thank you Mars, unfortunately I did have a terrible night, the day was OK, I even exercised earlier but the night...I binged to the tune of nearly 3,000 calories. I went out to pick up a few things from the grocery store and came home with $17 worth of frozen sweets! I never want to do that again ack!

candidcamster, don't feel too bad. Your progress is great and a couple of flops won't derail everything. This is a concept that I have to keep reminding myself. I haven't had any sweets in weeks and I guess I'm starting to feel withdrawal symptoms? Sleepiness, extreme fatigue, woke up this morning with the migraine from ****. I bought some heads or tails Oreos when I went grocery shopping about a week ago. I haven't even opened them until this morning. And I only have the two which is the suggested serving size, logged it in MFP and I'm still on track for my macro goals, so I think some splurges are ok if you can control it. One food I can't control is bagels and cream cheese, so I have only bought them once this entire 3 month journey so far. And surprisingly I did well with them, which is great too. But believe me, I have gone overboard, to the grocery store and bought stuff that I wanted to kick myself for when I got home. Luckily, I don't live alone so I can give anything bad to my mom or brother which helps a lot. We each have a shelf in the pantry and I'm constantly cleaning my shelf and I put anything I shouldn't have bought on their shelf, lol it's the little things. And they're usually happy for the surprise.

I salute you tranquilize! I would not be able to give up those things to anyone, and would likely trespass into their shelves :devil: That's a great system you have going, though! Do you find that once you've gone through the motion of getting the things at the store, you can move on?

candidcamster :hug: Relapses happen and they sure can be unnerving. I hope you are feeling okay and not being hard on yourself. My 2 cents is that although a binge is usually disappointing, yours was not all that bad, at least compared to what I can do, 'nuff said! Can you discover what led to it? For me, it's often a 'pleasure deficit' & food is then the default solution, before I even realize what's going on.

Fwiw, I'll share what I learned from a nutritionist recently: binges are generally driven by one or the other, or varying combos of 2 causes: physiological hunger (e.g.,reaction to calorie restriction); and psychological such as habit, stress release, pleasure-seeking, etc.

Physiological hunger can really amplify the strength of a binge urge, on top of whatever else might be driving it. I can't always pinpoint what causes me to go off the rails, but thinking of it in this way has been helpful.

My vulnerable time is generally in the afternoon/evening so I try to avoid going to the store then. It can be challenging, as I'm pretty creative at finding things I simply have to buy at 8 pm, lol. Getting past the pizza shop next to the parking lot at work is also tricky sometimes.

Today's check in
After overeating on Fri, I did a little damage control--still ate a bit too much on Sat, but it was low carb. Better on Sunday, and I went for a short but steep hike. Today I'm on track so far. I feel a lot better without sweets, and don't really miss them.
B protein shake
S grilled asparagus, protein chips
L great big salad with chicken, evoo

Tranquilize - have you considered checking pinterest for some easy one pot meals? I know my easy and go to meal is chicken and veg stir fry. I just cut up a breast of chicken and pan cook it in a tiny bit of olive oil spray with salt and pepper. Then I add a bag of frozen vegs, then a serving of Soy Vey Teryaki, mix it around. This gives me dinner and lunch for the next day. Its done in about 15 min.

Hey guys, thought I'd check in again.

My extremely challenging week is over. DS the Younger has walked across the stage -- summa cum laude, yet! I knew his grades were good but somehow I hadn't realized he was eligible and it was VERY emotional for me.

I feel I did well with regard to the food, esp. on two occasions where I walked in with a plan of what I would eat, then found that circumstances had changed and my plan went out the window. The first was a luncheon at a very nice Italian restaurant. I intended to order chicken, only to find that their broiler was down and all they could do was salads, pizza and pasta! So I ordered a big salad topped with chicken and made sure to drink lots of water and focus on the conversation -- which is what I was really there for anyway.

The second occasion was the catered lunch after the graduation. My daughter in law ordered the food -- 5 different kinds of pasta!! ACCCCKKKK!!
What saved me was that there was a big platter of fresh fruit, and two different kinds of salad. So that's what I filled up on -- in spite of DH continuing to urge "moderation" -- he still doesn't get it.

Talked a bit to one sister in law who really needs to lose weight about the changes I've made recently to my eating plan. She really needs to lose weight and our conversation always eventually turn to how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off, how much her feet & knees hurt, etc. She seemed to totally "get" that it's easier for me to not eat certain foods AT ALL than to take a few bites and then try to stop. I don't think she's ready to take the "extreme" step of complete abstinence yet but at least I've planted the seed. Next time I'll see her will be the 4th of July and perhaps my weight loss will encourage her.

