This feels like a really dumb question. But, being a binge eater, i don't know how to handle the urge to eat, other than by overeating. I am trying to stay on a plan of 2000 calories a day. Today i am really wanting to go over...it's early afternoon and i'm already at 1660 Do you have days where you say "ok, i'm going to depart from my plan temporarily and eat an extra 500 calories"? Or do i do everything i can to stick with it, even if it means going to bed at 7:00 p.m. just so i won't eat more? My gut reaction is to throw in the towel and binge and eat 3000 calories, but i know that is not the right answer.

Drink cold water.

After the first two weeks, my body has adjusted to the low calorie meals. I find myself making much smarter choices in what I eat so that I can eat more.

I'm on 1400 calories a day and at first I was starving... now lots of cold ice water and unsweet tea and I've adjusted.

Are you eating snacks or small meals or 3 regular meals?

I'm with ya. I used to constantly think of food and binged on too many things. I still have a hard time stopping. Yesterday, I finished my proscribed lunch (a combo of my mid-morning meal and my mid-afternoon meal). Great. However, my younger son had the same lunch as me but only ate half of his (so I finished it off!). Man. I ended up eating two healthy nice 300 cal meals for dinner. I worked out yesterday so basically I got a 0 loss for the day (at least not a gain).

I know I'm only successful when I'm "spot on" with my plans. I eat about 350 calories per meal (four times a day). I was really successful in 2009 getting rid of my weight over about eight months. I fiddled around for a while, found "Volumetrics" book, and buckled down. Once I committed and complied 95% to 100% each week, I found success. Basically, anything less was my road to failure.

I was sidelined in Sept 2009 from getting to my final goal (mid-BMI) because of a very serious pinched nerve and other limiting physical factors. I didn't get back on full track until Fall 2010. However, I "fiddled" around for several months until I really got serious and made 100% compliance the only option.

I don't know if that helps. I guess, I'm a binger and can't help it. However, I've only gone off plan (yesterday in 3 or 4 weeks) and it was still not a "gain day". I have allowed myself to have once a week where I loosen but really that's not best for me.

When I get to maintenance, I'll likely need to have a general calorie count and plans again to stay on track. I feel more in control but as yesterday shows, I will always have a problem and need to find ways to stay in control. It's like my horrible habit of misplacing and forgetting everything. I've come up with tons of techniques to keep on top of this really bad "habit" or whatever it is. If I ever put my keys in any place other than it's designated spot, I will never see them again. Therefore, I have to have 100% compliance on where I place those keys.

Not sure if it's helpful but it's my own wacky way.

I've been dealing with that majorly lately too. It's **** to not just throw in the towel. I'm trying to drink more water and tea(just plain green tea) when I'm wanting food. lol it's tempting though to chain up the fridge and tell my room mate to not give me the key even if I go nuts hobbies that keep your hands busy would probably help too

Oh yes, WATER. I use that a lot. Yesterday's binge was also associated with my lack of water consumption. I have to drink to bursting before I will eat something I truly love.

I try to structure my meals so that they are more filling, like adding way more vegetables.

when I don't plan well and I'm still hungry, I'll eat hot broth or a protein shake. Sometimes even hot tea does the trick.

Maybe you can also be a little more lenient on yourself as you are getting used to eating less food. I have a hard time when I drop my calories fast. My body goes 'no way!' and I end up binging.

Three ways:

1.) Drink water.

2.) Do something that involves using my hands and not moving, like painting my nails

3.) I eat something with TONS of bulk and few calories. Have you ever tried eating the skin of a mango with the mango? Cucumber? Celery?

Thanks all. Those are all good tips but i think i also need to be more strict about allocating my calories so that i don't wind up with only 300 calories left when the day is only half over. Your posts made me realize that. And drinking more water, keeping myself busy, etc. will prevent me from overeating in the morning, so that i have more calories leftover for dinner. So far i've just been eating whenever i feel like it ...a snack here, a snack there...without a specific plan other than to stay within 2000 calories. I think i need to structure it a bit more.

I think tomorrow i'll have 600 calories for breakfast (my biggest meal), 300 for midmorning snack (not to start before 10:00), 400 for lunch (not to start before 12:30), 200 for afternoon snack (3:00), and 500 for dinner.

Water definitely helps- remember sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger. When I'm hungry I drink a glass of water than wait 15 minutes- if I'm still actually hungry I'll eat a snack, if I think it's just mental hunger I'll ignore it or drink more water.

I actually also plan by time because I will either not eat or eat too soon, leaving me hungry later.

I do breakfast before I leave - 8:00am
Snack - 11:00am
Lunch - 1:00pm
Snack - 3:45/4:00pm
Dinner - 6:30pm
Snack - 9:00/10:00pm

Like a lot of the other posters on this thread, when I first tried calorie counting, I set my target way too low, 1200-1300/day. I was miserable - and yep, my efforts frequently ended in a weekend binge. I raised my intake a bit and am still losing without the binging or going off plan.

There are a lot of good suggestions on here for food/water options. What I have done, when the urge strikes, is to look at some old (skinny!) photos of me vs. my photos now (ugh). And then I try to approach it like I am in AA - if I can get through these five minutes without eating something, I'll be good. I've found that thinking about it too far into the future gets me hopeless. I also sometimes recite a little mantra that goes I am in control, not the food! Sometimes I also just get up and go for a walk - it clears my head and keeps me from staring at the fridge!

I come on to 3FC ... I read through posts, I ask questions and gain inspiration and motivation!

It really does help me.

Haha yeah--i've been all over this forum today!!

I am a chronic snacker...one thing I do is cut things into smaller portions. If I am having strawberries and yogurt as a snack, I will slice my strawberries into thin slices, and use the yogurt as dip. I find it helps make my mind think I am eating more, when really, it was only 80 calories.

If I want the snack, I take the calories away from what is alloted for later including moving my evening snack to an afternoon snack. Or as has happened before, it does turn into an all out binge and the calorie amounts going flying out the window.

But most times I can practice self control and adjust my calories to have the snack.