# Bingeing: The Dirty Little Secret of the Fat Community?



## Happy FA (Jan 18, 2007)

In chatting with various friends in all sizes of large I've become curious about the role that bingeing fills. Some who are quite large admit to bingeing being a problem with them and it being something over which they have no control. Others who are equally large state they have no problem with bingeing. A review of the medical websites finds two types of Bingeing: 

_Deprivation-sensitive binge eating arises out of excessive dieting or food restriction; 

Addictive or dissociative binge eating is the practice of self-medicating or self-soothing with behaviors that typically evoke feelings of emotional tranquility or numbness. _

I suspect that many have eaten at times either as a reaction to restricting ourselves or having been restricted from eating. And again, I suspect that each of us have "self-medicated" or "self-soothed" with food since that's what "Comfort Foods" are about. But, those sorts of eating are clearly not true Bingeing.

Again, with reference to the medical websites:

_It is important to understand that not all people with binge-eating disorder are overweight, that not all overeaters are binge eaters, and that being overweight, even to the point of obesity, does not qualify a person as a binge eater. 

The behaviors involved with binge eating are compulsive in nature, and typically signify a sense of inflexibility and excess, not only in the area of food consumption, but also in other life spheres as well. At times, and under certain circumstances, we all eat too much, too fast and too often. yet, we are not all binge eaters. Excessive behaviors do not qualify as binges unless their function is to reduce or contain anxiety (resolving emotional problems,) and they are experienced as frequent, unavoidable, and beyond the control of the person bingeing. _

Having chatted quite recently with a good friend who is an exceptionally fat woman and hearing she had been ill I asked what was wrong. She related that as a result of a binge continuing for more than one full day she had been in significant physical pain for a few days afterwards and continuing physical discomfort and emotional pain for several additional days. When I asked if this was something she'd experienced before she admitted it had happened periodically in the past and seemed to just get worse over time.

As I chatted with other fat friends afterwards, curious about whether this sort of bingeing was common and asked them if they had ever binged I was shocked to discover that many (but not all) admitted that they occasionally or even regularly binged. However, their experiences in when and how they binged and the effects afterwards were so different that I wondered: how pervasive bingeing is; how frequently bingers binge; what it's like during the binge; and finally how do the bingers feel afterwards.

Interestingly, to me, the medical websites I reviewed all consider bingeing to be a serious eating disorder, like bulimia and anorexia, but not as severe as bulimia and anorexia because it's not about hating one's body.

To start the discussion I've found that when I'm restricting my eating more than my body/brain will tolerate my body tends to fight back by me eating much more than I would like, and without much apparent control over it even though I know as I'm doing it that I really shouldn't and will be miserable about it when it's done. What I eat is usually fatty things and carbs and I'll keep eating for far longer than usual. Usually it happens at night and it's Always secret eating, not shared with others. If I'm under stress or upset the binges come more easily. Afterwards I always hate that I've done it because I rarely enjoy the eating done during the binge as much as I usually enjoy eating. Also, if I'm feeling down I tend to eat a lot more comfort foods, eschewing new and interesting foods for old favorites.

So, out of an abounding curiosity, I'm interested in what others experiences with bingeing are.


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## AnnMarie (Jan 18, 2007)

I don't binge at all, never have. I eat, and some days I eat with more frequency than others, but unless a bag of popcorn is considered a binge... then nope. 

Most of the fat people I know personally don't binge (at least don't around me), but I have known one or two who do.


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## Happy FA (Jan 18, 2007)

I've never known anyone I've been around who I knew was bingeing, but that might be explained by the fact that they don't do it around others. All the folks I asked said when they did it it was in private


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## Fuzzy (Jan 18, 2007)

_Excessive behaviors do not qualify as binges unless their function is to reduce or contain anxiety... _

Uh Oh. Guilty as Charged.


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## toni (Jan 19, 2007)

I use to binge 2-3 times a week. I would buy everything I could think of and eat it until it was all gone. I have no clue why I would do it, I do not think it was an emotional problem. I would binge when I was happy, sad or in between. I can remember hitting 3 fast food spots in one night, (always sneaking)sneaking in my house and eating everything. There were times I would have 2 dinners with appetizers and a large soup from the chinese restaurant or I would go to Blimpies and have 2 12 inch subs with a few bags of chips and an extra large soda(to go of course). Sometimes I would go to the supermarket and fill my cart with bags of candy, chips, half gallons of ice cream, cake and a ton of microwave food and finish it all by the end of the night. Binging is a very expensive habit, I could easily spend 40-50+ dollars per binge. 

