Mkendrick, I'm glad you came here and posted. Oh, I so get what you are saying, but you have successfully lost 8 pounds and been following your diet for 3 weeks. The urge to binge will disappear, but those calories won't if you give in! It's not worth it.

Did you know that sugar slows down our ability to process things mentally after the sugar high leads to a sugar low? Then you will just feel like you need another hit to be able to focus. You will be hurting your studying efforts if you give in to that old habit. Have yourself a piece of fruit with a nice big glass of water if you are feeling the need for something sweet!

What's a treat you can give yourself when you are done studying that doesn't have calories attached to it. A bubble bath, a sappy movie, a moonlight walk? Come'on, you can do it!

Originally Posted by mkendrick:
I'm having a binge emergency :(

I've been doing SO well on my diet for 3 weeks. Honestly, my cravings haven't been too bad, I've been filling up on smaller portions, and I've just been truckin' along.

But for some reason, today has been hard. I've been studying for tests all day (finals are coming up). Before, I would always let myself munch on the worst foods during studying. My thought process was "I'm doing a really boring and un-fun activity...might as well make it more enjoyable with a Snickers bar or 3." Well I'm having those same feelings, but somehow celery and carrots just aren't as enjoyable as junk. I've felt the craving for some garbage brewing all day.

I keep going to my cupboards and fridge thinking "Alright, I've been good, time to give myself a treat." But I know that if I start with that, it will just snowball into a big nasty binge. I HAVE been good on my diet, but I do NOT want to set back my progress. Fortunately, I tossed most of the unhealthy junk snacks. Bingeing on celery and carrots can't be that bad, lol.

Ugh, somebody snap me out of it!

For next time you feel this way don't do it! Stop yourself! Remember that eating that candybar/junk will only feel good until you swallow it and after that the guilt will swallow you. If you absolutely have to keep your mouth busy get some fruity gum. I know people say diet soda is not good for you but it's the lesser of two evils and can feel like you're indulging if you don't mind the taste. Good job on choosing carrots and celery though :D. Although I hope you don't truly binge on them...that sounds like a nasty tummy ache hehe.

Thanks for the replies guys :)

Just saying "hey, I'm having a binge emergency" helps to put it in perspective.

I did NOT binge or break my diet, and I don't plan to for the rest of the night (or ever, but one step at a time...). And that does feel good, I feel in control.

I had a quarter of a cucumber sliced up instead. Cool, refreshing, and tasty. Who needs ice cream anyways ;)

Woo Hoo... Three cheers for you! :carrot::carrot::carrot:

You can count me in too!!! Right now, I am reading a book called 'Life is Hard..Food is Easy'. I have been struggling with this crap for 47 years and I am sick, sick, sick of it!!! I'm sitting in my cubicle at work eating some healthy soup that I made, but right outside my cubicle is a French Silk Pie that I am fighting with. Everyone is having a piece to celebrate my co-workers birthday. I know that one piece will throw me off for the rest of the day!! It's like if I have one slip, I blow it for the rest of the day and eat totally out of control. We need to help each other!!!

justbeu, when you see your coworkers eating the pie, don't imagine how good it tastes, imagine their butts getting bigger with each bite, haha. Good thing you're not eating it! Hehe

I'm struggling. I have been since thanksgiving. I knew it was going to trigger me. I overate both on thanksgiving and the whole weekend that followed. On Sunday I stepped on the scale and it said 195 lbs, a gain of 6 lbs. I know most of it was poo in my colon, and water retention from a lot of salty foods, but still, it scared the **** out of me since it took me 5 weeks to lose 5 lbs before that. So, on Monday I stopped eating, I slipped once and had some pizza, then purged it because I made myself feel so bad about having had eaten it. Then yesterday I ate nothing, but drank two beers and had some creamer in my coffee. Today, I've had a latte, a bottle of diet coke and a coffee and its after 5pm and I cannot bring myself to EAT anything until I know I've lost that 6 lbs I gained. Its, like, literally become neurotic. Help!

mkendrick -- I LOVE your idea! haha. today at the store my roommate bought an Icee, and I really wanted it... but those things are 100% sugar... so I bought some flavored water instead and looked at her and imagined her butt getting bigger as she drank it! :lol:

Mango, you have to eat sensibly or your body will rebel and make it harder for you to lose the weight. The 6 pounds will come off. You have still lost a lot of weight, even if you gained six pounds. Keep making healthy choices! Skip the beer, creamer, diet soda, and latte. They give your body little in the way of nutrients and can all trigger binges. Come'on girl... What you are doing isn't going to get you where you want to go!

