I need advice. Anyone out there?

I am a recovered binge eater and I haven’t had a serious problem with it for several years.  It runs in my family, and I was taught to love food thanks to my Italian family, and I could just never get enough of the things I like. Now, after battling that problem and overcoming it, and losing nearly 70 lbs, I feel it creeping back up.  I used to sit on the couch and indulge in all sorts of things at night when I got home. I loved doing that while watching TV. But I stopped that, quit the habit, and have been doing great for the past year and a half.

But just this week, I’m feeling like I’m less in control of what I’m eating. I am thinking about what I’m going to eat next all day! My cravings are out of control, and just a little bite of something isn't doing it! Last night my husband and I ate at Tropical Smoothie, went to church, got home at around 9:00 pm, and had some low fat ice cream like I had planned in my food log. I had a little more than the serving size, but not much. After that, it was like I was out of control.  I pulled out the baked Cheetos and munched on those, and couldn’t get myself to stop. That gave way to raspberry and lemon tarts I had left over from a ladies get together. Which turned into salt water taffy and candy, and some cole slaw from the refrigerator.  By the time I was done, who knows how many calories I had consumed, and I felt TERRIBLE.  I can’t believe I’m doing this again, I thought I had beaten this. I only have about 5 pounds left to lose! I’m so close! Why can’t I get myself together????

I know I shouldn’t have a lot of that food in the house. But we’ve had house guests staying with us since May, and I have to keep those things in for them. They'll be gone by this time next week, and I can get rid of all those snacks. But it's not just snacks I binge on. It seems to be anything. What do I do? I can’t go back to the way I was. I can’t.

It’s the week before my period, and I’m pretty sure I felt this way the week before my period last month. I’m on a new pill, that could have something to do with it.  But no matter what the cause, how do I nip this in the butt?

I woke up this morning SO hungry because I had eaten so much last night. Now today's routine is off. Usually I'm not hungry now after eating breakfast, but I am because I've stretched my stomach and messed with my routine. I don't have room in my plan today for extras and I'm trying to be very strict today to make up for yesterday. But I'm hungry now, and have a feeling I'll be this way all day.

Help.

Hi Luckiest-

first off, congrats on your weight loss and having a wonderful husband. Soon I too will be married to the greatest man on earth! LOL

I had my TOM 3 weeks after i started cc and felt exactly the same. Whether its stress, TOM, or vacation, there are always backsliding days/weeks . They really do suck, especially when you have been feeling soo good and motivated. My personal thinking is that if you didn't feel alittle down about it, then you might forget to care about how you eat. I do not condone beating yourself up about this, but know that 'this too shall pass'. You will get back on track! you were motivated to loss 70 freakin pounds! you can get through this.

Try remembering some of your old techniques you tried in the beginning that got you through. you might have forgotten some of them because it got easier for you. One of the ones i have been learning is to stop between bites and really focus on the food in your mouth. the texture, taste, etc. this slows down your eating and makes you fuller faster.

 

You look beautiful. You've got some accomplishments to be proud of.

I understand how easy it is to let things slide and get out of control. The last few weeks I've really been struggling too. It's like no matter what I eat, I want to grab something else. I can't pinpoint what I'm craving so I just eat whatever I find. Bad idea, lol.

Are you feel a particular emotion that is getting to you? Identify your emotion, journal it, and then determine whether you're really hungry.

Like comomo72 said, think about the times when it was even harder than this. How did you get through then? Those 70 lbs didn't come off by themselves!

Since it sounds like you have a pretty supportive spouse, ask for his help. Or a friend if you prefer. I know when I want something I know I'll regret later, I ask my husband to say outloud to me why I shouldn't get it. It's hard to talk yourself out of something sometimes.

You'll get back on track in no time.

Thanks so much ladies. I needed a kick in the pants. I'm still not sure exactly why my eating is out of hand, but I'm with you bigblue, I can't pinpoint what I'm craving so I'll grab anything and everything.

What are some good tips to keep from eating after you've met your daily calorie limit? I set a plan out for myself during the day, and then 9:00 after I've had my last meal/snack, I tend to binge or cheat.  What do you do to keep that from happening?