When I was done I would feel bad because I knew I was out of control. The sense of not being able to control yourself is very scarey.


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## AnnMarie (Jan 19, 2007)

toni said:


> I use to binge 2-3 times a week. I would buy everything I could think of and eat it until it was all gone. I have no clue why I would do it, I do not think it was an emotional problem. I would binge when I was happy, sad or in between. I can remember hitting 3 fast food spots in one night, (always sneaking)sneaking in my house and eating everything. There were times I would have 2 dinners with an appetizers and a large soup from the chinese restaurant or I would go to Blimpies and have 2 12 inch subs with a few bags of chips and an extra large soda(to go of course). Sometimes I would go to the supermarket and fill my cart with bags of candy, chips, half gallons of ice cream, cake and a ton of microwave food and finish it all by the end of the night. Binging is a very expensive habit, I could easily spend 40-50+ dollars per binge.
> 
> When I was done I would feel bad because I knew I was out of control. The sense of not being able to control yourself is very scarey.



That's really interesting, Toni, thanks for sharing it. I can't even imagine what that feels like. I feel like I've gone to the deep end when I have 2 snack coffee cakes a glass of milk and a half a can of Pringles over the course of a 6 hour period.


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## MissToodles (Jan 19, 2007)

Is it possible to move this to the main board so it can have a less sexual slant?


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## Happy FA (Jan 19, 2007)

Miss T I don't mind having it moved to the Main Board. Don't know how to do that, I assume that's something that Ann Marie does in her moderator garb?


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## LillyBBBW (Jan 19, 2007)

I'm a definite binger. I actually plan them. I'm usually very meticulous about what I eat and as they're passing around the brownie plate I can enviously let it go by me knowing that on "such and such" a day I'm going to eat "all" the cookies. :eat2: Most times I don't wind up eating as much junk as I talked myself up to eating and stuff gets thrown away. But yeah, I'm a binger. I don't have any guilt or shame attached. Maybe I should but I don't.

When I'm bummed out or struggling I tend to use comfort foods as a mood booster which is what gets me into trouble. If it goes on too long I seek help from a therapist who gives me happy pills. That usually takes care of it but I still employ the same methods of planned moments of indulgence.


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## Ned Sonntag (Jan 19, 2007)

I'm glad Lilly posted 'cause she's discussed this before. Now at my house my dear departed wife would have Hollow Leg Syndrome:eat1: for 36hrs between onset of PMS and actual menstruation. Quantities would be consumed.


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## TheSadeianLinguist (Jan 19, 2007)

Happy FA said:


> In chatting with various friends in all sizes of large I've become curious about the role that bingeing fills. Some who are quite large admit to bingeing being a problem with them and it being something over which they have no control. Others who are equally large state they have no problem with bingeing. A review of the medical websites finds two types of Bingeing:
> 
> _Deprivation-sensitive binge eating arises out of excessive dieting or food restriction;
> 
> Addictive or dissociative binge eating is the practice of self-medicating or self-soothing with behaviors that typically evoke feelings of emotional tranquility or numbness. _



Those two are often the same thing in western culture. Most bingers deprive themselves and binge.



> Interestingly, to me, the medical websites I reviewed all consider bingeing to be a serious eating disorder, like bulimia and anorexia, but not as severe as bulimia and anorexia because it's not about hating one's body.



Hate to say it, but yes, it is as serious as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. (I assume you meant anorexia nervosa; anorexia alone is just lack of appetite.)

Not all anorectics and bulimics hate their bodies. They don't hate their bodies anymore than people with BED or COE. Those diseases have nothing to do with hating one's body. Next person who says that is getting shot. I mean it. I also doubt all bingers love their bodies. 



> To start the discussion I've found that when I'm restricting my eating more than my body/brain will tolerate my body tends to fight back by me eating much more than I would like, and without much apparent control over it even though I know as I'm doing it that I really shouldn't and will be miserable about it when it's done. What I eat is usually fatty things and carbs and I'll keep eating for far longer than usual. Usually it happens at night and it's Always secret eating, not shared with others. If I'm under stress or upset the binges come more easily. Afterwards I always hate that I've done it because I rarely enjoy the eating done during the binge as much as I usually enjoy eating. Also, if I'm feeling down I tend to eat a lot more comfort foods, eschewing new and interesting foods for old favorites.
> 
> So, out of an abounding curiosity, I'm interested in what others experiences with bingeing are.



