Posts by merkee

Three pounds is not that big a gain, and could be water.  BUT, if you actually did "binge for three days straight," then its not water, honey, its calories.  Everything you put in your mouth has calories and every binge has consequences.  If you continue to binge for the rest of the week, you will gain more weight.  Nothing mystical about it.

That being said, I totally relate to binge-eating and I'm definitely not a perfect eater.  Is something bothering you or gnawing at you?  Maybe taking the time to figure out what the problem is and come up with a solution will help you to get the binge-eating under control. 

Just get back on the wagon, start fresh and do what you need to do (in a healthy way!) to feel good.  And exercise!  Not only will that make you feel better emotionally, it will burn some of those extra calories.  Even a 30-minute walk will help.

Good luck!

Thanks .  I guess its all about just working through each issue...... I'm sure my body will adjust to the increased exercise and I just have to be careful in the meantime about what I put in my mouth.

I think its all about mind set.  Your reply email was just full of excuses to bat away the suggestions other people made.  (Sorry, that sounds really harsh, its not meant to be ....... read on........)

I'm reading a book now that's all about changing the way you think.  Its not a diet book, its not about counting calories or working out (all of which are necessary to lose weight), its about getting rid of those thoughts that allow you to keep doing the same thing over and over and over.  Its called something like the Beck Diet Solution or Beck Diet Principle -- just google Beck and diet, I'm sure you'll find it.

I am in my 30s and you are right about dealing with a slowing metabolism!!! I ate like a horse in my 20s and was able to burn it all off.  In my 20s, I was a size 6/8.  Now in my 30s, eating the same way, I went up to a size 10, and was heading towards a size 12. 

So this book has helped me to change the way I think about food.  Its not about dieting, which is temporary.  Its about getting control of habits that you think are uncontrollable.  Anytime you think "I can't help it" or "that's just the way I am" - learn to call BS on yourself.

Its hard.  Good luck!!!!!!!

Weighing in for Jan. 28th........

starting weight: 178 lbs

starting weight this week:172 lbs

ending weight this week: 173 lbs

Lbs lost this week: +1 lb

Total weight lost:  5 lbs

Goal for this week:  170, baby!

 I think I'm overcompensating after I work out..... noticed I have been a lot hungrier as I've been adding workouts.. will have to pay attention to that this week!  Good luck everyone

You were hungry and in a rush!  No big whoop...... just fit in extra walks over the weekend and you'll cancel out those evil fritos. 

Hi all!  I'm a brand new member of CC and am very excited to join this forum.  What a great idea!  Here's my info:

1. Starting Weight and date:  Started at 178 pounds on Nov. 15.  This week I weighed in at 172.2
2. Mini-Goal Weight-Loss for Dec 30th:  170 lbs.
3. Mini-Goal Weight-Loss for Feb 17th:   163 lbs.
4. ULTIMATE Goal Weight:  155 lbs.
5. Weight-Loss Plan: CC and increasing exercise to at least 30 min/5 days per week.
6. Food Weakness:  CHEESE! 

Adrileigh, I had this same problem -- and it can be very dangerous.   A couple years ago, I lost a lot of weight and got really thin.  At first it was great - I was exercising, feeling great, enjoying myself.  Then I started to get paranoid about food..... everything I saw seemed like it was bad and I shouldn't eat it.  Eventually, my metabolism slowed so much I started GAINING weight even though I was barely eating and exercising all the time!  Luckily, I was able to readjust and start eating better.  I maintained a healthy weight for several years (until I quit smoking and gained more -- but that's a different story!)

You should be eating AT LEAST 1200-1300 calories per day.  Otherwise, you are going to slow down your metabolism and mess up your body.  Think of your body as a fireplace ....... if you don't put enough fuel in there, its harder to get the fire burning.  Your body needs calories to burn calories.  If you don't eat enough, your body will start SAVING calories instead of burning them.

To get rid of your fear, try adding healthy lowfat foods, like a lowfat whole grain cracker with some lowfat peanut butter or cheese.  Or a half cup of pasta with marinara sauce, a boiled egg at breakfast...... just small steps so you don't feel freaked out.

Good luck!  Be good to your body!

