Chicks in Control - Binge-free challenge ~ Nov. 2 - 8

Good Monday morning, chickies! Let's make this a binge-free week. All are welcome!

I'm here! I was good last week! Which is amazing. It was the first week in a that I can remember where I didn't down a whole bag of chips at some point throughout the week. I'm gonna do my best to do it again this week. Thanks for all the support from this board! :hug:

Okay, starting day 1 for me! I did pretty poorly last week, so I'm going to work for an improvement (note my choice of words: "work for" and not "hope for"...it's all me!)

Count me in!!! Wardhog like the pic btw!! :-)

~D~

Count me in! Today is my day 3!

Hi, My name is Tammy and I would like to join in with you chickies. Today is my first day (of being binge free).

I have been reading a book called "Take it off and keep it off". It has some great points in it that I am hoping to incorporate.

Can everyone here tell me what eating "plan" you are on? I am on WW right now..... but this book (which does not mention it by name) states that counting things so strictly can lead to bingeing. Do you all find this true? Maybe I am going about this the wrong way...... ?

Welcome ladyrider!

I know that some people find that being really strict leads them to binge, while others find that if they aren't strict, they binge. So I think it depends on the person. I'm in the too strict=binge category. So my "plan" is nothing official. I call it my "eat less sh$#" plan. I eat when I'm hungry. I stop eating when I'm not hungry anymore. And during this hungry time, I eat healthy foods that will keep me full (veggies, lean protiens). When I go out to eat with others, I allow myself to indugle a little. I did this a few years ago, and lost 30 lbs over one summer. (then gained it all back!) My logic was based on my naturally thin former roommate. She would indulge in ice cream and greasy food somethings--just not every night!

So I think it depends on you, try it one way, if that doesn't work, try it the other way. I think the most important part is to be honest with yourself about what you're eating, regardless of your plan.

Count me in, too! I'm brand new to the forum, but not to the weight-loss rollercoaster. I'm not sure yet whether I'm a strict diet=binge or the opposite, but I do know that I just get sick and tired of keeping track of every morsel that passes my lips. I'm going for a total, permanent lifestyle change, and I just don't think that keeping track of calories or points for the rest of my life is a very reasonable expectation.

I've been thinking about big goals and small goals, and I think that my first small goal will be a binge-free week.

Hi Tammy and NoDak, welcome! Happy Monday to the returning chicks as well!

I'm working on developing a better eating plan for myself at the moment. I have been counting calories, but it's not always helpful (sometimes that just feeds my food obsession).

I'm starting today at day 1 again. Here we go...

I know that some people find that being really strict leads them to binge, while others find that if they aren't strict, they binge.


I waver between the 2.
I basically blew it Sat night, then continued to stress eat/graze Sunday.
At least I got some exercise in.
I am disappointed in myself that I will be leaving on vacation in not-great shape = won't like how bathing suit fits, won't want pictures.

(and who knows what I will weigh when I return: I refuse to 'diet' on vacation)

Hi everyone! I was looking through posts today and came across this one - which inspired me to have a salad while my coworkers shared a free pizza! Woohoo- thanks!!!!!

I think it is helpful to count for a little while so you have some awareness of your calorie consumption.

For bingers like me, I do think it is helpful to not focus on ANY number: not the scale or the calories or anything. I get too obsessed or focused on it. It is like my self-worth gets all wrapped up in it. If my scale goes down; I am having a good day. If my sclae goes up; I am having a bad day. If I reach my calorie limit and I am still hungry I start to panic.

My "plan" is just that: a plan for eating. My binging is so much about unconscious consumption. I go into the kitchen hungry and before I know it I have eaten a ton of junk. Or I sit down in front of the TV with a whole bag of chips. It really doesn't matter what I eat, as long as I planned it. As long as I take the time to think about it, I usually pick healthy choices.

I don't "count" any of my calories, but I have dieted enough before to know what to avoid. I just stop and THINK before I grab something. I think: how many servings of veggies have I had today? How much protein? What would be the healthiest choice for me?

I eat when I am hungry. I just try to eat small amounts of healthy food. This way I don't feel like I am "dieting" and I think it will help me in the long run.

Good luck everyone!

Day Two for me!

This is my second day binge free. I blew it on Halloween. ( 3 lb. gain!) I count every calorie and fat gram. I've been doing it since Sept. of 2008. I think that is why I binge. I am strict and only eat about 1100 cal a day. But it seems like enough for me because I never feel starved and it's all fruit, veggies and whole foods. Sometimes I just want one day that I don't have to think about it, so I sit down with my natural peanut butter and chocolate marshmellow frozen yogurt and eat til I am sick and gain 3 lbs. No more! I'm sick of feeling guilty and trying so hard to lose the weight I gain from it. I always lose it again but it takes alot of willpower and strict dieting to get it off. I refuse to buy these items anymore!

UGH! It's official. My halloween binge resulted in a 3lb gain. I just changed my stats. I was down to 143 on Friday, but today I was 146.

