p.s. forgot to add, do you have any experience with meal planning? i must admit i really like the planning sessions, it’s like a tetris game 🙂 and takes off from your brain the responsibility of deciding what to eat every day.
This topic contains 3,042 replies, has 111 voices, and was last updated by Delayedgratification 5 years, 4 months ago.
Welcome verdescuro! And nice to see you again FC (Leslie). Tango, I now exactly what you’re saying about the group – even here on the island, we’re all so different that I have sometimes thought “well, I don’t have a issue with that” but in a way, I suppose all our various issues are tied to the power we have over eating – or vice versa. It has been a good journey for me so far with all the help I’ve found here, even if it was something that didn’t help me – I was cheered to know progress was doable in a variety of ways. Turned out for me it was just forming new habits and taking a ****load of time for that to happen.
Queen, I initially just gave up all grains, for about a month maybe? Then gradually added back rice, which didn’t get me going as much as wheat, probably due to the bread and crackers I can eat with impunity. I gave up th foods that made me nuts, so yeah nuts too were restricted thought not eliminated. And funny about the peanut butter – I also could have eaten gallons of it BUT as time went by (especially with no bread to eat it on) I ate less. I ate it with a spoon! Trust me, it takes time but natural peanut butter WILL lose its addictive power. Just keep it off the bread. I dunno it’s still great but it does not make me wild to eat more.
I estimate that I’ve been at this “food restriction” of one sort or another for 9 months. It’s only just recently that I’ve calmed down enough to allow myself a bit of anything – any grains, even dessert. Not for breakfast though, ever. But somehow I broke some barrier, geez it took long enough but I am not crazy anymore and it’s been weeks now. I’m down to my goal weight and it’s not creeping up. It helps immensely that hubs is also watching his calories, but I’m thrilled to be free of the chains. I’ve also dealt with some back pain this summer, so maybe that had something to do with my apathy toward food (also the meds), so I’m being extra careful to watch my “excitement index” whenever I eat a formerly troublesome food.
Annette looks like you’re back on the downward trend, might wave our pink shorts flags together? 🎉🎉
Gotta run, taking a plane trip to see family, oh so many little pesky details esp with pets. Hugs to all you islanders. 🔆🔆🌴🌴🔆🔆jadexxxx
Hi there,
Hope everyone is doing well. Jade love the excitement index!
I’ll be off the forum for a while, I’ve discovered through a food support program (12 steps) that my reaction towards food isn’t ‘normal’, in a sense that my responses are far more emotional than physical, although probably both. There are quite a lot of the ‘rules’ that I need to stick with, that I struggle with, some of it because of my own resistance but others which are just a bit silly, no coffee allowed 🙁 Queen I don’t like this, but have had to ‘suck it up’ I hoping this program is a long term commitment towards feeling better about food and being able to handle it. The diet is strict, no wheat, flour or sugar. Let’s see……I will check in for updates..xxxx love to all and sending huge positive vibes, I will miss you
Hello Everyone!
I wish everyone well with what ever they are trying and hope that you all have success. I am back at work next week and frantically trying to finish all the decorating before visitors arrive next week.So will pop in now and again.
I have had 2 mini breaks away and have eaten and drank what ever I liked. Somehow, I have lost 5 lb and yesterday after a FD..another lb, but the waist measurement is static. I am completely baffled.
I am going to continue with avoiding rice/grains/potatoes/bread, which for me, means at least one meal without any and often both. Nothing is banned merely avoided.
Tango, I’m glad to hear you’ve found the food support group for motivation. No sugar or wheat (and any other flour?) is what finally did the trick for me. As for coffee, I guess caffeine negatively affects some people. So it sounds like a way to discover what may trigger you and how to de-power that food. I’d have never believed I could someday have a “take it or leave it” attitude about food but I finally do. Discovering what my triggers were was the secret.
