Ugh. I just wanted to make a quick note and vent my frustrations... I am having SO much trouble getting it together and sticking to my diet. I am eating healthfully still (probably because I stocked the house with so many healthy foods), so I'm not like binging on ice cream or anything, but I'm eating WAYYY too much of those healthy foods, just using them as an emotional comfort. Last night I was in such a terrible mood, I ate an entire box of 100-calorie-pack Lorna Doone cookies (which are very good, by the way... maybe too good)... not as bad as some of my past binges, but still, 100 cals quickly becomes 600 cals when you're out of control.

I don't know... I'm trying really hard, but I'm really struggling. I want to be thin so badly, but I keep weakening. Any advice?

My suggestion would be to make a committment here on 3FC and post it. I was having trouble overeating peanut butter a few months ago, and I started a thread where I pledged to everyone on 3FC that I was not going to eat it straight from the jar anymore. I posted each day for a couple weeks to report on how things were going. The result was that I kicked the habit in record time.

Occasionally I have a moment where I think about eating from the jar, but I remember my pledge and the fact that I have promised to be accountable ot everyone here, so I don't eat it from the jar. It's so much easier that way because the justifications that I would make in my mind are knocked out right away...I made a pledge and I honor it.

BTW, I eat peanut butter every day, so it's not like it's out of my house. The posting helped me to make sure it stayed something I eat only in moderation on my sandwiches. It helped me gain control, and I think that's what you're looking for.

I have found that keeping a journal helps a lot too. If you don't have an account at fitday.com I would suggest making one. Picking up the food and eating it isn't so scary, but somehow seeing the food translated into calories, etc IS scary. It also helps you adjust your diet so, say, you binge on 600 calories of cookies...now you know how many calories you have left for the rest of the day to eat sensibly. Fitday not only tracks what you eat, but also exercise and the best part...a REAL journal. Write down your emotions. How you felt that day maybe the things going on with you and around you. It is very difficult to understand why you are doing something while you do it, but it is fairly simple upon reflection. Also, set small goals instead of big ones. Reduce your calories a little each day instead of jumping from 3k calories to 1k calories in one day. That's a great self-sabotaging technique. One last thing...not to suggest anything about you, but I suggest checking out the eating disorders forum. Not only does it cover anorexia and bulimia, but it also has a huge section for OVEREATERS/BINGE EATERS! I read through it a lot because I binge allllllllllll the time. It is really common. The more you learn about nutrition, the easier things will get. Just gotta tell yourself that you are in this for the long haul...
And we are all here to support you

ohhhh, and a lot of people around here tend to chew gum or brush their teeth when they have the urge to binge...I hear it works, but I'm always to busy binging to try it. lol

.susan.

yeah that is the toughest thing for me. i can be so good for so long and then blow it all with a run to mcdonalds or jack in the box or some ice cream. all i can say is you will get over it and by following the advice of these people on here im sure youll have the strength to do it. good luck to you!

john

I also have a problem with eating too much of stuff, not able to cut back. I always want more. Within the last week I have been much better at not overeating. I ask myself how much could I eat? Like how much pizza do I want. I know I want 5 pieces, so I tell myself I will only eat 3. If I don't eat over that, then I feel good and I feel full. I also went back to eating breakfast. I know I'll cut back even more, but eating less right now is a great start for me.

mccrew, it's interesting how we can find creative ways to overeat even when there's only healthy stuff in the house! I bought 2 boxes of 100 calorie packs back in August -- oreos and teddy grahams -- and when they disappeared within two days I knew I couldn't buy them again. Even when sweet junk food is portioned out I just ignore the portions and eat all of it.

You've made awesome progress so far and are well on your way to your goal. Don't get discouraged now, when you're like 2/3 of the way there! Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and keep going


Hi newthinkin, don't think I've seen you around! Welcome to 3FC

You know another thing that has helped me is looking at my week of calories and not just the day. Sometimes binges or meals that are not planned will happen, there is no way to avoid it. But going over one day doesn't make you a failure...you have the rest of the week to pull on the reigns and cut back enough to be successful for the weeks worth of calories.

Heyy! Thanks for the replies and suggestions everyone, they have been really helpful.

Soo I;ve learned from that little binging incident: just as britomart mentioned, 100 cal packs are just not a great idea for me (the same is true of pasta, actually... it's a binge food for me, and even though whole wheat pasta is a healthy choice, I will overeat that too so I just don't buy it). I bought some really sweet fruit the other day, and that is a much better choice for me in terms of a sweet little snack during the day (I feel much more satisfied with a cup or two of grapes than I do with a 100 cal pack).

And yes brito, I do feel motivated by how far I have come, but I also hit goal last year (in fact I was 5 pounds under goal), so it's still frustrating to me that I've put so much weight back on and reversed some of that good. But the important thing is not to let that trend continue!!!

Since that first post, I have been doing a lot better with my eating. One day at a time, that's what I keep saying. A source of motivation came from a book I was reading the other day, about women in Burma who were working making fabric. When asked by a curious American how many hours they worked a day, they responded "whenever there is daylight... dawn to dusk, every day." And their wages? "two or three hundred kyats a day"-- less than an American dollar. And what happened to them if they were sick or injured? How much were they paid? They thought that this was such a strange question to ask! "Of course there is no pay for days not worked!"

But these women were not complaining... they were happy to have the jobs that they had. And when I was reading this, it dawned on me: I don't know the first thing about deprivation. These women can appreciate a life in conditions much more demanding than my own... I should at least be able to stay on a diet. I just need to change my attitude, because it's really not that hard.

Hope that story inspires you guys too.

When I am being healthy want to know what I binge on? You are going to laugh, carrots. I love carrots with honey mustart. They are crunchy and the mustard gives it a sweet kick and best of all they fill me up. I always keep a bag of carrots in my fridge.

hmmm im with you cookie except mine is spinach. i LOVE the raw spinach you can buy in the salad department. i load up salad bowls with it and just eat it plain. i also over flow my sandwiches with it. weird huh?

john