What is working for me
girlviernes
Posts: 2,402 Member
I know it is still early days, but I thought I would share what has been working for me because it might give you some new ideas. I am now 66 days binge-free and pretty much cravings free as well.
A little background: as far back as I can remember, I have struggled with food. I always had a strong sweet tooth, and I used to sneak snacks as a kid, and I remember getting lectures from my grandparents about my food choices. I always knew something was not quite OK with my body shape. I was pretty active in high school in various sports and was about a size 12. Looking back, that was a great size for me, but of course at the time I was very self-conscious of my size. In my senior year, I quit sports and started to binge eat. I gained 30 lbs in a year and became obese. For the past 18 years I have struggled with overeating and binge eating and my weight climbed by another 70 lbs.
I was recently diagnosed with insulin resistance, although the signs were there I think from as far back as my senior year. I’ve been doing some reading and apparently insulin resistance is a muscle problem, so it may be that when I stopped sports I activated a genetic propensity towards this problem. I also didn’t like meat as a child and actually became a vegetarian senior year, and we were a “low-fat” family, so I was always low on protein and fat (i.e., high on carbs). I think the insulin resistance, sedentary lifestyle, and high carb eating probably goes a very long way towards explaining the overeating, binging, and weight gain. Finally, I’ve shortchanged myself on sleep since high school, which probably also contributed to insulin resistance and whacked out hunger and satiety signals.
My binge eating was focused on sweets and refined carbohydrates. As an example, I could eat 5-6 candy bars from the vending machine, or 2 boxes of mac & cheese plus a container of Keebler fudge cookies and a gallon bag of chocolate. During times of stress I would eat like this 3-6 times a week. I’ve never been one to restrict or purge, and I don’t think I was particularly hard on myself about my weight or eating, although of course I was ashamed of my behavior and frustrated with myself.
Here is what I have been doing that I think has been helpful.
A little background: as far back as I can remember, I have struggled with food. I always had a strong sweet tooth, and I used to sneak snacks as a kid, and I remember getting lectures from my grandparents about my food choices. I always knew something was not quite OK with my body shape. I was pretty active in high school in various sports and was about a size 12. Looking back, that was a great size for me, but of course at the time I was very self-conscious of my size. In my senior year, I quit sports and started to binge eat. I gained 30 lbs in a year and became obese. For the past 18 years I have struggled with overeating and binge eating and my weight climbed by another 70 lbs.
I was recently diagnosed with insulin resistance, although the signs were there I think from as far back as my senior year. I’ve been doing some reading and apparently insulin resistance is a muscle problem, so it may be that when I stopped sports I activated a genetic propensity towards this problem. I also didn’t like meat as a child and actually became a vegetarian senior year, and we were a “low-fat” family, so I was always low on protein and fat (i.e., high on carbs). I think the insulin resistance, sedentary lifestyle, and high carb eating probably goes a very long way towards explaining the overeating, binging, and weight gain. Finally, I’ve shortchanged myself on sleep since high school, which probably also contributed to insulin resistance and whacked out hunger and satiety signals.
My binge eating was focused on sweets and refined carbohydrates. As an example, I could eat 5-6 candy bars from the vending machine, or 2 boxes of mac & cheese plus a container of Keebler fudge cookies and a gallon bag of chocolate. During times of stress I would eat like this 3-6 times a week. I’ve never been one to restrict or purge, and I don’t think I was particularly hard on myself about my weight or eating, although of course I was ashamed of my behavior and frustrated with myself.
Here is what I have been doing that I think has been helpful.
- I make sure to eat enough food. I typically eat about 1800 calories per day, sometimes as low as 1500 or as high as 2200. I like being able to vary according to my hunger, but I make sure not to go too low. On this plan, I am generally not particularly hungry although I may be a bit hungry before meals and after dinner.
