I just wanted to ask this question. I am definitely addicted to sugar and carbs. For the last five days, I have cut down on them significantly. I couldn't stop binge eating and then, I could see my goal slipping away from me very quickly. I went from weighing 171 lbs. to 177 lbs. in a matter of one or two weeks.
My husband started eating low carb and he told me it really helped him with his cravings. I started doing the same and have found that to be very true. I do eat some carbs because I consume veggies, health fats like almonds and avocado and olive oil and low fat dairy products, but I don't consume any grains, legumes or starchy veggies and definitely nothing with sugar. Not even fruit. I feel like a changed person. I am having some withdrawl symptoms, but overall, I feel like I am in control. I would imagine that I feel the way other people feel all the time, but that would be hard to gauge.
Anyway, I was wondering if any of you have tried this. I'm still fine tuning my diet. I'm trying to do something called Primal Blueprint. You can find info on it online and there's a great website.
I just wanted to see if anyone else has found that low carb helps them control the binge eating. I also wanted to know if some of you have tried this and if it hasn't worked for you why not? I really hope to eat this way for the rest of my life. Eventually, I'll add fruit in and beans and those type of things, but I think I need to stop with the sugar and refined carbs 100%. Well, I may eat some cake once my kids get married.
Yes, I eat this way too (since May 2010) and your experience sounds a lot like mine! It's second nature to me now to say no to those foods that just don't make me feel well. Good for you and good luck!!
I however do eat whole wheat and legumes etc. Those things have not kept the cravings going. However....I do know that if I "slip" for more than a meal (or a slice of birthday cake LOL) that it is MUCH easier to slip all the way.
I used to do South Beach. It was wonderful - until I added carbs back in. Then I lost control. I just started not eating carbs again this week - and I am craving/binge free. For me at least, low carb eating keeps me from spinning out of control.
My experience is like yours. If I reduce calories but keep eating carbs I stay hungry and crave like crazy. If I eat off plan or sometimes only smell sweets like during christmas cookie baking I go through that period of preoccupation with carbs and am hungry again and the craving kicks in again. Since the Holidays I have been totally back on plan for 8 days now and I'm feeling good and happy with what I'm eating without the desire to eat... eat... eat... I think low carb is definately been a positive for me to stick to plan long enough to lose significant weight. I do eat healthy carbs like low starch vegetables, no fruit, oatmeal, uncle sam's cereal and some low carb tortillas, smelt bread, and low carb pitas and crackers.
That's so interesting! Thanks so much for all of your input. It seems I'm not the only one who has found solace in this type of eating. I was wondering if this is just a honeymoon phase, but hopefully not.
I have struggled with binge eating for SO long now! I had tried to do Atkins years and years ago and I felt so incredibly bad on it (I probably did it wrong) that I just viewed anything about low carb as "not for me." Isn't it funny how your mind (addictive mind) plays tricks on you? Anyway, I'm doing it very different now. I may be adding things like low carb tortillas and those sort of thing in the future, but not at this preliminary point.
I've also changed my workouts quite a bit. Instead of focusing on cardio with a bit of weight training....I've flipped it. I'm focusing on strength training and am keeping it light on the cardio! I'm going to see how it all works out but I'm hoping that I can put an end to this endless roller coaster of losing and gaining with no end in sight!
Hey luckymommy! A lot of people find that low-carb eating makes them feel great, and it's not "unhealthy" like a lot of people say it is. Unfortunately it has gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years.
I've been on Atkins for a few months, losing weight steadily, and feeling better than ever. I pretty much eat whole-fat meats, cheese, non-starchy veggies, and nuts (mostly almonds). I also have the occasional whole-wheat low net carb tortilla for a treat. I can't believe I consider a tortilla a treat now.
I hope you find success in any plan you choose, and conquer the binge habit for good! I remember making frozen pizzas, grabbing bags of chips and those plastic cheese-cracker things along with a HUGE bottle of gatorade and then just going my room and eating it at late hours of the night all by myself. It was bad! I no longer have any random desire to eat bad foods, but I do admit I get a bit tempted when they're sitting right in front of me. However, it's WAY easier to resist than it used to be.
