Weekend Binge :(

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frances518
frances518 Posts: 7
in Motivation and Support
In general, I have a really hard time with weight loss. Well, when I lose, I tend to lose quickly. And until I start binge eating again, which sometimes is days, weeks, and for a period of time, most of a year. I'm a compulsive overeater and have been since I was about 12. At this point, that's half my life! I try and stop- I try to avoid having things in the house I shouldn't eat, watch what I do, plan my meals before I'm hungry...I started back up last week and did really well. Then the weekend came. Yesterday (ok, technically it's Monday, but still...on Saturday), there was the annual St Patty's Day parade here. My celebrating consisted of having my best friend over (cause I live right by where the parade went) Friday night, drinking then, eating a good breakfast then drinking all day yesterday (I ate a reasonable amount and walked a lot, but still). Today, I craved food all day. I thought about it from the moment I woke up. I ate so much more than I should have and even dreamt about eating ridiculous amounts of delicious food during a nap. I wasn't even hung over today and now I'm hungry again. I'm so certain that I gained back what I lost! I need to find a way to stay in control when all I want to do is eat! Any ideas?

And for the record, I haven't been drinking a lot because I know that it's bad for you and tends to make you gain weight, but Saturday was just one of those days...one of those precious few days where it's socially acceptable to drink from the moment you wake up and you can walk around the city openly drinking beer...I had to make the most of that magical day.

Replies

  • sara_m83
    sara_m83 Posts: 545 Member
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    Have you ever thought about what might have triggered your becoming an overeater at the age of 12? How did you eat before that? What is the emotional response you get from a binge? Why? What is going on for you psychologically when you find yourself unable to resist temptation? Do you think focusing on your long-term goal could help counteract the short-term pleasure to be derived from a binge?
  • mellybiene
    mellybiene Posts: 16
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    I face a similar problem as yours in that I lose some weight and then counteract the whole process by overeating. It takes a lot of self control and most importantly, I think you need to set some goals. The times I stop myself from eating too much are when I remind myself of why I'm controlling my food intake, and it helps, even though its still just as hard.

    So set some long term goals, write it down big somewhere or keep looking at it and maybe it will help. There will be times you will fail, but the most important thing is never giving up :> It will be a success eventually. Good luck! :>
  • mikeles
    mikeles Posts: 4
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    Hi there Frances518,
    Firstly I understand what it is like to have good days and bad days. I have for the past 12 years battled with weight and at my heaviest weighted in at 206kg (approx 450lbs). I denied it to myself all the time that I had a problem. It was everyone else who had the problem. I wasn't fat I was just heavy set and big boned. I had yo-yo'd all the time just barely making it through the first day of dieting let alone the first week.
    5 years ago something just clicked and I realised I was overweight and I had to do something about it.
    For years before it was just either my heart or my head telling me to lose weight, but that day (Feb 12 2006) both my heart and my head met and decided it was time to do it.
    Since that day I have struggled with food and exercise losing and losing. then putting weight back on.
    I currently weigh 115kg (approx 250lbs) there were a few things that I still fall short for and the biggest one is weekends.
    but along the way I learnt a few things that I'm sure you have heard but they are tried and true time and time again.
    First thing I had to realise was that I had to stop with the excuses.
    I mean the reasons such as drinking because it is the only acceptable day is still an excuse. Not saying you can't do it, but you have to be held accountable for your actions. we all need to let off some steam and enjoy ourselves because if we don't we are destined to fail. so Identify that you had a fun day but get back into the "zone" and move on from here.
    The other thing is planning.
    The old saying failing to plan is planning to fail is so true.
    My weekends when they fall apart are because I don't have a plan in place, but the only one I can blame is myself.
    One way of great planning is that if you are going to have such a weekend, make sure you have it locked in your calendar. be honest and accept what you are going to do and then work hard leading up to it so you have no guilt at all.
    kind of like a banking system.
    Workout out how much you need to burn extra in order to have a good time and you would be set.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    Can I ask what kinds of food you predominantly eat? I have found for me personally that if I eat too many carbs (especially if they are simple (like white flour, sugar, other processed carbs or even a plain old potato) I get hungry far more often. I have to eat protein at each meal and with my snacks or my blood sugar dips and I'm starving long before I should be.

    You don't have your diary open so go back and look over what you eat. See if you can see a pattern as to what you're eating and how it's effecting you. The day you drank all day and found yourself hungry so much is because alcohol impacts your system the same way eating nothing but simple carbs does because alcohol itself is a simple carb. You didn't have enough real nutrition to fuel your body so it kept sending you the signals.

    The types of foods we eat are just as important as calories, if not more so. If your food isn't nutrient dense you will constantly be craving something, anything to fill that void. Whole foods and plenty of good protein, a variety of foods including fruits and vegetables; these are good choices that will leave you satiated instead of still looking for something to fill the void.

    I'm not saying there is no mental part playing a role in this. Mikeles made some good points that you should think about but I do highly suggest looking at your food diary and seeing what you're eating and how it makes you feel (do you feel satisfied? Are you still wanting more? Get hungry within a short period of time or can last awhile on it?) If you want to take it a step further keep note of your emotional/mental state when you choose to eat something. You will see a pattern develop if you do it for a while and then you'll know what sets you off and how to avoid it.

    You can do this, you just might need to take a different approach than you have in the past. :)

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