I'm a binge eater who can't figure out how to stop eating massive amounts of food, or how to WANT to stop eating it (I don't always consume, I always want to consume). I've gone the therapy route a bunch of times, so technically speaking, I know why I do what I do. However, how do I stop thinking constantly about that box of Ho-Ho's at the UDF that I didn't buy? (Godforbid I'd be happy with just a single serving size). Needless to say, I have a lot to lose because of this food obsession and inability to "eat just one!" I'm interested in hearing from others' who have won this battle, and from those who are currently still fighting it!

Chris

Chris,
I know exactly how you feel. I start thinking of what I want to eat the minute I wake up in the morning. Some days I'm able to eat right....sometimes for a meal, sometimes for a day or two, some days I'm not. It doesn't matter if I'm happy, sad, busy, or bored. I too know what I should be eating and how much. However it seems once I start putting food in my mouth something else takes over, before I know it I have eaten the whole bag of chips, or whatever it is at that time.
Keep trying. Don't ever give up! Even if you make a mistake. If you can just make a few good choices for a couple of meals, or a couple of days a week you would be suprised how much that can help. Plus when you see any progress it helps to motivate.
I'm trying to remember that it doesn't mean I can never eat certain things again, just that they all need to be in moderation.
I haven't "won" the battle by no means. But I'm still fighting the fight! Hang in there! I'm new to this site and from everything I've seen so far, if support and understanding helps we're both in the right place.
Good luck!!

Thanks for your reply! We both are certainly in the same boat. I'll take your advice to heart (celebrating good meals and food rather then bemoaning bad days!). Good luck to you.

Just wanted to let you know about a site one of the other members told me about that I'm really excited about.
Fitday.com. It has everything. You can list exactly what you ate for the day, and it totals all the calories and such. A goal keeper, journal, you name it. I just registerd and it's really great to put down in black and white what you had to eat. It helps you to think about what your putting in your mouth more. That's a big problem for me, not realizing just how bad each nibble is, but looking at it in terms of the calories and such is a real eye opener.

Keep celebrating the good choices! They add up!


[This message has been edited by icspots (edited 02-24-2001).]

Thanks for telling me about this site! I'll check it out and "bookmark" it! I definitely need to write down everything I eat, I need to track down everything!!! Thanks for thinking of sharing that.

I lost 3.8 pounds this week, so I'm feeling pretty good (knock on wood). How are you doing???

Wow! You should feel wonderful. That's so great!! You should be so proud of yourself. I haven't weighed this week. I have a doc appt. next Friday so I'll weigh Friday morning.
I've had good and bad days. The last 2 days have been great, finding this site has really been an help. I'm still so pshyced about it.
I had lost 50 pounds about a 2 years ago, then after surgery I gained back 10. Since then I've been gaining and losing the same 2 pounds over and over again. I have just been greatful that I've been able to maintain as well as I have. I really don't know how I've been able to do that, as I've been really bad about excerising. I had really gotten into walking everyday. Like usual, once you get out of your routine, it keeps getting easier not to feel guilty about it. Luckily I got in 2 days of walking last week. Should have been more, but at least I walked those two days.
What is your current eating plan? Are you trying to follow WW or such? I try to stay within a high protein, low fat plan. My biggest weakness is potatoes...can't get enough of them, and really need to stay away from them. That's one thing that if I take one bite....well you know how that goes.
I really am excited for you! I'm sure that on Friday I won't have that good of news to report, but I'll take what I can get. My goal for excerising this week is walking at least 4 day for 30 min each. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
I've gotten a chance to check out the fitday.com site more today. So far I love it! It also has a place for you to list all of your activities for each day and that will total up how many calories you burn for each of those activities. It's really an eye opener! It also has a place for your goals, and an area where you can create all types of reports to chart your progress.
Well guess I'd better get some sleep. Hope you have a great day!

