I am a binger – any info on fasting and bingeing

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I am a binger – any info on fasting and bingeing

This topic contains 3,042 replies, has 111 voices, and was last updated by  Delayedgratification 4 years, 8 months ago.

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  • Ah you have just motivated me again – to go on a run. Sun is glorious here, too. Thanks!

    Evening All!

    Jade – NO! I did not throw away cake.
    I kept telling myself to, but none of my brains was listening. :-\

    Good luck to all Kraken fighters!

    Evening Fasters!

    I managed to have a decent non FD, somewhat in control.

    Stay mindful!

    Nice going, Michel – a decent nonFD Saturday is about the hardest of all. I am trying for a decent nFD today. I’m not nursing a hangover for once, but did eat rather a lot while out on the town Sat. night. Before THAT happened, I had contributed another lb to baby reindeer. Pretty sure the damage can be repaired fairly quickly.

    I have read a bit more of “the book” – she mainly debunks the idea that her eating disorder arose because of some psych cause. She binged whether happy, sad, etc. She believes instead that it was a primal survival urge to overeat, which her first diet made worse. That’s the 2-brain idea. Instinct v. rational thought. Dieting caused her instinct to kick into overdrive and tell her to binge. So she did, then dieted that off, which made the instinct even stronger.

    By continuing that cycle, she formed a binge habit. She felt powerless to stop, because she didn’t understand the actual cause. Once she figured out it was merely habit caused by the “lower” survival instinct (not some deep psych problem she had failed to solve), she had the strength to stop. It’s a lot more complex than that (I mean, it’s a book).

    So, in a nutshell, it’s the old saying: “if you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” When she thought she had a mental disease and needed to conquer all sorts of psych issues, she felt powerless to stop. When she reduced the problem to instinct and habit, she no longer felt powerless. That she actually stopped fairly quickly tells me she really DID eat out of instinct. She was not the food-enjoying gourmand that I often can be. So it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. But it’s interesting.

    And there is my mini-book report for Sunday. At least typing this has kept me out of the kitchen! Why it’s almost lunchtime, so a successful meeting of the no-Breakfast Club is underway at my house. Haven’t had one of those on a Sunday in quite some time, so yay for small victories. Cheers to all and good luck whatever the day holds. xxxx

    Thanks for the mini book report Jade. Food for thought if you’ll excuse the pun!I do wonder how much of what we do is a response to a crisis that becomes a habit? I never imagined that I would last the morning without breakfast, which is something that I do always on a FD and feel fine. I might join you on other days too.

    I have been eating puddings at work when I was very busy and under stress, but I have to say they didn’t make me feel better, I just had that afternoon slump. I am trying to stop biscuits which I love to dunk in tea and only have at work, so I am thinking about stopping tea at work, but that does seem a step too far. I will try this week without biscuits and if I can’t manage it, then the tea will have to go.

    I was out at a conference yesterday and although food was provided and I tried to eat mindfully there, the journey home when I was very tired and cold was a different story. Food is my crutch when I am tired/angry/sad/lonely. I need to get HALT back into my life and ask myself ‘Am I hungry?Am I angry? Am I lonely? Am I tired?
    I have been all of those this week and how I cope is my next challenge. But recognizing those feelings is the first step on the road of recovery of food addiction.

    I want to be a healthy weight for my height and to enjoy food.I want to enjoy Christmas and not be in tears when I step on the scales on January 1st…ever again.

    So, who’s with me?

    Happy Sunday Fast Clubbers!

    Hubby wanted brunch today, so I made up some amazing breakfast burritos. While I was cooking he found a couple of jalapeno bagels in the freezer. The end result is I ate too much, but for once I don’t have the desire to still eat.
    I’m sitting outside sipping on my Crystal Light getting ready to read the book, Brain over Binge. I figure if I can control my eating enough to fast, then I should be able to control my binging. I too have been in enough therapy to know I don’t have any real reason to binge so I’m hoping her tips will help me take back my control.

    Jade – Thanks for the book report.
    Hope you have a relaxing and snack free day!

    Stay mindful fasters and remember all calories count towards TDEE!

    The books sounds interesting. Did she manage to lose weight, eat more healthily as a result?

    I think I could happily just eat all day every day if I let myself. I really love food, it’s simples 🙂 Everyone in my family had breakfast together and I was snacking in-between then we had Sunday lunch yet I still search for more food, it’s so bizarre how controlling the appetite is easier when there aren’t snacks or we don’t eat as soon as we wake up. Annette I am so with you, food is my crutch – although one extends to being happy or chilled come to think of it. I find I need a goal, something to look forward to.

    I am not sure if the lady in the book is the one that referred to the bingeing brain as the “lizard brain” for me, this is so true, that groggy – I just want more feeling happens a lot first thing and early afternoon. Thank you for posting about the book Jade, I apologise I can’t remember who introduced us to it.

    Annette I want to add to your goal, I also don’t want to spend the whole of Christmas day eating, my stomach often hurts, I feel ill and think this isn’t what it should be about….

    Good luck to all.

    Annette – Good luck with your endeavor to have tea w/o biscuits. I know breaking up food pairings is difficult. I can’t hardly eat a sandwich w/o chips or a burger w/o fries.

