I am pretty much always hungry, and I can eat insane amounts of food when I don't put the effort in to stop myself. It's pretty crazy how much I can pack away. I almost NEVER feel full...

I'm trying though this month not to overeat...

I know this is about tackling the behaviour, not the specific food but if I MUST try and feel 'full' I'm sticking to things like celery or cucumbers. Even so I would like to be moderate with that. I am however not moderating my water intake I can drink as much of that as I want to if I feel hungry/thirsty I'm going to drink water.

Wow! It's good to see so many people joining this thread! Well, not good maybe, because in an ideal world, none of us would be struggling with this. But it's the real world, and everyone's got something. So with that in mind, I'm grateful for this forum to bring us together for mutual support.

I wanted to share a couple lines from Mrs. Snark's blog. This really spoke to me:

My long experience with binging has taught me that after a binge I am in a heightened state of vulnerability for several days. It's like being down in a deep, dark hole, where your IBC [Inner *****y Critic] whispers in your ear that it is ever-so-much easier to stay in the hole and keep binging than it is to climb out and resume a normal life. That's a lie. I am already out of the hole -- the binge is in the past -- and I'm not going back down.

I LOVE THIS! How many times have I listened to that IBC and agreed that it's easier to stay in the hole? Because sometimes it seems easier. Sometimes it seems easier to keep overeating, to avoid the scale, to pull on the forgiving yoga pants instead of unforgiving jeans. But easy in the short term is so, so much harder in the long term. This is an idea I am going to keep with me -- that I am OUT of the hole and I have the power to KEEP myself out.

Another bit of Mrs. Snark wisdom that I want to share with you, Nlauah. Last month we were talking about recognizing a binge pattern (in particular, staying on-plan at an event or party and then coming home and relieving the stress of all that on-plannness with a binge). Mrs. Snark introduced the idea of being On Guard. My next party, I was on guard. Instead of letting that urge to binge sneak up on me or "happen to me," I went in prepared for that after-party vulnerability and I was able to nip it in the bud! I'm mentioning this because it sounds like you need to be on guard when you get home from the gym. Maybe have your post-workout snack already chosen and set out, so you can grab it and munch while you prep dinner. Have a plan, rather than coming home to "what what what should I eat??" Because for me, when I ask that, and I'm starving, the answer all-too-frequently is, "Everything!" Just a thought.

Silentarctic, when I have that just-can't-get-full feeling, I chow on celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, sugar snap peas... basically any fresh veggie I can dig out of the fridge!

NoNoNoJ, I'm glad you woke up feeling good today!

Ilovevegetables, nice work on the portion control!

Sum38, I'm sorry you were sick. Way to be on guard today!

Hello to ggbsy, musiclover, luzitania, mak78, tyla and Mrs Snark!

I hope everyone is having a good day!

Welcome, Nlaugh, Musiclover, ggbsy, and Silentartic!

Nlaugh, like 7lbs. said, have a snack ready to go when you walk in the door. Or have dinner ready (a large salad and fruit, yogurt or something you can pop in the microwave.) One step at a time.

Musiclover, thank you for joining us and your information. I know you'll do great!

ggbsy, congrats on your 6 binge-free days!

Silentarctic, You know why we overeat? We're trying to quiet the voices in our head. Instead of taking drugs or alcohol, we've decided eating food is acceptable. Ask yourself, "What is really going on?" Am I not good enough, not perfect enough, did I do something stupid, so I'll stuff my face until the pain goes away. (Or so I'm too busy eating to think about it.) Just a thought.

Ilovevegetables, congratulations on changing your eating habits! This is a huge deal. You should be sooooo proud of yourself!

Sum, I hope you feel better.

7lbs. that was an excellent post!

As for me, I had a frustrating moment this afternoon. This could have done me in today, but I chose a peach instead. I'm sucking on the pit, and that seems to work just fine. Coming here and posting about it helps, too. Yay for me.

I'm joining in!

I've been doing really well since Aug. 23, when I made the decision to start living a healthy life. Then, a few days ago (last weekend) I had a splurge "day" that turned into a splurge "weekend", which is a hard mindset to get out of... "but there's still junk food, and I have to eat it to make sure it's not here so I don't eat it..." (there's good logic if I ever found it).