Hi Ashalee,

Good job on increasing your running time!  I have found that its total exercise time that really makes a difference -- so instead of running, you might try walking but for double the amount of time (26 minutes of walking instead of 13 minutes of running).  THAT will bump up your calorie burn!  Also, walking is less stressful to your joints.  Us runners are asking a lot from our knees, shins, and hips, especially when we get tired and our form is less than perfect.

In any case, congrats on your weight loss and your increased stamina!  Keep going!!!

Adrileigh - congrats on your weight loss so far!  Re: exercise, try finding an activity that involves exercise, but has a different point.  I walk in the mornings before work sometimes.  The thought that gets me out of bed is not "I have to work out," but "I bet its gorgeous outside.  It would be so nice to have some quiet time to myself before I get to the office this morning."  Something about being out walking while the streets are quiet and the morning sky is rising - its awesome.  It brings me a lot of tranquility.

Other times, I need to work out stress or tension.  So then I hit the weights or go running -- with LOUD, f-u music on my IPod.  Again, I'm not thinking about calories or pounds -- I'm motivated by the satisfaction of burning off that tense energy so I can clear my head and feel good again.

Hope that helps!

Right on, cats-eyes!!  I had a similar experience..... always felt a little grossed out by the meat I prepared. 

It seems like there are a million reasons to commit to a vegetarian diet, even if only part-time, or if you still eat some dairy.  I was motivated just as much by concern for the environment as I was by the disgusting amount of consumption and waste I see around me. 

The effect that cattle and pig farming has on the environment is profoundly negative.  Where I live, our watersheds are being polluted primarily by feces from farms.  Out west, they're destroying natural habitats so that cattle can graze; but if that land was used to raise wheat or soy or corn, we could feed 10 times as many people with wheat as we could with cow meat.   

Then there's the quality of the meat/ethical treatment of the animals issue.  With cattle and chicken and pigs and fish, the animals don't get fat enough fast enough to be profitable for the companies that raise, slaughter and sell them, so most companies (a) feed them things teh animals were never supposed to eat (like feeding cows meal that contains ground-up pieces of other cows, a cause of mad cow disease) and (b) inject them with growth hormones.  When we eat meat, we ingest everything the animal did during its life.  Yuck.

Then there's the waste.  On a macro level, American fast food restaurants and grocery stores thrive on selling "more for less," including meat.  (E.g., the double-burger with bacon for 99 cents or the fact that the SMALLEST serving of steak at most restaurants is TRIPLE the size of a recommended single serving.)  The "more for less" philosophy adds to the amount of food that is consumed, that rots or is thrown away.  It shows a complete lack of respect for the energy and life that went into creating that food.

I'm not saying we should never eat meat, ever.  But we do have a choice about how much we consume and how we treat the animals during the course of their lives. 

I am totally a night-snacker.  Also an ex-smoker, and cigarettes definitely fulfilled that oral fixation for me.  But I'm much happier as an ex-smoker, it was worth it to quit!

I've figured out a couple things that help:

 1.  Try adjusting your eating earlier in the day.  I find that a big dinner reduces the snack urge at night.  A big lunch or breakfast does nothing to reduce the night-snacking.

 2.  Figure out what it is that soothes the oral fixation:  sweet?  crunchy?  salty? creamy?  Then figure out a lower-calorie alternative to fix that jones.  For example, when I want something sweet, I eat a bowl of frozen blueberries instead of ice cream (they're really low calorie, and it takes forever to eat them when they're frozen!)  If I want something crunchy, a fresh salad or carrot sticks with a little bit of hummus is really satisfying.  If I want something salty, some miso soup with seaweed is good.

 3.  Try hot liquids.  Something about sipping a good cup of herb tea or hot cocoa is really satisfying.

 4.  This is something I've never done before, but I swear its been amazing:  I got chinese herbs from an accupuncturist.  They come in a brandy solution in a little bottle with a "jigger" spout on top, so you have to shake the bottle to get a single drop out.  The formula is "Female Stress Remedy".  10-20 drops on the tongue at night not only kills the snacking urge, but sooths that boredom/stress response, too.  I don't know if I'm allowed to post other websites on this board, but check out heavenly bodies clinic in Arlington, Virginia.

 Good luck!