    I too want to be able to enjoy Christmas. To enjoy the treats w/o the need/desire to binge would be wonderful.

    Here’s to a snack free day!

    Thanks guys. FD for me tomorrow. I have now polished off all of the ice cream, so I don’t have that to deal with now either! I did have a week moment in the supermarket and left with a large bar of nougat, so will have to share that out….

    I have a meal out with friends one evening and 2 FD. The plan is to stay under the TDEE over the 5 NFD which I hope will give me a bit of leeway in the restaurant. I go out so very rarely that there is huge temptation to eat all that I want.

    I ate too much last Christmas too and I felt uncomfortable and miserable with myself.

    Onwards and downwards fast friends. Look at how far we have come?

    Hi Fast Club,

    Queen – it was me who posted on this thread about the book but I found it on another thread on this website. I don’t think it is the total answer to my problems because I still just really like and enjoy food, in larger quantities than I should eat… however what has been very surprising for me is that since reading it I haven’t had one of those horrible mindless binges when I keep eating despite it being horrible and despite not enjoying the food at all, my stomach hurting etc. Those were a real problem for me, when I was desperate to feel ‘normal’ around food.

    Anyway I am getting superstitious about saying too much too early but I have not binged since I read the book, and I have lost 5 lbs in a month (that said I may be up a pound or two – that was my lowest weigh in after a FD and since then have had two non FDs, the first of which I definitely went over TDEE by a decent amount). Prior to this month I had essentially been the same weight for six months, because I couldn’t get a handle on not overeating on non-FDs. I was basically cycling between overeating on non-FDs and then FD-ing to make up for it, and not making any progress.

    Jade – I’m interested to know if you can sense any change in your behavior / feeling towards food since reading the book?

    Michel – ditto, let us know how you get on once you’ve read it, and if you feel it makes any difference to you.

    I’m crossing my fingers, toes, legs and arms and hoping this actually works this time… it’s so heavenly to not feel like some kind of unhinged human locust around food for a change…

    xx

    With you all the way, Annette! Let’s make this the year we control the holidays and not vice versa.

    Crossing my fingers too, Mcca, but…yes? I especially like her take on habits, the ability to control and change them instead of giving in, thinking those feelings are just too strong and I’m too weak. I do feel sometimes that a lower-brain (haha Queen – lizard, I guess!) is in control. It helps to think of food obsessions as “lizard thoughts” that I can set aside. And mainly all of this helps kick my ass further down this path we’re all on.

    I mean, I could just have another virus BUT . . . hunger between meals is not bothering me. I enjoy decent meals twice a day, instead of a series of snacks that never filled me up. I’m still not exactly sure what “meals” are supposed to be, but I usually feel satisfied without being stuffed. And without that panicky feeling that I need to eat more now that I am a non-snacker. That panic is a lizard-brain impulse for sure. I think it’s what can get us so revved up on a nonFD – the exact thing the Brain book talked about – storing up for a famine. Lizards y’all – ignore them. They’re related to kraken.

    Well this brain stuff is all fascinating to me — sorry to yammer on. Looking at a FD tomorrow, may the strength be with us! xxx

    Evening All!

    I’m pretty happy with my eating today. Not sure about the calorie count but I didn’t have the desire to eat all day. And for me that is a win!

    Riding the Fast Train tomorrow……Let’s do this!

    Oh that train left the station early today! I have hopped on it with you, Michel. Who else is riding? I am ready to kick some kraken ass.

    Mcca sorry I forgot to shout a a big congrats on those 5 lbs!!! That’s fantastic!!

    Stay strong Fast Club!

    Morning fast club!

    Been reading through last few days and so pleased for us all. It sounds like people are making real progress. (What do I mean sounds like, we clearly are!!). And thanks to all for discussing the book. I have often thought about getting a self-help book but then decided there was no point as I don’t have any deep-rooted trauma, just wasn’t allowed much food when growing up and now over-compensate whenever I get the chance! Interested to hear about the habits – will try to imagine lizard brain whenever I am tempted to pick up those sweets!

    I have had an odd few days, did that thing where I ate well for a while, lost a few pounds, promptly got it into my head I was thin and could binge on sugar like there was no tomorrow! Biscuits, “share” size chocolate bars (yeah right), more biscuits and more chocolate. It was the weirdest thing – although I have never given up sugar as part of this way of eating (I’ll even have a spoon of nutella out of the jar if my FD calories allow) I clearly must be eating a lot less of it than I used to. The latter part of last week I felt bloated, hungry ALL THE EFFING TIME, nauseous, on the verge of crying, terrible headaches and fatigue. I thought I was coming down with flu until I realised maybe it was the sugar monster. Hard to believe I used to feel like that all the time. It was like I had an emotional pinball machine inside me, ready to whizz off in any direction at a moment’s notice – cry, shout, despair. Not conducive to happy living!!

    So I decided to have a “being kind” weekend – no fasting, but lots of lovely nourishing foods. Avocado on delicious dark rye bread, poached eggs, raspberries, smoked salmon, broccoli, veggie lasagne, fruit crumble made with apples and blackberries picked on a beautiful autumn woodland walk. I feel SO MUCH BETTER. I can almost feel my body blossoming and shouting THANK YOU as it soaks up all the lovely things.

