I've had this problems my whole life; I can never seem to control how much I eat for more than a day or two.
There are days in which I eat close to nothing and I feel great, but there are other days that I'm just constantly shoving food in my mouth. I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. I don't overeat because I starved my body; I overeat because I simply can.
I rarely feel hunger nowadays. I haven't heard a growl from my stomach in years, even though I've gone over 24 hours without a drop of food in my system. Food disgusts me sometimes, but I can't stop eating it. The more I exercise, the less I want to eat.
Take, for example, yesterday when I completely W1D3 of C25K. My stomach didn't growl at all and I felt no hunger. I did, however, feel a bit tired so I ate two fried eggs. Later on in the day I ate another fried egg along with a small cup of iced tea. That's all I ate yesterday.
Today is a different story. I ate 2 huge bags of chips, a small packet of cheez-its, two cupcakes, a big bottle of juice, and a cup of iced tea.
How can I learn to eat more on certain days and cut back on others?
Maybe some days you are eating too little and that's why other days you overeat?
What's your calorie goals? How long and how often do you workout? If 272 is your weight I'd definitely be eating at least 2000 calories worth of nutritious food a day.
I would try eating a consist amount each day just in case your body is compensating in some way for days when you don't eat a lot.
I also struggle with overeating for no real reason and two things that are working for me are food journaling in some way so that I have to write down everything I eat. This helps me stay aware of how much I am really eating. I also don't keep foods that I would traditionally binge on in the house. No chips, no soda, no sweets so they are not around for me to eat. If I end up over eating on veggies its not the end of the world. And when I really want something that I don't keep in the house I go out and get one single serving of it.
This may be more difficult depending on who you live with.
Dear, the answer is in your question ... You eat almost nothing one day; then your body is so hungry, that you binge the very next day. You've already answered your own question. Like the others have said -- you need to eat more balanced and more regularly EVERY DAY!
BINGING is usually from one of two things; STARVING your body till it pushes you to overeat, simply becuz your body needs constistant sustainence, whether you "feel" hungry or not. The other is emotional eating, where you eat in reaction to some issue in your life or just plain boredom. PS ~ Starving your body isn't just about the amount of food (too little: as in only 3 eggs all day), but the types of food: ie nutrient-poor food choices (like 2 "huge" bags of chips, etc).
Try any balanced, nutritionally-rich food plan for at least 3 months; and see what happens.
Last edited by Justwant2Bhealthy; 08-07-2011 at 10:28 PM.
I don't think the problem is how much you're eating, I think it's what you're eating. Really, two bags of chips is not a huge amount of food, it's just a huge amount of calories and fat. Same goes with fried eggs, really.
Three fried eggs is not a healthy day's worth of food, but if you fried them in butter, they could've easily been 200 calories each, not to mention a lot of cholesterol and who knows how much fat. If you had fried them in zero calorie spray, using one egg and one white, you could've added a piece of double-fiber toast and a piece of fruit and still come in around 200 cal. It's about making substitutions and choices that are filling without being fattening. And eating the kind of healthy foods that nourish our bodies and keep our metabolisms going.
Have you thought about what is different on the days you eat a lot of junk and the days you don't? Are you rewarding yourself for a good day by binging the next day? Have you tried pre-portioning snacks and meals, or just planning out meals? I find that the key for me is to eat foods I love that just happen to be healthy. Like turkey burgers on toasted low-cal english muffins, or a grilled shrimp on corn tortillas with lots of cilantro, mango, and onions.
Another thing that has helped me immensely is tracking my calories. When I am having a day where I am eating too few calories, it gives me "permission" to eat something without feeling guilty, and it keeps me in check on days I feel like binging. Track everything that goes in your mouth. Everything. You might be surprised how much you're actually eating that you just don't realize. A bite of this, a spoon of that- it adds up without you even realizing you're eating. You can do this!
You should be consider the possiblity that your eating has something to do with your emotions (as is the case for most of us), and think about whether or not you'd benefit from counseling or Overeaters Anonymous. If you're anything like me, once you give yourself permission to eat more on any given day, then it's an all out junkfood fest. It's natural for me, because it's what I've been doing my whole life. However, counseling or OA can help you modify your behaviors and reactions to stimuli so that you can handle these situations more effectively.
My overeating is usually just because I'm bored so I think I can try to cut back on the days where sweats are readily available. Since I'm still in high school, I'm living with my parents and I have almost no control what gets stored in the house.
