made it trough day 10 and i think i don't eat enough. i feel weak and sleepy. i'll have to do better tomorrow.

it seems as if finally we are all on the same wagon and doing great :D

Pushing through day 23. This has honestly been the longest time period when I have not had even one day of binging. I am probably speaking too soon, because I believe it is bound to happen that one day I am going to binge and then pick myself back up, but I am proud for having made it this far. If I make it another week I will be able to say it's been a month!

^^nice job !i know that feeling but don't let it get to you.

another day under the belt. i received a phone call if i want to work in a fair where i've been working past few years, and it's a wine, ice cream and lots of sweets fair from all the country and i was so excited because i knew the guy was gonna call me but the days interfere with my exams and i didn't know what to do. i gave it a ittle thought and said yes but i was so excited that i just wanted to eat something sugary. i made a capuccino and some cookies and it was ok after the hype had passed. now i have to study even harder but the extra cash will come handy and i'll be able to go home for a few days

I picked myself up from yesterday and made it through today - did well with the exercising too

Great job, everyone!!

Pink - 23 days is awesome!!! You should be so proud!

Missunshine - way to stay strong!!

Jalsa - way to go!!

Paintedponies - great work! You're lucky to have such an active job - I sit and sit and sit some more all day!

Danzingurl - way to go, and congrats on the drop! Every day you make it through, it will hopefully get a little easier!

I'm back on the wagon after a 2-day binge (unfortunately, I couldn't limit it to one day and binged yesterday too). I wanted to eat super-low cal today, to start making up for my overages the past two days, but restricting yesterday is what caused me to binge yesterday, so I have decided to eat at maintenance for a little bit until I get my momentum back. Then I'll have to lose those ~2 pounds I've likely gained by 2 days of bingeing, but at least I'm closer to my weight goal than I have been in awhile (I'm within a few pounds), so I need to take pride in that and rejoice in how far I've come and how close I am to my goal!!

I REALLY needed theat refeed/splurge/binge day on Monday, but it is VERY difficult to get back on track after allowing myself anything I wanted to eat for two days! The double-edged sword of cheat days!!! However, I am committing here to eating on plan for the rest of this week so I have some accountability!

misssunshine- 10 days is great! I hope you feel better tomorrow!

paintedponies- I feel the same way and were on the same # of days! Its such a good feeling to have made it so far but I'm still worried that I could slip up any day! Stay strong :)

jalsa- good job getting right back on track!

doingmybest- thanks! I think you have a good plan. Its always so tempting to restrict even more after a binge... but for me it usually just leads to another day of binges!

Today makes 23 days for me! I honestly never imagined getting this far... I am feeling pretty confident that I might eventually "kick the habit", but I still feel like I really have to watch myself and stay on my toes! I SO hope I can get all the way through January! Something that I do think has helped me a lot is to stop telling myself that I am never allowed to binge again. If I tell myself that I can binge "tomorrow" If I still really want to- it seems to take a lot of the edge off of the craving... and I am able to make it through the day. By the next morning, I usually have a clear head and the desire to binge is gone- until the next time I have to say "maybe tomorrow". Seems to be working so far :P

Danzingurl - you may have something there - never telling yourself that you won't binge again - I was a chain smoker (8 years nicotine free now) and only got through the initial stages by telling myself that if I needed one I could have a cig tomorrow -I never did - but it always appeased the animal brain inside

Great going everyone :)- if I get through today it will be 2 days binge free - I'm just going ODAT one day at a time at the moment

Jalsa- so that strategy really may be of some value! That makes me feel better and congrats on quitting! That is something so be extremely proud of.

Today will be 25 days binge free! And I am having kind of a cheat day today- eating to maintinance calories. I think my body and brain need a break from being in a calorie deficit, but I'm hoping that allowin myself a few extra calories doesn't send me into a tailspin. I have GOT to learn some moderation.

today is my 13 day and tomorrow is gonna be two weeks. it feels like eternity since i last binged.

danzigurl- i too have a cheat day today, not planned but i lost motivation for studying and i felt hungry for skipping my lunch so i exagerated on pastries. i was affraid that i might end up binging but fortunately i haven't. you're so close to 1 month yaay

doingmybest- i think we all need those re-feed days once in a while. do it, just make sure you bounce back. i think 3 steps forward and 1 step back is still better than nothing. the restriction day after the binge is my huge weakness also but i hope you'll be able to balance it over time. do you pre plan your meals?

jalsa- you've been doing grat in the past and you have a great attitude. we all slip up sometimes.

