Posts by sandrako

livingindubaie08, you hit your issue on the head: lonely and sad. Are you actually living in Dubai? ...having a hubby gone for 3 weeks at this time of year is a bummer.

From what I hear, you've actually done pretty well ...you just had a "blip:" it's not a new status quo.

How do you occupy yourself when your husband is gone so long? Is he home more than he's away?

Hang in there...

kaybug, you're healing...you're getting "it." Soon, bingeing (or not) will not occupy every thought: you'll just, ...well...live!  *u*

helpless...change your name to helplessnomore...identify those fears: really, write them down. Then, tell them what you think of them, how they have ruled your life -- and that you are becoming "helplessnomore" -- you will face them so they have no hold over you again!

Hope everyone is having a good holiday...taking walks, giving some affirmations to those around you. Try to smile and say "Hello" to three strangers every day. You'll be amazed at what happens. Check it out.

Sandrako 

Stop punishing yourself by "being strict."

Maybe you are hungry???

Perhaps you need to add food to your current way of eating.

Make a list of foods you've denied yourself.

Figure out how you can start trusting yourself again...

While you're at it, make sure you're eating a well-rounded diet: balanced in veggies, fruit, protein, good starches, and limited high-concentrated carbs...you may be bingeing because you aren't taking in the nutrients you need.

Again, go to www.mypyramid.gov and check our My Planner...you can develop a healthy eating pattern and log on to chart...the planner automatically updates "what's left" for the day. It's totally awesome...and, it's free!!! It would be difficult to get a better eating plan with a counselor...but, it does take a little bit of your time. Good thing: you can log on anywhere there is a computer with access to .gov!

Hope your holidays are going well!

Just because you get a thought doesn't mean it's worthy of acting upon.

Could we be taking ourselves and what we think a bit too seriously?

Can you take yourself back to the poptart thoughts...why do you think you thought of them. What memory flooded into your consciousness? What feeling did you have that made you have to have them?

So you ate 4 or 5 of them. Okay...that's not the end of the world. Let it go.

What could you do in the future? At what point in this sequence of events could you have interjected another thought?

Some smokers when quitting wear a rubber band and snap it whenever they get a craving to smoke. Would something like that help?

Write an essay about the benefit you received from eating the pop tarts. I am not being facitious or tongue-in-cheek. We do things for our benefit. Were you feeling lonely at being so alone...does your husband work late frequently? Did you feel "left out" in some way? Puzzle this out.

Hope this helps. Your OK...

.

Keep a journal or not, try wrting out answers to questions like:

Is there something I'm afraid to do? If so, why am I afraid?

What is new in my life? How am I feeling about that?

Usually, not always, we can get into ruts and just rebel at the things thrown at us from life. Since major bingeing issues are in the past, something has triggered them again. You can't beat yourself up...it's more effective to see what's going on.

I "keep" a journal of sorts. To be very honest, I rarely write in it when things are tip top and going well...and, maybe this would be good to do. I do know it's very, very helpful to write down the good things I do and the nice things people say about me, especially if it points out a good character trait. While you're at it, pick out some of the things about yourself that you like or are grateful for. Then, when things are difficult, you can read about how you felt at other times -- see patterns emerging -- and also read about the good stuff too, which is encouraging and balances out the negativity you might feel about yourself.

Fighting bingeing is about getting balance back from some aspect of your life, whether it's physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual. Something's out of kilter.

Two thoughts that help...

(1) A negative is often something that is positive gone too far. Example: Helping people in need is good. However, if you help to the point that you no longer have a job which puts your family into the street, or spend so much time at it that you spend almost no time with your kids, your good intentions have gone too far. It also doesn't let room for the other to grow. (I'm thinking here of things we do for family or friends to our own detriment.)

(2) God isn't done with me yet. Now, you could see that as a really nasty statement -- like God's out to get you! But, here what I'm talking about is that we are never a finished creation...we are refined and refining all the time as long as we stay in the battle. You've gone a bit overboard? Well, don't let that be an excuse to really do it good! Use that awareness to say, "I don't need to do this to myself just because I screwed up. I'm worth more than this bag of chips...etc., etc." We will never attain perfection...striving for perfection is almost oxymoronic -- we will always have the ability to "do better." But, it's not always necessary to fight so hard. We are good and getting better.

