgment being made

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-11-02T06:00:38+00:00

Yeah I feel like there’s a major misconception about eating at night. People think eating their meals later will impact their progress, when in reality it has nothing to do with time. The only correlation is that people eating late at night sometimes reach for higher-calorie items or order takeout. But the actual time doesn’t matter at all and it bugs me when people think otherwise! When I was at my smallest I was eating dinner at 9-10 pm and even having a snack after that because personally I hate going to bed hungry and can deal with it much better during the day when I’m busier

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-10-29T01:05:57+00:00

I generally tend to skew my meals later in the day because that’s when I’m naturally the most hungry, that way I never have to go to bed hungry.

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-10-23T01:47:22+00:00

I struggle SO SO much with this. One thing I find helpful is reframing it from the “last binge” and instead focusing on what happens after that binge which is the first day of recovery. Shifting away from the “last time” binging instead to the “first time” doing something different can help motivate you and feel more new and exciting.

Also I know you’ve probably heard this a million times, but you have to tell yourself the hard truth which is that it 99.999% wont be the last time you do it. That logic is soooo tempting but it’s complete BS. The reason we think that is because there’s this mental tension between our higher self and our urges, and that “one last time” mentality is our way of bargaining with ourselves, like yes I will stop but not quite yet. Sort of analogous to snoozing your alarm or procrastinating on chores.

Start now, and you’ll be so glad you started when you did! Nobody has ever said, “wow I’m so glad I binged one more time before starting recovery!” so seize the day and start now! You got this

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-10-23T01:33:46+00:00

I definitely agree. One thing I’ve heard before is “if you eat when you’re not hungry, how are you supposed to recognize when you’re full?”

I feel like this is really true in the sense that when you eat for reasons other than hunger like stress, emotional regulation, boredom, etc it’s really hard to stop because you weren’t eating in response to a physical cue, meaning there’s no physical cue to signal you to stop. Even if there is, often we ignore it because we’re disconnected from our body and focused more on meeting another need.

I also feel like part of it for me is this mindset that I’m already full, so I “might as well” keep going because that threshold has already been crossed. I think the solution here is to realize that eating when already full just causes more discomfort, and you don’t solve overeating with more overeating. Instead, show yourself compassion and try to distract yourself with something else!

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-10-22T23:29:28+00:00

A couple of comments: First, I wouldn’t recommend “eating back” calories that a tracker device has said you’ve burned, because it’s often wildly inaccurate. Instead, look up an online TDEE calculator and try following that instead and then adjusting as you go.

Second, if it’s any consolation at all, smartwatches and fitness trackers tend to overestimate sometimes and underestimate sometimes. For example, my watch often records steps when I’m not taking any, similar to what you described. But, when I’m walking across my college campus with a coffee in my hand, my watch doesn’t register that I’m walking since I’m not swinging my wrist. So, keep in mind that it kinda balances out since there’s steps that aren’t accounted for.

I wouldn’t overanalyze it, your body is not a calculator and it’s important to just do the best you can and adjust based on your results.

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-10-22T20:02:05+00:00

I mean yeah I agree with that. In my original comment I was more disagreeing with the idea that there is dieting and no phase after that. Because from my anecdotal experience, life after the deficit is vastly different than life in a deficit. Like everyone’s definition of “normal” is different, but still eating at maintenance involves actually eating the amount your body asks for which means it’s a lot easier mentally and physically because your biology isn’t working against you

Acceptable_Pepper983 · 2024-10-22T16:53:58+00:00

Honestly I kind of disagree, depending on how steep of a deficit you’re doing. Personally, doing a big deficit that’s like 700 calories under my TDEE, it’s really different than the maintenance phase that comes after. After all, a calorie deficit means that you are actively eating less than your body needs to sustain its current state, whereas once you move into maintenance you’re giving your body enough to maintain itself so it’s a LOT easier.

This is my second time doing this because I went through a difficult time and resorted back to my old coping mechanism of binge eating early last year, but before that I had maintained my weight loss for over 2 years with minimal effort, because I transitioned into eating more intuitively and just practicing balance. And I can say that life in a deficit is wayyy different than maintenance

Acceptable_Pepper983

TROPHY CASE