So, Monday I got back up and started eating healthy again and here I am! Making this a binge-and-overeating-free October. I allow myself a day here or there maybe 2 times a month when I indulge (but not go nuts) and that helps me retrain my body that food will always be there and I don't have to eat it all at once. I've avoided the scale since then... hoping I didn't completely blow everything I've been working for.

Today I had 3 hard boiled eggs with a little bit of hummus for breakfast, 5 Wasa crackers with hummus for a snack, and a shrimp linguine lean cuisine for lunch with a cup of coffee and 1 tbsp of sweetened creamer.

Hi JM! Welcome to our group! By the way, I've had that same logic before, so you're not alone. I bet several of us had. You're right to tell yourself that food will always be there. Sometimes we think we will never be allowed to have a certain food again, and that's why (on a binge) we eat everything we couldn't have before. Congratulations on changing this thinking and trying to do better! You've done marvelous today. Kudos to you!!!

Hey tyla and 7lbs.. Thanks for the tips.. I will definitely keep that in mind and today I did not binge

Need all the motivation I can get

nlauah, That is sooooo great! Woo Hoo!

Thank you 7lbs for sharing those lines from Mrs. Snarks blog as they were truly inspirational and spoke to me as well. I realized that I have been in a relapse living from binge to binge over the past 6 or 7 months and it has been that voice that has kept me immobilized believing that it was easier to just keep eating than it would be to try to control it. I even believed that voice today and did not exercise much control over my food intake today, but instead of beating myself up I am taking Mrs. Snarks words to heart tomorrow today's binge will be in the past ,and I will be at a highented level of vulnerability but now I have some more insight as to what has been happening that has kept me in my dark hole. I'm climbing out!

Can I join? I'm new to 3FC but have been reading for a while. I really want to commit to Atkins this month, but have issues binging. I'm living abroad now so I'm having a lot of stress and it makes me want to eat . I really want to stay low-carb, and not only does bingeing make me feel bad physically and emotionally, but it takes me out of low carb. It's a vicious cycle!

Thanks tyla I am going to try and do it again today.. hopefully as successful as yesterday!

I know what you mean elderflower. I also moved (though I only crossed Canada) and it can be very stressful especially when you do it on your own. It gets easier though. Promise.

Good Morning! Another beautiful day, another fresh start! Here's to a successful overeating free day! We're all in this together.

Elderflower, welcome! Post anytime and tell us how you are doing. I completely relate to being abroad and feeling stressed. I lived abroad, too. Are you studying or working there? I did both. So glad you could join us!

nlauah, congrats!! I know you'll do great today, too. I'm sending you good thoughts.

Having lunch with my girlfriends today. I've decided on a low cal salad and a cup of coffee. I will not eat the whole thing. Met my goal of eating within range until I saw them today. My next mini goal is to stay in range and try to lose before my next Zumba class on Tuesday. Have a great day, everyone!

I'm not big on journalling, writing a food diary etc., but have read that it is helpful with staying on plan. However coming here and posting definitely helps me renew my commitment each day.

Lots of helpful support here. One of my biggest struggles is with nighttime eating as other posters have. When everyone else is in bed, and I am alone in the kitchen cleaning up and preparing their lunches for the next day...I have fallen into the habit of stuffing my face. Sometimes I am tired, and use the food to keep going, sometimes I am bit resentful of being the one cleaning up (although I know it is my contribution to the household as I am the only one not working and it is my responsibility) and so I will have 'a little treat' for myself and often find myself looking forward to everyone going off to bed leaving me to eat what I want.

So now I will be AWARE and ON GUARD. Have a snack that is part of my plan available, and sit quietly for a few minutes reminding myself of my commitment before I get into the kitchen. I need to break this habit.

I'm so glad everyone is checking in! Hugs to all!

Having a good day here, feeling relatively calm and in control (looove that feeling!). Last night while cooking my husband's dinner I drank 2 sixteen ounce glasses of very warm water because I was making him garlic bread and was a wee bit tempted by the giant loaf of white (evil!!) bread. The water definitely helped. White bread is a real no no for me, I have to avoid even a nibble.

I often wish my husband would eat what I eat (and *not* eat, what I *don't* eat), but that is *never* going to happen. We all have challenges when dealing with the other people in our lives who may not have our problems, it is tricky coming up with strategies to deal with it!

Elderflower - I totally understand what it is to be living abroad... I still am living abroad and there is a lot of stress and emotion related to it that made me eat and gain quite some pounds... I have always found that keeping myself busy has helped me deal with it better.. Hope you too find a way