Coming in to confess- I lost it today. Completely lost it. I feel SO sick to my stomach... But- 24 days is an incredible accomplishment for me and I am planning on getting right back on track tomorrow. I'm not going to let it happen again for 25 days this time. At least- that's my goal!

Oh Danzingurl, I'm so sorry to hear that, but remind yourself that one day does not undo weeks and years of hard work. Look at how far you've come! The important thing is to get right back on track today!

I binged on Thursday, too. (Making it 3 binges this week instead of my planned 1...I even changed my ticker to reflect the damage I've done.) But I was right back on track on Friday, and I'm committed to an on-plan weekend. It's SO HARD, I know, but with each on-plan day, it will get easier. We're cheering for you and support you!!!

Thanks Doingmybest! And good job to get right back on track! I don't feel TOO bad... A little disappointed, but I am going to try to follow your lead and get right back on track.

I knew the scale would be up this morning but I am slightly blown away. Yesterday I was 131.4- this morning I weighed in at 138.6... 7 lbs in a day! I know it's mostly water and food- but I really don't know how I can fluctuate so much!

Well, starting over with day 1. My goal is to get to at least 25 days this time.

^^yeah scale can be a real b**ch...don't beat yourself too much over it. one binge in a month is not that bad. even rome wasn't built in a day and so will not our binging habit be cured at a first try (at least for most of us).


found this picture in another thread :D

Totally agree about the scale. I normally don't weigh for days after a binge, just so I don't completely terrify myself with the number! I know I have gained weight; I don't need the scale to tell me that, haha.

I finally stepped on the scale this morning because I need that accountability. Without the scale, I almost feel like I'm free to binge...I'm hiding from the one objective measure that tells me I've gained weight and that I need to get back on the pony.

We're all making progress, though, and that's the important thing -- never give up!!!

Doingmybest- thanks for that, I hope your weigh in helps you keep the bingeing at bay!

Missunshine- I'll have to keep that picture in mind!

I made it without a binge today, but have felt really "blah" all day. Tired of the cold and tired of watching what I eat- but I know I'll feel better tomorrow if I stay strong today... So here's to hoping for a day of no cravings and sunshine in the future. Right now my city is ranked #1 for the worst air quality in the United States, and the yucky inversion air makes it hard with my asthma- I can't go outside and there's no sunshine through the gunk anyways. Plus the inversion is trapping all of the cold down in the valley. Ugh! I'm trapped inside and hungry for some comfort food. And really needed a place to vent about it- so thanks :-) almost through January! Lets finish the month on a good note, shall we?

Missunshine - yep bingeing takes a long time to cure - I fell for another old chestnut yesterday - the animal brain convinced me to buy lots of low cal sugary snacks that are on sale to help lose weight after Christmas - 99 calorie cereal bars - well fine for most but not for me - I ate the lot all at once - just got to make sure that I won't get fooled by that one again

Doingmybest and Danzingirl - stay with it and keep coming back - being here really does help

I have done that too - they're a monetary bargain, but not a bargain for weight loss/maintenance! I have to tell myself that I am no longer at a place in my life where I go out and buy candy/snacks because they're a good monetary deal. That period in my life is over. Now, I need to buy things because they're healthy and/or a caloric deal. It's hard sometimes, but I remind myself that the benefits of being thin and fit are better than the momentary pleasure of shopping for and eating inexpensive junk food!

TOTALLY sympathize on the weather! I feel so great and uplifted when it is warm and sunny, and so blah when it is cold/raining/snowy. It's so hard to get out for exercise when the weather is bad, and I don't even have to deal with air quality issues -- it must be awful! I can't wait for spring!

I'm down 0.7 pounds from yesterday -- I think it's from a combination of a LONG walk and eating at the low end of my range. Down from 134.7 to 134.0...just a few more pounds before I get back to I was, pre-binge. I need to keep this up! Today will be a day of eating near maintenance -- I can't handle long-term deprivation right now. Plus, I'm hoping that a little calorie cycling will get the body burning calories. Staying positive!!

I've done that loads of times too.

I am still going ok. No binges since the Thursday between Christmas and New Year...

Am now 0.4 pounds above my pre Christmas low weight. I've nearly removed Christmas.

Week #9: complete! :)

Did have some thoughts about food today, after being relatively free from focusing on food most of the time in the past month or so. I practiced some of the exercises I have learned and pressed on. I think I thought about food today because I had more free time on my hands than usual.

On to Week 10...

Jalsa- I'll always stay here- this forum has been a lifesaver for me! I hope you were able to figure out what to do with those snacks!

Doingmybest- congratulations on the drop :) and a huge snowstorm finally blew the inversion away- so I'll at least have some sunshine for a few days before it comes back!

