I am not new to these boards, but I do come and go. Well, this time I plan on staying for a while. I restarted WW on 1/8/08 and have been doing well, but I need the support of a great community. So, here I am!
I am a mother of 5 kiddos and have been married for 14 years. I have a great career............but I have a weight problem that rules my life. So, I am off to beat it. I have made some pretty hefty goals (as you can see from my tickers) but I plan on breaking them down into smaller ones so I won't get discouraged. My first mini-goal will be a 20lb loss by 2/14/08. At the rate that I have been going thus far, I think it is achievable. Right?
I have noticed that my biggest hurdle as of yet has been my urges for instant food satisfaction. It is sure hard to beat those urges. I was at work yesterday when I wanted something to eat.....like immediately!! I didn't know what to do! I paced and paced and even felt a little bit angry, but I managed to get to the vending machine and get some raw vegetables to eat. I ate them and I wasn't satisifed.....not really, but my crazy bingeing urge was over. Thank goodness. It almost beat me but I won. Any suggestions on how to overcome them?

For me I find that eating more helps...no, really I eat lots more higher fiber stuff (barley, brown rice, lentils), so I feel bingey less often. And then if I really want something instantly (in a bingey kind of way) I eat like 6 walnut halves or an orange or about 20 grapes (or a combination of these 3 things). Snacking on something sweet like the fruit or something containing good oil like the walnuts seems to be able to settle me down. Oh! And a big thing for me was cutting out all sugar. That made a HUGE difference in my cravings. Anyways I feel your pain, but it will only get better!

Hi and welcome.

I think you need to bring some healthy snacks with you to work. This way you can stay far away from the vending machine. Fat free yogurt, little containers of fresh veggies, like grape tomatoes, baby carrots, sliced cucmbers. Raw string beans. An apple, clemintines. I also take small containers of salad and bring those to work and eat them throughout the day.

The cravings for the "bad" stuff will greatly diminish after a couple of weeks of doing without them. So hang tough in the meantime. It WILL get easier. Make sure you have good healthy stuff on hand, no junk.

Mini goals are a great way to go. I just worry about you setting your goals a tad too high and there being trouble (disappointment) if you don't meet them. Try and set goals that you KNOW are doable. Such as eating healthy foods day in and day out. Exercising several times a week. If you do these things, well then, the weight WILL come off. Consistiency is the key to making those things happen faster. But we never know what our bodies will do even if we're 100% on plan.

I look forward to hearing lots more from you as you embark on this incredibly satisfying journey. Good luck to you.

Welcome, Chamie. I find it incredible that you have a vending machine that sells raw veggies! Congratulate yourself for making the right selection. I echo rockinrobin's suggestion about healthy snacks -- it's easier for me to stay on plan at work, generally, but I need to keep some "allowed" snacks in my office so that the other temptations don't become too much. For me, if I get the stark raving munchies, a few celery stalks will keep my jaw busy and the fiber and water content seem to help fill me up, too. Sometimes I need to put a bit of peanut butter on it, but I do have to watch portion control with that.

Sometimes I also find that having a cup of hot tea does the trick. It's somehow different than drinking coffee - which is always "there" at the office. If I want a cup of tea I need to stop and make it, wait for it to cool, and then I seem more focused on enjoying it.

I find that as time goes on, my urges to binge are less frequent, and I hope you'll find the same goes for you too. You've already beat the hardest part - simply getting started. Good luck and let us know how you're doing!

Chamie! I'm so glad you decided to come back to 3FC. This is a great community for support.

Regarding the binges, it sounds like you handled yesterday's binge yearnings well. I've found that my urges to binge lessen when I'm getting enough rest each night, working out every day and not letting myself get hungry. The working out encourages me to stay on-plan so I don't waste my efforts. Getting enough rest helps me to not head for the kitchen looking for a quick energy rush from sugar/starch. And, eating 3 meals a day and 3 snacks ensures that I usually have on-plan food to look forward to. Hope these suggestions help. Please post often so we can get to know you.