Binging. Please help.

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  • I have been on and off this diet in the past because I always give up but I have started again this week. I desperately want and need to lose a stone. However, I feel like I have an extremely bad relationship with food šŸ™
    I do pretty well on fast days, but i can slip straight into a binge so easily. So on a non fast day I may binge and that makes me feel depressed and like a failure, so I will eat more (emotional eating) and so on. It’s a vicious cycle that I can’t seem to get myself out of. I feel so pathetic. I don’t know what to do. It’s consuming me

    Try Overeaters Anonymous. They have a good plan that works for compulsive eaters. I am working through their program and it has helped a bunch with the binge and emotional eating.

    They follow the model of AA.

    Don’t give up, Ginax! I consider myself a carbohydrate addict, because the more I eat them, the more I want to eat more, even if I am feeling woozy and disgusted with myself. I also want to eat them to deal with my emotions, whether it is anxiety, depression, boredom, happiness, celebration, etc. When I started doing IF in early December, we were just entering the holidays, and I binged on Christmas and New Year’s goodies every day that I wasn’t fasting. To give an example, I love fruitcake, everyone in my family knows it, and I was given FIVE fruitcakes for Christmas. And didn’t I have to eat ALL of them over the course of the next couple of weeks, while also working to “clear out” (euphemism for eat) all the cookies and fudge that were still in the house?! BUT, I only let myself do that on non-fasting days, and I didn’t eat any sugar or processed starch at all on fast days. (Only protein and non-starchy vegetables, spread evenly over breakfast, lunch, and dinner.) Staying away from the carbs on fast days helped me to stop feeling hungry every hour or 2, as the blood sugar swings evened out. Being successful on fast days helped improve my confidence, and, after 5 weeks or so, I started to do much better on non-fasting days, with the exception of some special occasions, such as a family wedding. I still eat some sweets on every nonfasting day, but no longer binge and try not to have my “super triggers” (cake and home-made cookies) around the house. One day my mother-in-law sent half a cake home from church with my husband and me (with just the 2 of us at home), and I basically ate the whole thing over the course of the day. (Which was showing restraint, because I wanted to eat in over about 2 hours!) I just jumped back into fasting the next day and vowed I would never bring that much home again. The next Sunday, we only accepted 2 pieces, which was quite a surprise for her and much better for both of us.

    I think that IF teaches us some very valuable lessons, even if we are initially eating too much on regular days. First, you learn what real, stomach-growling hunger feels like, and that it goes away (on its own or even quicker with a piece of celery or a carrot). You also learn that avoiding or limiting unhealthy carbs gets rid of the episodes of shakiness and anxiety you get when your blood sugar is dropping fast a couple of hours after a binge, which is not true hunger. You eventually start to feel clear-headed and energetic on fast days, and gradually eat less and better on regular days, so you don’t mess up that feeling. And, when you start losing a little weight, optimism kicks in and helps carry you along!

    In spite of frequent bingeing during the first 6 weeks of my IF journey, never calculating my TDEE or counting calories on non-fast days, and being a sedentary 58-year-old woman, I have lost 15 pounds in 17 weeks. I know it’s not rapid, but my relationship with food, self-esteem, and confidence that I can keep it up have improved dramatically. I probably won’t graduate to 6:1 until the end of the year, but I fully intend to get there! So stay with us, so we can all celebrate you LOSING that stone in a few months!

    And Ginax, stop thinking of yourself as pathetic! You are back again, and you are doing well on fasting days, so you have POWER! Just take 1 fast day at a time, and I promise it will grow.

    Dont give up ginax!!! I too used to binge eat (a lot!) and i have come to realise that it is an addiction, like drugs/alcohol. I was somebody that couldnt have just one piece of chocolate…because i’d go on to eat not only the whole bar, but several then biscuits etc and anything else i can get my hands on.
    A big part of success for me (which should of been obvious thinking about it) is just not to buy the binge foods (for me cakes, biscuits, chocolates etc. Or to go “cold turkey” If i haven’t got the binge foods in the house i cant eat them and dont even really think about them. HOWEVER i will still allow myself the odd treat day for example a film day with the bf, where we will buy treats that day, to eat that day and i wont feel guilty about it and i will enjoy them alot more. As this to me is truly how treats are supposed to be enjoyed. Not scoffed everyday with resulting feelings of mass guilt etc. so in reality i wasnt enjoying them in the first place.
    Also stick with 5:2 i have found it’s really helped šŸ™‚ As others have said, over time it does teach you what real hunger is and it becomes easier to understand the difference between hunger and cravings and realise that you are the one that controls what you put in your mouth. I no longer feel like a slave to food.
    Granted i appreciate as an ex-sugar addict and someone who has been prone to binging, i will probably always have to be vigilant with myself. But 5:2 has helped me lose the weight and learn that food is fuel but can still be enjoyed.
    I had slip up days when i started, but i saw it as a work in progress, re-training myself (i didnt start a binging habit in a day, so i accepted it may take time to get out of the habit) But I have. I feel like i’ve turned my life around, and if i can anyone can!! Good luck!!! xx

