I am finding the thought of a weekend looming ahead a little daunting. I'm feeling a bit anxious about some things, find myself obsessively thinking about shopping and cooking, which only signals DANGER - You are entering the Binge Zone.

Does anyone else find weekends a problem and do you want to join w/ me in an accountability thread? Post some goals for the weekend and then check in again Monday?

Instead of saying "I won't binge this weekend", which is just too broad a goal and how many times have I violated that solemn vow, I will say:
1. I will not invent reasons to bake treats (just so I can binge on them)
2. I will exercise both days @ 1 hour
3. I will assemble samples to be photo'd for my business and work on the site
4. I will do the mowing and vacuuming, instead of procrastinating
5. If the urge to binge is overwhelming, I will do deep breathing exercises, lie down and listen to relaxing music through the headphones, leave the house (walk the dog, go to the mall, anything but cram food in my face), get on the site
6. I will eat reasonable portions

Now that I've got a plan in front of me, I do feel a little calmer and more focused.

Anyone want to join me?

Inventing reasons to bake stuff used to be one of my favorite pastimes!

I (thank God) have not binged or otherwise lost my abstinence since December 21st. However, I do need to get off my big ol' butt and get some stuff done. So, here's my list:

1. I will not sit on my *** in front of the TV for hours at a time.
2. I will go to the gym on Sunday.
3. I will grade at least two assignments.
4. I will start reading my Guided Reading professional development book.
5. I will spend no more than an hour a day on the Internet.

Jennelle

Careful ladies, no beating ourselves up over our not's, shoulds, and need to's. You heard about the person with the list of shoulds? Lived a pretty shoudie life. Plus I rather think of just for today. So tommorow I will list my just for today list Accountability is cool though

Chris

I'm in, Sami.

- I will go to the gym on Saturday and Sunday because it's part of my schedule
- I will detox today (fruit and veg only) because my trainer told me to, and because my body is crying out for it, having stuffed myself all week
- I will catch up on the laundry while it's sunny out

Today I will

- play with my son
- go to my meeting
- accept the present as it is
- pick up my house

Chris

Well, how did we all do this weekend on our accountability?

I found that the process of thinking about it, and posting it here, fortified my resolve a bit. Oh, I still struggled at times (in stores, at home) over the weekend, but I found ways to distract myself or decided quickly to physically get away from the food that was calling out to me until the urge subsided.

I was also able to more easily quit eating when I began to feel full, when "normally" I keep eating past that point just because of that "last supper" mentality or because I haven't reached my caloric/points limit for the day, because I've paid for it, etc. etc.

I also found it very calming Friday (when I initially posted this) to acknowledge I was feeling anxious and wanting to binge and then think about strategies to deal with it. I binge a lot from anxiety (among other things). When I start to feel anxious, I try to ignore it, evade it, but it becomes an escalating spiral: the more I try to deny it, the bigger it grows until it finally feels so enormous and threatening, like it's out of my control, and I dive headlong into food so I can "space out" into a binge trance and shut down my emotions for awhile.

Just acknowledging it (Yes, I feel anxious and I want to binge) then deciding (No, I don't want to do that because XXX< so how else can I deal with this feeling) helped me realize I WAS in control of the emotion and the impulse.

Did it help you guys to plan and post? Hope you all have a great week.