Pretty simple: Most days I eat between 1000 and 1400 calories. Some days I eat 600 calories. Some days I go REALLY apeshit and eat 2000 calories. That said, I'm not much in the way of a binger. I hate eating in front of people, but I generally don't eat huge amounts while alone since getting off third shift.


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## prickly (Jan 19, 2007)

........is 1000-1400 cals/day enough to sustain the body? seems awfully low to me. but then i'm no expert on the subject.


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## TheSadeianLinguist (Jan 19, 2007)

prickly said:


> ........is 1000-1400 cals/day enough to sustain the body? seems awfully low to me. but then i'm no expert on the subject.



I'm fairly thin, and the average American woman only eats about 1600 I read somewhere... 

Found it. It's higher now, but people really do not eat that much, even now.

Sex 1971	2000 Change
Women	1,542 1,877 Up 22%
Men 2,450 2,618 Up 7%

source


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## spaz-fa (Jan 19, 2007)

if that is alot of calories depends on several things. like your metabolism, what activities you do all day, and if you consume that much over one day or on a regular basis. I've never counted calories and don't ever want to that's no way to enjoy life in my opinion but that's another subject. I usually consume close to probley 3,000 calories a day and i'm considered thin. however i know people that eat 1,000-1,500 a day and they are more than twice my weight.


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## Happy FA (Jan 19, 2007)

While the number of calories consumed by someone in their diet is certainly interested, in this case it isn't really focused on bingeing. 

One of the interesting things that I read while looking into bingeing on line is that for someone with anorexia nervosa having as many as 5 grapes might be considered bingeing.


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## bigsexy920 (Jan 19, 2007)

I use to binge a lot when I was younger before WLS. Like Toni I would spend the day not eating at work and on the hour drive home I would think to myself about stopping at several fast food drive thru's prior to going home. I would tell myself... stay on the high way .. dont get off. I knew as soon as I got off a certian exit I would be stopping at Roy Rogers and order for 2 a burger meal AND a chicken meal and the strawberry short cake .... god I miss them. Than I would go to Burger King and order for two. I would switch it up what Id get there .. Than I would go to Mc DOnalds and again order for 2 Chicken Nuggets and the quarter pounder with cheese. TSL yes I loved the dark meat nuggets too. Yes I would eat it all .. the only thing I couldnt finish was the sodas. I remember the feeling as I would eat, I loved it .. I loved no one telling me NO dont eat that ... or are you sure you want that. but when I was done I would feel sick and ashamed. 

To top it off. I would get home and my mother will have made dinner and save a plate for me .. and being the good daughter that I am .. .I ate it right up.

NOW I can't really binge. BUT I do go into not eating at all modes and than eating way too much at once. I don't feel shame or gulit like I once did but I do think that it some way it is a form of binging. I think if there was a "binge" that I like now it would be grape soda, cheetos and Ben and Jerry's. I just make it my dinner when Im in the mood.


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## Happy FA (Jan 19, 2007)

What is BED and COE?


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## TheSadeianLinguist (Jan 19, 2007)

BED is binge eating disorder.

COE is compulsive over-eating.

And no one considers five grapes a binge.  If that were a "binge," the said anorectic would be dead in a month. I'm about seven lbs. over the criteria for anorexia nervosa, and I eat a LOT more than five grapes.


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## moonvine (Jan 19, 2007)

I am not sure if I have binged or not. When I was in college we used to go to Ryan's (similar to Golden Corral) and eat a ton of food, as much as we could hold or a little more. I'd eat until I felt sick. I really don't like that feeling though. I haven't done or wanted to do that in years.

I've never gone from fast food restaurant to fast food restaurant as described in this thread. I will go to one fast food restaurant (generally Chick Fil A, Schotsky's, or Taco Cabana) and get one meal - typically a large one, but just one. Last night I went to Sonic and got a Super Sonic cheeseburger and a Sonic Size tater tots, only because I didn't get to eat until 9 pm, which is way late for me. I almost didn't finish that off, and I was starving. 

During the week I eat 3 meals a day. I don't care who I eat in front of, and there isn't any difference in what I eat if I am around someone or by myself. On the weekend I'll usually eat 2, because I'm eating breakfast a lot later.


