Hey ladies,

Since I broke down and ate ate ate last night, I had the thought that maybe we could post what we do when the binge monster attacks. After I start eating it's like I just can't stop - ideas?

Hi, Sara
I just drink plenty of water and then hit the mall. (focus) on your goal size.

-Ivy

Hi sarah,
I meditate, go for a brisk walk, get in a yoga pose, and drink a big glas of ice cold water. The water helps more when it's really cold because you'll feel fuller longer due to the time it takes for your body to raise the temperature of the water to be processed. It has to be a certain temperature to be utilized by the body! Colder is better!
The yoga and meditation I do holds me still and clears my mind from the thought of food and stress. (Many times binge eating is due to a life-stressor!) The brisk walk (whether on a treadmill or out in the fresh air) gets my body to metabolize the fat I already have, thereby taking fat stores instead of staying hungry. I "trick" my body into using the fat instead of wanting the easy way out: eating.
If after one hour I'm still hungry, I eat almonds or an apple or a piece of turkey wrapped in swiss cheese--limit to one slice!
That usually satifies my binge urges!

I try to ONLY eat when I am truly hungry...and to stop WELL before feeling full, that way I can wait half an hour and see if I'm still hungry.

Hope this helps!

I find a big glass of ice water and a pickle does the trick.
Very little tastes good after a pickle!!

Or if you dont like pickles go brush your teeth, again this makes everything taste funny and less appealing to eat.

yeah it's just hard in the heat of a binge to stop, cause I don't really want to stop it almost feels like, but then just super regret later on

Sarah

The only thing that stops me bindging [Watching T.V] I have protein such as a turkey pepperoni stick. Or a tb Peanutbutter. Those are the carb competitors,along with fiber,& acid.[vinegar or lemon]Dr A. Says in the book P 64. slows down the digestion of carbs,less insulin,less dramatic drop in blood sugar.Less of a sugar rise & fall now,less hunger later.

hope that helps

Hugs BB

When I'm sitting in the middle of a binge (usually while on the computer), I pull out my inspiration book. What is that? Well, I found a simple, but sturdy spiral bound journal, and clipped out pictures from magazines and catalogs of the kinds of clothes I want to wear when I'm healthy. I also put in reasons to lose weight (like, "having a healthy pregnancy", "wearing sexy lingerie", and "reduce risk of diabetes"). A couple pages through and I stop mid-bite! My husband's so used to seeing me pull the book out that he hands it to me when I tell him I want a candy bar or soda or pasta!

The funnest part is adding new pics to the book!!!

Oh Kim,

That's such a great idea! Haha I love it!

beach bum - unfortunately it's not about hunger, because when I'm finished I'm soooooo full!

Just read on another thread about intuitive eating, been reading about this for a while, and someone else who used to be a binge eater used the process to stop the cycle...

The New York Times recently ran a series on the effects of Type II diabetes. I find that usually curbs my enthusiasm for a sweet snack.

When I'm on plan, I don't have a problem with cravings. Lately, I've been more off than on and the only way to get beyond the urges is to have a piece of cheese, some peanut butter or lots of water. If I'm able to, I have a popsicle or fudgsicle, to get the sense of something sweet.

As a last resort, I clean my room. Luckily, it rarely gets to that drastic point.

I will sometimes drink coffee or warm broth to ward off binging. Also , I try ice water and if nothing works, I'll find something that is on my program and have it. A TBSP peanut butter often works when nothing else does.

Hi Sarah,
I was going to try something I read online at a site that I found by following a link on the 3FC boards somewhere. The suggestion is to make a "coping jar" and fill it with little pieces of paper with things to do on them. I guess they could be things to make yourself feel better or just to get out of the kitchen! Then, during or before a binge you open the jar, remove one of the pieces of paper, and promise yourself you will do what's on it before you eat anything else. Of course, it will only work if you open the jar and do what it says but the idea just sort of resonated with me - different things will work for different people. But I liked the idea of a physical jar where we could see it because it's a reminder of what we thought we wanted to do when we weren't being driven by our emotions. Anyway, I was going to do this and keep mine in the freezer next to the ice cream. Maybe I need a second one in the cabinet by the kid's snacks, and probably a third one right on the butter dish.

I don't post often but I do get a lot of emotional support from this site. I already feel like I know everyone.

Good luck, Anna

So last night I decided that I would let myself have dessert before dinner was ready because I was so hungry (I knew that was a mistake) so of course after dinner I wanted to have another serving and I gave in and let myself - of course after serving number 2 I wanted serving number 3 but HAD stop myself cause I knew it wouldn't stop there if I kept going - so I brushed and flossed my teeth and told myself that I couldn't have any more food that night but that I was more than welcome to have breakfast the next morning - same philosophy as AA's 'one day at a time' and it really seemed to help - stopped the cycle last night at least

for posting this, Sarah. I had one of those nights last night, just could not stop eating. It was all emotinal, I'd had a stressful day, argument with my dd and my SO was not around. Bad combination since usually when he's home I'm busier and therefore not eating.

I wish I could say I was successful in stopping the binge but I pretty much ate until I went to bed. And now today I feel like crap!

Kim, I like your inspiration book idea! I might have to try that, sounds like a very effective tool.

Thanks for all of the great ideas, today is a fresh start. One day at a time indeed.