Omega- I'm still fighting my Christmas weight a little, that's got to e a good feeling!

Kittykatfan-10 weeks is amazing! And congratulations on the broken record!

Starting in day 3 here- it's much harder to get BACK on track vs just staying there... But I'm making it. Determined to conquer this.

jalsa - i've done that many times too and every time i tell myself not to be fooled again but i still give in with things that are really discounted.

omega- i'm trying to reach my pre christmas weight too. but i don't have the scale here so i have to wait till i get home in about 10 days. i really hope it will show some progress.

doingmy best- calorie cycling is a good idea. i think i'll try it too. i think we're all trying to get to our pre- something weight ;D

kittykat- that is some serious achievement!! how do you cope with cravings, if you have any? 10 weeks would be a milestone for me

danzigurl.-that's the spirit! do not ever give up...just know that you'll always be an inspiration to someone !!!

i finished my day 16 in bed all day "studying" for my first exam tomorrow but i was mostly watching makeup tutorialy on youtube lol that thing is so addictive. i finally bought some very pretty new sneakers (that actually fit me) so hopefully there will be no more excuses for ditching my exercise. i need to get rid of my muffin top. i can feel my six pack but it's all covered in fat. :/

I am new to posting, but browse all the time. I am a binger and would like to Join your challenges. I am binge free since Tuesday, although had a few "over-eating" days. Been battling this since I was 16, I'm 48 now. I recently started see a therapist to learn how to better handle stress.

I can totally relate to the "diet foods", do that all the time. For some reason, don't treat like a normal food and end up eating everything.

So nice to have people who understand. Even my friends who are overweight don't understand what a binge is. They look at me with a "deer in the headlights" look when I try to explain.

Hope everyone had a great day. :)

Missunhine- I LOVE getting new sneakers! That's what I have asked for for Christmas and my birthday for the past 3 years and it always makes running more fun ;-)

Carolina- welcome! I hope you find this place as helpful and supportive as I always have!!

Starting on day 4 today.. My weight is still 3 lbs up from my last binge :( so that's a little disappointing, but I'm trying to trust the process and start strong! Hope everyone is having a good week so far! We're almost through January!

Like Carolina I've been mostly a browser, but I'd like to start posting in an effort to focus and get a handle on the binging.

This month I've managed to lose 7.4 lbs by making MUCH healthier food choices but I haven't been able to stop binging. Every day has been a terrible inner battle, and most often I lose.

Feeling so out of control is adding a terrible amount of stress and emotional disappointment to my life, which seems to make me want to binge even more even though I *KNOW* how counter-productive it is. I swear sometimes I feel absolutely possessed while I'm binging, I sometimes eat things I don't even like!

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell. Today will be day 1 binge-free for me. I hope.


Hey Carolina -- also like you I've been struggling with this since my teens and I'm 45 now. I can so relate. :(

Hey MayoLover, welcome- great to see you here -I also feel possessed when I am bingeing or heading that way - I even go to the store in the cold and pouring rain and when I get there I don't know what I want - it's the animal brain and I've got to find a way to gag it and shut it up!

Yesterday was a disaster, I was travelling, it was cold and there was no - where to get healthy food - so I self medicated with all the usual sugar crap
today has been good

Hi Jalsa, hope your day is going better. The first day after is always the hardest, but I always remind myself that I've been through this before and each day after the binge I WILL feel better, even if I don't feel like it now.

MayoLover, glad to have a new poster to start this journey. I find myself looking forward to logging in at the end of the day to share how my day went with people who get it. When I am in the middle of a period of day-after-day binging, I realize how awful it must be for those who are around me. My spouse, my employer, my co-workers, my children. I try to get out of the cloud and focus on being the best I can be for myself and those I care about. You can do it!!! Plus, you must be dong something right, you've lost 7.5 pounds.

Danzingirl77 - Thank you for the welcome! I hate that water weight gain. We all are smart enough to know it's not real weigth, but that darn number.... Keep it up, you're still down 4 from the binge. You are in the right direction! That 3 pounds will be gone sooner than you think.

I use MyFitnessPal to track my cals, and realize I am only bing free since Saturday. I had a middle of the road binge on Friday. So, that makes today day four and the day's almost over!!! Husband is out of town, and being home alone is often a trigger. Boredome and such..... So, here's to staying out of the fridge for the night. I know I will feel so good in the morning.

Have a peaceful evening!

On Day 65 now :)

It's so strange, but ever since I started my treatment program, my cravings have dropped big-time. I was just hoping to get some skills to help me deal with my intense cravings. Instead, my cravings have significantly reduced. It's like a light bulb on a dimmer - my thoughts and obsessions about food have just been really toned down.

