# Binge Eating, and a way to control it.



## Happyflowerlady (Jan 22, 2018)

I have been reading a really interesting ebook about binge eating, why we do it, and a possible way to control the urge to binge eat.  The book is called “Never Binge Again” , and it is very informative. 
One of the things they explain is about what is called our “lizard brain” or sometimes, reptile brain. When a reptile sees any object, it only responds in one of 3 ways, kill it, eat it, or mate with it.  Those are the only things that the lizard brain knows, and apparently, this is part of the brain that can induce binge eating, and you can’t reason with this part of our brain. 

Another interesting study was done back in the 1950’s on rats. They put receptors into the pleasure center of the rat’s brain, and it was activated when the rat pushed a little lever or button.  The rat would push the lever constantly, ignoring its need for food or water, abandoning its babies, and would keep pushing the button as long as they were able to get to the button. 
This basically shows that part of our brain is more concerned about getting pleasure out of eating than it is about keeping our body healthy, and since most of the commercial foods that we binge on are designed to stimulate the pleasure center of the brain, and not actually nourish our body, it is easy to succumb to the urge to binge eat some foods. 

The ebook is free, and it does not suggest any certain diet, it just explains how food bingeing works, and suggests ways to control it. 
Here is the link to the website, and you can download the ebook, or just get it from the Kindle Store. 

https://www.neverbingeagain.com/MobileHome.php


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 22, 2018)

Happyflowerlady said:


> I have been reading a really interesting ebook about binge eating, why we do it, and a possible way to control the urge to binge eat.  The book is called “Never Binge Again” , and it is very informative.
> One of the things they explain is about what is called our “lizard brain” or sometimes, reptile brain. When a reptile sees any object, it only responds in one of 3 ways, kill it, eat it, or mate with it.  Those are the only things that the lizard brain knows, and apparently, this is part of the brain that can induce binge eating, and you can’t reason with this part of our brain.
> 
> Another interesting study was done back in the 1950’s on rats. They put receptors into the pleasure center of the rat’s brain, and it was activated when the rat pushed a little lever or button.  *The rat would push the lever constantly, ignoring its need for food or water, abandoning its babies, and would keep pushing the button as long as they were able to get to the button. *
> ...



Interesting!

Sounds sort of like Las Vegas!


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## Happyflowerlady (Jan 22, 2018)

That is an EXCELLENT point, Aunt Bea, and I have actually been thinking just about the same thing.  We listen to so much advertising for products we do not need, and it is not just food that people binge on nowdays. We binge-watch television programs on Netflix or Hulu, some people are hooked on playing online games on their phones, and some are just plain hooked to their phones, and are either talking or texting most of the time. 
Over-indulging on almost anything seems to have become a way of life nowdays. I was wondering if maybe we are all reverting to our lizard-brain self or something.


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## retiredtraveler (Jan 22, 2018)

_"......This basically shows that part of our brain is more concerned about  getting pleasure out of eating than it is about keeping our body  healthy, and since most of the commercial foods that we binge on are  designed to stimulate the pleasure center of the brain, and not actually  nourish our body, it is easy to succumb to the urge to binge eat some  foods..._..".. 

Because DW and I are 'health nuts' by most people's definition (eating healthy, work out 5 days a week, always active), we've never understood anyone 'binging' on anything. I consider it a huge character flaw (I know I'll get flamed for that).
    One of the things I've noticed about traveling, and discussing it with other people, is how many people will spend about 15 seconds talking about things they saw on their travels, but spend 20 minutes talking about all the great restaurants, or little cafe's or coffee shops, they went to. 
   We just don't understand how so many people seem to get most of their pleasure in life through food --- it's so foreign a concept to us.


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## Happyflowerlady (Jan 22, 2018)

Obviously, you and your wife are doing things right, RetiredTraveler, and you are eating to live and not living to eat, which seems to be how a lot of people look at food nowdays. 
I think that whenever a person actually eats a healthy diet consistently, they probably will not be likely to become binge eaters.  No one has ever binged on broccoli or cucumbers as far as I know, it is mostly the “feel-good” foods like ice cream and pizza that aggravate bingeing. 
That is where this book is helpful, because it encourages a person who binges to actually look at WHY they binge, and how to “cage the pig” that lives inside of a person who binge-eats.  
Eating a healthy diet is the start of not binge eating anymore. Ice cream is a binge-food for me, so it is something that I just never eat anymore, and I am always reading about ways to live and eat healthier meals.