Annette, huge congrats on the big loss! The shape will follow – I’d say be patient but I know that you are. I found that as soon as I accepted that I had lost all that I was going to lose, the last 5 desperate lbs melted off. It’s like some devious game, lol. What actually happened is that I stopped thinking so much about what I could eat. I still enjoy a good meal, but often it’s just food. Th “excitement” index doesn’t last beyond the first few bites – I find more often than ever that I’m really thirsty when I have that feeling of wanting more. I can’t even believe I’m writing this.😜
But islanders, remember how often Annette said “if I can do it, anybody can”? Well, if this can happen to me, the clandestine doughnut fiend, it could happen to anyone. For me, it simply was a matter of cutting down on the sugar and grains, making that a very occasional (and small) treat, and eating whole foods. Day after day after week after month. Seriously, maybe 9 months of bouncing up and down on the scale, because I would still overeat. Maybe grapes, maybe peanut butter, so yes they went on the restricted list as well. And finally…that desire to overeat just went away. I can’t even imagine a binge now. My system is free of the hormonal cycle caused by sugar and junk. It seemed to take forever but thanks to the support here, and all the helpful links, I kept at it.
I will still hang out on the island because I would feel like an ex-pat in the world of normal people. But I do truly feel normal and I know it’s doable. Love to all, jadexxx🌴
What a lovely post Jade. Further update…in am now 8 lb heavier than I was yesterday! My waist is still the same, so I will just keep going.
I remember having that realization a few weeks ago that food was just food and nothing to get that excited about. It does change what you eat and how much. Another FD for me tomorrow and out of pure curiosity I am going to see what the scales say every day for the rest of the week.
My new challenge is trying to figure out what I am going to eat when term starts. All meals centre around rice/pasta/potatoes so I think that soup and salad are going to be mainstays for me now. I shall see how it goes and make tweaks along the way.
It’s such a joy to read your posts, Jade and annette! People can tell us all sorts of things but doing is believing and you have found your own proof. I’m so pleased for you! For those of us who have binged hopelessly for years, it is nothing short of a miracle to not “even imagine a binge now”.
The solution feels incredibly simple to me these days: no sugar, grains, starches — plus a few items which, while not harmful in themselves, tend to trigger me. IF with LCHF fits me beautifully. No hunger, no binges, easy weight loss.
But it wasn’t so very long ago that I couldn’t have seen my way past leaving all my beloved poisons behind. I had to be ready, and I finally was. For “ready” insert “unable to struggle any longer” to be closer to the mark. My plan evolved quickly from the basic 5:2 as I saw results and read everything I could find. I ended up with a plan which fit me — and I see that you have done the same for yourselves.
Only someone who knows what we’re talking about can truly appreciate how huge a thing this is. I’m grateful to be in such good company.
Love — Lolly
Fabulous to hear that you are doing so well, Lolly.
I had this nut/seed mix for breakfast but just wasn’t hungry for lunch so missed it. Out with friends and succumbed to a small ice cream in the warm summer sun. Don’t feel guilty and enjoyed it but I also know that I am back to work shortly and the ice cream days are almost over too.
I resisted avoiding the pasta/rice/bread/potatoes for ages. Thought that it was a mad idea and what was I going to eat? I find it really easy to feed myself and aim to have most meals without those blighters but accept that a couple of times a week is not the end of the world.
FD for me tomorrow, who knows what number my magic scales will say for the rest of the week?!
Wow! I never ever thought that you would give it a go Queen, but I am thrilled that you have.
Try ignoring the calories for a week and think about the meals that you can create from fish, full fat milk and yoghurt, eggs, nuts, cheese, cream, unprocessed meat, avocados, olive oil, fruit and vegetables etc. Think about the protein first and then the salad or vegetables. It really isn’t hard to create meals without pasta/bread/rice/potatoes..and I feel much better with less of them in my life. How about a couple of scrambled eggs with a little butter and then paired with smoked salmon, it is delicious and very filling.
Try putting in a small jam jar with lid.. 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp white wine vinegar and half a tsp Dijon mustard. Give it a good shake and drizzle over salad-scrumptious.
So pleased that you have tried it, now do it for a week and see how you feel.I am intrigued to see if you will feel as good as Jade and I do with less carbs. Keep us posted!
I too am a binger.. 🙁 my first week of this diet and I did perfect on fast day, but I went way over my Total Daily Energy Expenditure calories. I ate 10 cookies, 3 bowls of rice, a chicken breast with chorizo and onions, shrimp scampi, 2 bowls of captain crunch and 2 beers. That’s just too much! However, my only goal this week was to survive 2 fast days. This week it will be to avoid most pasta & chips, but most importantly serving control and less snacks. I don’t want to be too strict, but I am in pain from this binge today ): Why do I do this.