    I’m not fasting today, although I skipped breakfast as usual, but am sticking to TDEE and nice nourishing foods while my body gets back to normal.

    Wishing kindness to you all today!

    Hey Y’all!

    My day is looking Kraken free! For once there is no food in the office, so fasting should be pretty easy.

    Annette – I hope your FD was a success.
    Enjoy your evening out w/ friends, it’s what this WOL is all about – flexibility.

    Mcca – Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the book. I understand feeling “superstitious about saying too much too early”. I hope this the answer for you.

    Jade – I’m happy to hear you are also having success after reading the book. Y’all give me hope.
    And look at you – a member of the “No” breakfast club and the “No” snack club. Way to go!

    Lizard Brain – I love it! Godzilla was a “lizard” of sorts and we all know what happens when we let her loose. I think the metaphor fits.

    I’m only a little way into the book, so no helpful hints yet, but it is scary to see where my bingeing could lead me.

    Fast on friends!

    Melb, I’ve had the same sugar-hangover feeling. And the same “great, I’m normal, I can go mow down a whole shelf of pastries.” (Note to self: that’s not normal.)

    Queen, I don’t think I answered your question about whether the Brain author lost weight or ate properly after figuring out her 2-brain idea. I don’t believe she really had a weight problem, and she ate normally except for days when she binged — then the next day she “purged” by doing mega-hours of cardio. But she hated the fixation with food that many of us fight.

    The book did boost my confidence that our problems are just habits that we can break. Dear God if she broke her habit (and her binges were epic!!) I can certainly break mine. Maybe not as quickly (I think I have a few more bad habits, to be honest – not just binging with my lizard brain, but loving food and loving to eat almost any day).

    So, I’ve been thinking about my “bad habits”–
    1. Snacking – it makes me want to eat all the time (and I am never satisfied with a “snack”).
    2. I’m hungry at traditional mealtimes because that’s when I’ve always eaten. Bye-bye breakfast, you’re no longer a habit.
    3. I’m used to sugary things giving me a lift. (Congrats Melb on your new NON-sugar habit!)
    4. Sweets and over-eating are part of celebrations (custom = habit).
    5. And my guilty pleasure: eating in the car (or in secret).
    That DEFINITELY was a habit that had to go. That’s where I felt the most kinship with the Brain author – that feeling, when I’m alone and I know I can eat like a savage and no one will know and I deserve it and it’ll be fun.

    Wow, just typing #5 made me want to get in my car and find a sack of doughnuts. GAAH LIZARD BRAIN!! So I still have a ways to go. Better get through this FD before I talk about any more food!! xxxx

    Evening Fast Clubbers!

    I had a successful FD! Amazing how much easier it is with no sitting out. I had no problem making it through my Mon Team Meeting (the guys I work for always have lunch).

    Dinner was a cup of veggie soup w/ yogurt for dessert.

    Jade – What a list you have compiled! Each one is so true, especially number 5.

    Stay strong everyone…..TDEE tomorrow!

    Sheesh, for all my crowing, this was a long day. Then hubs had dinner waiting – spaghetti with meatballs hahaha probably around 500 calories a bite.
    I snuck some coleslaw mix underneath and I may have lost my mind, but it was not bad! Funny how veggies just need a bit of carb/texture to taste like a casserole of sorts. Had to be near 500, because my inner lizard is really growling like a badass.
    Way to go Michel, your dinner sounds much saner 🙂
    Great to hear from everyone lately! Stay strong Fast Clubbers, we are in control.
    Night all xxx

    Jadelark, thank you for making that list.

    I am so on the same page, too much snacking just makes me want MORE food (although sometimes it’s chicken and egg situation, maybe I’m snacking because I’m in a eat everything mood anyway). I am definitely noticing no breakfast is the way forward… when I say no breakfast I slightly lie, I have a coffee with frothed milk but if I add another 500 kcal onto that I am still hungry or my appetite has shot through the roof by 11am.

    Mecca thank you for posting about that book. I am so pleased, if something can make someone stop bingeing for a while I think there has to be a psychological element and it’s amazing something is working for you. I will have to give it a read although sometimes reading about these things can make it worse for me… but maybe that’s because one is forced to face reality. Or maybe it’s because I’m lazy…. more likely the latter.

    Note to all…. if I’m in the house for a long period of time and there is chocolate, cereals or bread there, I’ll eat it. The end.

    Jade your casserole of vegetables was the only way I could get my little one to eat vegetables, by mixing them up with tomatoes and pasta or sweet or normal potatoes (just wondering why I sometimes prepare a really healthy meal for the little one and not myself…?!).

    Melb100 I totally understand where you are coming from. It’s horrible to feel tearful and have a low mood, very hard not to binge during those periods… you did really well. I think it’s a great plan to have a little self love going on. It can sometimes seem indulgent but unless you put your mental health first nothing else can be achieved. I have noticed, I apologise I’m talking about myself (again!) but I can achieve fasting days if I feel great and can focus on the positives of it. If I’m flat and just want to eat, for me it’s best to do what you do and focus on loads of veg, nourishing foods, keeping calm, focusing on sleep and exercise. We are on a learning curve…

    I’m also still so shocked, yesterday after no snacking and no breakfast I was not in a bingeing mood and lunch filled me up as did supper. The only snack I had was a pepper and an apple, after the apple I felt a little more snacky…. but bizarre that the more I eat the more I want. I think.

    xx

    Morning All!

