I am a binger – any info on fasting and bingeing

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I am a binger – any info on fasting and bingeing

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  • And good luck at the doctor Kitty!

    Hi everyone, welcome back Penguin!

    Here’s the thing I am struggling with. I completely understand bingeing on wonderful Krispy Kremes or delicious Hungarian pastries. I just find that I will binge on ANYTHING. That I have this in built desire that is so strong just to seek out the worst kind of food, and then keep eating it and eating it until I hurt, and then I don’t even stop. Which is crazy because I find myself doing it when there is delicious food in the house that actually if I stopped to think about it, I prefer.

    For example, I love cherries and strawberries. We went berry picking and had 5 punnets in the fridge. So usually I would leave a box of berries thinking the kids should eat them over me eating them (they’re expensive!)… but with 5 boxes that will go off in 24 hours, that reasoning doesn’t apply. And I go to the fridge and in the face of the berries find myself stuffing myself full of mint fondant chocolates. Far more than are pleasurable. Far more than I want. I just feel compelled to keep eating them. And I am hating it but I keep going.

    I’m just so bored by myself…. food being such an obsession, whether I am eating it or not eating it. Sorry to be so negative.

    Hi mcca:

    Unfortunately it sounds like you are addicted to carbs. As with all addictions, it will be hard to beat, and harder to maintain.

    Good Luck!

    Hi mcca am reading your post thinking God that’s me doing exactly the same kind of thing as you! Just take heart from the fact that you are not on your own! Think maybe it is a carb addiction or maybe it’s just an addiction to eating in an erratic way – not sure really but think we are hopefully on a new path to self discovery and being relaxed around food – let’s all keep as strong as we can be and move forward – oh dear hope don’t sound too earnest …..fizzy

    Hi mcca,

    It sounds like you have an eating disorder. Have you thought about seeking advice from a doctor to help you get it sorted out? I’m not trying to tell you what to do. It’s just that I’ve been through a binge eating disorder and ended up piling on a lot of weight that was difficult to lose. It is a hard habit to break on your own. I eventually ended up seeking medical advice and I am now on the road to recovery.

    My advice would be do not fast and binge because it won’t do you any good in the long term. Seek some medical attention to help you overcome it!

    You have my sympathy mcca – I do have days just like that. In the past I’ve done those diets that let you eat as much as you want, whether it’s fruit, cabbage soup, or something else. Oddly enough, they seemed to bring me around because the discomfort got old after a while.

    I’m gradually learning that feeling overfull and awful isn’t worth the pain. My heart would still be totally into a binge, but I’m getting too old to want to deal with the aftermath, honestly, some days I do just have to bark at myself and say “eat the damn egg, NOT the candy!!” I say it in a really mean voice.

    I wish I knew what would work for you! All we can do is keep trying. I still think a fast would work for you, because it makes me want good stuff like fruit, veg, lean protein. Hugs to you!!!!

    Dear mcca – I do it too. Usually it’s bags of chocolate chips that I bought on sale and planned to do a lot of holiday baking with but I ran out of time and now they are just there, surely going bad any day now. I have a weird obsession with making sure the whole bag is gone – it is only then that I can stop and move on. If it’s there, if there are 3 or 30 left, I must eat them all. Same applies to saltines, graham crackers, loaves of bread, etc. I do find that it happens only once every one or two months that I go completely off the deep end like that, though, so I don’t know that it’s a complete addiction, more likely just related to my TOM or perhaps a depression cycle. It is usually bad enough for a few days that I’ll gain several pounds, even if just in bloating and sheer “mass.” It’s terrible, and disgusting, and very hard to convince myself not to do.

    I’m headed to the god-awful heat of North Carolina tomorrow and I’m determined to keep track and get at least one fast day in. That’s all I’m going to hold myself accountable for, but two would be nice. I’ll be keeping my blog going too, as I find that, without it, I begin slipping far too much.

    Kind thoughts and well-wishes to all of you – I’ll be reading and hopefully checking in from time to time!