    Hi Ginax I understand where you are coming from I started this diet last year and was doing well up to Xmas but then everything went wrong .i have started again I do well on my fast days but cannot seem to stop eating on my non fast days.i get so cross with myself but once I eat one square of chocolate I can’t stop.i know as I am eating it I should stop but a little voice in my head says keep going then I can’t stop I will eat biscuits, anything sweet I just do not know how to get out of this silly obsession of stuffing on non fast days. Please can anyone help I so want to loose this stone of mine that I hate so much.

    I would try getting rid of all of the foods in your house that you feel powerless over. Until you feel your cravings subsiding and start getting more of a rush from the joy of losing weight than you do from bingeing. šŸ™‚

    what good advice Char6. My family and neighbours have done so well out of me clearing out the cupboards. I still bake my famous lumberjack cake–cut it into big and small slices when serving (so I can still participate in the yumminess) then whatever is left over I pack it up and give it away. It’s not worth the battle with the fridge door–one day I will be able to spread out my treats but at the moment temptation needs to be well away.

    I can do it because there is only me–not sure what strategies work if you have others to consider. But I guess the upside of that is that you are ‘supervised’ and can be challenged by the raised eyebrow. whereas us solo’s can be naughty without boundaries !!!!

    Ginax, are you still here? We are rooting for you, as well as for NellyMay and all the rest of us who are trying to improve our health and self esteem!

    What a GREAT thread. I lean toward binging as well. Glad I’m not alone. I start the plan on Monday, and hope that as time goes on, I will get more in touch with my appetite/hunger and fullness signals. It’s something I’m definitely going to work on. For anyone interested, here is my plan on non-fast days.

    I read that when you eat slowly, you eat less, so this is what I’ll be doing.

    1. Take small bites of food
    2. chew food 15-20 x.
    3. use a small spoon.
    4. put spoon down between bites
    +
    take a portion I think I would be satisfied with, eat it, and then wait 20 min. before going back for seconds (this gives enough time for your stomach to signal your brain you are full).

    I got the above from a great article I read in the newspaper a few years ago. It was based on a study of eating slowly and how you eat less calories when you do. I’m finally implementing it! If anyone wants a link to that article, let me know, and I’ll post it.

    Dear all of you,

    I’m so glad to find this topic already posted and can truly understand what you are talking about. I had a normal eating routine and weight, but getting depressive and out of work changed a lot. At the moment I’m in my second week, but done monday, wednesday and friday as fast days last week and try to plan it like this also this week. I decided to do it 4:3 in the beginning to get more motivation from the weight loss and getting into a habit faster. After the first week I lost half a kilo but didn’t restrict myself on non-fasting days which I still don’t feel able to because of cravings and binging and all the emotional stuff you’ve written about.
    The other day I really hesitated if I don’t support the binging by doing 5:2, but not having an alternative I sticked to it. Hopefully I’ll be able to normalize my meals on non-fasting days and wheever I feel doubtious I try to read a little in the forum which makes me always feel much better.

    Hi Giga! I’m glad this thread is helping you. And Joyfulnoise, how are you doing? If either of you haven’t already seen the new posting from today “Defeating a very old very clever enemy” check it out. I think it’s fantastic! It’s so ironic that we eat too much of the wrong things in an attempt to feel better, emotionally, but it makes everything so much worse. Just like alcoholics, I guess, except we don’t even have the option of giving up food altogether! Thank heaven IF gives us the tools to break that vicious cycle. Keep spreading the news!

    char, thank you for asking!

    I’ve had to push my fasting down a week, I start this Monday, but I have made an effort to practice the suggetions I posted above, and they really do help you eat less.

    I am going to look for that post you mentioned. Thanks for mentioning it.

    char, what forum is that post under? I used the search box but nothing came up.