    So-far-so-good
    The office provided breakfast burritos; I put mine directly on the fridge for lunch. So far no temptation..
    Fingers crossed I can stay in control of “lizard brain”.

    Jade – Congrats turning the very thoughtful dinner to your advantage.

    Queen – I agree! It is bizarre that the more I eat, the more I want to eat. And that any snack, even a healthy one, awakens Godzilla and I want more. Much easier to just take a big drink of something and move on.

    Stay strong Fast Clubbers! Hugs to all! 🙂

    Oh Queen and Michel, how right you are on the more I eat the more I want! That sounds so familiar…

    Interested to hear it’s, like me, a tentative thumbs up for the book from you Jade – keep us posted! I’m interested to know how you and Michel get on with it, and if it works long term.

    Melb – you are SO right in identifying that SUGAR MAKES US CRAZY. How funny, this forum has been so helpful pointing out stuff that should have been really obvious but isn’t until someone goes ‘hey…’ – like when someone here pointed out that it was weird that I managed to eat all of my meals alone, despite being a family of four… which is totally weird, but hadn’t even occurred to me til someone said it. Now you say it, MelB, I totally know that sugar makes me an angry lunatic (and I need very little assistance in either department).

    Well this week has been 3 x FUFDs for me – because I feel under the weather, my throat hurts, I can’t face fasting too. But I have stayed under or around TDEE so I am not going to beat myself up about it. I read your post Mel about the avocado on toast and thought ‘yes, that sounds like a good idea’ so I have been eating only things my body will appreciate, and I think it is thanking me.

    Thanks to you all for this forum, it is so helpful I can’t even say how much. Love ya all xxxx

    Mcca, sounds like the best thing for you now – and congrats for turning to good nutrition when you’re feeling poorly. For all our craziness, this group is coming up with very sane food ideas! Back a few months ago, if I was catching a cold I’d have jumped head-on into a fast food comfort bucket. How far we’ve come….

    Queen, wow you are really making some breakthroughs. I love reading your posts and all the thought that goes into them. Thank you again for explaining everything, because almost everything you describe is something I struggle with – or will. Or have.

    Michel – DAMN girl, how brilliant to put that burrito in the fridge for lunch. Look at you acting all normal, working away in Unlimited Food Industries. Go you!

    So I’ll risk being a broken record to say again: snacks are the key habit to break. Sure, eating in the car is bad, but who didn’t really know that. I never realized till recently how bad snacks were.

    It’s exactly the lizard-brain idea. Snacks never satisfied my appetite, I just kept teasing it. No wonder Godzilla kept rampaging. I did that hunger-scale thing, where I’d eat an apple and small slice of cheese, figure I was “4” on a 1-10 scale, and stop eating. Then 4 would plummet pretty fast, and I’d have to snack again an hour later. I was NEVER full, and I was ALWAYS eating. Heaven knows what my blood/insulin-whatever was doing. So eventually I would unhinge my jaws and swallow a Kroger. Only to start the snacking process again. Sound familiar?

    As for my appetite control, ending my snack habit is the best thing I EVER did. I’d say it’s better even than fasting, but really it’s the same idea, just on a daily basis. I’m basically beating that damn lizard half to death every day. Already, more time goes by between any food cravings, and they are easier to ignore. If I’m hungry between meals, I know a good meal is in the near future. It’s not a long wait, right? Just like what we do on FDs – whatever we want, we can have that later.

    Just so happy to know I have made real progress. More work to be done, for sure. So so happy for this forum and all the sharing we have done. Love my fast clubbers xxxxx

    Night All!

    Successful nFD!
    No snacking! & Controlled portions!

    A lot in the book is ringing true for me.
    I have often wondered why I could control fast days but not others.

    Still skeptical and afraid to hope, but interested to see where this takes me.

    Fasting tomorrow…..FU “lizard brain” I’m in control!

    Michel, so proud of you. I often imagine you at work having to wear full kraken defence gear (helmet, kneed pads, mouth guard). Every day we dodge the kraken is one more nail in its coffin!

    Mcca – sorry you are feeling rubbish, but way to go on choosing avocados! I am still not fasting as feeling under the weather, so I went into sainsburys fully intending to buy multipack of doughnuts for lunch but thought of you and left empty handed, bought a lentil soup from the local soup shop instead. So much more satisfying and as you say, who wants to be an angry lunatic??

    Thank you all for keeping me on the straight and narrow!!

    Morning all you wonderful fasters!

    Riding the Fast Train today and the way is looking Kraken free. No “free stuff” at work. Yea!

    Mel – Way to go! Choosing soup over donuts?! Now that’s the way to start feeling better and taking control.

    Jade – Your progress is inspiring. Go “No-Snack” girl!

    Mcca – Sometimes fast days just don’t work out, but at least you are eating healthy & staying in TDEE. Hope you are feeling better soon.

    Grasping the Lard Baton and beating back the Lizard Brain…………I’m in control!!!

