So tonight I have been closer to a real binge than ever before since I started this journey in May. Ice cream. Oh my god I wanted to drown myself in ice cream. It was so hard, especially as I knew I had to go shopping for something else. Was planning it already. One, no, two cartons of my favourite Ben & Jerry's. I was even planning the excuses I would make myself!

I eventually bought a can of diet cola from the store, but still while paying I was eyeing the chocolates and ice creams. When I had walked out I wanted to walk back in so hard. Now I'm back home, the store is closed, the worst of the cravings are gone too. The cola helped a bit.

But what helped most? I started thinking about a skimpy black dress. A skimpy, skimpy sexy black dress. I think I'm going to buy one when I reach my goal. Heck, if I can't find a good one I'll just splurge and get one made for me. And then I'll wear it, and some red lipstick and heels, and go out, and with every step I'll think: Damn I look so hot in this skimpy black dress.

For someone who has been motivating herself exclusively with health reasons, this one feels like such a cheap trick. But heck if that's what it takes to stay off binging, I'll do it. I won't go down that road anymore, I'm done with it.

Now excuse me while I go and google some sexy black dresses!

HUZZAH for you pigeon!!!

I battled some stress induced cravings last week and I know what you did was SOOOOOO hard. And you BEAT IT!!! You were bigger and stronger than the craving. That's such a huge accomplishment.

You're going to completely ROCK that sexy skimpy black dress. AND you're going to feel like a healthy strong woman when you do

Thank you Vickie Chikie!

The cravings are so terrible aren't they? It feels like... that all the stress and negative feelings would go away in an instant. Just dip the spoon in the ice cream and for the duration of the binge, there would be such relaxed happiness.

And yeah, I need to be a healthy strong woman I guess so I can dance all evening in that sexy dress without running out of breath or getting sore feet!

I love that, Pigeon!!! GREAT job!!! That story was so much better than any excuses you would have come up with and you are going to look SO HOT in that little black dress! I think that's just wonderful!!!

Yep, the cravings abolutely awful! Like you, I was planning it, picturing it in my mind - and even justifying to myself before I even started.

I really love your concept of the LBD. IMO that's just as healthy a thought as doing for health. Health is my reason as well. That LBD is about feeling good in your body!

Hope your google search is giving you some idea of the dress of your dreams. Are we talking bare shoulders, bare legs or something that hugs the curves? Or all of the above?

Thank you Jacqui! I was on such an adrenaline high last night when I realized I had beaten down the impulse. Next time I want to binge, I will come back to this thread and remember how it felt.

Vickie Chickie, I'm thinking of something curve-hugging and showing off the legs. Perhaps with a bit of vintage feel. Well, I still have a few months to plan!