I know I have vented more than a dozen times but I am honestly tired of trying to be perfect. I was almost to goal 2 weeks ago and now I'm back in the 160's. Half of what I gained is probably water weight but I'm still really discouraged.

Today started out good but by this afternoon I decided to binge because I was stressed. I have actually binged more than a dozen times these past few months and I'm so ashamed of myself. I find it's becoming increasingly difficult to recover after each binge. I can't seem to stay on track and I'm not even sure if Weight Watchers is right for me at this point in my journey.

I started out on Momentum and lost most of my weight on that particular plan. Maybe it's time to switch back again and see what happens. Any advice?

You can hardly blame PointsPlus for you not losing. You aren't doing it. Binging because you are stressed is not a good thing and only you can stop it. When you aren't stressed, you need to come up with non food ways to deal with it. Until you do, you won't be successful on any plan.

I just wanted to send you some cyber s I know how it is to lose control with food and to binge with no end in sight. For me, it does help to have a plan. Here are some things I (try) do to avoid a binge: drink enough water, eat on time, get enough sleep, work out, come to 3fc, visualize being at goal. Once I feel a binge coming on, here is what I (try) to do: chew gum, do some squats/crunches/pushups, etc., eat something with protein (like a hard boiled egg), eat some salad with zero calorie Walden Farms dressing, eat some popsicles that are only 15 calories each.....I may even have as many as 10 of them, but that's still better than the alternative.

Regarding WW...I don't do it (so I hope it's ok that I'm posting here). I like calorie counting and I use an app on my phone called Lose It. It's free. There is nothing wrong with switching to a new plan if you feel it will help you feel more motivated. That doesn't make your current plan any worse, but I find that I'm frequently changing plans for one reason or another.

Thankyou for your kindness I will definately give some of your suggestions a try. Maybe I should try calorie counting for a while, I've never done it.

Don't apologize for venting! That's what 3FC is for. That and support, so the fact that you ARE coming here to vent is the right first step.

First, don't feel ashamed with binging. I've done it, and I'm sure others here have as well. I have a history with emotional eating and it's very, very important to figure out WHY you're binging. You say stress, but is a particular kind of stress? Something in your life that triggers it? Obviously you don't need to go into detail here, but

Second, as for recommendations, drinking water and chewing gum always helps me. I keep granola bars in my bag, too. I get up and walk around: I sit at my desk for hours on end, and sometimes I know I feel the need out of boredom more than anything else, so getting up and walking always helps. And, of course, I come to 3FC

Could it be that you're scared of reaching goal? The first time I did WW (back in '03), I had trouble wrapping my head around the mental part. I was convinced that losing all of this weight would suddenly make my life perfect. Better. Would solve all my self-esteem issues. But, of course, that's not how it works. I'll still be the same on the inside, self-esteem issues and all. That stuff has to get worked out before goal, because reaching goal won't fix that problem inside of me. So I let my self-esteem issues get to me and began to self-sabotage and gained all the weight back, plus some. Hence why I'm here again. But this time I am in a MUCH healthier place (emotionally, mentally, and now more recently, physically) and I'm not worried about those issues creeping back up. I love me for me, no matter what the number on the scale says.

You have lost an INCREDIBLE amount of weight and should be very, very proud of yourself, regardless of whether or not you reach goal. But sometimes I think it's hard for us to shed the Fat Girl we used to be and all the baggage that came with it. But we're all here for you

No apologizing for venting. It's what we're here for.

I'm of the mind that sometimes we need to switch things up. As long as we're using a healthy plan (and Momentum is healthy), then there's no problem.

Try things. Take notes. Make changes. And keep at it. You'll find what YOU need over time.

Girl, losing all the weight you have lost is not easy to do. You are doing absolutely wonderful and you look fabulous for your hard work. You do not have to be perfect for anyone, even skinny super models arent perfect! Instead embrace all the goodness you have done. At the very least, you are healthier and able to probably do much more than you could before, ie - running after kids etc. You are starting to live your life now. I have been a "skinny" person trapped in a big girls body for so long that i am trying to break free from it. While i have been accepting of comments people have passed my way - "oh, youve lost so much weight, you look great!" etc, i try to say ok... i must really be showing that ive lost weight now. But when i look in the mirror, i see the same big girl ive always seen, and i feel like nothings changed. This week ive been staring at my hands (i know it sounds insane), but i can see the tendons moving in the back of my hands, something i have NEVER seen. Ever. I realize that when i have lost all the weight i wanna lose, i may have to actually speak to someone to try to help me cope with how ive always felt about myself, it is hard to view yourself differently than how everyone else views you...sometimes its sheer torment.

