enough is enough. NO MORE BINGEING.

(edit: changed the name of the group, since everyone is at different days)

So since I've started using calorie counter, i've lost 15 lbs and I feel great! But more recently I have starting bingeing horribly, my stomach feels like a bottomless pit and nothing seems to satisfy me. I know how horrible it is, and the reasons why I binge(whether its emotional/life etc) but nothing stops me.

I have come to the notion, that I keep telling myself 'never again' although this just starts the bingeing cycle. The all or nothing thinking gets me everytime and usually if I eat too much before noon (aka over my calorie intake), i just put everything in and keep eating like that all day because the whole day is ruined.

NEW THINKING: I'm going to move on and don't let my overeating result in ruining the rest of my day.

I found this in another forum, and I want to quote it: it really pushed me to make this post :

"It's a misconception for us bingers that binging is inevitable. The urge to binge, like the urge to do anything else, can and will pass if we give it time. But time is also an issue for us. We tend to be impulsive by nature and once we feel we've hit that point of no return, we believe there's no sense in trying to stop it. Having said that, there is also wisdom in knowing your triggers and staying clear of them for a time, learning how to deal with your emotions/stresses in a more effective way, and getting support."

Anyways ANYONE who wants to start this no bingeing journey ...join.

WE can get through this TOGETHER one day at a time.

so today I ate more than I wanted to this morning, but hopefully it will balance out because I had a light mid-morning snack.

 

Hey guys!  Sorry I missed weigh in yesterday - it was court day an WAY busy!  I was 151.6 yesterday.  Down some from 152 last week, but still TTOM and crampy, bloated, icky.

Fortunately I've felt so yucky that I haven't had the energy to binge.  We went out to eat last night, I got salad bar with some sliced smoked turkey and barely ate any of it.  I think I just need a vacay and some sleep! 

How's everyone else doing?

This morning I got on the scale, and I was in the 128's.  I know, I should ignore daily fluctuations...

But, nontheless, I'm STARVING this morning.  I've already had 400 calories this morning, and it is still an hour until lunch.  I didn't make my lunch this morning because I was lazy, so I'm going to have to grab something (meaning it will be 300-400 cals).  Add in my mandatory afternoon snacks (200), and that doesn't leave me much for dinner and my evening snacks.

Do you think I'm extra hungry because I saw this new lower weight, and my brain is trying to sabotage me... or do you think it is unrelated?

It's so weird how some days I'm STARVING, and some days I could care less about food.

Luvly125- You definitely have the "all or nothing" attitude that a lot of us have on this forum.  The hardest thing we all have to learn is moderation is key!  In every aspect of our life!  That includes exercising!  I have gone through the same thing as you!  I got home from vacation, lost some weight and then binged for two weeks!!!  I gained it all back- in a hurry!  About working out, don't go for more than two hours!  It's obsessive and you're just setting yourself up for a binge because you're physically and mentally depriving yourself!  I have a huge problem with it too sometimes.  But just know that TOMORROW IS A FRESH DAY!  Actually, after you binge you can start fresh!  If you have a rough morning, know that you can do better for the rest of the day- and don't try to go to the gym for 3 hours to burn it all off!  I have hurt my body- probably permanently from doing that.   I haven't been able to run for months because I have exercised too obsessively and gave myself tendonitis... IT'S NOT WORTH IT! 

When you feel a binge coming on look at the list of things to do to keep yourself busy(on first page of posts) or come on here to let it out!  THE FEELING WILL PASS!  Look and examine yourself WHY you want to binge.  Are you bored? Depressed? Anxious?  Once you realize why you are feeling that way TRY TO FIX IT!  You'll feel so much better when you do!!  Get yourself back to that happy feeling!  A lot of times weight gain has to do with issues we need to fix in the inside... do some self exploration.

Don't expect to lose weight overnight- OR GAIN it!   It will take time.  Look at your accomplishments that you do everyday and build off of them.  Whether you ate healthy today, or turned down cake, only had a slice of cake, or didn't eat the whole cake!  That is success!!!  FOCUS ON BEING HEALTHY- NOT SKINNY!  Soon your daily accomplishments will merge with your ultimate goal!  BUT DON'T GET DOWN ON YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE A BAD DAY!!  Everyone does- WE'RE HUMAN! 