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## Happy FA (Jan 19, 2007)

Moonvine you sound like you're a model eater, getting in each of your meals and not allowing your hunger to get too out of whack so that you are likely to react explosively and binge. Bravo to you.

I'm hoping more of us who have binged come out of the closet and share their experiences


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## Jane (Jan 19, 2007)

Never been much of a binger, never been a night eater.


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## Sandie S-R (Jan 19, 2007)

Interesting thread, and clearly one that shows that we have a huge variety of experiences where this is concerned. I'm with AnnMarie in that I have never binged (except at Thanksgiving Dinner - but I think that is acceptable -  ).

I have truly learned to eat when hungry and stop when full. I make an effort to time meals and any snacks so that I keep that "even" feeling. Not being too hungry or too full. I eat three meals a day, and an occassional late afternoon snack. Not even in the old days of when I was dieting (many years ago) did I binge. I think I have a fairly good relationship with both food and my own body.


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## Green Eyed Fairy (Jan 19, 2007)

Well, I post this anytime it arises... I am a compulsive over-eater. (Which also led to bouts of compulsive dieting on occasion). I could binge eat all day if times were stressful enough. I stopped the dieting, self put-downs and have been learning true self-acceptance. I don't need to binge like I used to....... now I usually just eat what I want when I want. It's great not to feel out of control and to be able to notice/feel whatever it is I'm really feeling.


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## Green Eyed Fairy (Jan 19, 2007)

moonvine said:


> I am not sure if I have binged or not. When I was in college we used to go to Ryan's (similar to Golden Corral) and eat a ton of food, as much as we could hold or a little more. I'd eat until I felt sick. I really don't like that feeling though. I haven't done or wanted to do that in years.



I did this frequently in my early to mid twenties. I would eat so much I would have to go into the Ryan's bathroom and "purge" a little because my stomach couldn't handle all the food and drink I had consumed. I realized how stupid all this was and hated/was embarrassed over this insane eating pattern. Now I only eat one plate of whatever I want most and if I want something else- like salad or dessert, then I get small portions until my STOMACH, not my compulsive brain, tells me I have had enough. When I think back on it all, it seems to be a form of self-punishment/abuse.


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## GWARrior (Jan 19, 2007)

Ive never binged, but I am constantly snacking. I think its mostly (dare I say?) oral fixation! I think its the reason I smoke, bite my nails and I eat a lot. I eat/smoke/bite my nails when Im watching tv, on the computer, in the car, reading in bed. At work (since I obviously cant be smoking or eating the whole time) I chew a lot of gum and always have a pocketful of candies.


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## elle camino (Jan 19, 2007)

yeah i don't think i've ever binged, per se, but i definitely eat when it's unnecessary. all that BS about 'stomach hunger' vs. 'mouth hunger'? i'm like, the poster girl for mouth hunger. i'll eat a sandwich because a sandwich sounds mighty delicious, regardless of whether i'm actually hungry or not.

and gwarrior i think you're actually right about the oral fixation part. at least as far as MY eating is concerned, i know that's a big factor. i just really dig the act of eating, y'know? 

...is it wrong that this thread has made me hungry?


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## kerrypop (Jan 19, 2007)

I'm on board with both of the above. Sometimes I know I am not hungry, but I get a weird craving for like... hot chocolate, or pizza, or well, anything really. It's super annoying, because I just fight with myself, one half of me saying "duh, you're not hungry" and the other half saying "but that is so delicious! I want it now" It's like having full chubby angel on one shoulder, and a continuously eating chubby devil on the other. I don't WANT to give in, but a lot of times I do, and then I'm totally satisfied, and I don't have any shame.. at all really.. hm. Maybe I should give in more.


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## toni (Jan 19, 2007)

AnnMarie said:


> That's really interesting, Toni, thanks for sharing it. I can't even imagine what that feels like. I feel like I've gone to the deep end when I have 2 snack coffee cakes a glass of milk and a half a can of Pringles over the course of a 6 hour period.



You light weight!!! WOW, I do not have a full functioning stomach and I can still eat you under the table. I am feeling pretty proud of myself tonight. LMAO


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## Santaclear (Jan 20, 2007)

I've always loved to eat, and even though I'm not exactly fat and for years was quite SKINNY (muscular tho) can generally out-eat most people. I'd call it pigging out, not binging. Except if I eat so much I feel sick, which hasn't happened much - that would be binging.