Lauren

I find something else to get my mind off food. Just last night I sat down in front of the TV and looked at a home shopping magazine. Sometimes I do crosswords or word finds. I keep a book next to the couch so I can grab for it. I get some tea or water and plop down for some brain busting fun. Haha. I'm an uber dork.

If you must eat, keep those low cal snacks handy. Fruits, veggies, sugar free cocoa, mini bags of popcorn, etc. And hopefully, as soon as your guests move out, you won't have that temptation of chips & less healthy snack choices.

Honestly, I just go to bed. =/

But you could also try chewing gum. Even if it is flavored, and you chew an entire pack that night, it would be worth it not to eat all that other stuff.

Is the stress of your house guests getting to you? And the fact that you have those things in the house to begin with? Some people say "out of sight, out of mind" but personally those things are alway in my mind, even when they're out of sight.

For sweet cravings have you ever heard of stevia if you google sweetleaf( my fav brand) liquid stevia you can find it. It comes in a bunch of flavors and it so far has kept my sweet tooth under control.  Because you can get a hint of chocolate flavor etc etc with no calories to water a smoothy, milk coffee etc etc. it's no the real thing by any means but I keep it in a couple flavors on my desk at work and add it to my two coffees milks a day that I nurse through out the day and to my waters because plain water after a while turns me off.  I woudl start off with the little 6ml bottles to see if you like it.

For salty cravings I go for 100 calorie packs or Mr krispers that I put in serving size baggies.  

I found from my prior weightloss that putting things in baggies or containers that have just one serving helps my binging. I also WALK AWAY from the place I store all of the pre packaged servings before I start to chow. That way it is more of an effort to go over a serving.

I also am in LOVE with luna bars and vita tops as a quick snack because I try to eat something small every 2-4 hours dependening on when I am hungry. Luna bars are under 200 cals and have good stuff in them unlike most 100 cal packs.

I have always been a closet binger since I was little I would grab the whole bag of chips and stash it in my room so I could eat it later and no one would tell me I was too fat to eat them etc.

 

try brushing your teeth when you've met your calorie max for the day. Drink nothing but water after that or you'll have to brush again, plus the toothpastey taste doesn't go good with many foods. Clean teeth always make me feel better, anyway. I always brush my teeth before a workout. I dunno why, but it makes me feel more energetic, less lethargic and icky.

I have an old time habit of binging too, simple solution for me-I don't buy the stuff that is going to make me feel guilty. Last night I chewed off a pound of carrots. The night before that it was cabbage with lemon juice, the day before-asparagus etc. etc. So basically, I feel physically stuffed before I get even 300 calories worth of food. Not bad, plus I needed the vitamin A.

Well somehow I am still bingeing. It's almost like my willpower is gone in general, and I don't just mean food. I'm trying to get rid of an itchy patch of skin on my arm by not scratching it, and the past two weeks that's all I can do! I've been trying to keep eating healthy, but the past two weeks I just want to eat and eat and eat! I have been trying to be more productive at work, but the past two weeks, I have no motivation. It's like ALL my motivation and willpower to resist ANYTHING (food, itching, laziness) is gone. Where did it go and how can I get it back?

I've been on this healthy road for a year, and now I've been eating so badly I'm GAINING weight for the first time in a YEAR! And i realize that's terrible, but I can't seem to help it! I don't want to keep backsliding.

I've been pretty sad over the past few weeks, kind of hopeless. I wonder if I'm seeing the lighter signs of mild depression. Could that be it? I don't care what it is that's causing all this strange behavior, I just want to deal with it and get rid of it! But I don't really know what it is or how to deal with it.

I've pretty much purged my house of all things unhealthy, so tonight there shouldn't be quite the same temptation when I get home. But it's still so hard, and I'm averaging a 500-700 calorie binge each night.  It's a pattern I can't get rid of. So I'm thinking tonight there shouldn't be anything left to eat that's terrible for me.

I'm at the end of my rope and I'm so tired from this fight with getting healthy. I have nothing really to look forward to, and this helpless hopeless feeling is overtaking me. Not enough to do anything drastic, don't worry. It's just a horrible, tight, knotted feeling in my stomach that won't go away. I want to be happy and healthy again.

