This week has been a struggle for me. I am craving salt and carbs because of TOM. I am drinking a lot of water and for the most part staying in my calorie allowance. I went over the other day a couple hundred and tonight I went over again.

Tonight it was tortilla chips (lime flavor) and 7 layer bean dip. I started out fine. I counted out the chips and did two tablespoons of the dip. I stopped, but it was on the table and later when my girlfriends starting eating from it again I joined in without thinking and then I couldn't stop. It wasn't an all out binge, I counted what I was taking and logged it on my fitday, but still I felt momentarily out of control and was really craving. I think what has happened this week with TOM and indulging in the cravings is now making me crave more! So I am drinking more water tonight and will be back on plan tomorrow. I went over my calorie allowance today by about 220. I am going to stay in the 1400 range tomorrow to try and make up for it. I just wish TOM would pass!!!! I am forgiving myself and not going to dwell or anything. In the past I would have said, "oh well - time for a free for all" but I refuse to do that anymore.

I can't tell you how many times I started a diet and had a little binge like you did. Unfortunately for me, that would usually mean the end to my diet. I would feel sorry for myself and say I should be able to eat chips and dip like all my friends. If I just had your attitude, I wouldn't have to be on a diet right now. I would be at my goal weight.

I have bad days. I love peanut butter and chocolate together. My grandmother had a piece of chocolate cake with peanut butter on top from the bakery today. She told me to take half. If it were a few months ago, I would have ate all of it. It would have tasted good. It may have been the best cake ever. But nothing tastes as good as dropping this weight feels.

Congratulations for not giving up.
The tendency to think ah well what the heck, whats the point is always in the back of my mind. Its such an achievement to ignore these feelings and get back on track!! Also just go for a walk or eat less calories the next day and you should even out. x

I'm of the thought that if don't allow yourself any of the foods you like, that it sets you up for a huge binge. There are some things that don't tempt me - like sweets - but if I just ate salad and chicken all the time, I'd lose my mind.
Don't beat yourself up. Next time you're in that situation (and there will be a next time) you'll recognize it and stop dipping in the dip!

The problem for me, with *allowing* or letting in a few measured amounts of the foods that I loved, craved, overate and abused the most - is that once I've got a little of it - that's it - it's all over. Once I start, I have a HARD time stopping, so for me - I decided *finally* not to start. Problem solved. And miraculously the longer and longer I went without them, the less and less I wanted them. I needed to dry up, eliminate and kill my *wants* for *those foods*. So, I just didn't keep those foods in the house. As hard as it is to not give into that first bite (and boy does it get easier), still without a doubt, saying no to that FIRST bite is waaaay easier then saying no to the second.Took me decades to figure that out. Sure those foods taste good, but the good stops there. I no longer settle for foods that just taste good. They have to taste good and be good for me. I don't settle for foods that please me just while I'm eating them. The good has to last long after I'm done chewing. I raised my standards and transformed my life. Now I get pleasure not only from the food, but the long lasting affects of walking around in a slim, trim, healthy body.

Yes, it was/is a learning experience.

Every day is a learning experience Chalk it up to experience and move forward with the knowledge you have gained from today

Thanks everyone. I am on track today and plan on doing a little exercise.

Robin, I may eventually have to take that road, but I am afraid to have "off limit" food for fear that I will obsess over them. I have done that before. I honestly believe that if I wasn't pmsing I would have been ok with the first serving I doled out for myself. Mentally I am better off right now because of the little slip - otherwise I might still be thinking about eating.

I've learned the best way to get through TOM binges is to prepare for them in advance. If you're craving something plan to binge. I call it controlled binging This month I craved candy (specifically jelly beans) so I took my little package of jelly beans and put them into my little gumball machine and when I was watching a movie in bed I allowed myself two jelly beans which was enough to get the flavor.. because I knew I wasn't necessarily hungry just wanted the sweet flavor. The funny thing is after two of them the after taste isn't that grand so I was pretty fine with just that

That's the thing Mary. I tried the *moderation* route for years, decades in fact. And man, it just wasn't happening. Ask any alcoholic if it does indeed work.

As far as pmsing - well that happens once a month!! That could really put a stall in your weight loss. That yo - yo affect. Lose 4 lbs, gain 5, lose 3 gain 4. Nuh-uh. I was done being fat. For me - I feared for my life and the life of my children's mom. I couldn't take that chance any more. I was a walking time bomb.

For me, and yes we're all different, once I made them off limits, that was it. It wasn't restrictive as I always feared it would be, but it was FREEING. All of a sudden *those foods* no longer held power over me. They were no longer an option, no longer on my radar screen. I no longer had to think about them. Was it easy? Nope, it took a couple of hard weeks. But it doesn't compare to the hard of being super morbidly obese.

And yes, I gave up (very strict initially, brought them back in under controlled circumstances now that I'm in maintenance) a bunch of *those foods*, but I found much tastier, healthier, BETTER ones. AMAZING how ones tastes and desires change.

The key for me was to MAKE CERTAIN, that I had healthy DELICIOUS options ALWAYS available. Cause' then it was like, "okay, you're not eating this, but at least you get to eat THAT." And THAT is pretty darn fabulous again, once you get into it and allow your tastes to change. That's why it was very important to me to be creative and and find healthy, yet yummy foods... And of course there's the planning. I plan out my meals and snacks when I'm rational and reasonable and have a clear head, not when my emotions take over. I've also discovered that it's okay to say no to oneself. Ha. Who would have thought that control and discipline would feel so darn wonderful??

Yes, we've all got to figure out what works best for us - and what doesn't. What works best for us and what we're WILLING to MAKE work.

Luckily, we get to change it up if we see that something isn't just right for us.