    Mcca you almost had me in tears. Absolutely get the senseless loss of control over food, to the point where u don’t taste it, u feel awful and still keep going. It is almost some weird form of self-harming and self-abuse. Can’t get my head around it and as you say u don’t even go for the lovely food, just any food in volume. The only comfort now is knowing that we have all been there. And perhaps we get will overcome it one day.

    Often though if cognitive therapy would be helpful. What did u do Michael?

    its so hot in London that food is not tempting, however cider with ice is…

    Just a quick drop in. Just wanted to say to mcca and indeed everyone here who has the demon binges – you are not alone, you are not a freak, you are not disgusting nor are you a failure. You are a perfectly normal human being, suffering from an addiction, an addiction which can be overcome. Do not lose faith, we are all in this boat together, and with strength and each other’s support we can get through the dark days. Of course we will slip up on the way, but for gods sake we are only human. Besides, ever tried to give up smoking? It’s not easy, and neither is this.
    Keep fighting, we are all here for you, all over the world. Fast clubbers will succeed!

    Best wishes to everyone

    Indeed, wise words Kitty – we are all normal human beings. I congratulate us all for fighting a good fight and often succeeding. That said . . . I don’t want to use the F word (fail) but today was a monumental one for me. Just a gigantic sugar festival right in my den. Thank heavens I don’t have an addition to anything worse than sugar or I’d surely be locked away somewhere. On the bright side, there is no longer any Cadbury, bit-o-honey, or banoffee pie in my house. That should make tomorrow easier. I am DETERMINED to win.

    I hope you’re doing OK Mcca. Stick with us, let us know how you’re getting on. xx

    Hi all,

    loving the posts – sorry I am not here as much as I should be.

    I meant to say, I quite often come on here when I am not succeeding so forgive me for that- seeking group support. Does anyone else find there are certain foods they should not buy (I was reading the post above about eating and not tasting it)… for me it’s bagels, I love a sandwich at breakfast or lunchtime and brought a pack of these nice whole meal packs to last a few weeks (to put in the freezer)… let’s just say, that was yesterday and there aren’t many left now!

    Keep going everyone… it’s a marathon not a sprint. Just a quick post, is anyone finding the fasting is making their bingeing worse…

    The above isn’t the case for me but I actually notice if I can delay breakfast, have it at lunchtime the likelihood of me bingeing is actually much less. I am sure I keep saying it… but fasting really helps me to remind myself what hunger feels like and really hunger makes me want a nice nutritious meal…!

    Hi everyone, thanks very much for your supportive words. Sorry I was just feeling really negative that day.

    Yes I definitely do have some kind of eating disorder, and carb addiction sounds about right. Penguin you hit the nail on the head when you said you feel when you are in the binge mode you have to eat ALL of whatever it is. Moturam – I tried the hypnosis CDs and had some success with these, I just end up getting bored of using them! They are good though and really when I think how awful I feel after overeating, I don’t know why it seems like such a hassle to put the CD on each day.

    I’m looking at the positives… I have stuck (roundly speaking) to this for 8 months now, which is about 7.5 months more than I usually stick to any kind of diet or eating plan. Any day that I am fasting is a day I am not overeating, so that’s good for my health. I’ve lost about 20lbs, so, again, more than I usually loose and so far am keeping at the lower range of my weight.

    I’ve also been consulting Dr Google about compulsive overeating disorder… tips are the obvious (trying to PAUSE before a binge, to give time for consideration for what I am about to do)… I’m going to try this.

    Onwards and downwards!

    So…20 lbs gone?! Girl, you are a success! Heaven knows that was not easy but you did it. A win isn’t always pretty 🙂

    No FD for me today. I felt exquisitely rotten from yesterday’s sugar binge. I did fast until early afternoon, but then got an unexpected invite to lunch and decided to get some proper nutrition in me. I seriously think I had a sugar hangover, if there is such a thing. Like others have said, I had to eat until the thing was GONE, which was long after I stopped enjoying any of it. Ugh. Reminds me of when my dog is after a squirrel, there is no calling him back!

    Kitty mentioned how hard it is to quit smoking, and of course I used to smoke but one day chain-smoking made me so sick that I have never picked up another (5 years now). Aversion therapy, I guess, though entirely accidental. Maybe yesterday will have the same result, because aside from being disgusted with myself I am surprised I still feel this bad a whole day later. We shall see…..