I also have less cravings with eating more protein. The times that I eat higher carb/sugar (vacation/holidays) it makes me more snacky. It takes a few days to get back on track with the cravings.
I eat like you, have done since April 2010. Lost 106lbs and am genuinely never hungry. I have far more energy, my skin, nails and hair are all great (generally a good indicator of health). I like you tried Atkins in the past - this time I modified my programme to suit me and my lifestyle. It has so worked ! Keep it up and enjoy the feeling of vitality and health and lack of cravings it brings you !
My bingeing was related to stress & psychological issues, rather than my food choices, and required counseling & a lot of work on my part on behavior modification -- which is still ongoing -- before it moderated & pretty much disappeared.
It threatens to reappear during stressed-out & zoned-out & depressed periods in my life. (That can include holidays, though not necessarily.)
I can regularly eat bread, oatmeal, fruits & etc. & not binge if I'm self-aware & taking care of myself emotionally.
This is all fascinating and eye opening! I really appreciate everyone's feedback. I definitely have emotional issues that lead me to binge but many times, I don't know if it's really emotions or the sugar that I'm addicted to. Either way, if this works (as it is so far), then I can deal with my emotional baggage but without having to try to overcome this seemingly insurmountable addiction. Even if my cravings never go away completely, at least they won't be the kind where not even an army can stop me from getting to the junk that I want to consume endlessly!
I also feel that I have fewer cravings and don't get that ravenous feeling when I am eating low carb. Just be aware that if you stay too low carb for too long you can cannibalize lean muscle mass making it easier to gain weight in the future. Or even gain weight doing something that made you lose previously.
Australia has been doing a lot of research because of their high obesity rates. The diet article in the latest First for Women says they have found that being too low carb actually slows weight loss by 40%. The article is too short in my opinion. They give 3 sample meal patterns that produce optimal weight loss.
1 protein + 1 fast carb
1 protein + 1 fast carb + 1 slow carb
1 protein + 3 slow carbs
3 meals + 2 snacks of 100 to 200 calories per day
Now what I would like to know is whether it matters if the meal with fast carbs is breakfast or not or whether that is just the example that they gave.
They don't say that, but other plans recommend fast carbs before 3 P.M..
So I'm trying to make sure I incorporate enough carbs into my diet. Even though I'm not trying to go super low carb I find I've been eliminating grains because of an intolerance to many of them and probably am not adding back enough veg or low sugar fruit to make up for it.
I'm not Primal. I haven't given up dairy. I know Mark Sisson says to stay between 50 -100 carbs per day for optimal weight loss. Getting that from veg and berries while watching sugars is a challenge.
Thank you deetermined! I really had no idea about the muscle and carb connection that this study examined. Thanks so much! I've been cutting dairy a bit but I think I'll increase it.
Just wanted to jump in b/c I can totally relate - I still eat all vegetables and fruit but I don't eat bread or pasta, even whole wheat. It just triggers something and makes me want more. The past two weeks I've started my training plan for a half marathon, and now i'm running about 25 miles a week so I decided to incorporate whole wheat breads and pastas into my life for the energy, and I've decided I just can't do it. I'm going to go back to getting my carbs from vegetables and fruits - Just this week I had one whole wheat waffle (just one! around 100 calories!) in the morning with my breakfast, and this whole week I can't stop craving more carbs and food in general - i'm constantly feeling hungry! Like i'm never satisfied. I was confused as to why, and now I realized the connection.
I'm all for having a balanced diet and an "everything in moderation" approach so I wanted to be able to handle the healthy breads and pasta - no luck for me! Those foods will have to be saved for special occasions, not everyday.
Last edited by alexandraT; 01-14-2011 at 07:01 AM.
It definitely does for me. I know this doesn't work for everyone but I like just being able to tell myself "You can't have that" and then it's as if my mind is like "well, OK - if it's off limits then that's that".
Does eating low carb help you with binging?