    HA Melb, now I’m imagining Michel in “full kraken gear” – what a test of wills every day. Hard enough to silence Lizard-brain without workplace kraken asking if it can come out and play. You are strong! Even our our sick clubbers are making progress. Melb and mcca, seriously, choosing avocados and lentils?? And after actually entering Doughnut Emporium (a/k/a Sainsburys) – awesome.

    I didn’t have to contend with illness or workplace food, but yesterday didn’t go as planned. Lunch never happened, for various reasons. So “no-snack girl” decided to wait for dinner. Then some third brain from who knows where decided “let’s go for a B2B FD.” Well, all three brains decided to eat a few peanut-butter crackers before bed. Then a few more. Not a hideous FU, but I think no more B2B for me – too confusing to figure out which brain is driving the bus.

    So I’m pretending to be normal today. Do normal people have lunch at 10:30? I think so, after my Mon-Tues. So I’ve had a decent meal, and I need NO SNACKS this afternoon. If we think we can do it, we can — xx

    I don’t know about y’all, but I’m starving…….another 1.5 hrs till dinner. 🙁

    Night All!

    Well, I made it!
    Soup & yogurt again. Now off to bed.

    Fingers crossed for a Kraken free day tomorrow.

    Hope everyone is having success!

    Great work Michel – good luck on TDEE today.

    I feel a bit introspective. Part of it is happiness at the changes that have been occurring here. Also, an old memory surfaced, about habits, eating, and shame, that I want to share when I have more time.

    Good luck to anyone fasting today. Anyone? Where has Annette gotten to? Fizzy? And Kitty, surely you have not emigrated to Mexico – would love to hear about your travels if you’re home again. Mcca and Melb, hope you are feeling better. Hi to our beloved Queen – I know you need the same kraken gear as Michel so I hope you’re faring well. Penguin, how are you doing? Busy with school I expect, as I should be. Off I go then.
    I’m aiming for normal today. xxx jade

    HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO!!!!!!!!!

    I’m back! (A bit fatter than when I left.) How have you all been? I will take the time to read through all the posts I missed, and I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone.

    I have started the diet again this week, quite easily, thankfully, probably because I’m not working, so my days are filled with welcome distractions. I have chosen not to weigh myself yet because I’ve basically been eating what I like over the summer, so I don’t want to see how much of the weight I lost has gone back on!

    My summer was filled with fun and hard work, but also a lot of soul searching (reasons for binging/eating too much/not taking care of myself: boredom, procrastination, heartache, fear of change, comfort, being a bit sad, watching tv) so hopefully I’m back in a place where I can focus on being healthy.

    Here’s to it!

    HELEN!!! I have missed your sassy salad-hating self. Welcome back to Misfit Island! And of course you still fit right in – we are a behavior-challenged, soul-searching bunch. Must run but saw your post and wanted to say hi. xxxx

    Morning Fast Clubbers!

    Helen – Welcome back! Happy to hear you are having a good week back at it.

    Going for a “no-snacking” TTDE day.

    That way is looking Kraken free till dinner at mom’s.

    So far I have not binged since I started reading the book. Of course part of that is there had not been tons of food at work this week. Planning to read more of the book at lunch, will keep you posted.

    Stay Strong Fasters and remember you are in control of the “Lizard Brain”!

    Hello Everyone,
    I have been struggling with biscuits, they keep jumping into my hands and are then swiftly dunked into my tea. I don’t even taste them they are scoffed so fast!I may have to give up tea at work, which will save me sugar too.
    I have noticed that I am no-longer a candidate for a tummy tuck.There is a little crease at the to of each thigh, but that fold of fat has gone…and although I noticed that there was less of the overhang…I hadn’t noticed that it has gone! Whoop whoop!!!
    Off out for dinner with friends shortly. I plan to eat what I enjoy and try to be mindful, so we’ll see how that pans out. We are celebrating the retirement of one of our group which makes me feel old, but off out wearing a red dress that hugs the curves. I couldn’t/wouldn’t have worn this even 6 months ago.
    The plan is to fast tomorrow. I love the idea of lizard brain-I have several of those and will try to get it in check with the kraken.
    My clothes fit better and the scales stay the same. Onwards and downwards fast friends.

    Night All!

    Successful nFD! No Snacking!

    Amazing what I can do when there is nothing at work to eat.

    Tomorrow will be tough…….big country breakfast w/ all kinds of things I won’t mention. I’m gonna try & save mine till lunch. I will be strapping on the Kraken Fighting gear before I leave the house.

    Annette – Sounds like you are doing great. Congrats on the red dress!

    Remember: You are in control! Not Lizard Brain!

    Whoop whoop – congrats Annette, bet you rocked that red dress. Curves are good!

    Helen so glad you are back in the groove~~~ A week of 5:2 will give you courage to face the scale. Maybe you’ll be surprised – pleasantly 🙂

    Michel, another day in the success column, go you kraken/lizard slayer extraordinaire! Wear the armor tomorrow.

    So here’s my tale. The summer before college, a girlfriend told me I needed to lose weight. I didn’t really, and had never dieted (yes, here it comes) so I crash-dieted off 15 lbs because I adored this girl. Of course I gained it back and more, tried to fight it, even tried purging temporarily (which she knew). And so began the yo-yo dieting, food obsessions, etc.