    Here is a great post by Wayne everyone should read:

    Wayne Thomas Batson
    Hi, all. Iā€™ve been on 5:2 for four weeks now. Iā€™m down about 11 pounds, which Iā€™ve heard is not at all the norm. 5:2 is generally a gradual, but steady weightloss approach. But Iā€™m extraordinarily encouraged by more than the pounds down. For me, this isnā€™t just about losing weight. Itā€™s about fighting addiction (and the forces behind it) and regaining self control.
    Iā€™ve been heavy since my first metabolism change between 5th and 6th grade. Seriously, I was a toothpick until the end of 5th grade and then, WHAM, suddenly I looked like Pugsly from the Addams Family. Thankfully, I hit a growth spurt in middle school and played varsity tennis for four years, so I leaned out for a while. Fast forward to marriage and kids, metabolism change #2 at about age 26, and I steadily gained. I went from 180lbs at marriage in 1994 to 305lbs by the winter of 2012.
    But Iā€™d be lying if I tried to blame this on metabolism. Itā€™s mental, emotional, social, and not-just-a-little-bit spiritual. Iā€™ve spent years, telling myself Iā€™m entitled to eat everything I want when I want. I got mad at the consequences as if itā€™s not fair to get fat when I live on calzones, doughnuts, and nachos. I rationalize: ā€œIā€™ve had a hard week, Iā€™ve worked hard, Itā€™s the weekend, Itā€™s the holiday, Itā€™s my birthday, Itā€™s summer (and 10,000 others) and SOā€¦I should ruin myself with more food than I need.
    Iā€™ve discovered that this addiction to food and lack of self control was also masking other ā€œhiddenā€ character flaws. I was self medicating with food because I had social anxieties and even bouts of depression. I was hiding from the realities that I didnā€™t want to face. Hiding in food. Youā€™d be surprised how much you can hide in a vat of cheesey mashed potatoes.
    All of that is treacherously unhealthy in a hundred ways. And worse still, my behaviors and attitudes were being monitored by my family, especially my children. And, unfortunately, some of my kids have taken after their dad in their eating habits, lack of self control, and rationalizingā€¦even in the shape that they are allowing themselves to get into.
    All this to say: the problem isnā€™t just food. Itā€™s not just overeating. Itā€™s not as simple as calories in, calories out. There are social, emotional, mental, and spiritual forces working against us. Not to mention that life is freakinā€™ stressful. And not to mention that the governmental authorities have been screwing us with wrong nutritional guidelines for fifty years. So no wonder we have an obesity epidemic. And no wonder, I allowed myself to become 1.5 times the man I should be.
    Enter 5:2. I canā€™t speak for anyone beyond myself because we are all complex, multifaceted individuals. But what 5:2 does for me is it puts to death the addictive process. Oh, it comes back. Like the Walking Dead, on non fast days, I deal with the addiction and compulsive ideas. But each fast day, I kill it all over again. And it feels spectacular. Itā€™s no accident that the Bible shows fasting to be an invaluable too to A) think clearly and B) fight against the voracious ā€œSELF.ā€ Thereā€™s a difference in my thought patterns now. Itā€™s a kind of addiction kryptonite. Even on a nonfast day, if Iā€™m eating smothered quesadillas, I knowā€”KNOWā€”that tomorrow is the reckoning for that impulse. I will (by Godā€™s grace) kill it again.
    And Iā€™ve discovered something amazing: it feels good to fast. Sure, Iā€™ve had hunger pangs. Duh. And it doesnā€™t help to have my kids ordering pizza at 10pm on my fast day. lol But still, Iā€™ve got the forge heating up inside me. I can feel the warmth within, and I can think straight. Last night, at bedtime, after another successful fast day, I felt euphoric. I turned out the light, lied down, and prayed for a half hour before drifting off. I woke up this morning and, as it has been each day after a fast, I felt freaking incredible.
    What Iā€™m discovering, slowly but surely, is that 5:2 is not a punitive, confining thing. Itā€™s actually helping me regain freedom. See eating whatever we want whenever we want, the consequences be damned is NOT freedom. Thatā€™s subtle, manipulative, cancerous SLAVERY. Every time we rationalize doing something we KNOW hurts us, we KNOW is wrongā€¦we are bowing to a cruel taskmaster. But 5:2 unlocks those shackles. You have freedom to eat as usual, to enjoy the pleasure that God provides through food, but not to be controlled by them. I know that (by Godā€™s grace) I can go without food. I donā€™t need it the way I always thought I did. And I know that, the next day, I will go without. Each and every success builds confidence and pushes addictive control farther back in the rearview mirror.
    If youā€™re reading this and thinking: ā€œThatā€™s great for you, pal, but you donā€™t know me,ā€ I answer: No, I donā€™t know you. But I do know our enemy. He sucks eggs. And he can be defeated. Kill him twice a week with 5:2.