I don't usually go on this site from home, but I'm having a binge emergency.

We drove down to the Verizon store to try to take care of a cell phone issue and the entire national Verizon computer system is down. And then on the drive back, my husband and I got in a bit of an argument... making me feel like complete crap. We've got a friend visiting so we both agreed, for his sake, to put all the grumpiness aside before we walked back through our front door... but that just means I'm holding in the frustration, trying to resist the urge to bury it in peanut butter until it shuts up.

I'm going to take some "me time" to cut my nails, maybe even paint them, and listen to some dance music. Then, I'll go back and hang out with the boys and watch TV or play video games or whatever.

I've technically still got 100 calories or so to use tonight... I've done really well today, even making myself a healthy vegan dinner while the guys ate my favorite boneless chicken wings. But I'm not gonna risk it until I know I'm in control and I'll be able to STOP eating if I start.

Mayness, you're doing the absolute right thing....coming here for support, distracting yourself and comforting yourself with fun activities that don't include food and you still have that 100 calories to do with as you like. Just hang in there. Close your eyes and visualize yourself stepping on the scale in the morning and see it go down after you resisted your urge for what your body doesn't need. Binging never helps make things better. You and your husband will work things out, but this food thing is between you and your food. Can you do some push ups and crunches? Those help me get out frustration...also, there's the plank position, which is torture for me, but it gets my mind of things. Hang in there..I KNOW you can do it!!!!!

Ditto what luckymommy said. Thinking of you. Hang in there!

Mayness, good for you for making a constructive plan for dealing with your stress. Sending you some positive "thin thoughts" tonight.

I have been away for a long time.... I was in and currently in a downward spiral of self medicating through food and self abuse. Where I'm going with my life is...somewhat a blank canvas.... I have ate and ate so much and so long that I felt like just eating myself to death, giving up completely... But One good thing is that I just started therapy, Seeing a Psych doctor and getting on Medication. My doctor has refered me to a local treatment center here in asheville. I feel so sad, I worked so hard to loose over a 100lbs then I quit smoking and put on weight and just kept going... But I wanted to post on why I have been away for so long... I want to start over, But is there hope once you get to 370lbs again???

Thank you so much ladies! :hug: It ended up being a good night... I did use those 100 calories on crap (sugar free hot chocolate, a mini candy cane, and a Jell-o mousse temptations thing) but I was under my limit. I was sleepy so I went to bed by 11pm, which helped, haha.

And this morning I was down a pound! :dizzy: Probably still losing water weight from the Thanksgiving weekend. It really helped knowing that there were people out there supporting me. :)

christymourning, welcome back and of course there is hope. You are a winner experiencing a setback. I am very sorry for your pain and what you are going through, but congratulate you on getting help. Even at 370, you are still 100 lbs lighter than before. I'm sorry you have regained 22 pounds, but don't lose sight of the huge amount you have already lost. In addition to that, you have quit smoking which is another healthy choice. Good for you....You can beat this!

christymourning,

Thank you for sharing what you're experiencing. It has prompted me to post here tonight instead of running out and pushing down my misery with some artery-choking "comfort" foods. I have had a nasty bout of depression creep into my day, building over the last few weeks. I feel like I could have written your message over my own name.

From your words, I read so much of what you've accomplished and it helps me. You already demonstrate "hope" because you:

1) Realized that you were using food as medication for feelings
2) You are taking positive action through recommended therapy
3) You quit smoking!
4) You've already released 100 pounds
5) You posted here and have helped at least one other person (me!)

My suggestion: Forget, for right now, "370lbs." It's a scale reading; You are not a number. I believe you can move beyond these feelings that are pulling you down because you wrote this:
"But I wanted to post on why I have been away for so long... I want to start over,"

I've got a bunch of things to sort out and want to start over too.
I love second chances!
I'm picking up that "do-over card" and running with it.

