UGH! Once a week MEGA MELTDOWN! (this is the real post)

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kmreynolds11
kmreynolds11 Posts: 109 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Usually, the majority of each week I'm golden. I eat the right things, work out, feel great, and my weight slowly drops. Nice! This works...

BUT, the past month or so there's been one day each week when I get SO hungry and chaos breaks loose. Last night I finished up a sensible dinner, bringing my calories exactly to my net goal.... but I still felt CRAZY hungry. I gave myself about 30 minutes, but when I still felt hungry after that I let myself have some cheese and crackers to snack on. Still hungry! Long story short... a few crackers with laughing cow turned into handfuls of crackers and about a half brick of pepperjack. The rest of it all is a blur, but I'm pretty sure there were tablespoons full of chocolate frosting and reddi wip. When the dust had cleared, I estimated that I had a net of around 2800 calories yesterday (my goal is 1650)! This morning I woke up with a sodium hangover (you know that groggy, gross feeling) and gained 2.5 lbs.

If this was happening every once in a while I would just chalk it up to a "bad day" and move on.... but it's been happening almost EVERY week! I'm trying to listen to my body when it tells me it needs more of somthing, but it seems like once a week it just can't be satisfied. I'd like to think I have pretty good sense and will power, but on these days when my metabolism is pumping and I can't "get full" I feel frantic to try to find something to satisfy me.

Do all you MFP experts have any suggestions for me? What does this say about my nutrition -- am I doing something wrong that's causing these binges? How do you tackle days when your body keeps telling you to eat more???

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  • kmreynolds11
    kmreynolds11 Posts: 109 Member
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    Sorry about the other post with this title... lol. I was logging my fiance's breakfast for him and then accidently posted MY frustrated topic on his login! Oops!
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
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    Well, first, take comfort. You did not gain 2.5 pounds of real weight. That would involve about 10,500 calories OVER what you burned. It's just the weight of a full stomach and water retention, etc.

    I haven't looked through your diary but I would guess this is not a food isse, its an emotional one. People often use food, abuse and control of it, to take out frustrations and emotions they are experiencing. The part where you describe the binge as a "blur" is a sure fire sign of this sort behavior. Don't think of this as a "diet" issues but think of it wholistically and recognize it is probably related to other things going as well!
  • LuckySe7en
    LuckySe7en Posts: 49
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    Sometimes this happens to me too! For me, something as simple as switching my breads to whole grain helped me feel full longer because the bread is heavier. I also drink 2 cups of water so that I can see if what I'm feeling is thirst, masked as hunger. That also played a big role.
  • marji4x
    marji4x Posts: 144 Member
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    maybe your body is wanting more food and you're not eating enough? I don't know for sure, but try adding a little bit each day of the week and see if you still binge.
  • kmreynolds11
    kmreynolds11 Posts: 109 Member
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    Well, first, take comfort. You did not gain 2.5 pounds of real weight. That would involve about 10,500 calories OVER what you burned. It's just the weight of a full stomach and water retention, etc.

    I haven't looked through your diary but I would guess this is not a food isse, its an emotional one. People often use food, abuse and control of it, to take out frustrations and emotions they are experiencing. The part where you describe the binge as a "blur" is a sure fire sign of this sort behavior. Don't think of this as a "diet" issues but think of it wholistically and recognize it is probably related to other things going as well!

    You're probably right... I'm definitely a "stress eater". When I feel the pressure, my appetite definitely increases.

    Also noticed that these usually happen the day after I've gone on a mid-to-long run. Anyone?
  • bobbijo72
    bobbijo72 Posts: 63
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    i am an HCG dieter..and in maintenance we watch our weight.. there are certain foods taht bring you up by A LOT and of course it isnt "caloric gain" as mentioned because that would involve a whole lot of calories in one day.. however.. it does not feel good..
    what it is, is that your body will retain water or watever in response to the wrong foods.. causing a gain on teh next day or 2.. just eat VERY lean for a few days after DRINK tons of water.. adn it will go away! stay strong.. I too am ALWAYS hungry and searching for something to eat at teh end of the day.. i usually drink TONS AND TONS of water instead of goin right to the food so that a Smaller snack will satisfy me.. however i am peeing 2 x a night. but would rather do that than gain weight.. so.. good luck!
  • LuckySe7en
    LuckySe7en Posts: 49
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    Well, first, take comfort. You did not gain 2.5 pounds of real weight. That would involve about 10,500 calories OVER what you burned. It's just the weight of a full stomach and water retention, etc.

