Hi, I am a newbie

I just wanted to share some exciting (to me) news and my thoughts on overcoming binging.

Since the first of August I have not been dieting but rather have chosen to moderate my sweets intake. Candy, cake and cookies seem to be my greatest weaknesses and lead to me eating entire packages at a time. I challenged myself, for one month, to completely eliminate my trigger foods - candy, especially, but no other sweets/treats. I still ate some sweetened items (such as flavored oatmeal with raisins). I also cut out most fast food.

Results: In the first month, with no exercise, I lost 17.8 pounds. I also didn't track calories for the most part (mentally, I just know the counts but I I mostly ate intuitively). I made better choices including salads which I normally dislike!

This past month has been very stressful. I dealt with a couple major rejections. But I didn't turn to food. Instead I ate the best I could, despite not making the best choices, but I did not OVEREAT as I would have in the past. I continue to avoid sweets. I have had a couple here and there, but nothing bad has happened. I have never felt healthier because I have also been going to the gym fairly often (well, seven times this month, from zero times in August).

Results: I lost 5.2 pounds this month. Grand total: 23 pounds lost. (24 if you count from July 30- I was 231.4 on that day, highest weight EVER.) I can run now (for a couple minutes lol). I look forward to the gym as a stress relief but don't pressure myself to make a certain goal...overall I'd like to eventually get my work out to a 3.2 miles overall (a 5K). Today I did 2.56 miles in 41 minutes...not bad for someone who was out of breath after walking 15 minutes not long ago!

I am so proud. My personally/professional life kind of sucks right now, but I still feel I have something in my wheelhouse, to feel really great about. I don't know if my plan will work for others, but for me, it's a starting point. Hopefully by the end of October I will weigh 200 or less (squee!!)

WHOO HOOO! Good job!

Do you find that avoiding the sweets makes it easier for you to not binge?

Thank you ! Avoiding sweets I feel has been the key for me. They are my largest binge trigger..and a meal never felt complete without some kind of "dessert" closer. Now I can go weeks without eating any treats. I feel much fuller. My diet has been far from perfect or ideal, but eating fat has been most satiating. I eat plenty of lean meat as well. If I do have a "sweet" it's applesauce or a fruit cup.

Haha of course today I felt a little down and had a candy bar..just a regular size, 220 calories total.

...guess what, I got the snack urge. And got the urge to binge. I didn't give in but I ate more than I was truly hungry for. Just some cheese (pepperjack, a couple ounces) and light popcorn. I feel full and kind of yucky. Wish I hadn't had that candy bar now! Tomorrow is a new day. Plus I didn't lose control and buy out the nearest fast food joint so there's that too!

Well, you didnt't binge so that's good. Also you saw how eating that candy bar triggered those urges. Now you can use that info the next time you think about eating candy.

Thanks! I haven't ate any candy/sweets since

I admit it's more exciting as I get closer to 200. The first month it was hard to deal with, having little patience for no results. So far nobody else has noticed besides my mom but I've lost 25% of what I want to lose, and 10%: of my overall weight! I think it'll be really noticeable once I get under 200, and that will spur further enthusiasm. Right now I don't focus too much on it or over think, I just do it! (Fingers crossed that I'll be 200 or less by Halloween!!)

MovingOnNow, I am so glad you have found what works for you! I'm a sugar-aholic (carb sensitive) too, so I understand what you're experiencing. Keep doing what you're doing and you'll reach your goal weight AND be able to maintain that weight! Good luck!

I always thought that the first step in a diet should be elimination of things that are sugary, fatty or snacks and also the reduction of super big portions. People can really eat anything they want, but not too much of it. My thought has been that binging and super sizing are the real problems, also fat and HFCS or sugar.

Thanks ladies

I never thought cutting out sugary treats would be as easy as it is..or as effective. Since the candy bar I haven't had any and am consistently eating moderate portion sizes, only what I'm hungry for rather than an endless chain of snacks! For instance I had a minimal breakfast (just a handful of nuts/dried fruit mix) as I wasn't hungry. Then, a good size lunch at Erbs and Gerbs (8 inch sub with side of baked chips). That filled me up and I won't eat supper since I'm still not hungry.

Obviously, I am not strictly low carb or sugar free...that may be something I'll explore if I struggle down the road. For now simply not eating dessert (cookies, candy, cake) is working like a CHARM. I don't crave extra food, snacks, etc. I only want just enough to fulfill my hunger without over stuffing. The weight is coming off like crazy, despite some very high stress last month (usually that leads straight to BINGE CITY)! I try not to weigh myself too much but I have hit my lowest weight of the year, 207.0 last weekend. I look forward to working out and focus on that when stressed. Long story short.. less sugar is MUCH, MUCH better.

Eta: and yesterday..I did a 5k (on the treadmill lol)! Walking (3.8mph) pace so it took me 48:15 but I can't believe I did it, I'm so proud and it felt really good

Good for you, MovingOn. My only sweet craving is chocolate and I make it a point not to have it in the house. My kids are grown and DH doesn't like chocolate, so there's no reason for it to be here. Occasionally I will buy a candybar at the check out, where they always have them displayed and this is only every couple months or so, not on a regular basis. It cures my craving and when it's gone, it's gone. No bag of candy to keep reaching into. For Halloween, I will be getting chips or PB crackers to pass out, so there's no leftover chocolate to tempt me.

LOL I love Halloween so much, it's one of my favorite holidays, so no candy = big bummer. But I'll do my best to be okay with it. My child is also a pro trick or treater and very generous with her goods so...there's no avoiding it. I think I will limit myself to a couple of pieces. I think it will be easier if I make my goal for the month.

This morning I was shocked to see I am down another 2.2 pounds to 204.8. 26.6 total from my highest on July 30. I feel pretty unstoppable but I wonder how I would cope if I didn't have the loss incentive? I think I regained easily in the past because I'd get so close to goal, weight loss crawled along, and I'd just get bored of dieting and "take a break". What happens for a non dieter in that situation? I know I can cope without food, but sgain, there's incentive in seeing the smaller number on the scale...

Four more days until Halloween- I am 200.2 so only .2 left to make my goal for the month. Still not a single binge

That's great that you've gone so long without binging! I keep trying and failing. I might go a few days but then I'm right back at it. It's so hard to control. How do you do it??

Sorry Zumbalover, I haven't been on here in awhile! Also I wanted to update with my status, which is: back in binge land.

I managed three straight months with no binges. I did this by eliminating sugary sweets and many types of junk food in the first month. In September, things got VERY stressful and I had some moments where I allowed more junk food, including sweets, on occasion. I overate more than I was hungry for but was able to maintain a pretty good balance (combined with exercise).

October was pretty much the same. I lost 30 pounds in three months, but then Halloween hit and I am pretty frustrated with myself. I just kept allowing more and more, and then it blew up in my face and I was back to bingeing to alleviate stress. BOOM. So for three weeks I have been eating very poorly, sometimes binge eating, sometimes just overeating, sometimes trying to maintain a proper diet. But I haven't been able to loosen the grip of sweets, and therein lies the problem. I have to give them up again, wish I hadn't allowed them back in the first place. It's a downward spiral and I'm back at the bottom.

I haven't weighed myself (last weekend I was 200.4, which wasn't bad, but this week is where I really went all out on binge eating, so I think it's much more than that now ) UGH. (Two) WORDS to the WISE: Slippery slope. Now I'm not sure what to do with T-giving, pumpkin pie and all that! I know I can't just say to heck with it until after the holidays or all that weight will be right back on... Anyway that's the sad update. I'm a work in progress.