All in all, I'm pleased with my performance. No binging, no eating of foods that are off my food plan. I was up a couple lbs. when I first got home but that was more from a slight change in bathroom habits which have now been resolved. Feeling good and it's full steam ahead!

Ladynredd, big congratulations to DS on a job well done! This is a great start to his life as an adult.

Also, you are doing well with your attitude toward food. The only way I can do a "one bite and stop" is if I buy a single serving of something, like a candy bar at the check-out instead of a bag of candy. Or a single serve bag of chips, and I only do that on rare occasions. I'm lucky that the treats DH keeps in the house are things I don't like and can easily resist. The best way to influence someone is to set a good example, and hopefully that will happen with your SIL.

Good job Candidcamster! Great before/after pics.

Tranquilize, I lived alone for a while and understand the difficulty in buying and preparing food for one. I had a problem preparing a big pot of something and spreading it out over a few days because if it was something I liked I had a tendancy to binge on it. Sometimes it works to make a shoppinglist and stick to it when you go to the store.

Melissa, after my kids moved out DH always wanted me to eat with him, and I gained 60 lbs in 3 months! The food tasted great, but it took me a while to learn to cook for 2 instead of 4. I was eating all the leftovers! I finally quit gaining, but unfortunately can't get it back off. Hope you have better success than I or your success will influence me.

Ashlirose, I LOVED your analogy comparing food addiction to an abusive relationship. I feel the same way. If I can't eat a small amount of a particular food without it causing a binge, I have to stay away from it completely, no matter what anyone else says or thinks. In time you will get over that guy that you "love" and in time you will lose the craving for that food that is bad for you.

I think if you're going to slip and eat chocolate, chocolate covered almonds are a great choice, especially if it's dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is good for you and so are almonds, but in small amounts. I agree that 1/2 bag is not good.

Mars, I don't have my glasses on and I thought your "B" was an "8". 8 eggs, a girl after my own heart. I LOVE eggs!

ladynredd Wow, I am truly inspired by reading how you handled a very challenging food situation. To me, that's the essence of managing this addiction in the long term--dealing with the unexpected & handling social situations. Congrats, too, on your DS's achievement---Wow! I agree w wannabehealthy about leading by example re weight loss. It's hard to see people we care about struggle with those issues.

wannabehealthy lol! I am a HUGE fan of eggs, and never bought the iea that they were bad for us. I probably COULD eat 8, esp if they were farm fresh!

Time to get all the paperwork chores done that I procrastinated all weekend. Hope everyone has a good start to your week!

Mars, I have loved eggs since I was a child. I switched to egg substitute for a while because I am a heart patient, but the more I read about them the more determined I was to go back to real eggs. DH used to get on my case about how many eggs I eat but my recent cholesterol blood work was very good, and I contribute that to low carb eating, in spite of all the eggs. My doctor was amazed and asked how I got my cholesterol down and I just said "changed my diet" without mentioning low carb or eggs. I didn't want to hear any lectures.

Kindred spirit, wannabehealthy! That's fantastic that your blood work is great! Hehheh, I can just imagine the look of amazement on your doc's face to learn your secret! I too do best with low carb. I'm not sure how much is right but I do know from the last month that laying off sweets is right for me--no cravings, no joint aches. On the other hand, there's a point where, if my carbs are too low, my overall mental functioning isn't optimal.

I love love love eggs. I think they are a perfect food--maybe not 100% of everything we need, but close! I still have a little trepidation about eating too many--just brainwashed, I guess. I usually have an omelette with 2 eggs & some egg white--based on your post, maybe I'll play around with 3 whole eggs. I love farm fresh eggs but usually buy the pasture-raised hens' eggs in the store. They are pasteurized but still really tasty. Worth the extra $, imo.

How do you like to prepare your eggs?

Mars, I love any type of egg. My favorite is over medium...cooked whites but runny yolks. It's hard to get them right. Too many times the yolks get too well done. And with them I have to have toast, so I use Sara Lee 45 cal bread..thin slices, multigrain. DH makes the best scrambled eggs. When I make them, I like to add sauteed mushrooms and some chopped veggies. Almost an omlette. I like hard cooked, but only if they are warm. Also, deviled eggs or egg salad. Pickled eggs with beets. And around Easter I make a Slovak Easter Cheese which is made with eggs and milk, cooked until it curdles and shaped into a ball.