Before I read your last post I thought you might be feeling a little depressed and now I feel that's likely the cause.  It's not just the bingeing but the "hopelessness" that makes me think this.  At some points in all of our lives we go through periods like this.  Nothing much going on and life can get a little dull.  I experience many of the same feelings that you've expressed when I'm going through a phase like this.  It is usually just temporary but sometimes it helps to talk to someone if it goes on for any length of time- particularly if you've experienced depression in the past.  What helps me to overcome this is to get out and do something even if all I want to do is sit there.  I force myself to go to the gym and work out hard or push myself some other way.  Go shopping- window shopping- if money is tight.  Do something...

About the bingeing- I find myself doing the exact same thing and can easily empathize with you.  I have to go to bed sometimes to avoid going on a tangen and eating everything.  Unfortunately, when I'm in one of these moods I will find something to munch on even if I have nothing really bad in the house.  Some days I win the battle and some I lose.  Try to force yourself to do something else- you may have to change up your routine for awhile to break the cycle.  In fact that may be exactly what you need is a change in routine.  If you continue to have feelings of hopelessness I encourage you to talk with someone.  It can really help you sort out some of these feelings and get you back on track.  Best of luck to you and feel free to contact me-Dianne

Awww. I'm sorry to hear that you're still going through a rough time. Everyone has them. You're not alone. We need times like them to appreciate all the other times when things are wonderful. I was going through a stretch, about 4 weeks, of similar feelings. I ate as healthy as I felt like, worked out even though I didn't want to, and still tried to put on a smile everyday. It was hard. One night I actually just burst into tears. Why? I don't know. But it felt good & was necessary. I'm glad I went through those hard weeks. I tried the best I could but if I failed, I knew that a new day started each morning. 

I started working out to cope with mild depression. I am a difficult person to be around when I'm not working out. It helps alot, but sometimes, I just feel that need to be sad. And that's perfectly fine. Things can never be the same forever, good or bad.

Hang in there. You don't have to see the light at the end of the tunnel to know it's still there waiting for you.

I TOTALLY feel for you.  I felt the SAME EXACT way last year.  I was close to my goal, but then I got these hopeless feelings and slight depression like it was all not worth it anymore.  I agree with some of the other posters.  Get out and do something even if you don't want to.  You have to force yourself.  You have to.  Get your nails done.  Get a haircut.  Walk in the park.  Go for a drive.  Listen to a favorite CD you haven't listened to in a while.  Something.  Just try to stay out of the food.

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words! It's true, life has gotten so routine, even losing weight is routine, and it shouldn't be that way... I should be so proud and excited! But I'm not. I see it all in the same gray haze these days, and I need to do something different. I'm thinking of taking up golf lessons so I can spend more time with my husband. That would give me something to look forward to, and it's something I've wanted to do. I just hope it isn't too expensive.

I've also upped my weight loss goal from 159 pound to 153 pounds. That's got me down a bit, just because I was pretty close to my goal, and now here I am at just under 10 pounds to lose again. But I look at myself now, and I know I need to lose a little more to be healthy and fit. It's like I know what I pictured myself looking like at 162.5 pounds, and this isn't it. So I'll do this, I know I will. I'll reach that goal. It's just going to take a bit longer than anticipated. I can handle taking an extra two months to lose weight, after taking nearly a year to lose the 65+ pounds I've already lost, right? (trying to convince myself)

Thank you luzd, BBfeet, and Kate for all the encouragement. I'm hoping to shake this depressed haze. It's so good to know others have been there too and that I'm not crazy.

I just have to remind myself, I have to give my measurements to my competitive, stick thin soon-to-be sister in law the week of Thanksgiving. So she'll know what I weigh, how big around I am, and what size I take in her bridesmaids dress, take a look at it here. (isn't that just lovely? I especially like the 80's 3 tiered bow on the hip). I don't want her to tell me with a smug little smile on her face that I'll need to wear a 12, or even a 10. I want to be an 8!!! I can do it!!! I just have to work hard. (still trying to convince myself)

thanks again everyone. I love you all.