    Stay strong, whatever you’re up to today, dear Fast Club. We can beat this together, I know we can!! xx

    Hello Everyone,

    I’ve been reading through your posts and am one of you. Over 6 months ago I stopped dieting. I was binging daily at that point because I was trying to follow a diet, while never really doing it. I had exhausted myself ‘trying’ to diet. I started dieting, paying someone or buying some book to lose weight starting at 13, I’m 52. I’ve yo-yoed all over. When I look back at pictures I realize, and my husband will comment,” you thought you were fat and you weren’t.” Well all the dieting has led me to be about 200 pounds. I’ve stopped weighing myself and don’t intend to get back on the scale. I’ve read a ton of books about eating disorders and normal eating. I haven’t binged in several months. The first 8 weeks were out of control, just as many of you think it will be, it was scary, but I kept telling myself I can eat whatever I want. I heard about the 5:2 diet and thought it might suit me. I want to learn about my hunger, I’ve spent most of my life feeling stuffed. The appeal are the possible health benefits, two years ago I had to start taking high blood pressure medicine. If I lose weight fine, if not I will be at peace with that.

    Anyway I can empathize with each and everyone one of you and will cheer you on in your journey.

    Grace and Peace to you all.

    Welcome aboard ksong. I joined this lovely bunch of people on this thread 3 weeks ago now.

    Although I haven’t had a chance to catch up on all of the posts yet from this week, it sounds like you will feel right at home with us lot 🙂 and this is a positive step on your journey to perhaps understanding your body more and a new way of life that will be sustainable bit I am sure not without road bumps as I found out yesterday…queue my confession…

    Yesterday was my second fast day of the week and importantly my last one before holiday…I am off to south Devon today… Anyway, fast day went well or should I say it started well. Then I ended up at hospital…my.eye was full of blood argghh…looks hideous. Turns out.is just a broken blood vessel with no sinister cause..probably caused by wide eyeing any morsal of food I was desperate to eat but resisted..great news. Work had been stressing me out as they tried to bleed me.dry of any joy left in me before I go on leave, I had 20gazillion errands to run and by time I got home it was 9pm. You would think this seems I did well…then I started rummaging in cupboards, so came the pretzels… Which was OK if I had not followed it up with my.planned salad dinner and washed it all down with nearly a whole bottle of wine.

    A little ashamed I blew my fast day especially knowing how important it was with forthcoming holiday and knowing I wouldn’t have that feeling of smug success I have the next day after fasting. Double disappointing.

    Today is a new day though and a new start. I thought although my weigh in day is Sunday as I like to weigh the furthest away from my last fast as possible as then it is worse case weight, I have squeezed in a sneaky pre holiday weigh this morning and am 2lb down after losing zero last week so not a total disaster.

    I must go and pack now but will catch up with all your posts whilst watching the waves lap into the shore from the beautiful beach cottage I am off to and will read them all then…whilst eating cheese no doubt lol.

    Penguin, kitty, MCCA, jade, bingeingqueen, morturam fizzy and anyone I have missed off…I hope you are finding successes in the week even amongst any slip ups…there is always a success to pluck from it and a lesson learned so don’t let one mistake break your strength. Good luck all and catch up soon 🙂 x

    Welcome ksong – I’m always amazed how our stories are all so similar. I can trace my weight struggle back to same age (13) and my first ever diet when all the girls wanted to be Twiggy and all went on crash diets.

    Hooray for you Ltd on the 2 lbs !! Love your advice to always look for the good thin to pluck out of any bad experience. I found your 2 lbs today but not surprised. I guess my good thing is that I don’t feel panicked? Not the way I used to anyway, that feeling of failure. I believe that can make me sabotage my efforts, as it turns into a subconscious desire to hurt myself, to punish for failing. Seems crazy but true.

    Anyway have fun on your trip ltd and good luck to all on holiday Today I’m trying a FD again but Fridays are tough, as we always go out. Wish me luck! Love to all xx

    Afternoon Fasters!
    We are back from freshman orientation and I have to say I have missed reading all your posts. I ate way more than I should have, every meal was basically a all your can eat buffet. I guess I could have done worse. I never felt sick or really “stuffed” Anyway next Mon will be a fd and I can start over losing the same 5 lbs.

    ksong: Wellcome! Congrats on not binging in several months. Good luck on 5:2. I hope you find success in this “way of life”.

