Hi slimpics, i've just finished reading your journal. I have been battling with over eating for 12/13 years so believe me i know what its like to not be able to stop eating! I read another one of your journals and it seems that unlike me, you are not overweight. But i'm sure that binge eating will cause the same problems on the inside whether we are underweight, average or overweight.

I have been binge free for 3 days and my advice is simply talking to yourself. When i open the fridge i say out loud "Why are you here? What good are you going to do? Put it back!!"

As silly as it may sound the longer you keep trying to talk yourself out of it the easier it gets. It took me 2 hours of talking yesterday but i did it. And i had about a 40min talk with myself today!!

I now have this place to come to distract myself aswell!! So if your at the fridege or cupboard, try the talking. Or just come on here and write down whats going on. I wish you the best of luck. I'm here, we're all here if you need us.

Loz xxx

i'm a huge self-talker!!! and not just when i am at risk of eating something i don't need. just about every morning i "talk" to myself. brushing my teeth, in the shower, walking to work. mostly i just repeat my 'mantra' ..... "i eat only when i am hungry and i stop as soon as i am full." we tend to believe the things we tell ourselves - at least eventually. it takes a while to 'sink' in.

i really talked myself down 140 pounds.....why can i not do the same now? i dont know. but i do know self talk and groups of this help a lot i would think a lot and get quite and read all i could on the computer and i managed to stay binge free for a year. (it worked) and the first few days are the hardest i think it is just getting started after that first week first day or two are down you feel stronger. (((HUGS)))))))) you are not alone! Keep journaling!

I am also afraid of the first few days, I am afraid to CHANGE period... maybe you should all read my journal too, I am truly a disgusting pig, not to mention selfish.. and this is not self pity, its the truth!

I appreciate your responses. All that self-talk stuff really makes alot of sense, but I seem to do it WHILE I'm eating, and then it's all negative shit!

What I've got to learn to do is STOP myself BEFORE I put that first compulsive bite into my mouth in the morning. Any idea how I can do that? (And I know if I could only "get through the first few days" I'd have the confidence to keep it up!)

i don't think anyone has a cure - not one that is immediate AND lasting. self talk works but it takes time. you start telling yourself the things you want to be true - things that you don't necessarily believe at the time you begin saying them. things you may not even believe are possible. JUST KEEP SAYING THEM. i guess it is a method of 'brain washing' , but you get to choose what it is you will believe. it's the only way i know of to change thought patterns. and all our behaviours come from thoughts. thoughts evoke an emotional response and a behavioural response. long lasting change begins (i think) with changing your thoughts. and yeah, it's time consuming. i don't know anyone who found an easy answer to your question. if it was that easy, it would't be an addiction.
i know this sounds really blunt, and i am not trying to be mean. i just feel very strongly that coming to accept that change comes from within and there is no easy fix is an important step in recovery.