I occasionally have thoughts of binging, but when they come over me, I use my skills. I start asking myself why I am feeling like binging: what triggered the thought and what emotion is behind it? Usually that delay is enough to help me get through the moment, but I have learned other coping mechanisms.

I think the food plan has also helped dramatically. I have to eat three meals a day plus two snacks. Even if I do have a big breakfast, that snack still has to happen. They are teaching me totally different food philosophies. I am to eat foods I crave! I just have to limit portion size, with the belief that if I want more, there is still more available tomorrow. I do not have to stay away from any food. A totally different philosophy from the way I used to think.

I used to think, "I will binge today and go back to being good tomorrow' - which drove me to just eat as much as I could that day because I couldn't enjoy tomorrow. Now I think that I can have more tomorrow if I want it. And I also front-load calories and eat breakfast, when I used to save my calories til the end of the day and starved in the morning.

I simply can't believe how much this program has helped me. I am still working on learning to read my hunger and especially my fullness cues, but the good news is that I have maintained my weight loss. I may have even lost some, although the loss is not intentional since the focus is on breaking the binge cycle and not on weight loss. The program teaches nutrition, a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy, and body image acceptance - which has helped me with my self confidence (a bit...still scared to show my pics :( )

I have so much more to share, but I don't want to bore anyone so I will stop for now. All I can say is if you have the chance to get treatment for binge eating disorder, I highly recommend it if you can find a good program. It has truly changed my life in a very short time.

Mayolover- welcome! I hope you have found a way to stay on track and that this place helps you! I take advantage of venting here ALL the time, it's nice to have people who understand! Good luck!

Jalsa- travel and cold are both hard to deal with as far as good goes, I hope you were able to have a good day afterward!

Carolina- you are right, I was back to normal this morning- thank heavens!!

Kittykatfan- I am so happy to hear that your program is working for you!! And I for one am not bored by your tips at all- please, keep sharing!

Today will be day 5 and I am feeling pretty confident. My weight is back to normal and hopefully my blood sugar is too! :P looking forward to another LONG binge-free streak ;-)

KittyKatFan - how awesome! You are not rambling, but making sense and providing great information. 64 days, WOW! How encouraging. I am in personal therapy and learning how to deal with anxiety, which is a huge trigger for me. She always says the food will be there, too. Do you do one-on-one therapy or group?

FYI I made it through the night, didn't even go to the kitchen! Day 5, no binges!

Thanks for the nice welcomes. I'm glad to be here.

KittyKatFan -- thanks for sharing so much info, I don't think you can bore us on this topic. I would love to hear EVERYTHING you have to say. :) 65 days is a major inspiration. Well done you!

Carolina -- Great job on Day 5! Anxiety is a trigger for me as well. Though sometimes I think *everything* is a trigger for me.

Danzingurl -- Day 5 for you too, wow, congratulations! A long binge-free streak sounds so lovely. I want that too.

Well, I did better eating healthy yesterday, but was not completely binge-free, even though it was a small binge it still was still a binge. Very disappointed with myself.

Today I am on plan and really hanging on for dear life. That sounds so silly in my head -- I mean how hard can it be to just stay out of the food, right? I can't believe how much noise is in my head though. I keep telling myself that each day ti will get easier, so just focus on today. I can't change yesterday or any of the days before that, but I can shape today however I choose.

jalsa-thank you so much for such a long answe...you can definitely not bore us with such helpful informations ;) i'm glad it's working out for you

carolina-welcome and great job on 5 days...anxiety was my huge trigger to but since i'm staying in a stress free environment (away from my family) my anxiety has decreased. good luck with your therapy :)

mayolover-we've all been there, possesed by food, hat of to you for being able to lose weight despite binging

danzigurl-has it already been 5 days...it goes by so fast...good job!!

i finished day 18 today. i had some heart pain today...i don't know how it's called...a heartache?? but not from a broken heart but like literally my heart was in pain and i think it's because i haven't been eating enough last few days. i've sensed this kind of pain in my previous weight loss attempt. it was a bit scary. and i have a new obsession..i've been stalking my sexy neighbour across the street :D i have a direct view into his appartment from my room and he doesn't have curtains so my roomate and i watched him in the dark while he was cooking dinner and praying that he doesn't have a girlfriend...it was so funny lol i have too much free time haha

Both, but predominantly group. I had never done group therapy so that was weird at first. It doesn't bother me now. It is hard to go into these sessions when you first start and not judge others, or to feel like you are being judged. It really is interesting to see how varied the backgrounds and experiences are in the group.