I never told the doctor that I eat eggs, just that I made dietary changes.

For the past week I have not been eating eggs. I have psoriasis and I read somewhere that eggs can cause it to flare, so I am sworn off eggs for 2 weeks to see if there is any improvement. So far there's not much improvement and I don't want there to be because I don't want to give up my eggs.

I don't think low carb causes me an mental deficiencies that I don't already have. LOL I do feel so much better when I can stick to it but I am so weak it's pitiful. Put a roll in front of me and I slather it with butter and eat it before I even realize it.

You are doing very well, I'd like to add. I would love to weight what you weight! Need to be more diligent.

Nope. Not for me. I do most cooking by scratch. I gained all the weight from my first major weight loss on homemade foods - apple crisp is coming to mind as something I made a LOT during that time.

For me it's simple carbs. Of course, processed foods are carb heavy and caloric heavy.

I just got Quest bars at Wegmans last week. I find them edible and definite filling, but not something that would be calling my name and I love that! My plan is to eat one instead of lunch. I then can eat a huge dinner. I love the intermittent fasting that allows me to have a big meal once a day versus a bunch of small things all day that never fill me up. With eating high protein and low carb, I can manage that.

This is the one thing I don't get. Like really don't get. I know I am really off the deep end when I can eat two sleeves of ritz crackers with an entire can of sleezy cheese and eat a pint of ice cream in the course of the afternoon and still want to eat more and still eat a full dinner.

I'll eat a giant size box of Mike and Ike's in one go. It's crazy. Next day it's back at it.

But when I get it under control with going low carb, I can have half in half in my coffee, a quest bar for lunch, and then a big dinner and feel completely satisfied. But if I added a slice of cake to the day? I would then not be satisfied and want an entire additional mean or several slices of cake.

I simply don't get that!!!

I don't do low carb. Fruits and veggies see to that! But I stay away from white breads and pastas, for sure.

I can eat a normal bowl of whole wheat pasta and be satisfied. If I eat a bowl of white pasta, I get this WANT. MORE. NOW. feeling very soon. White bread, crackers, etc. Same deal.

I make my own bread, so it isn't mysterious Big Food additives that are the problem for me. White breads are a downfall. I do MUCH better with breads that have more whole wheat than all purpose or bread flour. I like the taste of breads with wheat more than white, but I can handle smaller amounts much easier. I don't even make Italian, ciabatta or focaccia very often because I know I'll just eat it all.

There's something there.

Oh, my low card is low carb for me. I eat fruit and all veggies. I just stay away from grains. And yes... White bread - huge trigger for me, HUGE!

Well I fell off the wagon this week. The good news is there were no sweets involved. But the last couple of days I lost my focus and felt out of sorts. At first I decided to just up my calories for a bit, but yesterday and today I just plain overate. So now I feel out of sorts from too much food as opposed to the crankiness I often get from too little cals & carbs. I love being in ketosis because of the freedom from hunger, but it's so hard to stick to at social things. I'll step on the scale tomorrow--the reality check helps me to refocus. Plus I'm always optimistic..'it won't be THAT bad' :lol:

Ooooh I'm envious! If I et one Quest bar, I need another one or 2 to feel satisfied, except the double choc chunk is almost enough. What flavors do you like? I'm intrigued by your IF/low carb blend. I'd lost weight with low carb/low cal. Ever since then, I eat small meals and am continuously hungry.
Btw, CONGRATS on your great progress that I read on the Daily Check In

Bingo! I don't get it either--must have something to do with those hormones like leptin? THIS is what I think of as my addiction around certain foods.

:drool::drool::drool: The Slovak Easter Cheese sounds really good!

Yes, good idea to avoid the lecture! I went to a new internist while I was on my super restricted diet. She ran 12 different blood tests thinking she would find all sorts of vitamin deficiencies. They all came back normal. I stuck with my old MD, who was glad that I was losing weight.

Well, I don't know what to wish for you....Would be nice to find a way to improve it, but that would be a tough one for an egg lover such as yourself. I one had a BF who had psoriasis and he had a lot of improvement in his joints from eliminating red meat. I hope you'll let us know how it goes.

Thank-you so much for those kind words of encouragement :hug:wannabehealthy! I would feel okay at my current weight except that my clothes don't fit so great now. If I lost 10 lbs I would be happy with my weight and wardrobe. And I could totally eat that butter-slathered roll, and a few more without even blinking. I have it easy because I am single. I can keep anything tempting out of the house.