    I can relate to all the above food issues and found reading all the threads encouraging that it’s not just me, and to stick with it. One slipped fast doesn’t mean I’m a failure and should give up. Roll on Monday when I will fast again.

    I’ve only just joined the forum, but I’m back on 5:2 to loose about 8/10 lbs that I’ve gained because I didn’t go on to 6:1 after I lost just over a stone last year! I’ve found all your posts so helpful. I have struggled on and off with binging over the years, but I did find that the 5:2 way has been the only thing that has ever truly helped me with my eating habits. It has made me see food in a different light. You are all so inspiring. Thank you! šŸ™‚ This is my first week back on and all of you have truly helped me get back on the wagon so to speak. Good luck to you all.

    Hi 5:2 ers. I am really struggling with incessant binge eating on non fast days. Have been on 5:2 for a year and lost 10 pounds quite quickly, lowered my cholesterol and my waist measurement. I have gone up about 6 pounds and back down a few times in the last 10 months.

    However, I don’t seem to be able to stop binging. I would hate to think what my weight would be if I wasn’t having 2 or 3 fast days a week.

    I feel so ashamed today. I have consumed the following:
    Bowl of cereal, crumpet with jam. Apple and grapes.
    6 chocolates, 1x 100g bar CDM, 3 pks crisps.
    Milky coffee.
    One and a half litres sparkling water throughout the day
    Cheese and grape sandwich.
    Glass of wine, 1/3 pint of advocaat (mixed with 3 tall glasses mineral water).
    Bag of tortilla chips.
    Bacon, cheese, grape sandwich.
    Half small bag Minstrels.
    Bedtime milky coffee.
    Total of 10 cups of tea throughout the day.

    One hundred weight of self-hate.

    It is so hard to admit all this as I feel disgusted with myself.

    So glad to be on fast day tomorrow. It has to change, it is making me loathe myself.

    Just to follw up from above, I do usually eat fruit and lots and lots of veg, but had a really odd day as some friends came the previous day for a meal (Sat) I ate normally with the following ADDED:
    6 chocolates 2 packs crisps, 2 pieces toast and marmalade, fish finger butty, 2 bowls tresh fruit and cream, 2 sevings of apricot sponge with a gallon of custard.

    A new day, a fast day today and tomorrow I need to make sure I don”t have a repeat of yesterday.

    @lydiac why are you keeping chocolate and crisps in your house?
    Have a fabulous fast day and tomorrow treat yourself – not specifically with food, maybe a manicure or some other ‘me time’ and clear your cupboards of those sneaky temptations. I do mean in the bin don’t eat them šŸ˜›
    Once they are gone, you will feel releived, slightly superior and know that you control what you eat and it doesnt control you.
    Then put your guilty feelings behind you and plan for some healthy eating on normal days.

    Lindyw – you are right, to not buy junk really is the best way. Stopped buying about 2 weeks ago – shows how much stash of junk food we have in. Still got one easter egg in even. I have stopped walking round choc and biscuit sections in shops. Fast day going OK, resolve quivering, but looking forwrd to evening meal of pile of salad and grilled chicken bake. Preparing myself for tomorrow to try not treat as if it was a free-for-all and to do something nice for myself.

    Am now eating more on non fast days than I’ve ever eaten and am going to put time slot limits on eating where I can’t allow myself to graze (or binge) constantly, just til I get back in control of ordinary eating again.

    Yay! Thats the attitude! You can find yourself eating loads on normal days and as long as its not calorie laden that is great – vegetables are great filler upers too.
    I am fasting today too and am soooo cold (UK) I am having chilli salmon with brocolli and carrots. I’ll have the salad tomorrow šŸ˜›
    Go for it Lydiac šŸ˜€

    Oh my goodness. Hello everyone! I can’t believe how much response this post got. I hope everybody is okay and doing well. Thankyou so much for all the support I have read through every reply. I have a healthier relationship with food now but haven’t lost weight as I still eat too much and binge from time to time. I haven’t done the 5:2 diet and am thinking of starting it tomorrow as the new term has started and I am back at college after summer. However I am just fearing the non-fast days.. But we will see. Thankyou again for ALL your advice xx

    Hi Ginax, welcome back.
    Lots of us are here because of our unhealthy relationship with food, so you’re not alone. It’s good to hear things are better for you now. One thing that I’ve found useful is to buy less processed foods. Reading the ingredient list on a lot of processed foods is often enough to make me put them back on the shelf. That way, if I eat too much at least it’s fairly healthy. Cooking food from scratch makes things easier, and I find it helps cook a huge batch of casserole or soup and freeze it. Then on busy days when I’m more likely to eat junk or quiet days when I eat from boredom, I can reheat something from the freezer and stay out of the kitchen. Good luck!