Hi Alana and welcome to the island. We know what you feel like, and I promise you it will be OK if you just fight back, step by step. Discover your triggers, do 5:2, read Lustig and Fung on what sugar and processed foods do to our insulin response and, consequently, our self control. It is not a quick fix, but it will make you feel better each day you are in “recovery.”
Queen, that’s freaking awesome!! Keep it up, and don’t be discouraged if you fall off the wagon. I did, for the better part of a year, but climbed back on like a stubborn mule. I could be a tougher case than most, who knows – but finally…finally I do feel normal. As Lolly and Annette said, we all have to find what works for us, but the common denominator is that there IS a way. There’s some combination of triggers that is the key for each of us – get them out of our lives, and then we can enjoy all the lovely things that do not make us crazy. Then lo and behold one day the power of the trigger is gone. No food will have that power over you.
Reminds me of the bad boyfriend, I know I’ve used this analogy before, but it’s so true. You think you can never live without him, you miss him so much when he’s gone, but if he stays gone, one day you see him on the street and he’s just another guy and you think “what the hell was that about.” Trust me, it will happen. But in the meantime, you just have to make a whole bunch of new friends to keep you from thinking about him.
Ah, life…what a mystery. Fun to travel this island path with you all.🔆🌴💛xxxx
Hi Queen,
I can’t remember! I think that I was getting my head around creating a meal when protein was the star and not the rice/pasta/bread/potatoes. It felt very weird to change what I had done for years, but I also felt that I needed to do it for a couple of weeks to really see if I felt any difference.
All that carbohydrates do is spike your blood sugar and then drop leaving you with the need to have more of the sweet stuff. Have carbohydrates in the form of whole fruit and vegetables that have the fibre and therefore allow a slow release of sugar in the blood and thus less insulin=less fat. The oatcakes have shown you what happens, now cut out those ‘binge-makers’ and see how much better you feel. Food is just food.
I bought a 6 pack of ice cream yesterday(haven’t done that in a very long time) and now there are 3 left. I am not cured! I cannot have them in the house. Lesson learned.
Keep going, Queen.You can do it and you will feel much better.
hope you don’t mind me bursting in on you all again but i would welcome any tips
i agree about the carbs not being great
although i have to admit to failing – again
everything i read tells me low carb/med diet will make me feel great
well after over 3 months on it, gradually feeling worse and worse, more and more tired – yesterday i just binged on anything i could eat
the people on low carb forums kept telling me it was my electrolytes making me so tired, and achy – but they had recently all been tested by gp and were all fine
and ‘ketoflu’ yes it does exist i think but only for a few days/couple of weeks, not 3 months
i am at a total loss now as to what to do
i seem to be totally the wrong way round to everyone else – or i just need more sugar, i don’t know
any ideas would be most welcome
hi Annette and thank you for replying
I think those things should have been checked with my last bloods a few weeks ago, as they were doing sugar/fats/vitamins etc to do with fatigue
I will ask gp when I see him.
I was bingeing again sunday and yesterday, and annoyingly that made me feel better physically – not mentally of course – but I was less tired
I also wondered if my iron could be low, as I was eating liver every week, but have not done so now for a few weeks, will have to start that up again.
Queen, I think you DO have the answer! You are finding that sense of control! This is great news🎉 And KT you are getting there too – I tried true LCHF for weeks, too, several times in fact, and it just isn’t for me. I recognize the importance fats and proteins play in my diet, so I always include them in a meal, in fact I try to make them the “star” but other than limiting grains for a while, I have also had carbs (fruit, some potatoes – though not the junky crisps). I was very strict about sugar though. And sometimes just lusted after a diet drink but tried to stay away from those too. As Queen said, having a small bit of some not-so-great thing is still progress over where we started.
