I sabotage my own meal plans

I frequently ruin my meal plans for the next day. Like, I always have my breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-snack-dinner planned out. But on the actual day, I usually just end up ruining it by either eating too much of it. Therefore causing myself to binge because I feel that "Oh, I already did it, might as well continue binging" attitude. I know this is bad and I should "stop" binging. But it's not as easy as it sounds. When I'm in the middle of a binge, nothing stops me. Omg, I've even been late for school and other things because I was too busy binging.

Also, whenever I "accidentally" ate a cookie or something not so healthy, I'll for sure end up binging because of that same attitude (the "I've already started binging, so I should just keep going"). I wish I can use unhealthy foods as a rare treat, instead of a binge item.

Does anyone else do that too? Does anyone have helpful tips on helping me stay in my planned out meals? I don't want to continue binging anymore.

I've been this way too..I start out have one bad thing...then it's another and another in the mindset that I already blew it. You certainly arent alone there.

My only suggestions would to either have all your meals planned out the night before and get them together. Have everything measured out or whatever and that way you can just grab it the next day without having the whole box of cereal there for you to think about how much you want to eat more then the already planned out amount. Kind of do it like packing your lunch the night ahead that way if you have everything already prepared and to grab you won't have the extra amount there to tempt you.

OR

you can try not to be so strict because our tastes change by the next day and carefully eat what you want but don't over do it. Get one thing for that time log it in and just keep track. When you get something else log it in. Another trick is after you ate that one snack or meal BRUSH your teeth immediantly afterwards before even trying to go for seconds.

Everyone is different though and you have to try different options before you find which is the best way for you.

Maybe, when you eat something, don't think of it as the begginning of a binge, just think of it as a your decision and that is fine.  Just go back to your eating program and factor it in.

Instead of giving permission to bine, give yourself permission to jump abck on the wagon.

Good luck

I have this issue too! I've nearly missed my bus because I've spent too much time sitting on the kitchen floor with a cookie in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, just staring at them and trying to convince myself not to go for the cookie. When I do eat it, that pretty much spells disaster for the rest of the day and then I feel terrible and the cycle continues. So I completely understand and sympathize. It's so much harder than it sounds to stop a binge. It's much, much more than a hunger issue. It's often deeply emotional and extremely difficult to put an end to. Honestly, I just try to avoid those "trigger foods" altogether. When I do, I can go for weeks eating healthy foods and being so much happier. It's only when I have a family dinner or something that I fall back into the binge trap. Banning those foods is worth a shot, anyways. I just find that it's nearly impossible to stop myself from eating sweets and such once I start. It can be done, though, and I know you can accomplish freedom from the dreaded binge. Good luck! =]

"strawberry dolly" i totally get what your saying.... i feel and am exactly the same!!! this is such shat!!! Im tired of food affecting me so much and worrying so much about it...Sometimes i just wish i was one of those realy tall thin guys who eat loads of whatever they like and obviously dont gain an ounce...they live in freedom and tranquility...I WANT  THAT TO!...

but ya...that mentallity of like, i already went over, i might as well just go all the way...i did that last night...lots of baked potatoes and sour cream onion chips and chicken creamy curry....now today i have made a decision to eat nothing if possible, but probs a steamed egg for lunch and a piece of white fish for dins...seee pathetic...i know it is...but its my goal i have set...god!!! i need some consistency.

In the end i think we all tend to think that way, and what we really should do is give ourselves a break, acknowledge our mistake (plus what u had wasnt evn that bad), accept it and move on deciding you wont repeat the mistake............Your body will thank you, its better, healthier and your body will feel the love and freedom and acknowledge it as a one time move on situation...I mean it, the mind is really powerful and the mind, body and heart really listen to each other...lol i sound like a psicologist...hahah ..sorry

anyway, best of luck, u (know u) arent alone, Milla

Try making your planned meals and snacks more substantial and more exciting.   Are you planning enough food, for example, or trying to exist on too low a calorie intake?  It's worth planning an extra 200 or 300 cals into your day if it make life easier.  It's worth adding an extra 2 or  3 portions of vegetables to your plate to make your meal more filling.  And if you make meals and snacks more exciting you're less likely to look elsewehere for 'fun'.

Finally... one cookie isn't the start of a binge, it's one cookie.  If you call something a 'binge' it's a self-fulfilling prophesy.  If you call it what it is... 'a snack' then you might feel differently.

Hi strawberry,

I completely understand were you're coming from.  I can be a perfect angel all throughout the day and even for a couple of days, then i get home right before dinner and BAM! all goes to waste.  I am just learning this week to control them.  On Tuesday I was not having one of the best days, i went home for a healthy lunch and caught a flat tire!!! UGH, needless to say the healthy lunch and 20 min straight workout i planned turned into dust! I ate chicken nuggets, chips, cookies, drank juice AND ate my sandwhich for lunch.  I logged all these things down and at the end of the day I was well over 2300 cals, my allowance is 1650.

Looking at the caloric intake made me want to do better, facing the "binge" made me make healthier choices.  So yesterday my son was bugging me for a snack before dinner and I heated up a few nuggets and i had one,  2 huge glasses of water and went about my evening happily. 

I hope that you find a happy medium between letting yourself find your true goal and what you feel you have to do.  Like I said, i am no expert and i learned this week that healthy eating and getting fit should not be a chore, but a want.

Best of luck,

Celia

Like most people here I have also been through that. And it is a hard habit to overcome. All you want is to be able to eat "normal".

I found that what worked for me, was to not restrict myself so much. I used to be really restrictive, which led to an eating disorder (bulimia) I still struggle with.  I have been so much better for the past few months and have been able to lose weight successfully.  Just don't restrict yourself so much and make a goal to eat something you like and consider not 100% healthy, and stop at that.  For example, allow yourself a cookie or a piece of chocolate or something you really enjoy everyday, and stop at a serving size. It will be hard at first, but it will get easy. With time, you will see you will be able to eat something "bad" once in a while and it will be fine.  I used to choose not to out with my friends for fear that there would be food. The thing is, we feel like there's only two ways of eating  - very healthfully, or very badly. There is a middle ground and IMO that's where "normal" eating stands.

We have all been there.  If I "cheat" and have something I'm not supposed to eat, I try to just move on.  There is no point in letting one cookie ruin the rest of your day.  You can run off one cookie on the treadmill in 10 minutes.  If you eat the whole box of cookies, that's damage that can't be undone.  

My advice?  Try not to be so restrictive.  If you want a cookie or a small slice of cake then go for it.  The second serving you eat isn't going to taste any better than the one you already had so if you think about it, you aren't missing out on anything if you pass up the rest of the box.

From my experience, when I'm avoiding the one thing I really want to eat I just start picking on everything else.  I wind up consuming more calories than I would have if I had just eaten the one thing I wanted in the first place.  So just have it, enjoy it, and move on.

I think it's an "all or nothing" thing for me. Because if I try to have a small peice of something rich in calories, I'll end up binging it. But if I don't have the small piece of a high-calorie thing, then I'm okay. I don't know how to eat in moderation.