    Hello and thank you all for your posts to this thread. I’ve only just found it, despite having been on the forum quite a bit in the past fortnight. Have just read all the posts from the start and I was so glad to see ginax had returned!

    I echo all the thoughts about addiction, mind games, rationalisation, self sabotage, self esteem etc. I successfully did 5:2 last week but have ‘thrown my toys out of the pram’ (US -buggy?) as we say in UK, this week. But I haven’t given up on myself. Any words of encouragement would be most welcome.

    Best wishes and thanks

    Well I don’t know if this is a good idea or not but I feel like it is more suitable to me and my binge-prone personality.. I started again today and this is my fast day, however I have had around 720 cals. I find this a more suitable amount for myself and I am thinking of doing three fast days a week and having 700 cals on each, instead of 500 on two. Do you think this is alright? I like it more because I don’t get the binge urges or the moods or the headaches etc, and I can just eat really healthy and clean all day without worrying about eating exactly 500 cals. What do you think? X

    Ginax I am so relating to what you are going thru, I started very well over the actual full day fasting but as soon as I put a little bit of something not as healthy as egg whites and veggies I finished 50 sugar free peanut butter cookies and 100 grams of cottage cheese. Like everyone agreed we all have a bad relationship with food, when people are ok just having a bite of cake-if i tempt myself i want to then look for the bakery and then binge on anything in front of me. Taking a cheat meal also doesnt work for me because I end up cheating in all meals that day. I am definetly going to try your approach Ginax since I don’t know how much of even of something good is ok to have more of (egg whites, veggies etc). Excited again to see that there are that many more people who go thru the same anxiety, this is definetly keeping me more and more positive that I will be able to do this the way I should šŸ™‚

    Tonight I have just binged, have not followed the 5 2 for three weeks due to work commitments and have been eating ‘normally.’ However today I went food shopping and purchased biscuits, thinking I could trust myself. Am now lying down due to feeling so bloated, I do not need to lose anymore weight, however will start 5 2 tomorrow, it helps not to think about food for a day or two. Have binged on and off for 26 years, 5 2 did seem to control this initially, but it has crept back on, I sympathise with everybody who overeats, whether it is an addiction, habit, or for comfort. It really is so hard to escape the vicious circle.

    Hi Maggie 621.

    Sorry to hear how you are feeling tonight. Maybe the thing to do right now is go easy on yourself. You have eaten what you have and that feels bad enough without beating yourself up. I know how horrible it feels, I too am in that trap. Think though, how well you have done, you don’t need to lose any more weight, you said, so you are maintaining now.

    Sounds good that you have been eating “normally”. So you know you can do this and get back on track. I too am struggling on non fast days, my body and brain thinks there is going to be a mass famine and I am having frequent out of control scoffathons. I’m also trying to NOT beat myself up as it will lead to further binging to comfort myself and the cycle just keeps repeating.

    What I am trying to do is have a cut off time and tell myself I can have xxxx to eat at e.g 9pm and try to see it as the last thing I’m eating today. I think 9pm is late really for myself to eat but it is better than eating still at 11.30, which I have done since doing 5:2.

    Try to break the negativity now, go and put some music on, dance around the room and remember, we are not perfect and you are doing the best you can at this time. If you feel too full to move, then maybe just sit for a minute and think only of your breathing, even if only for 20 seconds. Just observe it to help slow down your breathing and then maybe, make a brief plan of what you ARE going to eat tomorrow. Please DON’T beat yourself up any more.

    I am trying hard now, to NOT buy sweets/chocolate/biscuits. I think it’s the only chance of some control. Three days ago this lapsed and I bought 2 x 160g bags of Thorntons toffee, polished the first off today but gave the second bag away, or I would have started – and finished that one too.

    You ARE doing Ok and will get through this. Believe in yourself and be kind to yourself good luck.