    Queen: There are lots of foods I do not buy in bulk because I will eat all of it, in a weak moment. I do believe 5:2 has helped my binging. Before starting 5:2 I was binging multiple times a week, to the point of being sick. Now I call it overeating and rarely to the feeling ill stage. Progress.

    Idt953: I hope you enjoy your trip to Devon and that your eye heals quickly. Congrats on your 2lb loss!

    Jade: Good Luck on your fd! Way to get back on it after the “sugar festival”

    Kitty: Thanks for your inspiring words.

    mcca: 20 lbs! Great accomplishment

    Penguin: Have fun in N Carolina, try to stay cool. Good luck with the fd and keeping track of what you eat.

    Moturam: I have been in regular therapy, hypnosis therapy and what was called “brain spotting” Each one worked for about a year after the therapy ended. But eventually my old thoughts/ways crept back into my life. Now I’m trying 5:2 and hopefully it will be a “way of life” for me going forward. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of trying therapy to give it a go. I found it very rewarding, just not a life long cure.

    Here’s to Happy days & Healthy eating!

    Afternoon Fasting Club!
    Celebrating the 4th of July with grilled chipotle chicken breast & pork chops and a huge salad. Dessert well have to be yogurt (nothing else in the house 🙂 )

    Wish y’all healthy choices & happiness!

    Umm, 4th of July here too! Unfortunately, there’s more food and jello shots than I know what to do with. I’ll be back on the wagon tomorrow! Sorry Britain, but we just had to go our own way 🙂

    Lol I’ve certainly gone my own way this week. Yet another no-go FD yesterday (dinner plans gone awry…sigh I was THIS CLOSE TOO – but at least no binge) so I’m grabbing the chance today. Third time’s a charm right? Already have the chicken sausage and lowfat slaw and berries ready to go. But I’d trade it in a heartbeat for a pool and jello shots, oh yes I would! Enjoy, Michel 🙂 glad you are safely home.

    Have fun on the holiday or just the weekend wherever you are, FCers! xx jade.

    Oops seem to have conflated the two parties. Penguin and Michel need to combine their jello and pool lol.

    Actually, hubby & I spent a couple of hours floating in the pool. No jello-shots 🙁 , but a great way to spend the 4th.

    Jade: Sounds like a good fd dinner……Good Luck!

    Penguin: Have a jello-shot for me. So yummy around the pool.

    Hi fellow fasters it has been a week of poop for me with huge stress at work and high octane emotional situations that I have been struggling to deal with….so all caution has been thrown to the wind and I have eaten like a pig and drunk like a fish… now feel particularly bad because i can feel the weight piling back on – won’t weigh myself yet as don’t feel up to the challenge of the scales – am going to try a fast day tomorrow – maybe – to have control over anything would feel like a victory so will try my hardest
    Fizzy

    Fizzy: Sorry to hear you have been under so much stress. Hopefully a successful fd will help you feel in control. Try not to worry about the scales, your health is so much more than a number. Know that I am pulling for you tomorrow. You can do this 1 fd at a time.

    Ah Fizzy so sorry about your bad week. It is so hard to juggle stress, and sometimes I feel that meal planning is so trivial in comparison. And so the planning goes out the window all the time for me!! I hope things get better — indeed stay off the scale and go for a FD. Ha if you’re like me you may have to have several tries!