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## Green Eyed Fairy (Jan 20, 2007)

^^The main difference, to me, is that the binge isn't really due to hunger. "Pigging out" can be caused by going for a long period of time without eating. My binges were usually brought about by an unwillingness to think about whatever situation/problem was bothering me. It's touched upon in the OP. Compulsive behaviors seem to be avoidance of bad feelings/thoughts.


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## TheSadeianLinguist (Jan 20, 2007)

If I ate strictly when I was "hungry," as in, feeling hunger pains, I'd NEVER eat.


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## Happy FA (Jan 20, 2007)

Ms Linguist, I'm curious why you would never eat if you would only eat if you're hungry. Does this mean that you never feel hungry? That sounds so unbearably sad to me. Such a great deal of pleasure is associated with my eating and that eating is even more pleasurable when it satisfies a hunger. Someone much wiser and more witty than I once said that hunger is the best flavor enhancer. I can't imagine someone eating without the benefit of hunger.

Of course, this doesn't seem to have much, if anything to do with bingeing apart from it sounding like an eating disorder of another type. 

So far, while not keeping count it sounds like we've gotten a pretty strong turn out from those who eat without bingeing and only a limited input from those who "pig out" which somehow sounds different than bingeing..

Anyone else out there brave enough to share?


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## Sweet Tooth (Jan 21, 2007)

Ned Sonntag said:


> I'm glad Lilly posted 'cause she's discussed this before. Now at my house my dear departed wife would have Hollow Leg Syndrome:eat1: for 36hrs between onset of PMS and actual menstruation. Quantities would be consumed.



I think I have this syndrome thanks to hormones. LOL I wouldn't consider myself a binge eater in those cases. I suppose it depends on the precise definition. I just get cravings for so many things that I'll have a few pieces of chocolate.... and then some peanuts... and then some chips. Not very much of any one thing, just the junk food grazing.

I would venture to say most everyone has, at some point, eaten when not hungry, whether it's "mouth hunger" or trying to be polite to a parent. I remember being a fat-ish kid, constantly criticized by a grandmother who insisted on dishing me out ice cream every night as a kid whether I wanted it or not. Now, I love ice cream. Love, love, love it.... but I also knew back then that sometimes I wasn't hungry or wasn't in the mood for it. How many people have their natural senses destroyed by outside influences? I recently read an article stating kids have an innate portion sensor until the "clean plate club" parents influence them to eat more than they need.

But one thing I always wonder about.... I'm sure plenty outside the SA community would admit that only a portion of people, thin or fat, binge eat... but how many could honestly say they don't believe all fat people are overeaters? And I wonder about this concept, if it's the same idea as being "overweight" which implies an arbitrary ideal number. I know I should eat healthier, but should I necessarily eat less food and who decides how much? Is it solely decided by my weight, because that really sucks for so many of us thanks to the metabolic effects of dieting and other weight loss methods. 

[Tries to turn brain off and get some sleep....]


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## Jay West Coast (Jan 21, 2007)

kerrypop said:


> I'm on board with both of the above. Sometimes I know I am not hungry, but I get a weird craving for like... hot chocolate, or pizza, or well, anything really. It's super annoying, because I just fight with myself, one half of me saying "duh, you're not hungry" and the other half saying "but that is so delicious! I want it now" It's like having full chubby angel on one shoulder, and a continuously eating chubby devil on the other. I don't WANT to give in, but a lot of times I do, and then I'm totally satisfied, and I don't have any shame.. at all really.. hm. Maybe I should give in more.


 
Thats basically how I feel about it. I probably put down 3000 calories in a day, but often my mornings consist of coffee and a muffin, and then lunch would be a tiny sammich and a coffee; so when I get done working at about 9pm at night, I'm famished. Binging ensues. Not merely to shove down all 2000 missing calories at once, but also to satiate the inner foodie in me that hasn't had time to stop and enjoy food all day. 

I swear, with habits like these, I'm going to be huge someday. Maybe I should start spending more time on the BHM board just to get to know people...


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## Green Eyed Fairy (Jan 21, 2007)

I just felt the need to add one more thing about the binging- I can/could eat from letting myself get too hungry(dieting), hormonal fluctuations (birth control pills made me HONGRY and gain weight in a short time), or just special occasions, like holidays when eating too much is the norm for a lot of people. My main difference in it all was how guilty and worthless I made myself feel about it all. I see now that it is was much easier to beat up on myself and obsess over my weight/eating than to confront my true emotions.