    Lydiac, thank you so much for your kind words. I have realised I cannot have binge foods in the house, having gone three weeks eating normally, complacency set in. You are right, it is pointless beating yourself up about a slip up, I am on a fast day today, and will continue at least one fast day a week, as I am also interested in the health benefits, and have realised I am not going to pass out from hunger through fasting. It is good not to have to think about food for one or two days a week. Thank you again, and hoping all is well with you.

    Wow, I know this post is quite old but I just wanted to say that I find it really amazing to read all of this. I’m quite new here but I suffer from binge eating really really badly. I hate it and I know I shouldn’t do it, and I honestly thought I was completely abnormal and was just a greedy pig with no limits, self control or will power (and it didn’t help that I had family members who told me that) I felt so alone in my problem and because of that I felt too ashamed/embarrassed to admit my problem and seek help. I thought that if I told anyone how much I eat they would despise me (and why not? After all I despised my own self for it) but after reading these posts I feel less ashamed of myself and more motivated to keep on trying. Even if I’m not losing weight, as long as I’m making some sort of progress and I’m trying my best and never giving up, just like everyone who is posting here. My problem though, is that I can binge on anything really. It doesn’t just have to be unhealthy food, although it nearly always involves carbs and sugars. I try to eat healthy, but I end up binging on yoghurt and honey, or double cream and bananas/other fruit, or whatever food I cook I usually overeat, I binge on dates and nuts and seeds and God knows what else, I’ll usually continuously munch on food throughout the day and end up eating WAY too much. I love this website and how everyone rushes to help and support everyone else. I’m going to start the 5:2 fast and just hope that I can keep my food addiction under control.

    Hi foodaddict1, I am the person that originally posted this 9 months ago and I just want to tell you that you are completely normal. There are so many people going through what I have been through and yourself, and i know exactly how you feel, despising yourself for eating ridiculous amounts of food non stop. But honestly, you have no reason to hate yourself. All I want to say to you and everyone reading this is that this diet and any other diet is not the way forward. I know this from my experience and I am now an aspiring nutritionist. I am urging you not to take on this 5:2 diet as it is SO UNHEALTHY and will only influence your habits. I promise. Please listen to me and understand that this is the exact thing you should be avoiding. Many nutritionists agree that this diet influences eating disorders and it is true. I know you’re probably looking for a quicker way of losing weight and you probably like the idea of eating very little for 2 days per week and the control of it, but that’s because of your personality. This diet appeals to people like you and me and all the people that have commented on this forum because we are people that are craving control in our lives, but the extreme amount of control the diet requires, means that it only brings out more unhealthy eating habits. Let me know if you need more advice. X

    I have recommended a number of people I know who were describing themselves as binge eaters and food addicts to have fasting insulin and blood sugar tests and they all came back as prediabetic and several already type 2 diabetic.

    Craving for carbs is usually associated with insulin resistance IE too much insulin floating about triggers hunger, carbs trigger blood sugar, triggers hunger etc in a vicious cycle.

    Check your sugar and insulin levels before you blame yourself and buy into a model of dysfunction. Stay away from ALL simple carbs and sugar, minimize fruit.

    And GET CHECKED for pre diabetes!!!!

    Often, containing insulin contains hunger.

    Foodaddict, may I suggest that you look at some of the other postings on this website, particularly Jojo58’s busy site. There you will get support, encouragement, tips, and, I have found, love.

    If you read the contributions you will see that there are all sorts of people who are trying to loose weight and take on a healthier lifestyle using 5:2, and that, regardless of Ginax’s response to you, for most of them it is working.

    My personal experience is that this way of eating has enabled me to get to my “rapt” weight, be happy with my shape for the first time in my life, and to know that I have complete control over my future in this regard. I have lots more energy, and want to share 5:2 with the world!

    Not only is this system doing wonders for weight, it is also improving the health and wellbeing of countless participants. Don’t give up yet.

    ps, I also am known to binge, but am trying hard.

    Sorry, I should have said that thread is Lose 2lb Per Week, in the Weight Loss section.

    Hi Foodaddict,

    In my experience, 5:2 and intermittent fasting works in the long term to improve eating behaviours and food relationships.

    Ginax’s comments on 5:2, and the type of people it appeals to, are not based on science or evidence (it is just her opinion). This is a healthy way of life, as many many people (and the science) demonstrate.

    I say, give it a go, what have you got to lose? Except weight and unhealthy eating behaviours….

