Binge Eating Disorder - At Last, Relief

[Heatherweather]

vale113 said:


I was forced into it because of a specialist appointment I need to attend; as for binge eating—no, that hasn't happened. It’s true I ate a bit more while on vacation, and I often treat myself to a small cookie in the evening, but I certainly don't overdo it like I used to—though my hunger has definitely in

subterfuge said:

diplomat said:

subterfuge said:

6 weeks back I started GLPs. There wasn't a huge amount of weight for me to shed to begin with, but my sweet tooth is off the charts and that usually leads to binges, so eventually I went with reta.

In 6 weeks I dropped 10 KG and I'm now pretty much at the weight I feel I ought to be, yet the biggest win is that not once in all that time have I binged

Six weeks in and you're already doing this well — that's seriously impressive!

That "sweet tooth" thing is very much a British issue — the 'candy' over there is top-notch and pushed on people hard.

I know a bit about this firsthand: Cadbury's was where I worked at my very first job

haha, I've got relatives in both Canada and the US. Whenever they see me, they ask me to haul over big slabs of our chocolate because in their opinion it tastes way better. Cadbury's does exist over there, sure, but according to them it's somehow not the same as the Cadbury's we have here?

Ha! We have this conversation in our house all the time. In the US we have Cadbury's but it's made here and we suspect the ingredients are slightly different. If I am in the UK, you better believe I will disrupt the entire vacation to get a real Cadbury's (which we don't pluralize and call Cadbury, I know, I know!)

Click to expand...

 

[Persephone]

Here's the way I attempt to describe BED: it amounts to a dependence on something you must have (food). Opiates, alcohol, or tobacco aren't required for survival. Yet when it comes to food, a balance has to be struck, and for those dealing with BED that is incredibly difficult, all the more so since food is promoted all around us.

I dug in my heels about giving GLPs a chance until the moment I truly began, and these days I genuinely feel like a normal person.

 

[Just A Cat]

AngieHolmes said:

slimmingmouse65 said:

BED, that's me. A hidden shame, eating with tight restraint around people, then bingeing by myself at home. That's over. My stomach shrank and overeating is physically impossible, it causes pain. So I also keep 10 years' worth of Reta in a freezer. For me, that's liberty.

Reta calms the mind

Food no longer interests me

Peptides, tranquility and affection

The shame, yes. Mine shifted from "this isn't good" into "I'm not good." For years and years, starting when I was still in single digits, I lived inside an identity of being uncontrollable and bad, with no break from it.

About 2 weeks back, because the food noise had gotten dangerously loud, I injected a bigger dose of tirz than usual.

Nothing happened. Zero effect.

That had never occurred before. My guess is the vial sat in the fridge past its prime. I wasn't paying attention.

Then all at once I was back there, in that terrifying lack of control. It came over me with no warning. I spread a pint of ice cream across 2 days, so it wasn't my biggest binge, but the emotions beforehand, mid-way, and afterward are identical. Shame again, and any self-trust I'd built across the last 8 months was wrecked. It got so bad that I erased the memory of doing it. I even posted something here along the lines of, "It was tempting but I managed." Even now, after the following dose did work, I'm still uneasy.

As I put together a maintenance plan, all of this will be simmering in my mind. Maybe I need a list of "NO" foods. Or perhaps a decision tree for when cravings hit hard. A failsafe I can lean on even when I'm caught off guard. Does anyone else keep something like that? Instructions for yourself, whether informal or formal?

When that urge hits, you should have a fallback food on hand — something tasty, something you can tolerate eating, and something that won't wreck your plan.

For me, that food became apples. I worked my way through every variety the store carried, about a dozen of them. Only 2 of them ended up being varieties whose flavor I actually enjoyed.

A few nights ago, frustration got the better of me and I ate 2 apples outside of my normal schedule. By today's standards, that counts as a binge for me. Still far better than the 1000 to 3000 calories I used to consume in one of those episodes.

I felt satisfied, the taste was fine, and the effect on my daily calorie and macro totals was perfectly manageable.

If nothing low-calorie works for you, then at minimum pick an option in the medium-calorie range that is at least somewhat healthy.

 

[slimmingmouse65]

AngieHolmes said:

slimmingmouse65 said:

BED, that's me. A hidden shame, eating with tight restraint around people, then bingeing by myself at home. That's over. My stomach shrank and overeating is physically impossible, it causes pain. So I also keep 10 years' worth of Reta in a freezer. For me, that's liberty.

Reta calms the mind

Food no longer interests me

Peptides, tranquility and affection

The shame, yes. Mine shifted from "this isn't good" into "I'm not good." For years and years, starting when I was still in single digits, I lived inside an identity of being uncontrollable and bad, with no break from it.