What worked for me – and it took the better part of a year – was to stick to whole foods (with an occasional lapse), then gradually identify the whole foods I’d overdo (bread, grapes) and limit them, try not to snack, use good fats and yes Queen NOT worry about calories on nFDs. So, except for fasting days, I never allowed myself to feel too deprived. And gradually, the serpents and lizards slithered away. For over a month now, I have not felt a twinge of the old insanity. Even if I’ve had dessert. As Annette said, it just food now. It’s very good food, and when I’m hungry it’s a delight. But still, just food, the hunger switch goes off pretty fast. I’ve actually lost another two lbs just being careful not to overeat, but I expect that is due to a cold I’ve had. They say to feed a cold, but when nothing has any taste, well…no food is very tempting.
So, good for all of us when we recognize what works, what doesn’t, and tweak our own behavior. That is the way to success for us who’ve tried so many plans that didn’t quite work – they didn’t because no one customized them for us. There really isn’t a one size fits all solution, but there is an end to the struggle if you keep pushing for it. Love to everyone on the island🌴🔆💛🌴xxx
oh thank you both for your words and thoughts
yes you are so right that we are all different and need to find what is right for us
my thinking ‘issues’ make me need a RIGHT answer, yet there probably isn’t one
I am back to my lovely oaty cereal in the mornings and that comforts me (it only has very little sugar in it)
and when it is colder I will return to porridge
my ‘team’ are convinced it is a deterioration in my mental health that is making things so much worse, but the physical issues are real, and who knows which is the chicken and which the egg!!!!!!!!
I certainly know that once I lessen my grip on control, things can slip very rapidly but I think that happens to many people
for the moment I am staying away from the bsd forum as I just get so nutty and angry with everyone on there saying how many pounds and pounds and pounds they are losing each week,
oh and I have bought some multifvits and iron, and its liver for tea tonight IF I can motivate myself to eat it
good wishes to you all in your struggles and successes xx
ah that time of the month thing – I used to feel like I could eat for England
don’t have that excuse now, though
have managed a proper dinner, of liver and bacon (not eaten yesterday) and fruit/yog pudding
having already eaten up the rest of the cake and chocolate in the flat
mentally not good at all so motivation is out of the window and fatigue seems to be the order of the day although I did manage to drag myself out for a walk
sadly my dog (who no longer lived with me due to his old age) had to be put to sleep on Thursday
he was such a darling darling boy and I loved him so very much
just another sadness
Hello Everyone,
I am convinced that better quality food without the c**p has a huge positive impact on my mood. BUT, it is tricky when you feel low to avoid that when it briefly can lift the mood but only briefly before that sugar crash that has you searching for anything and everything.
I am in no way suggesting that mental health issues can be cured through food, but I do know that my mood is stable when I eat real food and avoid the rubbish. I also know that sugary stuff makes me feel tired afterwards(damn sugar crash).
I have been back at work and there have been chocolates all over the place. I have had some every day, after my healthy and very tasty lunch. The result is that I have been tired and then like a heat-seeking missile looking for more sweet stuff on my way home. It is just a much better idea to avoid it in the first place.
Protein is filling, so have a glass of milk if you are hungry and get rid of the c**p out of your home. No one needs it and you can’t scoff it if it isn’t there. If I want something lovely then there are nuts and fruit.
We all have sadness and difficulties in our lives. It is how we cope with them that makes the difference.I think that getting out for a walk every day and eating well=not eating the c**p helps with our mental health and the stresses of everyday life.
Sorry to hear about your dog KT and hope that you are getting the support for your MH from your team. Perhaps it doesn’t matter whether it is the chicken or the egg? Have you tried broccoli? Very high in iron too. It sounds very sensible to stay away from that forum too.
Queen, give it a go for a couple of weeks and just see how you feel. I am very hopeful that the desire to binge will go, your mood will stabilize and feel better.
My dear friend who has tried all kinds of bonkers diets over the years, which result in her losing 3-4 stone quickly, only to get fed up and put it all back on again and then some more, has been trying eating fish/meat with salad or vegetables and is shrinking. This is a woman who can eat out at least several times a week and has now lost 2 and a half stone since January. This is a very slow weight loss for her, but this way of life is one that she can maintain for ever and has even started to incorporate 2 fast days each week.There have been several weeks when she was getting disheartened that the scales were not moving, but I encouraged her to keep the faith and carry on, and she now measures success in less inches too.
It sounds like peanut butter is to you what ice cream is to me! I cannot allow it across the threshold..or I eat the lot.