    Hi, thanks so much for all of the support and advice everyone! I’ll check out that thread, about losing 2lb a week :). I have fasted successfully before and it is weird but it just depends on my mood. Some days I feel like I don’t even need to eat, and other (most) days I feel ravenous. I’m so used to the feeling of physical hunger and I don’t mind it, but for me as well it is the emotional hunger that I can’t seem to control or get rid of. I’m finding it really hard but I’m not going to give up. Just a question, have any of you ever tried EFT or FasterEFT? My mum actually told me about it and I have yet to persist in using it, but whenever I have used it it seems to work. It’s supposed to help with these kinds of eating disorders. If anyone decides to look into it and use it please let me know how it’s working for you, and I’ll use it and let you know how it’s working for me. Thanks again, I really love all of this support, everyone is so friendly and caring šŸ™‚

    Hi Ginax
    I was interested in your posting and in your decision to stop 5:2. Whilst my “bingeing” is much worse now on non fast days than it ever was, pre 5:2, I really feel too afraid to give it up. I fear that fast days are the only process helping to keep my weight down. Over xmas/new year, despite having two fast days, I put on 7 pounds. Thus if I did not fast at all, I would return to pre 5:2 weight quite rapidly.

    I would be really interested to hear what, if any, other approach you have taken having given up on 5:2. I think I will be a life long follower of 5:2. Best wishes. Lydiac.

    Lydiac, I think that if you have confidence in yourself that you can be a lifelong follower of the 5:2 diet that’s fine. As long as it isn’t influencing your binging.. Or affecting your quality of life. However, I do not think it is a way of life, especially for people prone to binge eating (like myself). I believe the best way to lose weight is to reduce/stop your sugar intake, which will in turn stop cravings. We can discuss further if you like, maybe by email? I don’t think I am going to be particularly liked on this website as I am against the diet hahaha

    Lol, I wouldn’t not like you just because you’re against this diet, it’s all up to the individual and I’d love to hear what you have to say. I also believe in reducing sugar and carb intake (including natural sugars) because I find it really helps me to control my urge to eat. I’ve also seen that many people who are on this diet also reduce their intake of sugars and carbs which is probably also helping them along with the IF.

    Hi Ginax,

    I agree with FoodAddict1, no one’s going to not like you because intermittent fasting didn’t work for you.

    I hope you didn’t think I was having a go!

    I know it suits some people really well, but apparently not others.

    This forum is all about support, so if you could share your experience here, and what you have found that works for you, then I’m sure that would be really valuable and might help people who similarly find 5:2 doesn’t work for them.

    PS I lost weight using a version of 5:2, but I’m not doing 5:2 or even 6:1 to maintain my new weight, so strictly I don’t belong here either…? šŸ™‚

    I’m so happy to have found this thread. This is my first day and I’m feeling like I’m at the bottom of Mount Everest looking up. I’ve been a binge eater for many years and have developed all the usual health related issues associated with being hugely overweight ( 5′ 3”, 240 lbs ), type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high collesteral, peripheral vascular disease, etc. Recently PVD has advanced to the point where I’m waiting for bypass surgery. The pain has almost crippled me and today I can barely climb the stairs to go to bed at night. I’m saying all this, not to make excuses for my sedentary lifestyle at the moment, but simply to let it all out on the table for anyone who can relate to the enormous challenge I have to face. A challenge, I must add that is 100% my creation. Even as I sit here I’m struggling with not running into the kitchen and downing a huge breakfast. And I’m dreading the evening when typically I would be eating literally non-stop. I pray that someone will respond because I’m feeling desparate. I need someone to tell me I’m not alone, even though I’m perfectly aware that I’m not, I still need some advice as to how others have actually succeeded in making it through these first few agonizing days.

    Hi Franee
    You’re not alone. You’ve made a great step by coming on here and being very open. Everyone here is really helpful and friendly.
    I too had completely lost control where eating was concerned and so although you will find hard somedays, stick with it and you will see a difference. Have a think about making some lovely veg soup to keep you going it always fills me up.
    Good luck today xx

    Hi Charliebear
    Thanks so much for the kind words. You’re absolutely right about veggie soup, I love it too. And you’ve given me a great idea for today’s fast. So I’m off to the market to buy some veggies. I think it might become a staple part of my future fasting days.
    Good luck to you as well. xx