I am on day two, but feeling discouraged.:(

Karen -- you are OK. I know how devastatingly disappointing scale numbers can be, but remember, what matters is NOT what you did on Halloween but what you are going to do today -- right now, in fact. I'm here for you. :hug:

Fruitlady -- 1100 calories is pretty low -- I agree that that's probably partially why you binge. I've read in a few places that you should always eat at LEAST 1200 calories a day to keep your body from feeling like it's in starvation mode. I'm not sure what your daily caloric needs are or anything, but I've generally heard that 1500 calories a day is a good number to lose weight with -- maybe if you upped your daily calorie intake just a little you'd be less likely to binge while still being able to lose weight?

ETA: Not such a good start for my week... I binged on unexpected Halloween candy my coworker brought in. :mad: I had 5 Reese's, so it could have been a lot worse, but I felt that icky "I don't care, I can't stop" feeling, so I'm starting again tomorrow on day 1.

I need to think of some kind of reward I could give myself if I get through the whole rest of the week without binging... 6 days would be my highest number so far and it might be motivating. Hmm...

Hi everyone!

I'm back in for this week, I'm on Day 2. Again, for reasons unknown to me, I binged on Friday and then again on Halloween. I can't even begin to guess how much candy I had. And pizza. And beer. And then more junk later on. Ugh. It just wasn't pretty.

So, starting over. I'm visiting friends in two weeks and I really want to stay binge-free until then. I want to stay binge-free through that visit, but I don't have high hopes for that.

Stay strong everyone! Have a good week!

Thanks Skyra! I am pretty active, my husband and I take 40 min walks 6 days a week w/ some jogging included, I am always on my feet. I feel satisfied though with what I am eating. I always used to binge after my lunch when I am already full and not hungry at all. How pathetic is that? I'm afraid that if I up my calories from 1100 ( which I've been doing for 14 mo. now) I will gain weight. What do you think? Thanks for your help!

Hi Emily, I just wanted to say that every day is a new day, and it is never to late to jump right back on your diet, even after a binge. I was doing it all the time for 4 mo. I am binge free for two days now, I really did binge bad on Halloween too. But, I'm sticking to it and I wish you lots of success to stay binge free during your visit with friends.

Foxxy-- WOW! Your goal is binge-free for two weeks? That's so awesome! I get scared about even trying to go 3 days binge-free. I am rooting for you to do it! If you can do it, maybe so can I! :D

Fruitlady -- I'm not an expert by any means, so I don't know. I just heard that if you eat less than 1200 calories a day your metabolism will slow down, making it actually HARDER to lose weight. I don't know, though. In high school I limited myself to 1000-1100 calories a day, and I DID lose 15 pounds. I was miserable though! I felt exhausted all the time (and eventually snapped and gained the 15 pounds back, and then some). But if you feel satisfied and energetic on 1100, you're probably fine? I'm not sure.

Here's an article that might help a bit, it explains why you shouldn't restrict your calorie intake too much: http://caloriecount.about.com/eat-more-cals-ft40734

Ultimately it's about what works for you, I think, so feel free to take it or leave it.

ok ok ok ok really struggling right now. No chocolate at work tonight but I found a box of these pretzel crackers. I got a little hungry so I had a few of them with a little cream cheese on them..not too bad, I didn't feel out of control. Closed the box back up then went back out to work. But now I can't stop thinking about them! I want to run back there and just keep eating and eating eating eating :-( I'm fighting it, I'm REALLY trying to fight it. Not let myself go back into the lounge for ANYTHING until I have to leave the for the night. I've got 30 minutes :-( ugh I'm trying to keep reminding myself that I DO care! I don't want to wake up tomorrow with a distended stomach feeling like crap :-( It amazes me that I haven't had any trouble all day and then BAM it just hits you.....must breathe

~D~

D -- you can DO THIS! You have less than 30 minutes left now -- stay put! It is worth it and it'll be so much easier if you just stay where you are and don't go into the lounge. You are STRONG and when you get home I want you to be able to come on here and say that you made it! I'll be waiting for the good news!

Ok Skyra...I'm home now, I didn't cave! And now I even feel guilty that I had them few crackers as it is. But whew....I HATE that dang feeling that comes over me.....total loss of control kind of feeling, it's scary. But anyways, time to wash up , read for a bit and hit the hay. I hope Karen survived the pb cup...

~D~

Good job D :D Don't feel guilty about those few crackers, it was only a few and you felt in control of those. Be PROUD that you resisted and good night!

Starting day 2 for me. I'm not terribly worried about today, as it's my birthday, and I'll be a little lax anyway. I'm going out to dinner, and I'm going to get what I like, but since I'm eating with other people, I won't go overboard (my issue is eating alone).

The only risk is thinking that I can eat other things at other times during the day, "becuase it's my birthday!" But I want to eat well all day, so that I can get what I want at the restaurant. I'm also a little worried about tomrrow, which is my weigh in day, after eating out at a restaurant, I imagine the salt will be high. But if I remember that when I weigh myself...I hope I'll be okay with the number. I just need to focus more on not binging, and less on numbers! So obsessive about everything!

