Admitting my Weakness...

Amber82479
Amber82479 Posts: 629 Member
Three weeks or so ago, I fell off the wagon. I've been doing pretty well - working out at least an hour a day and sticking to my calories 90% of the time, but I got sick, fell off the wagon and let it run me over... And over... And over again... I've been eating anything I can suck into my face... Making brownie batter and eating it... Baking brownies, eating crap and more crap and drinking more than I should, which just makes me eat more. For some reason I'm hell-bent on self sabotage as of late and I'm completely hating myself. I feel powerless to stop this insanity. I'm going to try desperately to get back on the wagon again tomorrow. I have got to get out of this nasty cycle before I gain back the 11 pounds it took me a whole year to lose! Suggestions? UGH!

Replies

  • Hey Amber. I'm sorry you fell of the wagon. I've been there and its so frustrating. Just remember when you start eating better not to over compensate by skipping meals or dramatically reducing calories below your maintenance level. Doing so many times contributes to the binge cycle. Good luck and much love.
  • emd528
    emd528 Posts: 30 Member
    I can definitely relate to this, I have gotten into self-destructive cycles so many times before, and it's very hard to get out! For me, being bored and/or lonely triggers a binge, and so can having too much to drink.

    There are a couple ways I'm trying to solve my sporadic binging problem (it's way better than it used to be), but first to get out of your destructive cycle! You can't erase any of your past binges, but you CAN make sure that they happen less and less in the future. This is important- you deserve to feel better about your body, and you deserve to have all that hard work you put in losing weight pay off. Your body is already gorgeous and awesome right now, but it will feel and look better if you give it the love it deserves- by not binging. These are the kinds of things I try to focus on. When you have a healthy day, pay attention to how good your body feels, and focus on that feeling the next time you feel a binge coming on. Is a whole day or two days of feeling bloated and awful worth those brownies? Probably not.

    It sounds like you're into working out- I know I can't work out the day after a binge, so is it worth having a binge if it means you're losing valuable time at the gym (which you've paid good money for)? Signing up for a race has motivated me- I want to binge less, because I know it will take time away that I could be training to kick butt in the race! Spending time on MFP is also motivating, and has honestly stopped me from binging before. Knowing there are other people who are losing weight and eating healthy really inspires me.

    To avoid binges, figure out what your triggers are. I try to make sure that my weekends are busy and have structure- I tend to binge when I feel lonely/bored. I also make sure that I spend time around other people (usually my roommates) during evenings and weekends- times that I used to binge in the past. If I am with people, I can't binge. Drinking is a big problem for me, and I usually try to avoid drunk binges by not drinking too much... That's the most challenging though, because once you've had a couple, not drinking more is harder to control, and so is not eating! Ugh.

    You should add me- we can be anti-binging buddies, if you'd like :) I am always around to offer support!
  • emd528
    emd528 Posts: 30 Member
    Something else I forgot! I saw "Rules for Eating" posted somewhere recently- a lot of them are good, but the one that helps me the most was: Always eat with the intention of being seen.

    I always binge in private, and so eating where you know you can be seen nips that in the bud!