I would have rice with a curry but not the naan bread too. I would also have that once a fortnight. Not a fan of dark chocolate. I walk in the door from work and have a handful of nuts and some fruit. If I am stressed then a run really helps and no food will stop you feeling tired, so an early night is the way forward or a nap.
Bingeingqueen- I have been eating grated cauliflower instead of rice for sometime now, I know it sounds yuk! But I promise it’s really great. Coarsly grate, stir around in a frying pan till warm, you can throw in some appropriate spices ect,. I also love spiralized courgette instead of pasta. If I was a bit more computer savvy I would love to send you the sites I got the recipies/ ideas from. I think you may find them on Pinterest
Good luck Gxx
Oh KT I’m so sorry about your dog. They’re such wonderful friends and so hard to lose. Hugs to you, let grief take its course without any guilt for 5:2. Later will come in due time…but as we all know, life gets in the way and it does no good to add to the pressure.💛
Queen, I often feel some energy on FDs, if only from the sense of doing it 👿. Have not really felt energetic lately with this cold though! And now have given it to hubs, who I hope will not give it back to me – I guess scientifically that isn’t possible if it’s the very same cold.🤔
Anyway gang, I’m continuing to maintain this mental state of viewing food as just food. Weird! This has been going on for over a month now, so I’m hoping it’s a lasting thing. All I can guess is that the many months of stubborn resistance (most of the time) to sweets – even if overdoing the whole foods – finally broke me of what was something akin to an addiction. Chocolate doesn’t send me into orbit anymore, but I don’t miss that feeling because I don’t have the intense craving for it in the first place.
Not that I can’t overeat! But again, food is just food. If it’s particularly delicious food, I may eat too much, but not way too much. It just doesn’t feel good, and we all know that feeling stuffed feels bad, but I’m talking about how not even the eating part feels good after I’m full. I don’t know, it’s as though the lizards did truly give up on me. And to parrot the words of Annette, if that can happen to me after >5 decades of insanity, it can happen to anyone if you just give it enough time.
Hugs and love to you all, I’m going to go lie in the sun and relax after a busy week🔆🌴🔆🔆xxxx
Queen. Life happens and we all get upset. Rather than dwell on what you have eaten and feeling guilty(which might make you eat more), draw a line underneath it and look towards a new week with new goals.
Like me, look to the week ahead and see what you can improve on the food front. I have made good choices for the first half of the week for the entire day, however, the wheels came off later in the week when biscuits slipped in. I am certain, however, that the sugary stuff is not only a gateway drug to other sweet stuff, but makes me feel rubbish.
Plan for next week is to make smart choices with meal options at work and avoid biscuits. How hard can it be? The longer that I have less sugar in my life and more wholefoods, the less I crave it and like Jade..food is just food.
Perhaps it is a bit like developing a new muscle, it takes practice and repetition to make it stronger. I do know that it gets easier to avoid the sweet stuff with time, falling off the wagon isn’t important, but getting back on is. Forgive me if it sounds rather cheesy, Queen, but we are here to give you hand up on the wagon. Join me with smarter choices this week.
Have a great week everyone!
Queen you have really made so much progress. Both things you mentioned would’ve made me feel really down too – very frustrating, and feelings can really push “diet” to the bottom of the priority list. “Feeling better” is so much more important at those times. I guess the point I’ve reached is that “feeling better” no longer means eating too much, because I know that makes me feel worse. And it does, so much sooner than it used to – Which is some progress! Luckily I’ve had a stretch of time lately when I’ve felt relatively calm – nothing to make me too sad or so happy I want to do my happy-eating thing.
Annette’s advice is always so good…just move on to the next set of choices. We’re all human and go through days like you describe, and no one makes the best choices on every front then. You managed not to blow your top, which probably took most of the emotional control you had available. I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but I know how hard it can be to withstand those types of situations. I also think you should continue with the short jogs but take care not to do them every day, let your body rest and repair. I am still doing the fast walk-slow jog because YES it just does something for the mood, doesn’t it?☺️
Hugs islanders, I’m struggling through the final hours of a FD here, as I overdid it this weekend and the scale let me know it.👹 Good luck this week! 🌴🔆😍
Hello Everyone,
I am struggling and feel rubbish. I ate a large bar of chocolate on the way home…and I didn’t really enjoy it.