First of all, Happy Birthday Paris! Girl, your attitude about not eating everything in sight on your BD is worth a month of being binge free in my book! :hug:

I made it through yesterday without bingeing. I guess the only way I can tell you what I am doing is putting one foot in front of the other. It seems like when I focus on long term things..... that is when I fail. I also have realized that I am an inpatient weight loser..... I want it off.... NOW! Even though I am close to the end..... I wanted to be done by the end of the year and I guess that is the wrong way to look at it b/c when I do that, I obsess and then I binge, which puts me further from my goal in the first place......so here I am, just plugging along...... taking one step, then another, then another.

I had a HUGE gain over the weekend..... so I am moving my ticker back :mad: But in hindsight, it is MUCH better than where I was this time last year......

Thanks for the support ladies! Have a good, binge free day!

yikes. I already binged yesterday.... so am I out for the week or what


I guess I'm trying over...

I overate by ~ 100 cal yesterday: not bad considering I was shoveling food ito my mouth when I got home from work, and didn't add any of it up calorie wise until I was done.

I then went to bed early, no exercising, b/c I was so tired from eating too many carbs.....

I'm in. Last week was bad. I had about as much candy as I gave away to the trick or treaters which is amazing since I didn't buy it til Saturday morning!
I'm new here. My name is Jay. I have good days ( weeks, months and years too!) and bad as far as binging goes. It was easier when I was single because I had complete control over what crossed my threshold. You can't eat it if you don't have it. I still have my size 3 and 5 clothes with the hope they may fit again. Of course I'd need the Dynasty big shoulder pad look to come back in. :-)
I like the idea of a reward.

yikes. I already binged yesterday.... so am I out for the week or what


I guess I'm trying over...

Unless there are rules on here about being out, I think you should just start over today. I'm starting today so we are in the same position.

Happy Birthday, Paris!

Hi Jay! :lol: about the Dynasty shoulder pads. Makes me think I need to go through my closet.

I have made it ... drumroll, please ... 21 days. The bad news is that my ILs will be here on Saturday for a week long visit. My typical response to the anger and frustration I have when they are here is to eat, eat, eat. But I want to be comfortable in my jeans when we travel for Thanksgiving. I am stressed about it already.

happy birthday paris!!

dug, the few crackers were ok.... the main thing is that you recognized the urge and kept yourself in control! that's the REAL battle!

Hey all! I'm clearly a little slow and didn't realize there was a new thread going for a new week! There's so much to comment on, but I don't have time right now, so I'll just say congrats to those of you going strong (21 days!! wow!) and please keep trying for those who didn't have a great day yesterday! For me, yesterday wasn't too bad. Definitely not the most on plan day but no bingeing, so it's a step in the right direction. My weight is up a few pounds from my comfortable maintenance weight, so I'm really trying to reign myself in and get back on track. No crazy restrictions or anything, but just good old fashioned clean eating. So here's to a good day 2 for me and day X for all of you! We can do it!

Well, I failed miserably with not binging on my birthday. Everybody kept giving me free food and I let it get to me!

Today, I did pretty well, so I'm putting today down as Day 1. I KNOW I can make it through tomorrow!

Ward...... if you have made it 21 days with no binge... just imagine that the feeling of the jeans fitting well is better than anything your ILs will DRIVE you to eat!

Hi Peachykeen, Happy Birthday! Birthdays are really hard and it's understandable that you ate too much. I think of it this way, It's my body, my mouth and I have control of what I choose to eat. I'm the one trying to lose or maintain my weight, not my family members or friends. My family members have a habit of saying, come on you can eat on your birthday, you have to have cake, you have to eat something else. No family support for me! And why do they insist I eat everything in sight? So, in August on my birthday, I did not give in . Even went out to eat, I got a salad. I thought why is everyone so concerned about what I eat? I mean I'm the one that tastes it, not them. Can't they have fun without me eating? That's just plain stupid. It's your body, just remember that!

I'm on day 3 of the binge free challenge, and I am starting to loose the weight I gained from Halloween. I feel back to normal again. I found a good way to beat my cravings for peanut butter. I mix dry high fiber cereal ( like fiber one) w/ some raisins and make a trail mix. I keep it in a zip lock bag in my fruit bowl on the table, then when I get the munchies, it's in plain sight and I eat that instead of binging. It's healthy and filling!

Thanks for all the happy birthdays! I'm doing okay, although I'm sure my water weight is going to be crazy high tomorrow. Restaurant food + bad with water today...Oh well. I need to not focus on the number! Just on the not bingeing.

Paris - I forgot to say happy birthday!!! I think you have the right attitude about focusing on not bingeing. The water weight will go down on its own! Hope you're having a great bday!

I am finishing up day three, but it is HARD. I have been using the binging to help distract me from my stress and emotional stuff I have to work out. My DH left for a business trip and I will be alone with all the food for the next five days. I think I will have a healthy snack and go write in my journal to try to work through these feelings...

Does anyone else notice that if you DON'T binge, a bunch of emotional stuff starts coming up? Like the binging helped distract you from it so you never really had to think about it? And now I can't escape it...

