Confessing my transgression
carolinaamma
Posts: 1 Member
Hello like minded friends. New to MFP blogs. I started LCHF in September and merged into LC optimal protein late Nov. I have incorporated eTRF (Early time restricted feeding) mid Dec. I mostly love this way of eating. However, I am occasionally plagued with old binging habits. This WOE has allowed my body begin to heal insulin resistance and lose 30 lbs in 5 1/2 months. For me, this is nothing short of a miracle. I have struggled to attain better health and lose weight for years. To find something that works for me, at age 63 (today is my 63rd BD) IS a gift. Now, back to my binging issue. I will tell on myself, because I need to release this feeling that I am feeling today. Last night I made parmesan chips. Nothing but parmesan cheese in little mounds in the oven, and in 12-15 min, perfect golden crispy chips of deliciousness. I ate all of them, a 6 oz bag of grated parmesan cheese. They were wonderful. I believe I need a 12 step program for this. 98% of the time I follow my macros quite well. But when I step out of my macro box, my brain goes on a spree. Today is a new day, and my resolve and motivation is alive & well.
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Happy birthday! I think I am safe saying you are not the only one who struggles with the urge to binge. I think I am also safe in saying none of us is perfect. I adopted this WOE for BG control and not weight, although I did lose the few extra I had. What I found motivating was tracking my BG so I could see the trends rather than the daily fluctuations. When committing a "transgression" as you put it, it is easy for one to beat oneself up and even give up. However, keeping a log showing the positive trend, even if every day is not a win, helps me to see how worth while it is to get back on track.5
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Happy Birthday! I love how this woe makes people look 20 years younger including you! I consider it a small victory that you binged on something low carb. Hopefully it wont throw you that off track.2
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The triggers for a binge need to be noted and avoided. As @cstehansen pointed out it is trends and not incidents that are important in the long run.
Happy birthday!
Go in peace and pray for me a sinner.2 -
Happy Birthday!
I too have suffered with binging. I've been low carb for about 2.5 years now and I still have binge issues from time to time. Though I have to say that I worked really hard to isolate certain situations/conditions that triggered binges and "rigged the game" so that I tricked myself into NOT binging. And they work 90% of the time. The biggest one is to make single servings. It is a time waster and a huge PITA, but I CANNOT make more than one serving of something at a time an not be tempted to eat the whole lot at once. I don't make fat bombs at all for that reason. I still only make one single serving of a dessert. For other trigger foods, I make sure I know the weight of an exact serving. I get that out, doled out, put away, and I leave the room, all before a single bite is taken. I make it a nuisance to get more. In regards to non-LC-foods, I keep my carbaholic family's snacks in a closed cabinet that I have mentally labeled "belongs to my family." I don't eat from that cabinet, otherwise I'm taking from my kids. Mentally that works for me.
I also prelog my foods the day before. I tell myself I'm following that plan so I can just cruise on auto-pilot. When I'm hungry, I have to make no decisions in a vulnerable moment. I make and eat exactly what I have planned. I dish it and then leave the kitchen.
Obviously, you're going to have different triggers. I hope sharing my strategies can help you get ideas for what will work for you. Do the best you can to identify them and rig the game in your favor. Stay out of trigger situations, avoid them like the plague, and troubleshoot on how you can hack your brain and trick yourself into not binging. You won't figure it all out overnight, but keep at it.7 -
baconslave wrote: »The biggest one is to make single servings. It is a time waster and a huge PITA, but I CANNOT make more than one serving of something at a time an not be tempted to eat the whole lot at once.
In regards to non-LC-foods, I keep my carbaholic family's snacks in a closed cabinet that I have mentally labeled "belongs to my family." I don't eat from that cabinet, otherwise I'm taking from my kids. Mentally that works for me.
I also prelog my foods the day before. I tell myself I'm following that plan so I can just cruise on auto-pilot. When I'm hungry, I have to make no decisions in a vulnerable moment. I make and eat exactly what I have planned. I dish it and then leave the kitchen.