Yes yes yes! I think we are at the dawn of time in understanding what that 'something' is. But I find it helpful to read others have it. For years, I ignored it, felt it was just weakness. I even remember my dad lamenting that when he ate those triggery foods he loved, it was as if a light switch was turned on instead of off. More more more--the mantra of food addiction!

I find this discussion of what are the triggering foods to be fascinating. I don't find grains or bread triggering. Or nuts or cheese though I could overeat them in a flash. But I wouldn't keep wanting more as it i with sweets, especially cakes or cookies. I guess I like my grains with a lot of sugar and butter, lol.

Wishing everyone a great weekend. :wave:

As expected, weight is up. 3lbs. Strange as it may sound, I always feel relieved to weigh in.
Related to overeating, I slept really well last night, until almost 6 as opposed to the usual 4a wake up. My mood is lighter than it's been lately. I wonder if it's the extra carbs or simply the extra calories. I am going to try out more carbs, not the triggering, crazy-making kind! Somehow I need to find the level of carbs that keeps my appetite suppressed but still allows for good sleep, good mood, good cognition, good ebnergy....Fastening my seat belt for the next experiment!

Hello everyone,

I've been MIA but I'm doing ok. I had been on track and then my weight just wouldn't budge, so wouldn't you know it...I started to binge again. Then something clicked and I stopped binging, which is a huge relief since it could last for months and cause a lot of damage.

Lately, though, I've been restricting a lot. I eat under 1,000 calories a day. I know that's not great, but for now, I'm not gonna stop. I think it's ok to do it short term, but I know some of you might tell me otherwise. I'm just so tired of being at this weight. Even on very low calorie, the weight isn't coming off that fast. It makes me realize that if I were having 1500 calories a day (my usual amount for weight loss), nothing would be happening at all.

I'm walking more than 10,000 steps a day...sometimes more. I think the biggest issue is my sleep deprivation.

Anyway, I'm glad to be here. Too tired to catch up on everything I missed.

Wishing you all a great weekend that is binge-free.

Hi luckymommy Way to go re not bingeing. :cp::bravo::cp: I would love to hear more about what clicked. I hear ya re wanting to shed some lbs. the common wisdom is don't restrict, but the common wisdom so often reverses itself, that I ignore it. We are each so different. If it works for you, great and if not, tweak it until you find just what works. I've found that what works will change over time :dizzy: I sure wish you didn't have to deal with sleep deprivation. Have you ever had one of the overnight sleep studies done?

Fwiw.....the weight will come off at your low cals even without the steps. It might take a while to get going, but it will come off. I consulted a nutritionist a few months ago to get an idea of how many calories I needed. When I told her I had done a less-than-1000-cal diet for 7 months, she immediately lectured me about not going under 1000. She cited the studies about how restricting causes our brains to go on autopilot to prevent us from starvation, like send strong urges to gorge on quick energy-dense foods.

The thing is, there was and is no famine & I'm far from starving. Realizing that fact took away the power of my binge urges during and after restricting. My limiting factor with restriction is poor sleep & concentration. Wondering if you notice any difference in your sleep pattern when you cut cals? I bought some L-tryptophan to try for better sleep next time I do a super low carb, low cal plan.

Wishing you SLEEP... Keep up your great work! :cheer3::cheer2::cheer:

My news is that Thai food has sugar! I ordered carefully but even the soy sauce on the steamed veggies had sugar. I'm pleased at my ability to detect it, but it was after the fact and I really didn't intend to miss a fabulous meal. Maybe I need to rethink things....somehow 'in the moment' I tasted my friend's special dessert and then had more sweets later in the day. So far today I am craving-free....hopefully I didn't awaken the beast! :devil:

I think they are totally at the beginning of understanding what has an effect on eating and what doesn't. I'm sure some is mental, but some is physical, too. There's a lot left to learn.

It's hard for me to say whether I want cake because of the WANT. CAKE. NOW. thing or because it tastes so good. I like it so much that I can't say, really. But white breads are a done deal. I prefer wheat, but will crave white more.

I firmly believe that sleep plays a big part. When I'm sleeping enough (on a regular basis), I lose more than when I don't. I work hard on getting enough sleep.

I wanted lemon cake with tart lemon curd between the layers and thick, delightfully popping lemon buttercreamy frosting. I've been thinking and talking about it all day. But I didn't cave. Yet. Day's not over, lol.