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## TheSadeianLinguist (Jan 21, 2007)

Happy FA said:


> Ms Linguist, I'm curious why you would never eat if you would only eat if you're hungry. Does this mean that you never feel hungry? That sounds so unbearably sad to me. Such a great deal of pleasure is associated with my eating and that eating is even more pleasurable when it satisfies a hunger. Someone much wiser and more witty than I once said that hunger is the best flavor enhancer. I can't imagine someone eating without the benefit of hunger.
> 
> Of course, this doesn't seem to have much, if anything to do with bingeing apart from it sounding like an eating disorder of another type.
> 
> ...



I don't have hunger pains, and another woman on the board (TraciJo) also has similar issues, although she had WLS. At best, my stomach feels a little acidic and unpleasant, but it doesn't feel much different than indigestion.


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## LillyBBBW (Jan 21, 2007)

I don't have any problems with not feeling hungry but I do have problems with not feeling thirst. Rarely do I drink anything. I start to feel thirst minutes before I pass out.


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## Renaissance Woman (Jan 21, 2007)

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> I don't have hunger pains, and another woman on the board (TraciJo) also has similar issues, although she had WLS. At best, my stomach feels a little acidic and unpleasant, but it doesn't feel much different than indigestion.


I don't often have hunger pains. I will feel a bit ill, headache, no energy, and wonder why. Then I realize I haven't eaten anything all day. So yeah, I'm one of those freakish people who sometimes forgets to eat. But then when I do eat, I'm not shy about doing it up right. 

Doesn't happen all the time--more often when I'm busy or very distracted.


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## Happy FA (Jan 21, 2007)

I'm really surprised that there appear to be so many of you that don't really feel hunger. I always thought that was pretty much of a universal experience, but apparently not. I wonder if the absence of feeling any hunger is similar to the problem that some folks have of never feeling full, some sort of a wiring problem in the body.

Perhaps then in that situation bingeing is the body taking control of the situation where it hasn't been fed. 

I'm also curious about some of the bigger men and women on the board if any of them are bingers? The presence or absence of bingeing seems not to be correlated with total weight.


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## Happy FA (Jan 21, 2007)

I'm always uncertain whether someone who says they skip meals is for real or not, as it is the rarest of times when I am unaware of not having a chance to eat a meal.

If you do skip meals on a regular basis do you find that you more than make up for it when you have a chance to eat, or does it just get missed...


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## QuasimodoQT (Jan 21, 2007)

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> If I ate strictly when I was "hungry," as in, feeling hunger pains, I'd NEVER eat.





TheSadeianLinguist said:


> I don't have hunger pains, and another woman on the board (TraciJo) also has similar issues, although she had WLS. At best, my stomach feels a little acidic and unpleasant, but it doesn't feel much different than indigestion.



I never have hunger pangs, either. I just eat because it's time to do so. And since I'm one of those that actively doesn't want to eat when I'm stressed, or depressed, or just busy, there were a lot of times I'd start feeling really dizzy, and not know why. Usually it was that I hadn't eaten in a few days, though a few times it was dehydration, same reason. But my body is verrrrrry efficient at using anything it gets, so I'm all set if we have an ice age!

This doesn't happen much anymore, since my husband cooks, and the plate appears under my nose. Whaaaaa? Oh, yeah, time to eat. :eat1:


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## QuasimodoQT (Jan 21, 2007)

Happy FA said:


> I'm always uncertain whether someone who says they skip meals is for real or not, as it is the rarest of times when I am unaware of not having a chance to eat a meal.
> 
> If you do skip meals on a regular basis do you find that you more than make up for it when you have a chance to eat, or does it just get missed...



No, I never "made up for it," just missed those meals/days. Since I still didn't feel hungry when I noticed I missed them (felt dizzy/faint, not hungry), I just ate as normal, and the dizziness subsided in 10-15 minutes. 

But since I eat when it's "time," that can act against me. When I'm in a social situation centered around food, I'll eat straight through (it's still "time"). I don't seem to be very sensitive to full cues, either (though they start to kick in after seconds) so I can put a lot away at a party. I don't go to many parties, both a good and a bad thing, I guess.


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## kerrypop (Jan 21, 2007)

Happy FA said:


> I'm always uncertain whether someone who says they skip meals is for real or not, as it is the rarest of times when I am unaware of not having a chance to eat a meal.
> 
> If you do skip meals on a regular basis do you find that you more than make up for it when you have a chance to eat, or does it just get missed...