About 2 weeks back, because the food noise had gotten dangerously loud, I injected a bigger dose of tirz than usual.

Nothing happened. Zero effect.

That had never occurred before. My guess is the vial sat in the fridge past its prime. I wasn't paying attention.

Then all at once I was back there, in that terrifying lack of control. It came over me with no warning. I spread a pint of ice cream across 2 days, so it wasn't my biggest binge, but the emotions beforehand, mid-way, and afterward are identical. Shame again, and any self-trust I'd built across the last 8 months was wrecked. It got so bad that I erased the memory of doing it. I even posted something here along the lines of, "It was tempting but I managed." Even now, after the following dose did work, I'm still uneasy.

As I put together a maintenance plan, all of this will be simmering in my mind. Maybe I need a list of "NO" foods. Or perhaps a decision tree for when cravings hit hard. A failsafe I can lean on even when I'm caught off guard. Does anyone else keep something like that? Instructions for yourself, whether informal or formal?

Reta has been part of my routine for 3 years now. My weight hasn't budged for 1.5 years. Each week I take 10 mg to maintain. Drop below that, and the food noise plus cravings come rushing back right away. My guess is that those of us with BED might need the full dosage during maintenance, unlike people who don't have BED. All in!

 

[kakiebean]

Persephone said:

Here's the way I attempt to describe BED: it amounts to a dependence on something you must have (food). Opiates, alcohol, or tobacco aren't required for survival. Yet when it comes to food, a balance has to be struck, and for those dealing with BED that is incredibly difficult, all the more so since food is promoted all around us.

I dug in my heels about giving GLPs a chance until the moment I truly began, and these days I genuinely feel like a normal person.

Absolutely! For the majority of addictions, the answer is to cut the substance out entirely. That works with alcohol, drugs, and so on, but with food it's impossible. It's such a relief that glp1s are at last offering us a way forward.

 

[Just A Cat]

Persephone said:

Here's the way I attempt to describe BED: it amounts to a dependence on something you must have (food). Opiates, alcohol, or tobacco aren't required for survival. Yet when it comes to food, a balance has to be struck, and for those dealing with BED that is incredibly difficult, all the more so since food is promoted all around us.

I dug in my heels about giving GLPs a chance until the moment I truly began, and these days I genuinely feel like a normal person.

Hi everyone. I'm Cat. For 8 months now, I've stayed sober and haven't touched food! Yeah, that's a solid point you're making.

It's like being an alcoholic who tends bar and for some reason has to sample every drink they hand out. Simply steering clear of food isn't an option.

slimmingmouse65 said:

AngieHolmes said:

slimmingmouse65 said:

BED, that's me. A hidden shame, eating with tight restraint around people, then bingeing by myself at home. That's over. My stomach shrank and overeating is physically impossible, it causes pain. So I also keep 10 years' worth of Reta in a freezer. For me, that's liberty.

Reta calms the mind

Food no longer interests me

Peptides, tranquility and affection

The shame, yes. Mine shifted from "this isn't good" into "I'm not good." For years and years, starting when I was still in single digits, I lived inside an identity of being uncontrollable and bad, with no break from it.

About 2 weeks back, because the food noise had gotten dangerously loud, I injected a bigger dose of tirz than usual.

Nothing happened. Zero effect.

That had never occurred before. My guess is the vial sat in the fridge past its prime. I wasn't paying attention.

Then all at once I was back there, in that terrifying lack of control. It came over me with no warning. I spread a pint of ice cream across 2 days, so it wasn't my biggest binge, but the emotions beforehand, mid-way, and afterward are identical. Shame again, and any self-trust I'd built across the last 8 months was wrecked. It got so bad that I erased the memory of doing it. I even posted something here along the lines of, "It was tempting but I managed." Even now, after the following dose did work, I'm still uneasy.

As I put together a maintenance plan, all of this will be simmering in my mind. Maybe I need a list of "NO" foods. Or perhaps a decision tree for when cravings hit hard. A failsafe I can lean on even when I'm caught off guard. Does anyone else keep something like that? Instructions for yourself, whether informal or formal?

Reta has been part of my routine for 3 years now. My weight hasn't budged for 1.5 years. Each week I take 10 mg to maintain. Drop below that, and the food noise plus cravings come rushing back right away. My guess is that those of us with BED might need the full dosage during maintenance, unlike people who don't have BED. All in!

I'm really hoping that isn't accurate, though I have a feeling it will hold true for certain individuals.

I also have a hunch that the Wee Sly Willie company is already hunting for another drug to market for maintenance and keeping cravings in check.