    Anyway, a few years later, I visited the town where this girl lived and dropped in to see her. While sitting with her family, she said “I was just telling my parents how you used to make yourself throw up.” Hooo, well, yeah, let’s all talk about that, shall we…? I guess I slowly disappeared out the door at some point. I never saw or heard from her again.

    So all these years later, I’ve found the control I needed back then. Better late than never. Yesterday I thought about that girl for the first time in ages, probably because my goal is to be what I weighed that summer before crash dieting. It’s been over 30 years, but I’m almost there. It’s a weird feeling.

    Thanks all for listening as I ramble. Misfit Island is a good place. xxx

    Hello group,

    Helen welcome back. Ditto to the “reasons for binging/eating too much/not taking care of myself: boredom, procrastination, heartache, fear of change, comfort, being a bit sad, watching tv” food is our default drop of choice.

    Yesterday lizard brain dropped in and by 3pm I was eating any carb I could find, but I hadn’t even been remotely interested in the fruit cake, cereals for a few days (interestingly the day started with breakfast – not a healthy one either… I had a coffee milkshake and another creamy coffee and an apple mid morning and after that I just wanted to eat everything. It’s really odd, I just can’t work out if snacking causes it or not, but odd that i started the day consuming lots of kcals. The urge to just eat everything in sight was overwhelming… I had also little sleep but I can’t blame anyone else, I just couldn’t sleep which was so frustrating. Today woke a bit down and there is that same urge to just eat to cheer myself up. I have no reason to feel down by the way- I have a great life! Just being miserable. It just dhows best not to have any stuff in the house, not to restrict it but not having the food there, perhaps I would have managed my emotions more maturely rather than cover them up with food.

    Good luck my fellow reptiles x

    Oh Jadelark, I had planned to respond to your post and digressed into my own self thoughts… perhaps that’s part of my problem here!

    I am so sorry to hear about your acquaintance, I think you know, from that encounter, the lady sounds like she had a few issues of her own. I think something to be mindful of, and perhaps you are highlighting, I know with regards to me (there I go again… onto myself… it is relevant, honest) I’m a bit of a people pleaser and if someone tells me I’m wrong I instantly believe them. I have to logically talk to myself and analyse and reason through what has been said and what is the truth. I don’t know what the lady’s motivations were to say such things to you, and you were obviously a lot younger and more vulnerable, but unfortunately in life, people are hurtful sometimes and sometime just outright rude, but you sound like you are more of a fighter these days. Interesting that maybe the crash dieting may have caused this yo yo. Thank goodness we aren’t young girls anymore!

    Jade you sound very resilient and you are doing so well, I’m so pleased for you. I’m also really glad to hear that although crash dieting may have caused you to eat more and gain weight, the fasting hasn’t.
    Well done and thank you for the support you offer here, you’re always so positive.

    I can’t remember if I have asked this before but has anyone notice their mood is better on fasting days?

    Afternoon All!

    I’ve been riding the “anger train” since yesterday morning. Something at work really ticked me off and instead of eating everything in sight (as usual); I told lizard brain to F… Off. I’m in control and I’m using these feeling to drop a lb today. So there!

    Queen, no worries 🙂 We relate to each other through our own experiences. That’s what I did while reading about the brain author’s life experience – I thought about my own and had my little epiphany about Mean Girl. I do feel rather sentimental for my young self, as if I’m rescuing her finally.

    But seriously, teenage crash dieting was the beginning of my bad habits. It’s strange that by fasting (and this group) I learned there was such a thing as control over habits. Yes indeed I’m happy on FDs because I am a BADass controller then, making up for lost time.

    So girls, since we’re ALL stocked up on emotion, might as well use it for motivation. Pride, anger, love, nostalgia, all useful in different ways – thanks for the great example today, Michel, and may things improve but in the meantime, kick that lizard’s ass girl. We’re in control. x

    Dropping in again to say Howdy!

    I’m at the car dealership getting an inspection & a car wash. Praying they don’t bring out the fresh baked cookies that usually temp me.

    So far I’ve had a biscuit w/ bacon for lunch, saved from breakfast. It’s 5 & I’m looking forward to dinner.

    Jade – Thanks for sharing your story. We learn so much as we get older, especially what it means to be a true friend. All we can do is learn as we move forward and try to help others with our experience.

    Queen – Your question is a valid one.
    Like many here, I know I eat/crave more when I have breakfast. But, did I eat breakfast because the craving was already there? Hhhmmmm?

    In the book she says it is all of the above. She contends, & I agree, that each situation is different because of mood, hormones, environment…….etc. and that the one thing in common is the “urge” to eat/binge.

    I’m only 40% of the way thru the book but I feel like I’m getting a lot out of it. It seems to be giving me the strength/motivation to say FU to the Lizard Brain. Still crossing my fingers.

    Strength to us all!

    The book is fascinating, isn’t it? Sometimes I think she takes the “just say no” idea too far. If I could just say no, well I wouldn’t be here. But the mind connection is valid. If I keep eating doughnuts in the car, I’ll want a doughnut every time I get in the car. But her problem was just binging – mine is also this freaking daily obsession.