    We are all in this together and it’s a lovely group I must say 🙂 – no perfect Pattys here. One day at a time, good advice! Cheers to another Monday on the horizon and good luck to all fasting. xx

    Oh man…. one thing that can wreck my FD is knowing I have to eat out (so I eat nothing all day) and then having dinner POSTPONED!!! Aaagghh. I don’t know about you but I am sitting on GO when it’s dinner time on fast day. My appetite does not happily wait longer than it expected to!!! Two times now hubby has pushed dinner back from our usual 6ish to around 7-8. WHAT the,,, I just can’t. I had to have a snack. 🙁

    Now that I’ve blown the FD by snacking, I will try to behave myself and eat a light meal at the restaurant, I wish good luck and strength to everyone else trying to get through the day. Happy Monday! xx

    Jade: I hope you ended the day better than I did.
    My fd was blown when I encountered the huge celebration breakfast, which included bagels & cream cheese. I had bagels for breakfast & lunch. Followed by cake & ice cream. Dinner was small, but no way it could make up for all those calories.
    I would like to say “I will fast tomorrow”, but that is the “normal” free lunch day we have and I don’t have what it takes to be the only one not eating. I guess if I did I wouldn’t need this forum. Shooting for moderate eating tomorrow & a fd on Wed.

    Good luck everyone……stay strong & make healthy choices!

    Morning Fasters!
    Surprising success to report. Donuts have been on my mind for a couple of weeks, especially yesterday. I kept telling myself “no”, but in the back of my mind I was thinking “maybe tomorrow on the way to work”. So I woke up thinking, what the heck. I’ll worry about the extra lbs tomorrow. But then as I got in the car to leave a little voice said you don’t need them, they won’t taste good after the 2nd one and you will only feel bad all day-not worth it! Wow, I’m not sure this has ever happened before. Hopefully, I will still hear that little voice thru lunch.

    Sending all of you positive vibes today and hoping you have a good day full of healthy choices.

    That’s fantastic Michel!! That is some real control, congrats :). Might even call that a sea change?

    I have a doughnut victory, too, coincidentally. Somehow I found myself again in a traffic jam diverted onto a different Krispy Kreme road. I thought gleefully “fate strikes again!” And so I parked, went in, and was inside embracing the display case with my eyes. And there was a couple in front of me, which gave my little voice time to say “you know, you aren’t even hungry, and you can have those doughnuts, you’ve been pretty good lately, but you will definitely eat them in the car, and then you will feel sick even if you don’t feel guilty.”

    And I left. I really didn’t leave out of guilt or self-loathing, I just realized I wasn’t hungry AND I knew it would feel physically bad to eat them. And I knew for sure at I would eat them in the car no matter what. I feel as though I had a self intervention.

    That was two days ago, but yesterday was a flubbed FD and I woke up to a half lb loss this morning. Perfect, right? Just enough to feel good but not as though I should be ravenous. I may retire the scales for a bit so as not to overreact to the numbers. Maybe even monthly. I want to eat mindfully the way I did while traveling – even though I wanted to know, not knowing kept me well behaved. Mostly 🙂

    What’s going on with the rest of our club? Check in, we miss you!

    xx Jade

    Hi Everyone,

    Thanks for the kind words. I hope your eye is better. In my second day of fasting, was harder in the afternoon, but feel okay now. I did not binge last week after my first fast day. I noticed the taste of food, it was delicious, the next day after the fast and I have slowed down eating. Something I’ve worked on for years, as I gulp my food without even chewing. As anyone else experienced these two phenomena?

    I wish you all wellness and a sense of peace in your journey today and everyday.

    Hi MCCA,

    Bingers will binge on anything at least that is my experience. I think we are filling ourselves up with food, when we really need something else. Binging numbs me from my feelings, I have been practicing asking myself how I feel, even when I’m not binging. It has been very helpful to allow myself to feel instead of stuffing my feelings with food. I’ve noticed I have a tendency to tear up more now. I’ve discovered I’ve been lonely, or tired and those often lead to binges. Since I refuse to diet any longer I have lost the guilt and shame that was my constant companion about food. Several books I’ve read helped me, they may or may not help you. Normal Eating for Normal Weight: The Path to Freedom, Sheryl Carter and Life Without ED by Jenni Schafer.

    Know you are not alone.

    Holy moly, this has been just one big binge week. OK, not really. I think I only really binged on the 4th of July. But for all the calories I’ve sweated off in this hellacious heat, I’ve consumed just as many in pizza and wine. I’m ever so thankful to be going home to the sanity of my own home tomorrow. I wish I could enjoy being at my parents’ house more, but they are a tough bunch, especially with my brother. Anyway, I will go on and on about that so best to stop now.