I work at a portrait studio, and during christmas time especially, we get really busy. Busy to the point where we are running an hour behind to get people in to take the photos, and then they wait another hour to choose the photos, and then 20 minutes to get to the cash register. I worked 9 hours once where I didn't even get to go to the bathroom. Not because my manager is cruel and keeps me there, but the customers are TERRIBLE. I'm a photographer, so if I'm not there, the room isn't being used, so people think that we're just wasting their time. Long story short, if I try to leave for ANY reason, customers yell, scream, walk out, or follow me to the bathroom asking why I chose to fulfill basic human needs before I took their pictures. It just isn't worth going to get food, and I'm so busy, honestly I don't notice most of the time. These are the times when I miss meals... Sometimes I forget to eat before I go to class, and then I have class for 4 hours straight, without time to grab food in between... I miss meals then too. 

As for "making up for it" meh, not really... If I do get something from work, it's like, subway or something, and by that point I havn't eaten in so long that a sandwich fills me to the max, and I am totally stuffed.

moral of the story: If you want girls to stay chubby, don't get mad when they take their lunch break, for heaven's sake.


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## Big Beautiful Dreamer (Jan 21, 2007)

I'm more a mood eater than a binger, but then, I tend to remember when to eat primarily because if it's been 4-plus hours since my last meal, it's probably time to take a study break and un-numb various body parts.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Jan 22, 2007)

Yes I was a binge eater - I kinda have it under control. But it is so hard to overcome

Food = comfort and love for me.

My mother has major food issues and has had them all her life and she graciously taught me how to have them too. . When I was in my 20's food was all I had for comfort. And I ate a lot. So much so that my mother started taking inventory of what was in the refrigerator before she went to work. It was horrible to be that scrutinized - but I got around it. 

When I was old enough to drive I would go to the local convenience store and buy what I wanted to eat and eat it before mom or dad got home from work.

I am still a binge eater when I am out of control emotionally. Food is sometimes the only thing that helps. But now I have Wayne to help get through a crisis - but I still want the food. I don't know if the craving is ever going to go away.

I do try to give myself free reign once in a while. Just one day and then it's over. It's also becoming less fun the older I get. 

Food. I have an uncomfortable peace with it now.


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## Happy FA (Jan 22, 2007)

Kerry, a very good description of the craziness that so many of us find in our work environments. I'm not a photographer but have had many days just like you've described where going to the bathroom is only an option if a loss of control is imminent. 

I find that when I have a day like that I may not overeat in response on that day, but within a few days afterwards I seem to be eating more without realizing it, perhaps "to make it up"


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## calauria (Jan 22, 2007)

Daily, I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks, moderate sizes. Is that binging?


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## kerrypop (Jan 22, 2007)

Happy FA said:


> Kerry, a very good description of the craziness that so many of us find in our work environments. I'm not a photographer but have had many days just like you've described where going to the bathroom is only an option if a loss of control is imminent.
> 
> I find that when I have a day like that I may not overeat in response on that day, but within a few days afterwards I seem to be eating more without realizing it, perhaps "to make it up"




For me, I think I wait till everyone's favorite time of the month  and then make it all up in that week. maybe.

and about work: Don't you hate that?! Ugh!


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## Happy FA (Jan 22, 2007)

kerrypop said:


> For me, I think I wait till everyone's favorite time of the month  and then make it all up in that week. maybe.
> 
> and about work: Don't you hate that?! Ugh!



As a guy I don't have the favorite time of the month, one of the key differences between the boys and the girls, us boys don't have any cyclical frame of reference. Perhaps one of the reasons we can be so clueless at times. I think Ned mentioned that his late wife had a similar monthly period of "hollow leg syndrome". 

You know.. for me when I'm working so crazily that the lunch hour passes and I find that it's after 2pm and I've been working since 8am and need to get a bite to eat(because I do feel hungry and start to get short tempered if I haven't eaten), I both enjoy the sense of getting into something that deeply that I don't notice time going by, and dislike the way that tends to screw up my eating cycles and make me eat badly in terms of choices and in terms of amounts.

For me the pressure tends to be exerted by me since I rarely have someone sitting on top of me or watching me work.


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## SoVerySoft (Jan 23, 2007)

Happy FA said:


> ...For me the pressure tends to be exerted by me since I rarely have someone sitting on top of me or watching me...