PS I did not have the PB cup last night :)

Hooray Karen for not eating the PB cup! :carrot:

As far as the emotional stuff goes, I haven't had any big thing come up when I stop binging. But the longest I've gone so far is 5 days, so maybe I just haven't stuck it out long enough.

I HAVE noticed, though, that I feel a very real fear when I eat less food than usual. For example, today I ate tomato soup and a protein shake, which was VERY filling (lots of fiber/protein) but not as much food as I normally eat for lunch. When I left the house to go back to work, I felt scared, wondering if I would feel hungry or weak in the afternoon! Turns out I didn't feel hungry at all... but I still felt the fear, and it was unpleasant, so I know tomorrow I'll be tempted to eat more than I have to again, just to keep that fear from coming back.

What is this fear of being hungry?! It's so strange! It's not like if I'm hungry for a little while, I'll starve... but somewhere in my brain I fear that hungry feeling anyway....

Karen, I may have to start journaling about this, the way you do, so I can get to the bottom of this. Even though it's kind of scary, it's pretty interesting how much of our emotions we tie in with eating, isn't it? Hm...

Karen - I think the emotional stuff is a pretty common problem among binge eaters. For me, I honesty don't think that's the issue and I've yet to identify why I do this to myself (other than really enjoying food and the act of eating!). Journaling seems like a great idea and maybe Ill give it a try this week!

Bad day today :( Ugh, I guess tomorrow I can just do my best to make it a good day. Hope you all are doing well!

Happy bday paris! Do we have the same birthday? either way, we're both scorpios!

Did okay yesterday for my birthday. Didn't make the best food choices, but didn't binge. And it was my birthday. Skinny people eat bad food on their birthdays! come on!

Starting day 3!

(21 days--good job!)

Happy Birthday Peachy! My birthday was yesterday--go scorpios!

So far so good. Day 2 for me.
Happy Birthday to the birthday girls!

Day 2 for me! YAY!

yeah, scorpios pretty much rock. we're supposed to be one of the sexiest signs! ;)

Day four for me, that trail mix I make is really helping with the craving to binge. I think i might be able to kick the habit!

I don't think it ALWAYS an emotional reason I binge, but that is what seems to start it off and then it just gets to be a habit. Or the stress is just kind of "made up" because of the addiction. Like a smoker who has a "nic fit" which can feel stressful, but it is really the RESULT of the addiction instead of the cause. Am I making any sense?

Sometimes I don't feel stressed at all, I just want to EAT EAT EAT...

So far so good this week. And it has been really stressful at work. I have to meet an employee tonight for a disciplinary meeting. urgh!

I am on day four!!:carrot::carrot:

KarenLee, You make perfect sense to me. I don't think it is all stress related either. When I turned 40 I made up my mind not to get stressed or worry anymore about anything, I used to dwell on everything and was stressed all my life. So, I have stuck to that and it has helped me lose the weight also. I don't worry about a thing anymore cause it does no good! I was binging because I needed the pleasure of sitting down and enjoying the flavor of my favorite food, like it was my relaxing time. Not because I was stressed. So, I think your right!

Talk about self-loathing.

I'm packing for vacation, and the warm weather clothes that were almost falling off me last cruise -- I can just barely get into.
I feel so GROSS.

Hello Everyone!

I'm very new to this (just joined today) but I have issues with overeating/bingeing. This site looks like great motivation to help me overcome this problem and get healthier! Anywho, I just wanted to join this thread because I'm 2 days binge free :) Good luck to everyone!! :)

Karen -- awesome job making it to day 4. :carrot:

I just finished up day 2 binge-free.

Starting day 4!

welcome DREAMER!!! hope you find some support here

I'm still binge free..... make it thru the rest of the week.... crossing fingers...

Start of day 4.

Is there anyone who somehow sticks to a plan while on vacation?? I need motivation!! Maybe I need to get over the "well who cares I'm on vacation" mentality??

Karen - I totally get what you're saying. I've done that before - convinced myself I was more stressed than I really was so I didn't feel bad when I overate. It makes you feel better because you have an excuse! How crazy that our mind can trick us like that. I guess it's just another lesson about how mindful we need to be about eating.

DogMom - There's no reason to undo all the great work you've been doing so far! You'll enjoy your vacation soooo much more if you allow for small indulgences but don't overdo it and feel gross and bloated the whole time! Where are you going? Try to enjoy the scenery and your travel companions more than the food if you can!

Congrats to everyone on Day 4! Me, not so much. I've been doing a lot of what I just said to Karen - I have an exam coming up, daylight savings is making me depressed, blah blah blah. I woke up this morning with a newfound spark, kind of like the one I felt back in April when I first started losing weight. I'm so sick of this cycle I've found myself trapped in, so....taking inspiration from Ward and then theory that it takes 21 days to break a habit, I'm making a commitment to 21 days binge free!! At this point, it seems like an impossible goal, but taking it one day at a time hasn't worked for me, so a 21 day challenge is in order! Feel free to join, but I know we all have our own ways of getting through this, so either way, it's nice to have you all here for support and accountability. So here's to day 1 for me!