    I will say that I had the most depressing time shopping with my mom today. There’s a cute shop—it’s actually a brand, I don’t know if you have it in the UK—called Brooks Brothers, anyway, I love their preppy clothes. And there was some stuff that fit but mostly it just made me realize how far I HAD come and how much ground I’ve lost recently. Time to whip my butt back into gear.

    Anyone up for a challenge? Maybe not a pounds or percentage lost, but just holding ourselves to two fast days a week? I dunno, maybe I need someone to be accountable to.

    XOXO all around!

    Jade: Congrats on your victory over the donuts. Walking away from the counter, big victory! Sea change? Keep us posted if you decide to hand up the scales. I’m to scared to give it a go.

    Ksong: I agree the food tastes very good after a fd. Eating slow is not something I have mastered on a non-fd. Somehow I can make my 500 cal dinner last longer than a big plate of food.
    It sounds like you have made some excellent progress in understanding yourself. Thanks for suggesting the books.

    Penguin: I will take up your challenge – 2 fast days a week. Maybe being held accountable will help inspire me.
    The little voice from this morning was gone by the afternoon and I gave in to cookies & ice cream. 🙁 grrr!

    FD tomorrow, Penguin I will keep you posted on my success. (Positive thinking 🙂 )

    Ksong – wise words, thank you very much. You are so right, bingeing is there to fill a different void, and as others have posted, once you get in the bingeing mind set, it can be on pretty much any food.

    I’ll definitely get those books – normal eating and a path to freedom sound like the way forward!

    Thank you!! 🙂

    Michel & Jade – really really amazing work on the doughnuts front. It sounds like such a small thing but for those with the binge mentality, it’s a massive step to stop a binge just before you’re about to embark on one.

    Ksong….thank you so much for the book recs. I read the sample chapters of the “Normal Eating for Normal Weight” book and it’s as though she is speaking directly to each of us. In particular, the focus on “normal” really hit me. A few days ago, I wrote that it made me feel better to know that fasting even at goal weight was normal. Everyone fluctuates in weight and over indulges on things like Penguin’s trip home, or any holiday. It’s normal and oerfectly ok! I need to remember that.

    One thing she mentioned in the samples I read was that “eating when hungry” defied the traditional advice of regular health guidelines (i.e. eat a big breakfast!) and most weight-loss programs that tell you when and what to eat, when that may not be when and what you WANT. I think 5:2 is on the right track there. Well, we don’t alwys eat when hungry, but we sure are hungry on a FD when we do! And we enjoy the right kinds of food.

    I love that feeling and want to have it every day. I accept your challenge Penguin, because fasting has been good for me. I feel healthier than I’ve felt for ages. I also want to be normal. I will be getting that book!

    Michel, don’t feel bad about the cookies and ice cream – one success at a time, girl. You have inspired me so much with your postings. And Penguin, I believe that special occasions enjoying food with your family are what they these book authors and Dr Mosley mean by normal! That’s why I believe fast days will always be a part of my life, so that I can overindulge on occasion and not feel bad.

    Wow, this is long, sorry to be long winded, just kind of revved up this morning 🙂
    xx jade
    Go Fast Club!

    Afternoon Fast Club!
    FD today & so-far-so-good. 3pm and no food yet, saving for dinner. Not really hungry. I find I’m not as hungry on the 1st fd of the week, the 2nd is harder.

    Received my Fast Exercise book. I’m committed to doing the stairs after work. I went so far as to tell a couple of co-workers, help keep me accountable.

    Penguin: Thanks for the challenge. I don’t think I would have tried for 2 fast days this week, but I will now.

    Jade: Your energy is contagious. I feel motivated just reading your post.

    Fast Days & Normal Eating…..Here we come!

    Hey gang, I did get the “Normal Eating” book and it’s great! Some advice doesn’t fit my situation but there’s plenty that does.

    It’s a series of steps, but one big part is to stop and think about what’s really going on when a binge is about to start. After all, the only thing eating cures is hunger. And so the advice is to pause long enough to see if there is something else you should do to fix how you feel besides eat.