Hi! It's funny that you said "finding this site has been such a help" (or something like that) because there was an article in the paper today that said computer support sites, like this one, are proven to really help people in their weight struggles! That's what you found! You weigh in this Friday? If you're fitting exercise into the picture, that's the most important piece of it. Don't you feel less apt to binge and focus on food if you're working out? I have to go a few times a week (I strive for 5, I usually hit 3) and walk and do weights. I have about 100 pounds to lose (!!) so the workouts are a Godsend and have helped me stay focused. If I don't work out (I haven't this whole last week) then I automatically feel out of control! What weight program are you following? I'm actually doing Jenny Craig. I really like it, though it's pretty expensive so I have to start having good weight losses like I just had to continue doing it. The food is pretty good, and the support I get is terrific. The only program I was ever successful at was Diet Center, and I had to weigh in 6 days a week there! How much are you trying to lose now and are you still focused heavily on food? How are you handling the Girl Scout cookies?? They're in my house (my daughter is a G.S.) and I'm completely focused on them. We gotta get them out of here...fast! It's funny that you mentioned potatos, I LOVE potatos (usually fried, but the Yukon Gold ones baked are yummy too). Are you craving the good potato or the more fattening one (remember, nothing is bad, right?).

You are right about the excerising helping you to focus on other things besides food. All I'm doing for excerising now is walking. I try for 5 days a week and if I get in at least 3 days I feel pretty good. Last week I only got in 2 days. I'm thinking about checking out a water aerobics class. I have knee and back problems occasionally, and everyone tells me they are wonderful when you have those types of problems.
I have about 55 more pounds to lose, and keep off. I have been going to a Doctor at a Nutrition Center for a little over 2 years. After I had started going there I lost the first 50 pounds. The whole staff are really supportive there. I usually go about every 4 weeks less or more depending on how things are going. Sometimes I see the Doctor, some times the nurse or go to the Nutrition dept. It's pretty costly too, but when I started this I decided that I was worth every penny. And even though after the surgery I gained back the 10 pounds, I think the fact that I had to go at least once a month kept me from gaining back more. He really pushes excerise and "smart choices". My current eating plan is high protien and low fat. So basically meat and veggies. I do include some fruit. No potatos though. If I have to have a potatos I'm suppose to bake it, scoop out most of the middle and eat all of the skin. It works, but I still can't eat them as much as I would like. Any kind of potatos will do, cooked any way. Growing up I had them everyday, and now I really have a hard time not having them at every meal.
The girl scot cookies are doing fine, at least for the last couple of days. We bought some from our neighbor's girl, and from a co-worker's daughter. I think there's only 1 and 1/2 box left. Hopefully my son and his buddies will finish them off after school today. He's not really a sweet eater. He's the one that will pick the carrots and celery sticks over chips and cookies any time. Wish I could be more like him. I think some of his friends like cookies though. Well see.
Well, I guess I'd better go get ready for work. I have to remember to pack my clothes so I can go walking at lunch.
Keep up the good work!

You've lost 50+ pounds so far? I am sooo impressed. I always think that 100 pounds to lose is impossible, but you're 1/2 way there! I ate wayyyy too many girl scout cookies today...so I'm feeling guilty and sad, but I have to drink the water to hopefully offset it some. I just read your profile and saw that you like to read...what's your favorite genre? Mine is mystery (Sue Grafton, for example) for mystery/romance/spooky (Barbara Michaels). Reading is one of my grandest of passions, next to cream cheese (haha). You shoul definitely look into water aerobics. Some gyms offer more intensive water fitness classes (some are geared for the elderly, some for the moderately fit). I had been walking and working out 3-4x a week when I did my first water aerobics a few weeks ago and I really, really (!) felt the aerobics the next day. More then when I do a regular workout. It will help you exercise and not hurt your knees. Did you walk at lunch? Do you walk alone or with some walking buddies?

Don't beat yourself up about the cookies. Just think of it as a few less in the house to be thinking of all the time. Right? Always drink your water!!! I was having so much trouble with my feet,legs and ankles that I was beginning to think I was developing arthritis in them. I would sit at my desk for a short while and when I got up out of my chair my feet and ankles would be stiff and very painful. Once I started drinking at least 64 oz of water a day, all of that went away. It felt like a miracle. Now I'm a firm believer of lots and lots of water. I usually drink more than 64 oz, but I alway make sure I get in at least that much. It doesn't seem like drinking water would keep you from retaining water but it sure does.
I like to read about anything, non-fiction, fiction, mystery, romance, murder, science fiction. I like Barbara Michaels, but I don't know that I've heard of Sue Grafton. I've have to have at least 3 books on hand at all times, the one I'm currently reading, and at least two for when I finish that one. If I don't already have the next couple of books lined up I start getting panicky. It's like a fix or something. It's nice to have a least one vice that's not bad for you.
I didn't get to walk at lunch today, things were just too hectic. I usually have a walking buddy at work but she had a migraine and left early. Sometimes I walk without her, not often as my husband is not too crazy about that and if she can't go, I sometimes opt for reading the whole hour. However, after work my husband and I went for a 30 minute walk. It was so beautiful here today. Even at 7:00 it was still 68 degrees. I could handle this weather all the time.
Well it's late, guess I need to mosey on off to bed.
Once again....don't beat yourself up about the cookies. You'll do better tomorrow, I just know you will!!!!