- I make sure to get enough protein and fat at each meal. I try to follow the food plate so about half my meals are fruits and veggies, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 grains & starchy vegetables + 1 Tb fat. Meals are 300-500 calories. I usually have about 2-3 snacks a day and they are protein or fat focused, e.g., beef jerky, coconut chips, or almonds. I have been eating about 150-200 g of carb and 80-140 g of protein/day. Since my insulin resistance diagnosis a couple of days ago, I’m working at keeping carb below 150 and reduce high glycemic load foods (particularly potato, rice, and pasta).
- I got back into dancing and attend classes and dances 3-4 times per week. I also get some form of exercise be it stretching, cardio, or strength training for at least 20 minutes a day. I struggle with plantar fasciitis so I try to be careful and take days where mainly I stretch and do rehab exercises.
- I generally do not eat sweets, snack foods, or refined carbohydrates. Which is not to say I’ve cut them out entirely. I had a small piece of cheesecake about a week ago. I actually had the leftovers in my fridge for about a week until I threw them out because I hadn’t eaten any. I haven’t forbidden myself any foods, but I’ve focused on getting my balanced meals and healthy snacks every single day, and this has naturally helped me to reduce the refined foods. At the same time, by not forbidding them I’ve been able to focus on them less, feel more confident and free if I’m out with others, and not binge or say “what the heck” if I eat some of these foods.
- I prepare most of my food at home. I do get a bit lazier than I would like about food prep, so I use a fair amount of processed meats for example sausage and pre-cooked meats from Costco. But I usually have fresh produce with my meals that I steam or sauté or just eat raw. I would like to cook more beans and plain cuts of meat. I have been eating out about once a week.
- I log everything. It was a very big step when I started here to log a binge. I did not want to, but it really helped me to accept and face that behavior.
- I weigh daily. I wouldn’t recommend this to people who tend to get obsessive about the number which of course is very common with eating disorders, but for me it is very helpful. I think this is because I am more of the avoidant type where I can put things out of my mind very easily, so weighing every day keeps me focused on these changes. I’m also fairly gentle with myself generally, so I don’t get very down or overly anxious if the number is up. So far it has been pretty motivational since the weight has been coming off somewhat steadily. I’m sure the experience will be different when I hit an extended plateau.
- I don’t freak out when it is my time of the month. I definitely experience a lot more hunger and drive to eat for a few days associated with my cycle. When it first starts I get worried that my plan is no longer working, but then when I realize it is my TOM that helps. I do eat more on those days (generally 2100-2200). So far my cravings and drive to eat has reliably gone back down after about 3 days.
- I try not to eat after 7:30pm and I limit alcohol beverages. I try to eat in a 12 hour window which means not eating after 7:30 pm. I don’t stick to this 100%, but I do find it a helpful guideline. It helps me make sure to get dinner in a timely fashion and I don’t focus as much on eating when bored at night. Of course, critical to this is getting enough food earlier in the day
- I’m kind to myself. I don’t ask for perfection. I log whatever happens. Sometimes I eat out of boredom or overdo it on quest bars. I've had pancakes and cheesecake and it doesn't set me back.
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Replies
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Good for you! I'm 14 days binge free & hope I last as long as you are.0
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Thank You for sharing. These insights will be helpful.
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Thanks for sharing! Many of these tips have helped me as well, particularly logging everything (including binges, which is something I never did in the past), home cooking, balanced macros and regular exercise. I also walk a lot (I don't really consider walking exercise, but it is active time and it helps clear my mind).0
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Yes logging everything can make any day a success - at least I think of it that way, if I binge again and log it all, I'm counting that as progress 0
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congratulations on 66 days binge free and thanks for the tips. My diary is private but I still have a really hard time logging my binge. Its so hard to face the truth.0
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hiding from the truth feeds the shame
(in my experience) It's tough but doable and worth it. 0 -
yes, you're right. The truth is liberating.0
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totaldetermination wrote: »congratulations on 66 days binge free and thanks for the tips. My diary is private but I still have a really hard time logging my binge. Its so hard to face the truth.