DogMom - There's no reason to undo all the great work you've been doing so far! You'll enjoy your vacation soooo much more if you allow for small indulgences but don't overdo it and feel gross and bloated the whole time! Where are you going? Try to enjoy the scenery and your travel companions more than the food if you can!

We're going on a Southern Caribbean CRUISE! So much food! I usually gain at least 6 lbs on vacation and then just detox when I get home. But this time I am starting above my desired weight, so it's not good.
Maybe I will do the "one bite of this" and then salad trick, at least for lunch, and try to take advantage of the desserts they have for diabetics....I usually work out at least 4-5 times on the ship but this time I'm bringing my heart rate monitor and trying to go to the gym DAILY.
Thanks for the inspiration.
:)

Today is the start of day 4 for me. Even though I ate bigger lunches than I planned to yesterday, I did not throw in the towel and binge like I normally would have. Woo Hoo. I am going for a 7 day binge record..... then I will add more to my goal. No bingeing until Thanksgiving would be great---or for the rest of the year..... but I am going to take it one day at a time.

Hi Chicks! I'm starting on day five of being binge free. At this point I don't even think i will be binging on Thanksgiving! I think I have it licked! I have not been buying my trigger foods for almost a week now, it really helps to not have them in the house, no temptation!

Hey Everyone! Today is the start of day 3 for me and it's been going pretty well so far. I just have issues with eating too much at night like snacking after dinner. Does anyone have any tips to handle this?

Dogmom: I'm sooo jealous of your vacation! It's freezing where I am and school is stressful so i could use a break! Enjoy yourself!

Fruitlady: Like you, I've found that I just need to not have junk food in my house either. Surrounding yourself with good food is such a good idea!

Have a good day everyone :)

I am on day five!:carrot:

I am tempted to let it fly tonight because it has been a really stressful week, but I am making a plan to nurture myself some other way besides food.

Dogmom: You can do it! When I went away with my girlfriends a couple weekends ago, I was surrounded by yummy food. I let myself eat all the junk, but VERY SMALL PORTIONS. For instance, I ate 3-4 chips then stopped and waited 20-30 minutes to see if I was still hungry. I was eating every 2 hours and it was mostly junk, but I only ate when was hungry and overall I did not eat a ton.

Dreamer: My binges ONLY happen at night after dinner. So far it is helping me to have a late dinner and go to bed early so I don't get hungry. It is often the hunger that triggers it. If I am staying up late (I am a night owl), I PLAN a snack way ahead of time so I don't have to try to be logical when my illogical addict-side comes out. It is SO HARD!! but you can do it!!!

TakingCharge: YOU ARE SO INSPIRING!!! Way to go!!!!

DogMom - Wow, that sounds amazing!! I like karen's plan of eating very small portions of junk so you don't feel too deprived. Just try to fill up mostly on veggies and lean protein to balance out the indulgences!

Karen - Youre so sweet! Thank you!

Dreamer - I have the most trouble after dinner also. Lately I haven't been doing well, but for months I was doing awesome and had totally kicked the habit. My main tools were/are: lots and lots of tea, sugarfree gum/hard candy, having ONE planned snack at 9pm and then "shutting down" the kitchen, get into bed with a book, brush your teeth. The problem is you can know all of this and have all these awesome strategies but you have to enforce them! Only you can do that. I hope that didn't seem harsh! I'm saying this as much for myself as for you because I'm reinforcing all of this for myself now! Hope that helped!

As for me, day 1 of the 21 day challenge is complete!! I almost slipped buy actually put the food back where I found it and went straight into bed (which is where I'm replying on my iPhone!). I had a looong talk with my mom today about all the trouble I've been having lately and she was (as always) a tremendous help. She lost 25 pounds about 10 years ago and had since kept it off and looks fantastic! She's been through all these struggles and completely understands where I'm coming from but she also laid down the law. To me and whoever else needs it - stop making excuses, remember how hard you worked to get to this point, don't feel sorry for yourself, just fix it NOW! I needed some tough love :) Sorry for the novel but I hope my struggle can help someone else with theirs! You girls are really inspirational and together I know we can do this. Another good day tomorrrow!

I'm on day 5 as well!!
I think we're having pizza tonight though, usually Friday is "treat day." Usually I totally blow it though and consider my day "ruined" so I eat 3-4 slices of pizza and then dessert........I am aiming to eat 3, have no dessert.
(and eat healthy before the pizza later)


----
Sort of OT:
Yesterday when I got home from class I was at 1146 cal (my goal is 1700 or less) : I had a horrible headache from too much caffeine and not enough food. You ladies who eat 1100-1200 a day, I don't know how you do it. I ended up having some more food to put me at 1363 and the HA went away and I slept great. I was temped to keep eating once I started, but I forced myself to have some water and go to bed.

Today is my day 5. I am shooting for a full 7!

Day 5! We can do this weekend!

Beginning of day 4 for me.

You are all an inspiration. :hug:

Also day 4 for me!

Although last night was hard and I almost binged. i had some chips and dip with friends and wanted used this unhealthy snack as a reason to binge since i had already screwed up the day. But I was able to get through it phew!