    Whew! What a relief to find I’m not the only one! I’m 57, weigh 86kg this morning and have started my fast diet. In the past I have done well for a few days and then something will trigger a massive binge. I put all my lost weight and more on. I can’t put my finger on the trigger. It could be anything. My husband eating chocolate(he’s one of the lucky ones who has never had a problem with weight in his life), the smell of bread in the bakery, a stressful day at work, a celebration, anything really can set me off. And there’s that little voice in my head that convinces me that yes, I can have just a little, when the rational part of me knows that never works! I was feeling overwhelmed and hopeless and then I started reading some of the forums. It’s like an epiphany that I’m not alone with my bingeing. I was seriously considering therapy. I couldn’t see any way around this huge mountain of weight that I need to get rid of. Hopefully, I’ve got myself on the right track today. Thank you for showing me that im not so abnormal as I thought i was

    Hi Auroras end

    You are definitely not “abnormal”. Just think how many people are feeling the same. If eating and losing weight was not such a complex and massive issue, then there wouldn’t be diets and forums like this. I prefer to think of 5:2 as ” healthier lifestyle” rather than a diet..

    I think one of the biggest things is to NOT keep beating yourself up. Lets face it, we’ve all been doing this for years and it doesn’t work.

    I have a serious and life threatening illness and, boringly, a number of other conditions continually requiring medical intervention (inflamatory osteoarthritis, skin cancers, osteoporosis, back and knee problems) and I can honestly say that none of these conditions, despite the limit and difficulty they place on my life, cause me as much distress as the issue of eating and weight.

    I have lost weight on 5:2 but suffer enormously from overeating on non fast days. 5:2 has helped me maintain my loss but I can’t seem to lose anymore. I need to lose about another 8 pounds. I’m embarrassed with my eating. However I am not giving up on 5:2, having been trying to “diet” now for 38 years,5:2 is the only style of weight management that has enabled me to lose weight and keep it off. (There are periods where I have gone up within 7 pounds, eg xmas but always returns to previous weight within a few fast days).

    I will be carrying on now with 5:2 forever despite overeating struggles.

    Stay with it, there’s lots of support here!

    Hi Ginax

    Hope you are OK. I was just re-reading your post from 04/01/15 and just thought I’d see how you were doing?

    I do agree with you. 5:2 is not for everyone and like you, it has increased my overeating on non fast days. I am obsessed with eating, fasting, continually scanning the internet for recipes which generally I don’t cook.

    However, as difficult as it had made things (e.g not being able to stop eating once started on non fast days; eating far more rubbish than ever; not being able to eat breakfast without it triggering the days overeating, when for 30 years I have been an avid breakfast believer; thinking continually on fast days, what delights I can eat the following day; etc, etc), I feel compelled to carry on.

    I’m sticking with it because it is the only way of eating that has enabled the weight loss to be maintained but I really do appreciate what you are saying. I think sugar and other rubbish carbs are at the root of my eating problems, but I just can’t seem to give up on them. So in some way I have given in.

    Let us know how you are doing and how your attempts at tackling sugar have gone. Best wishes.

    p.s I don’t think people will dislike you for saying 5:2 is not for you. I’d rather see honesty on this site and 5:2 NOT followed like some religion or cult you are not allowed to queston. Good luck.

    Hi all,
    Have scanned through some of the posts here and can really relate to your sentiments in many of the posts. I am a person who cannot rest if there’s chocolate in the house, it calls out to me ‘eat me..eat me…’
    So the answer is simple: as others have already said, just don’t buy it! I started this diet in January and had a very slow start, I think because I was still eating all the old naughties on my non-fast days. Things turned round for me when I a) stopped eating breakfast altogether (this has really helped my weightloss as I can save all my calories for the evenings) and b) just stopped buying the goodies. I have a strong resolve during the day, so am able to stick to this, as generally for me it is in the evenings that my cravings are strongest.

    Stick with it if you’re struggling, honestly, it does work!

    Hi all,
    I am glad to find this post…I too can tend to binge on non fast days and it is disheartening at times. I have been on the 5/2 diet for 13 weeks and I have lost 12.5 pounds…most importantly I have come to (mostly) love my fast days. It is so clean simple feeling. At times of course it is hard, especially at dinner time. But I do find my day after fast very hard..I will just munch the whole day…I try at work to bring health snacks: apples, nori, oranges..but especially at work I end up dipping into candy and other things. I have still lost weight but I can see that I am out of control on non fast days. Another great thing is that my whole family has been terribly sick and I have not gotten sick..I think it is the fasting!! Thanks for the encouragement.

    Thanks, Lydiac,

    I am still in the honeymoon stage at the moment, since the start of April ( was it really only 5days ago?)we have been away for the Easter weekend and I have been really good. No bingeing at all. I did allow myself an ice cream yesterday, but that was a non fast day, so I reckon it was ok. Your support is a great help. Thanks

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