In a similar way, I do make big batches of food, usually for dinner on Sunday, but I put away the left overs for my lunches that week before I start eating. This way it is a) a pain in the backside to eat more and b) I would be taking away from my own lunches that week if I did get more.
Great advice regarding food for the rest of the family. I do the same thing.
Pre-logging is huge. I no longer log now that I feel confident I have established the right habits and am in maintenance mode.
Also, when there is a trigger food (which I can certainly understand with Parmesan crisps), it is very helpful to get exactly how many you know you should eat and put away the rest before you take a bite just as @baconslave does.1 -
cstehansen wrote: »baconslave wrote: »The biggest one is to make single servings. It is a time waster and a huge PITA, but I CANNOT make more than one serving of something at a time an not be tempted to eat the whole lot at once.
In regards to non-LC-foods, I keep my carbaholic family's snacks in a closed cabinet that I have mentally labeled "belongs to my family." I don't eat from that cabinet, otherwise I'm taking from my kids. Mentally that works for me.
I also prelog my foods the day before. I tell myself I'm following that plan so I can just cruise on auto-pilot. When I'm hungry, I have to make no decisions in a vulnerable moment. I make and eat exactly what I have planned. I dish it and then leave the kitchen.
In a similar way, I do make big batches of food, usually for dinner on Sunday, but I put away the left overs for my lunches that week before I start eating. This way it is a) a pain in the backside to eat more and b) I would be taking away from my own lunches that week if I did get more.
Great advice regarding food for the rest of the family. I do the same thing.
Pre-logging is huge. I no longer log now that I feel confident I have established the right habits and am in maintenance mode.
Also, when there is a trigger food (which I can certainly understand with Parmesan crisps), it is very helpful to get exactly how many you know you should eat and put away the rest before you take a bite just as @baconslave does.
Yeah, my biggest mistake is to serve out my portion and get temporary amnesia thinking I have enough control to grab "just one extra" and pop it in my mouth. 3 min later, I come to, with my mouth crammed full of the food like a starving rabid squirrel facing a Game of Thrones winter.
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Happy b-day!
Congrats on the loss in such a short time. I just hit 42 lb so I'm a bit slow, I've been doing it since June through trial and error.
I have been in that spot too, where I got a little crazy and eat the extra few slices of pepperoni or paper plate of nuked cheese. I did it last night and also on Friday. I had already closed my log for the night and still did it. Not feeling guilty though, I mean...it's not like I ordered a Domino's pizza and cheesy bread. But I swear, if it wasn't for such a thing known as past 4 p.m., I'd be thinner! I do so well during the day, but the later it gets, the more I want to eat stuff and I'm not even really hungry, I just enjoy good food. And I can't hide anything from myself. I know exactly how many shreds of cheese are in the fridge and have a photographic image in my brain of the number of pistachios in the Tupperware on the top of the fridge! Oh well, we live to eat another day. I just need to remember that what I don't eat today, I can always have tomorrow, and to brush my teeth after dinner and keep drinking water til 3 hours before bed helps.1 -
baconslave wrote: »Like a starving rabid squirrel facing a Game of Thrones winter.
Brilliant!1 -
Happy Birthday!
As long as most days are good days, I'd say you are doing fine. When I was losing my average intake was 1500 but that was an average. One day was 1200, the next was 2200, then 1300, then 1600 so on. As long as most days were good days, I lost. I think it can work out.
I agree with avoiding those triggers when you can. I didn't make my favorites every day... And I don't buy pre-sliced swiss cheese often. That is a sure thing for eating too many ounces of cheese.2 -
baconslave wrote: »Like a starving rabid squirrel facing a Game of Thrones winter.
Brilliant!
And unfortunately a particularly apt description. ...le sigh...2 -
cstehansen wrote: »baconslave wrote: »The biggest one is to make single servings. It is a time waster and a huge PITA, but I CANNOT make more than one serving of something at a time an not be tempted to eat the whole lot at once.
