Always eat over my calorie limit

tinkerbellang83

jathieret wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

How many calories ARE you actually eating. Are we talking "I'm aiming for 1700 and ate 4000" or "i'm aiming for 1700 and ate 1950"?

I would say I aim for 1700 but typically eat 2000-2200 (some days even more and I just don't even track because I don't want to see the damage!)

It's not even that I'm hungry, I'm not. My body "isn't telling me I need more calories" like some previous posters have said. I just lose control.

I also realize I posted this in the "weight loss" board which was probably poor planning on my part, I apologize but all the replies have been wonderful and greatly appreciated.

Set your goal to maintain in MFP (App version - Goals> Weight Loss Goal> Maintain my current weight or Web Version Goals>View Guided Setup>What is your goal?>Maintain my current weight)

and it will give you a good idea of what you should be eating on a normal day - I lose 1lb per week on 1600/1700 so it's not unreasonable to think you might actually be eating more because you aren't actually eating enough.

SafioraLinnea

Many great suggestions already above.

I find I eat reasonably well if I plan my meals at least the morning of the day so I know I get ____ for breakfast, ____ for lunch, ____ for supper and ____ for snack. Be mindful of yourself and your actions. Don't eat out of boredom. Distract with a health option - go for a walk, drink some water, have a bath etc.

Change your goal from 1550 to higher as suggested above. It feels like crap to see numbers in the red. Even a goal of 1700 is less calories than I'm eating now while losing about a pound a week and breastfeeding a 7 month old and being only lightly active.

You really need to figure out what your maintenance calories are and eat that. Grow your sweet baby! 2000-2200 is actually a super reasonable amount to eat daily during pregnancy. Most women who are overweight or obese (apologies if you are not but I assume you are being here and under a doctor's care for intake) would do quite well at that amount.

mlsh1969

I also realize I posted this in the "weight loss" board which was probably poor planning on my part, I apologize but all the replies have been wonderful and greatly appreciated. [/quote]

I was just getting ready to tell u this ^^^^
If u post in the weight loss section, folks will think u are trying to loose lol

Anyway u received a lot of good suggestions. I just want to second the idea of not bringing "bingeable food"in the house. For me, that would be chips, pretzels, nuts. Best of luck to u ☺

bstewart39

I can not speak to pregnancy as I have not ever had a child or been pregnant.
I can speak to binge eating.

I treat my binge eating as if I were an addict. (This has been my decision I am not a dr.)

One thing I have changed is eating "diet" foods. I do eat reduced fat dairy and choose naturally lower fat foods but I found as I gave up processed diet foods and replaced them with real food I wasn't as hungry.

I make sure to eat some protein with my meals and snacks.

I track everything I eat good and bad binge or not.

I do NOT try to eat less the next day to make up for a binge. I just let it go and move forward

If I am craving something I look to see if I might be missing a nutrient if not then I just want that item and I eat a serving track it and move on.

But most important I try to be kind to myself. I am just human.

taypop5

Hey!! I have had issues as a exercise bulimic - to binge eating severely (I'm talking uncontrollable 4000-5000cals)... now my binges aren't what they use to be but I have come A LONG WAY. It's a journey. The biggest and hardest part is eliminating the negative talk in your head and eliminating "no". Once foods become off limits or once you tell yourself you can only have so much you immediately want to rebell that... and then feel guilty...like head under the pillow and cry guilty/ not talking to anyone/ I'm a failure type thing. It sucks. I am 3 months PP and I struggle every day BUT I try to focus on living my life and enjoying foods mindfully. Think "add" instead of "limit". For example "add" some awesome fruit or veggies to your meals...or more protein etc...if you have a binge - acknowledge it and move forward...do not give it a name -ie bad, messed up, binge. Acknowledge that it probably occured in the first place NOT because of food itself but your own anxieties / shoulds/ inner voice manipulating. I would highly recommend the book "intuitive eating" by Evelyn tribole...it saved my life in terms of guilt and just not living. When you let go of negative food behavior you start to enjoy life and focus less on food anyways. I still have bad days often ...but I can move on and actually focus on my health better then before. Feel free to add me. My baby is 3 months...and some days I seriously struggle with the binges/overeating. Usually because I AM telling myself I need to hurry up and lose weight etc...instead of being kind to myself and focusing on eating well to breast feed well...when you do these things all else falls into place.

taypop5

I would also like to add that once I told myself I could eat ANYTHING and AS MUCH of something as I wanted on the condition I am not allowed to feel guilty and had to enjoy it...I eventually - didn't want it anymore. I totally went nuts...and as a rule kept restocking whatever it is I'm gorging on...well let me tell you - once you realize you are going to keep restocking it and you can eat it...the novelty wears off and you will decide your done. I promise ... There is weight gain initially but once your eating mindfully and guilt free it will fall off. And you'll be happier.

amtyrell

For me the simple rule that I can eat whatever I want but I must log before I consume it has helped a ton. This has stopped my binging because I simply look at my log and see that I am well over and then it triggers me to stop. I don't know if this simple rule will help you but it is well worth the try

SadDolt

are you sure you're hungry, and not just dealing with cravings/thirst? i had problems with this too. i usually drink a lot of water.

ninerbuff

What has your OB said your calorie intake should be? That's the GUIDELINE you should follow.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

givesometogetsome

jathieret wrote: »

Thank you all. Again (to those who didn't quite understand the post), I'm not focusing on losing weight. I'm growing a human, I have more important things to do.

But I do want to stop the binge/guilt cycle (which was my personality BEFORE I got pregnant) and this was more of a post to get ideas from other people who have been through that same mental battle. It's a tough one to break, even though you know what needs to be done.

There never is a wrong time to work on your own physical and mental , especially during pregnancy.

I was a binger for decades (since childhood). My self-esteem was tied to my eating. Restrict and resist food=I am worthy. Binge and lack of control=I deserve to die. Then I got into weight lifting several months ago. The focus became on what my body could accomplish and how I needed to fuel it properly to see muscle growth. Life is a lot easier now. Like this past week all of my days had an intake above 2,000 (with three of them above 3,000). And I lost 3 lbs and an inch on my waist. What's funny is before weight lifting I would've easily gained 3 lbs with these intakes. I don't know if it's the added muscle or extra protein, or both, but I am enjoying being able to eat more. I really think weight lifting would help you break that binge/guilt cycle, which is especially important when we have children watching us.

JeromeBarry1

A: You're pregnant.

Normal expectations are that pregnant women should eat a bit more than non-pregnant women, and breastfeeding moms should also eat more than dry women.

How about you just try to cut back on the binges, eat a healthy variety of foods, and help make a healthy baby?
After that, eat enough of a healthy variety of foods for you and your baby if you do breastfeed.

After weaning, get on the weight loss program with focused determination.