Back to work for the start of term which is always bonkers plus a never ending supply of biscuits and a new 2 week menu which is carbohydrate-heavy and many meals that I haven’t enjoyed. I have tried to make better choices and found that I have been left hungry and disillusioned…so back to the biscuits again. I have felt very tired and clothes are tight.
My plan is to take in food for my lunch, which is going to be a novel experience as food is provided. I am going to cook dinner tonight and then have a FD tomorrow and take in a light lunch. My task this evening is to come up with packed lunch options that I will enjoy and don’t include bread/rice/pasta/potatoes.
I like fruit/salad/prawns/hummus/tuna/eggs and so I am going to have to come up with a range of packed lunch food that I am going to enjoy and will be easy to eat at a table or on my lap. If anyone has any good ideas then I would be grateful.
It is just 6 weeks until half term, so I am going to see if I can make any changes to my waistline with more unprocessed/whole foods, which I hope will improve my energy levels and overall weight.
Annette – I used to teach – it is so exhausting even though it was the best thing I ever did (not saying I was best, just it was so fulfilling)
daughter now doing the same and like you is rushed off her feet
I am still trapped in this endless bingeing cycle
strange how I can be so completely disciplined and then totally and utterly lose all control
I cant seem to pull it back at the moment so having to watch the scales creep back up
Dear all
I haven’t posted for a while, but have been lurking a bit :0)
I just wanted to share that although I’m not following the 5:2 anymore (I’m pretty sure it’s an amazing WOL for those folk who have just got into bad eating habits but I took action as was using food as a ‘medicine’ for some emotional issues) I have been able to lose weight (10 Ibs!) I took “the bull by the horns”, so to speak, and faced up to my addiction towards sugar. I’m on a 12-step program which has not been easy! there are many things that you need to change, and we all know that habits are hard to change. It’s certainly not for everyone, but there are many ‘tools’ out there, and this is just one 🙂 this forum was the inspiration I needed to start me off, so many many thanks!
Still doing my Latin fit classes!, lots of love to you all on your journey’s
email me if you have any questions you want to ask me: bellazumbaclasses@gmail.com
Hello Everyone!
I am damn sure that sugar is at the root of the problem.
Today has been my first FD in a while. No breakfast and then my packed lunch of 100g prawns, a handful of cherry tomatoes and a small cucumber chopped-all drizzled in some homemade vinaigrette. Delicious.
Fruit mid afternoon and then some nut/seed mix with full fat yoghurt when I got home hungry and then some nuts.
I feel so much better without any biscuits/bread/rice.
The start of term is always mad, usually a result of lack of planning by others. Not much that I can do about that.
Catch up with you all at the weekend.
Hi everyone, I started 5:2 about 12 weeks ago and have been grateful to see results when nothing else seemed to work for me.
I live in Australia so mainly participate over in the ‘Southern Hemisperites’ thread.
I’m 60 years old and struggled very intensely with bingeing when I was in my early twenties. Among many other habits back then, one of them was to visit Winchell’s 24 hour doughnut shop in the middle of the night because I felt starving, craving and couldn’t sleep.
When I look back at how I got from there to where I am now, which is to rarely feel binge cravings, it has been a long process.
What I want to say is that I’ve been reading some of the posts in this thread and now know that if I’d had access to 5:2 and this thread back when I was 23 years old, I feel my progress through the labyrinth of binge eating would have been greatly shortened. There is such warm support here and together I see you helping each other find ways through snags, setbacks, challenges.
I want to acknowledge how much all of you on this thread inspire me!
In fact, after 4 decades since graduation from university, I returned to study last year. I’m currently working on an assignment to build a model for a community project; one that addresses a problem or issue in society. I’ve chosen binge eating as the issue since it is close to my heart and I’m using a 5:2 support group platform to plan my mock project to help address the issue. That’s because of all the various online binge groups I’ve checked out, this 5:2 thread is the one group where I see the most growth and change in members. I see you making great strides and I know that isn’t easy.