Thank you again for your message. It helped turn me right around.
We can do this, christymourning:hug:

Jean

Originally Posted by Ready2BThinna:
christymourning,

Thank you for sharing what you're experiencing. It has prompted me to post here tonight instead of running out and pushing down my misery with some artery-choking "comfort" foods. I have had a nasty bout of depression creep into my day, building over the last few weeks. I feel like I could have written your message over my own name.

From your words, I read so much of what you've accomplished and it helps me. You already demonstrate "hope" because you:

1) Realized that you were using food as medication for feelings
2) You are taking positive action through recommended therapy
3) You quit smoking!
4) You've already released 100 pounds
5) You posted here and have helped at least one other person (me!)

My suggestion: Forget, for right now, "370lbs." It's a scale reading; You are not a number. I believe you can move beyond these feelings that are pulling you down because you wrote this:
"But I wanted to post on why I have been away for so long... I want to start over,"

I've got a bunch of things to sort out and want to start over too.
I love second chances!
I'm picking up that "do-over card" and running with it.

Thank you again for your message. It helped turn me right around.
We can do this, christymourning:hug:

Jean

Thank you. Thank you so very much, I am crying.... I know I am worth it we are all worth it and by god, I will wake up in the morning and start my healthy life instead of diet. I will do this. I must do this. Everyone here has been so kind and I believe still that we should form a convention one day and have a meet up! hahaha... I will kick myself in the arse and get going again. And I'm sorry I didnt respond to your im, I was laying down putting my 5 month old son to bed dear<33333

Christymourning, you can definitely do this! You definitely know how as you have already demonstrated. I firmly believe that almost every person who reaches their goal has some set backs. It sounds like you're being kind to yourself....a lot of times we beat ourselves up to a pulp because we are our own worst critics. However, we (that includes me) must not do so because we are human and we all have challenges. The key is to forgive yourself and look forward....when you do look back, do so with pride, for to me, you are an absolute winner and an inspiration.

Originally Posted by luckymommy:
Christymourning, you can definitely do this! You definitely know how as you have already demonstrated. I firmly believe that almost every person who reaches their goal has some set backs. It sounds like you're being kind to yourself....a lot of times we beat ourselves up to a pulp because we are our own worst critics. However, we (that includes me) must not do so because we are human and we all have challenges. The key is to forgive yourself and look forward....when you do look back, do so with pride, for to me, you are an absolute winner and an inspiration.

Thank you so very kindly. I honestly am going to try my hardest on my own road to freedom. I know that there will always be days and times when I might slip but what I have learned is I can always get back up, brush the dirt off and go back to kicking butt! I started a new ticker today and I am cheering for my life back! Thanks again for your kind words!:hug:

Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about! Way to go, christymourning! :carrot:

We're gonna get this done!

Hugs,
Jean

ps: No apologies about the IM; Just wanted you to know I care! :hug:

The one thing to remember for today. "I control food, Food does not control me".

Entering my food intake on Myfitnesspal! This morning started off with a cup of Kashi heart to heart oat flakes with blueberry clusters 200cal and 1 cup of smart balance 1 percent lowfat milk 140cal. Now time to do some moving!

Yeah, Christymourning!

Christymourning, we're all here for one another and thank you for your hugs. It is SO awesome that you started the day off so mindfully! You are going to do incredibly well! Reading that you started off so great made my day! Wooohooo!!!!! :) :) :)

if anyone is interested im starting a challange!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/chic...ml#post3039697

I've come to this thread as my "safe room" in the midst of an office gone amok, where plates of home baked goods are sitting around on tables near peoples' cubicles, within the break room, on conference tables in the middle of the office. I can smell the sugar everywhere. I am chewing sugarfree gum. I am drinking water. And I am posting here. No, I can't have "just one" cookie or brownie. No, I am not going to "just try a bite." No, I'm sorry, I'm sure you'll get praise for your baking efforts from my colleagues who are scarfing it all down, if that is what you need. I know you like & respect me, but you don't need to express that by feeding me. I am not having it. Nothing will be eaten standing up, alongside the platters, and nothing will be carried back to my desk. This stuff is just not for me. It has no power over me. It's just sitting there inertly. It's like office furniture, like a fax machine, like a printer. Damn it ... Lord help me. This time at the office shall pass. Eventually. Keep me away for now.