    I really liked this advice: “After a binge, don’t say to yourself ‘bad thing happened so I binged. I’ll eat normally when life is normal.’ Instead say ‘bad thing happened, I sat with the urge as long as I could but couldn’t find another way to cope and ended up eating. Still, I credit myself for pausing as long as I did, and next time I will try again.'”

    The whole idea is to confront the craving every time, until at some point (it can take a long time) you no longer try to solve a non-hunger problem by eating. The problem may be stress, anger, or something as mild as boredom. The solution to those things may not be obvious but we just have to keep telling ourselves that eating isn’t going to solve it. It may distract us temporarily but usually we end up feeling worse.

    Ok that’s all for now. Night night and big hugs to all of you.
    jade

    Morning All Seekers of a Healthy Way of Life!

    Successful fd yesterday. Dinner consisted of a tuna fish wrap with lettuce & tomatoes. No desserts or snacks. YEA!

    Going to try for 500 cal again today. Keep telling myself “I’m in control of what I put in my mouth”. My plan for the day: protein bar for lunch and a salad for dinner.

    Jade: Thanks for your input on the book. I’m still looking at it.

    Hope everyone is doing ok. I miss hearing from y’all.

    Thought for the day:
    Mindfull Eating-think before you put it in your mouth

    Darn it! I just found our we are having BDay cake today……..grrrr :'(

    Michel – you’re better than that bday cake. You’ve SO got this.

    Jade, I like the quote about post-binge reasoning. Now, I just have to commit that to memory otherwise I’ll forget and either have to come back here every time I binge or I’ll just say it’ll be better when my life is better.

    KSong, I wanted to comment on your eating technique. I, too, eat extremely fast. Sometimes I actually cause myself pain by how large of a piece of food I try to swallow. I blame part of it on having to eat so fast in the Army – starting in Basic Training we had two minutes to eat any meal, and it didn’t improve much over my 15 year career – but I know it’s also because I’m trying like hell to satisfy some aching hole in my emotions. Who knows… but yes, I do it too.

    About this 2 days a week thing… I probably spoke too soon. I’d really like to do it, but… you know what? I will. Eff it. I was going to say that my brother and husband are both in town and I’m responsible for the cooking and so it would be impossible. But it’s not. I have complete control over what goes in my mouth. I’ll have to be creative to get two fast days in—can I get one this week (like, before Sunday?) and two next week? I’ve already had close to 500 calories today… I wonder if I could make this one a fast day, because my breakfast burrito was pretty healthy, low fat, etc. I think I can do it. Then I think I can get Sunday as a fast day again. So I can do two!

    XOXO,
    P

    Penguin: 1st, Thanks for the support. Crazy how good it feels to know someone is pulling for you.
    2nd, Thanks for your years of service.
    3rd, Way to make 5:2 work for you. Yes, with some planning you can get in 2 and enjoy the rest.

    Wholesaler just brought in warm cookies fresh from the bakery.

    With all the food we have here at work, you would think everyone would be overweight, but they are not. Somehow they stay trim. It’s not right! I guess that is the difference between “normal” eaters and “bingers”.

    Logically I know I will not be satisfied w/ 1 (cookie or piece of cake) and the craving will be stonger after I start eating. So…..I’m gonna try & just fast today and eat my salad for dinner. I wonder if I’m strong enough to save my cake till tomorrow. Then I won’t feel deprived and there won’t be any leftovers. Hmmmm

    Stay strong, Michel. Your posts have me riveted, cheering for you! That’s quite a set of temptations today. Someday we will all be eating normally, like those other people. I feel myself getting closer each week. I truly love this plan, it resets me every time I get through a fast, or even when I flub, I have still gotten some practice being in control.

    More advice from the book: don’t eat in private. Think about what you will eat and eat it mindfully — the way we all do when we’re with someone else. Ah, I will miss my illicit late night love affairs with the jar of hot fudge and the Ben & Jerry’s. Confession though, I am lactose intolerant, and finally coming to terms with it. But in the day I could eat an entire carton. And if I brought it into the house, I still would. I am going to try my best to not snack if no one is around, I may have to go to bed right after dinner to make that happen.