If I make it, I will eat the heck out of it, so I'm resisting. :)

mars, thanks so much for your support and info. What clicked for me is an upcoming trip abroad. I'm going to a place that will be very hot and I don't look forward to my thighs rubbing together. I was trying really hard and working out and the weight just wouldn't budge. I know there are lots of times I've seen people on this site post that they're counting calories, working out, doing all the "right" things and nothing is helping. I used to think that they must be miscalculating something, but even as I'm having very low calories, I'm realizing that those people were probably right.

If I had to guess why I'm not losing very much at all, I would say it's because of several factors. One, is the sleep deprivation (thanks for the wish for me to sleep, btw...that's super sweet and yes, I"ve had two sleep studies) but another possibility is just perhaps age (I'm 44) and maybe hormones or thyroid...I'm on the low end of normal.

With regards to studies, I think often those can be used to prove just about any agenda. I've read that going low calorie short term is fine, as long as you're overweight to begin with...which I definitely qualify. ;) I won't do this for long. My goal is to get to 175...hopefully before my trip (in 15 days) and then, I'll try some calorie cycling. Based on just calorie intake and the calories burned, I should get to 175 in 15 days, but realistically, I'll probably only lose 3 lbs., which will put me at 177...not a huge deal of course.

Did you find the nutritionist helped you? I've always contemplated trying one out but I'm so crazy food-wise that I don't think I could change. I've even tried therapy and obviously, that didn't help either. I'm an addict and I'm longing for a day when I can finally find a way to manage my addiction.

Btw, there are people here that post about intuitive eating and how it has helped them get over their addiction and I think that's great...but I've tried it and it was just a disaster. For me, it's just better to face the fact that I'm and addict and any effort to eat like a "normal" person is simply my addiction taking over and tricking me into thinking I can handle it...which I can't. Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. ;) I know you guys would understand.

p.s. I'm terrified of the trip coming up...I have no idea how I'll handle it. I really need my routine and don't do well at all and there will be jet lag on top of existing sleep issues. Do any of you have any advice on how to handle travel?

Oh and with regards to sleep and calories...the only time I sleep better is when I have binged and fall into what I call a sugar coma. Otherwise, I am just not a good sleeper. My dad is exactly the same way. We both have daily headaches and we both can't tolerate medication.

luckymommmy, is your trip a vacation? Hope so! I have a vacation coming up on Nov and feel the same way--if I am on my own I love it, but this one will be a tour. I never realize how much I like my routines until I have to let go of them. You are pretty tall and I wonder if your body just thinks there isn't much to lose? I'm 5'4" and 150 is smack in the middle of my ideal range. The last 10-15 lbs takes the longest to shed!

Depending on where you are going, it may be possible to hang on to some of your routines. I like to google for a Whole Foods or farmer's market, a place to buy my beloved whey shakes; I also pack some protein snacks. If you have any flexibility, you can plan in some nap time to allow for jet lag.

I'm fortunate because I love looking at birds so a strange place is always an opportunity--even the 'parking lot' birds are a treat, and it makes me feel at home to look for them. Also journaling a trip--pen & paper, not smartphone--grounds me. And, sounding like a broken record here, and of course feel free to ignore ;), Healthjourneys.com guided imagery and affirmations. You can listen to sample before buying, the ones with Belleruth Naperstek are great. I was surprised how effective that has been to get me out of negative thinking, which is my default. She has one on relaxation that I have not yet tried.

Re sleep....I totally agree with you about studies being used to confirm a bias and I'm sorry they didn't find an 'aha' solution for you. Have you found that your WOE makes any difference? For me, it's like night & day--when I diet, I wake up 330-4a and when I don't, 5a. I'm not sure if the low calories or low carbs that change the pattern. I've read that serotonin is necessary for sleep and that carbs are required for its synthesis. I did try taking L-tryptophan a few times--it's the precursor to serotonin---and it helped.

The nutritionist did not really help me for the reasons you described. Nutritonists in my opinion do not think out of the box They have a tried and true party line about eating well, blah blah blah. Nowadays they base it on research more than in the past, but they in no way know what to do for crazy addictive eaters like us. If you have anorexia, maybe bulimia, they might be of help. But not plain old compulsive overeating with a few binges. So mine turned out not to that helpful in providing me any solutions. But I did like her explanation of why we get the powerful urges to binge right after a diet--the famine reaction thing. I relaized that I experienced that in a big way. Her conclusion was 'don't diet' but mine was 'I'm not in a famine so I can choose to ignore those urges--they aren't relevant to my survival right now'.