Hope this helps and know that we've all been there and are here for you!

By the way Day 2 was a success!  Today could be a toughy though!  I'm going to a family get together and usually I graze the ENTIRE time and eat waaay too much!  I'll be thinking of this group though!  I'll let you know how it goes right when I get back!  Right now I'm going to go on an amazing bike ride!!!  Whoo hoo!  I love being outside!

kaffwynn - okay I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels like some days im super hungrier than other days.  congrats on the lower weight!!! if you're hungry-- you should eat or it could lead to a huge binge. just eat something healthy.

gonnarockitout- thanks for the motivational post :] I know what you mean about grazing through get togethers. I do that too. I'm trying to stop though. Try to eat something before you go so you dont show up starving, and try to stick with the most healthy food options there-- but enjoy yourself :]

Wow!  Nice name!  Yeah!  That's great advice!  I won't deprive myself!  Otherwise I'll binge later!  Thanks for bringing that to mind!

It is 3:00, and I've had 910 calories.  This is the scarry point in the day, where I usually just give up and just start eating everything in sight.

I want to go home and take a nap.  Clearly my good mood from yesterday is gone.  Is it Friday yet?

Ah another successful day. DAY 3= COMPLETE. I worked until 4 today, and then some friends came over and they pigged out on popcorn, chocolate and thankfully even though I felt MORE than ever that today would be a BINGE day, I didnt binge!

A co-worker of mine tried to explain to me that I probably could never be skinny because I am just big-boned. She tried to say it in a nice way as I am pretty the way I am and I dont look fat. But I obviously took it negatively. I'll just show her that I CAN lose weight and be skinny, and according to calorie counter (the wrap fingers around the wrist) i have a small frame!!!! Anyways this just motivates me more to lose weight!

ughh anyways that was my little vent.

Moving on....

Welcome Kristina and Luvly125!!! I really hope this forum helps you guys out! We're all here to support eachother, feel free to vent, and express anything. We have weekly weigh-ins on tuesdays, and every night come on and tell us how your day goes and the number of days that you have been BINGE FREE.  WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER!

Kaffwynn -  I love those sausages from cosco! My family buys them all the time. And I always have days when I feel like eating like crazy, what I do is just keep healthy options around, like put out carrots, cucumbers etc. This way when I want to reach for something, I have vegetables that I can snack on rather than the chips!!! I really hope that the rest of your day went well!! Let me know1 And guess what! today I bought a pilates video that I am going to try out!!!! I'll tell you how it goes!

So I found this article on 10 tips for managing cravings, Its very helpful! (NUMBER 7 IS A KEEPER - I will definately be refering to this!)

10 Tips for Managing Cravings

1. Eat at least three well-balanced meals a day. Even if you're trying to lose weight, don't skip meals. You'll only be hungrier for the next one, and cravings between meals can become overwhelming.

2. Give up guilt. Believing you have cheated on your diet and completely ruined your chances of succeeding produces guilt and feelings of failure. Give yourself permission to eat favorite foods in moderation and without guilt.

3. Accept food cravings as a normal part of living in a food-oriented society. Almost everyone experiences food cravings, regardless of whether they struggle with their weight. The more you understand your cravings, the better you will be able to manage them. While you cannot control the fact that cravings occur, you can control you reaction.

4. Think "management" instead of "control." "Control" implies an adversarial relationship with food; it's generally a constant struggle to maintain control. "Management" is much easier. When we manage something, we work with it to achieve our desired results.

5. Look at cravings as suggestions to eat, not commands to overindulge. Overeating does not have to be an automatic response to a craving. When a craving begins, determine how you want to deal with it. It is truly up to you.

6. Believe that cravings will pass. A craving is similar to a wave in the ocean. It grows in intensity, peaks, and then subsides if you do not give in. Picture yourself as a surfer who is trying to "ride the wave," instead of being wiped out by it. The more you practice riding the wave, the easier it will become.