Takingcharge: You aren't being harsh at all! The planned snack seems like a good idea and I am already a big gum chewer lol. Thanks for the advice :)

best wishes for a good day!

I am doing ok here. If I don't post often it is because I am (selfishly really, but what I need right now) only coming here when I need to do so. I am finding I am doing better that way and being less preoccupied with food. I actually was in one of the other forums one day and people were talkiing about this and that diet and I was getting hungry reading it .
Right now I am trying adding fiber though I have been eating a pretty good regular diet . I am adding ground flax to my breakfast yogurt and fruit. I think it helped. Unlike some people all my extra weight is due to binging and I mostly binge when I am actually hungry. For example, I wouldn't go downstairs right now and binge on chips but when lunchtime comes around I would.
I also already planned out my food today. I do better with a plan.
I guess I went off on a tangent here. I expected this to be 2 sentences!
I'm glad I found this place. Most people don't "get it."

I almost didn't make it last night. I started in on the chips in front of the TV--all the conditions were right: home alone, late night, hungry, TV, bag of chips on my lap....I could feel I was losing track of how much I was eating so I stopped. Weird thing was I still felt hungry even though I knew I wasn't. It was like the trigger got switched and my addict kicked in trying to fool me.

Even though I ate a little more than I should have, I stopped myself before it was really a binge. I am now on day six! I will weigh myself at the gym today and see if it is paying off!

Taking Charge: yes tea works for me too! My favorite is Stash vanilla nut creme decaf. I add a little sugar and skim milk and it feels like a treat! perfect low-cal night-cap.

Hey Chicks, I'm on day 6 binge free. So far, so good! My uncles birthday is on Monday and we are going to Red Lobster to eat. I dread it! So, I searched the menu online and found out that they have a Lighthouse menu. Great selections w/ minimal calories, fat, sodium + Carbs. I already know what I am getting now and don't have to be tempted to order something unhealthy and fattening. You guys should do this if you know where you are going to eat on a special occasion.

Day 5! There was so much temptation at apéro tonight(basically it's a French thing where people get together and eat and drink), but I stuck to my artichokes, tomatoes, and salmon!

Hey...I am currently having a tough time, which is hard to admit. Up until a couple of days ago I was binge-free for a whole month. Over the last couple of days I have had a few small binges. It hasn't affected my weight too much, other than keeping it stagnant even though I need to lose more. I have a goal to get down to 156 (or as close as I can get to that number) by the end of November and I won't make it unless I stop bingeing. I still exercise every day so that is not a problem.

Basically what I have been doing is things like eating cookies for breakfast and lunch instead of real food and even tho I didn't have any candy on Halloween (or before, for that matter) I had a few fun size pieces a few days ago and again today. The cookies were Italian cookies my sister and her bf brought from a pastry shop in Boston. I am still in control but I feel like I'm on the brink of losing control.

I feel a little better getting that out. I actually know what is causing this problem---stress from my sister and her bf visiting. For today, what I will do is stick to a salad w/ lean protein (turkey slices) for dinner (possibly watermelon for dessert as we have one that needs to be cut up soon) and take a run tonight before bed. Water, water, water. I will exercise as usual tomorrow morning and follow that up with a breakfast of scrambled eggs and an apple and/or watermelon. I will also come on here to report back that I am back on track. I love being on plan. I don't know why I go off. I guess the important thing is that I'm nipping this in the bud after only a couple of days instead of a whole week, or worse.

The sugar from the cookies and candy should be out of my system by tomorrow. Sugar ALWAYS sets me up for a binge, which is why I normally stay away from it. Stress plus my period drove me right to the chocolate and candy.

I have a weigh-in on Monday and I really want to lose weight this week.

Thanks for reading that, girls. It was a huge help just to get it out of me.

Hi EsperanzaBella, It makes you feel so much better to talk about it, doesn't it? I would say that you should stay away from any food that might make you binge. Even one taste, no matter how much your telling yourself it will only be a taste, could be a mistake. Cause you may not be able to stop. I have that problem, so I don't buy any of my trigger foods anymore and I have been binge free for 6 days. Good luck, you can do it!!

Fruitlady, yes it does help to talk about it. The binge-monster loses his power the more you tell other people about him. ;)

Thanks for the advice and support. :) Congrats on your 6 days. :carrot:

I haven't had any more candy (or the desire for any more). I'm sticking to my plan like glue.

EsperanzaBella, Great to hear that!

McRib is back and I did NOT binge. I cut 1/8 of one from my son's and ate it with about 6 fries. I did not go for more..... I stopped...... and guess what..... I lived to type this without eating the whole McRib and all of the fries.
Woo Hoo

ladyrider, wooohooo on not bingeing! I'm assuming you're talking about McDonald's. I just googled McRib because I had no clue what it was.

As for me, I ate my salad for dinner (a ton of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, black olives, cabbage, peas, a little bit of corn, turkey slices, 1/2 slice havarti cheese, balsamic vinaigrette dressing) in a mixing bowl and was totally satisfied and full afterwards. I'm not sure if I even have room for watermelon--will probably have some for a treat tomorrow.