I hear you. Logging binges is hard, even when no one else will ever see your diary. I used to never log my binges, but I started doing it about three months ago and it really did help. Once you get over the shame, often you will see that things are not as bad as you thought they were. For instance, say on a given week you were at or under your calorie goal for 6 days out of 7, then you had a binge and went over by 1000 calories. Looking rationally (rather than emotionally) at these numbers makes you realize that you did not "ruin" everything. Logging binges is also beneficial when you gain a lot of water weight. If you gain 5 pounds following a binge, and you have logged your binge, well you have proof that, no, you did not actually gain 5 pounds overnight. Even us with BED will usually not eat 17,500 calories over maintenance during a binge, which is what you'd have to do to gain 5 pounds! So yeah... logging helps put things into perspective.0 -
wow,thanks>>>i'msorelievedtofindyouall!(spacebarnotworking)0
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welcome!0
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I dont know if I could log a binge or even my night eating unless I hide my diary. That takes some kind of strength I dont yet have.0
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Dennis4766 wrote: »I dont know if I could log a binge or even my night eating unless I hide my diary. That takes some kind of strength I dont yet have.
Ditto.
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I had never logged a binge before, but I guess my mindset had shifted enough that I wasn't as guilty about it as before. I know that I have binge eating disorder and binging goes along with it. Logging the binge felt like taking responsibility and doing what I needed to do to better manage the disorder.
Maybe start smaller with a goal to track at least one of the foods you binged on or ate late at night?0 -
I'll try it the next time I night eat - I cant even recall what I ate last night when I got up at 1 am to use restroom. I know I just started dipping the spoon in my protein jugs - I estimate I probably ate 4 scoops or about 480 calories of protein powder.
On the plus side, I'm really not binging nor restricting. However, my late night eating from 2 days ago I believe was a result of a very low calorie intake day.0 -
It's hard to maintain the right balance, but glad to hear you are doing so well on binging and restricting 0
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This is a great post! Fantastic advice: especially on allowing yourself enough food so you don't feel hungry for too long.
This part
especially hit home with me. I think that being kind to yourself is one of the biggest steps you need to take. I still struggle with this, but the past two months have seen a huge shift for me.girlviernes wrote: »[*] I’m kind to myself. I don’t ask for perfection. I log whatever happens. Sometimes I eat out of boredom or overdo it on quest bars. I've had pancakes and cheesecake and it doesn't set me back.
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Interesting, I also typically stop logging once it gets to a certain amount above goal, but I am inspired to continue now girlviernes!0
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Hey guys, I thought I would give a quick update. I'm still going strong, now 124 days binge-free. Still logging everything I eat. I've had a few eating challenges including going on a trip and now holiday time. What I've learned is that my eating foundation is now strong enough to easily get back on track and that I seem to be able to include sweets and things even on a regular basis without it setting me back. I guess one of the keys is mindset, I really trust myself not to binge now. For example, my cousin sent me a couple loaves of homemade fruit breads and homemade chex mix. I've been having small portions of them most days, some days don't feel like having. It really does not seem to bother me to have them out on my counter, and I don't have any urge to overeat them.
It's just amazing to feel like a "normal" eater!!
My base diet these days is getting a bit lower in carbohydrates. Since learning that I have insulin resistance, I've worked hard to not have too many starchy/sugary foods at once. To be more specific, I limit grams of carbs from those foods to 30g in one sitting and try to always balance with protein and/or fat to keep my glucose levels even. I'm also focusing more on getting 1g of protein for every lb of lean body mass (so about 120 g/day). So I'm having about 90-150 net carbs per day and 110-140 g protein per day. I don't really concern myself with the amount of fat.0 -
girlviernes wrote: »Hey guys, I thought I would give a quick update. I'm still going strong, now 124 days binge-free. Still logging everything I eat. I've had a few eating challenges including going on a trip and now holiday time. What I've learned is that my eating foundation is now strong enough to easily get back on track and that I seem to be able to include sweets and things even on a regular basis without it setting me back. I guess one of the keys is mindset, I really trust myself not to binge now. For example, my cousin sent me a couple loaves of homemade fruit breads and homemade chex mix. I've been having small portions of them most days, some days don't feel like having. It really does not seem to bother me to have them out on my counter, and I don't have any urge to overeat them.
It's just amazing to feel like a "normal" eater!!
My base diet these days is getting a bit lower in carbohydrates. Since learning that I have insulin resistance, I've worked hard to not have too many starchy/sugary foods at once. To be more specific, I limit grams of carbs from those foods to 30g in one sitting and try to always balance with protein and/or fat to keep my glucose levels even. I'm also focusing more on getting 1g of protein for every lb of lean body mass (so about 120 g/day). So I'm having about 90-150 net carbs per day and 110-140 g protein per day. I don't really concern myself with the amount of fat.
That's amazing! I'm so happy for you. I can really relate to what you're saying. The mindset is key! I can now splurge a bit one day, and just get back the next. I don't end up slowly drifting into that binge-mood. Just like you, I really do trust myself now. 0 -
Thanks for the update post! Its really inspiring to hear about the changes people make, and how they stick to them despite the challenges. Could you let us know how the xmas period goes for you! Id love to know your strategies for the hectic "consumption" period!0
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So exciting, summerfit!
gr33nslime, yes I will keep you up to date. I am home for 2 weeks visiting my parents, so this is definitely challenging. Lots more opportunities to eat out, holiday parties, my favorite foods from home, old associations with home and overeating, travelling getting me off my routine, etc.
So far I have decided to raise my daily caloric goal to 2300 instead of 1800. I figure that with my weigh loss rate 1800 was about a 950 kcal deficit daily, so this increased amount should still allow for some weight loss, or if I maintain that is fine too. I'm trying to still have good base meals and then be cautious of my portions on sweet/starchy foods, sticking to that 30g/meal limit. However, yesterday I did overdo it on some popcorn, so a work in progress. Today we are having a latke party, so my goal is to really enjoy the latkes and limit myself to 2-3.0 -
I hope Christmas went well!
I have been binge-free for nearly 10 years and lost 75 pounds. I use a food plan every day -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack. Knowing what I am going to eat every day really helps me avoid three of my major binge triggers: hungry + tired, hungry + sad, hungry + bored.
I also eliminated my trigger foods, which for me were dessert foods. And I joined Overeaters Anonymous, which has been instrumental in helping me cope with the spiritual and mental issues as well as the physical issues of binge eating.
For the past 10 years, my food plan has been very specific but did not include counting calories, so I gained back 40 pounds.
Since coming to MFP, learning to count calories, and dropping 20 pounds, I've started working desserts back in. I'm massively scared about it, since I DO NOT want to go back to the HELL that was binging, but counting calories really makes sense to me and has helped me overcome a lot of fear I have around food.
Most days, since I already know what I am having for the day, I have a good day eating all the yummy food I've planned for. Because I am a quantity eater, seeing all the food I get to eat for the whole day makes me happy. It's SO MUCH food! The visual helps me be satisfied instead of scared I'm not going to get any more food.
Some days I can't pre-log because I'm not sure what I'm going to eat for dinner. On those days, sometimes I still struggle with fear of food and being honest about my food.
The other day, I had to force myself to log my calories because we went to a basketball game and I ate concession stand food for dinner then came home and ate two cookies followed by a hot chocolate (It's super cold here, lol).
Even though I had planned my breakfast and lunch so that I had extra calories for dinner, I was still thinking "I just know I ate 5,000 calories over my limit." You know how extreme we can get around food!
I was over my daily calories by 92 calories. That was it -- 92 measly calories.
Every time I have a win like that, it builds my confidence so much.
I find my journey is circular -- the more honest I am about food, the less fear I have about food, which allows me to be more honest about food, which leads to less fear, and etc.0 -
Hi Deidre - I think Christmas was a success. I did end up eating a lot more snack food and desserts than I had been, but I tracked everything and I didn't binge. It wasn't too hard to get back on track when I got home either.
It's really great to hear about your journey. It's very reassuring that you've been binge-free for 10 years. That would be such a relief! Binge eating has been a part of my identity through my whole adult life, so it can be difficult to believe that there could actually be an end to it, but I'm hopeful that I'm there 0 -
love your post! great tips thank you !0
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