    So – question for the Club: On nonFds, how do you handle eating? I tangled with the Snack Kraken yesterday, had the nibbles all afternoon, despite a decent lunch. I just want to be DONE with hunger and cravings between meals. I feel THIS CLOSE to normal but can’t break through. :/ xxx

    Jade- I have been pondering your question all day. I think that a reduction in the frequency of any habit is a way of gaining back some control. People that eat normally and have never got into the bad habits that we have, do not have to struggle the way that we do. When I am at home(a biscuit free zone) I do not expect a biscuit to dunk, but when I am at work, they are freely in abundance and close to the tea making facilities. The way that I got this under control before was just to count 24g/6 tsp of sugar a day, which meant that I had control over the sugar that I was consuming and I suppose that this was a positive action on my part. Trying and failing not to have biscuits at work has become a struggle that I am failing on a daily basis, so I feel demoralized and then fail again. I think that positive reinforcement is the way forward.
    I am eating in between meals not because I am hungry but because I can.So, keeping to my TDEE on NFD is almost more important than 500 cals on a FD. Habits take time to change and so we have to find a way with dealing with those cravings in the interim. We are all in this together Jade and perhaps one of our group will have the answer. Fingers crossed.

    Annette I agree to much is habit, and we can relate some habits that started in early childhood, ie, you’ve been good so have a piece of chocolate. A classic example of a more recent habit that has started for me, since children, is cake- I never used to eat it, I wouldn’t buy it, I wasn’t bothered by it, but now everytime I meet with another mum, go to any type of kid’s event – school, charity, party… Even a parents evening and a formal lecture… There is cake! Now I have started to crave it and often hope there will be a cake with buttercream icing! Yet, I was completely unbothered by it years ago. That combined with tiredness, I look around the room and most mums look shattered- all ready to reach for coffee and sugar at the drop of the hAt.

    Breaking a habit is very hard too.

    Jade, you made me reflect on my early childhood and I can’t think back to many negative things that happened. What did flag up in my mind, was that I just used to overeat. I remember we were all talking about our breakfast,.. And I remember saying I had had five bowls of porridge (I wasn’t overweight but was certainly gaining it as a teenager) and my friends asked me why…. And it was just gluttony. I could just keep going, I don’t really have a stop button on my appetite… When a food tastes yum (even plain porridge made with water!) I just want more. Fasting helped control my appetite for a bit as I would actually feel hunger and how to satiate it, however if it’s carb (i am not carb adverse in terms of thinking carbs are bad for you, so as I said before no psychological issue with restricting and therefore rebound bingeing) I can keep going. Note to self never ever by cinnamon toast again…..!

    So I suppose what I’m saying is, for me, I just overeat. I am a compulsive eater. Food makes me very happy and I could eat all day if I could.

    my eating probably is psychological too, ie when I’m down, moody, stressed (Michel hope you are feeling better) I eat. However, I have to accept I’m greedy. My husband will eat a bread roll and say “oh I’m stuffed I couldn’t eat another thing” I eat the bread roll and think “yummy yummy can I have more”! Oh dear. Having discussed this with my husband many times, he says the only things he I would eat compulsively are sweets.

    I notice it with children though, there are some that do have naturally huge appetites, and it isn’t always dependant on their heights….

    Sorry reflecting again! I hope all goes well today group. Please just start skipping my posts (if you haven’t already) when I go into a brain dump!

    Keep up the ‘brain dumps’ coming Queen, they are great!

    Well done everyone on keeping the fires burning and the lard baton in play (not sure these metaphors mix well with fire melting lard and all). I’ve had a binge-read of the posts and there is so much great stuff going on as well as some interesting and important questions being asked. We are an inquisitive lot in our quest to prevail over Kraken-territory 😉 Some of these responses go back a bit and may appear random but I just wanted to acknowledge all the hard work that’s been going on.

    To weigh or not to weigh – WEIGH. Definitely. Although right now I’m avoiding it till Friday, so go figure.

    Firstly, Jade, what a heart-breaking story and I wish I could have snotted that girl on the nose for you. We just have no idea how powerful words are to young women at that stage of life and then to have her try to make a joke of it all, so sorry you had to go through that experience. Although here you are now on the brink of nearly normal my dear cyber-buddy, so go you! I also LOVE your list and could relate to almost all of them (except breakfast is not a trigger for me for some weird reason). Hang in there our Kraken-slayer supreme.

    Twirly – I loved your description of your day especially the reference to Hannabal Lecter :-0 I definitely want to eat the face off things on some days.

    Melb100 – I feel you on the crazy eating and a being-kind-food weekend sounded like an awesome thing to do and your body has clearly thanked you. I don’t know the answer to what ails us all but I bet it isn’t beating ourselves up. Love the full-kraken fighting gear too (mine includes Twirly’s Hannibal Lecter mouth guard though). Hope you survived the country breakfast (makes me drool just writing that).

    Annette – It’s great that you have cracked the code for normal – enjoy the rewards and I loved the image of your working that red dress with your shapely upper arms! I also find biscuits (the sweet kind) travel of their own volition into my hands and beg to be dunked in the tea – sending vibes for swatting the little buggers away.