In a similar way, I do make big batches of food, usually for dinner on Sunday, but I put away the left overs for my lunches that week before I start eating. This way it is a) a pain in the backside to eat more and b) I would be taking away from my own lunches that week if I did get more.
Me 3! I make a big pan or crock pot or whatever, then have my lunch containers out on the counter, and portion it all out while it's still hot. If I just eat dinner "from the pan" then ya I'll blow through way more than planned.
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Love all these suggestions!! Thank you!0
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Happy Birthday!! You've come a long way, stop and recognize that progress, each and every day.
I've had problems with periodic binging my whole life. It can really sabotage you, absolutely. I find that in addition to the prep work in the kitchen that others mention that increasing mind/body awareness is a key to stopping this in its track.
Meditation and yoga and any work out help on this front. The more I work out the less likely I am to binge. period. And having something to do with my hands doesn't hurt either, especially in front of the TV, which is always a trigger for me.
Good luck, and today, just celebrate the new healthier you. Be gentle on yourself...you're worth it!0 -
Happy Birthday, my fellow Aquarian!
What they said! ^^^^^0 -
Happy Belated Birthday. As mentioned above, I believe that everyone on this blog has at one time or another binged!
Two things that have helped me: a) exercise: it seems to lower my appetite a bit (also noting how long it takes me to burn 100 calories (yikes!) and b) strict portion control, even with lchf foods.1 -
Happy Belated Birthday. As mentioned above, I believe that everyone on this blog has at one time or another binged!
Two things that have helped me:
a) exercise: it seems to lower my appetite a bit (also noting how long it takes me to burn 100 calories (yikes!) and
b) strict portion control, even with lchf foods.
Great tips!
(For the record, however, I'm the weirdo diabetic who hasn't binged.
) 0 -
Happy Belated Birthday. As mentioned above, I believe that everyone on this blog has at one time or another binged!
Two things that have helped me:
a) exercise: it seems to lower my appetite a bit (also noting how long it takes me to burn 100 calories (yikes!) and
b) strict portion control, even with lchf foods.
Great tips!
(For the record, however, I'm the weirdo diabetic who hasn't binged.)
Don't go hoisting yourself on your own petard there, Ralfie.
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@carolinaamma, I too celebrated my 63rd birthday in January. Happy belated Birthday!
I dealt with my overindulgences/ binging with a behavioral approach. Mine was a very impulsive type thing. See food, eat it. I quit reading food diaries. I didn't look at "food porn" threads. I kept junk food out of sight. I quit hanging around the appetizer spread at parties. Sad but true to this day, I still abstain from any sweet treats and do not engage in eating "finger foods". I eat 2 or 3 square meals a day and I do not snack. At least for the last several months, it has been effective.2 -
SuperCarLori wrote: »Happy Belated Birthday. As mentioned above, I believe that everyone on this blog has at one time or another binged!
Two things that have helped me:
a) exercise: it seems to lower my appetite a bit (also noting how long it takes me to burn 100 calories (yikes!) and
b) strict portion control, even with lchf foods.
Great tips!
(For the record, however, I'm the weirdo diabetic who hasn't binged.)
Don't go hoisting yourself on your own petard there, Ralfie.
Haha, nice try! I got rid of all my carby petards during the Great Cupboard Purge of 2016.2 -
And just after I wrote the above, I was reminded of my habit of "self talk" to desired behavior. I opened the refrigerator to get cream for my coffee. I saw a half of a tomato sitting there, grabbed it to eat it, put it back saying "No. I don't snack". Old habits take time to break. Calories here and there add up.
Making a tray of cheese crisps because I have the cheese, they taste good, I think I need a crunch and I'm bored or lonely would have absolutely no foundation in hunger for me but I have done something similar many, many times. And I usually ended up eating every ounce of what I made. I forever have pay attention.
If I'm not hungry, food is not the solution.
Remember why I started.
Step away from the food.