In the meantime, figure out if there's something you can do with your hands and mind that takes keeps your head, hands, and feelings busier and at bay -- e.g. sudoku, crossword puzzles, etc. You could do handicrafts, but usually you'd end up with a mess and have something to clean up which can add to the weight of life...another project left undone.

i hope this helps. Sit in a chair and mull it over. It's not comfortable. Take a glass of water or some tea with you if you must...and your journal. Write.

Katerine, thanks. You gave a lot to think on...and do. It feels "right."

lnegetz...

It will be okay. You are not bad. You are not alone....see the post to kaybug.

Get a journal. Walk. Pray out loud.

According to Anne Lamott, there are only two prayers: "Help me, help me, help me!" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I say them all the time!

Be sure to write down 5 things for which you are thankful. IF you want, write down why.

Make short entries. Write down every positive thing you can say about yourself. "I can smile" is a good entry.

Ruth Fishel has written several books I've found helpful. I HIGHLY recommend Take Time for Joy.

Hang in there...it's worth it.

hey, ti --- I've had all those feelings and those you've not talked about! I don't purge, though...it is a conundrum...a puzzle.

I'm working through it oh so slowly. First off, I don't count calories: waste of time and keeps the power in the food, so to speak. Instead, I'm marking off types of food I'm eating. I'm a great proponent of www.mypyramid.org...great info, as well as fantastic planning and tracking programs.

What I'm doing right now is to make an imaginary plate (I guess I could draw it on a paper plate). then, I divide it into four: 1/4 is for meat/protein; 1/4 is for pasta/potato/peas/corn -- starchy foods; the rest of the plate is for veggies. Add a glass of milk (or other high calcium food) and a serving of fruit. Do it twice a day. Anyway, throughout the day, I guessimate how full the pieces of "pie" are and whether or not I have "room" for the item. It may not be lowering my calorie intake right now, but I am getting more attuned to different flavors and textures in food, which I think is good ---do we crave food for all the sensory input??? Anyway, I'm trying to eat parts of meals (3 kinds of food at a time) a little at a time every 3-4 hours. Hopefully, I don't get too hungry and overeat...but, we'll see: the jury is still out!

Best wishes to everyone!

PureColor ~

I am proud of you...you are taking some positive steps and a chance to get some help. That is a BIG DEAL!!

One thing I want to mention though, is that you are NOT bad...look yourself in the mirror and say to yourself really...and out loud!) ..."I am not bad. I'm having a hard time making healthy decisions. I am changing this. I am strong enough to get help and to do what I can to treat myself well. I am worth it."

Say this OUT LOUD to yourself in the mirror...really...look yourself in the mirror. You are worth it!

When you get that voice calling out for more and more and more...sit down and ride it out. Put yourself into time out. You might put a rubber band around your wrist and snap it (LIGHTLY) whenever you get "the urge"... If that doesn't work, try to have at least one full glass of water. Then, time out again ... and make your bed, take a walk, do 50 jumping jacks...try distracting yourself.

I get like this some times...and I don't have to eat "forbidden" foods..it can be just normal food, but too much! I have physical limitations that don't allow me to always do jumping jacks, and right now my treadmill is inaccessible, but I could walk. Fast walking increases endorphins, the same neurochemicals released when you binge eat...they make you feel good. You might try this, too.

Also, I keep an open bag of baby carrots on the inside of my refrigerator. They are the first thing I see and inevitably, I'll grab a few, close the door, and munch...and it seems to hit the craving for at least a while.

Purecolor...you're okay. You're having a difficult time right now, but it will pass...it's not a forever kind of thing.

Do you think some assistance in developing time management skills would help you be less overwhelmed with your classes? Universities usually have access to these kinds of resources.

Could you find a buddy in every class? It doesn't have to be a bosom buddy, just someone who will take notes for you if you're absent and maybe will study with you for exams or toss around ideas for projects? This might help get you out of just food-focused groups.

Good luck and keep in touch!

Sandra

hummus86 --

Close your eyes, either for real or mentally. WHAT do you want to eat? You can't just go to the cupboard or refrigerator and look...you have to figure out what will "satisfy" your "hunger" without those cues.

Find ways to battle the impulse eating. Just because you see cookies -- even delicious, homemade chocolate chip cookies -- doesn't mean you have to have them...you weren't really "wanting" them until you saw them. You need to find some way to short circuit the impulse to grab and eat on sight.

