All right, so I just binged (fifteen minutes ago... argh). I have been bingeing a few days this week but I just now got fed up! And I realised my triggering foods (white, refined carbs like noodles and pita bread), and my triggering time (i'm helpless after dinner and to some extent, before dinner). I have even realised that if I can stay out of the kitchen, I won't eat (well.... that is sort of a no-brainder), but as soon as i enter the kitchen threshold I am helpless against the binge.

So now I have strategies for the future: basically to avoid the kitchen once I get home from school, except to cook my dinner and grab a fruit for dessert, and if i get major cravings to exersize (well... pop down to my basement for a little Dance Dance Revolution ).

But I was wondering if there is anything I can do right now, at this moment, to avoid my intense guilt and self-beatings, and to perhaps alleviate the effects of this late night binge (short of going for a workout, I would wake my family at this hour!! )

Thank you so much, and I really hope I can get over this binge cycle, or else I may never get normal eating habits...

Hi there

You've already helped yourself by coming onto the forum instead of sitting alone and beating yourself up. You are already back on track. Just start from here. You are doing great!

E

Well I did indeed come looking for support and thank you so much for the reinforcement I know it sounds silly but to have someone else encourage is one of the biggest motivators for me... maybe it's a teenage thing though!

I think that I will just try to make up for this week of binges by doing everything in my power to avoid overeating next week, and amping up my exersize just a tad to help motivations too...

That and accepting that it's normal and that binging doesn't make you a failure, only human. It sounds like you've got some good strategies in place for next time, so congratulations for recognizing your triggers and coming here for help. Remember, every meal is a brand new opportunity to get it right, so good luck and keep up the good work!

Beverly

I don't know of one person..that can honestly say they have never binged...if they say they haven't...then their not being honest with themselves.
the good thing is...like someone had previously mentioned...it doesn't mean we have failed.
some people may have very well said "ah to **** with it" and given up with their entire weightloss/dieting plans...but you haven't...instead..you are recognizing what is triggering these events and coming up with solutions to avoid them from happening again and it takes a strong willed person to do that.

Thats exactly how I am.
Or I will be doing really good and say "i'll just eat one cookie since I've been so good"
then that just sets off a binge. which starts to happen a couple days a week.
It sucks.
It's hard to get back into the habit where I don't eat junk once I've fallen in it. But it seems like once I do get in that habit it because so easy!
Right now, I too am in the binge stage.
I always try to think of Dr Phils saying "the difference between fat people and skinny people is that fat people live to eat and skinny people eat to live"
I try not to let myself live to eat but sometimes it will get so bad that I will lay in bed and think about what I am going to eat the next day!
Anyway, I know how you feel! Don't feel bad you will get back into the non binge stage!!! and your plan sounds really good!!

Goodluck!

I realise that I'm a little after-the-fact here this morning but I had a couple of thoughts while I was reading your post, Dietcokeaddict.
My first is that I adore diet Coke too

I eat in the evening. It's who and what I am. That's just how it is. If there are fatty, greasy foods in the house. I'll eat them at night. So I try to make sure I have good and healthy snacks and I plan my calorie count around them. If I'm at home (work is a whole nother story), I usually eat twice after supper. Maybe 200 or 250 calories each time.

Are you eating small meals frequently? Something every few hours. Starving type hunger is our enemy. It'll lead you to scarfing anything in sight. I have a diet coke or a bottle of water in the car on the way home from work. It stops me from heading straight to the fridge when I walk in the door.

The exercising instead is an excellent idea. You have a good plan.

As for what you can do now ... you've done the right thing. You've reached out for support and made alternate plans.

I have another question... do you guys avoid your trigger foods totally? or do you let yourself have "just one"

Because i am in a conundrum: if i deny myself too much of what i want then i binge, but then again once i pop i just don't stop, so to speak!

I have to be very vigilant about what I keep in the house. We go out for ice cream once in a while but if I had some in the house ... I'd eat it all.

Hmmmm, that's a tough one! I plan my treats and cheats so I don't end up feeling deprived, but most of the time I just avoid my trigger foods 'cause I know what's gonna happen if I even get started. It's a feeling I guess. You know if you're strong enough on any given day, to stick with a single bite or portion of a trigger food. So, on the days when you're not up to the challenge then I say just avoid them. No point in setting yourself up for failure when you don't have to, right? But please do make sure to plan special treats on a regular basis, a girl's gotta live a little ya know?

Beverly

True, but I think that I too will have to just not eat the trigger foods for a while until i realise that I don't need need neeeeed them. And then I can reward myself with something other than food!
(or course i can say that AFTER dinner )

i have a lot of trigger foods - what can i say i like a lot of stuff....
some trigger foods i don't allow in the house - like chocolate chip cookies. others i allow myself to have, but for example ice cream - i only buy low fat and i eat it out of little tiny ice cream cones. it comes out to like 150 calories for a cone that looks pretty full..very satisfying - but not too many calories. then the only struglle is to only eat one a day.

For a long time I havent kept triggers in my house.
I know myself and I know what I would do if I did.
The same with people.
People would do offerings. Thats where they ask you if you want some of what ever they are having and thats another area I was weak at.
I would not eat with them at lunch time. I would not keep things in my house that I could go and eat knowing it wasnt good for me.
I had the attitude just stay away.
So its done pretty good for me I believe my will power is now up to where It should be. I dont crave it and I dont binge but its not bad if it happens. Its a learning process to get to that point.
I also suggest writing down what your going thru in a journal and why you ate. Since you know where your weak areas are adjust those areas and try to make it harder for yourself to give in next time.
Good job on realizing where you could improve.

I used to avoid trigger food the best that I could, I mean there was a time where I didn't have one candy for 6 months! But it also makes you so much more aware of the bad stuff when you're out. All of a sudden you're standing in front of the chocolate aisle trying not to give into temptation. Often I didn't have the will power to say no, I'd just buy it and eat and eat. Before my strict diet I couldn't even eat a normal chocolate bar cause it was just too much chocolate for me, now I can eat several at once not to mention all other candies and cakes that automatically follow. And you all probably know how one bad day sometimes turns into weeks!

This time around (since end of august) I've allowed myself to have a little of everything. So far it's actually worked really well, I haven't had the cravings that I usually have after 2-3 weeks avoiding sweets. But it could also be that eating more carbs like rice, bread (mostly rye) and boiled potatoes keep my body satisfied so I don't crave bad carbs.

If it works for you to avoid the bad stuff then of course you shouldn't give in. I just know that I'll do better if I have them once in a while cause avoiding them is a lifelong battle I cannot win.

I read somewhere that if you absolutly must have something sweet to drink 2% chocolate milk.