    Michell – way to go on slapping down lizard brain, such a slimy, slippery soul-destroying figure who just wants his own way (has to be a boy). I hope you’re feeling better already.

    mcca – I’ve been yo-yoing like crazy lately so will take on board your advice about plateaus (although a plateau would imply staying the same and sadly I’ve been going in the opposite direction). Way to go on the 5lbs btw!!! I am going to download the book tonight – I figure every perspective is useful and there’s bound to be something in there that I can take on board so thanks for the heads up (and thanks Jade for the book review!). Sounds like you’re getting the non-FD days sorted too, they are still a real issue for me after a long time on 5:2.

    sanguine – thanks for the reminder about the power of oats – I’m going to look at having them for a FD dinner – do you just have what I’d call porridge? How much/ how many cals?

    queen – It’s so true about the addictive personality. If I see it that way I think I can accept it will always be a struggle otherwise I find myself getting smug and next thing I’m flat on my face or more commonly ar*se up in a litre of boysenberry ripple ice-cream. Also, about whether to eat breakfast or not, it doesn’t seem to matter whether I have breakfast or not as far as the craving/binging goes although I suspect it possibly worse for me if I don’t have b/fast (unless I’m fasting) so who knows. The thing is to know what works for you. Thought I might try the idea of eating more good stuff on a non-FD too so thanks for all the great tips.

    HelenR – so good to hear from you again!! I can relate to your list of ‘reasons to binge’ and all power to your new start with 5:2. I’m about to begin again too so we can keep each other on the wagon (a friend recently suggested the problem was that the wagon was just too damned small and that’s why we fell off all the time).

    So, after reading all these posts I have a nagging question of my own:
    Why is it that the same body/brain can say to me on one day “Thank you for eating all that wonderful healthy food” and the next be screaming like a banshee “Get into that kitchen/pantry/KK store/car and EAT!!!”. Same body, same brain…. different day. Grrrrrrrr.

    I am starting 5:2 again tomorrow (or picking up where I left off quite some weeks ago) and I know it’s a crucial week. But I’m going to try so many of your wonderful suggestions and also picture you all helping me to fight off the Kraken/Godzilla/Krakzilla/Lizard-brained demons that will no doubt try to FU my FD. I have some unfinished business with all of them and I shall prevail. Strength and humour to all my cyber-sisters, Spring xx

    Such wonderful advice here – thank you all. That old memory reminded me that sometimes we want things that hurt too much, and it’s hard to let go but that’s what we have to do. Now how to turn that wisdom to food cravings…:)

    Queen, it’s weird we have different versions of the same problem. I want to sample every food in the house when I’m on a tear. It’s all a craving for me, not real hunger. Good lord I feel for you with the cake. I mean, we need yet another habit food, right??

    Michel, I hope you escaped the car place without cookies! Mine serves, of course, KK doughnuts WTF. I stopped going there for oil changes because of that.

    Annette, thank you for your advice, always so encouraging. I’m sorry you’re fighting the biscuit wars. I love them, too, though never the dunking part. But the sugar/carb part, oooo yes. Interesting that you don’t expect them at home. Habit is a sly little bastard. But you are figuring him out.

    Spring, I appreciate the snot on the nose (not sure what that means but she deserved it). Let me climb in your boat too. In fact, I can ride in every damn boat here. I was so in control a few days ago, then eating frozen FRUITCAKE at midnight. There’s a pretty picture. Lucky I didn’t crack a tooth.

    I guess sugar is yet another bad habit I need to confront. HOW MANY BAD HABITS DO YOU HAVE, LIZARD?? Well game on, what was it Annette, 6 teaspoons? An almond croissant once a week? I’ll admit I was getting pretty fast and loose with daily treats. OK, I can. We can do this. Happy sunny Sunday everyone – hugs and love xxx

    Good Luck all,
    Another week of kraken slaying and lizard brain!
    Check out Robert Lustig.

    I see another book in my future… 🙂

    Had the “lizard talk” last night when sugar cravings kicked in. It’s weird to actually talk to your brain that way. As though part of it is trying to misbehave. But it seemed to work. I could feel my brain pouting.

    The hardest part was wanting to do it in the first place. Because I really wanted that chocolate a lot, too. So that could be part of my problem!!! Mind stuff is hard 🙂 Happy FD everyone!! xx

    ‘Fat chance’ The truth about sugar by Robert Lustig. Just ordered it and see that there is the man himself on you tube. I should have it for the weekend, will do a book review and let you know what I have learned.

    Sad news, but my favourite black linen shift dress(makes me feel very Audrey Hepburn) and always get heaps of compliments..is too big. I had thought for some time that the top was getting a bit loose, but I can grab a handful of the fabric when it is done up. This is a charity shop find that I struggled to get into this spring and was a real event when I could do the zip all of the way up, never mind breathe!I will wash it, put it away and see how it fits in the spring(hopefully too big to be altered).

    Anything worth doing is hard. After all, we are aiming to lose fat, so the number on the scale is less important than how clothes fit or the newly emerging muscle definition, well that is what I think!

    Onwards and downwards fast friends.

    Hi Annette:

    Here is the original Lustig presentation that started it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

    And here is the follow-up four years later:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceFyF9px20Y

    Thank You!

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