Posts by kiwistarfruit

i agree with everyone that you have to experiment and find what works best for you... I've heard that breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day, but i've also heard arguments for lunch to be the biggest meal. I've never heard that dinner should be the largest meal. I think b/c a lot of us tend to binge at night and b/c a full tummy can cause disrupted sleep, unless you have dinner early.

I would suggest trying different things and keeping a log of the effects. Do you have more or less energy with a big breakfast? Does eating a big dinner keep you awake at night? stuff like that. Also it does really help to eat something every 3-4 hrs or so, as was suggest above by someone else.

calm down...

You ate a lot at once but it was all very healthy. Give your body a few hours to digest that. Drink water. Workout, then go back to healthy eating habits. I have trouble with binging on and off too. So far what helps me the most is eating 5 small meals a day/ every 3-4 hours.  I've started avoiding my 'triggers' like the plague. For me that's chocolate, peanut butter, and any high fat or overly sweet foods (even if they're healthy fats and sweets)

Eat at the table away from the tv with no loud noises, no radio either unless mellow music. That way you really focus on your food. Chew slowly. I stop eating 3 hrs before bed. As soon as i finish dinner i drink a small glass of water then go brush and floss my teeth. Earlier in the day I chew minty gum immediately after a meal to signal my body that the meal is over.

Also balanced meals. Some that are healthy, filling, lasting choices are: oatmeal and a piece of fruit (eat the fruit first b/c the fiber will help you get full faster, apples are great). Beans, rice and veggies are good. A bowl of cereal and some yogurt.

Make fruit and veggies the focus of your meals. If you feel a binge coming on eat veggies or fruit first, then you won't be able to eat much of anything else b/c fruits and veggies are so filling.

Distance yourself from food when you start to get that out of control urge to eat. Go take a nap, go for a walk, call a friend, exercise, draw, whatever.

You just have to find what works for you. Hopefully my suggestions help, best of luck.

i'm scared to eat anything b/c it just triggers an urge to keep eating, and to eat high calorie foods. I don't live alone. I can't control what other people buy. I was doing great for a while but ever since ttom in august i've had trouble with overeating at night. Luckily i haven't gained more than 1-2lb but any gain is depressing and i want to keep losing weight.

i'll try that, thanks...

cravings suck... =(

i recently moved to texas, i don't know if the whole state is like this or not but we have one health food store that is insanely overpriced, and about a hundred or more fast food places. Most of the people here are quite overweight or just plain obese, doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground- there are people that are either very thin (usually teens) or very big.

The place i lived in before was a small town with a high overweight population but seemed to have more healthy resources. One thing i've noticed with both is that whole suburban sprawl thing. It would be hard to walk anywhere daily b/c everything is so spread out, and in tx it's just waayyyy tooo hot this time of year.

I think everyone relying on their cars for transportation and being surrounded primarily by junk food = overweight/obese people

There's also a lack of sidewalk in these areas, so even if you do walk places you're at high risk of being hit by a car. When i was younger we lived in a medium-sized city. I rode my bike or walked everywhere. There were plenty of health food stores to choose from. I was a thin, healthy kid, without really having to try. Now to get and keep the weight off is a constant battle, something i have to be conscious of 24/7. Needless to say, i can't wait to get out of TX, or at least this part of it

well here's your kick in the butt.... if you continue on with the eating habits you have then not only will you not lose weight, you will continue gaining it. If you're unhappy now, think of yourself another 10-50 lb heavier.

If you aren't ready to take control of your eating habits then it is very crucial that you at least start exercising, even if that is the only commitment you make. Exercising will do a # of good things for you. For one it will help to prevent further weight gain. It will get you in touch with your body. I find that i value my body more when i am exercising. It gets me more in a healthy mindset. Plus, you'll be less enthused about wasting all that physical effort with extra pizza.

Calorie-counting, for me, has been a bit of a challenge, along with portion control and not giving in to cravings. I think for a person that is binging on a regular basis, baby steps might be key.

1. Write down every single thing you put in your mouth, and why- was it true belly-growling hunger, or were you trying to fill some other longing or need? Or, was it just a nasty craving for fudge, etc?

2. Drink mostly/only water, and lots of it. That alone will help you cut calories without much effort. If you don't like water- add ice, lemon, or drink iced/hot tea sweetened with spenda/stevia

3. Exercise, even if you start out with 10 min. a day, do something! and keep adding minutes on each week. In the beginning exercise can increase your appetite, but in the long run it will help to regulate it.

4. No buffets or fast food. Stay away from those places, they are an invitation for disaster. Bring lunch from home.

5. Avoid your 'binge-triggers' like the plague. This is hard but verrrryyy helpful. For instance, I can't trust myself around desserts, bread (except for toast or a sandwich), pasta,  and cashews. So i try not to eat them. Identify your 'binge- triggers' and put a temporary ban on them. Once and a while is ok, but don't buy them and keep them in the house. The nice thing about the foods that most of us binge on is that they are high-carb, high-sugar, which means that when you cut them out of your diet for a week or two, you magically stop craving them- for the most part. But the bad thing is that the more you eat them, the more you want them

Be patient with yourself, and give yourself 'i can' statements. Even if you are mid-binge, tell yourself that you are learning to control your eating habits. Eventually you will. And if you do overeat/binge, at least try to binge on healthy foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, all natural peanut butter, soy ice cream, or bran muffins- and eat slowly, as mentioned above. Every meal is a chance to practice new eating habits. (Chewing/eating slowly, sipping water, not eating in front of the tv).  I also try to eat crunchy foods or things that i can cut up really small, that way i can eat one bite at a time and it takes longer to finish the meal, which is more satisfying.

Good luck, you can do it! ... sorry this post was so long

it sounds like you are filling up on food b/c you feel 'hungry' in other areas of life.

Are you bored, lonely, unhappy at work? These are things that can make you turn to food for comfort. You have to 'fill up' in other areas of life so you don't have to fill up with food.

finding new hobbies, making new friends, exercising, looking for a new job or working towards a promotion are some ideas. Therapy would be beneficial if you can afford it.

Practice telling yourself that you are in control while you are eating. I've been working on this for a long time, for me it's not the type of thing where i have the grand epiphany and stop my bad habits. I knw what my bad eating habits are, and it's a constant thing for me to conquer them.... but it gets much easier with time.