I've been working on getting back into shape for the past nine months. During that time I have gotten a couple aha moments. Most recently I decided to take charge of my diet (cue the dramatic music) and even signed up on Fit Day. Two days later I wound up eating a lot of garbage food. Not enough for a all out binge, but when is three bowls of Cheerios right?

Could merely counting calories be a binge trigger? If so, how big of a freak does that make me??

how big of a freak does that make me??
No more than the rest of us

We all have triggers. I bet for many of us making any kind of change in diet/exercise etc can be a trigger. Good for you for it not being an all out binge! Keep up the good work on getting fit and on figuring out how to make it all work for you.

I was able to calorie count a few summers ago, and it was fine. Then last summer I got back to calorie counting, and once the school year started (and real life started), I found that it totally was a trigger. I felt like I couldn't leave my house and calorie count, it was really debilitating. So now I just focus on not binging, and I only eat treat food when I'm with other people--when I know I won't binge on them. More intuitive eating, and clean eating.

I never expected that losing weight would involve so much learning about myself. The fact is eating clean is easier for me than counting calories.

I also learned that splurging on a box of Clif minis totally kills my desire for Jelly Bellys.

Counting calories is absolutely a trigger---after awhile, even THINKING about counting calories can be a trigger!

If I'd never started my first "diet" attempt 30+ years ago, I don't believe I'd be this size today.

I was just discussing this the other day with my boyfriend. Back when he met me, I weighed 220ish lbs. When I finally made the commitment to get healthy (2 of my clients at work asked me if I was pregnant in the same week and I was NOT) I did it by simply making better choices, eating when I was truly hungry and started to view food as fuel for my body and not a pasttime. I added exercise and got all the way to 135 lbs. Then to lose the last 5 (My goal was 130) I started getting more strict and calorie counting. Needless to say, I now weigh 153.

I am in no way blaming calorie counting, and it is in fact and excellent tool for a lot of people that use it, heck, they swear by it and that is awesome. But I wonder if in my instance, it IS a trigger. Because I can stay focused Monday through Friday, but I started binging every single weekend and I got to where I couldn't control it. And when I went over on my calories just a little (say 100 or 200 cals) I'd feel like a failure and let myself fall completely off the wagon. Mentally I know that all I have to do is go for a 30 minute walk and undue most of the damage, but subconsciously I just told myself I blew it, so I might as well blow the rest of the day.

Sorry for the long post, but I totally connect with this, and feel your pain.

All weight loss food plans work, even counting calories. It's emotions, thoughts from the past, tv commercials, avoidance of getting a project done, stress, being lonely, bored, etc. that cause triggers. Take some time to think what actually happened the day that made you want to overeat. Maybe it was the fact that you were learning something new, and it seemed like a lot of work.

I had to learn from trial & error and research. I wish you the best!

Tyla

Calorie counting doesn't work for me. I was taught how to do it when I was in the third grade when my mom took me to a dietician. That was 18 years ago, and within the last three weeks I've made the realization that keeping a food journal actually stresses me out and makes me feel like a failure when I go over. After I figured that out, I stopped recording everything. I've still lost about 7 lbs since stopping, but I feel so much better about what I'm doing. I still know what are good foods and which are bad. I still think about portions, but most importantly I've been listening to my body. I eat when I'm actually hungry, and I'm mindful of what is making me want to eat (hunger or habit). I make choices that I can live with and to me that means I'm going to be happier and it will be a lifestyle change that will stick. I know I've failed so many times before because I felt deprived and couldn't stick to something strict. I wouldn't be able to handle even a little slip. I'm not counting calories now, but I'm eating better than I did when I was recording everything. I don't feel like the diet has control over me. I have control and just make good choices.

This is the reason I never count calories. I don't like the feeling that I'm being restricted. You can eat anything you want as long as it's in moderation (what my mom always tells me). I also tend to keep the junk food out of my house and only keep the good food in.

Dhani