Hello everybody. I’m just starting this week. I’m 36, a mother of one and a terrifically bad binge eater so i have about 4 stone to loose! I only work 3 days a week but I work long days and I have to drive and hour and a half each way, which means leaving the house at 6.30am and arriving home around 7pm. I work in a laboratory which means I only have access to food on my 30 mins lunch break, and 15 mins afternoon break… which I would previously gorge on cakes, chips and chocolate. But I’m now hoping to make good use of these by doing fast days whilst at work. My main issue is the extreme tiredness I suffer from. This has been the reason I reach for more and more food in the hope that I will have more energy to play with my little boy who has only just started sleeping through the night at the age of three. Do you have any tips for little hunger satisfying snacks I could have on the way home from work that would stop me raiding the cupboards when I get home? I would literally eat anything that was available at home. I am also worried about the comments above saying people can’t sleep on fast days which fills me with dread! Does being more active help with this? Although I’m so tired the thought of going for even a walk is scary. Have people found their energy levels do go up?
Hi Busymum! As you read on my post just above, I’m not a regular contributor to this thread, though thought I’d write a couple things in response to your questions.
What really works for me is to eat a protein snack before bed on fasting days. I find this makes all the difference as to whether I sleep or not when my head hits the pillow. It’s something to try if you find yourself sleepless on a fasting day.
As far as snacks, what work for me are high protein, no sugar snacks like roasted nuts or celery sticks filled with nut butter. I tend to use true nut butters instead of peanut butter (peanuts are technically a legume). I really like roasted almond butter filled celery sticks. I’m also a fan of protein drinks or shakes. There are many high quality protein shake mixes on the market that don’t contain any sugar or artificial sweeteners and that taste nourishing. These include shakes containing whey protein or pea protein and/or rice protein. Some use natural stevia sweetener which I find I tolerate well since it doesn’t spike my blood sugar. Of course for all of the above, you would need to track the calories when consuming these on a fasting day. I’ve carried apples and fruit with me for snacks, though I find if I eat any fruit on a fasting day that I end up hungrier after I’ve finished eating the apple than I was before! So I personally don’t find fruit such a worthy snack on a fasting day. I’m sure others will chime in here with some other good ideas!
Hi Busymum,
I’ve just followed Lael over here and haven’t contributed to this thread before. Well done for making the healthy change to your life. I can answer one of your questions from my own experience. When I started 5:2 two years ago, I was very tired on FDs and often in bed by 8.30pm. I slept so well on those days too which was wonderful as I sometimes have insomnia. The tiredness does pass as your body gets used to it.
You will find that hunger comes and goes in waves and doesn’t have to be satiated by eating. You can distract yourself in so many ways (so, like you, many people choose work days to fast). There’s nothing worse than going to bed hungry though so I always reserve enough cals for an egg on a FD if my dinner didn’t include some protein.
The thing I would say about snacking is try to get out of the habit altogether. Snacking is something that food manufacturers have trained us to do. Many people on this forum talk about awakening the ‘hunger dragon’ and find it easier to go longer periods and then enjoy a decent meal on a FD. With those long work/travel days that you have, I feel you might be better off starting FDs on a different day at first as it takes some time to work out what works best for you. But if you do feel that fasting will help end some bad habits at work, how about having one FD meal during your lunch break and make your FD dinner something you can eat on the way home (not ideal but that is otherwise a very long time to be thinking about food). Whatever you choose, planning ahead is important so you know what to expect and there is no impulse eating. Make sure your meal is waiting for you when you get home if that’s what you choose to do.
These are just some of my own thoughts as everyone is very different – and this WOL is very flexible so you will find what best works for you. In time, you will find that the two FDs re-set your portion control as well as the types of food you desire. I wish you all the best.
I’m such a binger it’s beyond…after reading online about all the symptoms that i have and trying to figure out why i binge it seems pretty certain that i have what you would call “Emotional hunger / eating”.
i eat a lot and then feel so bad both physically and emotionally, after which i work out intensively, too much for my own good, it’s a two step back one unhealthy step forward slippery slope for me.
i thought about fasting but I’m worried it’ll just increase the bing cravings for me…
In the meantime I’m trying natural appetite suppressants such as: http://bit.ly/Naturalsupplement
Any thoughts?
I’m sorry it’s more of like my own thread as opposed to a proper comment, it just seemed like the right forum to ask for advice…
Thanks all.
