Out of control.

What calorie goal are you trying to hit? What foods are you eating (in general) for meals?

On the surface it sounds like you're far over restricting yourself and setting yourself up to binge. For me, I need to physically feel FULL after dinner. Otherwise, my brain has me picking and grazing until bed. To make this work, I do a couple of things. I eat lighter breakfasts and lunches. I'm at work those hours with no binge or graze opportunity. And being busy keeps my mind off eating anyway. Then for dinner I make sure I have 5-8 oz of protein and plenty of veg for bulk. A big salad as a side helps me a lot, as does potatoes/sweet potatoes. Then I make sure I've got enough calories left for a fun snack later in the evening. Sometimes it's an 80 calorie fudge bar, sometimes it's yogurt and nuts, sometimes it's fruit and peanut butter. Just depends on mood and calories.

If you've set yourself to 2lbs per week loss, dial it back to 1.5 or even 1. That will give you an extra 250-500 calories per day to spend on snacks or treats. Really evaluate your activity as well. Even using your phone's step counter can help gauge your activity. Likely with classes and a baby and home life you're at least lightly active vs sedentary. We often figure that because we are fat we must be sedentary. Not always the case at all! I think 5000 steps per day hits lightly active. 10000 bumps you to active.

First breathe!! You can do this. Second what are you eating? I find that I have to eat a lot more food when following the plan. sounds like your skipping meals? When I skip breakfast (I hate breakfast - it is really hard for me to eat then) I get bingey later in the day. Eat good protein (or drink a smoothie) in the morning within 30 minutes of getting up. Try a big salad for lunch and then a well portioned dinner. snacks should be healthy and watch that sugar on protein bars and such. Tempting but read your labels. sometimes just planning the same breakfast and lunch during the week can take a lot of your stress away.

Remember we are here for you and read the other posts - lots of good advice there

You've got this alexanders Mom!!

Can you try having snacks to take along wherever you go, within your calorie goals, so it doesn't get to that panic level?

That doesn't account for any psychology behind this as you hinted at, so if it sounds one-dimensional I apologize.

I would highly recommend some counseling to deal with any underlying emotional issues that you feel might be present. I also like the book The Beck Diet Solution. It is a book on cognitive behavioral therapy that really walks you through how to change the habits (emotional or otherwise) that create the situations where you want to overeat. It's really helpful for emotional issues that are connected to food.

Buy snacks that you enjoy that are satisfying and are easy to grab that you can have with you all the time... Maybe some kind of granola bar or nuts or peanut butter crackers.... maybe even something fun like M&Ms with nuts... and have them with you in your purse, diaper bag, and around the house, so that whenever you start to feel hungry, you can easily grab a nice snack. With calorie counting with Myfitnesspal, you don't have to feel like you are depriving yourself. Go ahead and eat a snack that you enjoy, and make sure that while you are eating it, you understand that it's OK for you to be eating it! Enjoy it! Notice how it makes you feel full. Then record the calories into your diary and see if you can meet your goal every day. What I have found is that my calorie allotment for losing weight is enough food... we don't have to go hungry to lose weight.

I used to get that feeling but don't anymore, and I weigh a lot less. My theory is that it was a blood glucose thing, and the reason I don't get it now is that I eat plenty of slow digesting protein, which is helping keep my blood glucose levels stable, and avoiding big sugary treats (that might trigger overproduction of insulin). It's just a made up theory, but I throw it out there on the chance it might work for you too.

seeing1111 wrote: »

What kind of slow digesting proteins are you using? I could use some tips for food planning as I am having this problem... running to snacks and the wrong types of snacks...

I meant that proteins in general digest much more slowly than simple carbs, but it may be true that some protein sources may digest more slowly than others. I had been eating next to no meat in the years prior, without adding in enough other protein. Just adding meat back to my diet (mostly chicken) and aiming for 20% daily did the trick for me.

P.s. Going for walks with your partner and precious baby count as exercise and it's a good time to visit, make plans, and spend time together plus it's free. Best wishes!

Sounds like a form of anxiety. anxiety is linked to something physical, so it isn't you...there is some logical reason you feel like you need to eat to feel in control. You've gotten a lot of good advice here.. but if you can figure out what is causing the anxiety... So know it can be fixed.. you just have to work with someone to figure it out.

You have a lot on your plate...all stress inducing by themselves, and piled together whew....it triggers you to find a way to comfort yourself. I've been there, single mom of a now freshman in college. Between her sports, girl scouts, school events and my own stress inducing job, it was none ending stress, cause I never took time for myself to do things for my well being...even taking a bath! We would come home and I would eat anything and everything...anything to quell the anxious spirit. That's why I was until recently 250 lbs instead of my BMI weight of 165. ( I did Weight Watchers at 45 and lost 40 lbs...she was like 8 years old...but day one of maintenance became day one of adding on the lost 40 + 50 more). Depriving myself was my MO. So it was easy to lose weight then. But I did not learn how to manage my life events and moderate my eating, maintenance style. I got to goal, and said I got this but I didn't...I did not manage my life where I could not eat food to quell the anxiousness within.

YOU MATTER...I forgot to remember that for myself. Mediation is a way to calm yourself without food. But we'll get to that later....

Keep on hand some protein bars that you can binge on so that you don't run home hungry. You will need to change what's in your home...and with the cost of food, I'm sure you are on a budget. Take it one meal at a time. Breakfast food is usually cheaper to buy and eat enough to keep you from getting hungry before lunch time. Eggs, veggies scramble, whole wheat (not white bread), butter (good fat is necessary to feel satiated). Then when you get breakfast in a routine, tackle lunch, then dinner.

You have a lot on your plate...don't add additional stress by trying to eat perfectly or within even MFP guidelines in the beginning. You need to change your routine a meal at a time. Otherwise, you will drop MFP like a bad habit cause it's adding more to your plate.

Feel free to add me, inbox me...I'm here for you.