 

[Heatherweather]

justin1234321 said:

I'm in the same boat. I dropped 120lbs on my own, but BED has been a battle — a few binges each week turn maintenance into a never-ending struggle. After researching GLPs/Peps, I chose to test out Reta. Just a few weeks in, and it's completely changed the game.

That's interesting, since from what I've read, Reta's appetite-suppressing effect isn't as powerful. Happy to hear it's working for you! How many months have you been taking it?

 

[justin1234321]

Heatherweather said:

justin1234321 said:

I'm in the same boat. I dropped 120lbs on my own, but BED has been a battle — a few binges each week turn maintenance into a never-ending struggle. After researching GLPs/Peps, I chose to test out Reta. Just a few weeks in, and it's completely changed the game.

That's interesting, since from what I've read, Reta's appetite-suppressing effect isn't as powerful. Happy to hear it's working for you! How many months have you been taking it?

Roughly 1 month in. I've come across that same claim too, and honestly the appetite blunting is way gentler than I'd anticipated. The hunger hasn't vanished — it's more that the relentless urge to keep eating, which is the thing I've battled, has eased off.

 

[AngieHolmes]

slimmingmouse65 said:

AngieHolmes said:

slimmingmouse65 said:

BED, that's me. A hidden shame, eating with tight restraint around people, then bingeing by myself at home. That's over. My stomach shrank and overeating is physically impossible, it causes pain. So I also keep 10 years' worth of Reta in a freezer. For me, that's liberty.

Reta calms the mind

Food no longer interests me

Peptides, tranquility and affection

The shame, yes. Mine shifted from "this isn't good" into "I'm not good." For years and years, starting when I was still in single digits, I lived inside an identity of being uncontrollable and bad, with no break from it.

About 2 weeks back, because the food noise had gotten dangerously loud, I injected a bigger dose of tirz than usual.

Nothing happened. Zero effect.

That had never occurred before. My guess is the vial sat in the fridge past its prime. I wasn't paying attention.

Then all at once I was back there, in that terrifying lack of control. It came over me with no warning. I spread a pint of ice cream across 2 days, so it wasn't my biggest binge, but the emotions beforehand, mid-way, and afterward are identical. Shame again, and any self-trust I'd built across the last 8 months was wrecked. It got so bad that I erased the memory of doing it. I even posted something here along the lines of, "It was tempting but I managed." Even now, after the following dose did work, I'm still uneasy.

As I put together a maintenance plan, all of this will be simmering in my mind. Maybe I need a list of "NO" foods. Or perhaps a decision tree for when cravings hit hard. A failsafe I can lean on even when I'm caught off guard. Does anyone else keep something like that? Instructions for yourself, whether informal or formal?

Reta has been part of my routine for 3 years now. My weight hasn't budged for 1.5 years. Each week I take 10 mg to maintain. Drop below that, and the food noise plus cravings come rushing back right away. My guess is that those of us with BED might need the full dosage during maintenance, unlike people who don't have BED. All in!

It's good to hear you've found something that helps. My concern is ending up among those for whom GLPs stop working, with each option becoming less effective as time goes on. Your theory makes sense to me.

 

[AngieHolmes]

Just A Cat said:

AngieHolmes said:

slimmingmouse65 said:

BED, that's me. A hidden shame, eating with tight restraint around people, then bingeing by myself at home. That's over. My stomach shrank and overeating is physically impossible, it causes pain. So I also keep 10 years' worth of Reta in a freezer. For me, that's liberty.

Reta calms the mind

Food no longer interests me

Peptides, tranquility and affection

The shame, yes. Mine shifted from "this isn't good" into "I'm not good." For years and years, starting when I was still in single digits, I lived inside an identity of being uncontrollable and bad, with no break from it.

About 2 weeks back, because the food noise had gotten dangerously loud, I injected a bigger dose of tirz than usual.

Nothing happened. Zero effect.

That had never occurred before. My guess is the vial sat in the fridge past its prime. I wasn't paying attention.

Then all at once I was back there, in that terrifying lack of control. It came over me with no warning. I spread a pint of ice cream across 2 days, so it wasn't my biggest binge, but the emotions beforehand, mid-way, and afterward are identical. Shame again, and any self-trust I'd built across the last 8 months was wrecked. It got so bad that I erased the memory of doing it. I even posted something here along the lines of, "It was tempting but I managed." Even now, after the following dose did work, I'm still uneasy.

As I put together a maintenance plan, all of this will be simmering in my mind. Maybe I need a list of "NO" foods. Or perhaps a decision tree for when cravings hit hard. A failsafe I can lean on even when I'm caught off guard. Does anyone else keep something like that? Instructions for yourself, whether informal or formal?