IE is based on such flawed logic, imo, that I just can't wrap my mind around it, though I am glad others apparently find some help from it. Anything espoused by a nutritionist has been absolutely useless in my experience. There, I said it! So done with people telling me how I should eat when they have NO CLUE as to what works. There, I feel better now that that's off my chest, too lm!

Not sure if you are a reader of addiction/diet books. I didn't used to be but I liked this book; Addiction & Grace by Gerald May. (He was a shrink, also a Jesuit priest, so you have to just overlook the religious stuff, unless that appeals). It's a good read though.

Uh-oh, time is flying by and gotta get ready or work. Rain on the first day of June in NoCal. Too weird, but we'll take it!

mars, thanks so much! You're so intelligent and you get it, making you a great inspiration for me. Sorry that the nutritionist didn't help you, but it really doesn't surprise me at all....but you saved me some money because I've been curious to try someone and I definitely won't.

I'm traveling to a few countries with my husband and two kids. There are no whole foods or anything of the sort. We will be eating out most of the time but we're staying in apartments where we'll at least be in control of breakfast. I'll go to a market and buy eggs, fruits and veggies so at least I"ll start my day off right. I like to snack on pistachios so hopefully, I can find some of those. The rest of the time, I'll try to only eat meat with salad. All that sounds great in theory, but you know how it is once we're confronted with so many temptations.

I will check out heathyjourneys! Sounds great actually. I've read lots of books on binge eating and none have helped yet. Do you think Addiction and Grace is really different? I"m not religious but I can definitely overlook that stuff easily.

Well, time has flown for me as well and I have to go. I'm in Southern Cal and no rain yet, but we're really hoping for some. :) Hope you have a great day.

Nutritionists... I have limited patience. Their "tried and true" help is well, tried and true for many, but not all. PLUS, they contradict each other.

I had to have a nutritionist when I was pregnant with my second son if I wanted to stay with my CNMs as I developed gestational diabetes. That nutritionalist said to go on a low carb diet - as low as I could make it - and not to worry about fat levels. It worked BRILLIANTLY and all my bloodwork improved across the board.

A few years later and I joined fitness/weightloss thing at my gym and you had to go to a nutritionist. She was spouting the old verbage of balance between carbs and protein and eating low fat. I ignored her.

Even the Diabetes Association is slow to take up low carb for type 2 diabetes, even though my primary care told me to eat low carb when my blood sugars were out of whack (turns out it was thyroid related). There is so much misinformation and every expert thinks they are the ONLY expert and their way is the ONLY way. It's not that simple because we're not that simple.

I saw a dietitian and she was a big help. She got me a discount on My Net Diary, too. I kind of love that app. After trying Spark, Lose It, Fitness Pal and one other, I could appreciate how good it is. So, seeing the dietitian was worth it just for that.

The dietitian isn't a great idea if you want mental assistance. They're not counselors. But if you have food questions, are on a special diet or just want a personalized plan to stick to, they're great. Mine was, anyway.

I love MyNetDiary too - except for this one thing that pops up every time I look at my weight. Today it reads.

That drives me buggy! BMI is for populations, not individuals and I will NEVER EVER weigh 158.8 nor would any doctor recommend that weight for me expecially as the "maximum" I should weigh. Maybe minimum!!!

It totally ignores my goal which is 175. (165 probably being "ideal" weight for me, but also nearly impossible for me to attain and/or maintain). But almost ALLLLL fitness/nutrition apps do crap like that. So, I live with it and curse at it's inappropriateness. Most people aren't outliers though... but there are always outliers!

That has to suck for you. There should be a way to customize!

I'm like most people and fit into the BMI thing. I'm not overweight because I'm so extremely muscular or have big bones or a unique body shape or anything. For me, it's fat, for sure. I have to hit about 162 to get into the chart's normal range and I will still be too fat when I hit it.

I know it's not an individualized thing, but I want that Normal BMI and I want it bad. A little shallow. I'll own that. :)

I have been waiting a long time to have a Normal BMI. I was THRILLED when I went from Obese to Overweight. Nobody was ever so happy to be classed as Overweight as I was on that day. :carrot: I was all, "I'm OVERWEIGHT!!! YAY!! I'm Overrrweeei-eight! I'm not Obeee-eese. I'm overweight! Yay me!" That was a great day.

