Hi guys,

I just wanted to share that I accomplished a big goal: I made it through one week without eating sugary treats and without binging! It's is HUGE for me as I can't even remember the last time I went that long. Unfortunately, now I'm fighting some big fears: will abstaining this long bring on another binge, will I be able to indulge in sugary treats again without letting myself go, etc etc. This is new territory for me, so I'm just trying to get a foothold and see how I get continue to make some good choices. This is such a difficult disorder to manage. Hopefully one day I can figure it out.

Just wanted to share with like-minded people.

Thanks all!

OMG!!!!! I am SO Excited for you!!!
You have done amazing, keep up the good work!!! I am still careful with what I call "danger foods" As long as you are careful and eat mindfully I think you can keep going and doing great!

Do u have a huge craving for sugar? I used to and indulged everyday, think I had candida. Don't want to be negative just worth looking into maybe. My daughter had a bag of candy on the counter I managed to eat a couple small pieces and walk away, u will eventually not be so worried! Wish u luck,

Thanks all! I love the little icon party thrown for me.

I'm not sure what candida is, but, yes I do have a huge craving for sugar. For me, it's like a drug and I'm learning how to manage my addiction. Honestly, I'm not convinced that abstaining is truly the answer, so it's inspiring to see that you were able to work towards such great willpower. I hope that some day I can feel in control while enjoying a couple treats.

Thanks for your advice and support!!

I am right there with you. Today is day #9 for me and I'm so worried about messing it up. For me, though, I would say that the first few days are always a lot harder than what comes after. So I try to remember that if I could get through those, I can get through today, yk?

Also, I have always had a mindset that if I screw up early in the day it's not worth trying to eat well for the rest of the day bc once I start it becomes SO MUCH HARDER. But, a few days ago I had an insulin reaction and *needed* to have some quick sugar. I ate several cookies and had some milk with them. It was early in the day and I thought, I want to be able to see today as being a good day in my streak. So, I thought about what I would have to do to feel that way and I managed to do it. I was so proud of myself! So, I'm trying to also remember that we all need to eat food and sh*t happens but it is how I handle it and what I do to recover from it that will make a real difference.

All that comforts me a little. But I'm still scared. I really wish that I could count on just sticking to my plan and not having to marshal a great amount of energy or willpower to do it. And just live normally and healthily. Sigh...

I think one week is an awesome accomplishment and I'll be routing for you, kk!

Good for you!!! A whole week is a huge accomplishment and you should be proud. Always warms my heart to hear people having success at managing binge eating (and gives me renewed hope for myself !).

Congrats!! I'm sure you'll figure out what works for you - abstinence from sugary treats is the only thing that works for me, and I'm 100% committed to living without them permanently, but everyone is different!

That's amazing!

You can do it, just keep it up. I binged the other day but managed to keep it small. It's been getting better everyday.

But you just have to keep pushing.

Good job kk2323! I know where you're at with this - keep up the good work!

I binged last week after a too rigorous 1st-week-of-the-year workout regimen. I felt bad, but then I got back to my body awareness and realized why I decided to binge. My body was stressed out, so my plan backfired.

For that week, anyway.

I've been eating clean for 2 days now, right on plan. I know I can eat little treats, as long as they fit into my calories, but not yet. I need to get the binge calories out of my system until I can substitute my healthy snacks for some well-earned ice cream or chocolate. I've learned that if I can eat clean for at least 2 weeks, then I can earn back my sweet treats.

Wishing you many more days of binge-free success!

Wow - well done that's a great achievement- the issue with all addictions is whether to abstain completely or try and manage the portions; for me total abstention would be ideal but not so easy to achieve

Good for you -- don't you feel better both physically and in terms of how you feel about yourself! Plus, it's definitely inspirational to all of us. Thanks for sharing.

Congrats!!! This is a big step in the right direction!!! I have a long history of restriction, and it is so funny. In the beginning I was thinking I will allow me a little bit eventually, but after a while those foods seem just so gross. I restricted soda 2 ears ago, and now can't drink even a little bit! Just yuuuk!!! The same with all the fast food (like McDonalds).

Now I am trying to cut out all the sweets and right now my mindset is in "ocasionally" not "forever". But I know how it works, one day I would be grossed out by a cookie

Well done

I don't think abstaining will cause another binge, and I am in the camp that says you can eventually eat sweets in moderation if you choose to do so. I have changed my philosophy a bit lately, and believe that is might just be ok to honor a craving and have the food you crave if you do it in moderation. This mindset has really helped me in the past 8 weeks.

Now, when I crave something, I tell myself "if you want it go and get it. Have one (biscuit, cinnamon roll, etc.) if that will satisfy the craving. Just have one because you can always have another tomorrow." And in the past 8 weeks, since I embraced this philosophy, not once have I given in. But I'm not afraid to either.

Everyone is different, so maybe you will be one of the people who chooses to totally abstain. If that works for you, great. I have been working on addressing my all-or-nothing, perfectionist mindset, and trying to get away from the thought that I can never have my favorite, less nutritious foods. That deprivation, I'm finding, makes me dwell on my trigger foods even more.

Well done, It's really hard to abstain yourself from any sugary delights. Doing that for a week is really a huge accomplishment.

Good luck for another week without sugar craving

Wow, you guys are incredible! Thank you for all of your support and good luck on your own journies. Just a quick update: I broke the "sugar fast" on Tuesday and thoroughly enjoyed every morsel of it. I only had ONE even though there were two more in the container. I just ate it and sat with the feelings of wanting to finish the brownies, but then I realized that I could have one tomorrow if I really wanted it - just like KittyKatFan suggested. And it worked! And I did. But then I decided that if I really want to continue losing weight I probably shouldn't have dessert every single day so I didn't have anything last night. Now it's been 11 days without a binge and I feel pretty good. There's a huge part of me that misses it, so I still have a lot of work to do, but as for today I feel good.

Happy Friday!!!