Sometimes I get triggered by food in a commercial or by simply someone talking about food. Go FIGURE!

We all know how it is to have cookies, crackers, or whatever around that we'll have "just one" of!

I put quotes around the words "hunger" and "satisfy," because I know when I binge -- I call it "grazing" -- I'm just going hit or miss at getting something to finally be THE thing that satisifes the craving -- and, of course, I don't find IT. I'm usually not physically hungry at these times.

So, it means, then, that before you put anything into your mouth, ...

(1) you need to find out is you're actually hungry. Has it been at least 5 hours since your last meal? -- or 2-3 hours since your last mini-meal, if you eat 6 times a day? If yes, make a meal that includes ALL food groups (veggies, whole grain, protein, dairy, fruit). Check portion sizes of everything but veggies.  Munch on iceberg lettuce while making (almot no cals, but almost no nutrition, either!)

If you've already eaten, test your hunger level: drink a glass of water. If that makes you feel satisfied, you've avoided a binge ("grazing") If not, ...

(2) you need to identify what one food or meal will fill you up. So, sit and be quiet in a chair for at least 10 minutes. Zone out...relax. Does this quiet time calm the cravings? If not...

(3) take a brief walk outside, get into a yoga pose, blog, or journal for 10 minutes... Will distraction of some kind avoid grazing? If not...

(4) ask yourself what you are avoiding by bingeing: what is the real benefit you're getting from the food?

Decide that you won't eat anything off your meal plans unless you can form a picture of what you want to eat specifically that will satisfy that emotional/ physical/knetic need.

At the end of the visulization you should be able to see, feel (in your mouth) all the sensations associated with the food), smell it...you should get it down to one specific food...not the cookies you already see as you're passing through the kitchen.

I frequently need a boost in energy. I also tend to put too much on myself. I get overwhelmed and use food as an escape from those things I can and should do. It's like I need permission to do good things for myself. I start with a cup of tea and a soothing CD.

If you can be true to this sequence, make the decision to limit what it is you want to eat. Put some stops in.

So, when I get a "sweet tooth," I don't just plunk a bunch of different sugary food into my mouth...I have to identify that what I want is 10 M & M peanuts. I can feel the melting candy, then the chocolate, and finally end with the crunch of peanuts.

If all the food you and I ate were mindfully eaten, we wouldn't have this issue to the degree that it interferes with our health.

The heart of it is to identify your emotional needs, your physical needs (at one point, I determined I was eating to deal with physical pain), your kinetic needs. I really believe there is a neurochemical at work here -- or rather one that doesn't kick in when it should. Also, it's likely we have a smaller repertoire of mechanisms to cope that we learned in our environment -- "family habits" that don't name the emotion, but seek relief from discomfort of any kind.

What do you think? Are my assumptions/"conclusions" on the mark? Do you have some thoughts about it? 

Danamichael...

1 gm/lb is not the same as 1 gm/kg, because there are 2.2 lbs for every kg: you would be getting quite a bit more than you need.

To find your weight in  kg (kilograms), divide it by 2.2.

So let's say you have 101 lbs: 101/2.2 = roughly (rounding up) 46 kg.

So, at 1 to 1.2 g protein for every kg , you'd multiply the  no. of kg by 1 and by 1.2 to find the preferred range of protein intake in grams:

(1 x 46) to (1.2 x 49) = 46 to 55 g protein per day.

At the 1.5 g/kg "rate," it would be 1.5 x 46, or 69 g protein.  Intake over 70 g pf protein is too much: eat some other foods in place of the additional protein.

Now, Danamichael, you seem to be focused on numbers...and that can be okay to a point. If you're able, use the numbers for something else...do mental math or Sudoku to release the need to move them around...I have some of hte same "drive." Find a release for that part of the brain.

What would be helpful, I think, is to try to come up with combinations of protein, whole grains, and veggies/fruit that you could try to enjoy eating: try a new combination once a week.

An example: Smoothie made from 1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt, 2 heaping Tablespoons Silken Tofu, 1/2 banana (frozen would be good), 8 or 9 frozen strawberries -- blend, adding orange juice to "loosen" from edges if necessary. Add honey, sugar, or sweetener, if desired. Eat with 1 or 2 slices of a good whole wheat bread (get mine from local food co-op) with or without a little peanut butter. This meal has everything you need, is balanced, and is easy to make and take.