Being overweight is now less of a thrill. I want to be "Normal."

Where do you get the little lecture? I get like two sentences and I'm wondering if we're in the same place. Is it the app or online and where, exactly? Mine comes in the app, under the details tab, where you enter your Daily Weight. I reset myself in January, so it tell me that "You've lost about 5.2 pounds since Monday, January 5. Your BMI is 26.6, which means overweight." That's all I get there.

I added wheat back into my diet about 4 months ago and let me tell you - that stuff is dangerous! It is my trigger food. I went low carb and gluten free in May of 2013 and lost a lot of weight. When I tried to add wheat (low carb wraps- ezekiel bread ect) I was ravenous. Gained 10 pounds that I've been fighting with ever since. I got off the gluten and I am much more in control again, but still losing and gaining the same 10 pounds.

Thank-you for the compliment, luckymommy! I hope the rain reaches you. As for the book, I just found that the way he talked about addiction was really useful for me. He views it as an integral part of the human condition & has a list of many many addictions. it's really about the quality of the attachment to something & the tendency is hard-wired into our brains. I'll dig it up & cut & paste some quotes. Like David Kessler, he does not offer a quick fix, which is why I like them so much--more intellectually humble and willing to admit when something is not yet known. As opposed to the nutrition industry that loves to come up with press releases about what EVERY one should be eating, which are then found to be completely wrong. Oh here i go again on the nutritionists! ;)

I guess travel with hubby & kids does not equal R & R! It sounds like you will have a fantastic time. All you can do is make the best choices you can with what is available. You might even be pleasantly surprised. As for temptations, i think on a vacation, it is possible to strike a balance between having enough to avoid feeling deprived while avoiding the addicitve mode of diving in with abandon. The way I know the difference is that when I do the latter, there is no end point of satisfaction. I can actually sense that beforehand--the 'more more more' feeling. It's a delicate balance, though. Sounds like you will be walking a lot, and that will be great on many levels--just bring some lotion or mineral oil for rubbing thighs.

Not sure if this would help, but I sometimes use liquid benadryl to sleep on the plane. I'll still be able to wake if needed (eg meal, lol), but basically I can sleep until landing and feel pretty refreshed, no drugged hangover feeling.

I agree & I really shouldn't unequivically bash them. They are great for medical diets and pregnancy, and sometimes with eating disorders too. Absolutely essential, imo. Based on my experience with them, though, they never retreat. Instead of saying 'we do not treat mental issues with overeating' they hang out the shingle and invite people with compulsive overeating issues and then do absolutely nothing besides prescribe a healthy diet with the admonition that 'preventing physical hunger makes it easier to deal with emotional eating.' While that is useful to a point, it leaves a huge gap. I know there are notable exceptions among clinical nutritionists. But they are exceptions and likely have some sort of mental health credentials. ok rant over!

Hi lotsakids Wow sounds like you have gleaned some major info! I think getting some control is the first step and will give some breathing room to work on a weight loss plan. I always have to withdraw first from the trigger by eating a LOT of non-trigger food. Then it's easier to taper back on calories, etc. Good luck!

luckymommy Re Healthjournerys (Bellerruth Naperstak) Each of her recording contains an intro, a guided imagery ~25 min, and then affirmations. The guided imagery is best done where you can relax--some people fall asleep. The affirmations can be listened to while driving, even. Just a heads up....For some reason she says at the end of the affirmations something about being utterly safe & resting in the hands of god. That is a little jolting to me--but i learned to screen it out, as she suggests with things that don't fit.

I most liked the one on trauma, sometimes I enjoy the one on anger/forgiveness, and also weightloss affirmations. Did not particularly like the spirituality one. They are all a little similar, but the trauma one has beautiful imagery and I like the music. I don't have PTSD or anything like some of the trauma I've read about from 3FCers, but like the rest of humanity, I've experienced some tough times. I think this recording might have a broad appeal).

Ran across this interesting article today on food addiction:
http://authoritynutrition.com/how-to...ood-addiction/

Thank you for posting this article. I am so inspired by how directly they write about addiction. I mean, how ridiculous would we all think alcoholics are if they say they will allow themselves to have just one beer each day.