    Penguin, you’re right, you are in control! Enjoy your family instead of food. Sip club soda and lime, or just add a spoonful of wine for a spritzer. You get the wine taste and it feels festive. We always say it’s not about the food, anyway, whenever the chef has a bad night in the kitchen. Which, when wine is involved, is quite often :). And yes, indeed, thank you for your service in the Army. That’s a lot of years!

    Ok, Fast Club, here’s to us! Committed and strong together, we can get this done. xx jade

    Hello fasters checking in to confess to another bad day at work and a resulting 2635 calorie intake today – reckon did not enjoy half of those calories so maybe that’s a positive – Will attempt a fast day tomorrow….fizzy

    Jade: Thanks for the encouragement. I’ve stayed strong today. Everyone ate their cake in the kitchen & afterwards I carried mine back to my desk & put it in a drawer for tomorrow. I have also avoided the cookies.
    Now I’m off to have a nice salad w/ my mom, daughter-in-law & my 9 mnth old granddaughter. Feeling strong & in control.

    NOT Eating in private–hmmmm
    This one is very hard for me. I have posted about this in the past. I try not to go in the breakroom alone when yummy treats are sitting out, but I do enjoy eating in the car on the way home. I know I shouldn’t, but I do. Breaking that bad habit will be tough.

    Hugs to everyone!

    Fizzy: Thanks for checking in. I’m sorry your day was so bad. I understand the mindless-stress-eating you described. I will be especially thinking of you tomorrow as you fast. Try to remember “It all starts in the mind” Let “I’m fasting today” be your mantra.

    Like you, Michel, I LOVE to eat in the car. If the floor mats were edible, I’d have eaten them by now, Do you eat at stoplights or other places people can see you? I don’t. That doughnut stays hidden until traffic moves again. I think no-eating-on-the-sly has to be a goal of mine, because it is when I am most likely NOT to eat mindfully. Honestly, even if it’s a bag of fruit and nuts in my purse, I empty that thing in no time flat.

    Fizzy, glad you are still here! As long as you keep trying, you will succeed. Giving up is the only way to fail. I did the same thing just the other day, so don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. It feels awful today, but tomorrow is almost here. We’re all pulling for you!!

    I think I had a successful fast day. Nothing until 6:30, then out to a Mexican restaurant. Had one beer, half a small cheese enchilada, and the insides of a fish (soft) taco. It feels good not to be stuffed. it might be more than 500 but I’m calling it good.

    I am working on gauging my actual hunger, on the 1-10 scale (1 being almost crazy hungry, 5-6 being just right, and 10 being painfully stuffed). They say to stop eating at about a 4 and see if you feel satisfied after 10 min or do. Some days I try to stop before feeling satisfied and end up constantly feeling hungry, but I’m putting a lot more thought into what I am doing and it seems to be working. Today anyway 🙂

    Goodnight all you lovely fasters – let’s keep this joy train moving. xx jade

    ps: Big congrats to you Michel, on staring down the fast day today!!!

    Jade: You are cracking me up. I know exactly what you mean. But I found a way to avoid waiting on the lights. If you pull up just right (never parallel) the people in the cars next to you can’t really see you.
    I agree this is a big area I need to work on.
    Congrats on the successful fd. Very impressed w/ your self-control at a Mexican restaurant. I would have been lost with the chips & salsa.
    My 2nd fast day the week (thanks again for the challenge) has also ended as a success. The cake is still in the drawer and I brought home 2 cookies. 1 for hubby tonight and 1 for me tomorrow. (Surprise, surprise I didn’t eat both of them on the way home)

    Already starting to mentally gear up for the free breakfast in the morning. Mindful eating……

    Jade: I wanted to add to your thoughts on the idea of eating for 10 min then deciding how hungry you still are. When I’m in control I follow an “eating plan” where you eat slow for 10 min, take a 5 min break and then eat for another 10 min. They said it takes 20 min for the brain to receive the chemicals signaling you are full. I know that when I take the time to do this it really works and the food tastes so good after the 5 min break. The secret for me if you use a timer. I do this for all my fast meals. It’s the only way I can feel full on 500 cal.

    Best of Luck tomorrow, especially anyone fasting (Fizzy)

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