    I haven't looked through your diary but I would guess this is not a food isse, its an emotional one. People often use food, abuse and control of it, to take out frustrations and emotions they are experiencing. The part where you describe the binge as a "blur" is a sure fire sign of this sort behavior. Don't think of this as a "diet" issues but think of it wholistically and recognize it is probably related to other things going as well!

    This is so true. I used to feel a connection to all the junk that I ate and I really couldn't stop myself. I started reading Jillian Michaels' book Master Your Metabolism, so much good information in there, it's really helping me. Maybe it would for you too? It's worth a shot.
  • kmreynolds11
    kmreynolds11 Posts: 109 Member
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    maybe your body is wanting more food and you're not eating enough? I don't know for sure, but try adding a little bit each day of the week and see if you still binge.

    I can try that... but I'm nervous about bumping up the calories, because I just increased my goal two weeks ago. I had been eating 1450 (1 lb loss per week) and then switched to 1650 (0.7 lb loss per week) since I'm getting closer to my goal and because of these binges.
  • bobbijo72
    bobbijo72 Posts: 63
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    just noticed what you said about the run.. that could also cause you to retain water.. when your fat cells empty.. your body fills them with water... it takes a few days to metabolize these cells till they are gone for good.. so you may notice a gain or a stall in loss while this happens.. then will drop once taht water is released.. dont forget to DRINK a lot of water.. big mistake people make is not drinking enough.. it will wash out.. dont worry!
  • kmreynolds11
    kmreynolds11 Posts: 109 Member
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    just noticed what you said about the run.. that could also cause you to retain water.. when your fat cells empty.. your body fills them with water... it takes a few days to metabolize these cells till they are gone for good.. so you may notice a gain or a stall in loss while this happens.. then will drop once taht water is released.. dont forget to DRINK a lot of water.. big mistake people make is not drinking enough.. it will wash out.. dont worry!

    Yeah... I do drink A LOT of water, and 98% of the time ONLY water. In fact, I don't log it because it would be a P.I.M.A. but I would estimate that I probably drink 5-8 24 oz bottles of water a day. I'm also very careful to replace water (lost through sweat) after any runs of 4 miles or longer.
  • michelle4271
    michelle4271 Posts: 194 Member
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    great ideas with the need for added water to help get rid of this weight, and changing up some foods that will satiate longer. You might want to google "super foods", foods that keep your metabolism going, they tend to satiate a bit longer because it takes longer for them to digest, ie. apples (with skins), oatmeal, cranberries, almonds with skins, pasta, etc for just a few - you might want to recalculate your calories needs for the day, your ticker says only 19 lbs left to lose, and if you still have your ticker at 2 lbs per week that might not actually be enough for your body, you can also try zig zagging your calories with your calorie burn from exercise. hope something helps, just keep chugging along, you'll get it (might have to take a few weeks to find your new norm - I know, hard to "try" what you dont know will work, but have faith)
  • jteammom
    jteammom Posts: 173
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    If I knew what caused this, I would try it myself. I do not keep certain foods in the house simply because they control me. I swear I can hear them whispering my name. Not wanting to have bad manners, I have to go see what's up. The next thing I know, I'm making out with a bag of carbs and a bowl of fat. Of course, the morning after I regret the hook-up.

    Seriously - it was suggested that I try having some protein within 30-60 minutes after a workout. Now I have a Luna protein bar on my way home from the gym and I really do think that makes a difference. I don't feel the need to eat until my eyeballs pop out. Thank goodness as that is not a good look for me.
  • kmreynolds11
    kmreynolds11 Posts: 109 Member
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    great ideas with the need for added water to help get rid of this weight, and changing up some foods that will satiate longer. You might want to google "super foods", foods that keep your metabolism going, they tend to satiate a bit longer because it takes longer for them to digest, ie. apples (with skins), oatmeal, cranberries, almonds with skins, pasta, etc for just a few - you might want to recalculate your calories needs for the day, your ticker says only 19 lbs left to lose, and if you still have your ticker at 2 lbs per week that might not actually be enough for your body, you can also try zig zagging your calories with your calorie burn from exercise. hope something helps, just keep chugging along, you'll get it (might have to take a few weeks to find your new norm - I know, hard to "try" what you dont know will work, but have faith)

    Actually, I'm right around my original goal (133)... but have decided to try to drop down to 128, so I'm about 5-7 pounds away from my goal weight. I've slowed down my weight loss a bit to make sure I'm doing it healthily & to make sure I'm getting enough calories/carbs while training for a half-marathon.