It is somehow inspiring to have someone say that the "not one bite of bad" is the real mindset for a food addict like myself. For years in my mind I have literally believed that I was doing really good in that I didn't eat everything that ever crossed my mind. That I could eat 3 donuts at the office and not 20. That I am doing good because I eat only one piece of cake (knowing that I could easily eat the whole thing if I were by myself). Diets DO work for addicts because they REMOVE the work of living "normal". I think that if I have to hold back and act "normal" that it is WAY harder and mentally exhausting than to have a rock solid mantra of NO addiction foods PERIOD. I think that every alcoholic and drug addict would agree -- nothing is better than something that will throw us into the awful downward spiral of food sneaking, binging and cravings.

Our goal of staying clean is a much better one. We might slip and we might fail but at least we know there is a real solution of abstinence. Somehow,mas crazy as it sounds, abstinence sounds easier. I have never tried it except when I did the Ideal Protein Diet with a coach. I can't afford that now, but I also thought I could get to goal weight and eat "normally" ... Which for a food addict is absolutely not true.

Thanks again for your story and all power to us all who are getting on top of this hard problem. Thanks for the hope and helpful posts.

This is a fantastic article. Thank-you thank-you thank-you for sharing ladynredd. I think this is the path for me, meaning abstinence. The social pressure thing is the hardest at this point--going to someone's house and explaining no sugar. They just don't get it.I love the simplicity and the 'here's what to do' prescription in this short article.

amyniagara Agreed! I had a similar experience with Ideal Protein. If you are thinking IP would be a good way to go, have you considered alternatives, ie, similar foods to IP at 1/2 the price and using 3FC Ideal or another forum for your support? They are an active group with a lot of helpful threads. I found that IP bars were very triggering so stuck to a few savories & shakes. I am coming to realize that artificially sweetened things can be as triggering as regular sugared things.

Here is the Alternatives thread--first post lists IP compliant macros.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...-part-6-a.html

ladynredd, thanks so much for posting this article. I wish everyone in the world would read it and watch the video included. Perhaps then, people would stop the judging and treat us food addicts with a little more compassion. We didn't ask for this problem and we're not gluttons.

Yes - after so much learning from IP i am doing great with alternatives (i also found the bars to be triggering so i use ProtiDiet foods and get savory soups, hot chocolate and oatmeal but i put the oatmeal with lots of egg whites and make that into a crepe with Walden Farms sugar free syrup).

I have spent the last year trying to calorie count and stay under 60 carbs each day but it has been an uphill climb to do this while battling the addiction. I think it is just simpler/easier to have a strict guideline of "faux IP" which keeps my pancreas happy and my insulin dreamy.

I am on day 6 of ketosis and already feel soooo much calmer and relaxed. This Friday I have family coming and I wish there was something I could tell them that would help them to help me but people just think its a silly thing, to refuse any sugar at all. We need to invent a word for this problem that the world will take seriously. Wouldn't that be great?

Thanks for this link to the alternatives group ... I will join it! :)

No, bash away! :) It's no fun if everyone has the same thing to say.

I've had bad experiences with dietitians in the past and know some suck. But the one I went to see for a real plan was great and a big help to me, so I want to share the good side. :)

I also did 1500 calories for 2 months ... Ate clean and walked a lot. I cried and felt so disheartened when I gained 6 pounds...literally a 1/2 pound each week like clockwork.

It is our DNA to have bodies that love carbs and gain gain gain when we eat them. I have heard so many times that calories are all the same but I guarantee you that if I am on a strict lo carb that I do not gain. I do want to lose but I also want to stop gaining.

If you are getting 70 grams of protein each day, and drinking a gallon of water each day, wit lots of salad and veggies and sea salt plus calcium pills -- I would bet that 1000 calories is feeling pretty good. Don't forget to take potassium.

I guess I can totally relate to your POV. Stay sunny side up!

Oops...I meant to link this to the 5/30/15 post by "lucky momma" I can't get the edit to work...I goofed.

I know how it feels to not be able to stop eating and to feel horrible afterwards. I was an overeater myself, and I tried so many way to overcome this eating disorder, however I can tell you that the easiest way to stop overeating forever is to re-program your brain. I know it sounds complex, but it is quite easy. I learned everything from a woman, Heather, who has a great youtube video in which she explains what you must do to overcome binge eating forever. She also gives away for free her last ebook and smartphone App. Hope it will help you too...

If you want to lose weight in my opinion, you need to create a fast metabolism for yourself. I lost 30 pounds in the last few months and I didn’t have to kill myself for it. I simply increased my metabolic rate to more than 2000 calories per day and my recommendation is to do the same, because right now your metabolic rate is at around 1400 calories per day, which means you are almost gaining weight.