Hi all,
I feel as if I am out of control! My weight is going back up and it's hard to just not give in and eat whatever I want...does anyone have any tips as to how to stop the gorging process??? Tonight I sat down with two different cartons of ice cream (luckily they were fat free) but I still felt so terrible. So many calories and no place to go but my hips!!! I need to get back on track but I just need some support. Everyone I talk to just rolls their eyes....easy for them because they're skinnier. Does anyone have any help?? I could sure use it. I appreciate this website so much...it's helping me to stay focused...at times.

When you feel like going all out on a binge, try going out for a walk or doing some exercise. Keep yourself occupied with something other than food! You could try taking up knitting to keep your hands occupied!

Also don't buy the ice cream in the first place if you know you're going to binge on it! Just have healthy food in the house, then that means if you really really want it, you're going to have to go out to the shop and buy it!

i third what she said bc i have the same prob and my solution has been like she said..... 1x wek i hit our local icecream shop and order the small size of my fav treat which 2 be honest is still alot of cals but i eat it and then its gone and its still less cals than downing 1/2 g icecream. pm me if u wanna buddy up.

Yup yup keep it out of the house. Sounds like you, like a lot of us, are a compulsive overeater, so you really have to arrange your environment to support you rather than tempt you.

The other thing you might consider is journaling. You can track your food or not, but when you get that urge to eat, sit down and write about what's going on and why you want to eat. If you DO eat, write about it after. You should start to see patterns emerge. If you find you're eating because you're angry, then you can think of ways to deal with the anger that don't involve food. If you eat when your mother says that snarky thing she always says that punches your buttons, you know you have to find a way to not let it punch your buttons. If you eat just for entertainment value, you know you have to find ways to stay busy. (You would be AMAZED at how much cleaner my house is and how many more projects I've done since being on my program ...).

I would also suggest a terrific book on compulsive eating called The Thin Books by Jeane Eddy Westin. It really is a goldmine of information. It taught me that my brain works differently than people who aren't compulsive overeaters. It's really the same pattern of thinking and behavior that all addicts share, and it's good to be aware of that so that you don't fall into those traps as easily.

I've found journaling helps also. When I start to get out of control, I start writing. I ask my self questions that I have to answer. Am I hungry? What was going on when I started to feel the need to eat? How else can I cope with this problem, situation, feeling that doesn't include food? Many times I'm frustrated or upset and turn to food for comfort, then begins the great spiral-I get upset with myself for eating so much and eat some more.

But the journaling has helped me beat some of my more destructive habits. Plus, keeping the stuff I'll overeat out of the house has been good too.

Big hugs,
Sarah

I agree with buying single-size containers/servings. To me, it is worth spending the extra money to know exactly how much and how many calories I am eating.

Now the only problem is stopping myself from eating ALL the single-serve containers of whatever it is I have Seriously though, it is hard. I also find that if I am busy doing something, then I don't think about eating as much.

All of the posts suggesting journaling and finding ways to refocus your energy are right on the money. Like funniegrrl, I've completed a lot of projects in the past nine months and my house is as clean as it can be with 3 kids in and out all day.

Recently, I've started working 500 piece jigsaw puzzles. They are big enough to require a some time and thought but not so big that they take up a lot of space. When a compulsive urge to eat hits I spend a few mintues working on it. It occupies my mind and my hands. Usually, I don't even notice that the urge to eat has passed.