As soon as I get my own apartment I'll be sure to keep it junk-food-free.
I've realized that my problem is mostly on the days that I don't want to eat. On these days, I feel extremely guilty if I eat anything, whether it be healthy or not. I know that not eating will make me gain weight, but sometimes, it makes me physically sick if I eat.
I know how you feel! And you're so young! It's so easy to get depressed about being big, and high school is just terrible for anyone's self-esteem! Have you tried talking to your parents about helping you lose weight? It's not just big people who need to avoid junk food- it's everyone! Even if your parents aren't worried about their size, healthy food is good for everybody. It might be an uncomfortable conversation at first, but they're your parents, after all, and they should want what's best for you!
You sound like a smart girl- you know that "punishing" yourself by not eating is not going to help! Food makes us thin and fat. Bad choices make us gain weight and good choices help us lose weight. Can you try and focus on how good it feels to know you've made good choices? That's very empowering, especially when you start to see results on the scale! You can do this!!
When I feel disgusted by food, but know that I have to eat to stay healthy, I try to eat more refreshing foods. Something crisp like salad and other veggies. A nice fresh, cold, peeled cucumber is my favorite! And any cold and crispy fruit is great too. Especially grapes, once I start eating them it's hard to stop. These kinds of food seem easier for me to eat. It really is all about making the right food choices which is hard at first but gets easier with time.
If your parents are willing (or if you can buy one yourself) it might be worth it to invest in a small dorm room sized fridge for your own room (you can probably get one for under $100 right now with back to school sales). That way you can keep your own healthy snacks in it.
What's also helped me is the support I get here in the forum. I'm fairly new and everyone has been so supportive! When I'm feeling down about my weight or if I feel like eating naughty foods, I come here and browse the threads. It might help you too!
I am in the same boat. To combat my cravings, I do several things, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, however, I find the more I stick to a routine (however difficult), the more success I have.
1) I chew gum. When I am very hungry and I do not need to eat, I chew a piece of very minty sugarfree gum. I like Wrigley's 5 Cobalt. I hate eating with the taste of mint in my mouth. If I am just a little hungry, I will chew one of the dessert gums. I actually bought a Costco sized pack of the mint chocolate chip variety.
2) I keep a food log. It is in a pink binder and it makes me very happy. I am diabetic, so I have to eat certain food groups everyday, however, I have given my food log to friends who do not have diabetes and they have been successful as well. (It's basically just a very healthy diet). Carbs can be breads, fruits, or vegetables like peas and corn. For instance, you could make breakfast 45 g of fruits if you wanted to. My dietitian says that half the plate at lunch and dinner should be vegetables. I eat them first and they really do help to fill me up.
Food Log
Day: ______________________________________
Breakfast
15 g carb______________________________________
15 g carb______________________________________
15 g carb______________________________________
Lunch
2 veggie______________________________________
lean protein______________________________________
15 g carb (fruit)______________________________________
15 g carb______________________________________
15 g carb______________________________________
Snack
15 g carb______________________________________
15 g carb______________________________________
Dinner
2 veggie______________________________________
lean protein______________________________________
15 g carb (fruit)______________________________________
15 g carb______________________________________
15 g carb______________________________________
3) I stay busy and keep my eyes on the prize (goal weight). If I'm hungry, I have to tell myself "get out of the kitchen" and I go read, go for a walk, call a friend, clean, etc.
I pre-plan all meals and snacks, and just eat what is on my plan. If I want to eat something else, I have to actually change my plan around to still fit within my daily limits (which have been calorie or weight watchers based, and always primarily whole foods).
I found that meal replacement bars and shakes work super well for me because I know: I have two meals that I have to replace, and then 500 calories to spend on whatever I want! Plus three 100-calorie snack of my choice. This is the only way that I have managed to not cheat and carelessly add calories. And when I want to maintain my weight, I eat two 500 calorie meals and replace one of those meals with a bar or a shake, and still get my snacks. Super easy and effective!
^^^
That! This is the only ting that works for me. I know in advance what I'll be eating before opening the fridge or the pantry. Or I'll eat anth in site. I know that for lunch kids are getting baked ziti and I'm eating a salad with chicken strips and beans.
I know that for a snack I'm having cottage cheese and not a sandwich.
I have 4 small kids, so for me the easiest thing is just to grab food that;'s available.
Make sure you have healthier snacks around (cheese, granny smith apples, some nuts).
Some days are better than others, but stay true and Good Luck!
How do I control what I eat?
