Binge eating. 2 steps foward; 1 step back

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  • OnWisconsin84
    OnWisconsin84 Posts: 409 Member
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    I was a binge eater for several years. My routine was eating 1200 calories, working my @$$ off on the treadmill (so netting way less than 1200 because I was too afraid to eat my exercise calories...DUMB), then I'd skip a day & my eating would be thrown off, then I'd see the scale moving and I'd go into a downward spiral. My day was consumed by the number I saw on that scale, and I knew it was because of my 'lack of control' over how I was eating. I'm currently 168 days binge-free. I'm also 168 days scale-free. For me, the major changes in me have come from relying more on trusting myself, giving up the scale, viewing my body differently, and EATING MORE (usually net 1800+ now). Oh, and not being so hard on myself about working out. I was literally obsessing over cardio, while eating 1200 calories. Not smart. Not something you can maintain for very long. Quick results initially?? Sure. But you're setting yourself up for disaster. Failure, really. I'm proof. Once I started changing some of these things my view of food and view of myself also started shifting. I've never felt better about myself, and I have no idea how much I weigh. But I know my abs are awesome, my guns look fantastic, and a number on the scale doesn't define me.
  • uprightashley
    uprightashley Posts: 39 Member
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    Oh yeah, you're not alone. I was just down in the dumps about the very same thing. Monday-Thursday I do great. I eat only the calories I'm supposed to, and exercise daily. But by the time the weekend rolls around I find myself slacking. My biggest obstacle is alcohol. My friends like to go out on the weekends and when I go with them I drink. There are LOTS of calories in beer. I'm trying to find a way to get motivated again.
  • kristen_lynn
    kristen_lynn Posts: 75 Member
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    it's been a long time coming, but i finally realized that this is my behavior too.

    we all just need support. a community forum is a good idea, but we also need to support OURSELVES. what do i mean by that? .... what i've been trying to do, with some degree of success, is just start by being more mindful. DO i want this food? ok, maybe yes, but do i need it? will it help me with my long-term goals? am i hungry? or am i stressed/depressed/tired/cranky/premenstrual? most of my mindless eating stems from boredom or other ways of "eating my feelings." i'm trying really hard to distract myself, focus on dealing with whatever it is, and tell myself that snacking (or binging) is not the answer. with that said, old habits DO die hard, so what i've been trying to do on days that i am tempted to pig out, is to LOG EVERY LAST BITE. that way i can see in cold hard FACTS what i do to myself when these days happen. i've been on MFP for a year now, and i log religiously when i'm good but usually don't bother logging if i decide i'm gonna have an off day. but those days can quickly rack up into the THOUSANDS of calories! i'm seeing this now.

    so, kids, you're not alone. "everything in moderation." let this be our motto. and let's reach the end of these damn weight loss tickers!
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    I guess a couple of questions need to be asked to actually look at this. First one would be, do you have your daily calorie goal set properly, either through the 10%-20% below TDEE or set by MFP? Basically, are you set up to eat the proper amount of calories a day to begin with? Second, when you binge, are you eating well above your maintenance calories, or at your maintenance calories, or are you still below? Are you allowing yourself "treats" during the week that you have planned within your calorie range and, if you're watching your macros, within your macro range?

    Are you getting enough of the basics like carbs, proteins, fats? I know my wife was doing a rather low carb plan with a cheat day on Saturday. She went nuts on Saturdays and still dropped pounds, but over the course of several weeks she started noticing that by Thursday of the week she was ready to eat handfuls of jelly filled donuts dipped in a bowl of frosted fruity pebbles covered in chocolate milk. It was driving her nuts. Her nutritionist said to start increasing her carbs a little bit each day, nothing much, just a handful of dried fruit or something until she found a balance.

    Also, I think of this a lot like quitting smoking, sometimes you have to find something to keep yourself busy long enough to bust through those intense cravings. Sometimes people help, sometimes you just want to see them take a really long walk off a very short pier. Finding a new or old hobby, researching, walking, something..anything to get your mind off eating or smoking or whatever it takes to help.

    Main thing is, don't give up. EVER. When you give up, you give in, then when you give in, you feel like a failure, your self esteem drops lower, you ride that low for a while until one day you determine to try again, then you fail again because you haven't changed anything from the last time, then the cycle starts all over again. Might as well end the cycle now, and break through onto new ground...stick with he plan and be who you really want to be sooner rather than later.
  • Chezza021
    Chezza021 Posts: 28 Member
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    I would like to thank you all for your honesty and your ideas.... as I sit hear using this forum to distract me from my enormous urge to empty the pantry of all the things that generally don't bother me.... yes it appears I am the same, I have had a fantastic week but today is HARD... really hard..... I have drunk a little extra water... tried the healthier options but it just isn't working.... I am worried if I have one piece of the chocolate cake... I just might not stop..

    I haven't done any exercise today as I have a nasty nasty headache so maybe that is the cause... I normally do SOMETHING even if it's just getting out for a 30 minute walk to get some fresh air

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