Hello... I don't want to intrude, but I wanted to share a website that helped me a lot in managing my binge eating. It's www.somethingfishy.com. There's an entire section devoted to binge eating disorder, and a separate section devoted to those who are overcoming it. Hope this helps.

Kendra

Kendra-Thank you so much for sending me the link, however I'm having some trouble accessing it. I keep receiving an error message. I'll keep trying though! Are you/were you a binge eater as well?

Icspots-I wish I had read your message before I ate another box of cookies this morning! I'm obsessing, big time, about the Peanut Butter Patty Girl Scout cookies and, stupidly, I ate another box. I'll try not to ***** and moan and kick myself too much today, but I'm angry that I can't even allow the good weight loss I had last week help me! I did work out yesterday though, so that helps. And I have until Saturday to lose any weight gained from my cookie splurge. Funny, it almost makes me more motivated when I go off as badly as I have these past two days. How can that be?

At least you were able to get some exercise in yesterday, too. And is it a double blessing (or a double whammy? Ha) when you get to walk with your husband? Usually for me, it's great because we can talk and exercise at the same time. Although sometimes I want to trip my husband!

Chris

Whoops. Backyard Birder, you're having a hard time getting there because I gave you the wrong link. It's http://www.somethingfishy.org.

Yes, I was a binge eater, and I've still got those tendencies... especially when I'm stressed. I'm learning to cope with them, though. It's ROUGH, to say the least.

And my 2 cents as far as the Girl Scout cookies goes? Write them off. Don't even think about them. It's all water under the bridge... just look forward instead of back. Easier said than done, I know. Give it a shot, though.

I'll have to check in here from time to time... I didn't know you girls were here!

Kendra

Kendra,

Thanks...I found the site and will take a look at it. Thanks also for your words on the GS cookies...I'll try to just put them under the bridge and not worry. Easier said then done..they've been my downfall this week.

Chris

Hi Kendra! Always nice to hear from someone who knows what it's all about. Glad to hear your doing great in your battle. I'll try to check out the web site tomorrow.
I am really enjoying the www.fitday.com site. It's nice to see all the calories and where there coming from. Although it's really sad how just a small bite of this or that can add up to so many calories. It's just not fair! Theres so many great tasting items in the world.
I've done really well so far this week. Of course since I have to weigh in on Friday that's very much in my mind for now. Next week will be a different story.
I was able to get a 30 min walk in at lunch. That made me feel good. I worked late, and then had errands to run, so I waited to late for dinner and got really, really hungry. Everyone says you shouldn't let yourself go that long between meals, but some days it just can't be helped. And after dinner tonight I thought I was going to lose it! I wanted something else so bad! I know there was no way I was hungry, but that doesn't have anything to do with it anyway. I just wanted something because I wanted something. I didn't even go back downstairs. Sent my hubby down stairs make sure all the babies (2 dogs and a cat) had water and food and decided I'd stay completely away from the kitchen. And I didn't cave, instead here I am typing it out with you all. Thanks! This really can work!
Chris, I agree with Kendra about the cookies, it's not worth beating yourself up over. Don't let it spoil all the good you've done so far. Remember you lost 3.8 pounds this week, that means you've been making some great choices! Don't let your being mad or sad about a few cookies spoil all your hard work! There is always another choice just around the corner!!
Well, guess I'll go read for a while. I didn't get hardly any reading in today and I think I'm going through withdrawls! (ha-ha) At least that doesn't make me gain weight!
Hope everyone has a wonderful evening and great day tomorrow! Hang in there guys!!!
We can do this!!!

Laura








[This message has been edited by icspots (edited 02-27-2001).]