oh, I hear you, saef. I feel exactly the same way. My supervisor told me she is bringing in a cake this afternoon... there's just no way I can keep myself in check if I have even one bite of cake -- so now I'm just here trying to steel myself to say no. it's so hard. but I have to remember... I want to LOSE WEIGHT more than anything. I'm tired of tight pants and bloated bellies. I want my exercise tonight to be progressive, not just trying to make up for cake. and I want the expense of the healthy food I'm buying to be worth it.

*sigh* but I'll still be tempted. I know. but I am NOT NOT NOT going to eat that cake. i'll get tea instead. I only have to resist it for half an hour, until our kids arrive. I think I can handle that.

Great post, Saef! Wish you were in the office next to mine the last few years - LOL!!!!!! You hit it by describing stuff that is just not for us, "sitting there inertly." I remember the same (what felt like) admonitions from those feasting at a gathering, urging me to "try just one," warning that "cutting out ALL sugar isn't good," and assuring me "you don't want to get too thin."

Yeah.

And peeling away the layers, the "stuff" at most of these functions (especially office party baked goods) isn't really "food." At least not food in the sense of nourishment to fuel our bodies.

I'm all about live and let live - happy to join in the chat while drinking my water or coffee. I've found some individuals aren't comfortable chowing down if everyone isn't doing the same. There has been the occasion when someone would tell me I couldn't possibly pass up on trying something they deemed delicious. There are those who cannot understand that "just a bite" doesn't align with how I'm wired. Maybe it's a primitive tribal thing: that if we don't partake of the "kill," we're anti-social :rofl:

Hope the rest of your day goes smoothly.

:bravo:
Jean

Hi Saef,

I can't imagine having to avoid all of those temptations. I work from home, so my temptations are not there, unless I put them in the house. ;) I was wondering if maybe you could make a joke and say something like "sugar is like crack to me, just a little and I lose it." Or, maybe you could fake a diabetes problem saying you're "borderline diabetic?" I know it's not honest, but it might get those food pushers off your back. It really annoys me when people pressure others to eat. THEY are the ones with the problem, but they make us feel like we're abnormal for turning something down! As IF! ;)

Yes, this is a safe place to come, that's for sure. I got a lot of saliva just from reading your post and everything you have to avoid....but, you're right....all that stuff is just more matter taking up space in the office. You are in control, not it.

:)

Thanks, everyone. It's 7:21 PM. I made it!!! I got through to 5:15 PM, when they took the stuff away for the day. And then I went to the gym at our office, as I usually do, and I did not feel bloated, or guilty, or like I had to overwork, or like I was compensating for something. I did not have even one bite, not a nibble, not a crumb, though people kept telling me, "Have you had any of those cookies that so-and-so made?" and "Go look at them!" I did not even go look. It really helped that I had a lot of work & I had this thread to look at. Also, there was no formal gathering -- they just put the stuff out, from 8:30 AM to 5:15 PM, and you could go take as much as you wanted at will. Which would have been a disaster for me, even worse than a set & timed party time. I would have kept walking over there. But I did not!!! And tomorrow is a work-from-home day, when I get to work on my laptop at home, where I don't have any stuff like that lying around.

Everyone: We all need a "safe room" when facing a spread like this. Everyone should come here when they need to. If you don't really want this stuff, if you have not planned your indulgence and you get blindsided by someone bringing in stuff that could trigger a binge, tell us about it. It works. I can testify!