I don't think I even need to comment 


oooops - keeping it on topic....I don't binge physically, but mentally I overdo all the time. I think about food more than most people, sometimes it even seems obsessive.


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## Fuzzy (Jan 23, 2007)

SoVerySoft said:


> I don't think I even need to comment
> 
> 
> oooops - keeping it on topic....I don't binge physically, but mentally I overdo all the time. I think about food more than most people, sometimes it even seems obsessive.



Not too obsessive... 

Now what am I gonna make for tomorrow's every day pictures thread...


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## Happy FA (Jan 23, 2007)

I'm totally amazed by the diversity of differences in the way that we fat folks eat, both usually and occasionally. I was anticipating that there would be a lot of fat folks who are bingers. What seems to be coming out is that there are a variety of eating behaviors varying from frighteningly normal and in accordance with standard nutritional theory to eat a series of regularly spaced meals to bingeing out of control. Some have what appear to be work/stress related adaptations to eating and some don't seem to either feel hunger or fullness, but more just eat more or less regularly.

What seems to come out of it more than anything is that there doesn't seem to be any significant relation between the mode of eating and size, which is totally unsurprising to me.


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## Sweet Tooth (Jan 23, 2007)

SoVerySoft said:


> oooops - keeping it on topic....I don't binge physically, but mentally I overdo all the time. I think about food more than most people, sometimes it even seems obsessive.



You are NOT the only one! LOL Cookbooks are definitely porn for me. Part of this is because I love to cook, and it's amazing to me how one can take these humble ingredients and make something flavorful and beautiful out of them. They're porn to me, though, because reality is that I have a lot of allergies so most of my enjoyment comes from looking, not tasting.

I wonder sometimes if I'd binge more if I kept a fuller pantry [decent sized apartment with very little kitchen storage] or if I didn't mind cleaning up [dishwasher barely cleans even when I scrub dishes first... mostly used for sanitation].


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## fishhat (Jan 23, 2007)

I don't know how much my experience counts in a thread like this, but maybe it will shed some light on why people turn to eating (or lack thereof). When I'm stressed out or sad I stop eating. I'll only eat enough to keep myself alive, really. I turn to cigarettes, coffee, and alcohol in these times. It makes me feel safe, when I don't have a full stomach. It's comforting to me in the way that I imagine binging is comfortable to most. 
And yes, I've been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. 

Why am I here? I'm an FFA, oddly enough.

Edit: But don't worry because I'm at a healthy weight now. I've learned to control myself, and eat even when I'm not hungry if need be.


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## calauria (Jan 23, 2007)

What is "Binging" exactly?


I eat about 6 times a day about 2 and 3 hours apart. Not small meals, but medium sized meals. If I don't eat this way THEN I start to binge (how I defined binging) which is eating about 6 huge meals! I'd feel like I'm starving to death...

Well, actually on MOST days, it's 4 medium sized meals and days I'm a little more hungry it is 5 to 6 medium sized meals.


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## Green Eyed Fairy (Jan 23, 2007)

Happy FA said:


> I'm totally amazed by the diversity of differences in the way that we fat folks eat, both usually and occasionally. *I was anticipating that there would be a lot of fat folks who are bingers. What seems to be coming out is that there are a variety of eating behaviors varying from frighteningly normal and in accordance with standard nutritional theory to eat a series of regularly spaced meals to bingeing out of control. *Some have what appear to be work/stress related adaptations to eating and some don't seem to either feel hunger or fullness, but more just eat more or less regularly.
> 
> What seems to come out of it more than anything is that there doesn't seem to be any significant relation between the mode of eating and size, which is totally unsurprising to me.




I read several books about my eating disorder- one of the first things they say is that ~Not all fat people are compulsive over eaters and not all compulsive overeaters are fat~

Bulimics are bingers, however, they tend to stay normal to slightly above weight. I read a book written by one. She hid food and seemed to be able to put away more food than myself. 
The difference was in her purging. She would hit/punch herself in the stomach to throw up, take as many as 24 laxatives at once and be sick for two days, drink ipecac syrup to vomit (THAT is what killed Karen Carpenter, btw- it stored up around the lining of her heart and poisoned her over time). 
I have drank ipecac syrup myself- it's a horrible sickness that I didnt go back for... I have also "purged" i.e. made myself throw up on many occasions. That seems to be a most prevalent behavior when I'm dieting or in a really bad, stressful situation but isn't usually the norm. 
My point is that we all have our own relationship with food, whatever that may be.


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