Take care, Danamichael

According to the site http://www.rd411.com/article.php?ID=14, you only need 0.8 gms/kg/day. If your blood albumin level is low, you may need more.

I think you'd be safe @ 1 gm/kg (2.2 lbs/kg), figuring it on your ideal weight, which in general, for women is 100 lbs + 5 lbs for every inch over 5 ft.

At 5'2", your "ideal"  wt. s/b between 100 to 120 lbs. (10% either way of 110#), and your protein needs between 36 and 55 gms/day. 60 gms/day would not be too many, depending on your kidney studies.

What does your dietitian say? (Not the same as a nutritionist.)

It's important to get not only enough protein, but also carbs and even a little fat. The problem comes when there's an imbalance. The body uses carbs and fats best for the energy needs of the brain and heart/muscles. Protein is used to repair and maintain the vigor of your muscles.

If you don't get energy needs from carbs (& a little fat), your body can use the protein you eat. It becomes a problem when you get too many cals from protein, and not enough from carbs/fat...or a great amount of protein in excess of your needs.

Protein needs to be broken down to a usable form for the body. In the process, undersirable by-products are produced. Too many of these products are hard for the kidneys to clear out.

But, not eating enough calories creates even more difficulty: the body breaks down your muscle (protein!) for the energy it needs to keep the brain and heart going. Eating your muscle to keep alive isn't so good...your heart is a muscle.

Another way of "counting" protein is to just have a portion 3 to 4 times a day. Portions of familiar protein foods: 2 Tbls peanut butter; 3 oz. lean meat/ fish/ poultry; 1/2 c dry beans/legumes/tofu; 1 c milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese; 1 egg.

Protein is also present in grains like wheat, corn, and brown rice, as well as vegetables such as white potatoes. To get a complete complement of amino acids (that make up protein), it's good to mix them: e.g., brown rice, beans, and corn.

I hope this answer is helpful.

Binge eating at night has been a real bugga-bo with me.

It didn't used to be anight, but rather whenever I'd ascounce myself in my bedroom with a good book. We were military and moved all the time: being somewhat shy, this was my escape mechanism.

In college I slimmed down. However, after being married, etc., etc., it seemed like nighttime -- esp. if everyone was already in bed -- was MY time...I de-stressed by munching and crunching while watching TV or reading -- pure escape.

I see that I still have that proclivity.

Part of the help with this site, is that it's hard to eat while typing! So, I may have found a different outlet....but, then, it's keeping me up WAY later than I like, so...it's all balance, isn't it?

GW – 175

CW – 200

Total lbs lost/Goal lbs to loose: 0/25

§      &nb sp;   09-12-2008 – 200 lbs

§      &nb sp;   09-19-2008 –  

§      &nb sp;   09-26-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   10-03-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   10-10-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   10-17-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   10-24-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   10-31-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   11-07-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   11-14-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   11-21-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   11-28-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   12-05-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   12-12-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   12-19-2008 –

§      &nb sp;   Goal: 12-25-2008 –

Hi, Sandra here. I’m 58, widowed (2 y. ago, after 36 years of marriage), and have two grown daughters (34 and 27)…no grandchildren, yet (there’s hope!).  I live on a farmette (5+ acres) near Lexington, KY with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I finished a degree program & internship and am beginning an effort to find a job as an RD (registered dietitian). My house is under renovation at the moment, so I’m living in a barn (for real!). I hope to be able to move into my “new” bedroom and have a kitchen again by Thanksgiving. As you can see, I’ve got numerous obstacles: figuring out what to eat that’s not frozen in a box…So, I figure if I can lose weight under these conditions, then I’ll have developed a tool kit of sorts.

Sorry I'm a tad late signing in...wedding to do for the last 3 days.

I binged today. I don't purge, but I do binge -- and I feel awful on so many levels it's not even funny.

Thing is, whenever I start to really pay enough attention to food that I record it, I think about nothing else...the main reason I avoid "diets." I nearly always end up worse than I was before.

I was supposed to exercise yesterday, and I didn't. I did work in the garden, but half the time I was supposed to. And I was completely looney -- go figure.

It's awful when you feel you let others -- and yourself -- down.  When I feel so overwhelmed, I just want to crawl up in a chair and munch away.

Ring a bell with anyone?