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 22, 2018)

IMO all humans have their _thing.

_I think that if you believe someone is normal it really means that you don't know them well enough to understand what their _thing_ is.


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## Smiling Jane (Jan 22, 2018)

A friend has been on a deprivation diet / binge-eating cycle for years. I wouldn't care except I know it can't be good for her health. She seems happiest at the beginning of a binge cycle, I suppose because she's finally letting herself eat "sinful" foods (her word, not mine) but then she gets miserable when she begins to realize food owns her and she goes into deprivation mode.

I sent her Happyflowerlady's link. I hope she can get some good from it.


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## Mizzkitt (Jan 23, 2018)

Happyflower, can you give us an example of how the author suggests control? Overeating is an addiction, I wonder if his ideas would work for other addictions? Just a thought.


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## Happyflowerlady (Jan 23, 2018)

Mizzkitt said:


> Happyflower, can you give us an example of how the author suggests control? Overeating is an addiction, I wonder if his ideas would work for other addictions? Just a thought.


I think that it would also work for other addictions, Mizzkit. The  author is also a psychologist, and he seems to have a pretty good understanding of how our brains work, and why. 
Since sugar is as addictive as heroin, and as hard to stop eating , it seems to me that other compulsive habits could also be changed by using the techniques in the stop bingeing book. The author also went to OA as well as most other dieting plans before he got to where he is now, and it is pretty interesting reading, and not boring at all. 
The website has a link to the book (which is free); and also explains quite a lot just by looking at his website. Rather than me trying to explain how it works, I am just going to refer you to the book, and that way any questions you have will also be answered.


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## Mizzkitt (Jan 23, 2018)

Thanks Happyflower, will have a look, curious at the technique. I do not have a sugar problem but do binge on things like potato chips and peanuts.


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## hearlady (Feb 3, 2018)

Very interesting. This is what Rational Recovery uses for its crash course to immediately stop drinking. If you can learn to control that part of the brain you can control your cravings for anything.
I hadn't thought about it for a very long time and can't wait to check it out.


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## hearlady (Feb 3, 2018)

retiredtraveler said:


> _"......This basically shows that part of our brain is more concerned about  getting pleasure out of eating than it is about keeping our body  healthy, and since most of the commercial foods that we binge on are  designed to stimulate the pleasure center of the brain, and not actually  nourish our body, it is easy to succumb to the urge to binge eat some  foods..._.."..
> 
> 
> Because DW and I are 'health nuts' by most people's definition (eating healthy, work out 5 days a week, always active), we've never understood anyone 'binging' on anything. I consider it a huge character flaw (I know I'll get flamed for that).
> ...


It's actually a sign of health. It sounds weird but our brains were wired to survive which meant seeking food.  We are just so blessed with food now so it gets out of whack and we eat for pleasure instead of survival. Some people just don't have the "stop" button so it takes some work.


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## hearlady (Feb 5, 2018)

I'm reading this and it is interesting. A good trick to use to keep "that little voice" at bay.
If the pig and all the terms just seem corny like it does to me substitute something more sinister. I prefer Golum waiting in the dark for his "precious".


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## Buckeye (Feb 5, 2018)

Reading this thread has made me hungry.  Anyone want to share a large pizza with me? (Hold the anchovies!)


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## Happyflowerlady (Feb 5, 2018)

Hoot N Annie said:


> Reading this thread has made me hungry.  Anyone want to share a large pizza with me? (Hold the anchovies!)



Only if I can have the anchovies on my half, Hoot ! No pizza is complete without anchovies, but they DO need to be limited.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Feb 5, 2018)

Happyflowerlady I am going to read the book you suggested. I binge,not because I'm hungry,tired,or upset. I binge because I love food and the taste of it. I don't know how I'm going to control that.  Maybe they have the answers. Luckily I'm about 5 pounds over my max weight but it might as well be 100 pounds.


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## hearlady (Feb 5, 2018)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> Happyflowerlady I am going to read the book you suggested. I binge,not because I'm hungry,tired,or upset. I binge because I love food and the taste of it. I don't know how I'm going to control that.  Maybe they have the answers. Luckily I'm about 5 pounds over my max weight but it might as well be 100 pounds.


You're absolutely right, Ruth. The closer you get to your goal the less calories you can have. That's why the last 5-10 lbs are the hardest.


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