7. Disarm your cravings with the 5 D's. Delay at least 10 minutes before you eat so that your action is conscious, not impulsive. Distract yourself by engaging in an activity that requires concentration. Distance yourself from the food. Determine how important it really is for you to eat the craved food and how much you really want it. Decide what amount is reasonable and appropriate, eat it slowly and enjoy!

8. Stop labeling foods as "bad," "illegal," or "forbidden." It's not the food itself that's the problem, but the quantities you consume and how often you consume them. You can eat some of anything you want-even if it is high in fat, calories, or sugar-but to reach your goals, you may not be able to eat all of everything you want.

9. Aim for moderation instead of abstinence. Avoiding things you fear only reinforces the fear. Occasionally practice enjoying reasonable amounts of favorite high-fat or high-calorie foods. You may be happier and better able to stay with a well-balanced plan for healthy living.

10. Exercise regularly. Just as it is vital to successfully managing your weight, exercise is key to managing food cravings. In addition to burning calories, regular exercise may be relief from tension due to anxieties about food cravings. It's also one way to delay, distance, and distract yourself from food.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK EVERYONE, WE CAN DO THIS AND REMEMBER THE 5D's!!!!!

This is a great thread - can I join?

Oooh.  Good article, where do you find all this stuff?!

I ended up doing ok today.  When I reflect back on my food choices for the day, I didn't really eat anything bad, it was just really, REALLY front loaded.  I guess that's not a terrible thing.  I think I lot of people front load their days.  I just usually like to have 600 calories remaining when I get home from work so I can have a reasonably sized dinner AND a few snacks.  I had to switch it around a little, and ditch the snacks.  Although, I did still have enough for a string cheese, so I guess that's ok.

So, provided I can make it through So you Think You can Dance and Project Runway without snacking, I think I'll be ok!  Woo hoo, day 4!  Although, I'm kinda' concerned about tomorrow.  I have a lunch with co-workers for someones birthday.  They're having it at a tapas restaurant, and there doesn't appear to be anything particularly healthy on the menu.  :(  We'll see how it goes.

Welcome csthomas!  As far as I can tell, it is an open group for anyone that needs it.  Personally, being able to vent is really helping me, I hope I'm not annoying anyone.  :)

I'm so joining this. my e-mail is overlydramatic@bellsouth.net if anyone's up late and wants to chat.

:]

Ugh.  Day 1 binge free. 

I knew that being sick and not eating properly, enough times a day was going to catch up with me last night.  We had chicken enchiladas for dinner (boxed, frozen kind with rice and cheese).  I was doing really well until my son got home from football and said he was too hot to eat the leftovers.  I took the pan to my room, sat down with a spoon and proceeded to eat about 600 calories worth of rice in sour cream sauce.

Back to MAKING myself eat three meals a day - no matter what!

Aww, Jenne, sorry to hear that.  Hopefully that food will help fuel your body so you can feel better soon!  Being sick really does require a lot of energy from your body, and you have to FEED it!

My good mood has been reinstated.  I think it is directly related to the mornings I do Pilates.  I'm not sure if it is the fact that I'm up early, and I exercise, or the fact that my instructor always gives me complements.  This morning she was like "what cardio do you do, your body is looking really nice".  I had to admit that I'm a lazy ass, and I'm not currently doing any cardio, but I "thought" about swimming.  Haha.

i have just binged three straight days in a row. it is making me so depressed and angry. it's like i can't stop...when i wake up, i just start going for the food. all i want to do is break free from this obsession with food...i am sure i am probably gaining back the 10 lbs. i have recently lost, especially since i have had no ambition to work out at all this week. hopefully i can recoop and start over right at this moment.

Hey everyone!  Can I join?!  I have a big problem binging ever since I started "dieting."  This summer has been the worst because i've had so much free time=boredom=binging! I've probably binged almost every other day. I've gained about 8 lbs in the past month and i'm ready to take them off!  I hate the feeling like i'm backtracking so i'm just going to pretend this is my starting point right now at : 134.2.  I'm starting college in the Fall so I'm thinking some of this is related to being nervous and anxious for this whole new life change.  And probably a fear of the freshman 15 (haha good logic, gain 15 before college so I won't gain it in college.....wow)  So I'm totally in and yesterday i didn't binge so today is Day 2!