Without seeming rude from what you have said it would appear that you have an eating disorder that masks an underlying psychological/emotional issue. Im not sure if forum members are in a position to offer advice such advice. I could tell you what to eat and how much to eat but I don’t think it would help? Perhaps some professional help might help? Maybe others in a similar position might be able to offer advice?
Ah…dear LindVieira, you might find some good help on http://www.brainoverbinge.com. I bought the book, Brain over Binge, and found it extremely helpful. I didn’t have quite the same problem she had, but the feelings were very similar – shame, feeling helpless and a failure. We all know how that feels.
There ar other good books but that is the best I’ve read on binging. She was able to stop through rethinking the whole binge cycle. Take a look at the website, there is also a free book there. I promise there is good advice there, also plenty here but she (Kathryn Hansen, the author) really hit the mark. She had gone to a therapist, but it didn’t help – her solution was far simpler. I’m not saying you shouldn’t, but I’m saying this other way is simpler, faster, and cheaper, and if it worked for her, and me, and several others here, it may work for you too.
Fasting may work for you, but we found on this thread that we had multiple issues to face. Hunger was just one. As you can see if you spend any time here, Annette started our whole “skip the sugar” and junk carbs movement, which has SO much to do with cravings that seem unstoppable. On that note, you might take a look at Dr Jason Fung’s website, intensivedietarymanagement.com. Part of the reason fasting works is that it helps us control insulin resistance, which is usually caused by overeating sugar/junk carbs. It’s real science and paying attention to that has helped me a LOT.
Take a look also through our thread, there is so much good advice, so many people who’ve been on the same path but needed slightly different fixes. You’ll get there if you just don’t give up.💛🌴 ps hugs to all you islanders, I’ve been absent for a bit, not fasting because haven’t felt well – nothing terrible, just not my usual self – but I’m hanging on to my goal weight so all’s well there.👍
Hi. Thanks again for the advice. I’ve been reading the old posts too. It’s going well so far even after a horrific week at work, which is one of my main triggers for eating a lot. I’ve found that eggs keep me full in an ’emergency’ and I’ve been trying to make other good changes in my lifestyle too. I’ve been cutting out the added sugar and snacks using advice and recipes from Michael Moseleys newer book, the blood sugar diet. As a scientist myself he gives me confidence that the diet will work because it’s based on scientific evidence 🙂
On a non fast day in a moment of weakness, I picked up a Chinese takeaway, I ordered what I usually would but I ended up only eating half and throwing the rest away, without really feeling deprived. I really see this as a massive step forward away from bingeing. And next time I know I can order a lot less food if I feel I need food for an emotional crutch ( let’s face it it’s still going to happen!)
I’m actually less tired and sleeping better already. I’ve found on work days fasting that for lunchtime, a large miso soup with chopped up veggies sprinkled in keeps me feeling full until dinner but it only has about 70 cals. I read that drinking a (any) warm drink can help suppress appetite so if I feel hungry I have a cup of black or green tea and it has worked so far. For the time being I’m just trying to walk a little bit farther and faster and run up stairs. I have caught a cold though.. This always happens when I try to loose weight!
Most important of all I’ve not binged and overall, despite the cold, I am 5lb lighter, feel much healthier and less wobbly 😉 Crossed fingers for next week!
Hello everyone,
I hope all the regulars who have contributed to this thread are doing okay. I’m writing to refresh the page so it doesn’t get lost among the dormant and forgotten about threads which are difficult to find and access. It’s too good for it to go by the wayside. There is such a wealth of information, sharing and support on this thread for anyone struggling with bingeing.
I might have said that I’m a binger from way back and used to drive a half hour to visit 24 hour Winchell’s Doughnuts where I’d fill a box with my own selections and eat them all on the way home. Sometimes that was the only way I was able to sleep! I’ve healed a lot since those days though I can still find myself overeat emotionally. Recently I struggled with a whole week of what I call ‘irresponsible’ eating to excess of indulgences at every opportunity. It took a lot of my own sleuthing to figure out what that was all about and to take steps to turn that around and it wasn’t easy.
I want to say that had I access to 5:2 and this thread when I was in the throws of the late night visits to the doughnut shop, I feel my life and health would have made turns for the better, a lot sooner!
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18 Aug 16