Going for a short run in a bit--just have to let my food digest. I already exercised this morning, but I feel like I should exercise again to burn off some of those cookies and candy from the last couple of days.

I really need this accountability right now. This thread (and you girls) have totally turned my day around and got me back on track. Now I just need to continue to stay on plan through tomorrow and I should be good.

I just put my kids to bed and my dh is gone on a business trip so it is just me and the TV and a bunch of junk food calling my name. Nighttime is so hard!!

I weighed myself at the gym today and I am almost back to where I was before my halloween binge.

Six days....:carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::c arrot:

start of day 6 for me! Here I go.

Day 6 for me too!

I'm on day 7! I lost all the halloween binge weight and more. I noticed that since I'm not binging, I can't eat as much as I used to for the past 2 days. I get full much quicker. I think binging stretches your stomach and it takes longer then to get full. Did anyone else experience this??

Hi everyone! You're all doing so well, it's awesome!! I'm on Day 3 of my 21 day challenge and feeling stronger with each passing day. Fruitlady, I totally know what you mean about your stomach stretching out. I find when I get into those stupid binge modes, I'm more hungry throughout the day, probably because my stomach is bigger and needs more to fill it up. My weight drops pretty quickly too when I stop bingeing, like a pound a day, so I'm easing back to my normal maintenance weight...woohoo! Good job everyone! Keep up the great work!

fruitlady, yes I have experienced that same exact thing. When I binge it feels as if my stomach does stretch out and then when I go back to eating a smaller amount of food it goes back to a more normal size. I love getting full on less food.

I am doing well. Exercised this morning and then came home and had an egg, slice of whole grain toast and a Jersey apple for breakfast. Drinking water as I type. Scale was up 1 lb this morning from ticker weight but I suspect it is water weight and I am also on my period right now so I expect to be back to ticker weight by tomorrow or Monday.

It sounds like everybody is doing well, even in the face of temptation. I don't think I'll ever be totally cured of my bingeing but if I practice mindfulness then I won't succumb to it as often.

Have a great Saturday all!

Good morning chicks!

I agree with the stomach stretch thing. It is a similar thing to when i cut out sugar, anything that is really sweeteened tastes TOO sweet. Or when I cut out processed food, how any processed food tastes bad. I used to live with a couple body builders/fitness nuts and they believed that whatever you eat, that is what your body will crave. My father-in-law did an in-patient weight loss program at Duke University and they were big on going low sodium. They believed that it is the salt that fuels a lot of cravings.

All i know is that it works for me; the healther I eat, the easier it is to keep eating healthy. Binges are really something different tho, because I can binge on healthy food just as easily.

Now that I haven't binged, the weight has come off quickly. Now I am hitting more of my typical plateau. I will continue to not binge, but I don't know if I will continue to lose (certainly not at the rate I have). At this point I am not going to worry about it. It is more important to me to stop the binging than losing weight.

I am on day seven binge-free! I could not do it alone!:hug:

I am curious, what is your primary/secondary goal? Losing weight or not binging?

Darn, I binged for the first time in a looooooong while today. I feel horrible and ill and sick. My stomach is in so much pain. It's never been like this before. My stomach has shrunk. Never, ever again. Tomorrow will be Day 1 again.

Hi Chicks, I feel so guilty, uncomfortable and bloated right now. I blew it! I was on day 7 binge free and I just lost control. It always happens when i start eating lunch. I get done with lunch and I'm full, but for some stupid reason ( I don't know what yet) I continue eating for an hour and a half straight, non stop. I ate everything I could get my hands on. Thankfully I only have healthy low fat foods around the house, but binging on healthy stuff is just as bad. I will probably gain 3 of the 4lbs. I just lost from my Halloween binge. It will take me another 6 days to lose it! It's just not worth it. I am so done with binging , I'm not eating anything else for the rest of the night!

Peachy and fruitlady, don't be so hard on yourself. Get back up tomorrow, dust yourselves off and try again!

KarenLee, in my experience whenever I have done well with not bingeing I have also lost weight so I would say they go hand in hand, but then again I have never been at an ideal weight in my adult life so I was consciously trying to lose weight. As a teenager/adult I have always been between 5-30 lbs overweight. With that said, though, I do think stopping the bingeing is more important than losing weight.

For me sugar is a big binge trigger, salt not so much. I don't consume a ton of salt anyway and never add any to my food because I just don't like it all that much. Sugar is the :devil: for me though. Makes my depression a million times worse and makes me want to eat and eat and eat.

peachykeen and fruitlady, i second ladyrider's comment. Don't continue the binge. Dust yourself off and get back up. You are both stronger than this. Take a walk, read a book, drink some tea, anything to get your mind off of food for a while.

I'm doing OK. I had a mint and a blowpop (60 cals) but that was to stave off worse cravings so even though I normally don't eat blowpops it was OK for today.

I'd like to know how people who are struggling today are doing. Remember, you can turn things around any time you choose. You have (and always have had) the power.