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I heard a fun way to look at foods that trigger for us. A lady said she never eats popcorn because it is
a "Gateway carb" ..yes!! I ONLY allowed plain home popped popcorn, with butter o'course. It was something I had 1x a week on Fri or Sat night movies..but it got out of control I weaseled it into almost daily carb rationing..no good! ..so now I just think of popcorn, or any other too tempting food as a "Gateway carb"..and it stops me. and I don't buy it either.7 -
I think most of us have done something similar, I hope you have forgiven yourself and gotten back on track.
My only suggestion is to pay attention to why you wanted that food at that time. Know thyself. Maybe delay your action next time. If after a half hr. you still want something, then have it and be done with it.
Love the gateway carb phrase.
You have done a great job so far, good luck on the rest of your Journey.1 -
carolinaamma wrote: »Now, back to my binging issue. I will tell on myself, because I need to release this feeling that I am feeling today. Last night I made parmesan chips. Nothing but parmesan cheese in little mounds in the oven, and in 12-15 min, perfect golden crispy chips of deliciousness. I ate all of them, a 6 oz bag of grated parmesan cheese. They were wonderful. I believe I need a 12 step program for this. 98% of the time I follow my macros quite well. But when I step out of my macro box, my brain goes on a spree. Today is a new day, and my resolve and motivation is alive & well.
Ok. I'll bite. What's wrong with eating 6 oz of cheeese? I routinely eat 2-4 oz/day - eating 6 would not that much of a stretch.2 -
carolinaamma wrote: »Now, back to my binging issue. I will tell on myself, because I need to release this feeling that I am feeling today. Last night I made parmesan chips. Nothing but parmesan cheese in little mounds in the oven, and in 12-15 min, perfect golden crispy chips of deliciousness. I ate all of them, a 6 oz bag of grated parmesan cheese. They were wonderful. I believe I need a 12 step program for this. 98% of the time I follow my macros quite well. But when I step out of my macro box, my brain goes on a spree. Today is a new day, and my resolve and motivation is alive & well.
Ok. I'll bite. What's wrong with eating 6 oz of cheeese? I routinely eat 2-4 oz/day - eating 6 would not that much of a stretch.
I was wondering about that, too.
Seems like a pretty minor sin! But that's coming from someone for whom 6-8 daily cheese-oz. is common (though not pre-grated, if it lists funny things in the ingredients, like "cellulose," aka, "wood pulp").1 -
carolinaamma wrote: »Now, back to my binging issue. I will tell on myself, because I need to release this feeling that I am feeling today. Last night I made parmesan chips. Nothing but parmesan cheese in little mounds in the oven, and in 12-15 min, perfect golden crispy chips of deliciousness. I ate all of them, a 6 oz bag of grated parmesan cheese. They were wonderful. I believe I need a 12 step program for this. 98% of the time I follow my macros quite well. But when I step out of my macro box, my brain goes on a spree. Today is a new day, and my resolve and motivation is alive & well.
Ok. I'll bite. What's wrong with eating 6 oz of cheeese? I routinely eat 2-4 oz/day - eating 6 would not that much of a stretch.
I was wondering about that, too.
Seems like a pretty minor sin! But that's coming from someone for whom 6-8 daily cheese-oz. is common (though not pre-grated, if it lists funny things in the ingredients, like "cellulose," aka, "wood pulp").
I'm assuming it's a calorie thing.3 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
I'm assuming it's a calorie thing.
I don't know. I've seen a lot of freak-outs/descriptions of binging for small amounts over calories or cheese. And in the low carb world, 6 oz of cheese seems well within the normal range of food.
I'm just kind of surprised no one in thread had asked the question.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
I'm assuming it's a calorie thing.
I don't know. I've seen a lot of freak-outs/descriptions of binging for small amounts over calories or cheese. And in the low carb world, 6 oz of cheese seems well within the normal range of food.
I'm just kind of surprised no one in thread had asked the question.
No doubt I eat that much on a regular basis!
I know what you're saying though.0
This discussion has been closed.