seriously. that's been my problem all along... for years & years & years, since I was a kid, it's like I have no "turn it off" button when it comes to food. both good & healthy food, and junk food as well.
ugh... 2nd portions
ugh... extra huge helpings
ugh... a whole bag instead of an actual "serving"
ugh... eat two, then go back for two more, & two more, & two more...UGH
learning to do "the simple thing" of eat when I'm hungry
and stop when I'm full ~that has been my goal
it is STILL my goal
I am still working on it
probably will be forever
but it's worth it
to be healthy, and not so dadgum fat.
Last edited by Beach Patrol; 04-20-2012 at 10:40 AM.
For me, it's my perfectionistic mentality. I'm all or nothing. Either I'm eating 100% on plan or I fall off the deep end. Sometimes my binges are for only one meal but I've had binges last for weeks and even months....once I gain that much weight rapidly, I can just throw in the towel and just not care (suppress any feelings of concern, of course) and eat anything I want. I've gotten much better but that's how it has been for years and years.
My typical binge foods: Nutella, chocolate, bread with butter, pizza, ribs, nuts, peanut butter, cereal, cake, pastries and ice cream.
The answer to the question though is always eating more calories than we burn, but the truth is that it's never quite that simple because it's more of a mental battle than a physical one....not too many people become obese from binging on broccoli.
Mindless restaurant eating, whether it be fast food, take out, or sit-down places. I love gooey stuff like nacho cheese and just about anything deep fried. I very rarely eat fast food anymore and I look up nutrition information ahead of time when eating out.
Sugar mixed with fat, especially with things like frosting, chocolate (peanut butter cups and Cadbury eggs are favorites), and ice cream. I buy sugar-free candy and no-sugar-added ice cream to eat in moderate amounts now, and will occasionally have small amounts of regular candy, like a serving of dark chocolate.
Last edited by Elladorine; 04-20-2012 at 01:02 PM.
Bored/night time eating. I can do well all day at work and I get home and it goes right out the window. I've been working on this lately but it's still difficult at times.
I also have a problem with portion size so I just really have to count, weight and measure things to get me on track and stay there. I'm not ultra strict about it but really, I go easy on things that I know are calorie laden like potatoes, starches, sugars and load up on veggies, fruits and lean proteins.
Chips! Big bags of Lays natural chips with whisky cocktail dipsauce.
That's what did me in mostly. At one point I was so ashamed of myself I would not go to the corner store to get it but to another store because I was afraid they'd remember me coming in to buy a bag of chips EVERY day. And that's like a 1000 calories every day. I would skip breakfast, have a carby lunch, a high carb dinner and then around 8pm feel hungry and go buy a bag of chips.
I have not eaten a bag of chips in months. I've had 1 bag of rice-crisps that are half the calories on a binge. But not THE chips I like. I think I'll allow myself to have it once I reach goal. And then only twice a month at most. I can work off a 1000 calories. And not ever having it again would be so sad. It's the only food I really really miss. All the other junk I eat is just because it's infront of me. I would never go to the store to get it. But the chips.
Yes, that pretty much sums it up. Eating too much is what makes me gain. If you ask me what causes me to eat too much it could be having foods in the house like gluten free macaroni and cheese. So..I don't keep those around anymore.
Medications for depression and OCD made me gain...a lot. Not by magic of course but because I ate a ton while taking them.
I can relate to so many of these, and it makes me give more thought to what to watch out for. Like being tired--I never paid much attention to that before. Or the perfectionist attitude of all or nothing.
My newest one is rebellion. The hubby usually is on the road all week but he's been home ALL day EVERY day for the last couple weeks and asking me daily, "What's on your schedule today?" Sometimes twice a day, "What's on your list of things to do today?" Driving me crazy and I've rebelled (stressed) and went off plan. Got back on yesterday.
- Feeding my feelings (comfort food and binging)
- Not active as a kid
- Going whole hog when going out for dinners/lunches/breakfasts: appys, dessert, drinks, etc
If I have not been sleeping well (which is fairly often for me) it's much harder to feel satisfied with my normal meals. I know it is a physiological issue; leptin levels dip, ghrelin levels skyrocket, and my willpower takes a nose dive in addition to that.
Add that late afternoon slump to it when there is nothing to distract me, and I'm a goner! I end up looking at food websites online and watching Food Network which is just a recipe for disaster. I might be FAMISHED (again, totally physiological) and then I have one small snack. That would normally hold me over, but if I'm tired and bored... no way.
I am maintaining my current fitness, so my conversations with myself end up as "I'm tired, I'm fixating on food, I must NEED to re-feed/carb up, right?" Hello binge... LOL I'll spend the rest of the day eating everything in sight and THAT is what makes me gain weight.
I usually lose it all within a week or two, after I have a food baby, but it's still not something I like. It's not the same as when I enjoy myself on special occasions - it's a desperate "screw it, I give up" mentality because I'm just too tired to resist.
They say that sleep is just as important as diet and exercise for weight management, and for me, I could NOT agree more!
Oh, and if we're listing specifics, my go-to fat-kid foods are; Ruffles cheddar and sour cream chips, Twix, Twix ice cream bars, chocolate and fried chicken. Of course I love to have indulgent restraunt meals and desserts, but again those are more on the planned special-occasion. The "gotta eat now" stuff is usually what I listed above.
I'd say another huge one nobody else has mentioned yet is ALCOHOL! Ugh, talk about killing willpower! One drink is enough for me to throw all my concerns out the window. (I'm pretty tiny and rarely drink, so one beverage gives me a pretty solid buzz...) After that it's all over. I end up drunk, overeating, and usuall hungover which makes me miss my workouts some days and then want to lay around and eat junk again. I have no issue recovering from an indulgent day, but if there is alcohol involved it's considerably harder.
Agree with above, totally! Alcohol most definitely reduces inhibitions, especially regarding food! I can budget the calories for one drink, no problem, but after two, I forget to keep track and get a bad case of the "F it's". Cutting way back on the casual drinking can mean the difference between maintaining and gaining.
I might be FAMISHED (again, totally physiological) and then I have one small snack. That would normally hold me over, but if I'm tired and bored... no way. 
but it's still not something I like. It's not the same as when I enjoy myself on special occasions - it's a desperate "screw it, I give up" mentality because I'm just too tired to resist.