Ladyrider and Esperanza, thanks for your comments, you chicks always make me feel better. I'm so glad I found this site. It's 9pm right now and I am still full from the binge today, so I have not eaten anything else. I don't plan to either, I've had enough for today. Tomorrow I will start again as day one binge free. I should have posted a binge emergency before I pigged out, I probably would not have done it. I sure will next time I get the urge. Thanks again!!

So many common experiances here, it's amazing. I always think I'm a freak, turns out a lot of people struggle with this strangeness.

Almost binged today, really wanted to buy junk at the grocery store today, but I resisted.

Tomorrow will be Day 7!

I was thinking about eating some more but after reading these posts I am going to stick it out!

One night with the ILs down, six to go. (26 days binge free!)

My washer broke yesterday. I have houseguests and a mountain of laundry and no washer.

Something's wrong with my car.

Eating will not solve these problems. Eating will not solve these problems. Repeat!

Thanks for the support. I have picked myself up and dusted myself off. That was a one time binge and it will not happen again.

^^ good for you! Keep it up!

I've been reading all week, almost afraid to say anything for fear of jinxing myself.

Today starts Day 9 since my last eating "episode" and Day 5 that I stuck to my food plan!
Also, my son's Halloween candy is still here and I've taken it out to give to him, but haven't taken any since being back on OP.

I keep saying I'm trying the best I can, not for perfection -which is what always gets me in trouble.

Well I'm starting day one again binge free, so depressing that I screwed up yesterday. I didn't want to start all over again!

Hey all! Great job to those of you doing so well! So many days on track is really impressive! Sorry to those who had some slip ups but we've all been there and you know exactly what to do to regain control and can do it!! I had a minor slip last night but I was just so hungry after running 8 miles! I haven't quite figured out how to control my eating on these long run days but I guess practice makes perfect, so I'm not counting it as a total binge. So I guess I'm on day 4! We're all in this together! Let's be strong!!

Sorry to report I binged last night, and bad. I felt like I was going to throw up and I still kept eating. I haven't binged like that in a LONG time.

Today's day 1 again, though, and I'm determined that this next week I am GOING to make it past 5 days (that's my record so far).

I so badly wanted to binge last night...and all the conditions were right. My dad cooked dinner, it was all healthy, but I definitely had a bit too much, and two cookies afterwards. Then, I had a two handfuls of chips a couple hours later. I so badly wanted more cookies and some of the Halloween candy we have lying around. But, I didn't! I stopped myself. Brushed my teeth, went to my room and read a book. It's amazing. When I'm downstairs, in front of the TV, feet away from the cookie jar, it's all I can think about. But when I'm upstairs, in my room, the cravings are so much more subdued. I really have to push myself to remove myself from the the situation, but once I do, things get better. I have to remember that and put it into practice more often.

So, while I wasn't perfectly on plan yesterday, I didn't binge either!

Stay strong everyone! Finish the week off on a positive note!

peachykeen and fruitlady, good for you two for getting right back up and continuing on with your journey.

paris, I had the same feeling about my bingeing until I found 3fc. I thought I was the only one who did it. I was never a big binger but my desire to do this behavior always scared me until I saw that other people face the same problem and are dealing with it successfully.

KarenLee, I'm glad this thread averted a binge for you. That's the idea! Regret is so much harder than aversion.

:wave: to everybody else. Stay strong. Don't beat yourself up if you have stumbled. Whatever you do, don't give up on yourself and don't quit. Instead of eating, think about what is eating at you to make you want to eat...and then confront it. I'm trying to work on this right now.

I'm on Day 2 today. Day 2 is kind of misleading, though, because I had gone a whole month binge-free and then slipped up twice over the course of 2 days. I think that from now on I am going to start keeping track of how many days, whether consecutive or not, I am binge-free, rather than just the number of consecutive days I go without bingeing.

If I can cut my bingeing down to a few days out of the whole year that will make me very happy. Of course, ideally I want to eliminate this behavior entirely. Like Ward said, eating will not solve my problems. When I face my problems head-on I am less likely to want to eat my emotions away. The problem is that weight loss brings out so many emotions for me that I had previously stuffed down w/ food and it's hard to confront those feelings that I had been ignoring. However, it's one of those things in life that you just have to do if you want to move forward and become the best possible version of yourself.

I have lots of cleaning to do today as well as some errands to run so I'll just close by saying hope everybody has a great binge-free day! :)

today was day 7 for me. I had a big breakfast.... with carbs, which would normally trigger my binge..... but I did not do it. I stuck it out. I truly want to finish losing the weight.

Thank you so much for the accountability!

Today---- after my big breakfast was by far the hardest! It truly is a habit..... but I made it. I am shooting for Thanksgiving!

hi all.... just joining this 'challenge' - joined the site only a couple of weeks ago! Anyway, had a big binge last night, and this entire wknd really, so today is day 1 for me! However, it has been a good day! I've eaten only good foods today: apple with all natural peanut butter, banana, hardboiled eggs, coffee (ok, maybe only good for my mental state...), skim string cheese.. anyway, i wanted to be in the 160s before thanksgiving, and seeing as though thats next week, i dont see that happening, but if i could just see a loss this week that would be great! I love the idea of posting often to keep me on track!! :hug: