Boy, I hear ya'! I run a LOT and I lift heavy weights on a regular basis, which is REALLY HARD WORK, and I can make all my progress go away in a matter of just a few weeks if I start binging out of control. Even if I'm still working out a lot throughout a binging period, it all just gets canceled out by the eating. That makes me REALLY MAD at myself, all that killing myself and absolutely nothing to show for it...

Here's something I read at a bodybuilding forum:

"You can't out-train a bad diet."

Man, is that ever true, too! I'm a prime example of it, (unfortunately)...

absolutley moxiegrl!! its so frusterating and uncontrollable. im sorta new here too so no worries...today im starting again. i just kept saying to myself "my last binge, my last binge" i know ill have bad foods somewhere down the line but im really going to work hard to keep control and not let food control me.

Yay, I'm glad you came back, Emma! Let's stick around here & see if we can figure our junk out!

Well, day 3 and I'm still back on track, woo-hoo! My diet is under control & I already did my a.m. neighborhood run, (and tonight will be strength training.)

Today's foodz:

B-Fast - Low carb protein meal replacement shake

Lunch - Tuna salad on LC tortilla

Dinner - Chicken on the BBQ & salad

I'm going to see if I can start a diet blog today, so I can start posting there instead of here.

Here's some for everyone!!!!

I started taking medication and I think is why I gain half that weight I have left over.I don't run no more because,I have feet issues but,I walk..at the mall n thift store shopping..I mean walking 5 hrs is a killer..if you want to reach for food I suggest start reading a good book..so far that is the trick for me not to snack or put up a pre post pic of yourself in the fridge or some hot model and...that will get you to stop eating without thinking.

Ha ha, all great ideas, thank you!!! I like the "hot model on the fridge" idea, personally. Boy, that would sure make you want to step away from the food, wouldn't it? You decide to go on a big binge and you run to the fridge & Giselle Bundchen in staring at you from above the door handle. AAAAAGH!!!! So you turn and run to the cupboards instead, and Karolina Kurkova is hanging out in a bikini, giving you a withering glare & looking superior. EEEEK! Nevermind, I think I'll just wait until dinnertime & have a salad!

good! i think this is day 3 for me too oddly enough, how many calories are you eating? compared to me that doesnt sound like a lot of food...i wonder if im eating too much? but my calories are rather low...?

Hey Emma!

Knowing me, I'm probably not eating enough food throughout the day, (it seems like no matter how hard I try, I still haven't quite been able to make it to "normal eating" yet, and I'm always either overdoing it or underdoing it.) It was pointed out to me by a friend last week that I seemed to be restricting my regular food intake in order to try & make up for all the carbs I have to eat before my long runs right now. (They were right, too- I was doing that, without even realizing it!) The thing is, it's not my regular food (lean proteins & veggies), which are going to cause weight gain- being hypothyroid, it's the carbs which will make me fat faster than anything, (like pulling a ring on a rubber raft, no lie!) What she suggested I do is keep eating my regular meals, but try to cut out any unnecessary extra carbs from my pre-run meals, so that's what I'm working on right now. Another thing I'm trying to do is cut out snacks, (even planned ones), because for me, snacking leads to binging, at least lately it has been. I've been really hungry because of all the extra half marathon training I've been doing, & once I start eating snacky-type food I can't seem to stop.

SO, my plan: Little bit larger regular meals, no snacking, cut out extra carbs I don't actually need from my pre-run meals.

Good job on Day 3, Emma! Let's keep going!

I'm getting ready to go for a VERY hilly 8-mile run on a nice, woodsy trail now. It'll be hard work, (I'm not great at big hills yet), but it'll be nice, (I love woodsy trails!)

wow good for you! running is my enemy! i carry my weight in my lower body and i have short legs and im short myself so i hate it. i tried jogging and i thought i was going to die. anyways, that sounds like a good plan for you i hope it works. im having a hard time reaching the calories i should-even though that sounds ridiculous, but i feel like im eating too much. i havent weighed in yet so i dont know if any of this is working. well see!

Today for breakfast i had my usual milk and corn flakes....but i had some mashed potatoes and corn!! i came home last night and were craving them! but i just told myself to go to bed...dont eat at 12 am!! and i didnt and i was proud of myself. but this morning i had about 1/3cup of mashed potatoes and corn owell my plan for the rest of the day is just to eat light, hopefully i wont have sabotaged the day yet.

1/3 cup of mashed potatoes & corn? That's NOTHING! You're doing fine, just keep charging ahead! (Maybe just go for a walk & burn it off, or something, if you're worried about going over your calories for the day.) Are you following a specific diet plan?

Got my run finished, & it was totally awesome! I carry a hydration belt which I normally fill with Gatorade, (4 six 0z. bottles), but today & filled them with half Gatorade & half water. I also didn't use the PowerGel I brought along, so I did great at cutting back my running carbs today! I'm stoked.

BTW- I had to learn to run over a long period of time, I stank at it at first. (Oh, & I'm also one of the "Pear People"- Long torso, short legs, and I carry all my extra weight in my lower body. Ugh. Makes the booty & thighs especially hard to trim down & tone up.)

haha i hear ya about the pear shape! How did you build up running? Im not good at it but if itll help slim me down faster im up for it. did you follow a specific routine or program? id love to know what you did.

And im counting calories and eating mostly fruits and veggies, then protein, then carbs. I got it from the biggest loser its called 4-3-2-1 4 servings fruit and veggies, 3 protein, 2 carbs and one 200 calorie snack of your choice. I dont know if this is good or not. And i try to be between 1200-1400 a day. I seem to be eating a lot even though i watch my portions. I have no idea if its working. What program were you on and would you reccomend it? Im pretty lost on what i should be doing and im still struggling a lot.

thanks in advance..happy 4th of july!!!

Happy 4th to you, too!

The way I learned to run was from my sister, who had hired an instructor to teach her. I started out going sooooooo slowly, like basically walking. I also learned to "glide" rather than bounce up & down, (like picture yourself on cross country skis with invisible poles in your hands, and sort of glide along.) The hard part was going so slowly at first, way slower than you even think you should be going, but it helps you to be able to go longer distances without getting tired out. Once I started trying to go a little bit faster, I did the walk/run thing- I'd walk along the sidewalk & every time I came to a cross street I'd run until I came to the next cross street, then I'd walk again for the next one, etc. Eventually I started stretching it to walking one & running two, three, etc, until I could just do a really slow run with no walking. From there it was on to running all the flats & downhills and walking up hills, and now I can run the hills too. These days I'm working on building my distance & getting my regular pace up to a faster speed. I'm also still not good at super-steep hills yet, but I'm working on them!

I have to say though, I do think power-walking can be really good for exercise & weight loss, as long as you do it honestly & keep your heart rate up to a pace where you're huffing & puffing & sweating the entire time.

My diet is 90% low fat, low calorie, low carb, (I know, fun, huh?)

It's because of not having a working thyroid- sugar, starch & fat causes the pounds to fly onto my body at a scary rate of speed & then stick like cement... That's the problem I'm having right now with having to eat carbs for running fuel- as much as I run, they're still causing me to gain weight!

Mostly I eat lean proteins & non-starchy veggies, and I also eat some good fats like avocados, a little olive oil, and I take fish oil caps every day too.

My normal diet (aside from the running fuel food) consists of:

Chicken (whole, on the bone)
Chicken breasts
Salmon
Salmon burgers
Tuna
Low carb protein powder
Turkey

Lettuce
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Radishes
Kale
Spinach
Green Beans
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Red & green peppers
Carrots (a little)
Onions (a little)

Herbal tea, water, regular & decaf coffee, stevia sweetener

One night I have a salad with a salmon burger on top, another night I'll have grilled chicken & green beans, another night I'll have broiled salmon & brussels sprouts, etc.

On the weekends we might BBQ some shrimp, chicken sausages, pork chops or steaks, but we usually still have a low carb veggie side dish, (like a salad or coleslaw.)

I have a few drinks on Friday & Saturday nights only, and they're either:

red or white wine,
low carb beer
cocktails made with diet soda

Yep, that's about as exciting as it gets!

OK, I think this post is long enough now, have a nice holiday!

Hi Moxiegrl and Emma101,

enjoyed reading you girls encouraging one another. It's been a heluva journey from ED to where I am today, and I still have to be so aware of AB's sneaky tricks and subtle invitations which are just in the corner of my mind just about every day. I really could hear myself in both of your posts. Especially the feeling like I'm eating too much. But it is such a deceiving thing that, because it's the not eating enough that puts on the wieght just as much, and stuffs up the old metabolism eh? My problem has been my body struggling to process the insulin from the carbs, but it has got a lot better now that I am more conscious of the Glycaemic Index of foods.
I just have to stick to it. Now that I feel good about who I am as a person it is harder to motivate myself to stick to my plans. I used to be so down on myself that I kicked my a** into doing the work. Now that I like me I have to find a different way of motivating myself - something like I deserve to be the best I am!, or something like that. Still working on that.

Thanks for your thoughts and ideas. I'll borrow some of them. Have a good week!

Finni

well my hats off to both of your successes despite the challengees of previous ed and other things! Finni, what was your eating plan? I just cant seem to get this right. If i eat a low amt of calories i seem to be eating too much. i dont know what to do...but here is what one of my daily meal plans was (btw im 5'3'' 170, active, and overweight! )

B: oatmeal, milk, almonds
S: smoothie made from walnuts, blueberries, milk, plain yogurt
Lurkey on whole wheat, a peach
D: Salad with squash and guacamole, and a whey drink

i dont know if i am really eating too much or its just in my head I dont know!!! im so lost and want to lose this weight so bad. I go back and forth-eat right, binge, eat what ever i want, go back to eating right, and again and again. Even know i started this week great im off the wagon again. But i havent binged. Ive found that if i can just eat what i want i dont binge. But both of those are bad and i want to lose weight. i dont know why i keep failing so quickly. I cant even do it for a week! whats wrong with me?

I hope you both continue on your successes though

i've been a closet eater in denial for a long time.untill last year.i would always say to everyone i don't understand why i'm gaining so much weight when inside i knew.it was because on the way home from the grocery store i was eatting 2 candy bars and throwing the wrappers out the window before i got home so no one would see me or when kids are at school and boyfriend was at work i would go and get honey buns, those tiny donuts you get at the store, go to mcdonalds and dunkin donuts or any where and eat and eat and this way again there was no trail of me eatting any food.i finally told my mom and boyfriend last year whay i had been doing after i had lost 35lbs.i still have a hard time since i put the weight back on plus an extra 7lbs. and i get mad and what do i do just eat more instead of trying to lose weight and be healthy.i just started dieting and exercising a few days ago and hope i'm on my way to something better and hope this site helps you.good luck!!!

Hey Emma,

It sure doesn't look like you're eating very much to me, (especially if you're just having one bowl of oatmeal in the morning.) What you're eating would make me feel HUNGRY all the time, because of the carbs & fruit sugar & lack of protein, (like in your salad. I know you have a protein drink, but I think a chicken breast would fill you up a lot more.) The lean proteins make me feel satisfied, especially along with loads of raw veggies. I wonder if you keep going back to binge eating because the carbs & sugar are keeping you feeling hungry & craving more carbs & sugar, ya' know?

Finni,

I'm not sure if I mentioned this already, but being hypothyroid has caused me to become super insulin-resistant also. Eating low glycemic foods can work really well in helping you to lose weight- that's why I mostly eat low carb- no insulin spikes that way!

Ha, how true- you work so hard to accept & love yourself for the person whom you are right now, but it can sometimes backfire and make you relax a little too much, and you can become complacent about your physical appearance.

Absolutely! Of course you should love & accept yourself as you are right now, but that needs to be IN CONJUNCTION WITH working towards being healthy, not IN PLACE of it! Loving and accepting yourself as you are today and not waiting until you reach a weight goal is a good thing, but the reason we're taught to do that is so we can undertake our journey to fitness & weight loss from a place of love, and not from a place of self-loathing and hatred. I hated myself a lot for a long time, and it never helped me get where I need to be. (I'd always get on a negative self-rant about how ugly & fat I was, which would end up in a binge every single time.) Now that I think I'm a pretty neat person and I don't berate & insult myself constantly because of my jeans size, I can move forward towards my goals while feeling really happy & positive, instead of feeling negative and constantly miserable.

wanttobethinandtrim,

Your story sounds very familiar! I finally had to tell my husband about my binging, but it felt really great to get it off my chest! It also helped me to stop almost completely. I only fall into the trap once in a great while now, and I find that if I tell someone about it right away every time, I can usually stop it in it's tracks. I hadn't had one in a looooong time before I joined here, but I'm having problems with needing to eat more carbs for my running right now- having them is causing massive cravings for me & I'm wanting to eat them all the time instead of just using them as fuel right before my runs. Being here has already helped me immensely, though! I haven't binged again at all since I joined, and I'm working HARD to leave those carbs alone if I'm not going to run 13 miles that day!

Thanks for stopping in & visiting, everybody! I really appreciate having people to "chat" with!