    Great idea about the zigzagging of calories. I might try to do that and sync it up with when I know my body will want food after runs! Has anyone ever tried zigzagging on MFP? Is there an easy way to keep track?
  • karanmwk
    karanmwk Posts: 85 Member
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    Maybe you need to have a plan in place for when this happens...and get that chocolate & Reddi Whip out of your house! LOL! I enjoyed reading your story!
  • Elle408
    Elle408 Posts: 500 Member
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    I could have written your post! It's almost identical to what i'm trying to battle at the moment! If I look through my past two months diaries nearly every wednesday is in the red! I have narrowed it down to a few factors... one, just socially it's a trigger for me as i'm either on a 15hr shift or we finish work early and head to the pub to watch the football. Both of these are difficult as pub food always means over-indulgence for me and working late means I choose bad convenience foods (cake, fast food etc.) to keep me going through those last hours.

    The second thing (and most interesting maybe...) is the after a work out hunger and exhaustion! This is my daily battle almost. I work pretty hard at the gym, generally try to eat all my calories back (but like to leave a few just in case) but find that over the days my exhaustion accumulates until I can barely lift my arms to answer the phone. When I hit rock bottom like that I nearly always binge on high fat/sugar/carb foods and risk going on a full out binge where i'll eat everything I can get my hands on. My energy then spikes and I spend a few days trying to rid myself of the sugar hangover, bloating and water retention and I go back to my intense gym work outs to make up for the junk I ate and also because I have more energy from the binge to hit it hard for a few sessions. I seem to be in a bit of a bad cycle at the moment that i'm finding hard to break, but just the fact that i've recognised the pattern and know what triggers me is certainly reassuring! I'm now trying to find ways to improve my post workout energy so that I can't get myself to that rock bottom exhaustion phase in the first place! Maybe it's worth trying to notice a pattern and then make a plan accordingly!
  • kmreynolds11
    kmreynolds11 Posts: 109 Member
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    I could have written your post! It's almost identical to what i'm trying to battle at the moment! If I look through my past two months diaries nearly every wednesday is in the red! I have narrowed it down to a few factors... one, just socially it's a trigger for me as i'm either on a 15hr shift or we finish work early and head to the pub to watch the football. Both of these are difficult as pub food always means over-indulgence for me and working late means I choose bad convenience foods (cake, fast food etc.) to keep me going through those last hours.

    The second thing (and most interesting maybe...) is the after a work out hunger and exhaustion! This is my daily battle almost. I work pretty hard at the gym, generally try to eat all my calories back (but like to leave a few just in case) but find that over the days my exhaustion accumulates until I can barely lift my arms to answer the phone. When I hit rock bottom like that I nearly always binge on high fat/sugar/carb foods and risk going on a full out binge where i'll eat everything I can get my hands on. My energy then spikes and I spend a few days trying to rid myself of the sugar hangover, bloating and water retention and I go back to my intense gym work outs to make up for the junk I ate and also because I have more energy from the binge to hit it hard for a few sessions. I seem to be in a bit of a bad cycle at the moment that i'm finding hard to break, but just the fact that i've recognised the pattern and know what triggers me is certainly reassuring! I'm now trying to find ways to improve my post workout energy so that I can't get myself to that rock bottom exhaustion phase in the first place! Maybe it's worth trying to notice a pattern and then make a plan accordingly!

    You're right. What a vicious cycle! It's funny... I think exhaustion plays a big part of it for me too. It's like I'm going 5,000 mph, but then at some point I just get exhausted and my body wants/needs energy to keep going!

    There is something else that I noticed... I think on these days I eat less "good fats". I love eating nuts, avocadoes, etc. which put a lot of fat in my diet. Sometimes on days when I eat less fat, I find myself ravenous by dinner time.
  • NBFIT
    NBFIT Posts: 79
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    You're right. What a vicious cycle! It's funny... I think exhaustion plays a big part of it for me too. It's like I'm going 5,000 mph, but then at some point I just get exhausted and my body wants/needs energy to keep going!

    There is something else that I noticed... I think on these days I eat less "good fats". I love eating nuts, avocadoes, etc. which put a lot of fat in my diet. Sometimes on days when I eat less fat, I find myself ravenous by dinner time.


    I could've written your post as well! Going through the same thing. Only mine has been more than once a week! Carbs is my weekness. If I just have a slice of bread, crackers , or something more filling I can last longer between meals & feel satisfied. But carbs = calories. It's frustrating!

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