My house smells too yummy
 

Hi all,

I made a turkey for a Hanukah dinner, along with potato pancakes (called Latkes) and I made frosting for the kids to dip pretzels in for their dreidal game (my son has a dairy allergy so I have to do alternative things). Anyway, now my house smells AMAZING and I desperately want to eat a turkey drum stick. I looked up the calories and one turkey drum stick has about 356 calories! Yikes! :yikes::yikes: I can't believe it! In the past, I would have thought, "oh, it's turkey...a well known diet food!" :rofl: Now, I'm really counting my calories. I know I'm not hungry, so I"m here because it helps. I desperately want to eat. My mouth is drooling and I feel like I have an itch I can't scratch...meaning, the ONLY thing that will help now if food. But, will it help in the long run? No. I really really want to lose weight. I have never been able to step back before a binge and to think about it. Luckily, with this life saving place, I can type and as I type, I examine my thoughts, my goals, my actions. I guess it doesn't matter what I want or what I think....what matters is what I DO. I will NOT have that turkey. I will not. Ok, I'm still wanting it and I'm still drooling, but I feel that I have the power now. Thanks for listening, friends. It's nice to know that there are others who know exactly what I'm talking about. :hug:

Oh, I know what you mean, luckymommy. :hug: Thanks for posting. It always helps to read that someone else is going through what I'm going through.

Congratulations to everyone for resisting...I'm proud of you all. I admit I flopped yesterday, big time, and have to start over again. Posting here is a good idea. I wish I could come here during the day, but Internet sites are restricted at work so between the hours of 7am and 7pm, I'm on my own.

Hi K8t. I'm sorry you can't come here during work hours. I usually have my binge cravings at night, but still, it's not easy. I was going to suggest that maybe you could write out your thoughts on paper (or type it on a Word document) and then, put it up on the board when you can get on. Maybe that way, you'll feel like you're still getting that support? I know it's a weird suggestion, but I thought it might be worth mentioning. :)

Ok I'm seriously testing myself now.... I've got a box of celebrations (chocolates) .... just under 1kg of them.. they're sitting in my bedroom. I bought them for nye, but I keep wanting to have "just one" ... hmph I'm resisting and wont stop resisting because I can't bear the thought of putting anymore weight on. But this is really killing me!
xx

SoulSurvivor, it's so good that you came here to post....it helps to keep us accountable for our actions. Otherwise, it's just us and the scale. ;) I admire your conviction to keep away from the off limit food item. I have some stuff here that my parents brought over and I'm not, will not consume it. I've got bigger goals and so do you. Well done!

Thank you lucky!!!
Just as I was getting over the chocolate craving I saw your post about the latkes and it got me drooling lol lol I want some!!! I've also got a craving for lokshen pudding mmmm
but I'm gonna go and sleep instead of thinking about food, I'll just torture myself!!!
Good luck to everyone, and well done for EVERY good choice you make!
Xxx

I've never heard of Lokshen Pudding, but that's probably for the best, since it's likely to be very tempting! ;)

You know, as I read this thread, I wonder if we should mention certain foods specifically or not. I think when we write down the words, we have to picture the thing, and that may not help us. And when people read the posts, they often describe themselves as being made hungry by what they are seeing. (I'll bet it's sort of like recovering from a porn addiction.)

I don't want to limit anyone's free expression, but I am just wondering about this. Does reading about other peoples' binges make you more likely to do it, or to think about it? Or less likely? Are people getting strength from this thread & feeling more resolve, or does seeing this seem to give them permission, because everyone's feeling this way, so we're all human & frail & we might as well give in occasionally?

Just wondering ... and trying to be as honest with myself as I can be.

You know sometimes I just sit here looking at all the threads everywhere on this site, searching & searching ... for something ... and sometimes I find it, and sometimes I don't. But at least I try, and at least everyone who posts here & who reads these posts is trying.

Hi Saef,

You are so cerebral and I really admire that. I hadn't thought of this at all, but I"m so glad you brought it up. Yes, when I read what someone else had, it makes me want it too much of the time. However, I am not at the state of mind that since someone else is having a binge, that it's ok for me to do it too. It did used to be that way, but now, I'm doing better with it, I suppose...at least for the time being. I'll be interested to hear what others are experiencing. In the meantime, I will definitely be more mindful of not mentioning particular foods specifically.

Also, I can relate to searching for something all over the sight. I search for it too. Somehow, maybe I'm searching for the key to success...something that will click in my brain and I will no longer have to struggle like this....but I'm not sure if I'll ever find it. I can honestly say that I have made huge improvements and that's something that I never thought I could do.