Have you thought that maybe that is something that you could need to help with the binge feelings, to talk to someone? Lots of people suffer with binge eating, and its difficult to cope with if you dont know the root causes of why you feel the way you do.

Many hugs to you Kim, i think you have done so amazing on your journey. Think of all the changes your body has had to go through to make you a thin individual It may just be that it needs some time to catch up. You truly have been an inspiration to me and to many on these forums. I figure if you can look so freakin good, then i just have to stick with it like you have and i can look freakin good too!!! You CAN do this.

I used to always say that for every diet, there is an equal and opposite binge. It's something to accept that food is our drug of choice, and it takes alot of effort sometimes to not cave. But when you do, you leave it behind and go forward. You've shown how disciplined you are with all you have lost.

Write down all the successes you have had and also all the things you are grateful for that have been changed since you lost all this weight. Keep the list nearby for the days you feel so stressed. It helps alot.

Thanks so much everyone for all of your wonderful replies, I'm feeling a lot better and am in a better place today than I was yesterday. I think I needed a good binge to get my mind back on track, the only drawback was feeling miserable and nauseated ALL day. My husband, kiddos, and I went to 5 Guys Burgers & Fries last night and if that wasn't enough we made a stop at the local ice cream shop. When we arrived at 5 Guys I was already sick to my stomach from the binge I had an hour before but continued to eat. At the end of the night all I wanted to do was lay in bed because I felt terrible. I then remembered that this was my life everyday over a year ago and I swore I'd never go back. Yesterday reminded me that I don't want to ever feel like that again and I need to get back on track.

I think I know what triggered the binge and I don't want to blame my kiddos but my daughter and I got into an argument. She wouldn't stop texting/calling me wanting to argue about the reason I said no about a boy coming over while I was not home. I got frustrated and immediately thought about food, potato chips in particular but I didn't buy any. Instead I ate almost 2 bags of popcorn, a tub of fat free hummus, half bag of carrots, Smartone Meal, and a few other items I can't remember. My life is so stressful, between work, school, 3 kiddos, a house, bills, etc. I feel like giving up sometimes! I know many of you have the same issues and I don't want to whine because I have truly been blessed in life. I need a mental break for a few days!

I'm going to try calorie counting for a few days and see if that works. I've never tried it so I'm excited to see how I do. I think when I change things up and I get excited about something new, I'm more successful.

Good job, Mama! I definitely side with you in your argument . I feel your pain.. I have 6 kids, 4 of which are teenagers, 3 of which are girls. They are a huge source of anxiety and pain cuz I'm always the "bad guy" (even tho my SO makes the rules with me) because I'm "too strict".. times just aren't like what they were when I was a kid. Even though I live in a decent city, a huge portion of their school smokes pot and drinks, and the district has a high pregnancy rate- damn straight I'm "too strict".

hugs, i'm a big time venter here lol!

I understand your frustration as well. I actually said to my friend that i "forgot how to do WW" i've been out of the loop for a couple of months now from surgery (which is no excuse) because recovering i didn't track or log I've been on track since Sunday and it feels better but i refuse to weigh myself. It's really like i forgot how to diet! Makes no sense...hugs to you, if a binge helps you get on track than so be it whatever works for YOU. You've already impressed the h*ll out of all of us at 3FC!

i see an underlining point in your 3fc threads and facebook things.
You decide to try somethign new, and dont stick to it longer than 2-3 days. I think this in itself is sabotaging you. You need to stick to something longer, like a week or more, to see a result. You binge, then decide to try something new, so your body still has the binge in its system, then you give up on the new idea, binge again.

IMHO you need to try something longer

I have noticed this as well. Even with momentum where you have lost a majority of your weight, at least in the time since I started reading the ww boards, there has been a lot of stress about not losing fast enough. So all these things you've talked about trying, I don't know how many you try and for how long, but it would be hard to say what exactly is not working. Sometimes one WI you seem to be pleased with the results and a week later you seem ready to throw in the towel.

That noise in your head, the stress over reaching goal, is going to follow you no matter what plan you try. I know I am in an entirely different place in my weight loss so maybe I have no clue what I'm talking about, but it seems like you would be better off focusing more on "What plan can I see myself maintaining for a lifetime" rather than "What plan will get those last few pounds off me ASAP"

I really do hope you find whatever works best for you, be it WW or something else!

I think that's good advice for ALL of us. Getting to goal is only the first step. After that we have to maintain it. Personally that's why I love P+, because I know without a doubt that I can do this for the rest of my life and I never felt that way about momentum. But each of us are different and we need to find what works best for us.