I can not stop eating everything and anything. I have gained 3 pounds since this last weekend. Why can't I stop? How can I stop? It's really upsetting.

You tell us.

What are you hungry for?

Is it emotional? Is it a compulsion?

I think it could be because of my TOM why I went up three pounds. They are super light though since I just got off birth control a few months back and they are not back to normal yet. I think the problem is not being able to go home to eat lunch, I have a class at 10am-11am then my next one is at 2pm. So I always end up going to get something fast to eat, which most of it really isn't good choices no matter what. I've been drinking soda as well, I've had about four since last weekend. I am splurging on foods that I can't eat anymore, like burgers, fries, nachos, burritos. I had completely changed my eating habits for a very long time, to salads and what not.

It's just weird, I weigh myself in the morning and at night with nothing on. And yesterday morning I was up three pounds now this morning I am down 2 pounds of that three. Maybe it's water weight, I don't know.

I try to do small quantities, but that never works. I always want more of it.

Don't weigh yourself everyday.
Don't deprive yourself of any type of food, cause you'll end up going on a binge.
If you eat a few squares of chocolate, eat some fruit and drink some water. Go for a walk. It might make you feel better.

Also, maybe if you prepared a packed lunch the night before your classes, you could eat healthily and not have to buy something fast and unhealthy in between.

Good luck. It's tough, I know x

First of all, TOM always adds poundage in water weight (for me anyway... and most women, dare I say!) so when it's that TOM, don't take the scale "seriously".

2ndly, if you are "splurging on foods that you can't eat anymore" then maybe you are not on the WLP that is right for you. Obviously, you are missing foods that you love, and how long can you keep that up? Anytime I ever tried to give up something I really enjoyed eating, eventually I would break down & have it. And have it, & have it & have it to the point of regaining all I'd lost, plus more.

Personally, I count calories. It's the easiest thing for me to do, altho yes, it is sometimes a hassle, but at least that way I can have WHATEVER I WANT, just not "so much" of it.

Soda? Why "drink your calories?" -if you want the taste of soda, simply go diet soda. If diet soda tastes "funny" to you, try this trick: mix your regular soda w/half of a diet soda. Over a course of 1-2 weeks, increase the diet and decrease the regular until you are drinking just the diet. It worked for me. (and now I can't stand the taste of regular soda! - too much sugar, blech!! )

I eat fast food from time to time. But I am choosy, & I watch the caloric value. Cheeseburger, OK. But no fries. (and a diet drink!) Some days, if I'm way in a hurry & can't eat a proper "healthy" lunch, then I'll grab something "semi-healthy" such as a big apple or other piece of fruit & maybe a pack of peanut butter crackers. It ain't the best lunch in the world, but it'll do, & it's way better than burger/fries/burrito, etc.

Also, I do weigh every day (altho not 2x a day) and I find it mathematically comforting to see the scale in its ounce-per-ounce differences. Doing this since January, and it helps me to understand the way my body works. Sometimes up, mostly down, and so far I've lost 20 pounds since January. Slow weight loss. But LOSS, and that's what I'm after! What are YOU after?

Then don't have any of it, at least for now, until you get into the swing of things with following a good solid plan.

If there are foods that you can't stop eating, get them out of the house. If you can't get them out of the house because someone else likes having them in the house, ask that person to hide them where you can't get them. If they are there for someone else, tell yourself that it's rude of you to eat them anyhow! Make those foods off limits; they are not yours.

Yes, it sucks. It would be nice be able to eat anything and everything and still be thin. But it's just not like that. There comes a point where you just have to pull up your big-girl panties and take control over your own body. If you want to lose weight, don't eat off plan. Set up your environment to make it easier not to eat off plan. Keep on-plan foods around; don't keep off-plan foods around. Yes, it takes work - but it's work you are strong enough to do, if it's worth it to you to do it.

I am with you on small quantities. I am just not normal. It makes me so frustrated when I go to my girlfriend's houses and they have cookies and chips--the same bags--for a couple of weeks at a time. The problem with me is that once I eat a little something, I can't stop. I used to think it was just psychological but now I know it isn't the case. I think it has more to do with my blood sugar spiking after eating "bad" choices. I can't just eat a piece of cake and say, "okay that was 400 calories" because for me it never is. It's the 6 pieces of bread with butter and jelly I eat afterwards that does me in.

This is what I do. I pack my lunch every night the night before. One tip I use is put a frozen water bottle in the freezer at night and put it in my lunchbag right before I leave in the mornings. I take mostly salads for lunch and fruit, but I want to make sure everything stays fresh! It works really well and you get water when it melts! =)


I'm sorry you had a couple off days! If it's your TOM I always get so HUNGRY and emotional. I gain a lot of water weight when I'm on my TOM, last time I gained 5 pounds and then two days after I stopped I was down 7 pounds. Don't beat yourself up! =)

It seems like there are a few issues going on here:

1. TOM- totally normal to gain water weight. It also makes most women a lot hungrier+cravings. You need to experiment with what works best for you. I do suggest making sure you have snacks often/lots of protein because it helps to prevent cravings for me.

2. Not controlling yourself with certain foods. There seems to be two schools of thought here.

-Some people find calorie counting/eating the trigger food in moderation to be best. They feel that if you limit your food than it becomes a forbidden food and that much more tempting.

-Others restrict that food entirely and go through some sort of detox phase where they don't eat it anymore at all (and some even give it up for the rest of their lives while others might slowly introduce that food over time once they feel they can control themselves better).

3. Lunch time choices/class- can you bring a snack to class? Or pack a healthier lunch? Depending on fast food every day (especially when that is a trigger food for you) sounds like a really bad idea.

If you're eating at fast food places, I learned to look up the calorie count of the foods I wanted to eat versus the foods that I could eat.

So, if I HAVE to go to McDonald's for lunch, I don't get a burger and fry, I get a snack wrap and something else.

If this is your school cafeteria, have the burger, but skip the fries. Have a couple off your friend's portion. Eventually you'll learn to disassociate fries and burgers.

It's hard to change habits, but you can if you want to do it. You just have to consciously make a different choice each time you are in it. Another trick to try is to order the food and throw half of it away immediately. Or sit there and eat consciously.... stop when you start to feel full...

fwiw, I am in the "don't have any of it at all" category when it comes to red light foods. I honestly never would have considered myself a carb and/or sugar addict but even when successfully calorie counting, I had my times were I'd go off plan, sometimes way off.

But since I started my very low carb plan, after the first couple of weeks, it's been effortless to avoid them. It's not that I don't "think" they still taste good, but I just don't eat them and it's not a struggle at ALL. Even during TOM.

So since trying to eat a small amount isn't working for you, why not give cutting these foods out completely a shot? It's not like they won't still be there later if you change your mind.