Hey Mike,

Glad to see you around.  Haven't seen you in a few days.  Let the past be the past, and start fresh today.  I feel like if I can get on here, and post when I'm starting to feel overwhelmed, it is really helping.  It's like, once you think about what you're doing, you have more control to stop it.  How about next time something is stressing you out, or you're not happy about the way you ate, come talk about it here first?

njc, I know what you're talking about - stress gets me all the time. I was so nervous before going to college! It'll be so fun when you get there.

Thank you for the welcome Kaffwynn!

I ate over my calorie limit yesterday but I didn't feel like it was a binge. It was all through the day and none of it was painful. My last binge was, amazingly, 18 days ago. I quit smoking cigarettes. Since then I've been stringent on not letting myself get too sad, too stressed, too excited, too anything. I'm finding that I'm triggered from eating potatoes, especially french fries, and drinking a lot of alcohol.

Wow nice work csthomas!  You have to know you're a stronger person for all you have accomplished!  As for me, I ate 300 more calories than I wanted to today!  I was fine and had 1,000 calories left, but dinner was a killer!  I had no idea how bad sherried beef was for you!!!  I so wish I would have looked it up before I had it!  Now I am hungry, and still have a couple hours left until I go to bed!  And I have to get this painting done tonight and it is totally STRESSING ME OUT!  Stress is my BIGGEST Trigger!  I already negated one binge by taking a nap since I knew I was just really tired - thank God!  Thought of you guys too!  But I hope tonight goes ok.... it's going to be rough!

Okay so today I went to dinner with some close girls from work. The cosmopolitans were a must and so was the food. So I definately ate probably 500 over my calorie intake for today. But thats okay! Because I didnt BINGE. So DAY 4=COMPLETE. YAY. I came home, and was about to binge (i had some fruit and some krispers, and I stopped myself and came straight to the computer to tell you guys)!!

Welcome csthomas, ohcyanidexx, njc_18 - I am so happy so many new people are joining. You have probably read most of the posts and know how this works, so whenever you feel you need some support, this forum is here for you!

Jenne - When you are sick, do anything to make yourself better!!!! Because the last thing you want is getting worse because you werent eating enough-- or working too hard etc. I hope you get better, and tomorrow is a new day!

Kaffwynn - I find articles everywhere, on this site/forums, internet. Ive kept a lot and I hope they give you and everyone else some motivation, and also something to read/do rather than think of food! And I totally agree to coming here and venting!!! Stay positive!!!!

Mike- START FRESH. Put it all behind you, read some motivational posts! You can do it, just stay confident and set a reasonable goal that will help motivate you in your low times. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!

Gonnarockitout- Stress hits it  big time for me too!!! Honestly just keeping yourself occupied, and releasing the stress through exercise, shopping. Just getting out of the house (aka. THE KITCHEN) is what I do until I feel like I am more relaxed. You are doing so well, keep it up!

So I found this (haha I hope you guys like these little tibits that I leave at the end of the day)

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO NEED SOME MOTIVATION:

ABC's To Success

Acknowledge that you know what to do

Believe that you have the ability to do it

Courage do what needs to be done

Deciding that today is the day

Enjoying the journey

Forgiving yourself and moving on

Going for your goal

Hearing the compliments

Inviting success into your life

Journaling everything that goes in your mouth

Keep coming to CC when you feel like quitting

Loving yourself enough to change your lifestyle

Making delicious meals

Not ever giving up on yourself

Offer to share your new knowledge with others

Patience with the journey...the weight did not come on overnight

Quiet time for yourself

Remind yourself all of the reasons you are doing this

Self-talk that is positive and repetitive

Turning to solutions instead of food for "problems"

Using all of your "tools" for success

Visiting forums during the week if you need support

Wanting success with your weight loss more than you want that "treat"

Xerox copies of your favorite recipes

You alone can do this, but you don't have to do it alone

Zero in on your goals and move toward them one pound at a time

 

SO TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!!!! YAY. I have a super busy weekend coming up, honestly if I never had to go out I would not be overweight today. Its all the pressure from my friends. Oh well!! NO excuse to binge! WE CAN GET THROUGH THE WEEKEND TOGETHER

KEEP IT UP EVERYONE

Angie