I've started several threads on here in the past few weeks... They're either very celebratory or a cry for help to get through a binge craving.

I've now made it a month without binging - no partial binges, no mini-binges, no binges period. I've lost weight, about 7 pounds or so in the past month. I am proud of myself for what I've accomplished. I'm so happy that I've missed hardly any workouts (some of them are just planned days off to recover). But that happiness is wearing off, and is quickly becoming replaced with the desire to binge. I've caught myself starting to plan them, too... Starting to find ways to seclude myself so I can binge. I thought it was getting easier, but now I've set a new record for myself since I started binging. I'm not denying myself anything, really... I've let cookies, ice cream (the fat free sugar free kind), and a few other sweets in my diet, all in moderation. I know that struggling to not binge will probably be with me for the rest of my life, but is it always going to be THIS hard? I'm starting to feel weak in my resolve to not binge, but I know it's my motivation that's waning... I've got to keep my commitment anyway!

Well done on getting through a whole month!!!!! The good news is that the urges to binge do get better and you'll develop the skill necessary to manage those cravings. A year ago I decided to getting healthy and committed to a complete lifestyle change. The first thing I focused on was my unhealthy relationship with food and my seemingly uncontrollable binging.

Me and food never had a healthy relationship and I dealt with various eating issues since adolescence. When I committed myself to changing my relationship with food and to stop the binging, it was so freakin' hard...there were times where I felt like a heroine addict going cold turkey, needless to say I understand how difficult it can be. The first month was the worst, but it did get better. Of course since I'm human and therefore not perfect I slipped a few times. But the slips have gotten further and further apart, and not quite so bad. The last time I overate was over the holidays and it was on salad (it was pretty much lettuce and salad dressing, and really it wasn't even that much, lol). So it does get better, you just have to keep strong and have faith in yourself.

Also, when I do get the urges to binge nowadays it tends to be when I hit important landmarks (e.g. onderland, reaching 190, 1-year, ...). At least for me, my binging is closely tied to self-destructive thoughts and they tend to get triggered when I'm succeeding. So maybe for you, reaching the one-month mark is sort of similar?

Anyways, losing weight and changing our relationship with food is definitely a journey with ups and downs. It's not fun when everything seems to be working against you, but just know that it will get better. And if the worst happens and you do slip don't let that be an excuse to completely sabotage your efforts. Bumps are to be expected. Stay strong, stay on plan, and you'll be fine.

Grace - I could not agree more!!!! I am on day 32 myself and am feeling the same struggles as lizzie to not start up again. I keep finding excuses to binge, keep setting myself up to do it... it is sooooo friggin hard right now... what does every day have to be such a battle???

lizzie - you and me are sooooo close in our journeys... lets see if we can both make it to 35 days...then 40 and so on... partners in a way... support for each other...

we can do this... right?

Yes we can! I just had a slip, I'll be honest... I ate like 10 oreos and a slice of pie. All together, I think it's about 1000 cals or a little over. I ate what I really wanted and stopped, no mindless eating through a bag of chips or anything like that. And right now, I feel alright.... A little guilty, but not overwhelmingly guilty. I don't feel like I lost control this time, as I usually have in the past. I'm going to eat 500 fewer cals tomorrow and maybe squeeze in an extra workout. Thanks for the motivation everyone, I feel like I've let you down but this could have been a whole lot worse, and I think I didn't have a total blow out because I felt accountable to you all! I had to go tattle on myself.

Lizzie - That is a victory for sure! You STOPPED YOURSELF! I am very proud of you for that! It is patting ourselves on the backs for the little choices like that that will help us through the big obstacles when they come!!!

I find accountability (to my boys, to you, to my trainer, to my therapist, and most importantly to ME) is what is really working for me!!!

Lets keep it going... ride that rollercoaster back up again!