What is most amazing to me is that I am being challenged to try different foods, including those that I personally don't think I should ever touch again. Foods that got me off track in the first place. I have to bring food for a my evening meal (we have to eat there so the dieticians can help with portion sizes and as part of the therapy process) and I always bring "healthy" food like chicken, veggies, and whole grains - would prefer not to eat the carb but carbs are required - but I have challenged myself to bring a takeout meal at my next session.

The problem is, those foods I used to crave just don't excite me much now. I actually like the "healthy" stuff. I have been spending lots of time in the past two days trying to think of a food I crave so I can bring it to dinner, but I can't really think of anything I desperately want. And surprisingly, even though this challenge is making me think about foods I used to salivate over, the thoughts haven't pushed me into thoughts of binging or being out of control.

I will try to bring something I wouldn't normally bring except when I'm in binge mode, just so I can learn to cope. I still worry that doing so will make me regain everything, but it is time to really test myself, while still with a professional support team there for me in case I need help. Better to test myself now than to wait until I get out of the program and potentially fail....

Missunshine- I about died laughing about your post!! I can just picture you peeking through the window. You definitely need to go chat that guy up!! And good job on the 18 days!

Kittykatfan- you are much more brave than I am... I don't think there is any chance I could just calmly eat my trigger meals- but I think that getting rid of the "I am not allowed to eat that" mentality is a great tool. Thanks for sharing your insights!

Carolina- I think we might be on the same count f days! We can be a team! ;-)

Mayolover- I totally know what you mean about those hanging on for deal life moments. When I think about them in calmer moments it seems so silly- but during those cravings it can get really intense!

Today will make 6 days for me. Tomorrow is my monthly "weigh and measure and take pictures" day- which pretty much scares me into an extreme desire to stay on track- I think I'll be safe today, but tomorrow after I get my results I know I will have to really be strong.

Happy last day of January!!

Misssunshine: I agree with danzingurl, go for it, as long as you like what you saw! How's the pain? Hope you're ok. Are you on a low cal mor low carb diet? Just be careful.

Danzingurl: I'm in, we're a team! :carrot: My day 6 is doing great. We almost at a week! Is your monthly weigh, measure, etc. part of a program you are on?

KittyKatKfan: sounds like a wonderful program. I look forward to the day I can eat anything in front of anyone without guilt, self-judgement and without using it as an excuse to get completely out of control. Keep us posted!

MayoLover: hang in there. I think a big part of my therapy is saying out loud what's going on in my head. When you hear yourself saying it (or I this case, typing it) you start to see the faulty thinking and how illogical we can be with the conversations in our head. Sometimes I get sick of hearing myself say the same stupid things over and over... But, it's a process of learning what is driving the behavior and dealing with those things head on. They may hurt, but you have to feel the hurt, not stuff it with food. For me, much of it is issues with my daughter. Lot's of pain and loss and unnecessary guilt. I'm learning to set boundaries, and it's really helping.

Jalsa: I totally understand. It's like an out of body experience. It seems like you have to do it and you don't see or hear anything else. My therapist always says I am giving food a lot of power. How was your day today?

Bye bye January, hello fabulous February ! :dizzy:

I managed to have a binge free January which has to be good...
last binge 27/12/2012...

I have removed my Christmas gain and back eroding the gain of last year...

I have gained pretty consistently for the past 2 years...

Omega: Congratulations!!!! What a fabulous accomplishment! Very encouraging. I am on day 7 and looking forward to a binge free February. :p

danzigurl- haha it's become a habit. i stalk him every night. i could never ask him anything because i'm probably out of his league and i never see him on the street during the day. i intentionally started leaving my blinds up so hopefully he'll peak to my direction haha

carolina- i haven't had any pain since then, thank you for asking. i'm trying to do low cal diet from 1500-1700 cal but i keep eating under my daily allowance. like yesterday i wasn't home all day so i ended up eating only breakfast and dinner together around 900 cal. i was up late and around 2 am i was so hungry i couldn't fall asleep but i was too lazy to get up and eat something. it's weird, if i tell myself that the limit is around 1250 i end up binging but if i limit up to 1700 it's ok cause i rarely go overboard. i'm always at the extreme. i know, i'm weird

omega- well keep it up. 2013 will not be the year of gaining for us, it can either be year of losing or maintaining ;)

it's day 20 today. i'm so proud and feel confident. there were so many triggers but i resisted quite easily. and i think the fact that i don't weigh myself is also helping very much. i went shopping yesterday and finally fit into a pair of skinny leather pants. next week i'm going home and a bit sceptical as to my moms obsessive cooking everytime i'm home but i'll try to do my best. it's only a week.
february is gonna be short, only 27 days left for me lol