When that urge hits, you should have a fallback food on hand — something tasty, something you can tolerate eating, and something that won't wreck your plan.

For me, that food became apples. I worked my way through every variety the store carried, about a dozen of them. Only 2 of them ended up being varieties whose flavor I actually enjoyed.

A few nights ago, frustration got the better of me and I ate 2 apples outside of my normal schedule. By today's standards, that counts as a binge for me. Still far better than the 1000 to 3000 calories I used to consume in one of those episodes.

I felt satisfied, the taste was fine, and the effect on my daily calorie and macro totals was perfectly manageable.

If nothing low-calorie works for you, then at minimum pick an option in the medium-calorie range that is at least somewhat healthy.

This approach appeals to me. Once a binge starts, my attention tends to lock onto one particular food. Easing anxiety or stress is what the binge is for, and that single-minded focus appears to be built into how it operates: focus on this one thing and nothing else. No swaps allowed! Apples belong to moments when I'm present in my mind and body and can choose well. It's good that this helps you, and I'll try to come up with something that could help me.

 

[subterfuge]

Heatherweather said:

justin1234321 said:

I'm in the same boat. I dropped 120lbs on my own, but BED has been a battle — a few binges each week turn maintenance into a never-ending struggle. After researching GLPs/Peps, I chose to test out Reta. Just a few weeks in, and it's completely changed the game.

That's interesting, since from what I've read, Reta's appetite-suppressing effect isn't as powerful. Happy to hear it's working for you! How many months have you been taking it?

For my own experience (and yes, I'm going on the assumption that what arrived was genuinely reta!), right at the start the hunger blunting hit hard. Food barely crossed my mind at all. There was this sort of puffiness, and on that first night as I was heading to bed I even had a faintly queasy taste in my mouth (too much information?). I never truly felt nauseated, though. Within a few days that faded, yet the overall level of food noise stayed noticeably quieter. Self-control felt far more solid. And on the occasions when I did give in, it stopped short of turning into a real binge the way it would have before.

 

[macgreggor]

My father had bulimia. I never knew. While I was growing up, we'd have these big eat-a-thons in front of movies. Burgers (2 of them), fries, chips, ice cream, snacks, whatever you can think of. I assumed that was just how things were. Had no idea that afterward he was purging everything. I grew up with those patterns, and my body handled it — strong metabolism, lots of activity. As I got older and traveled for work, the habits stayed the same, and I put on 100 lbs. For the last 6/7 years I couldn't drop it. Then it dawned on me, looking back: I'd been taught that eating this way was normal... jump to now, and just thinking about eating like that turns my stomach. Reta took me even further.

 

[Heatherweather]

AngieHolmes said:

slimmingmouse65 said:

BED, that's me. A hidden shame, eating with tight restraint around people, then bingeing by myself at home. That's over. My stomach shrank and overeating is physically impossible, it causes pain. So I also keep 10 years' worth of Reta in a freezer. For me, that's liberty.

Reta calms the mind

Food no longer interests me

Peptides, tranquility and affection

The shame, yes. Mine shifted from "this isn't good" into "I'm not good." For years and years, starting when I was still in single digits, I lived inside an identity of being uncontrollable and bad, with no break from it.

About 2 weeks back, because the food noise had gotten dangerously loud, I injected a bigger dose of tirz than usual.

Nothing happened. Zero effect.

That had never occurred before. My guess is the vial sat in the fridge past its prime. I wasn't paying attention.

Then all at once I was back there, in that terrifying lack of control. It came over me with no warning. I spread a pint of ice cream across 2 days, so it wasn't my biggest binge, but the emotions beforehand, mid-way, and afterward are identical. Shame again, and any self-trust I'd built across the last 8 months was wrecked. It got so bad that I erased the memory of doing it. I even posted something here along the lines of, "It was tempting but I managed." Even now, after the following dose did work, I'm still uneasy.

As I put together a maintenance plan, all of this will be simmering in my mind. Maybe I need a list of "NO" foods. Or perhaps a decision tree for when cravings hit hard. A failsafe I can lean on even when I'm caught off guard. Does anyone else keep something like that? Instructions for yourself, whether informal or formal?

I feel for you deeply. Reading your words, it was as if I had typed them myself. At some point, researchers will surely uncover something -- a hormonal difference, gut bacteria, a chemical imbalance -- anything at all proving this isn't just in our minds. In my experience, it arrives like a totally physical, inescapable event. The way a sneeze comes on. Except these episodes are many, and each one can add up to 5000 calories.

Making a pint of icecream last across two days is a real win. Every tiny shift in a better direction counts as progress.